The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-31 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE RED PARTY

On Saturday. a numerous meeting of the ratepayers
favourable to the " red list," was held at the Craven-
roams, Birkenhead. Mr. Thomas Fry occupied the
chair, and amongst those present were—Messrs. J. Laird,
Holme, Conway, Alexander Thompson, De Wolf, Porter,
R. Lamont, Keightley, Parsons, J. Holme, Slater, Crook,
Tyler, Watkins, Hadfield, Edmund Thompson, Goul-
bourne, Thomas Williams, &c.
After some remarks from the chairman, Mr. HADFIELD,
the secretary to the South American Steam Navigation
Company, addressed the meeting. He remarked that,
forthe last three years, he represented the late Dock Trust,
as their secretary; and the gentlemen who then com-
posed the trust would challenge comparison with any
names that had been brought under notice, largely inte.
rested, too, as they were in every respect in the prosperity
of the place. One of the charges brought against the late
trustees was that they did nothing ; did not proceed with
the works ; and did not bring trade as they had promised.
What had the new trustees done? After he (Mr. Had-
field) had retired, and Mr. Hull, the solicitor, had received
his conyd, they elected a London solicitor, who came
down to Birkenhead with everything cut and dried in his
pocket, and all they had to do was to follow his instruc-
tions. What the late trustees considered a most bene.
ficial arrangement was the lease or contract with the
Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Company for a station
on the South Reserve, and getting a bridge built to con-
nect the South Reserve with the present railway system
on this side of the water. The first thing the new trus-
tees did was to go to Chancery, to dispute that agree-
ment which had the unanimous approval of the previous
board ' • and not only that, but they destroyed the bridge
which had been erected at a cost of £4,000, and erected,
too, at a time when the trust was in great financial diffi-
culties. Now the onus of all this they laid upon the
late trustees, but with what justice or propriety he
would ask the meeting to determine. Another point
with which he had some little to do, was in connexion
with the rates and tolls payable by shipping, his argu-
ment always being that a new place should give every
encouragement to trades and shipping, by keeping the
charges as low as possible. After he joined the trust,
therefore, they reduced the charges from being on a par
with Liverpool to some thirty per cent. lower ; but when
the new trustees were appointed, or in a very short time
afterwards, the charge rose again to the original point.
Dwelling further upon the policy of the " obstructives,"
he said they were acting upon some supposed rights which
existed in the acts of parliament to prevent the dock
trustees from leasing or letting their land in the mode,
and on the terms most convenient to themselves. But,
even if there were such clauses, ought gentlemen to be
found advocating what they knew would injure the pro-
perty ? He denied in tote the statement of Mr. Fowles,
the present chairman of the Dock Trust, that the late
board had exercised these rights. So long as he was their
secretary, the only right they exercised was in connexion
with getting the walls built. It was the duty of the pre-
sent trustees, who represented the Birkenhead interest,
to have protested against an interpretation of an act of
parliament which would injure their constituents' pro-
perty. It was idle to say it would not be injurious, for
its first fruits were an injunction to prevent Mr. Laird
proceeding with his intended shipbuilding-yard, while
Messrs. Holme, the large contractors, builders, &c., de-
clined to complete their lease. In fact. if this policy
were carried out, Birkenhead would be under a ban.

Mr. A. Tuomsos urged the necessity of supporting
that party who were in favour of the reduction of the
rates and charges, and of encouraging local trade and in-
dustry, which could be remunerated by weekly wages.
Mr. HOLME refuted some charges which had been
brought against the Red candidates. Was it likely, for
instance, that Mr. Carmichael would be in favour of the
removal of the docks, to the injury of his own property ?
Why, they had had the care in the docks of 10,000 tons
of wood belonging to that gentleman, and 7,000 tons be-
longing to Mr. De Wolf, another candidate.

Mr. EDMUND THOMPSON denounced, in strong terms,
the policy which prevented the establishment in Birken-
head of those shipbuilding and industrial operations for
which it was by nature adapted, and showed how the ar-
rangements of the steam company, with which he was
associated, would be upset, in regard to Birkenhead
being made the port for the craft, if they could not get

graving docks.

Mr. J. LAIRD, alluding to the statement made by their
opponents, that the late trustees " had done nothing,"
went into statistics to show that, in four years, they
actually spent £270,000 upon the various works in con-
nexion with the docks and the float; while, during the
nine months' tenure of the present trustees, be did not
believe £5,000 had been expended. When they (the late
trustees) came in they found clauses in the act which for-
feited the whole works to the Crown if not completed in
a certain time. No place could prosper, or manufactories
he introduced in such a state of things. The Morpeth
Dock, too, was to be closed in 1851 by act of Parliament,
and no vessels allowed to pass. Upon this they went to
Parliament with a bill, which, in spite of the opposition of
the Woods and Forests, they carried though the House
of Commons, and the result was, the free grant of the
South Reserve, valued by Mr. John Stewart at £178,000,
and the repayment of £60,000, which sums, added to the
£270,000, made £500,000 obtained by the late trustees.
Great credit was taken by the present trustees for making
a contract. True, they had made a contract, but how ?
Upon the faith of the £60,000 payment recovered by the
act of the late board from the Crown, and the South
Reserve which Messrs. Brassey and M'Cormick took as
so much assets. Mr. Green had stated the amount of the
contract at £250,000 ; it might be so ; if it were, they (the
late trustees) had provided £238,000 towards it ; and it was
scarcely fair for the opposition to go about representing that
their predecessors had done nothing. Why, they had done
more than the present trustees or any othercould do. They
had opened a float of 150 acres, and all it wanted now was
a deep-water entrance. if their opponents wished to
spend £400,000 or £500,000 more upon making it, he did
not object to it ; but what he said was, that dock space
had been provided, and let them fill it. Coming next to
the obstructions which had been thrown in the way of
himself and Messrs. A. and G. Holme by the present
trustees, Mr. Laird pointed out the effect which this
would naturally have in driving from Birkenhead the
South American, African, and Canada lines of steamers,
which could not come to the port unless graving-docks
were provided. He was willing to afford the necessary
accommodation if not stopped by the authorities. En-
gineers would never come to Birkenhead under such a
state of things, nor could he (Mr. Laird) remain to be
hampered and opposed at every step. It was a question
of peculiarly practical interest to the ratepayers. The
land leased to Messrs. Holme, the Bridgewater Trust,
and himself could not be rated at less than £5OO a year ;
the workmen that would be employed might be estimated
at from fifteen hundred to two thousand, and their con-
tribution to the rates at one thousand pounds a year. If
this were not driven away, but if manufactures were en-
couraged, it might shortly be doubled or quadrupled,
which would either have the effect of reducing the rates,
or, by helping to liquidate the bonded debt, raise the
value of every man's property in the township. Besides,
who would benefit more than the shopkeepers by the in-
crease in the number of artisans employed, and the con-
sequent increase of customers ? He (Mr. Laird) was not
opposed to, but would support the completion of the
works ; and, if the question of trades and manufactures
was settled, he should retire from the commission, satis-
fied that, if the banks of the pool were lined with indus-
trial occupations, Birkenhead would be made. The docks
might be finished ; but don't spend three or four years
in completing them, and let the place be starved in the
meantime.

Mr. A. THompsoN having urged the electors to vote
for the Red list " entire," a vote of thanks was awarded to
the chair, and the meeting closed with three cheers for
" Trade and Manufactures."

[ADVERTISEMENT.]
BIRKENHEAD DOCKS.

TO THE RATEPAYERS OF BIRKENHEAD AND CLAUGHTON.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,—Doubtshaving been thrown
on the statement that Messrs. Brassey, M'Cormick, and
others are ready to enter into a contract for the comple-
tion of the whole :of the dock works, conditional on the
result of the present election of commtssiv...,... I think it
due to you that you should be made acquainted witn
following letter from Mr. Jackson, which I have just
received.—l have the honour to be, ladies and gentlemen,
your very obedient servant,
Birkenhead. J. TOWNSEND.

Copy of a letter from Win. Jackson, Esq. M.P., to Mr.
Jackson Townsend. " London, May 28th, 1853.
" MY DEAR have, in connexion with Mr. Bras-
sey and Mr. M'Cormick, who, with myself, have a deep
interest in Birkenhead, agreed to advance and risk a large
amount for the purpose of helping through the docks,
taking in payment such assets as the trustees possess, and
the balance in bonds, and undertaking to complete the
work in three years ; and I have also induced my friends
Messrs. Peto and Betts to join us. We consider we have
done all we should be called on to do ; and, if the rate-
payers and owners of property in Birkenhead do not
choose to exert themselves to put in trustees who will
command harmony and unity of action, they must abide
the result. I have made up my mind not to be a party-
man in Birkenhead. I have given my name to a list of
candidates who, if elected, will, in my opinion, be most
likely to benefit the township. It is, however, a matter
for the ratepayers to settle. I can only add that the ten-
der sent in is conditional, and the rejection of the blue list
will put back the dock, for years.—Yours truly,
(Signed) " WILLIAM JACKSON.
" J. Townsend, Esq."