The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-11-02 00:00:00

FINANCE COMMITTER,

In the proceedings of this committee, they stated that they
had seen no reason to alter their determination conceining
the removal of the hayinarket from its present site; and re-
commended that part of the old Botanic garden should be ta-
ken as the site for a south haymarket. They also recom-
mended that portion of land should be granted fur the erec-
ted of a new institution for the deaf and dumb. It was fur-
ther recommended that certain ground in Flynn-street, on
which were six dilapidated houses, should be given to the
Soup Committee for the erection of a soup shop; and that
land in the possession of the corporation, at both ends of the
town, should be used fur the erection of warehouses, to be ap-
propriated to the storage of saltpetre and nitrate of soda.
Mr. Alderman LEATHOM asked, not for his own satisfac-
tion, but for that of others, whether it was intended to pul-
chase land for the erection of warehouses fur saltpetre?
Mr. Councillor W. W. CURRIE replied that no land would
have to be purchased for the purpose spoken of. Some laud
which had formerly been sold fur a charitable purpose, but
which had not been appropriated, would he cheerfully relin-
quished; and that, with other land held by the corporation,
would be sufficient, and would be reserved for the purpose.
There would he no occasion for any by-law to force individuals
to store saltpetre in the warehouses appropriated to it, as there
was already an act in existence for compelling individuals to
store it apart in particular places. This subject had been ta-
ken in hand in consequence of the late conflagration; for
there was no reason to doubt, that the ruinous nature of the
great fire in Robert-street, was to be attributed to the explo-
sion of the saltpetre, and which alone hail caused the loss of •
£45,000 worth of cotton, belongivg to Mr. Brown.
Mt. Alderman EvANs said that he had every reason to sup-
pose that saltpetre, by itself, was not combustible; and he had
been given to understand that it was not saltpetre, but a num-
ber of puncheons of runt, which had exploded at the late tire.
That, he believed was the fact of the case. Ile had the great-
est respect for the individuals composing the Finance Com-
mittee; but he could net help remarking that this was another
instance of the origination of legislation in that committee, to
which they were too prone. 'They conceived projects with-
out ever considering that the majority of the council might
like to reflect upon "the subject as well as they had done. With
regard to many matters like that of the removal of the hay-
market, of which there was only one in the town of Liver-
pool, and then as to the formation of a depot for an article
which was likely to become one of considerable importance
to their commerce, they might certainly commit a great error
as to the localities, or indeed as to the necessity for a depOt
at all. He had hoped that such a system winuft not have been
further pursued. They ought not to be hurried into imma-
ture legislation by every little occurrence which took place to
alarm them, like that which arose out of the late fire. He
should recommend that every measure that was important
everything, in fact, beyond ordinary matter—should be omit-
ted from the report of the committee's proceedings, and proper
notice of every more important subject be given to the coun-
cil, that, after deliberation and discussion, they might conic to
a proper determination upon them, whether to approve or dis•
approve. It' they were to go ou sanctioning the proceedings
of the committee-from a mere result tig of the reports on which
he, for one, was not able sufficiently to concentrate his atten-
tion, they might find afterw anis that things had been allowed
to pass which ought not to have been consented tu. He ad-
mitted that he was blameable in not giving his attention to
the reading of the reports; but he thought that he was not
singular in the opinion that, however well read, it was im-
possible for a man, from a mere reading, to form a suffici-
ently definite notion of what had been done to pronounce an
opinion thereon Ristanter. There was the loan of £2:--)0,000
to the Improvement Committee, which he never knew any-
thing about till it was done. He moved that the considera-
tion of the part of the report relative to warehouses fur salt-
petre should be postponed.
Mr. Councillor W. W. CURRIE said that it ought to be
considered that it did not rest with the committee, but with
the council, to go on with or to postpone a question. The
measure referred to had not been brought forward by him,
nor did lie know by whom it had been brought forivard.
Some gentlemen, struck by the extent of damage which had
been dune at the late fire, hail found out that there was an act

of parliament under which they might compel the owners of
saltpetre and nitrate of soda to warehouse it in particular
places. He must confess that chemists differed as to the

nature of the explosion, and he believed that saltpetre would
not explode of itself ; but it would do so when it came in
contact with other explosible articles' and the expetience
which they had justified the Finance Committee in sane-
ti•ining with their approbation such prudent and precaution-
ary measures as would prevent a recurrence of such a cala-
mity. Alderman Evans had often spoken of the enormous
rate of insurance in Liverpool, and one of the reasons of that
was the promiscuous stowage of all articles which was pt ac-
tised here. The Finance Committee were not desirous to
arrogate to themselves the origination of measures, but they
were entrusted with the watching over the welfare of the
town, and he did not think that they stepped out of their
province in recommending to the council so important a
matter. It must he recollected, however, that measures must
originated somewhere, and the Finance Committee think-
ing the subject was one worthy of attention, had ventured to
recommend its adoption. But though satisfied that 99 out of
every 100 were in favour of the measure, he was far front
wishing that it should he adopted then, and left it to the
council to postpone it. Ile thought that they would disapprove
of the dangerous practice of stowing together ignitable arti-
cles. He again begged leave to disclaim altogether the idea
that the committee had arrogated to themselves the province
of the council by recommending a measure for adoption.
Mr. Alderman Eva NS remarked that he rather blamed the
vice of the system than the individuals.
Mr. Councillor BoLzots said that Alderman Evans had
stated that they submitted projects without due consideration,
and had said that they ought not to endeavour to take the
council by surprise. They had not done either one or the
other. lie was of opinion that, as in the various divisions of
the committee, the heads of the whole expenditure of the
town came before them, those where the places where mea-
sures should originate, and if members would not attend to
the proceedings when read, it was thcirown fault. He would
impress on them the necessity of listening attentively to
everything that was read, and whenever reasonable grounds
were shown, he felt satisfied that delay would always be
granted._

Mr. Alderman SHEIL said that, although he could hear as
well as any of his neighbours, he found it impossible to follow
the deputy town-clerk in his reading of the reports of com-
mittees, so as to take notice of everything which was said.
He thought therefore that Mr. Evans's remarks were par-
ticularly appropriate at a time when they were about to re-
model the committees, and if he (Mi. Evans) would follow
them up by bringing some motion forward, great good would
be the result. He agreed with Mr. Bolton, that they ought
to listen to what was going on; but he defied Mr. Bolton, or
anybody else, to follow the most distinct reader through all
the details of a report, in which mere routine business was
mixed up with what was of more importance, to separate the
one from Me other at a moment, and to decide at once, when
a doubtful point was presented, what course would be best to
pursue. He was therefore of opinion that, by alluding to this
subject, Mr. Evans deserved the thanks of the council.

•
The l'owN-cmotK explained, that having had much talk
on the subject of the explosion which had taken place at the
late tire, and knowing that a dead letter act was lying by
them, giving power to confine the stowage of saltpette, he
had laid that act before the committee. It gave power to
appropriate particular warehouses fur saltpetre, and to levy a
fine ut £5O for non-compliance.
It was agreed that the question should be postponed for
further consideration.