The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-12-11 00:00:00

THE DOCK TRUST

Mr. PARKER then moved the following motion, of
which he had given notice :—That it be an especial instruc-
tion to the finance committee to watch and oppose the bill
of which notice has been given to alter the constitution of
the Dock Committee, and deprive the council of any
power over the dock estate." This was the most impor-
tant question that had agitated the Council since the pas-
sing of the municipal act in 1836. Although the finance
committee, with their over-watchful care for the interests
of the 'corporation, had already obtained power to watch
the progress of any bill in parliament affecting the rights
of the corporation, still he thought it his duty to bring
the matter more prominently before the Council. This
was an attempt emanating from a body called the Ship-
owners' Association. To do what ? To rob the corporate
estate of its legitimate rights, (Applause.) It was an
act of spoliation and robbery ; he could give it no milder
term ; but he was proud to say that the attempt was made
not by the merchants of Liverpool. The majority of the
Liverpool merchants were directly opposed to it. It
emanated from the Shipowners' Association, or rather, in
his judgment, from a tew members of the dock estate.
The members of the Council could draw their own conclu-
sions whether this project, which ostensibly emanated
from the Shipowners' Association, did not come from a
majority of the Dock Committee. How often had the
deputy-chairman of the Dock Committee told them that
if they did not take care the control of the docks would
soon be taken from them. (Hear.) They had heard
this bruited about for the last two or three years as what
we might expect; and he expected that the Shipowners'
Association was the mere stepping stone of certain mem-
bers of the Dock Committee. A great many members of
the Shipowners' Association had their ships built and re-
paired in other places than Liverpool ; and many of them
would not sail a ship from Liverpool if they could find a
cheaper port, therefore they were the last people who
ought to step forward to endeavour to take the control of
the dock estate from the Corporation. But there were
other mercantile associations called together expressly for
this purpose, but, to their honour, they spurned the idea.
(Applause.) Therefore, it could not be said that the Li-
verpool merchants were the movers in this step. (Hear,
hear.) He liked an open enemy who would say that he
was opposed to you ; but he did not like the man within
the pale of a constituency, or of an association in whom
they could not have dependenee. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr.
Parker) would not call him a treacherous friend ; but he
could not be relied upon. (Hear, hear.) But they were
told it was only a feint, a kind of an alarm, to get up a
threat in the Council, and that no funds could be had;
but he (Mr. Parker) was informed that Manchester was to
find the money. They had had great intimacy between
the two boroughs of late. The corporations of Liverpool
and Manchester had been very intimate (hear, hear),
and the inhabitants of Liverpool and Manchester were
very sociable together for the last year or two. (Hear,
hear.) All this was very suspicious. (Hear, hear.) And
if the money were to be found, Manchester ought cer-
tainly to find it, for they export one half of the manufac-
tured produce that leaves Liverpool ; therefore these peo-
ple were looking after their own interest, and they would
make the attempt ; but he had confidence in the Finance
Committee—he had confidence in the justice of their
cause—and he did not think that an act so inquisitous and
abominable would ever be sanctioned by any government.
(Applause.) He begged to propose the motion of which
he had given notice.
Mr. WOODRUFF seconded the motion.

Mr. J. A. ToniN had not intended to take part in the
discussion had Rot Mr. Parker alluded to the Shipowners'
Association. Having for a length of time acted on the
committee of that association, and having on every occa-
sion protested against the object sought for in the bill of
which notice had been given, he might then with the most
perfect consistency support Mr. Parker's motion. (Hear.)
He considered the proceeding with this bill would be most
suicidal and impolitic. (Hear.) The exact proposal was
this—that the Council elect nine members of the Dock
Committee, and the ratepayers fifteen ; but that their
acts should be final and conclusive, not at all requiring
the sanction of this Council. (Hear, hear.) It was
urged that it was absurd for the Dock Committee, who
had the fullest information, and who went into all the
details of the matters brought before them, to have their
acts revised by this Council, before-whom this full infor-
mation could not be laid. His answer to this would be—
Would not the same argument apply to every committee
of this Council, and to every sub-committee of the Dock
Committee itself. These committees had the details of
the measures laid before them, but would you give them
the absolute power ; would you deprive the Council of
that power of rescinding their resolutions, if it thought
proper ? (No, no.) Had this Council exercised the right
of veto on any slight grounds ? (Hear.) It was true it
had done so on two or three occasions ; but it had done
so wisely and justly. (Hear, hear.) Besides, we have
there an immense annual interest arising from this estate;
were the town dues, amounting to -£lOO-,000 per annum,
which must be increased or diminished according as the
docks were well or badly managed. Why take the power
out of the present panda and dace it in, others ? Jle was

afraid that if they went further with their disputes and
brought them before government, that government would
interfere hi their affairs ; they would take advantage of
their disputes, and be very glad to carry off the prize.
(Hear.) He did not think that a municipality, any more
than a nation, could all in foreign aid with impunity:
and when he saw men of this school leagued with parties
in the town, he should My it boded no good. (Hear.)
These men had not the interests of Liverpool at heart ;
they sought more to protect their own interests. (Ap-
plause.) They would, they say, unshackle commerce
from every impost, but ho* would they do it ? By plac-
ing undue burdens on this community. (Cheers.) These
were the men who would deprive us of our town dues,
and compel us, in that case, to lay on a borough rate.
(Applause.) He would say, beware of such treacherous
allies. (Hear.) Beware, also, of their enemies, for
government would be glad to take the management of the
docks into their own hands, under the plea of their being,
as some members of the Council had most injudiciously
termed them, national property. (Great applause.)
Mr. Alderman Nicol, had warned them before, and he
did so again now, that by attempting to impose rates for
parish purposes on the docks of Liverpool, they were
doing an act which would, in all probability, involve them
in what was naw taking place. Mr. Parker need not
have put himself in a passion about the merchants of Li-
verpool. He had now got the Dock Committee diluted
down to a point to snit his own taste.—(Hear, hear.) It
was hardly worth his own while to talk so large at the
expense of the merchants of this place. He had got his
foot on their necks, and what more would he have.—
(Hear, hear, and laughter.) Why not have a fling at my
Lord Salisbury ? He thought it was a waste of time to
direct the finance committee to do what as a matter of
course they would do when the subject came before them.
The motion was a mere matter of moonshine.—(Hear,
and laughter.)

Mr. Alder Man HENDERSON said—l think it would be
a monstrous piece of injustice to deprive the corporation
of rights and privileges so honourably earned, and so
justly and wisely exercised. On these grounds I have
great pleasure in supporting the motion of Mr. Parker ;
and glad to find that the matter is not likely to be passed
over in this council.—(Hear.) I did not understand Mr.
Parker to say anything derogatory to the merchants of
Liverpobl ; on the contrary, I understood him to say that
the majority of the merchants declined to join in this
movement; and, therefore, I hope Mr. Nicol entirely
misunderstood the drift of his observations ; I am sure it
was not Mr. Parker's intention to say a single word dero-
gatory to the merchants of the town of Liverpool.
Mr. CHALMERS supported Mr. Parker's motion, and
hoped the council would not be deterred from doing its
duty by the fear of any influence of any other town or
towns.

Mr. Alderman BRAMLEY-MOORE said,--I wish to cor-
rect a few of the statements which have been made in this
council; and first, with regard to some observations which
have fallen from the chairman of the Dock Committee.
It is perfectly true that the old corporation gave the land
to make certain docks. He mere especially alluded to the
time when they gave the land for what was called
the Old Dock, which was a piece of strand belonging to
the river, and they did the same with regard to the Salt-
house and one or two other docks. The chairman had
alluded to the generosity of the old corporation. Now, I
wish to give them every possible creeit for the admirable
manner in which they managed the corporate estate, and
also for the manner in which they managed the dock
estate, which I at once state to be a totally distinct and
separate estate from that of the corporation.—(Hear,
and " No, no !") By-and-by, I will show it to you, and
prove it to you. The chairman has alluded to the great
generosity of the corporation in managing the dock estate.
Why, sir, the old corporation kept the accounts of the
dock and corporate estates separate. I am sure of this,

that the corporate estate has been repaid an hundred fold
and more, whatever it gave to the dock estate.—(Hear,
hear.) What did they give ? They gave a certain piece

to-asy In rms room) they stole from the river.—(Hear,
hear, and •t No, no." I say distinctly, yes. Did not the
old corporation keep separate accounts in the management

of the dock estate; and did they not, when the tru
altered in 1835, hand over a debt belonging to the estate ,
and has it not gone on accumulating ? Have they given
any land since that ? They have not only sold land to
the dock estate, but have they not attempted to wring
the uttermost farthing for it ?

Mr. HORNBY.—
Mr. Alderman BRAMLEY-MOORE.—lshall deal with it
then. Did they not demand £400,000 for land on the
north shore, for which they accepted £225,000. What, do
you call that not wringing the uttermost farthing from
the dock estate ? I say the corporate estate is entitled to
have an equivalent for any land it may dispose to the dock
estate; but I say that statement bears out the expression
I have made use of, that they have endeavoured to wring
the uttermost farthing out of the dock estate by demand-
ing £400,000 and accepting £225,000. The great ques-
tion has been introduced here with regard to the docks
being the national property. There is no donbt whatever
that the Corporation of Liverpool are the trustees of the
dock estate ; and they are trustees, sir, by virtue of being
Councillors and composing the corporate estate of Liver-
pool, and in no other capacity ; and when you treat of
dock matters, and deal with dock affairs in this room, you
do not sit here in your capacity as aldermen and council-
lors of the corporate estate of Liverpool : but you sit here
in your capacity (and in such you are summoned) as trus-
tees of the Liverpool dock estate. The two capacities are
totally distinct and separate, and that is sufficiently proved
by the fact that you cannot initiate any matter connected
with the proceedings of the dock estate at all. 1S

"No, no."

ow,mr,
it is perfectly consistent their being national property ;
and you the trustees. I always held that the Corporation
of Liverpool were the proper pakies to be the trustees,
and to exercise the veto they have exercised up to a cer-
tain date. But then, sir, when the question of rating the
docks was brought forward, Mooted in this chamber, and
passed, that the docks should be rated to pay those things
which, from their origin, had been exempted, and ex-
empted, too, by the common law of the land, there being
no beneficial interest; that day the trustees forfeited their
trust, and were no longer worthy to hold it. (Hear, and
cries of " oh, oh.") Isa 7 so Mr. Mayor, and I say so
openly and boldly. (Hear.) If you are the trustees for
the estate, and you come forward voluntarily to abstract
money from the estate, for purposes for which it was never
intended,—l say those individuals who vote for such an
abstraction are faithless trustees, in my opinion. (Hear,
and disapprobation.)

Mr. Alderman 14ENDERSON.—We never did vote for
such an abstraction.
Mr. Alderman BRAMLEY-MOORE.—Mr. Parker had
stated that the dock estates had formed part of the corpo-
rate estate. He thought it right to say he did not agree
in that. The Dock Committee is not a committee of this
Council; inasmuch as there are eight gentlemen on the
committee elected by another body, and you have no con-
trol over them. (Hear, hear.) Every shilling which the
charges of the port were reduced added a hundred fold to
the income of the docks, which are the source of your
wealth, the origin of your town, and it is through them
you can continue the prosperity of the town. (Hear. )
.

Mr. HORNBY said that Mr. Parker had acted wisely,
and he thought the Council bad every reason to be obliged
to him for what he had done. He (Mr. Hornby) had
great pleasure in stating his entire concurrence in the
remarks of Mr. Tobin. He should scarcely have been
induced to trouble the Council were it not for the remarks
of Mr. Moore. which had astonished him. As these
remarks cast reflection on the Council since the passing
of the Municipal Reform Act, he thought it was the duty
of those who knew what proceedings took place to protest
against their correctness. Mr. Alderman Bramley-Moore
seemed to depreciate the generosity of the Corporation in
giving some strand for the formation of the docks. Now,
this observation came with a very bad grace from Mr.
Moore, who had, a very short time ago, given an enor-
mous sum—a fortune—to the Earl of Derby. If the strand
given by the Corporation was of such little value, why
give the Earl of Derby, what he (Mr. Hornby) considered
to be a fortune, for a similar piece of strand ? Then Mr.
Moore brought forward what he considered to be a tri-
umphant example of the grasping spirit of the Council of
Liverpool, as asking £400,000 for a piece of land, and
taking £225,000. He (Mr. Hornby) had been a party to
a number of these transactions ; and he declared that it
was his honest and candid opinion, that on every occasion
the Corporation had acted with the utmost liberality ; and
he said, moreover, that if any party should succeed in
wresting from the Corporation of Liverpool the trustee-
ship of the docks, it would be the most unfortunate thing
for the dock estate that ever was carried. (Hear, hear.)
Instead of being the friends of the dock estate, you will
have to deal with those who will exact the uttermost penny.
( Hear, hear.) What was the true state of the affair?
The burgesses of Liverpool asked £lOO,OOO, the worth of
the property, and accepted £225,000, because they wished
to promote the dock estate, and with it the interest of the
town of Liverpool. (Hear, and a laugh from Mr. Moore.)
Mr. Moore might laugh, but such was the true state of the
case. (Hear, hear, and a voice, " Not a doubt of it.") He
recollected another circumstance which had occurred, and
to which lie would :refer, though lie was certainly unwil-
ling to do so, because he thought the Corporation made
undue concessions to the dock estate, in c•insequence of
a desire to promote its interest. (Hear, hear.) We are
creditors to the dock estate. (Hear, hear.) It owed us a
very large sum of money, £250,000, a quarter of a•million
of money. (Hear, hear.) Why, a few years ago, certainly
within the recollection of man, this sum was equal to the
whole amount of the dock estate. (Hear.) And what
interest did we exact for the sum ? (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Alderman BRAMLEY MOORE—The interest of the
day; 31 per cent.
- - • -

- -
Mr. HORXBY was glad that he was reminded of this fact.
At the very time they lent this money we were borrowing
money from others at a higher rate of interest. (Hear,
hear.) Did this look like exacting the uttermost penny.
He maintained this was a calumny on the conduct of the
corporation in the management of the dock estate. (Hear,
hear.) With respect to the attempts being made to ab-
stract from the corporation the trusteeship of the docks,
he could only say he looked upon it as a perfectly absurd
one, and the only ground on which he regretted it was,
that he thought it would injure the character of the town
in the eyes of the nation. Those childish and puerile
attempts to procure acts of parliament were brought in
merely from motives of disappointment, and very often
from vindictive feelings. (Great applause.) Who could
suppose that any government would agree to deprive the
town of the management of the docks ? (Hear, hear.)
It was perfectly absurd when we come to look at it. (Ap-
plause.) What was the constitution they would give it ?
They would give the ratepayers the management of it.
Who were the ratepayers ? The customers. (Hear,
bear.) This wolild be as grossly absurd as to put any
commercial establishment into the hands of its customers.
Suppose you take the establishment of Mr. Hausburg,
and appoint a committee of customers to fix the prices
and manage the concern—(great laughter)—they would
soon succeed in establishing a very satisfactory list of
prices, but they would be ruinous to the property of the
concern. (Applause.) There was no doubt, if proper
justice were done, an alteration would be made in the con-

stitution of the dock trust, but it would be very different
&ern what those gentlemen would propose. (Hear, hear.)
It would be to restore to the Council on a popular basis, the
full control of that property. (Great applause.) The
motion was carried without a division.

Rgrtruiturat anb ?,.4ortictiltural

COLUMN

The greatest triumph and one of the principal objects of
horticultural science is to produce flowers, fruit, and vege-
tables at times and seasons contrary to their natural ha-
bits, thus no merit would be attached to the culture of
the pine-apple if it would grow in the open air as easily as
a turnip, nor would forced French beans reflect credit
upon the gardener if they could be produced at the same
season in the open quarters. So also is it with flowers,
and although it may be very desirable to have houses
filled with well-bloomed specimens of rare exotic plants
in the summer season, it should not be forgotton that it
is of quite as great importance to have the conservatory
gaily adorned with flowers, when dull winter reigns with-
out, arid every floral beauty has vanished. In large esta-
blishments this is usually the case, but in smaller places
it too often happens that the interior is almost as dull as
the out of door department; a few camellias, it is true, are'
usually found putting forth their blooms to be cut almost
before they are fully expanded, with here and there a
heath, a Chinese primrose, or a few hyacinths crysanthe--
mums. Each of these, if well grown, are unexceptiona-
ble in their places, but it is not often we see them exhibit
anything like the careful culture which they all deserve;.
and we sincerely wish that gardeners would arouse thew-
selves to the importance of this subject. The crysanthe-
mum alone is worth all the gardeneri care : as far as its
capabilities have been tried, it has proved itself a first-rate'
florist's flower, that is, shewing the greatest facility for va-t-
-riation and improvement, with colours almost as varied as-
the dahlia, and a form equal; its easy growth and profuse'
production of flowers render it greatly superior, added
to all of which, it comes to gladden our bloomless conser-
vatories when most of our other favourites are no more
seen. How is it then that this flower receives so little
attention ? Simply because it requires little, we are
thereby tempted to give it less than it requires, or rather
to let it look after itself. Last year at this time we sug-
gested a crysanthemum show, at which other winter flow-
ers, such as camellias, ericas, hyacinths, and primulas
might be shown. And why not ? In the metropolis there
are at least a score of such exhibitions, all of which have
been well attended. Surely one might be managed in Li-
verpool ; we might 'then hope to see this timer grown to
perfection, and well would it repay the trouble, we
believe specimens might be grown far exceeding the con-
ception of those who have only seen the meagre ones
usually grown ; for let thiS beautiful plant be treated
ever so bad, it will bloom, and show some of its fine cha-
racters ; how much more, then, is it likely to reward the
cultivator when he bestows care upon its culture. We
venture to say a very slight amount of skill will raise this
plant to the highest rank of florists' flowers, and the pride
of winter will be the Chinese crysanthemum.

PAPERS ON AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY.

NO. XI

There are two constituents ever present in vegetable
tissues, namely, potash and soda. Whether they, like
silica, are taken up from the soil in solution, or are formed
from their primary elements during the growth of the
plant is a question still undecided ; the latter is perhaps
the most likely—because, in some abnormal states of
growth, the alkalies are formed in the leaves and stem,
but not in the roots ; still, however, this evidence is not
conclusive, because, though not existing in the root at
the time of examination, it is possible that it may have
been transmitted through the roots, and as this only
takes place in plants which are etiolated, or drawn up,
as for instance roots sprouting in celiars, it is the
more probable : many have concluded hastily from
this circumstance that the plant forms its own alkalies,

that it is, consequently
3s in the soil ; all practii
opposite position, for

ary to supply these'

I experience, howev

in.soii containing moderate Proportions of the

', proves

.Ikaline

The alkaline earths are also found in plants. Both
lime and magnesia exist largely in many vegetables ; and
lime, as a manure for some crops, is of the utmost im-
portance. It sometimes happens that a plant, which in
ordinary circumstances has a certain alkaline ba
for instance, potash—will, under some circus
change that for another alkali or alkaline eartl
or lime

e—say,

as soda

difficult to account for this upon any other suppo-
sition than that an alkaline base is absolutely necessary to
and that, in the absence of that which is most
most easily obtained is substituted ;
able presence of alkaline salts, proves
among the accidental absorptions we
in our last, but that they are really necessary

that they are no

and organic

Another curious consideration may, with propriety, be
introduced in this place, and that is the varied structure
which occurs in different plants, and leads to the produc-
tion of various chemical principles : thus a willow planted "'

in the same soil as Chichon; macrantha would yield a
peculiar vegetable principle called salacin, while the
Cinchona would produce the well-known alkaloid
quinine, neither of which pre-existed in the soil ; hence
we conclude with certainty that plants are, lice animals,
possessed of secretive organs—and as the animal, from the
same blood, sacretes bile, saliva, &c., so does the
plant, from the juices absorbed, secrete the alkaloids, or

vegetable principle:;, hone)

Therefore, finding quinine invariably present in a cer-
tain plant does not imply that quinine would consequently
form a good manure ; on the contrary, it is highly pro-
bable, if mixed with the soil, it would not increase the
proportion usually found in the plant.
The laboratory of nature is the grand Arcane of
Science, and the more we penetrate its mysteries the more
astounded are we with the multiplicity and magnitude of
its operations.