The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-09-21 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD DOCK COMMISSIONERS.

A special meeting was held by adjournment on Thurs-
day, to consider the proposal recently made to them by
the Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction Rail-
way Company, relative to the free working of the Bir-
kenhead Docks. Mr. Joseph Mallaby presided, and there
were fifteen other commissioners present
.

The CHAIRMAN remarked thai it had been admitted
by all at the last' meeting, that it would be advisable to
communicate with the crown and the bondholders on the
subject of the proposal made by the railway company, in
order, if possible, to obtain their consent. They had re-
ceived an answer from Mr. Pemberton, the crown soli-
citor, and also from Messrs. Crowder and Maynor, repre-
senting only Baron Goldsmidt (of the bondholders), and
from no others of the bondholders. These letters were
read, and were to the effect, that if the proposed arrange-
ment could be made, and the interests of the bondholders
be fully secured, no serious objection would be offered by
those parties; but on the whole the letters were too
vague and equivocal to permit the commissioners to say
positively that these two parties really approved of the
proposition.
Mr. POTTER thought that if these parties said they
were willing to accede, there would be no difficulty in
coming to a satisfactory arrangement. He meant if the
railway company and the commissioners were willing to
do do so, the boldholders, for whose interest alone the
commissioners were willing to accede to it, could offer no
opposition.
The CHAIRMAN said it was certain that the commis-
sioners would not consent to reduce their rates unless
the railway company guaranteed the £2,000, taking all
the risks of the legality of using the docks upon them-
selves. .

Mr. POTTER said that without such guarantee to use
the docks were given to the railway company they (the
commissioners) could not expect the £2OOO.
The CHAIRMAN said that if they reduced the rates in
anticipation of the arrangement being come to, they could
not well raise them again, and if the use of the docks was
interfered._ with, they would be losers. He should like,
however, to have the consent of those parties who were
essentially interested in the matter, before they took any
definite steps. He did not know why the bondholders
did not come forward with their assent.

Mr. THOMPSON said he did not think their assent ne-
cessary.
Mr. PorrEß thought that they had received ample time
to reply, and it was for the commissioners to proceed to
do what was best for the trust.

Mr. THOMPSON then put a motion approving of the
proposition of the company, and formally accepting it in
principle, so far as they could legally do so leaving the
details to be arranged by the committee of works and the
directors of the railway.
The motion was agreed to.
A discussion then arose on the reduction ofahe rates.
Mr. Was. LAIRD moved the following resolution :
" That the tonnage rates, to be levied on foreign vessels.
be reduced to 6d. per ton : and, on coasting vessels, to ld.
per ton from the present date."
This was seconded, but being considered premature
until the preliminary arrangements were made between
the Committee of Works, and the Directors of the Rail-
way, the motion was superseded by adjourning the con-
sideration of Mr. Laird's motion until Thursday next.
Mr. BRYAN rose to move a motion similar to that at
the last meeting, which had been withdrawn relative to
the disposition of the board to treat with any responsible
party who might be willing and competent to undertake
the fulfilment of their engagements, and to secure them a
fair remuneration for what they had already expended on
the works. He was glad to find ahat most of the news-
paper press of Liverpool took the same view of the matter
which he did—viz., that they should transfer their powers
to such a body as the Liverpool Corporation or the Dock
Trust, who, if they undertook to carry out the designs of
the company, would be fully able .to proceed with them.
This was the view taken by the Courier, the Standards
and the Times, and he thought that it was quite correct.
He proposed a motion to the effect stated.