The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-01-05 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

ner in which the said tolls shall be expended in tants, deficiency in the harvest, and disease in the potato
the improvement of the said port or harbour, not- crop. To-day we have to observe the influence of an
equally, though less durable; pernicious and. .speculative
withstanding any act, charter, law, or usage to the
contrary" ! movement which has for some time been in operation,
and which has artificially. enhanced the value of cotton
The 33d section repeals all existing dock acts or fully 3d. per lb. Speculators are, however, not alto-
charters which " are inconsistent with or contrary gether blameable for this ; they have been powerfully
to the provisions of this act ,and concludes by aided by the operations of spinners and manufacturers,
"
informing the world that the act itself may be
who, from past experience, ought to have known better,
, have
called, for shortness, "The Harbour Conservancy and who, instead of diminishing their
continued to work full time nntil recently rod
whenuction the im-
Act," and may be amended or repealed. We possibility of realizing prices correspondent with the ad-
could find a shorter and much better name for it. vance upon cotton has compelled them generally to adopt
Our readers may perhaps be disposed to say, the only sensible alternative. So far there has been no
that nothing so absurd and monstrous as this can susceptible diminution of supply; and producers are un-
be contemplated seriously by the legislature. It is questionably in a very awkward and profitless position."
a measure the bare announcement of which, at
some periods of our history, would have convulsed IN some of our previous articles upon the sub-
the kingdom to its centre. A Whig of the old ject of the proposed division of the magisterial
school would have seen in its provisions an odious business of this borough, we have referred to the
and a daring stretch of the prerogatives of the great increase of business likely to take place, so
Crown; Yet it will have the support of the recre- soon as the provisions of the Sanatory Bill are
ant Whigs of the present day; and, if we mistake fairly in operation. We believe that the extent of
not, is the bantling of a Whig Cabinet. The names this increase is scarcely appreciated even by the
of Mr. Ward, one of the Ministry, and of Admiral Council itself, and very certain that it is not so
Dundas, a Lord of the Admiralty, as its sponsors, appreciated by the public. We shall endeavour
stamp its parentage. here to make it plain to both ; and to show that
without some arrangement of the magisterial duties,
different from the present, and the appointment of
some additional magistrate or magistrates, " learned
in the law," it is utterly impossible that such busi-
ness can be got through satisfactorily, or at all.
The Act in question imposes penalties upon
parties for some forty or fifty offences, of which
the bench has hitherto taken no cognizance; and
many of these are of a character requiring a strict
sifting of evidence for and against. Cases involv-
ing fines, which range from forty shillings to a
hundred pounds, and in which the fine continues
from day to day,. until the provisions of the Act
are complied with, cannot be decided with the
same dispatch as the bulk of those which come
before the bench. Some of them are such as
have hitherto been adjudicated upon at Quarter
Sessions or Assizes ; and Many are of the class in
which it has been found necessary to retain the
first legal talent; to call hosts of professional wit-
nesses, and which has been considered worthy of
the attention of special juries. We shall take the
liberty of pointing out one or two of these.
Clause 126 of the Act provides that all furnaces
employed in the working of engines by steam, and
all furnaces employed iti any mill, factory, dye-
house, brewery, bake-house, gas-works, &c., or in
working the engines of steam-boats on the
river, shall "in all cases where it is practicable,"
consume their own smoke; and inflicts the penalty
of five pounds for every day on which any party
uses a furnace not so constructed as to effect this, or
who "shall carry on any trade or business which
shall occasion any noxious or offensive effluvia, or
otherwise annoy the neighbourhood or inhabitants,
without using the best practicable means of prevent-
, ing or counteracting, such annoyance." Now here
is a fertile source of long and tedious litigation
before the magistrates. A steam-engine fails to
eat up all its own black vapours ; and the question
immediately arises, in the first instance whether,
in the particular case it is practicable to con-
sume the smoke, and in the next instance, whether
the means used are the best means. Engineers,
like doctors, differ. Witnesses as to fact may also
differ as to what may be fairly called smoke, as
contemplated by the Act. There will arise ques-
tions as to what are " noxious or offensive efflu-
via." In Mr. Muspratt's case, tried at the Autumn
Assizes, one set of witnesses deposed that the
alleged noxious gases, generated by his chimney,
, killed Sir John Gerard's Woods. Another set
proved that the trees exposed to the action of the
gases were greenest on the side nearest the chim-
ney, and were, therefore, not killed at all. A third
set maintained that the gases did not come from
the chimney; and eminent scientific evidence was
adduced, to prove that the most efficacious means
were used to precipitate the gas; and that none
could escape from the chimney. Here would be a
nice case for Mr. Rushton's one police court ! Yet
it is certain similar cases, will be continually recur-
ring ; and they are precisely the sort of cases,
which men are the most interested in rebutting.
We have dozens of trades in this town, by the car-
rying on of which annoying, if not actually noxious
effluvia are occasioned—for which premises have
been erected at a great cost, in convenient local-
ities, and where scientific devices to suppress such
effluvia may involve ruinous expense. In all such
cases lengthy evidence, pro. and con., must be
gone into ; and such evidence is precisely of the
character which will call for the presence of a
shrewd and practised lawyer upon the bench.
Mere men of business, holding the office of magis-
trate-as a kind of amateur employment, will not be
able to do justice where such complexity is certain
to arise.
Clause 133, in a similar way, provides that the
escape of effluvia from soap-boilers or candle-
makers' yards, and other places, shall be punished
by a fine, if certified to be a nuisance, provided,
however, that it is not shown to the justices " that
the best means, then known to be available for
mitigating the injurious effects of such business,
have been adopted." Here, moreover, the justices
may " suspend their final determination, upon con-
dition that the person so complained against shall
undertake to adopt, within a reasonable time, such
means as the said justices shall find to be practica-
ble, and order to be carried into effect ' for the
abatement of the nuisance. How are the justices
to find out what means are practicable, without
calling in scientific evidence ? Or will the offending
parties fail to call rebutting evidence of the same
description ? A few such cases every week would
pretty fully occupy the time of our court.
Yet a,whole host of similar inquiries, in which
evidence is certain to be called on the part both
of the Council and of defendants, must arise under
the operation of the Act; and we submit that it
will be most onerous to the public, if the witnesses
in such cases are exposed to unnecessary loss of
time, by having to come from remote quarters of
the town to a central court, and to wait whilst the
ordinary police and dock business is being gone
through. We feel convinced that from this Sana-
tory Act alone will be created business sufficient
for one court ; and when we consider that in most
of the cases which are likely to arise—especially
those of nuisances—the evidence on both sides
will be that of residents in the neighbourhood of
the nuisance, the only sensible and just course is to
render the giving of such evidence as inexpensive
and convenient as possible. This can only be
done by appointing an aditional court or courts, to
be held in different parts of the town.
Before leaving the subject to the consideration
of the Council at its next sitting, we have a word
to offer with respect to one matter, which ought to
weigh with them in arriviruy .4- a—• •

THE annual Circulars, issued by our leading
brokers at this season, concur in giving a some-
what gloomy picture of the prospects of our com-
mercial and industrious classes during the year
upon which we have just entered, for which there
are many combining causes. Of these, the most
infludntial appear to be, the scarcity and increased
cost of every description of food, both in Great
Britain and in most foreign countries, by which
the power of the people to consume our manufac-
tured fabrics must be seriously lessened ; and the
short supply and advanced price of the most im-
portant of our raw materials—cotton. The state of
Ireland, also, and the certainty that for the next
twelve months, if not for a longer period, the ne-
cessities of that country must produce a vast
drain upon the resources of Great Britain, are no
unimportant considerations with parties competent
to form an opinion. We propose to give here, in
substance, the views of some of the parties, as put
forth to their correspondents, in the circulars to
which we have referred.

The circular of Messrs. Richard Bateson and
Sons is a very able one. These gentlemen remark
upon the extreme fluctuation in the price of cotton,
which has taken place since the commencement of
the present year, as compared with that which was
observed in 1845. In that year, the extreme fluc-
tuation in the price of middling American did not
exceed Id. per Id.; and on the 31st of Decem-
ber it was within Id. per lb. of the lowest pe-
riod ever known. No change of any moment
occurred until May, when prices advanced id.
per lb., it being evident at that time that the pre-
ceding year's crop had been overrated. In the
middle of September we had bad accounts of the
growing crop, and up to the end of October prices
had further advanced lid. per lb. In November
the transactions were unimportant ; but in Decem-
ber the trade was very active-232,000 bales hav-
ing been sold in one week—and at the close of the
year a further advance of id. had been established.
To enable the non-commercial reader to trace
the cause of these advances in the price of cotton,
we give a few data from the statement published
by the Associated Brokers. In 1845 the total
imports into the United Kingdom were 1,856,860
bales, of which 1,650,826 bales were imported into
Liverpool. In 1846, however, the imports into the
United Kingdom were only 1,243,520, of which
1,134,244 bales were imported into Liverpool.
Again, the stock of cotton in the United Kingdom
at the end of 1845 was 1,055,270 bales, of which
885,480 were held in Liverpool. The stock in the
kingdom in December, 1846, was reduced to
545,790 bales, of which 438,970 were in Liverpool.
Yet with this diminished stock in hand, and the
present crop in America not estimated to produce
more than from 1,900,000 to 2,000,000 bales, we
had in 1846 an average weekly consumption in the
United Kingdom of 29,977 bales ; so that, assu-
ming that our imports this year are equal to those
of the last—a circumstance by no means probable
—we run the risk, with our present rate of con-
sumption, of exhausting those imports and our
stocks in hand before the close of next year. No-
thing can save us from such a calamity as this
would be to our working masses, but a limitation
of the hours of labour. In confirmation of the
justice of this apprehension, we may quote the fol-
lowing from an excellent circular of Messrs. Hay-
wood and M‘Viccar. Remarking upon the circum-
stance of the consumption of cotton exceeding the
production, these gentlemen say :

" This is supposed only just to have occurred for the
first time since 1839 ; but if attention be paid to the
statistics of the last two years, it will be found, that in
1844, though the stock held in Great Britain was increasing,
if the consumption of Europe generally were taken intq
account in that and the following year, there had not been
so much cotton grown as had been consumed. Take, for
instance, the American crop of 1844, which was 2,030,000
bales. Great Britain consumed in that year 1,128,000
bales, America 346,000 :bales, and the Continent 700,000
bales, thereby exceeding the growth by 144,000 bales.
Again, the large crop of 1845, of 2,394,000 bales, was
more than absorbed by the consumption of Great Britain,
which was estimated at 1,288,000 bales, of America at
389,000 bales, and the Continent 750,000 bales, making a
total of 2,427,000 bales. These facts were not sufficiently
attended to at the time, because upon the Continent
holders were in possession of little or no stock, whilst the
increase of supply in Great Britain seemed to confirm the
opinion that more cotton was grown than would be
required or consumed."

The prices of middling and fair Bowed cotton
on the 31st December, 1845, were 31d. to 44d.;
on the same date in 1846, they were 51d. to ad.—
a rise of 2111. to 3d. per lb. Yet there are many
concurring circumstances to prevent the article
manufactured from this raw material advancing in
anything like the same ratio. Amongst these we
may mention, as the most important, the high
price of food, which limits consumption, and the
over-supply of goods in some of our foreign mar-
kets. It is not at all certain that the extreme price
of cotton has as yet been attained; and until this
is the case, manufacturing, must be unattended
with any certainty of profit, and prices of goods
be merely nominal.

- Messrs-. Bateson and Sons remark upon this state
of things as follows :

It i 9 far from our wish to exaggerate the difficulties
of our position, but we are convinced that the year 1847
will be attended with much anxiety to those engaged in
mercantile pursuits, and we fear it will prove disastrous to
many. We will enter into no prophecies or minute
calculations as to the future range of prices ; the advance
may probably not be materially checked until the import
comes forward more freely. However, as in former years,
the market will, to a great extent, be regulated by the
demand for consumption ; and upon this important branch
of the subject it is impossible at the present moment to
offvr any satisfactory opinion, as the attempt might only
mislead. We look for much fluctuation ; but it must be
. •

awe ui mma, that the greater the advance, the
id more serious will be the ultimate recoil. We antici-
.te, it is true, a short supply of cotton, as compared
th the product of previous years. We have no fear
it that the supply of the manufactured article will prove
nily suffiriprit farm) ---1- _ • -

an
pa
wi
bit

leavier

both in this country and in foreigij iniarkeg. It is evident
to us that the production of cotton fabrics has for the
present overtaken the consumption ; mid if, as in the
previous part of the -year, with the advantages of much
lower prices for the raw material, the spinning trade
generally was unremunerative, it is not probable that it will
be improved whilst those counteracting influences are in
force which we have faintly and imperfectly endeavoured
to trace."

state ,;7.
the amaaeincistorn.
present" Jewell.le
refe; to the
In previous articles we
have remarked upon the
almost total want of the means of classifying pri-
soners in that establishment, and dividing the
habitually-vile and criminal from the chance of-
fender. We were not aware, however, that the
justice of our complaint was destined to be so soon
and so awfully verified. A fortnight ago a poor
wretch, upon the verge of dissolution, was taken to
that bridewell, as the only available ulaee of gliplfm.

Another valuable circular—that of Messrs. 1101-
nshead, Tetley, and Co.—contains these remarks;
" The question of supply remains to be considered, and
L the first place it must be remarked, that we are left
ith a, reduction in the stock in the country of 529,480
des, besides a reduction of 110,000 bales in France and
i the continent, and this after a crop in the United States
2,100,000 bales. Now nearly all accounts agree that
ie forthcoming crop will not exceed 2,000,000
bales,
loch, as scarcely any of it has yet arrived, will give us
I import equal to what we have received this year; but
must be remarked,-that the deficiency in the crop will
in the heavy bales from the Gulf, whereas last year it
as in the light bales from the Atlantic States. No
tubt, high prices will bring an increased supply from
tdia, and indeed from all countries, so that we may
ceive more cotton in 1847 than we did in 1846 ; still,
we commence with stocks so light, equal only to 21
eeks' consumption, it is clear that the supply will be
adequate, and the working of short time will not be a
testion of price, but one of necessity."

He was, we believe, as well treated as circumstances
would allow ; but the only place in which he could
be put for the night was a cell in which a drunken
man was confined. It is clear that such things
ought not to be ; and that an enlargement of this
establishment must take place, if the courts are to
continue to be held in this locality, and the present
is to be a main bridewell. But can the' Council
justify any serious outlay here, with the now ad-
mitted fact before them, that the question as to a
division of the magisterial business and the es-
tablishment of district courts is only one of time ?

In the face of this scarcity- of the raw material,
it is abundantly certain that the manufacturing
community have taken great pains to increase
the difficulty of their position. It is well known
that, during the past few years, a large increase
has been going on in the producing power in the
manufacturing districts ; and no warning appears
to be efficacious in inducing manufacturers volun-
tarily, or by the action of the law, to submit to a
limitation of the exercise of that power. A circular
by Messrs. M'Nair, Greenhow, and Co. contains a
well merited rebuke to them upon this subject :
" At the close of the last year we had occasion to notice
the injury inflicted upon the trade of this district by reck-
less speculation in railways, and its painful meow,

We understand that on Sunday two sermons will be
preached in the Irish Presbyterian Church, Islington, by
the -Rev. V. M. White ; after which, collections will be
made for the starving Irish.
The Observer says on the subject of the quarter's re-
venue, that " the Customs' duties will not exhibit the fall-
ing off which had been so confidently predicted, and that
the excise will show no evidences of being influenced by
the partial destitution which so unhappily prevails." _

SELECT VESTRY.—We believe the select Vestry have
received a reply from the Secretary of State to their late
memorial. The right hon. gentleman says that govern-
ment cannot adopt any measure to prevent the Irish emi-
grating to this country, and that no amount can be af-
fordedfrom the consolidated fund towards meeting the
enormous outlay made by the parish for the relief of the
Irish poor.

EXAMINATION OF MASTERS AND MATES. —At a
Board of Examiners, held on Tuesday last, Mr. James
Stone, chief officer of the British and North American
Royal Mail Steam-packet Hibernia, was examined and
found duly qualified for a first-class extra certificate as
master. Mr. John Johnson, a native of London, was
also found duly qualified for a first-class certificate as
mate, he being the first that has passed the board in this
capacity.