The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-01-13 00:00:00

WATCH COMMITTEE.

The proceedings of this committee to the 20th Decem-
ber were confirmed; and they were ordered to report the
reason why their subsequent proceedings had not been in-
serted in the books sent to the council. Tbey recom-
mended the council to obtain compulsory powers, in the
next act of parliament, to remove the ashes and night soil
from all premises within the borough ; and the recom-
mendation was adopted.

THE PROPOSED DOCKS AT WAPPING.

The proceedings of the Dock Committee having been
read,
Mr. BatonEv-MooRE moved their confirmation.
Mr. EVANS remarked upon the increase to the sum of
£lOOO in the salary of the secretary of the committee ; he
also remarked upon other increases which had been made,
amounting altogether, within q very short period, to
£5OOO a year. But what concerned the council most were,
the proceedings relative to the proposed docks at Wap-
ping,—proceedings enacted in the name of the Dock Com-
mittee, without the Dock Committee having either dis-
cussed or sanctioned them. The proceedings were not
contained in the dock books, and, consequently they had
netcome before the council, as the trustees of the docks,

for approval or disapproval. His information upon the
subject was derived upon the 29th of November last from
the public papers; and, he believed, the great majority of
the Dock Committee had had their information from the
same quarter. On that day there were plans deposited
with the Clerk of the Peace, of very great magnitude
and involving impossible consequences, which he would
not go into then. If ever the plans came before the coun-
cil he would have an opportunity of speaking to their me-
rits or demerits; but he might say now that they were of
great magnitude, and bore the same proportion to the pre-
sent dock bill as Great Britain bore to the Isle of Man.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE rose to order. Mr. Evans was
anticipating the question. In due time the plans would
be brought before the council, and the fullest explanations
would be given.
The MAYOR intimated that Mr. Evans must confine
himself to the proceedings of the committee as read by the
clerk of the council.

Mr. EVANS asked whether in a case of emergency like
the present his hands were to be tied and he was to be re-
strained ? He contended that unauthorized acts had been
done in the name of the council,—that the constitution of
the Dock Committee had been violated, and that the su-
premacy of the Council over the Dock Committee had
been altogether set aside.
Mr. BRAMLEY -MOORE denied that the constitution of
the committee had been violated, or that any assumption
of power had been taken. The plans had been before the
committee, and they were at present in abeyance until the
estimates had first been completed. So soon as they were
completed they would be laid before the Dock Committee,
and then they would be submitted for the sanction of the
Council, a special meeting of which would, he believed, be
convened for the purpose. But authorities had been asked
for and granted by the council, in order that certain steps
might be taken to comply with the standing orders of the
House of Commons. Those stens did not, however, com-
mit the council to anything. The bill was not as yet be-
fore the Dcck Committee, because it could not be drawn
up until the estimates and other information had first been
obtained. Those estimates were obtained yesterday, and
the recommendations of the sub-committee would come
before the general committee to-morrow.
Mr. AIKIN said it bad been determined that the com-
mittee should go to Parliament for a bill for certain pur-
poses, those purposes being of a minor character, such, for
instance, as the taking of angles off streets, and the wi-
dening of approaches ; but there was not a hint given in the
committee about the making of docks in the centre of the
town. The first intimation many of the members had of
that important step was learned from the public prints.
When:he noticed the fact in the Dock Committee, it was
then stated that they were authorised to go to parliament.
Certainly they were authorised to go for a certain purpose,
but they had gone for a totally different purpose ; and
they had done so not only without the sanction of the
council, but without the sanction of the committee. After
stating the case at some length, Mr. Aikin concluded by
saying, that it was for the Cffuncil to deal with the matter
as they thought best, either in the shape of a protest or a
censure.

Mr. NICOL said that Mr. Aikin had been told that the
whole of this proceeding would be laid before the Dock
Committee, and subsequently before the council, he ques-
tioned the good taste of the present discussion—a discus.
sion originated, as be believed, for the purpose of over-
awing the independent proceedings of the Dock Commit-
tee. He contended that it would have been au exceed-
ingly imprudent thing for the Dock Committee to discuss
what land might or might not be wanted, as fictitious
sales and purchases might be made out of doors, under
the very doubtful circumstance as to whether the pro-
perty so disposed of ,vould ever be required.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE complained that the Dock
Committee had taken possession of a piece of land near
the slate yards which was the properly of the public, and
to which the committee had no claim whatever. It was a
wilful and gross attack upon the property of the council.
He knew of no aggression equal to it. If the committee
had done it openly, he would have been glad to have dealt
with them in a fair and candid manner; but, instead of
that, they went stealthily, and in the night, and put r.,il-
ings round it, without any communication or notice what-
ever to the Council. It was really a very serious matter.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE observed that any discussion
about the land at the slate-yards was irregular and impro-
per, inasmuch as there was not a word on the subject in
the. proceedings. But he was prepared to show that the
Dock Committee had some claim to the land—that they
had not only a right, but a good right to it also.

Mr. EVANS moved a resolution-to the e►3'ect that the
notices to parliament having been given without the sanc-
tion of the Council or the Dock Committee, were irregu-
lar and illegal.
The MAYOR said that, according to the op:Ilion of the
Town-Clerk, this motion could not be entertained, as it
referred to matters not recorded in the proceedings.
Mr. BRAMLBY-MOORE replied. He courted inquiry
into the whole of the proceedings of the Dock Committee,
satisfied that nothing of an illegal character had been
transacted. He concluded, by showing the propriety of
increasing the salaries of the Dock 'officers, and said that
the only thing to complain of was, the niggardliness of
the Dock Committee in this respect. _

The proceedings were then, confirmed.
The council adjourned at twenty minutes to four, to
Monday (yesterday), the proceedings of which meeting
will be found elsewhere.