The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-18 00:00:00

y principle 6f his f

that the Dock C

We recently brought the case of this body befor
d we trust that, in opposition to th

our readers

that they Wave

nothing
on we shall be

able to sh

that, not only themselves, but the
merchants and shipowners of the port, have much
to complain of in the unjust exclusion with which
the coopers are visited

present, I

must confine ourselves to giiing a detailed state-
ment of the extent of the business for which the
latter body are deprived of all chance of competition :

A LIST OF TE

S DISCHARGED: IN Till

DOCK FROM THE IST OF JANUARY TO THE 31ST OF
DECEMBER, 1847,—(besides about fifty vessels reported
in the river and not included, the name of the particu-
docks in which they subsequently discharged not being
given in the Bill of Entry
Hogsheads of Sugar 3743
Tierces
Casks
Barrels
Cast

of freed(
e, has b

dittci 6231
ditto 561 Suffar, packages
ditto 6474 '
ditto 4995

Puncheons of Rum

Hogsheads ditto
Barrels ditto

5256
2483
1433 I Rum,
246

Pipes of Wine 286
Hogsheads of ditto 282 Wii
Quarter casks, &c. 719
Puncheons, Molasses 3985
Hogsheads, ditto 1086 }Molasses, ditto
Casks of Palm Oil 22711 Oil
Casks of Olive Oil 919 J ,
Casks of Tallow 5886 Tallos
Tierces of Rice 1151 Rice
Brls. Turpentine,
13581 Turpentine, &c., ditto 13581
Rosin and Pitch {
Barrels of Pork
Tierces of Beef
Barrels of Lard
Barrels of Flour

3381 } Provisions, ditto
4165}
1769 Lard,
50,820 Four,

1769
350,820

Total packages.. 416,115

We are certain it could never be the intention of
the legislature, in legalizing the dock warehouse
system, to hand over to a public body a monopoly
of so large a share of one of the most important
trades of the port ; and, as little was it in the con.
templation of the merchants of Liverpool that,
whilst using the Committee's warehouses, they
should be debarred the liberty of employing, in the
securing of their own property, those master trades-
men in whose skill they had the greatest confidence,
and,

The rapid improvement which France has re- t the same time, be compelled to pay what-
cently made in her naval equipment, the extensive ever charges the Committee may choose to impose.
system of aggrandisement which she has for some Every man is aware that cheapness is seldom the
time steadily pursued, and the fact of herhaving at attribute of a public body's work, and that where
Algiers, in the immediate neighbourhood of Gibral- there is no competition cheapness cannot be en-
tar, a large army, seem to be indications of her ex- forced from such body.
pectation of a war with this country. We would, As bearing upon this question of monopoly by
however, tender a word of advice to our neighbours a public body, we may notice a remark which fell
on the other side of the Channel, to be careful how from the Chairman of the Dock Committee, at its
they heedlessly rush into a war with our country, meeting'on Thursday last. After speaking of the re-
which will be scarcely less than exterminating to jection of the dock bill by the Council,and the con-
one or other of the belligerent powers. Suppose sequent difficulty in which the Committee were
for a moment that France should be victorious, at placid as to the disposal of the large mass of ware-
what a cost of treasure and life would the conquest house and other property, which they had purchased
be achieved ; and if, on the other hand, England as the site of the new docks to be formed at Wap-
should, as in former instances, be successful, the ping, the Chairman remarked—" There is another
dismemberment of the French empire would be the important thing. We can appropriate these ware-
inevitable result. It is, indeed, a pitiable thing to houses" (which, according to Mr. Eyre Evans, are
see an old man like Louis Philippe, dropping as it 105 in number) " free of rent." The Mercury
were into the grave, spending his last days upon holds out this fact as a warning to the warehouse
earth in efforts to embroil the two greatest nations owners of the danger, to their own property, of
of the world, and in intrigues for power of which it is continued opposition to the increase of dock ware-
impossible he can ever enjoy the benefit. If, how- houses. We cannot conceive, however, that Mr.
ever, a war should be the final issue of the present Bramley-Moore intended the remark which he
commotions of Europe, we cannot agree in the made to convey the threat, which the Mercury
probability of a French invasion, and should there- attributes to him. We believe that he would no
fore, consider many of the proposals for the defence more use any powers which the Dock Committee
of the country as premature and unnecessary. It may have had unwittingly given to them, to oppress
is scarcely to be credited that at the advanced age private individuals, or to coerce the judgment of
at which the French monarch has arrived that he the public, than he would pick a pocket, or refuse
would form such an extensive plan as the invasion payment of an honest debt. There has been no
of our country, and still more unlikely that during trickery recorded in Mr. Bramley-Moore's admi-
the troubles which are sure to attend a regency nistration of dock affairs thus far ; and we are
in France, the French people would wish to attempt perfectly certain that trickery is foreign to his cha-
the subjugation of England. And however much ratter. It is sufficiently alarming, however, to
it may be the desire of the French to do so, we are contemplate the mere possibility of a public body
well aware that the most extensive preparations having the power of thus using property acquired
would be needed to enable them even to transport by them, not with a view to make from it a fair
their troops across the channel, and we should con- profit, but to oppress and injure individuals. For
sider it quite time enough to prepare any special where is such a system to stop ? If the Dock
defences when they commenced arrangements for an I Committee, because they have a number of ware-
attack, houses which they cannot at present pull down,
The improbability of any attempt of the kind and convert into the use intended to be made of
being made, derives additional strength from the them, may set up business as cheap warehousemen,
act, that both the Directory and the conqueror of in opposition to private individuals, or, as is hinted,