The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-07-11 00:00:00

spECIAL COUNCIL.

On Saturday the council met at eleven o'clock in the
forenoon, by special aummon,'; to consider the clauses of
the Fire Bill.

committee, the
The council having resolved itself WO A
Mayor in the chair,
Mr. SIIUTTLEWORTII, the Deputy ToWn•clerk, read a
report of the Fire Committee on the bill.
The report set forth, that the main dlivisiOng of the bill
were-1. The appointment, by the council, of a commit-
tee for the protection of property from fire. 2. The
establishment of regulations for the construction of future
warehouses, and the improvement, so far as is reasonably
practicable, of existing warehouses, subject to all proper
exceptions and modifications. [The schedules are framed
upon the best information that can be obtained of what
may be likely to satisfy the insurance companies, and be
really requisite for protection.] 3. The particular storage
of dangerous goods. [ln the enumeration, butter has, by
mistake, been retained. Whether tallow ought or ought
not to be retained is reserved for the special consideration
of the council.] 4. The restrictions to still more parti-
cular stowage of saltpetre and nitrate of soda. 5. The
restriction of the carrying on of dangerous trades to par-
ticular buildings, subject, in cases of extraordinary danger,
from the nature of the occupation, to the erection of
chimneys of a certain height. 6. The establishment of a
registrar, with classification of warehouses under their
heads, according to degrees of security. 7. The licensing,
by council, of warehousemen, porters, lumpers, and
stevedores. 8. The exclusive management by the ware-
housekeepers of goods in their warehouses, comprising
their own appointment of warehouse porters, being
duly licensed, subject to the superintendence of the em-
ployer and his
,servants, with regulations for the govern-
ment of warehousemen and porters, power of search, &c.
9. A separate and additional watch for warehouses, in the
discretion of the Watch Committee, to be maintained by
a rate on warehouses.

Sir THOMAS BRANCKER said the bill was to go into
committee on Tuesday, and, therefore, they bad no time
to lose.

After the Town-clerk had read the resolutions passed
by the commercial bodies, and stated that, though Satur-
day was the last day for receiving petitions, no objection
would be made by the Council to petitions being received
at the last moment, Mr. BRAM LEY-MOORE said it was
hard upon the town to leave the matter in such a position.
There were a great many objections to the bill, and the
inhabitants had had no opportunity of considering it.
A lengthy discussion ensued, in the course of which the
TOWN-CLERK said the subject had been well considered,
and no objection would be made to any petition on ac-
count of its being out of time : on the contrary, the mem-
bers for the borough would be requested to give every fa-
cility to such petitions. The bill, however, had been
submitted to all the parties interested : it had been sub-
mitted to the delegates piece by piece.
Mr. BRAMLEY• MOORE moved that the bill be sus-
pended during the present session. Seconded by Mr.
HENRY HOLMES.

The Council divided, when there appeared for Mr.
Bramley-Moore's motion :—Messrs. I. Holmes, Thorn-
hill, Henry Holmes, J. Lawrence, Kilshaw, Parker,
Griffith, Holt, and Bramley-Moore-9.

Against the motion :—Messrs. Shaw, Hodgson, Hough-
ton, (Councillor,) Preston, Thompson, North, Hornby,
J. Holmes, Aikin, Stewart, Rae, Royden, Cooper,Wood,
H. Lawrence, Birkett, Proctor' Lloyd, G. H. Lawrence,
Lace, Trotman, Platt, Smith, Harbord, Houghton, Bul-
ley, Earle, Turner, Freme, Moon, Sir Thomas Brancker,
and the Mayor-32; majority, 23.

The council proceeded_ to consider the clauses of the bill.
The first clause directs the appointment of a committee
by the council. The suggestion from the associated bo-
dies was, that half the committee should be appointed by
the council and half by the dock ratepayers. The clause
was adopted as it stood. _ _

Clause 2 defines what shall be deemed a warehouse.
Mr. Houghton said he represented those interested in
property in Rumford-street, and he moved that the build-
ings there be excepted.
In reply to various inquiries, the TOWN-CLERK ex-
plained that, with regard to counting-houses which are
part of warehouse rooms, the apartments would be con-
sidered as all one room, and that in ornamental elevations
requiring glass windows, there would be an exemption,
provided the requisites of the act were complied with in
other respects, though, if the buildings had warehouse
doors at the back or sides, the regulations would be en-
forced with respect to those parts.
With respect to clause 3, excepting buildings above cel-
lars arched with brick, or the ceilings of which may be
lined with sheet iron, Mr. Aikin said the exception was
framed merely to prevent such building, which might be
a chapel or an assembly-room, from being deemed a
warehouse.

Mr. STEWART, thought there should in such case, be
no communication between the vault and the building
above. The clause was passed to stand part of the bill,
the last-named point to be taken into consideration by the
committee.

Mr. BIRKErr said he understood that the Leeds and
Liverpool Canal Company, the Liverpool and Manchester
Railway Company, and the Duke of Bridgewater's Trus-
tees had petitioned to be exempted from the operation of
the bill. If they were exempted, he did not see how they
could refuse exemption to others.
The TOWN-CLERK said, so far as the warehouses of
those parties were used as the warehouses of carriers,
they would be exe:npt ; but the moment the parties be-
came warehouse keepers they would become liable, as they
would give up their ground of exemption.
The fourth clause, providing that all future warehouses
are to be built in compliance with the provisions of the
act, carried the council to the consideratio❑ of schedule
A of the bill.

The TOWN-CLERK read the respective clauses of the
schedule.

Mr. SHUTLTEWORTH, who held the proof the resolu-
tions of the insurance offices, read, in each instance, such
resolution as related to the clause read.
No. 1, providing that the areas of warehouses are not to
exceed 4,000 superficial feet, was passed.
No. 2, that no warehouse is to exceed 70 feet in height,
was read. The insurance offices proposed 60 feet,
which was agreed to. The offices also proposed, that
no goods be stowed above the level of the building. This
was postponed till the subject of bye-laws be brought for
ward.

Nos. 3 and 5 were combined, and the effect of the clause
is, that sheds may have an area of 7,500 feet, but are not
to exceed 21 feet in height, or, it they so exceed, they are
to be limited to an area of 6,000 feet.

Nos. 4 and 6 were combined, and the joint clause pro-
vides that sheds, with two floors, may have an area of
6,000 feet, but are not to exceed 30 feet in height, or, if
they. do so exceed, they are to be considered warehouses.
Nos. 7 and 8 were agreed to.
In No, 9, for raising parapets on warehouses, the height
of the parapet was altered, in compliance with the reso-
lution of the insurance companies, from 3 feet 6 inchei
to 5 feet.

The words " but is so higher by not more than six feet"
were struck one of No. 10.

Nos. 11. 12, 13, and 14 were passed.
No. 15, that " no window or other opening be allowed
in the wall of a warehouse or shed above the roof of
any other building adjoining thereto, but all windows to
open only upon streets or upon quays, yards, or areas,"
was read. The words "of a width of ten yards, at the
least, along the whole extent of such external wall„' were
struck out.

Mr. STEWART called attention to the importance of
this clause as regarded existing private rights, as it would
be the means of blocking up many ancient lights, against
which other parties would not build, and which made the
premises valuable as corn warehouses. At the same time
he confessed this clause was worth the whole bill as a
security from fire.

TI-e clause was approved.
In No. 16, 12 feet were altered to eight feet, as per re-
solution of the insurance companies,
In No. 17, NI hich provides that all the woodwork in
front of warehouses in streets less than 50 feet wide are
to be cased with cast iron, the words "one-sixteenth of
an inch thick" were altered to " one-eighth of an inch
thick."

Mr. STEWART (who was continually referred to, and
gave the Council much valuable information, and whose
opinions were heard with marked respect,) said the insur-
ance offices had determined to hare either iron or wood.
If the street were less than fifty feet wide, they would
have nothing but wrought iron. If fifty feet wide, they
did not require anything but wood. The offices depre-
cated altogether the use of sheet iron.
The clause was passed, as was No. 18.
In No. 19 the words " desired in" were substituted for
the words " made for the purpose of ornament in the front
elevation of."

Nos. 20, 21, and 22 were passed.
Mr. HARBORD proposed that the thickness of the sepa-
rating walls of staircases should be nine inches instead of
fourteen inches, as named in No. 23. On a division the
clause was adopted as it stood.
It was decided that an iron ladder should be used to as-
cend to the jigger loft instead of a wooden one, as set
forth in a note to the above clause.

No. 24 was approved.
The Council returned to clause 4 in the body of the bill,
which clause they passed. Clause 5 had been passed in
schedule A.
Clause 6 took the Council to schedule B.
No. 1 of schedule B was approved after some discussion
which resulted in the substitution of 5 feet for 3 feet 6
inches, corresponding with schedule A.
Nos. 2,3, and 4, were approved.
In No. 5 the words, " of a width of ten yards," &c., to
the end of the paragraph, were struck out, corresponding
with No. 15 of Schedule A, the schedule under consi-
deration relating to existing warehouses, and schedule A to
those to be erected in future.
Some discussion arose on the point named by Mr.
STRwART at clause 15 of schedule A, as to the injury
which this and the corresponding clause would inflict on
private rights, and several members were for expunging
the clause. On a division, the clause was carried by a
large majority.
No. 6 was passed after a note had been taken for the
adoption of a paragraph or clause for the exemption of
warehouses similarly situated to those at New-quay.
No. 7 was adopted with an alteration corresponding to
that made in No. 17 of schedule A.
Mr. lsnAc HoLmes and Mr. HOUGHTON contended
strongly against No. 8. On a division it was approved,
with the substitution of "8 feet" for " 12 feet."
The remaining clauses of schedule B were adopted, and
the council recurred to the body of the bill.
Clause 6 of the bill was brought under consideration.
Mr. HORNBY moved, that the penalties for not altering
the existing warehouses in conformity with the act, within
the time specified, be £2O instead of £lOO, and £5 per
week instead of .£5O per week. After a short discussion,
this was agreed to.
Mr. BRABILKY-MOORI and Mr. PARKER contended
that the time allowed (six months after October next) was