The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-11-05 00:00:00

Nov. 6,1844.

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

On Wednesday a special meeting of the council was held
at the Town-hall, for the purpose of winding up the
affairs of the municipal year.
DEATH OF THE TOWN-CLERK.
The MAYOR said his first duty was to announce to tho
council officially what they all knew—the death of the
Town-clerk. He need not say that the Town-Clerk was
ayery eminent lawyer. and that they all deeply regretted
his loss. (Hear, hear.) He died on Friday night. last at
Leamington.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE said they bad in Mr. Radcliffe
Jelost excellent officer, whose services were unremitting.
elneee was no subject, however difficult or embarrassing,
ee which he was not at all times ready to employ the vigo-
rtnaais energies of his able mind ; and there was nu demand
aele upon him to wbich he was not always willing to
d a ready ear. This amounted almost to a fault—he
was so courteous, so accessible to them all. When they
considered that his services were enhanced with the high-
est legal talent and the highest sense of honour, they
would be able to form a just estimate of the excellent man ;
and _ when they remember the difficuities he had to aaoter, and with what undeviating consistency he had
en-
led them through the intricacies of the Municipal Reform
Act, they might, indeed, feel that the council had sus-
ned some loss. To him (Mr: Lawrence) personally,
and he believed he spoke the sentiments of the whole
rn"cil—Mr. Radcliffe bad been very kind, very encou-
?•gaug : there was no occasion or, hich his aid and judi-
enloas advice had not been within his reach ; and he should
ielgarleet his duty, and the council would be open to a
set ge of ingratitude, if they hesitated to record their
ease of the services to' which he alluded, and failed to,put
their minutes some regard for the high ability, zeal,
aPiendid talents which the Tuwn-Clerk so eminently
Csersestse,d, and of which it had pleased Providence, in his
Ito
.0 able wisdom, to deprive them. He concluded by
1,, Yllig a resolution to the effect,—that the council, deep-
6letrtopressed with a sense of the services of the late Town-
Ze° It' Richard Radcliffe, Esq., embracing the earliest
21:aortueitY of entering on their minutes a record of the
Zal and ability which had ever distinguished his career,
ed ,equested the Mayor to convey to Mrs. Radcliffe,
ey,„,"ne other members of the family, an assurance of the
leWtPathY of the council in the decease of this most excel-
Nivreleer of the corporation.
he ye; AlttiN, in seconding the motion, said that it would
tale „,:Y difficult again to find a man combining the various
4,1-'8 Which were so ably enjoyed by Mr. Radcliffe, who
his not only great legal knowledge, but that fondness for
h: ,„PUrsUit which induced him to give his time morning,
'" and night, to the services of the town. But per-
r ?is the indiscriminate praise which had been used was
41:er unfortunate. could only lament that any frailty
)1110014 s
.hould haveHe at all impaired Mr. Radcliffe's great
rout c ; but speaking of him as a public man, he
for d °nlY again express his fear that it would be hopeless
the (lnalities Mr tiouncil to exect a successor combining all the
The . Radcliffe possessed.
motion was carried unanimously.
APPLICATION FROM THE BIRKENHEAD DOCK
COMPANY.
an Proceedings of the Finance Committee comprised
1,-1; application from the Birkenhead Dock Company to
te-rc,b_ase the reversion of the corporation in a portion of
nv? allasey Estate. The application, with an accornpa-
Me.-,Plan, was siened by the law agent of the company,
"seph Malkiley. It set forth that the company had
tai7ee,dr for 75 years, to purchase the property; and that
eat`Lntended to apply for an act next session to incorpo-
bne the company, and to empower them to erect ware-
fieeses on the margin, They now formally applied to the
etelnce Committee, and offered to pay for the reversion-
s .Y interekt in a gross sum at a price to be agreed to, or
teeleloation by competent parties. The Finance Commit-
lee reesolved that this was only a repetition, by a joint-
tank' company, of an offer which had been reviously
fZu by the lessees to purchase the reversion; that the
la°yjer offer had been declined by the committee, and also
Zb council and that the committee did not feel at li-
Yto enter into any negociation on the subject. The
tailinlttee recommended the sale of a piece of land, con-
to elug about 2,200 yards, in Church-street, Birkenhead,
year-ir- Wright, at the rate of 355. 6d. per yard, for 75
, subject to a deposit of 10 per cent.
the hr• G. H. LAWRENCE, in moving the confirmation of
Prof°needings, thought it right to mention that if this
Coo;°tislal
.had come from a public body like the Birkenhead
tee Issioners, and that if it stated public grounds for
esa eneasure, and accompanied it with plans, showing the
stitiest extent for which public warehouses, in connexion
Public docks, were required, then, possibly, theFi-
(No c Committee might have given it more consideration.
Pro,' u°.) He said more consideration ; but here was a
on the part of a self-constituted company, of
nerbl the council knew nothing. Unless they were fur-
sh` NI with some pretext—some arguments which might
(he 7 the benefit to arise to the corporation estate—
) and the benefit also to the burgesses of Liverpool
ferteearr hear)--it was impossible for the council to go
ter eer ; and, accordingly, the committee thought it bet-
to tlo abide the issue of events, and give a simple refusal
applicatbn. (Hear.) With public grounds, inde-
dc,""rtt of corporate interests, the council had nothing to
11,1 was for the legislature to interfere in such matters;
pee,t , thought the legislature would never wrest the pro-
wf,,,`Y of the corporation out of the hands of the council,
uout some mCC ore information than the Finance Com-
hare been able to secure or obtain. Here was a
th esale application for almost ills whole of the property
eY had leased to the parties at Wallasey Pool, enough to
atr°vlde warehouses, not only for the trade to be expected
h Birkenhead, but for all the trade of Europe! He
°...Ped the proceedings would be confirmed. (Hear.)
et,,Tr• Nicol, said it always afforded him satisfaction to
Mle G. H. Lawrence, ,and that lie generally agreed
tse that gentleman; but he thought that upor. this as
ns_us as upon a former, occasion, the Birkenhead people
obt feel hidebted to him for pointing out to them in what
hey were to approach the council for the purpose of
fo_a ning a reversion. (Hear.) When they applied be-
ior.o Mr. Lawrence certainly said that if they had come
keil‘hPeunblic shape—if they came as Commissioners of Bir-
would 11, °r any public shape—the Finance Committee
reece
dissented.)
listened more favourably. (Mr. G. H. Law-
1i
applied as co.L.continued.—They had taken the hint, and
Fieence ea Joint-stock company, and the chairman of. the
still alte ~juullittee now said that if they came again in a
int° greareee-rtaPe, that committee would take the matter
the words. euisTosideration—" greater consideration" were
ing out to Peoet)r he (Mr. Nicol) thought this was point-
should adopt, inedwhlio wanted no advice, the plans they
it to be understod."' they were to proceed. He begged
not concur in thos that be, as an humble individual, did
right or fair—her e sentiments, nor did he think it quite
chairman of the wag an improper word to use—in the
pledge the council tOnance Committee in any degree to
kenhead gentlemen c anY particular course when the Bia-
i.adelescOrOLlS so to do rbas7te (Hear, hear.) He thought it
nencuonopiatory entin3enthneiiefionrgone, protested against
considered as those of
o'uoun nci , when it might hereafter be the duty of the
thou u;t to act completely in opposition to them. He
1/4 gat the grantine of the reversion would be doing an
\tice to the leaseholdersb on the Liverpool side—(hear,
Dubii).---and he was anxious it should not go
.forth to the
enle, or to the gentlemen on the other side, that the
-"lnsents they had just heard were the sentiments of the
C°ll/lell.
G. H. LAWRENCE explained. He was sure that
he had put an interpretation on his words which
invite Lawrence) did not intend. He never meant to
e the Birkenhead gen lemen to approach the council
iriteno• but what be said was, that from the manner in
gee ei they had come, the committee could not give them
etejer consideration.
ees..sl.r. Aliens; said he was aware of the difficulty of dis-
het titele anything where matters of bargain were involved,
that teY had got an application from men who had shown.
thre:,u_eY were not in the habit of holding out any idle
elatie's. And this was not a threat. It was simply intie
teem g that it was their intention to do that in the next
tended which it was pretty well known already they in-
Was eti:ll. to do; and therefore the only question with him
khan Is s-`• Is there a chance of that body of men ob-
that esgesuch a bill ? and if they do obtain such a bill for
Puteu.ch they will endeavour to show will be of great
eoe, .0 utility to the trade of the kingdom, then are we
if 10 the position of getting more than we would be then
teat,eY get their bill? (Hear, hear.) He was not an ac-
thoeY,'),,ll,°' much acquainted with the subject, but he
ver',e; 't quite probable that the council might now get
be we',liierge sum. lie threw it out as a hint that it might
sands ;' and wise, and judicious, instead of spending thou-
thoestl.,a fruitless opposition to bills, to endeavour to get
might bas in their pockets for property, which property
, Air re taken from them.
Itekssesee"en said the terms on which all the corporation
valuable es,ecre granted were these—that the parties. taking
uuld so improve the property as to make it more
were i If, then, an estimate of the Wallasey Estate
vale, be made now, would any surveyor put any extra
(Rear .°,ll reversion of what was hereafter to be done ?
sell nag As a mere matter of prudence, if they were to
her they must net less than ff the improvements had
'what uftpleted ; for what man could tell how to value
the ttewres not already upon the ion? They would get
"Pecteee flaked value of the revers It was not to be
mete ; In his opinion, that parliament would give to a
given ~.I°'et-stock company' rights which they bad not
been CeOthers ; and when the Liverpool warehouses had
Plan ulit on leases for 75 years, why not pursue the same
irvieun the other side (Hear,'hear.)
hoe tolerated the
did not believe the council would ever
Were b the sale of the land at Birkenhead, if it
have be that such a question as the present would
great ,t) be considered afterwards. (Hear, hear.) The
It eoudilducereent with him to sell the land was, that
ureahsedd he made valuable—that its value should be in-
its rev and that the council should have the prospect of
price tei°loter with this increased value. Hence the low
heat sea, accepted
, graduat d for it. Much higher prices than
"Id e scale for 75 years were offered for the free-
trotte y Parties who put in ienders; but the Finance Com-
and ° never thought of entertaining such a proposition,
nierltee,was sorry that Mr. Aikin or any body else, should
Posed "en it for a moment. He contended that the pro-
Driealw:arabouses on the other side were for the benefit of
ers individuals, though handed. together, and that it
toes hr,toPossible to bring before parliament any arguments
Yet t"7 that the county would
re he don be benefitted qy what was
he clock e. The public benefit was conferred when
ue e space was conceded and all future benefit would
,or ; d• .
se'lear t' 'v1(111113, or collective bodies of individuals.
eer hear.) Therefore be hoped the council would e-
teeat:lsrtain the present question for a single moment, at
it)Anitzer would for one. (Hear.)
:nee at the :At said that if Birkenhead continued to ad-
they were told it would, the land they
_seseertesttaZese,llinnaeto Mr. Wright would be double its pre-
plea tor it was in the heart of the town. He was
toteed with the spirited reply of the Finance Committee
tie iof the joint-stock company on the other
eof the water. That reply did them great credit. He