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

SATURDAY.

The delegates held their adjourned meeting in the Ex-
change-buildings, at eleven o'clock on Saturday. The
chair was occupied by William Brown, Esq.
The CHAIRMAN read a communication from Mr. Cas-
son, of the firm of Gladstone and Casson, turpentine dis-
tillers, upon the subject of their particular line of busi-
ness, which was ordered to be transmitted to the Fire
Committee. .

Mr. STEUART said that, upon the previous day, and
before the delegates assembled, the Sub-committee had
met and adopted a resolution, to the effect that it LT re-
commended to the deputation to present a memorial to
the Dock Committee to apply to Parliament, in the next
session, for an act to amend the Dock Act, whereby the
restrictions on the building of warehouses on the dock
quays might be removed. They had discussed, at the
same time, the propriety of petitioning Parliament, but,
in consequence of the Town-clerk having declared that it
was impossible to have the standing orders of the house
suspended in case of opposition, they had come to the
determination of memorializing the Dock Committee.
He concluded by moving that the Dock Committee be
memorialized on the subject, and left to carry out the
measure as best they could.
Mr. RATHBONE had no objection to second the motion,
provided the associations were not thereby prevented
from taking ulterior steps. He considered the Fire Pre.
vention Bill to be a monstrous interference with the pro-
perty as well as the liberty of individuals, and that, if it
were passed, it would bind the mercantile community
hand and foot.

Mr. TODD said the associations had already expressed
their opinion, on many occasions, that it was expedient
for the Dock Act to be amended ; and that the question
for immediate discussion was, how that object could be
brought about. At the meeting of the Sub-com-
mittee, he had proposed that they should petition the
Legislature to allow a clause to be engrafted on the Fire
Prevention Bill, which would enable the warehouses round
the Albert Dock to be completed ' • but he had been over-
ruled, as it was considered more advisable to memorialize
the Dock Committee, a proceeding which would neither
pledge themselves, nor tie up their hands from taking any
further steps. It had been said, that it was useless to
memorialize the Dock Trustees, as their hands were tied
up by the compromise. He thought that this was not the
case, as they only asked the Dock Committee to second
their efiorts, pfovided those efforts were practicable.
The motion was here put and carried with one dissen-
tient, (Mr. Sandbach, the delegate from the West India
Association).

Mr. GILL then proceeded to condemn the bill in very
strong terms. He said that it was as bad as Egyptian
bondage ; that it was decided to incarcerate some of the
most eminent of the commercial community in a prison by
reason of its stringent provisions ; and that before it should
have been twelve months in operation its repeal would be
loudly and unanimously demanded.
Mr. RATH BON E, after expressing his assurance that the
public would be startled at seeing how completely it tied
up their hands, moved that a petition against it be for-
warded to the House of Commons that evening.
The motion, not having been seconded, fell to the
ground.

Mr. DUNCAN having here read the whole of the regula-
tions contained in the schedules A and B, and which were
embodied in no fewer than thirty •seven clauses,
Mr. RATHBONE suggested that the delegates should
offer no opinion upon those clauses, as they were not com-
petent to do so.
The suggestion met with the unanimous concurrence of
the meeting.
Mr. STEUART, after having expressed his confident
hope that the associations would liberally subscribe to
carry on the opposition, asked what amount would be
necessary for the purposes of that opposition ?
The CHAIRMAN thought that about £2OO would cover
the expenses.
Mr. RATHBONE said it would cost £lOOO at the least,
seeing that counsel and parliamentary agents would have
to be retained.
Mr. STEUART moved, " That the chairman be re-
quested to ascertain whether the views of the delegates,
as communicated to the Fire Committee, are entertained
by the council, and that the meeting do adjourn to Mon-
day (yesterday), at eleven a.m., for the purpose of re-
ceiving the answer, and, in the event of its being
unfavourable, to appoint a deputation to proceed to Lon-
don to oppose the bill."
This motion was adopted, with one dissentient, (the
delegate for the West Indian Association,) and the meet-
ing adjourned.