The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-10-31 00:00:00

Oct. Al' 1843

N COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

made up his mind six weeks ago to dispose of it, and that
in that short space of time he had received offers for no
fewer a number than 200,000 square yards, he should have
suspected that better prices could be obtained. (Hear.)
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE replied. He said that Mr.
Evans would make the Cheshire property subservient to
the interests of the people of Liverpool. But had it been
subservient hitherto? On the contrary, had it not been
lying waste and idle ? The policy of the present corpo-
ration was to bring it into productiveness and usefulness,
believing that it would speedil3 be studded with buildings,
and that in the increase of trade at the other side, the
prosperity of the people of Liverpool generally would be
materially promoted. (Hear.) This increase of trade
would be far more desirable than to erect docks as a
dep6t for old things or things on sale ; because he hoped
that things on sale would be every day becoming fewer in
number, and that the necessity for the depOt would as
constantly be diminishing. (Hear.) He perceived by
the newspapers that the Dock Committee were constantly
discussing the propriety of erecting new docks—that the
north and the south ends of the town were pointed out as
eligible sites, but that not a word was ever said about
Cheshire. Not a word was ever said about the Dock
Committee going over there; and he was satisfied that
the burgesses of Liverpool, represented as they were in
the council, would never be parties to an act which should
transfer what they considered their commercial interests
to the other side of the water. (Hear, hear.) The coun-
cil now offered the Cheshire property for sale to persons
who might make docks there or not as they pleased. He
was not afraid of rival docks. Himself and others had
been charged with smuggling this question through the
Council. He denied it. Month after month had it been
discussed, and duly and properly had the sales been ad-
vertisel (Hear, hear.)
' Mr•. BUSEIELL asked Mr. Stewart whether he thought
he could find for the Finance Committee a buyer at a
higher price for the lot or lots of land to which he had
made special reference ?

ill, 'clay, a special meeting of the council was held at
Tow„ ,
fOr the purpose of taking into considera•
1:4 and determining upon a variety of subjects mentioned
o'elbe,"o3monses. The MAYOR took the chair at eleven 14t1(11c5, at which time there were twenty-four members
reaPective places.

The D FINANCE COMMITTEE.
o_olll, dtaPUTY TOWN...CLERIC commenced the business
PLl444litteY bY reading the proceedings of the Finance
tan e• The committee stated that they had received
itglitu'e' tenders for the corporation land in North Bir-
Kte);4alld that they had agreed to accept, subject to
f.Se ha'
of the couecil, offers for the following lots :
mote. l'• Cole, for 37,000 square yards, at 18s. each ;
!t 04.
egues. J. and W. Walker, fur 6,100 square yards,
I,2te fa eel, and one-third of the new road adjoining, at
Lsilt Lalri,°,9oo squat yards, at 12s. 4d. each ; from Mr.
i:r. J ft.':.;. for 20,000 square yards, at 10s. each ; from
''l'. leare_ricn, for 6,000 square yards. at 10s. each ; from
,"'eaCh:
_BB P. Brownrigg, for 48,800 square yards, at
late to ee',2°a_d for other parcels, amounting in the aggre-
ses e7s'uuti square yards. The leases for those pur-
„ere to bee to be for 75 years ; the conditions of the sale
eth ee-..e....._ • e
aee rote eer went in live and ten years, with interest
b' and "" 4 Per cent. ; the purchasers to erect build-
-1;111; atil , here land fronted the pool, to make a sea-
Isee. ,Thaistetance against fire to be effected by the
t`gbreed, alkp committee further stated, that they had
Ote 1"Islleet to the approval of the council, to pur-
% th.e• running from Beacon's Gutter northwards,
labe- earl of o f !bey cru
ce . er y,. or a sum not exceeding £17.500,
hrt main conditions They finally stated, that
tak "" Made • .'
te't'atv eh__ a communication to the Watch Committee.
ea et „ ether the latter could conveniently give up the
Ite r-Dck Station, for the purposes of a Sailors'
Nab Those, several proceedings, which were of ex-
tialteGC,%l)., having been read throoghout,
thtla. ri 'I LA-vertexes rose 'to move their confirms-
es, let de said that the proceedings, though coming upon
dnitae,a,Y cf the municipal year, were of extreme im-
-1 co. interesting to the burgesses at large, inasmuch
I.lBota f_-'l.
at
were recommended upon that occason to
:telt),
pre a term of 7.5 years, of a portion of their -Wei;4o, amounting in value to upwards of
,spent
t° the
also as they were called upon to purchase
Ca the .giile extent •of 600,000 square yards Of land
iphal nirkdale shore. Upon these two transactions
tgalidaateitin to
say a tew 'words, but not for the purpose of
°:eser g the police of the council in disposing of their
ey the Party, because the more he considered that
girths ci-r °I. ore he 'thought they were acting for !he in-
itirght %be inhabitants on both sides of-the Mersey.
eltig t,_ be told that the Finance Committee were
Zifor:'," birth-right for a mess of pottage, and that it
;71 epe"lts reason they were assailed with such warmth
'ltther 01;it of doors ; but still thecouncil thought
~11,1,,,, "Shire property was a great Weight and bur-
pr,leh
Iv" that it was bad policy to be holding a property
itsee 4s 'comparatively unproduetive, and whice
004111P:fa the burgesses to the .extent of £316,000,
ihe eatgteluterest. If this money had been paid for it,
4Otil tk r might have assumed a different aspect, but
,4 I,,i;i*Y had purchased, they conk' hardly be said to
0,000 tur it ; for the interest amounted at present to
Vaticeayear. It was, therefore, a matter of some iiti-
.litilettio reduce this amount; for he was of opinion
It,Bllllt 8 they could keep their present bonded debt
VII rats_Ptesent limits, they ~rust either resort to a b0),..1e
),..le o'' et suspend their •discretionary expenditure.
tl'rcit n,e examined the corporation accounts for the
• tact th ,‘,..0u1e appear manifest that unless they could
eNreees'' exigencies by some such steps as they wer
fstax "tcleendine they must call for the assist:
451'141;g!therer. -(*ilea-r, hear.) Offers had been made
.00 ed, °f the Birkenhead` land, amounting altogether
01 (ii-ivu square yards and at a value of £120,000. The
warer 1300aietity ee land 'parchased in Birkenhead by the '
lir ,006.scorporstion,
.presions to 1829, amounted to
'il, beeq 'Mare yards, and after the present purchases
The sales of the Birkenhead estate were accordingly
4e °)acle., the council would still retain /25 000
144 Yard • ' confirmed. The following members voted in the divi-
,lelt led sin their possession. The total cost of the .
tea deductb.een ,X 316,000. The interest 'was £12,600 ; mon :
For. —Messrs.'F.'Shand, T. Shaw, R. Houghton,4„
toeilleihe Ina the interest saved by the present sales,
C. Thompson T. Sands, H. Hornby„'J. Holmes, J. Aspi-
ltOt te' t° 47,290e:the balance of interest would only
nail, T. Royden 'J. Cooper, J. N. 'Wood, H. awrence,
teettl ; .10—so that the borough fond would be
W. Birkett, C. 'Eheetrell, T. Brasses', J. S. Leigh, G. H.
lit,:osses the extent of £7,300 a-year, and 'they would
Lawn-nce, AeLaceeS. L. TrotmaneJ. Platt, J. Sheppard,
etNl4.3 -725,400 square yards, which stood them in
A. Smith, ital. 'Aldermen.—Sir T. Brancker, 1. H.
Per '' 1;:• and ss. each. (Hear, hear.)
Turner, W. P. Freme, W. Nicol,- J. Bramley-moore, E.
tlte 81I;a-ke-MoRe asked whether the -,lsetir ss.
ILI neux, J. -Moon, T. Chilton,-and the Mayor.
I'lltity.:s Yard could be obtained for the remaining
A eIY ainet.---4. Holmes, W. Thornhill, T. Blackburn, W.
lle' 1% (i,t;- Preston, H. Copeland, J. Edwards, J. North, H. Holmes,
tlt4aloe ee• LAWRENCE said that every dayinereased
J. Aikin, J.-Stewart, J. Procter, R. Rigby, J. Kilshaw,
kia oruir the land. He was satisfied it was worth more
J. Parker, J. Plimpton, R.. Liarbord, G. H. llernby.
tPleo lloe !. Aldermen.—T. B. Barclay, R. -Houghton, T. Bailey, T
h,t ar NEI' thought it impossible togive say 'answer
Holt, J. Lawrence, and E. Evens.
V' Nee to accuracy to such a question, because the
kiaeef :situated in various parts, and variArien value. l'ultdti,.
kilt emit was snid by the acre, and some by the square Mr- 'G. H.' LAWRENCE said that, having now eareceeded
4see bed 'no notion of its average value, the in inducing them to dispose of part of their' Cheshire
AL 1.. routerl as a great deal of it bore an Ideal value. estate, he had next to call open them to increase the ex
it,RexAlerteallotte thought a definite answer tent of their property on this side of the water. He al-
it, battleglen• He did not want the-value to
.a fraction,
hided to the next- subject on the paper—that of pur-
ee et it be satisfied if the Finance 'Committee could chasing '1;000 yards of' 'lead from the Eerleef Derby,
age was worth any sum between'6s. and:7s. on an from Beacon's-gutter, extending northwards. In March
tteelt• G ir,
'42, a report of the Finance Committee hadileen agreed
y`t, th. "•' le 'wive-we assumed, forthe sake of argu- upon, which .
acknowledged the importance- of such a
tr 'ere: it was worth- what it stood them in. purchase es that now submitted for consideration ; and at
. It
seapressed his belief that itevas worth 7s. kat, PAllyi, • that time the Finance Committee were instructed to carry
, ha, , . it said, that the question as to`tire•gale.of the osa negotiations with the Earl of Derby. -It appeared,
it7lth,i,l4 been already decided uponby the 'council, and however; upon invetigation, that however good his lord-
e° the', teal object at present ought to be to dispose tof ship's title might begstian,
in his own judgment, yet that the
lord-
"bid ha°vest-ad vantage. He contended that the council arrangement required the approbation of -the Chancellor
7to elei e ft.' plan of the estate before them, and that of the Duchy;? and the:result was, that, after a length-
10cop of it ought to be valued by' competent parties. erred negotiation with the duchy, the committee had
tl37eneli bedbeen told that one gentleman had put_ succeeded in getting her Majesty to relinquish any claims
Ote,aL"'"!sequare yards • but he -should face to know of the crown to the looelity in question. -The terms on
4'; PtllliOil there had been for that> and the other which her Majesty had agreed to the reliecluishment had
11‘1'. 1
t '',4ke le been embodied in the 'report of the committee ; and he
lto_e ha, - os.ates would not hive-taken part in the would endeavour tustme. them briefly. In the first place
14'4 lip I 167 t,hee Chairmen of the Finance Committee not the council were to pay to the duohy 411 s. annually for
•,:' the sale of the estate would operate beneficially • their-rights, until theyehould have proceeded to parliament
tlttei'vtetests of the people on bothsides.of the Mersey. and obtaine a legislative sanction to the -complete sale or
tain °tee
,d , 2.2:Ai1151 the sale in the first- instance. He
sia h':' °at one opinion upon the subject, and must
ulierb, :.s•sorroe,, now, as he had done before, that the transfer of the property to the corporation. The Chancel-
lor oP the Duchy agreed to surrenderhis rights for a sum of
„, £BOO, to be paid by the Corporation; but-one of the sti-
thZ/tZbee;,`!ai been amputated from the corporation. ri e pulations which lie attached to the surrender was, that
eiZete' informed by Mr. Royden and others that a dock thecouncil shoeld agree to make a river wall, or protec-
I, stieilected on the other side for .aboat 16,000 ; and -ion to the property. Without which indeed it could never
teat4eirace" a,dook might not have answered for vessels be made available for any useful purpose. He further
Platteativon" I" POrt with rnerclaandize, yet, would it have stipulated that the wall should be rnadeehelf iu five years,
tel‘Pr tageoes for vessels on sale and lying up, and, and the ether half in five years more—the whole to be
oorreet, itexould have greatly relieved two of the
,10,!tetivecle:eks. ;He contended that the new-corporation completed in ten years. This part of the arrangement
would, of courseebe very expensive, inasmuch as to build
satstt the",a sure of money from the old equal in amount a wallehere must add most materially Co--the cost
.of the
esteleo latter had expended on the purchase of the purchase. But this was one of the conditions to which. the
X'C ail ha,' estate. He also contended' that, if the council were submitting. Then there was another stipu-
to I,', the right of ferry into Wallasey ,pool, they lation-which, at first, nearly thwarted, or put an extin-
4ti' 11i7s.ese-ree the property on the margin afthe river. guisher, neon the negociations of the ,corninittee with the
kt 4E LL said, the council possesed the right of Duchy. The Duchy were advised by Lord Granville So-
N'e7'tv merset.that there was considerable detehnent done to the
Osti Al'i asked, whether the council hed:made any ler eti of riverby the practise Of the Dock Committee in discharging
AN:pet' G- ii,water rights over the Pool? . the mud or rubbish they extracted from the docks ice'
. - 14A.W. RENT, P. Raid- their had nn•vsatter ricAta

Mr. STEWART said that when he had beard of the price
'of lOs. offered by Mr, Laird, he considered it a very
good price. He could not, in answer to Mr. Bushell's
question, undertake to say that he could find a higher
price for the other lots. (Hear, hear.) Any gentleman
conversant with the sale of land, as an individual, must
know that very desirable land often remained on band for
a year or two or more, no matter what exertion might be
used to sell; and therefore very strong suspicion must be
created that the land in the present instance must have
been sold below 'its value, from the circumstance of
200,000 square yards of 't having been snapped up by 13
different purchasers in the short spac.f. of six weeks.
Mr. BUSTIZI:L said that Mr. Stewart's answer was
satisfactory, inasmuch as it proved that the Finance
Committee had obtained the highest market 'value of the
present day. '(Oh ! and laughter.)
The MAYOR observed, that he could not allow the d-
cussion to 'proceed any farther, Mr. 'Lawrence having
replied.

Mr. HENRY HOLMES intimated his willingness to
move, as an amendment, that so far as regarded the whole
13f the sales of the land, the subject be referred back for
further consideration.

`the Mayon observed, that the discussion must clos
and that the amendment could not be received.

Nr. BACKBURN thought that they ought not to ad-
hereto the strict letter of their rules, but divide-upon the
'amendment.

The MAYOR said the only wgy in which the amend-
ment could be received, would be by suspending the
standing orders.

Mr: HORNBY was averse to the suspension of the

tanding orders

The TowN-CLEtut said 'that if the original motion
were registered. it would 'then be competent for any
gentleman to move an amendment.

The council divided, when there appeared—

Against it

E OF LAND FROM LORD DERV

iord GrauvillklSomerset had seen this prac