The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-03-19 00:00:00

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TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

The meeting of this body,
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solicitor
one or
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commencedstteehhxri
exceptions,
bnepbes,
parliamentaryrei
Iponi proceedings
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a proposed
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counsel
himself
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the strand to the south-west angle of the road called
Sandhills-lane ; but it was intended to introduce clauses
in committee which would include the rest of the purchase
from the Earl of Derby. He then explained that all the
clauses from 5 to 81 were property clauses for the taking
of the property required, and that the time limited for the
purchase from the several parties was a period of seven
pmts. Clause 82 was for the erection of new docks, &c.;
clause 83 c;-:oferred a power upon the trustees to make
alterations ; and clau.
84 empowered them to inclose the
docks by walls.
After a few remarks from Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE, Mr.
EvANs, and Mr. HORNBY, it was agreed to insert the
words that it should be lawful for them to inclose " if they
shNld think fit."
Clau; S 5 had reference to the communication with the
Leeds and Lverpool Canal. The next was a manuscript
clause, sent in s,,lce the bill was printed, for the erection
of a cottage for the t:
se of the keeper of the locks. Clause
86 was struck out. Cie,"
te 87 was that the cut should be
supplied with water from the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
Clause 90 was that the cut shou::.
i
be made across Great
Howard-street and Regent street.
A manuscript clause was next read, fro& which it ap-
peared that the sum of £50,000 was to be paid, in four
instalments, by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to the
Dock Trustees, power to be given to pass through on the
payment of lid. per ton, except when dock duel were
paid.
It was agreed that the Dock Committee should have the
power to arrange the question of dues for goods passing
through, taking the following principle for their guide :
lid. per ton, and per parcel as the maximum.
By the subsequent clauses the trustees were empowered
to raise the sum of £1,417,584 for the objects contem-
plated in the dock acts.
Some discussion took place as to the parties to whom
the power should be given to allow lights to be used on
board vessels in the graving docks, &c.
Mr. GLADSTONE moved that it be given to the magis-
trates, the chairman and the deputy-chairman of the Dock
Committee.
Mr. Nicol. moved, as an amendment, that it be ex-
tended to the mayor, deputy mayor, and stipendiary ma-
gistrate.
Eventually the amendment was withdrawn, and Mr.
Gladstone's motion was carried upon the understanding
that the party granting the license state the purpose for
which it was granted, and that a policeman should be
present during the time the lights were being used.
Clause 115 was to the effect that whenever the despatch
of business, or the repairing or cleansing of docks should
be obstructed by any vessel, it should be lawful for the
trustees to cause her to be removed into any other dock,
without being taken into the river, and that the master,
owner, or consignee should pay the expense of such
removal.
Mr. GLADSTONE moved an amendment to the effect
that the latter part of the clause be struck out.
Mr. WOOD seconded the amendment, which was car-
ried.

Upon the motion of Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE, the clause
was then struck out altogether.
The TOWN-CLERK said the 120th clause was for the
repeal of the Harrington Dock Company's act. By the
24th section of that act there was required to be a street
from Sefton-street, a parade, and two slips or flights of
stairs in the wall of the parade. It now appeared that
the parade would materially interfere with the execution
of the works by the Dock Committee, but that the slips
and stairs might be made.
The clause was agreed to.
The TOWN-CLERK said, that by the dock act of 1841,
it was provided that there should be certain landing ac-
commodation to the west of the Albert Dock, or, if not
there, at George's Pier. He asked whether some provi-
sion should not be inserted in the present bill, to the
effect that those works be now proceeded with.
Mr. NORTH thought it very desirable that there should
be a provision of the kind.
Mr. GLADSTONE suggested that something should be
done for the convenience of those who had to cross the
river, by placing at the south end of the Prince's Dock a
bridge, that could be made use of independent of the
gates—he meant a bridge that could support itself, and be
sufficiently wide to allow foot passengers to cross, while,
at the same time, the shipping might pass into the gut.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE, in reply, said, it would be re-
collected that at the last council, to show the intentions of
the Dock Committee, and how desirous they were to
afford accommodation, they proposed to remove the pre-
sent bridge at George's Dock, and to construct a magni-
ficent one like that leading to the Albert Dock, which was
unequalled in the world ; and this would very shortly be
brought into operation.
Mr. GLADSTONE said he had been speaking of the
passage at the Prince's Dock, but that he should be very
glad to see accommodation afforded at both places.
After a few further remarks, the whole of the dock bill
having been gone through, the following resolution was
unanimously adopted :—" That the bill now read be ap-
proved, subject to the alterations therein now directed and
the instructions now given ; and that all the clauses and
provisions requiring adjustment between the Finance
Committee and the Dock Committee be referred to the
Finance Committee to be adjusted accordingly; and that
it be referred to the town-clerk to settle with the dock
solicitor all verbal alterations remaining necessary, the
same being done subject to the approbation of the Finance
and Dock Committees."
SALE OF LAND AT WALLASEY POOL.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE brought under consideration
the offers which bad been made, and accepted by the Fi-
nance Committee for the residue of the land at or near
Wallasey Pool, subject to the approbation of the council.
The first was an offer from Mr. John Laird, to purchase
f2rlo,mooomsrq.ua
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oeach b
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utth
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square yards, at the same price; the third
square yards, at the same price ~
for the residue of the land at the
was from Mr. Cole,
from Messrs. Jackson and La.ird.,
andfor ftohuerfolnowtrstahsofaangdl,loaoaot
04r7 ,30s0.0pseqr usagrueayraer
yards,
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be subject to an immediate payment
at the rate of 10 per cent., and the rest in five and ten
years. Mr. Lawrence went on to state, that the whole of
the Wallasey land, not including the Birkenhead estate,
had stood the corporation in, with interest, £320,000 ;
that sales had already been effected to the extent of
£155,000, and that the present offers would realise a sum
of £175,000 more ; thereby leaving a balance of from
£BOOO to £lO,OOO to be carried to the credit of the corpo-
ration, exclusive of 87,000 or 90,000 square yards of most
valuable land, which they had still left, with the rever-
sionary interest, which would be of immense value. He
then strongly urged that these offers be accepted, not so
much upon public grounds as because of financial con-
siderations ; for he contended, that unless the resources
of the corporation were allowed to be developed by mea-
sures of a bolder nature than any hitherto attempted, it
would be impossible to carry on those public undertakings
which from time to time, and by the most benevolent
men, were brought before the council. He admitted that,
if the Wallasey dock bill were carried, of which he enter-
tained little doubt, the property of the corporation on the
other side of the Mersey would be enhanced in value ;
whereas, if tie scheme should fall through, it would be
materially deteriorated and thrown back for years. He
concluded by moving, that the resolution of the Finance
Committee, in reference to the offers, be confirmed.
Sir THOMAS BRANCKER seconded the motion.
Mr. PARKER asked what security had the council for
the payment of the purchase money on the 47,000 square
yards?
The TOWN-CLERK said, that, in the first place, they had
10 per cent. of the money down ; in the next place, within
five years, the purchaser would have to pay an eighth part
down ; then he was to build a river wall, and to keep the
buildings he had erected upon it insured. If he made de-
fault, even in the payment of the interest, the corporation
had a power to re-enter, and either to sell, and hold him
liable, or to resume the property with all the advantages
he had put upon it.
The TOWN.-CLERK having here read the proceedings of
the Finance Committee with reference to the sales. those
proceedings were confirmed ; and the council adjourned
at twenty-five minutes to three o'clock.
It may, perhaps, be necessary to mention that in con-
firming the proceedings of the Finance Committee, the
council sanctioned the sales of the residue of the land at
Wallasey Pool.

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

and (what was more to the point) evidencing, as they
hoped, by written communications whictr had passed with
the proposed purchasers, not only that the conduct of the
directors had been throughout fair, straight-forward, and
liberal, but that they had been from the first the parries
rather sought than seeking the negotiation. The effect
upon the public mind of this announcement was immedi-
ate and satisfactory; the purchase was effected upon the
terms originally proposed by the directors; and, from
that time to the present, there had been a daily increasing
conviction on the part of the public of the advantage of
the purchase so made for public purposes. But the di-
rectors wished not to flatter the meeting with the idea that
a large price bad been obtained. On the contrary, they
thought the price a reasonable one, and to the advantage
of the purchasers; but they were actuated in accepting it
by a conviction that such a consummation of their plan
was, on the whole, for the best, and that it would be more
acceptable to the proprietors generally than their only
other alternative—namely, the necessity, for some time
under consideration, of a considerable further outlay upon
the property, by which the directors were persuaded that
it could alone be made decidedly profitable as a perma-
nent investment. The sale agreed upon would about ena-
ble the directors to repay to each proprietor the amount
of capital originally advanced by him, while it would still
leave aliPagable, first! towards the balance of interest un-
liquidated by the dividends paid, and theta as profit, the
value of 20,814 square yards of land on the east side of
Sefton-street, still the property of the company, which
value would be very greatly increased by the pending sale
of the land on the opposite side of the street for dock pur-
poses. It remained only to announce that the sale had
been agreed to be completed at the end of one month next

after the Liverpool Dock Bill should have been passed,
the purchase money baing payable in dock bonds, made
out for the proportion due to each individual proprietor,
payable in five or seven years, with interest meanwhile at
four per cent., or, at the option of the Dock Committee,
in cash, if, as seemed probable, that body should be able
to borrow the money st less than four per cent. interest.
If the purchase money were not paid at the times before
mentioned, it was to carry interest at four per cent., the
purchasers receiving the rents. The report concluded by
declaring a further increased dividend of £1 17s. 6d. per
share, payable on the 11th of April next, and by stating
that the directors, who retired by rotation, were Mr.
Mozley, Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Frost, anti Mr. Stewart, and
that there was a fifth vacancy caused by the retirement of
Mr. Duckworth, who had disqualified.
The CHAIRMAN said the accounts which had been read,
and the report which the directors had thought proper to
submit, conveyed the whole of the proceedings as regarded
the financial arrangements, and exhibited in the result the
gratifying circumstance of an increased amount of divi-
dend upon a very small outlay of expenditure. After hav-
ing congratulated the meeting on the successful termina-
tion of the negotiations with the Dock Committee. he said
it would be aff-ctation if he were not to assure them that
during the period of the year when that transaction was
going on, the feelings of the directors, as men of honour
and character, as well as their habits as men of business,
had been repeatedly outraged by the unfair means in which
they were held up to public view, while they were acting
simply in the performance of their duties as trustees, and,
as he contended, in the performance of a straightforward
and honourable course. (Hear, hear.) If party spirit in
the town of Liverpool was to carry individuals to such an
extent in their application of terms,—either in their
speeches, or in the management they might have of such
portions of the public press as they might patronise,—as
to attack other individuals, who, in the performance of
their duty were taking a most straightforward view for
the interests of the community at large and the commer-
cial purposes of Liverpool, then the whole of the directors
and the whole of the proprietors had had their feelings
outraged by means of aspersions cast on them, contrary
to fact, he publicly declared, and certainly contrary to
what courtesy and good feeling were at all warranted in
exercising. But the best answer which could be given,
was the result now communicated, and which the public
press had communicated before,—that, upon the closest
scrutiny, the advantage of the purchase appeared desira-
ble. He would leave the past to be recorded in the his-
tory of Liverpool, believing the day was not far distant
when the circumstance of the purchase of the Harrington
Estate, and the great improvements that must inevitably
take place in that part of the town in whicla.so large a
proportion of the corporate property was situated, would
evince the good sense and good calculations which had in-
fluenced the public authorities in coming to the conclu-
sions they had done ; for the strong impression on his own
mind was, that a wiser bargain bad never been made on
the part of the public authorities. As to the views of the
individuals who had permitted so important a part of the
public trust connected with the Dock Estate, to fall out
of their hands originally, it was not for him to discuss;
but if he were a member of the body who rule that pro-
perty, he should say the wisest course they ever took was,
to retrace the steps they had imprudently taken before,
and to endeavour to get possession of the important pro-
spterratnyg we ,rhsi.c h
(tHh eaya
rh, a dit e allowed
fttoe r phaasysi
having
at og hne
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gn
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no
.f
lated the meeting on the increase of the dividend, he con-
cluded by moving that the report of the directors and the
accompanying accounts were satisfactory and approved of,
and that the former be printed and circulated among the
proprietors as usual.
Mr. BICICERSTETH seconded the motion, which was
unanimously adopted.
Upon the motion of Mr. Born, seconded by Mr.
BROWN, Sir T. Brancker, Mr. Mozley, Mr. Dixon, Mr.
Sothern, and Mr. Whitehead, were elected directors in the
place of the four who retired, and the one who had be•
come disqualified.
Upon the motion of Mr. WILLINK, seconded by Mr.
GOORE the sum of 159 guineas was ordered to be placed
at the disposal of the directors, to be applicable to their
remuneration during the past year, in such manner as
they should determine upon.
Thanks were then voted to the directors and the chair-
man, after which the meeting separated.

THE POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY.

The monthly meeting of this society took place on
Tuesday evening last, at the Royal Institution, and was
rather numerously attended. Mr. JOHN GRANTHAM,
the President, in the chair.
RESISTANCE TO BODIES MOVING THROUGH WATER.
Mr. HENRY BOOTH (a gentleman well known from his
great improvements for the more rapid generation of
steam in locomotive engines, &c., and who had previously
published some observations on the propulsion of vessels)
read an interesting paper on " Further experiments on
the resistance to bodies moving through water at different
velocities; with some observations on the prospects of
steam navigation." He commenced by alluding to the
experiments he had formerly made, and the results of
which he had published in a small tract in 1842, on the
resistance to bodies moving through water; and stated
that he had since had the valuable assistance of Mr.
Alfred King, of the Gas Works, in trying further experi-
ments by improved and more accurate means, by which
they had arrived at more definite and satisfactory conclu-
sions. They had employed two small boats—one (as we
understood him) full in build, and the other narrow, and
sharp at the extremities, which were drawn along on a
sheet of water, by means of a weight descending by a cord
over pulleys so arranged as to remove the objections en-
tertained to that species of test. The tall of the weight
was in all the trials 13 feet, and the length of " voyage
the same. He detailed the particulars of several experi-
ments thus carefully made, giving minutely the respective
times occupied in each in seconds and tractions; and the
general result was, that to increase the motion of a well-
constructed vessel from a given and comparatively slow
motion, something a little more than four times the power
was required to double the velocity. He came to the
conclusion on this part of his subject, that it would be
sufficient to assume, for all practical purposes, that four
times the power was required. The lecturer then entered
into a consideration of our position as regarded steam
navigation during the last seven years, and our prospects
for the seven years to come. Much, he contended, might
be done to redeem the losses hitherto sustained by im-
proved scientific appliances. The Atlantic had certainly
been crossed in ten days, but it certainly ought to be done
in less time, especially if the object (a most valuable one)
fwere confined mainly to the conveyance of the mail bags,
which he thought might be accomplished in a week.
What was to be done might be stated to be the cutting of
a canal or trough across the ocean, through which the ship
would hold her way with the least possible resistance.
Hitherto very large vessels had generally been employed,
those running to Halifax and Boston having 36 feet of
beam, and 15 or 16 feet of depth in the water. Now, he
believed that if vessels of the same length had only 22 feet
of beam, and with an increase in depth, they would cut
their way along with much less resistance, and their speed
would consequently be much increased with the same
power. He did not see why a steamer of, say 1,000 tons,
so constructed, would not accomplish the voyage as safely
as one of double that tonnage, for sailing vessels of much
smaller size performed long foreign voyages with as much
ease and speed as those of much more burthen. The
perfection of a sailing ship was not, however, to be con-
sidered as suitable for steamers. All that was required
in the latter was so to construct them, that the trough
through which they should pass should be reduced in
transverse area, or, in other words, as narrow and as deep
only as was consistent with their safety. This was to be
accomplished by lengthening the vessel without adding to
her beam. It might be said that she would thus be ren-
dered more crank, which would certainly be the case to a
certain extent ; but this objection would be (as we under-
stood him) almost wholly, if not entirely, obviated by the
employment of the screw as a propeller in place of the
paddle-wheel, which last required the vessel to be kept in
nearly an upright position. Increasing the cross-sectional
area of the steam-vessel, increased the resistance to
her forward progress ; and the narrower the angle formed
by the canal to receive her, the sharper would she
cut through it. He suggested that if a steamer were built
250 feet long and 20 feet broad only, the resistance would
be greatly decreased as compared with the present class
of vessels. They might, he repeated, double the length,
without increasing the breadth or depth ; and they might
also in such case double the power, and by these means
acquire a vastly increased speed. In support of his views
he quoted the able experiments made by Colonel Beaufort
in 1798-9. Although the body to be moved were three
times the length, the tractive, or resistive, power was
found to be only double. Experiments had also been made
with planks (in edge,) and it was found that the resistance
was not two-fold, when they were increased to three times
the length. Vessels, he believed, might be constructed of
iron of sufficient strength, and with all the adaptations he
contemplated. He also alluded to the great speed attained
by the long narrow iron canal boats (on the Androssan
principle,) which be had seen on the Preston and Lancas-
ter canal, and which travelled at the rate of nine miles an
hour. It was found with these, indeed, that the horses
drew them more easily at that speed than at six or seven
miles an hour. lie concluded therefore, that narrow and
sharp steamers would accomplish all that could be desired ;