The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-09 00:00:00

DOCK COMMITTEE ^TII E DOCK BILL

The proceedings of the Dock Committee having been
read,
The MAYOR said he bad received three memorials on
the subject of the Dock Bill, but these memorials were
now superseded by a letter he had that day received from
the chairman of the Dock Committee, to the effect that
the standing orders of the House of Commons had been
suspended in favour of the Liverpool Dock Bill, and that
the rating clause would now necessarily be inserted.
(Hear.)

Mr. Nicol. observed that when the Dock Bill
passed with the rating clause on Thursday, it would then
have passed through the committee in all its integrity,
with one exception—the alteration from 30 to 90 days for
selling goods for freight - and it was a matter of congratu-
lation that the bill had been so favourably received after a
very strenuous opposition.
In reply to Mr. Earle

Mr. Nicol said he 11(1 been given to understand that
there would be a barrack on the fort on the North
Shore for 700 men.
Mr. G. IL LAWRENCE thought there ought to be a
barrack in Liverpool, and that the town ought no longer
to be left in its present defenceless condition. (Hear.)

Mr. RooEusasked whether it was the intention of the
Dock Committee to make landing slips at the south end
of the town ?

Mr. NicoL.—We shall make all the slips the act of
parliament obliges us to erect.
The proceedings were confirmed ; so also were the pro-
ceedings of the Market Committee, which comprised bye-
laws for the regulation of the markets.

HEALTH COMMITTEE

LAYING OF DOUBLE RATES UPCN

THE BURGESSES

The proceedings of the Health Committee comprised
bye-laws for regulating the registration of lodging-houses,
maintaining cleanliness therein, and keeping the same in
a wholesome condition.

This committee reported in strong terms against the
government Health of Towns Bill, upon the ground that
few would have lent money to them (the committee) had
they imagined for a moment that the control over the
rates in Liverpool would be vested in a central board ; and
they urged that every endeavour should be made to have
Liverpool exempted from the operation of this act.
Mr. TINNE moved the confirmation of the proceedings.
He also moved that a fire-police rate of one halfpenny in
the pound be laid.—Agreed to.
Mr. TINNE moved that the following rates be laid on
the parish of Liverpool for the ensuing year :—A sewer
rate of ld., a paving rate of ls., a general rate of 5d., and
a water rate of Id. in the pound.
' Mr. BOOKER asked whether something could not be
done to keep the rates as low this year as they had been
last year ? He expressed his regret that the rates for the
parish this year were proposed to be threepence in the
pound more than they were last year; and he asked what
necessity was there to incur the expense of re-paving
Castle-street, as the Council now proposed ? He called
upon the Corporation of this great town to evince some
sympathy towards the suffering and struggling shop-
keepers by whom they were surrounded, and out of whose
pockets these increased rates would have to come. He
called upon them to remember the poor.
Mr. DANSON said that life was daily imperiled in Castle-
street ; and he had heard that if any fatal accident hap-
pened in that street it was the intention of the inhabitants,
unless it was re-paved, to indict the Corporation for man-
slaughter.

Air. EARLE asked whether the people of Liverpool, who
had always been so loud in demanding sanatory improve-
ments, could expect to see the town well paved, well
sewered, and well cleansed, and to pay nothing for it ?
After a few remarks from Mr. Parker and Mr. Rath-
bone, the rates on the parish, as proposed by Mr. Tinne,
were adopted. _ _ _

Mr. TINNE moved that the rates on the township of
Kirkdale be as follows, for the ensuing year :—a paving
rate of ls. Bd., a sewer rate of 2d., a water rate of ld. and
a general rate of 10d. in the pound,—in all 2s. 9d., or
double what it was last year.

Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE opposed the imposition of so
large a rate as 2s. 9d. in the pound upon the inhabitants
of Kirkdale. The out-townships, he said, bad had a very
poor share of the surplus income of the borough, and
therefore he thought the surplus income Might be appro-
priated tcwards the payment of the rates for the out-
townships. _ _ .

Mr. EARLE observed that the parish had been paying
these sewerage and paving rates for years, while the in-
habitants of the out-townships had not paid a farthing ;
and was all the dirt and filth of the out-townships to be.
sent down into the parish, and were the people of those
out-townships not to pay ? Or, were they to sit like
ducks in the midst of their water and filth, and were not
the Council to endeavour to cleanse them, and to compel
them to pay for the process of cleanliness having been per-
formed. (Hear, hear, and loud laughter.)
Mr. DANSON agreed with Mr. G. H. Lawrence, that
the surplus fund of £5OOO ought to be appropriated to the
payment of, at least, the paving rate, and he moved an
amendment to that effect. _

Mr. AIKIN declared that he would as soon throw the
£5OOO down the river as apply it in the manner proposed,
to the payment of the rates of the out-townships.
Mr. HODGSON said it appeared oppressive, and almost
unheard-of, to double the rates upon the burgesses all
over Liverpool. He called upon the Council to graduate
the rates, and not, at one slap-dash, to make the people
pay double what they had paid last year.
The MAYOR thought that great credit was due to the
committee for having stated, in their printed report, (a
copy of which was in the baud of every member of the
Council) the grounds upon which they had been compelled
in every instance to increase the rates.

Mr. bANsoN here withdrew his amendment, and the
proposed rates on Kirkdale were confirmed.

Mr. TINNE moved that the rates be imposed on the
township of Evertou :—a paving rate of ls. 7d., a sewer
rate of 2d., a water rate of ld., and a general rate of Bd.
in the pound, being double what they were last year.
•
These rates were agreed to.
Mr, TAN NF. moved that the following rates h►e laid on

West Derby :—a paving rate of Bd., a sewer rate of 2d.,
a water rate of ld., and a general rate of 9d. in the pound,
being nearly double what they were last year.
These rates were agreed to.
_

Mr. TINNE moved that the following rates be laid on
Toxteth-park :—a paving rate of ls. 5d., a sewer rate of
3d., a water rate of Id., and a general rate of Is. Id.,
being double what they were last year.
Mr. HARBORD opposed this motion, and moved as an
amendment that the rates be not imposed, and that the
alleged misconduct of the late Commissioners of the
Townships be investigated.
The amendment was negatived ; the rates as proposed
by Mr. Tinne were agreed to, and the proceedings were
confirmed.

MISCELLANEOU3,

Mr. HENDERSON reported that 16,000 persons had
visited the Botanic Gardens last month, being an increase
of 12,000 visiters, compared with the corresponding month
of last year. He suggested that if the Newsham-house
estate were laid out, an impulse would be given to build-
ing in that neighbourhood, and the coffers of the Corpo-
ration would be replenished.

The proceedings of the Water Committee were referred
to a Special Council, to be held some day this month,
after the quantity of water in the wells under the town
has been ascertained.

The MAYOR announced that both the borough mem-
bers were in communication with Sir G. Grey relative to
the immense number of frivolous objections preferred in
Liverpool at the time of municipal revisions. He stated
that the delays occasioned by the Board of Customs in
this town were quite discreditable, and that shortly a
report would be presented to the Council on the subject
of master porterage. _

Mr. DAMSON moved, pursuant to notice, that it be an
instruction to all cohunittees to make an annual report of
their proceedings, and that such reports be brought be-
fore the Council each year, in the month of October.
While this motion was under discussion, a member
moved that the Council be counted, and there being only
eighteen members present, the Council was counted out
at four o'clock.

DOCK COMMITTEE, THITRSDAY.—The sub-committee
reported that they could not recommend the adoption of
the plan for thirty cottages for dock gatemen, the cost of
which would be from £6OOO to £7OOO, the ground being
required for more important purposes. It was ordered
that £lOOO should be paid on account of the iron work
connected with the bridges at the new landing stage. In
reply to questions it was stated by the Chairman and Mr.
Hartley that the bridges were completed, and only waited
for the presence of Mr. Cubitt, to get them finished. It
was expected all would be competed very soon now.
Some conversation took place as to the removing of the
stage further to the north, but it was considered that it
would be better to await the arrival of Mr. Cubitt before
this question was decided. The expense of removing one
of the bridges, Mr. Hartley guessed, would be some-
where about £2OO or £3OO.

BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.—On Tuesday, at the
usual monthly meeting, Mr. Christopher Bentham occu-
pied the chair. The Law-clerk was directed to look after
the deficiencies due by Mr. Milligan and Mr. Reid, and
to look very particularly after the defalcations of the
latter. The salary of Mr. Rudd, the manager of the
ferry, was ordered to be raised from £2OO to £250 per
annum, on and after the Ist of the present month. The
receipts of the ferry to the 22nd of April, 1847, were re-
ported to be £22,506 16s. ;. the receipts to the 22nd of
April, 1848, were £19,503 16s. ; and the expenditure for
the past year, including interest, was £18,933 Bs. In
reply to the question of a commissioner, Mr. Greene said
the expenditure this year was much less than it was last
year. A letter from Mr. J. H. linde was read, in which
he resigned his office as one of the commissioners. The
resignation was accepted. _

a
SELECT VESTRY.--On Tuesday, the first of the usual
fortnightly meetings of the Select Vestry, held since the
holding of the General Easter Vestry, took place at the
Parish-office, Lime-street. The Rev. Rector Campbell
presided.—Mr. Ferguson moved that the churchwardens
and overseers be ex officio members of all the committees.
The motion was adopted.—Upon the motion of Mr. Fer-
guson, six committees were composed for the ensuing
year. The quorums for the ensuing year were next ap-
pointed.—The Chairman called attention to the expedi-
ency of continuing the Parish-office in Lime-street in-
stead of removing it to the Workhouse, and in doing so
said he was so deeply impressed with the conviction that
the removal of the office from its present position would
be inconvenient to the Vestry, and therefore detrimental
to the interests of the parishioners, that he R ished a sub-
committee to be appointed to see whether it might not be
desirable to retain the office where it was at present. The
following sub-committee was appointed to take the sub-
ject into consideration : namely, the churchwardens and
overseers, and Messrs. Earle, Avison, Swainson, Moly-
neux, Abraham, and Wylie.—Upon the motion of Mr.
Riding, Mr. John Naylor was appointed treasurer to the
parish, on the usual conditions ; and Mr. William Wood
was appointed keeper of the pass-house, at St. Paul's-
square, at a salary of 30s. per week.—The following was
the return of out-door relief distributed during the week
ending the 29th ultimo : Settled poor, 6282 cases, £287 ;
Irish, 3335 cases, £100; non-settled, 2084 cases, £7B;
casuals, 1166 cases, £35 ; total relieved, 12,847 ; cost,
£5OO.

WEST DERBY GUARDIANS, WEDNESDAY.—Present,
Mr. Sheppard (chairman), and twelve other members.
Letters were read from the Poor-law Board, sanctioning
the appointment of Messrs. Lister and May as medical
officers, and Mr. Wood as assistant-governor. After
some routine business it was agreed, on the motion of
Mr. Appleby, that the medical officers should send in the
names and qualifications of all their assistants, so that
the board might know what their qualifications were. It
appeared from the report, that the sums expended for the
removal of the Irish poor during the year ending the 25th
March last, in the several townships, were—in Toxteth-
park, £llB ss. 10d. ; West Derby, £2B 15s. 7d. ; Kirk-
dale, £1 ss. ; and for magistrates' clerks' fees, £8 125.,
making a total of £l6l 2s. sd. It was agreed to charge
these sums to the Union.—Mr. Shaw said that twelve
months ago a rate-book clerk had been appointed for
Everton at the request of the ratepayers, and one over-
seer. The Commissioners, however, did not wish to
appoint him, but agreed to add £lOO per annum to the
salary of the assistant overseer, to enable him to pay a
clerk. Mr. Straun was accordingly appointed by the
assistant overseer. Since that time much jealousy had
arisen between the honorary overseers, who considered
he was a servant of theirs, not having been appointed by
the Board. To obviate all unpleasantness, he should
move that the salary of the assistant overseer be decreased
£lOO a-year ; that Mr. Straun receive the appointment
direct from the Board, and that the Commissioners be
requested to allow it. Mr. Harrison seconded the mo-
tion, and it was agreed to.—At the suggestion of the Rev.
Mr. Badnall, it was agreed that two giant strides" be
erected in the boys' play-grounds, for gymnastic exer-
cises.