The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-06-02 00:00:00

g LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

TO THE RATEPAYERS OF BIRKENHEAD.

GENTLEMEN,
AS the approaching Election of Commissioners for
this township is exciting considerable interest on both
sides of the whter, and as the great majority of the Ratepayers
of Birkenhead have located themselves in the township within
the last few years, it appears desirable for their information to
take a review of the history of the township, of the causes
which have led to its rapid increase, and of the men by whom
it has hitherto been directed, and who have hitherto originated
the great public works that beautify, and, if properly carried
out, will enrich your town,
First—As to the persons who first directed public attention
to its great capabilities.
The first person who saw the commercial caphbalities and
foretold the future greatness of fillenhead was the late Mr.
W. Laird, who, in the year 18 , established the works on Wal-
lasey Pool, now carried on • is son, Mr. John Laird. A short
residence in Birkenheao o n convinced the late Mr. W. Laird
of the great natural 'vantages which Birkenhead possessed
for commercial p ooses, and, in the year 1828, that gentle-
man, in conjun on with Sir John Tobin, employed the late
Mr. Telford a • o Mr. Nimmo, with Mr. Stevenson, to survey
Wallasey Pool, for the purpose of converting it into Docks—
though they could not then be fully developed for want of pro-
per support from the public. In the same year, in connexion
with Mr. Thomas Forsyth,, he laid out Hamilton-square, (so
called after a mutual relative of both parties,) with the main
streets leading from it, and introduced that complete system of
sewerage, which has since been followed out with Such advan-
tage to the township, and which, more •than anything else, has
contributed to make your township the healthy and favorite
residence it at present is. Up to this time all the streets had
run in the direction of the old Turnpike-roads. TO prevent
this great evil, Mr. Laird got Mr. Price, the Lord of the Manor,
to employ Mr. Gillespie Graham, Architect, of Edinburgh, to
lay out the whole township to a plan, and to sell land by it,
giving in the streets, without charge, which secured the main
lines being eventually carried out. From this plan, Mr. W.
Potter and Mr. Staniforth, on Mr. Laird's recommendation,
purchased, in the year 1828, several large parcels of land, in the
Bile of prices-street,

At this time, therefore, the two great features which distin-
guished Birkenhead over other towns, viz.—the perfect system
of drainage, and the regularly formed streets were established,
and its- commercial advantages demonstrated by the eminent
engineers employed as before mentioned. About this time also
Mr. W. Jackson made his first purchase in Birkenhead, from
the late Mr. Laird, of a small piece of land in Cleveland-street.
In 1828, the first Chester and Birkenhead Railway was pro-
jected by the following parties
Heyes Lyon, Esq.
R. Bryans, Esq.
W. Ravenscroft, Esq
Sudworth, Esq

John Aspinall, Esq.
W. Wardell, Esq.
Joseph Harrison, Esq,
And others.

After a severe parliamentary
other application was made t
auspices of the following gentle
R. Bryans, sen., Esq.
W. Dixon, Esq.-
C. Bentham, Esq,
M. Humble, Esq.
John Laird, Esq.
J. It. Pim, Esq.
W. Stevenson, Esq.
And this bill was successfull3
In the year 1833, the first Im
was passed. The following nt
bill
F. R. Price,
L. Addison,
Thomas A nderton, •

'ontest, it was defeated ; but an-
Parliament in 1837, under the

R. Bryans, jun. Esq
Janes Bry
ans,Esq.
T. B. Golborne, Esq.
IV. Jackson, Esq.
F. R. Price, Esq.

W. Ravens Croft, Esq,

,vement A

are those inserted hi till

John Lain

John Aspinalt

n Lockwc

Joseph Alalltiby,
Randal "

Join; C. Coxor
Wm. Corner,
Thomas Cheai

Wm. Pottc

Ravens'c'roft

John ForshaA;r
Richard Maio
Wm. Fairhurs

Joseph Greei)

Jonathan Grinarod,
Wm. Hetherington,
Wm. Hetherington,
Thomas Harrison,
Michael Humble,

Alex Muter Kerr,

Thomas Kay(

William Lair

At this time neither of the 1
Five years later, in the ye;

ket in flirkenhead was obf,

In 1841, an act WAS obtainer
the country from Eastha►n to
supply Birkenhead with Wate,
missioners for the time being

In 1842,
side Ferry

an act was passed au

Thomas Sco

create a Park, &c. ; also an act

In 1843, an act was passed tc
to make a Cemetery.
In 1844, an act was passed tc
The whole of the above meas
as stepping stones to the Doc'
Dock Company, the three mea
move to this township. .
How these measures originated, by whom they were carried,
and who have been throughout and are at present the active
promoters of them, I shall now point out to you, and to this
part of my letter would wish to call your particular attention;
as on the success of those measures, and the energy, good faith,
and activity with which they are prosecuted, depend more than
on anything else the success and continued prosperity of Bir-
kenhead.

In June, 1843, ➢ir. John Lair
Liverpool to purchase the lan
stand. He only wanted for hi;
The Corporation would not s(
willingness with which the Co
their land, naturally suggested

tires may be looked upOn merely
Acts, and the formation of the
sores which gave the first great

was arrived when avigiii-Ous ef
tage, to carry out the Pock pla

,
who had always taken an acti
1828, was consulted, and a mee
the scheme was held at Mr. J
Ahatineeting consisted of the fc
Mr. Potter,
Mr. J. Laird,
Mr. W. Laird,
Mr. Jackson,
and immediate steps were takes
Agents, Mr. Rendel, the Engii
.t'25,000, to Fuarantee the ex
through Parliament ; the sub,
follows :
W. Potter,
J. Laird,
W. Jackson,

•d applied to the Corporation of
id on which his present works
Ls purpose 10,000 yards of land.
elf less than 50,000 yards—the
noration offered to dispose of
to -Mr. John Laird that the time
fort miFht be made, with advan-
ms of his late father.

nigh mercantile reputation, and
Lye interest in Birkenhead since
ting of parties likely to promote
. Laird's house, in Jane, 1843;
>Bowing gentlemen:—
1 mr. Mallaby,
Mr. Brownrigg,
Mr. J. S. Jackson.

n for engaging the Parliamentary
neer, and for raising a sum of
cpense of forwarding the bill
'scribers to that fund were as

R. Vvner,
J. and S. Beckwith,
H. Cole,
W. Laird,

M. F. Brownrigg,
J. Walker,
W. Cole,

J. T. Clay.
T. Gilbertson,
McGregor. Laird
And several others
Mr. Potter, Mr.

Jackson, were in equil p
scribed by other parties were
rest in the place.
The success of this bill was
by the acquaintance with the si
the Messrs. Laird, who had be
all the late Mr. Laird's views a:
The money to carry out
.this
not entirely so, procured by tl
John Laird, and Mr. Brownr:
art - 1"-:- fr 1s still I

xird, and Mr.
rop9rtions ; the amounts sub-
various, according to their inte-

greatly facilitated in Parliament
object shown by Mr, Potter and
een thoroughly conversant with
Lnd opinions on the subject.

holders now look to secure t

measure was almost ;Molly, if
le exertions of Mr. Potter, Mr.
igg; and to the interest these

gency not likely to occur, pr(
Dock Works be continued in ti

In session 1845, the Dock Co:
ing the Upper Pool into a Docl
The Birkenhead Warehouse
carried through Parliament.

hold in the Docks, do the Bond-
hemselves against hiss, a contin-
mided the management of the
he same hands as heretofore.

,mmissioners second act for mak-
k passed.

The Birkenhead and Manch
but lost on a technical point.
renewed during the present seE
cessfully through the House of
With this bill, although it is (
Birkenhead, Mr. Jackson has n
The above measures were at
mentary career, by Mr. Potter
Mr. McGregor Laird, Mr. Mal
Laird ; but during the greates
Parliament, Mr. W. Jackson wl

;e -Company was projected and

tester Railway Bill was got up,
The application for this Bill was
!ssion, and has been carried suc-
Commons.
of such imtnense importance to
nothing to do.
ittended to, during their Parlia-
r, Mr. J. Laird, Mr. Brownrigg,
llaby, Mr. Bendel, and Mr. W.
st part of the time they were in
ras in Italy.

The Warehouse Company alone have already expended in
land and Works at Birkenhead the large sum of nearly £400,000.
They haVe this week contracted for Warehouses to accommo-
date a very
.large quantity of Cotton, and the Works will be
commenced immediately.

In the year 1843, the year the Dock Commissioners first act
was sought for, the assessment of Birkenhead was £51,153.
In the five years previous to that period, during which years
the act for establishing a Market;the act for establishing Gas
and Water Works, that for making a Park and Cemetery, and
that for the purchase of Woodside Ferry and Monk's Ferry had
passed, the assessment had only increased from £33,694 to
£51,153 in 1843, or an average yearly increase of £3,290 per
annum.

From 1843 to 1846, during which time the two Dock Commis-

increase of .t'23,000, thus clearly proving that, although the in of Birkenhead had been progressing previous to the
passing of the Dock Acts, yet that the true foundation of its
present prosperity and its future greatness lays in the carry-
ing out of those successful acts, and of the Railway to Man-
chester.

Looking, therefore, to what can hardly be questioned, viz
that the success of Birkenheadi depends noon the SIIeVP,IR of

•,`••••-• 11.11 G 15111L•CMA (11 ILS
Docks, of its Warehouse Company, and the other public works
in connection with them, I earnestly call upon the Ratepayers
to entrust their suffrages only to such men as will enable the
Commissioners and the Dock Company to carry out the works.
In those works Mr. Jackson has no interest, having sold his in-
.terest in the Dock Company some time ago, and disqualified as
a Director. There is another subject on which I should wish
to say a few words before I close this rather lengthy letter, and
that is the sale of the Township Land.

by Mr. Jackson. Among other
up, 1846., he givesthe.following

• - "He declared the principal object in advertising his own
land for sale was to enable him to purchase the land offered by
the township. It was quite natural that he should dispose of
his own dear land in order to purchase a larger quantity of the
Commissioners' cheap land."
At the same meeting, Mr. J. Laird proposed, Mr. Brownrigg
seconded, and Mr. Wm. Laird voted in favour of an amend-
ment to the effect that the land be sold, and that the Finance
Conimittee be empowered to accept eligible tenders for the
same.

The foregoing statements are made with a view to point out
to you that the rise of Birkenhead is not owing to the exertions
of any one man, but to the ,united exertions ,of many—and to
show that with the principal works now in progress in Birken-
head, and the Railway to connect those works with the great
manufacturing districts, Mr. Jackson has no connection, and
has in two cases, that of the Warehouse Company and that of
the Railway Company, disqualified• himself from taking an ac-
tive part in either.
Let the facts I have laid before you speak for them,selves—and
lead yoti to judge for yourselves—and not to be led away by

o laave adv