The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-06-03 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

INLAND DUTIES IN CANADA.-012 Tuesday, a memo-
rial of the following import lay for signature at the Ex-
change Reading-rooms, and was pretty numerously signed.
The memorial was addressed to the Lords of the Trea-
sury. It commenced by stating that the memorialists
were merchants and shipowners of the port of Liverpool,
principally engaged in the trade with Canada, who re-
spectfully solicited attention to a recent act passed by the
Congress of the United States, granting to the merchants
of the American Union a drawback of the whole import
duty (deducting only 21 per cent. on the same) on all fo-
reign manufactures, groceries, &c., imported into the
United States, and re-exported thence to Canada. This
measure, aided by the recent act of the British legislature
reducing the imperial duties on such goods imported into
the British colonies from the United States, goes directly
to constitute New York in lieu of Montreal, the principal
depot for the supply of Canada with such goods; to trans-
fer the important carrying trade relating thereto from ves-
sels of Great Britain to the United States; and the mer-
cantile business, and capital connected therewith, from
British to American houses; tending also to multiply the
latter in the principal colonial cities, and diminish the
former in the same degree. The memorialists earnestly
entreat the treasury to give to this matter a favourable
consideration, with a view to the imposition of such
countervailing inland duties in Canada, as shall defeat the
object of the injurious measure referred to, and avert the
evils which are seriously to be deprecated.
DOCK COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.—It appeared from
the minutes, that, at a special meeting of the committee,
held on Wednesday, the first premium for landing-stages
was awarded to plan 156, and the second premium to plan
186. The first premium (£200) was awarded to Joseph
Simpson, of London ; and the second (£100) to Mr. Peter
Ellis, architect, of Liverpool. Neither of the plans were
on the principle of piles, and neither of them, we believe.
will be acted upon. An advertisement was ordered to be
published, stating that the premiums had been awarded,
and that the plans were at the service of the proprietors.
—A letter was read from Captain Sarsfield, stating that
the Queen Victoria steamer, in coming into port, struck
on a rock, or other substance, the Skerries bearing
W.N.W., and the Patch S. by E., off shore nearly a mile.
The Chairman said Lieut. Lord was quite satisfied there
was nothing sunk there, and that the steamer must have
touched the coal lode.—A memorial from the Shipowners'
Association was read. It set forth as a fact that could
not be too strongly stated, that there was virtually no
dock management, and that there could not be any so
long as the superintending and working of our vast docks
was undertaken by an honorary committee. The memo-
rial, therefore, suggested the appointment of a competent
person as superintendent of the whole of the out-door
business, the revision of the dock dues, &c. This docu-
ment was signed by Mr. Mann, chairman of the Ship-
owners' Association, who is also a member of the Dock
Committee, and who, in proposing that it should be re-
ferred to the 'Warehouse Committee, stated that he could
not devote the requisite time and attention to the manage.
ment and working of the docks, and he had no doubt that
other gentlemen were similarly situated.—Mr. Aikin re-
marked that the trust was of so much importance to the
trade of the country, that it was a question with parlia-
ment whether it ought not to be placed under a special
commission ; and if that document, accompanied by the
statement of Mr. Mann, went forth to the public, it
would be a strong argument for taking from them a trust
which he thought could be exceedingly well managed by
the board as now constituted.—Mr. Evans was unwilling
to be included in the category of incapable or unwilling
members of the Dock Committee, and said that if he
could not attend to his duties he would resign. Nor
would be listen to the appointment of a dominant officer ;
for there was in the voluntary principle a restoring and
reforming power; but when they settled into stipendia-
ries, they should be in a cramped position. He opposed
the motion for referring the memorial.—Mr. Molyneux
moved that the document, which he consit'ered an extra-
ordinary one, should lie on the table; and this was agreed
to without a division.—A letter from Messrs. Price and
Case, and another from Messrs. Samuelson and Co.,
were referred to the Harbour-tnasteits' Sub-committee.—
The receipts of dock and light dues at Runcorn, for the
month ending the 24th of May, were stated to be £73
16s. 3d., on 249 vessels of 13,780 tons, being an increase
of £4 Ils. sd. over the corresponding period of last year