The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-01-28 00:00:00

every member of the Council whether any one of the ware-
house owners bad ever said to the Dock Committee—
" We want you to make the Albert warehouses of less ca-
pacity than the act authorises." He believed the ware-
house owners had gone in a kindly spirit to the Dock
Committee, and with a sincere desire to set that body
right, when the original plans were being departed from.
He, also, believed that Mr. Moore did not fear the ware-
house owners taking any step against the present proceed-
ing, but that his fears were entertained towards other par-
ties. The warehouse owners were no more chargeable
with a cramping of the space than the man in the Moon;
and, if Mr. Moore wanted peace and quietness, he had gone
I the wrong way about accomplishing his wishes, for, in-
stead of covering the owners with odium, the odium ought
to be against other parties.
Mr. HARBORD said he was nut aware until that day,
that the Dock Committee had constructed the warehouses
on a lesser surface than the Act of Parliament warranted
them in doing. He denied that he had been actuated by
any sordid motives, either in his capacity of a merchant or
a warehouse owner, for he was both, or that it was the
wish of the warehouse owners to come into contact with
the Dock Committee.
On Mr. Aikin's suggestion, the Town-clerk read the
particulars of the compromise entered into on the 27th of
January, 1841, respecting the construction of the Albert
warehouses.
Mr. AIKIN then asked whether there was one word in
the agreement which would justify the expressions used
that day, and whether there had been any violation of the
spirit of the agreement, or any dereliction of duty on the
part of the Dock Committee ? He then exhibited a plan,
and said, he was astonished, with such a plan before the
eyes of Mr. Moore, that that gentleman should assert that
he was unable to find any document which would justify
the building of the warehouses as they were now being
constructed.
Mr. MOORE said, the plan exhibited by Mr. Aikin was
simply the ground plan.
Mr. AIKIN moved, as an amendment, that the present
construction of the warehouses should not be considered
as at variance with the provisions of the former dock act;
but, subsequently, this amendment was withdrawn.
Mr. nem. said, the warehouses, in their present con-
dition, had not given satisfaction to any one. He admitted
that the warehouse owners were entitled to their pound of
flesh.

Mr. HODGSON observed that the discussion had taken
a very discursive range, and that it had unhappily brought
the merchant and warehouse proprietor needlessly into
collision. He conceived that they had got into a difficulty,
and that the only question was, how they were to extri-
cate themselves from it.
After some further discussion,
Mr. NORTH moved, as an amendment, that the clauses
relating to the construction of the warehouses be struck
out of the bill.
Mr. THOMPSON seconded it ; and upon a division the
amendment was lost by a majority of 36 to 6.
Mr. ROBINSON, seconded by Mr. BUSEBY, moved, as
another amendment, that a clause be inserted sanctioning
the present construction of the warehouses, with an inter-
mediate floor between the rear of the quay and the first
floor, provided that the surface of the quay shall be re-
served as a public quay, and be occupied exclusively for
landing and transit purposes, and subject only to the re-
gulation of the docks.
Upon a division, this amendment was also lost by a ma-
jority of 24 to 1 .
Mr. HTIGH HORNBY, seconded by Mr. ASPINALL,
moved a third amendment, to the effect that the consi-
deration of the warehouse clauses be postponed, and that
those clauses be referred back to the Dock Committee for
the purpose of consulting the warehouse interest, and
making such alterations in them as may be thought ad •
visable.

Upon a division this amendment was carried by a ma-
jority of 23 to 19 ; and the Council, after a debate of nearly
five hours, adjourned to Friday.

The adjourned meeting was held on Friday. Sir T.
Brancker, owing to the continued illness of the Mayor,
took the chair.

Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE, before repeating what hail
passed at the Dock Committee theday before, requested the
Town Clerk to read the new clause which had been agreed
to instead of the clause as printed in the " Heads."
The TOWN-CLERK accordingly read the following:—
`' And whereas the said trustees have, under the powers
of the said recited act of the fourth year of the reign
of her present Majesty, proceeded in the erection of ware-
houses on the south and west quays of the wet dock in
the same act mentioned and all or part of the east quay
thereof (not lying between the two intended entrances to
the said dock), and such warehouses have been constructed
with iron pillars, and with walls placed on the said quays,
tending to strengthen and secure the said warehouses, and
with a lower or intermediate half floor in addition to the
four stories mentioned in the said act, and with iron
beams and transverse iron rods inserted under the same
lower or intermediate half floor.—Be it enacted that the
construction of the warehouses on the quays of the said
wet dock in the manner aforesaid shall not be deemed or
considered to be contrary to or at variance with the pro-
visions of the last-mentioned act.—And be it enacted that
the surface of such parts of the said quay over which the
said warehouses have been so erected as aforesaid shall
remain a public quay for the loading, unloading, and ship-
ment of goods, wares, and merchandise, without the ad-
mission of carriages, and subject to the general regulations
of the said docks."

The TOWN-CLERK then read the following report of
the proceedings of the Dock Committee, upon the refer-
ence to them :

" At a meeting, &c., of the Dock Committee, January
23, the resolutions of the Council of yesterday, referring
back to this Committee certain clauses in the proposed
new dock bill relating to the Albert Dock warehouse, hav-
ing been taken into consideration, and Mr. Bushby, Mr.
James Brancker, and Mr. Montgomery having attended,
in compliance with an invitation made to them yesterday
as a deputation from the warehouse owners, and delivered
in the following resolution from that body, viz.:—Resol-
ved, that the warehouse proprietors will offer no opposi-
tion to legalizing the present construction of the dock
warehouses, provided the whole quay space under the
warehouses be left unincumbered, and every facility af-
forded for removing goods from the quay.—Resolved,
that the solicitor be instructed to prepare a clause accord-
' ingly, and to confer with the Town Clerk thereon, to be
submitted to the adjourned Council to be held tomorrow."
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE then rose, and said that in ask-
ing the Council to substitute the clause just read for that
which had been read on Wednesday, it would be merely
necessary to state, that the Dock Committee had been
actuated by that good faith, and proper feeling which
ought always to distinguish such a body. The first clause
was, as far as it was possible, to enable them to comply
with the existing act of Parliament. They sought to in-
troduce a clause into the new act, to allow the half-deck
floor to remain as it was unfinished, till the proper period
should arrive for finishing it. But now, the question was
altogether changed. The Dock Committee, with the most
honourable feelings, felt they could not ask the Council
to give them permission to complete the half-deck floor
without violating good faith , but they now came forward,
having been moved by the warehouse owners—(hear)—in
fact. the warehouse owners had come forward of their own
accord, and too much praise could not be given to his
friend, Mr. Bushby, for the manner in which he had
seconded Mr. Robinson's motion at the last meeting of
the Council. It was due to Mr. Bushby and to all who
took a simdar view of the questions to say this. The po-
sition of the Dock Committee was, therefore, entirely
changed, for they were now, in point of fact, taking what
the warehouse interest had offered to them; strictly
speaking, it was a deviation of the act of Parliament, but
as it had not emanated from the Dock Committee, he
thought it was their duty to take it ; consequently, with
the sanction of the Council, the new clause would be in-
troduced into the bill. On this occasion he did not deem
it necessary to say more, except that, so far as regarded
the warehouse interest—and he was sure it would be for
their own advantage, as well as the advantage of the town
—whenever they felt disposed to concede the building upon
the other two sides of the Albert Dock, he, for one, should
consider it an act of grace. (Hear.) The Council could
not call upon them to do this, but he was sure it would be
well received by the town, as for the benefit of the public
at large, whilst the Dock Committee would regard it as an
act of grace. (Hear.)
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE had been much pleased with
the conciliatory speech of the Chairman of the Dock Com-
mittee, and he hoped it would have some impression upon
the public and the warehouse interest. When he (Mr. G.
11. Lawrence) ascertained that the feeling of the Council
was decidedly in favour of some legislative application on
this question, he thought it his duty to join with the
Dock Committee in enforcing that construction of ware-
' houses round Albert Deck quay which approximated most
closely to the compact entered into by the original act,—
a compact that he felt bound to adhere to. After what
had fallen from the Chairman of the Dock Committee on
Wednesday, and from his own knowledge of the ware-
house proprietors, he certainly was afraid that Mr. Horn-
hy's proposal of referring the matter back to the Dock
Committee would not be productive of good results ; hut
he could not help expressing the satisfaction with which
he hailed the T .