The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-11-17 00:00:00

ply of Water

their own rates now, but they would not be able to retain
the rate of ss. There has no doubt been a combination
amongst the offices, There was a meeting held in Lon-
don on the 9th, and all the offices agreed to the same
rate. Mr. Middleton.—lt is a very extravagant rate. It
is only 2s. 6d. at St. Catharine's Dock. Mr. Bold said
the offices had sent practical men down to examine the
warehouses, and they entertained a very different opinion
of the risk to what the committee did. The Chairman
said he had consulted with several parties, and they con-
sidered the risk one of the best. Atter some conversation,
it was agreed that only one half of the value of the ware-
houses above ground should be insured. The whole of
the applications were then read over. That of the York-
shire Company, (through their agents Messrs. Litherland
and Groom,) offering to insure for ss. per cent., and
to take less if the London offices agreed to do so, was
eOnjiiderpd the rringt baldness-film anolicatio,n..nd it
decided to give thorn a risk of .+2,000 on each of the two
stacks now 'n use, when the Chairman said they ought to
do every thing they could to break up this combination.

He thought they might underwrite the risk the same way
as they did the risk on ships. He would have no objec-
tion to take to the amount of £lO,OOO. He had no doubt
The policy would be soon underwritten, and then they
could throw the insurance offices over board. He was
quite sure the town would take up the risk.—Mr. Moly-
neux said he would take £lo,ooo.—After some conver-
sation, it was proposed that the per centage should be 4s.
—Mr. Bold said that plan would only save £l5O a-year.
The Chairman did not look to the saving of £l5O a-year,
but to the cheapening of the port. If they reduced the
rate on the warehouses, that would operate in reducing
the rate of insurance on the merchandise in the ware-
bowie. The. Dock Solicitor was tben sent for, and gave it
as his opinion that the committee would be acting legally
by insuring in the manner proposed by the chairman, as-
suming the solvency of the parties underwriting; but he
thought it would be very objectionable for the Dock
Committee to become underwriters. Mr. Middleton, se-
conded by Mr. Chilton, then proposed that a policy of in-
surance for the Albert Dock at 48. per cent., limiting the
risk to £lOOO each, be opened, and placed in the bands of
one or more respectable brokers. This resolution was
carried, Messrs. Bold, Wood, and Shand being the only
dissentients. The Chairman said, if this did not succeed,
they could but fall into the jaws of the insurance offices.
Mr. Mann said it had been stated that there was a diffi-
culty in vessels entering the Albert Dock, in consequence
of an accumulation of sand at the approach. He had
made inquiries on the subject, and found such was not the
fact ; that the entrance into the Albert Dock was equal, if
not better than into any of the other docks, whereas the
accommodation inside was very superior. This week, a
vessel of 450 tons had been discharged, and 7700 packages
of tea, silk, &c., had been landed in a few minutes over
ten bow s—an instance of despatch unprecedented not only
in Liverpool, but in London. The delay as to fixing the
rates was in consequence of the sub-committee not having
received the opinion of the different associated bodies, the
rates having been submitted to them a month ago. On
the suggestion of the Chairman, it was feferred to the
porterage sub-committee, to frame a bye-law, declaring
whether the owner, the consignee, or the owner of the
cargo, should appoint the master porter. By the present
undefined system, great inconvenience watexperieneed.