The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-03-21 00:00:00

LOCAL MEETINGS,

WEST DERBY GUARDIANS.—At the weekly meeting
on Monday a letter was read from Mr. Read, medical
officer of the district of Litherland, resigning his appoint-
ment in compliance with the wish of the board, and
soliciting the appointment of surgeon to the united dis-
trict of Crosby and Litherland. A letter was also read
from the Poor-law Board, enclosing the copy of the
registry of the death of John Bolund, who, it was al-
leged, had died from starvation, requesting the guardians
to make some inquiries respecting his death. The blame,
it was stated, attached to the parochial authorities.—A
petition to the House of Commons was read against the
excusal of the tenants of small houses from the payment
of parochial rates.—Mr. W. Roskell objected to the pe-
tition.—Mr. Jeffries said he thought it would have no
weight with the Legislature.—lt was ultimately agreed
that the petition be forwarded to the county members to
present, and that Sir Joshua Walmsley and the borough
members be requested to support the motion.
SELECT VESTRY.—On Tuesday, the usual fortnightly
meeting of the Select Vestry was held at their new offices,
in Lime-street. The Rev. Rector Campbell presided.—
Mr. Johnsen moved that the three out-door surgeons be
dismissed, thereby leaving only two resident surgeons to
attend to the house. The motion was carried by a majo-
rity of 9 to 6, and the three out-door medical officers will
accordingly be forthwith dismissed.—lt was reported that
the land belonging to the parish in Lime-street had cost
the sum of £lBO5 ; that the parish-offices erected thereon
had cost the sum of £2258 ; that the architect's commis-
sion was £ll2, and that the gas-fittings, &c., had cost
X 5, making a total of £4180; and the Vestry agreed to
accept the sum of £4200 for th 4 whole of the premises,
should an offer to that effect be made.—Mr. C. H. Jones,
on the part of the Strangers' Friend Society, the District
Provident Society, and other charitable societies in the
town, obtained permission to obtain soup for the use of
the poor at the charge of one halfpenny per quart.—The
committee appointed to inquire into the mode of giving
medical relief to the poor, reported that they found the
medical districts very unequally divided, the number of
patients varying from 51 in one district to 614 in another,
and also that medical assistants, not properly qualified,
were appointed to act in some districts. They thought
that non-professional assistants should not be appointed ;
and they recommended that the medical districts be re-
arranged, in order that the pauper population of each be
not greater than could be attended by one officer, that
additional and properly qualified medical officers be ap-
pointed, and that the present amount of salary (.£7O, and
Is. 6d. for each case of vaccination) be adhered to. The
consideration of the report was deferred to the next meet-
ing of the board.—Mr. Cafferatta gave notice of a motion
for the next day, " to appropriate a room in the Work-
house for the performance of divine worship for the Ro-
man, Catholic inmates."

DOCK COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.—TiIe "tall house"
was appropriated as the residence of Mr. Charles Bennett.
—lt was recommended that suitable residences should be
erected for the dock gatemen, and the surveyor was
ordered to report as to sites available for that purpose.—
Resolutions from the American Chamber of Commerce
against the system of master porters were read, and it was
stated that the system never had the approl3ation of the
Chamber. rt was suggested that application should be
made to Parliament for an alteration of the laws regula-
ting the receiving and weighing of goods in the open
docks, and, if it were impracticable to get any amend-
ment, then to revise the bye laws, with the view of miti-
gating the evils-complained of. In the conversation which
ensued, it was stated that the system had been adopted
at the suggestion- of the mercantile associations- of Liver-
pool, and it was, therefore, hard to expect the Dock
Committee to make any alteration when those who com-
plained did not point out any remedy. The Chairman
said if parties would make specific charges, they should
be inquired into.—Mr. Robinson suggested that there
should be stands for porters at the docks, and that each
man should be emplOyed in rotation as he came to the
stand. Mr. Tobin was a friend of free-trade in labour,
and the more restrictions they put upon labour, the more
difficulties they would get into. Every nsan who came to
this country had a right to get work if he could.—The
resolution was referred to the Porters' Sub-committee.—A
letter from Messrs. Brown. Shipley, and Co., inquiring
when the new north docks would be finished, and whether
they would accommodate a vessel 300 feet long, 46 feet
wide inside the paddle boxes, 76 feet wide, and drawing
22 feet water, was referred to the Harbour-mastere'Snb-
committee.—A contemporary, after stating that the prin-
cipal objects required in devising a good system in-receiv-
ing and delivering of produce from vessels are—dispatch,
economy, and correctness—explains the systems which
have already been tried, and suggests, as remedial of the
evils attached to them, the following :—" That the Dock
Committee appoint to-each of the principal docks an im-
port superintendent, whose chief duties shall be to super-
intend the receiving, weighing, and delivering the cargoes
of vessels arriving from abroad; to see that there he no
unnecessary delay in unlading ; that goods obstructing the
discharge of vessels be warehoused, or otherwise disposed
of; that the master porters do their duty, and to adjust
differences arising between them and the consignees of
goods or vessels. That the superintendent have power,
in conjunction with the dock master, to cause a vessel to
vacate her discharging berth, if detained an unreasonable
time in discharging. That the superintendents be persons
competent to examine and judge of the stowage of cargoes,
and of any ship-damage that may have happened to them.
so as to give proper certificates upon those points, if called
for. That no person, except importers of produce, be
hereafter licensed as a master porter, without furnishing a
certificate of his competency, signed by at least ten im-
porters."
AMALGAMATION OPTHE GAS COMPANIES.—On Thurs-
day, meetings of the two gas companies were held At their
respective offices, to- take into consideration the draft of
the amalgamation bill now before Parliament. At the
meeting of the New Gas and Coke Company, ,William
Fosbery, Esq. presided, and there was a larger-attendance
than usual. Mr. .I's B. Lloyd, the solicitor, read the re-
port, which recapitulated all t h e circumstances which led to,
and were attendant upon the amalgamation. In reply to
a question, the Chairman said, the revenue of the two
companies was as nearly as possible the same. The other
company could pay. ten per cent., and if the two companies
were amalgamated the ten per cent. would be more certain.
The whole of the directors recommended the amalgama-
tion. Mr. Anthony—ls this amalgamation likely to do
away away with any opposition from another. company ?
May we not be considered as a monopoly ? The chairman
said it was very possible, but they, as directors, could not
be responsible for what might take place a few years hence.
They had done every thing to protect themselves—to meet
the wishes of parliament and the local authorities, and to
render gas so cheap that they did not believe any other
company could compete with them. Mr. Anthony--Is it
likely the Corporation would support us ? The Chairman
—That would be a very natural course. Mr. D. Mather—
A very natural course, when they had been the means of
bringing about the amalgamation. The report was adopted
unanimously. Mr. Lloyd next read over the heads of the
various clauses in the bill for the amalgamation. The re-
port was adopted unanimously. Mr. Lloyd next read
over the heads of the various clauses in the bill for the
amalgamation. In reply to a question from. Mr. Roose,
he said that as both companies made up their accounts
till the end. of June, it was proposed that the amalgama-
tion should date from the Ist of July. Mr. Harmood
Banner said it would, perhaps, be satisfactory to the pro-
prietors to know that the limitation, as to price and profit,
would be the same as at present. Four shillings and six-
pence per 1000 feet would still be the maximum price, and
the profit 10 per cent., as before. Mr.. Lloyd, at the re-
quest of Mr. Banner, then read, in full, the clause securing
to the proprietors the quarter share to which they were at
present entitled. The clause was to the effect that the
company should first offer for sale, in lots of not more
than four each, 940 of the 221.0 shares which they have
the power to create, and after that the remaining 1270
should be offered to the proprietors of this company in the
proportion of one £25 share for each original or substituted
share. Mr. Lloyd also explained that, as the money rea-
lized by the sale of the 940 shares would be expended on
the amalgamated company, the appropriation of the quar-
ter shares would take place sooner than if the amalgama-
tion had not taken place. Mr. Jones, with the view of
protecting the company from opposition, suggested that it
should be introduced into the preamble that the amalga-
mation was effected in accordance with the desire of par-
liament, and of the local authorities. The directors, it
appeared, bad considered this point well, and did not
believe it practicable to adopt that course. The subject
therefore dropped. Mr. Mather asked if there was any
thing in the bill to allow the proprietors to convert the
shares into stock. Mr. Lloyd thought that under the
general acts such power was given. The Chairman, se-
conded by Mr. Banner, proposed that the draft of the bill
be approved. The resolution was passed without a dis.
renting voice. At the meeting of the Dale-street com-
pany, W. R. Sandbach presided, and stated the objects of
the meeting, and said he considered the arrangement would
be greatly to the benefit of both companies and of the
public. Mr. Carson, the solicitor, then read the report,
which was in substance the same as that above noticed.
It was adopted, and also the draft of the bill.

TO THE EDITOR'OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SlR,—Merle D'Aubigny, in his last work, the " Pro-
tector," which all Englishmen ought now to read, in
speaking of Oliver Cromwell, ( the great champion of
Protestantism) says :—" If the positive) principle he gave
to the British state was morality and faith, the negative
principle was resistance to Popery. He held each of
these in equal importance, for at the bottom they concen-
trate in one, in the Gospel. With their aid, England has
seen the days of her exaltation ; when they are neglected
or set aside, then will come the day of her decline.
Whilst the Protestant principle gives to a nation, liberty,
life, and order, the Romanist principle gives to it slavery,
disorder, and death. Rome will unite with kings against
their subjects, or with subjects against their kings, as her
interest may require." The great error now is, the con-
founding liberty, which is enlightened freedom, with
liberalism, which means the adoring the opinion of men,
rather than the word of Truth, [which leads to bondage.]
Under the plea of this modern liberalism, an enemy has
been admitted into our Protestant camp, more to be
dreaded far, than were those conspirators against our
Protestant constitution in the reign of James the First, an
enemy that is concentrating all its sophistry and its talent
to undermine it, not by one blow, but more gradually and
effectually, by taking down one defence after another, of
our glorious constitution ; so that it is now only a matter
of time, that is required, to accomplish its entire destruc-
tion, by stratagem and by national bankruptcy.
Already are our mercantile and manufacturing interests
injured by Free Trade ; and our West Indian possessions
are almost wholly ruined. Popery is encouraged at home
and abroad. An Union of Jews with Papists in Parliament
is advised for the further unchristianizing the Legislature,
and attempts arc now being made to do away with our
" Navigation laws," and also to abolish the Punishment
Dewh. _ .

-liliThl; has been brought -about through -the.-medium
of those who appear the friendly advisers of the Crown,
but who are, iu reality, the bitter enemies of the nation.
rROTESTAINT.