The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-11-14 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

favour of the said packets and tenders are upon this con-
dition, that no such packet or tender shall be entitled to
the benefit thereof, or to any exception from the general
bye-laws herein before contained, unless such packet or
tender shall comply with the following rebulations so far
as the same shall be applicable thereto :
lst,—That while such packet or tender shall be at any
of such piers, slips, stairs, or conveniences, and not
in actual preparation to depart therefrom, any other
steam or other vessel or boat may come along the
outer side of such packet or tender, and freely land
or receive passengers, carriages, and goods, over
such packet or tender, assisted by one or more
stages between the pier, slip, stairs, or convenience,
and the packet or tender ; [such stages to be pro-
vided, and on every occasion laid down, by or on
the part of the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Bur-
gesses ;] and of one or more stages between the
packet or tender, and the steam or other vessel or
boat alongside:; [such last-mentioned stages to be 1
similar to the said other stages, but to be provided,
and on every occasion laid down, by or on the part
of the packet or tender.]
2d,—That the constables of the borough shall have free
admission on board every such packet or tender to
maintain good order under the last regulation.
3d,—That the stages to be provided by or on the part
of every such packet or tender shall be provided as
aforesaid, and the same shall be renewed and main-
tained from time to time to the satisfaction of the
surveyor of the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Bur-
gesses. 13.

That every steam or other vessel or boat which shall
come alongside the said packet or tender, and take the
benefit of the foregoing regulations for landing or receiving
passengers, carriages, or goods, over any such packet or
tender, shall be subject to the general bye-laws, from 1
inclusive to 11 inclusive, hereinbefore made, in like
manner as if such steam or other vessel or boats had
landed or received such passengers, carriages, or goods,
directly upon or from any of the said piers, slips, stairs,
or conveniences, and had been placed immediately adjacent
thereto.

GEO. H. LAWRENCE, Chairman.

THE INTENDED HARBOUR AND DOCK IN

WALLASEY POOL.

The determination of the Birkenhead Commissioners
to apply forthwith to parliament for power to construct
an extensive harbour, and an immense dock immediately
above it, on the site of Wallasey Pool, for the reception of
vessels from all parts of the world, was (as will be found
elsewhere) announced on Tuesday last, by Mr. William
Jackson, at a meeting of the members of that body. The
announcement was made as soon after the recent sale by
our corporation, to Mr. John Laird, (one of the com-
missioners,) of some land on the margin of the creek, as a
general plan of the intended works—for which surveys,
borings, and estimates were commenced in July last, and
strictly continued up to the present time—could be com-
pleted with sufficient accuracy to be laid before the pub-
lic ; and backed as it had previously been by the approval
approval of the admiralty, it came upon the parties inte-
rested in the shipping and warehouse accommodations of
our port so unexpectedly, yet with such stamp of magni-
ficence and feasibility, as to startle some whose interests
may be partially, though perhaps temporarily, injured by
the innovation ; and to excite the deepest interest, and in
some instances the unqualified approbation, amongst a
large portion of the commercial community, who could
not fail to foresee in the accomplishment of the scheme
the commencement of a new era in the history of our
port—giving large promise of an extensive and profitable
extension of the maritime and inland trade of our river,
to be shared, however, as in justice perhaps it ought, by
our opposite neighbours.
The speech of Mr. Jackson supplies a general outline of
the project; but the sensation which it has created has
induced us to obtain some interesting details from the
originators themselves, which will we trust be acceptable.
In submitting them we would not be understood to sub-
scribe to all the advantages expressed, for we believe some
of them to be much too sanguine. Taken, in common
with others, somewhat unawares, we have not yet been
enabled to give each of them that due consideration which
would enable us to arrive at a definite conclusion ; but we
may state generally, as our present impression, that if the
commissioners can make out such a case as is here repre-
sented, and obtain the final approval of government,
(who, through the Admiralty, are the legitimate conser-
vators of the navigation of the river,) all opposition—now
that the land is in reality sold, with unlimited privileges—
were too late, and consequently futile,—however much
we may naturally have cherished a desire that our Corpo-
ration had retained the matter in their own hands. What
we subjoin, therefore, as to the advantages of the scheme
and the means of carrying it out, must be taken rather as
the alleged grounds upon which the commissioners pur-
gose to support their claim for the concurrence of parlia-
ment, than as our own unqualified opinions. some expo-
sition of which will be found in another column.

The idea of forming a dock, or a chain of docks in Wal-
lasey Pool, (which is immediately opposite the centre of
Liverpool,) and of converting its banks, and the space be-
tween and such docks, to commercial and manufacturing
purposes, has, from time to time, for many years past, been
entertained by various individuals, to whom it appeared
peculiarly adapted by nature to such purposes, not only
from the depth of tidal water it contains, but from the
lowness of the contiguous land, and the facilities it pre-
sents for docks, but slight excavation being required. To
the late William Laird, Esq., father of Mr. John Laird,
is due the credit of having pointed out in a practical man-
ner, and invited public attention to, the value sod adapta-
tion of that creek, which had lain neglected and profitless
ab origine mundi. He was the first who occupied a part
of the southern bank, where, in 1824, he commenced ship-
building, before there was a house to be seen in the neigh-
bourhood ; and thirteen years afterwards (1837,) he de-
signed and published a plan of docks in the Pool, so well
considered and digested, that it has, after careful recent
survey, been adopted, with but some slight differences in
detail.

As the final plan has not yet been fully prepared,
we, this day, in order to gratify the curiosity of the public,
present to each of our readers a copy of that original de-
sign, from which they may form, taking the alterations
we shall point out into account, a sufficiently accurate
idea (until we can furnish the precise plan,) of the position
and extent of the intended works.
It will be observed that two small outward basins are
defined near the margin of the sea-wall that is to cross the
mouth of the Pool, and that an oblong dock, with ware-
houses, &c. is also marked out, a little to the southward
of them. These basins and dock are to be left out in the
present plan, and this forms the only material alteration.
In lieu of the two small basins, the inner half-tide basin"
or now, more properly, the Outer Harbour, will be extended
eastward to the river wall, with an open entrance of 302
feet in width. The shipwrights' yards, graving docks,
&c. will be retained, as also the general features of the
plan interiorly,—the main or " monster" dock communi-
cated with the harbour by double gates, or locks, extend-
ing eastward up the Pool, with a slight obtuse angle or
elbow as far as the bridge at Poulton-cum-Seacombe,
which lies about due east, by true bearing, from Seacombe
Hotel. The sea-wall will extend from Woodside Slip to
Seacombe Slip, with a very slight inclination inwards, ti
the entrance, and in a straight line from each slip respect-
ively, the wall being nearly divided in two portions on
each shore, and the longest on the Woodside shore. The
ground has been all bored and surveyed, and it has been
found that the foundations for the outer, and also for the
dock walls are, contrary to preconceived opinion, extremely
favourable : not a pile will have to be driven. The only
places that are soft to a considerable depth are precisely
those that are to be walled in, and very little excavation
will be required.