The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-01-30 00:00:00

Jan. 30, 1544.

afforded by the Albert Dock, all demands would be met,
or, at all events, that it would act as a luncheon to stay
the appetite of the port for the next two or three years;
but the worthy alderman seemed to have forgotten
that the dinner was necessary as well as luncheon,
and that while he was busy in providing them with
luncheon, they must themselves take care and not
overlook the dinner. (Hear, hear.) They should recol-
lect that it would take years before the proposed plans
could be carried into execution, and that if they did not
look forward, irrespective of what was going on over the
water' they should be found fault with for leaving neg-
lected the present opportunity. (Hear.) It had been said
by Mr. Aikin that there was no necessity for further dock
extension at present, provided a different mode of manage-
ment were adopted ; but he should be glad to know who
had ruled the Dock estate for the last eight or nine years,
and why had not this improved management ever been
brought into action during that time? (Hear, hear.)
Again it was said that they could gain an increased
accommodation of 10 per cent. by enclosing the ba-
sins but there was not a basin connected with the
docks' that could, with advantage, be closed, unless it was
the Queen's ; and he could show, from the evidence of
nauticd men, that it would be impracticable to work the
docks if the basins were enclosed. (Hear, hear.) When
they put those facts together, and considered the probable
increase of their trade for the future—increasing and im-
proving, as he was happy to say it was at present, and
When they saw the prospect they had of a further increase
of tonnage, and of a larger class of ships, he thought every
one would see the necessity of their going on and affording
greater accommodation. There were one or two trades pe-
culiarly connected with Liverpool, which must, and for ever
would belong to the port, and which contributed very
largely to their resources. He alluded more particularly
to the North American trade, which contributed £90,000
a year. After having stated that the inhabitants of the
town were desirous of having further dock accommoda-
tion, and expressing a hope that the members generally
had read the evidence taken before the sub-committee, he
went on to remark on the advantages and disadvantages
of the north and south ends. He confessed that in deal-
ing with the Harrington Dock purchase, his feelings at first
were opposed to the purchase, but on more mature conside-
ration, he now came before them and most conscientiously
recommended that that estate be purchased. (Hear, hear.)
He had no interest either north or south, for he held not
any land within the limits of the borough, neither did he
hold any which the docks, north or south, could in the
remotest degree affect. He thought at first there was a
prima fade case against the purchase, but now he be-
lieved he could demonstrate that the purchase would be
an advantage to the dock estate. If they got it for a fair
and reasonable price, a most important part of their work
would have been executed. He must remind the council
that a negociation had been carrying on at one time for
the purchase of a part of the Harrington estate, so far as
the elbow, which would be noticed on the plans, com-
prising about 70,000 yards, and for which it was thought
desirable to pay rather a high price. Whether it was
desirable to pay the high price for it, it was not for him to
say; but the only value of the land was from being con-
tiguous to their own land, because it was a mere worthless
part so far as the land itself went. It might be of value
to the Dock Committee, because it would enable them to
bring into play what was a useless appendage to the
docks, and that was the Toxteth Dock, upon which
a large sum had been expended for no purpose what-
ever. If, then, they had purchased the 70,000 yards
they should have bought the worst portion. (Hear,
hear.) Now, the southern part of the estate comprised
about 760,000 feet of sea-wall, made precisely the same as
the one at Prince's pier, and would not require to be
meddled with at all; and on the docks bad been expended
the sum of £34,000. If they deducted this sum from
the gross purchase it would reduce the price of the land
to about 265. per yard. But it would be the height of
folly for them to purchase the half of the estate and to
leave the kernel of it ; for he could show that the south-
ern end was the productive part, and that there were par-
ties ready to rent that who would give an immediate in-
terest for the outlay, and a profit on the interest the
Dock Committee would give to pay the money. (Hear,
hear.) He contended that they ought either to pur-
chase the whole or none. (Hear, hear.) Complaints
bad been made that the docks were not carried more
inland : and on comparing the merits of the north
and south he would remind the council of the dis-
tances. And here he might show the importance
of distances, from valuable documents furnished to
the Dock Committee by Mr. Poole—documents of
great interest. They would learn from these documents
that about nine-tenths of the produce imported into Li-
verpool went south. (Hear.) Now, the distance of the
Harrington Dock estate from the railway station was 1450
yards, and the distance from the Clarence Dock to the
railway station was 2800, or as nearly double as might be.'
If, then, they went to construct docks north of the Cla-
rence, the expense of conveying merchandise would be
increased. The evidence taken before the Sub-commit..
tee went generally to show that dock extension was
necessary, and necessary to the south. They had im-
portant evidence on this subject, and generally, with one
or two exceptions, it was overwhelming, that increased
dock accommodation was necessary, particularly for
the timber trade ; and the timber trade was of very great
importance. It was attempted to disparage this trade as
one that did not contribute largely to the wealth of the
town; but it contributed about £20,000 a year. The
Brunswick Dock altogether contributed about £30,000 ;
as nearly as could be calculated, the timber trade contri-
buted £20,000. But whether it paid a large or a small
sum, it was of vast importance that it thould be kept
at this side of the water; and the evidence went to show
that if they provided the trade with accommodation it
would not leave Liverpool. (Hear, hear.) If they gave
accommodation for water and quay space, it would be kept
on this side ; they had the evidence of a most intelligent
witness to show, that not one ship in 100 would go to
Wallasey Pool. (Hear, hear.) But that some trade must
necessarily be carried on at Wallasey Pool, with a popu-
lation of 18,000, and some small population in the coun-
try around, he was prepared to believe. There would be
aonmatrade at Wallasey, but the bulk would he carried on
on this
side, if accommodation were afforded. After having
again shown tut
importance of the timber trade, which he
said employed 2,0,00
this particular trade i° people, he said the cultivation of
portance. h
wouldn bLeivceornpvoionleewdasthoaft tahelarge
port iimo
on
ofr mtimedbtehr
at during
musty gO from Liverpool, when they were in-
Proportion of
been conseru the last ten years, 500,000 houses had
c3ted in Great Britain, and that a large
neighbourhood 3,000 were in course of erection in the
of Liverpool. Mr. Rankin, in giving evi-
dence about the timber trade, said, that this side would
be continued to be occupied, and that he would not go
over the water unless he could save £l,OOO out of every
£l5OO. (Hear, hear.) If this might be taken as a fair
specimen of the feeling of the timber trade, the council
might make themselves pretty easy on that
.score. (Hear.)
une thing was certain, that the timber trade could not
be carried on at the north. It had once been tried there
and was a total failure. Mr. Challoner was of opinion
'
that the south and was designed specially for the timber
trade and that if they could
get the Coburg and the Union
Docks, all demands of the trade would be met. They
had it also in evidence that the Brunswick dock
Might be
turned to advantage if it were confined. exclusively to the
trade, and that one-third more
have
veutsainreasms
there ; but then they would
sp
omvieghtthebeemdopntye
ships, which must occupy wherever
itihey were, and
where were they to put them ? It was a that the trade could not be divided—tgarejiatnams twiuoesnrt a
bl e h ak ne
have
est
in one locality, and that it would never part over the water and part on this side. (Hear
to ha
ear and
cheers.) It was also in evidence, on he authority
of harbour-masters, pilots, and more especially of the
Marine Surveyor, that there was more smooth water at
the south than at the north, and that ships
could be
docked there with greater facility, as the tide ran twice
as fast at the north as it did at the south. Flatmen pre-
ferredthe south ; and he had just received a letter from
Mr. Poole, stating that if the flats were to bring salt or
earthenware to the north, they would incur a consider-
able extra expense. (Hear.) Having stated the advan-
tages of the southern locality, and the desirability of the
purchase of the Harrington estate, he felt bound to allude
to some little difficulty or disadvantage belonging to it,
and that was, that in selling the estate they could not con-
fer the privilege of building warehouses with it. If they
could have done so, it would increase its merits in his
eyes ; but if the Dock Committee went there at all, ware-
houses would be unnecessary, as they wanted it for the
accommodation of the timber trade. However, this was
one of the disadvantages. There was another point
which he felt bound to state, and that was, that in the
Harrington dock act, which might not be known to the
whole of the Council, so long as that estate remained in
in its present hands, and docks were constructed there,
and in case of the receipts of the Liverpool docks falling
short, the Harrington estate would be mortgaged to make
good any deficiency. This would be considered as an
additional security to the bondholders ; for, in case of a
falling off, they could claim the whole of the receipts of
the Harrington Dock estate to make up the deficiency.
This would have its weight ; but it was only fair
upon his part to state it in case it was not known by
every one. A great mistake had been committed in al-
lowing private docks to be constructed at all ; but so long
as they could obtain the estate at a fair and reasonable
Price, it was their duty to become its proprietors, to attach
it to the general estate, and to do away with the rivalry,
for, in his opinion, the dock estate ought not to have any
rivalry in Liverpool. (Hear, hear.) He then alluded to
the north end, which he said was much exposed to the
north-west wind ; but still accommodation was wanted
ttlen wre,
aasnd traffic would increase when a communica-
opened with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
(Hear, hear.) It hal been said by Mr. Bulley, that
be should be sorry to be a bondholder if those se-
veral schemes of the Dock Committee were carried
out; but it might be satisfactory to Mr. Bulley and
others to know, that, in carrying out those matters,
the Dock Committee would have, according to the esti-
mate of the past year,
sufficient funds to meet the interest
of all that would be required, and he would venture to pre-
dict that long before the proposed docks should have came
into operation, north or south, they would have a very large
surplus. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Moore proceeded at much
furtherfurt lenga era
th, and, in the course of his remarks, stated
he was not so fearful of the Wallasey Dock project
as Many of the public seemed to be.
Mr. Nicor. seconded the motion.
Mr. EVANS said that the calculation which he had,
Mowed this, that in what they had heard from the chair-
talm, the elepfxensest out of view of maintenance and repairs had been
altogether
Nicoe.—No, no : there they are upon the paper.
~_ Eva N s.—The interest upon the dock debt at pre-
ss £139 000.
Mr, B '
Mr.
.ThiaItAMLEY-Mooll.E.—How do you make that out,
ns?
(Ca 2.% EVANS.—The interest and expenses I mean.
pairus,gtlat r.) Now, the cost of salaries, wages, of re-
nd general4xpenses, was about £77,662 ; then
attire. was the intermit of the money upon the Albert Dock
14 warehouses, which, together with the new docks,