The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-06-04 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE BIRKENHEAD
COMMISSIONERS.

Tice adicrerned general meeting was held on Tuesday
last, Mr. W. JACKSON in the chair. The annual accounts
were presented, including those of the Ferry. The gross
receipts were 415.,589, (and fractions,) the gross expendi-
ture £9,457, leaving a balance to the credit of the com-
missioners of £6,T32. The ferry has yielded 74 per cent.
upon the amount laid out in the purchase of steamers and
the fee simple. The income from it was still increasing.
Mr. BENTItAm congratulated the commissioners on the
success of the ferry, and its advantages to the public under
their management. No other ferry was so satisfactorily
conducted.

The CHAIRMAN said the Ferry Committee had deter-
mined to recommend a reduction of 50 per cent. on the
annual contracts, or £1 59. in place of the present amount
of £2 10s. ; and for every individual in addition, who be-
longed to the same family, 10s. in place of 15;. per an-
num. They also proposed to run the packets between
Liverpool and Woodside during the whole night—leaving
Liverpool at 12, 1,2, 3,4, and 5 o'clock, and Woodside
at the half hours—the ordinary boats afterwards to run at
the usual times. In accomplishing this, it was expected
that the Liverpool C qporation would afford the requisite
stage accommodation during the night. This would in-
volve an additional charge, but the convenience to the
public would be great ; and the receipts in the first month
of 1844 had been upwards of £4OO more than the corres-
ponding month of 1843.
The LAW-CLERK read the general accounts. The re-
ceipts of the year had been £65,826; the expenditure
£65,999 ; but with a balance left over last year, the ba-
lance now in the treasurer's hands was £l7B.
The CHAIRMAN said the improvement rate would, he
expected, pay the current expenses of the year; and he
might say the same of the lighting and watching rate.
The Lasv-CLeax read a statement showing that the
liabilities of the commissioners amounted to £210,324 ;
while the valueof their property, together with uncollected
rates, was £312,482, leaving a balance to the credit of the
township of £132,164.
Mr. BENTHAM said that the land of the commissioners
had been valued (for this statement) at the price it would
bring if offered for sale this day.
The CHAIRMAN said it had in fact been undervalued,
and he would be glad to purchase it at the price put down.
As to the ferry, its value could not be estimated, as it was
still increasing.
The CHAIRMAN then reported that the dock bill had
passed the committee of the Commons, and that prepara-
tions had been made to carry it through the Lords. The
formal report had not yet been made. The Liverpool
Corporation bad petitioned against the Monk's Ferry
Bill, upon the standing orders, but had been defeated.
Subsequently they had petitioned against it on the merits,
and would no doubt carry their opposition into the House
of Lords. It was grievous that any individual in Birken-
heod, who had benefitted by the improvements in Birken-
head, should so far aid and abet the corporation as to sign
a petition against the bill, which would throw an addition-
al expense upon the township in the passing of the mea-
sure, of some hundred pounds. He was not surprised
that Mr. Edward Willoughby, who was a tenant of the
corporation, should put his name to such a petition; hut
he was indeed surprised when he found such men as Mr.
Hughes (with several others) who had profited by the
public improvements which had been made, putting the
township to unnecessary additional expense in obtaining
a measure so useful.

Mr. BENTHAM said he was not surprised at anything
these individuals did.

The CHAIRMAN said he should lay a copy of the peti-
tion before the Commissioners, so that they might see who
had signed it.
Mr. J. S. JACKSON said he expected as much trouble
from them in the Lords as in the Commons. If the cor-
poration of Liverpool had money to throw away in a
fruitless contest, he hoped their constituents would call
them to account.

The CHAIRMAN referred to the present prosperous
state of the affairs of the Commissioners. The township
had more property than would discharge all its liabilities;
streets were made, slaughter-houses, cemetery, and mar-
ket; and he trusted the ferry would soon be all clear. The
progress of the township was, indeed, unprecedented.
The meeting then adjourned to Monday.