The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-03-31 00:00:00

uy Luc ninteimeau L.ummissioners, anu ask wnat ala tney seek
to effect by their opposition ? To prevent the construction of the
new landing stage ! This would have been too bold a proposition
to assume on their own behalf only, and, therefore, they stood
forward as the voluntary champions of all the other ferries on
the river, which, by the bye, were so careless of their rights,
relying on the fair dealing of the Dock Committee, as not to
have presented any petition or complaint on the subject.
The Birkenhead gentlemen, in the first place, denied that the
stage was required at all. Fairly caught in their own meshes,
they abhor the extensive conveniences of this noble structure:
to use the words of their counsel, " We shall be satisfied with
the more humble stop we formerly proposed"—a stage shown
to be wholly insufficient and inadequate for more convenient
accommodation than any of the present floating barges. And
this declaration was made in tisie.n?!ne,2! all the ferries on the

river as wen as on ineir own uenan. I ney saga tne proposed
structure was too large and too expensive. They were sud-
denly so considerate as not to wish the dock trust to incur so
great an outlay.

This pretenCe having been abandoned, the exclusive use by
river steamers of the same stage, which a short time previously
had been declared to be too large and too commodious, was
then claimed, and all the artillery of declamation and evidence
was brought to bear against the approach of the Irish, or the
Scotch, or the Welsh, or the Isle of Man steamers and it was

contended that thirteen or fourteen ferry boats ;;uld not be ac-
commodated at this magnificent landing-stage at the same time,
unless large steamers were prohibited from using the stage.
Forgetful or ignorant (as Lieutenant Hookey confessed) that all
the floating barges, slips, and stairs, at present in use, (except
the narrow flight of steps at George's Pier,) would be continued
in operation, the alarm was expressed that large steamers
crossing, (as they now do,) the course of the river steamers
would endanger the safety of the latter; and that by lying
alongside the stage at the same time, the large steamers would
prevent the access of the river boats. To prove this assertion,
a wooden model was introduced (risum teneatis of a large and a
small steamer abreast of each other along the sid of a
stage of 500 feet in length, where no necessity existed for such
unhappy conjunction. But the principal witness of the op-
ponents, Lieutenant Hookey, was unwillingly obliged himself
to demolish this clumsy wooden argument, and to confess
that arrangements might be made to obviate the proposed
jumble of large and small vessels. The promoters of the Bill
declined to examine the numerous witnesses, which they in-
formed the committee were in attendance to refute this attempt
to prevent the intended accommodation to the public. But
foiled in this attempt, another manceuvre was at the last
moment resorted to, even more insiduous in its consequences
to the Dock Trust. A clause was proposed that the Mayor of
Chester, and the Mayor of Liverpool, and the Chairman of the
Quarter Sessions of Lancashire, or of Cheshire, should; form a
Board, to regulate the management of this same landing-stage!
We heard the counsel for the promoters of the Bill refer to
existing powers in the Dock Acts, for the regulation of the
steam-boats, and refer to the power of the Ferry Committee
of the Council of the Borough to regulate the steam-boats. But
all the powers in the Dock Acts were boldly contradicted at
the moment the room was being cleared for the voting of the
committee ; so much for the honesty of purpose of these op-
ponents. _ _

One word on the opposition by the tenants and occupiers of
the property to be purchased for the new works. Our readers
will probably recollect that a hand-bill was some time ago cir-
culated, which was intended to excite a movement against the
mersure, on the ground that sufficient compensation to owners
and tenants was not contemplated. The hand-bill set forth,
verbatim, a clause in one of the acts for the improvement of
the Borough, and proposed the same clause should be inserted
in the Dock Bill.
The petitioners, however, abandoned this clause in commit-
tee, and claimed the insertion of the Lands Clauses Act, instead
of the clauses in the Dock Bill. The promoters of the bill con-
tended, as we understood, that the machinery of the Lands
Clauses Act would impede the working of the act, but they did
not argue against the principle of compensation ; although they
insisted that the compensation under the Dock Act was equal

Now, we

in extent to that
.given by the Lands Clauses Act.
have had the curiosity to compare the difference in the two
acts, which is as follows :—ln the Lands Clauses Act compen-
sation is given for any permanent damage or injury that may
be sustained, and for the value of the lands or any interest
therein, or compensation to be made in respect thereof. In the
Dock Act the compen at:on is thus expressed; For any interest
in lands required for or injuriously atfected ; or as to the value
of such lands or of any interest therein ; or compensation to be
made in respect thereof; or the amount of the damages occa-

sioned to any lands, either temporary or permanent; or for re-
curring.damage, or for any mesne profits; and the adjudicators
are to give such an amount of compensation and to make such
determination as they shall think fit. We think, therefore, the
tenants and occupiers have gained a loss ; but, however this

may be, we are qiiite sure no persons can seriously imagine the
Dock Committee did not intend the fullest measure of justice
to the owners and occupiers of the property.
After this statement our readers will scree with us that the
Dock Committee and the deputation to London are entitled to
the gratitude of the commercial public for the patriotic and dis-
interested character of their proceedings, which are alike calcu-
lated to support the honour of the second city of the empire in
all its domestic relations, and to extend the usefulness and

spread the fame of its vast" dock accommodation to the remotest
shores of the habitable globe, where the splendour of our mer-
cantile institutions are admired, and the integrity and honour
of the British merchant are acknowledged and revered.

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST'S CHURCH, HOPI
he Rev. Thomas Nolan. of St. Barnahas' Church.

consented to preach in the

ove Church, on Friday evening

The Leeds Stock Exchanges have passed resolutions recom
mending the abandonment of all railway schemes which do no-
pass through Parliament this session.

Tlacollections at St. Clements' Church, on Sunday, in be-
halrff the schools attached to the Church, amounted to £34.
The preachers on the occasion were the Rev. Ambrose Daw-

son, and the Rev. W. M. Falloon.
SOUTHERN HOSPITAL.—It affords us much gratification to
say that since our last publication several additional donations
have been sent in to the worthy honorary chaplain the Rev.
T. Nolan, by members of the litgburth Church congregation.
The collection now amounts to the very handsome sum of
ST. JCTDES' Cnuitcli SCHOOLS.—On Sunday last, after ser-
mons by the Rev. Hugh M'Neile, the sum of .*97 14s was col-
lected in aid of these very efficient charity schools, where not
less than 318 children are receiving a sound scriptural educa-
tion.

Mr. Rathbone intends, at the council meeting to-morrow, to
attempt to induce the council to petition parliament to pass
without delay, the free trade measures at present before them.
Of course the council will not entertain such a proposition. A
pretty hubbnb would be raised if a motion so likely to intro-
duce politics into the council were brought forward by a con-
servative.

CORNING THE ENO LISH.—The ship Cornelia is loaded with
%ow bushels of Indian corn, and 7,000 barrels of corn meal,
ind, though not full, is, we are told, as deep as it is expedient
o load her. The ship Empire has also on board 15,000 bushels
)t• corn, and 10,000 barrels of meal. Sir Robert's " cattle"
must get very fat upon this excellent feed, which he promised
the farmers should comeinlree, in compensation to them for
wheat.—New York Journal,
zes, on Friday. Mr, Frith, a
ensed Victualler's Insurance Company,
the sum of X 475, 55., the amount of damage he had sustained
by fire on a policy of insurance effected in their office. The de-
fence was, that the casks did not contain wine as alleged, but
water. Dr. Ure, who had analysed the liquid, said that he did
not think the casks had contained wine; while Dr. Taylor for
the plaintiff, said they had. The fire was proved to have been
accidental, and the jury awarded the plaintiff his full claim.
The Dublin Evening Mail, of Friday, shows, from a carefully
compiled statistical table, that Oatmeal was dearer in Dublin
&c., in 1840, when no famine was thought of, than it is in 1846,
when the panic (but not the famine,) has been raging for nine
months. The price ra 1840, at several principal cities and
towns, was 16s. 6d. per cwt. ; and on March 17, 1846, at Dublin,
Wexford, Cork, and 9 other principal markets, the average price
was 15s. 3d. Thus demonstrating, in the most incontestable
manner, that at this period of the year of famine, 1846—the
staifof life—the substitute for the potato in Ireland—is by one

wine dealer,

shilling and three-pence per cwt. cheaper than it was in a year
of unquestionable plenty and abunbance; and the same might
be said of every year in the series of twelve years, the returns
of which, on the 28th of March, (the anniversary of which will
be to-morrow), now lie before us, viz., says our contemporary,

from 1834 to 1846, both inclusive.
CONSPIRACY PROVIDENTIALLY DETECTED.--011 Thursday
last, one of the maid servants at Castle Archdall, Fermanagh,
the seat of Robert Archdall, Esq., a highly respectable Protest-
ant magistrate, accidentally went ihto an unfrequented area of
the house, and was surprised to find secreted there some hooks,
which had some little time previously been stolen
mol-house. She communicated her discovery to
the steward, who very prudently desired her not to mention it,
and communicated with Sergeant Malony, of Lowtherstown
constabulary. He and some of his party lay in wait for two
days and two nights, when two .men, named Gallagher and
Conolly, came on Friday night to carry away their booty. They
were instantly apprehended. One of them had a gun, charged
with six inches of powder and shot, and on his person a Ribbon
warrant, or letter of authority, declaring that it had been deter-
mined upon to shoot Robert Archdall, Esq., and that his death
warrant had been signed, but of which fact he should first get
notice l An investigation was held, and the scoundrels com-
mitted to prison on Sunday. Mr. Archdall is one of the very
last, we should suppose, that even the wicked and misguided
would select on whom to visit their Satanic sentence of death.
His father, the late Charles Archdall, Esq., was much beloved
as agent over the Archdall estates, and his son walked worthy
of his father.
Yesterday, about two o'clock, a man, nulled James Kehoe, was
killed, at No. 5 Transit Shed, by a bale of cottou falling upon him.

paper, ts.:
from the