The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-01-07 00:00:00

SUNDAY WORKING

The CHAIRMAN said he had received a letter from a person
who called himself " an eye witness," who said that a great
number of the men in the employment of the dock estate,
were working on Sunday last, at the docks, to his very great
surprise. About sixty altogether were so employed.
The SURVEYOR dared say this was the case, for such things
must occur occasionally. If the committee would give him
orders that no body was to be employed on the Sunday, he
would adhere to those orders, and their commands should be
attended to, but, at the same time, he must not be held
answerable for the consequences.

Mr. RIPLEY said, he had seen men at work, but he did
not know how it could be avoided at times.

Mr. HORSFALL enquired whether there was any necessity
for them to work on this occasion ?

The SURVEYOR said, if he did not get them on at spring-
tides in this way the work would be prevented from proceed-
ins till the following great springs, which would be a month.
Men were never set to work on the Sunday if he could
help it.

Mr. HORSFALL : And it only occurs once a month ?
The SURVEYOR: That is all, sir.
The CHAIRMAN observed, that it was in this case a work
of necessity.

The SURVEYOR said, this matter had often been before
the committee, and he would assure the committee there
was no work upon the Sunday when it could be helped.
Mr. CHAPMAN remarked, that the dock-masters and gate-
men worked on a Sunday, so did the telegraph ; to begin
here, therefore, was to begin at the wrong end.
The CHAIRMAN said, that those works were necessary
works.

Mr. CHAPMAIq did not know that the telegraph was
necessary, except under special circumstances, on the Sunday.
The conversation on this subject then terminated.
THE TELEGRAPH.

The MARINE SURVEYOR presented a report, through the
committee for that department, recommending certain
changes among the several telegraph keepers. The changes
were read, but they are unimportant. The salaries to the
stations are to remain as usual. The report stated, that on
reviewing the telegraph establishment, it appeared that the
stations on which the whole system mainly rested were Holy-
head, Point Lynas, the Great Ormshead, and Liverpool ; and
the Marine Surveyor therefore recommended that the men
best capable for the duty should be placed at these stations.
The Marine Surveyor further recommended, that in future
none but the most active and vigilant men be placed at these
stations. The report was received.
The Sub-committee of Works reported the leases of the
several stations, and they were confirmed.

SERVICES OF THE LIFE BOATS

The MARINE SURVEYOR reported the services rendered
by the life-boat establishment during the year 18-11. The
total number of vessels assisted was 14; and the total num-
ber of lives saved was 283-270 of whom were the crew and
passengers of the emigrant-ship Urania, the loss of which
may be in the recollection of our readers.
THE CHANNELS, &C.
- - _ _

The MARINE SURVEYOR reported that the number of
vessels which had passed the Victoria and the other northern
channels in the year 1841 was—of inward vessels, 8,570 ;
outward, 9,137 ; total, 17,707. The number of vessels which
passed through the Rock Channel in 1841, in and out, was
12,319.

The MARINE SURVEYOR further reported that the depth
of water upon the bar of Victoria Channel, on the evening of
the 29th December, 1841, at low spring tides, was 12 feet,
and on the morning of the 30th December, 1841, 11 feet 6
inches ; shewing that there had been no diminution of depth
since the same time last year. The weather was very favour-
able for these observations, the water being smooth, and the
wind for several days previous having been light and mode-
rate, so as not to have any disturbing influence upon the ebb
and flow of the tide.

Several members expressed their satisfaction at this report

SHIPBUILDERS' ACCOMMODATION

The SECRETARY read the following motion, of which Mr
Chapman had given notice at the last meeting

"That the land at the north-west corner of the South
Boundary Dock, adjacent to Messrs. Grantham and Page's
iron foundry, be appropriated for the purpose of ship-build-
ing, and that the same be let, on the usual terms, to the ship-
wrights who have been obliged to quit their premises in
Trentham-street, on account of the land hitherto occupied
by them being required for the new dock."

The SunviiYori, in reference to this motion, reported that
the land in question could not be allowed, as it would be
wanted for the use of the new works; at least it could not be
allowed until the new works were in a state of great forward-
ness, otherwise the works could not be carried on as they
ought to be. He feared, indeed, the ground would not be
found sufficient, and he expected, after the 15th instant, a
quantity of pine and oak timber, which must be counter-
manded if this land was not prepared for it.
Mr. TOBIN inquired what quantity of land was required
for that timber ?

The SURVEYOR replied all that the committee now had.
Mr. TOBIN said he wanted to know whether it was 100 or
400 acres ?

The SURVEYOR, in reply, said he could not speak to the
quantity.

Mr. SHAD inquired whether there was any of it that
could be applied to the purposes proposed by Mr. Chapman ?
The SunvEYon said he was not aware of any.

Mr. CHAPMAN said, his object in submitting this motion
was to bring the subject more immediately before the com-
mittee, as he was satisfied it was the wish of all the members
to alleviate the distress and sufferings of the ship-builders
who had been so hastily ejected from their premises when
the purposes of the new dock required it. He understood
that the master builders had been put to very considerable
inconvenience and expense in consequence of having been
obliged to remove; that all had been able to finish their
work, launch their ships, and look out for other places.
There only remained Mr. Clarke, who had just lately
launched his vessel, and he was now left without any accom-
modation. In fact, he was now driven quite in a corner;
he did not know where to remove with his stock ; and unless
some provision was made for him, very serious injury would
be done to one of the most respectable in the profession.
The land at the south of Messrs. Grantham and Page's yard
had lately been reclaimed ; it was made land, in fact ; and
he only wanted about 6t) feet of it, just a narrow slip, which
would leave a very large space to put timber upon, besides
the other part of the docks. The south-east part, the dock
surveyor had said, might be spared besides, but what was
required for Mr. Clarke would be quite in the other corner.
He looked at this also in another point of view. If the
committee got £2OO a-year rent for this proposed ship-
wrights' yard, surely they might find a yard some where
else to put their timber in, so as not to inconvenience
the shipbuilders. Indeed, if we were deprived of them
the port would suffer. They suffered enormously from
the shutting up of the two docks ; no person could cal-
culate their loss ; hence it ought to be the duty and pleasure
of the Dock Committee to put up with some little temporary
inconvenience as far as the new dockyard was concerned, in
order to accommodate them. It was incumbent upon this
committee to consider the case of the shipwrights, for he
found in the acts of parliament that their forefathers had pe-
culiar care about these matters ; that they pointed out what
their duty via's, to encourage shipbuilding, for the act returned
one moiety of the dock duties to ships built here. Hence it
was clearly contemplated, that, whenever the Dock Commit-
tee could entertain the thing, a sort of protection should be
extended to them ; and, considering the circumstances of the
case, if this convenience could be given it would satisfy Very
much the public demands. The question having narrowed
itself so much, he trusted the committee would take it into
serious consideration, and grant the small strip of land to
Mr. Clarke.

The CHAIRMAN observed that there had been several ap-
plications to the same effect. _ _

Mr. CHAPMAN admitted there had, but none of the par-
ties had been dispossessed.
The CHAIRMAN had no doubt that the committee would
be very glad to grant the application if they could.
Mr. CIIAPMAN said that those who were dispossessed had
clearly a claim upon the committee, and let the new claimants
wait till the quays were clear, and then they might have a site.
He confined himself to those who were dispossessed, upon
whom it was a great hardship. He thought it highly impru-
dent to drive our shipbuilders to Harrington Docks, to
Whitehaven, or the Isle of Man, or anywhere else, and to
substitute mere Irish excavators inlheir places.
Mr. TOBIN suggested that the sub-committee of works
should examine the plot, in order to see what land they could
spare without inconvenience, for he did not think the ship-
builders had been well used.

Mr. HousrALL said the committee generally would ac-
quiesce in the observations of Mr. Chapman, and he was
sure there was every disposition to afford the shipbuilders
every accommodation in their power. He went over the
ground himself yesterday, and it appeared to be a large space
certainly, and he should be glad if the surveyor could tell
how much it contained. If the land could be granted it was
desirable to do so ; but in order to enable the committee to
come to a proper conclusion, they ought to know first what
the land was. There was no occasion for a finished plan, but
just sufficient to give the committee an idea of the property.
Mr. AIKIN would rather ask the Surveyor whether he
could spare any of the ground for the present, for if the new
works were delayed but a single day, it would not be com-
pensated for by a year's rent. Although the parties would
be yearly tenants, vet if once located there, they would he
likely to remain. They could scarcely ever expect to dis-
place them. The question simply was, whether in the pre-
sent state of the works the committee could grant the land,
and he should apprehend they could not spare it after what
they had heard from the surveyor.

Mr. SHAND thought that as Mr. Clarke had suffered in-
jury from being turned out, though he agreed with Mr. Aikin
that the committee ought not to postpone the works, his case
required special consideration.

Mr. Tonis inquired whether anything was to be put upon
the land except timber?

The SURVEYOR said stone as well would be placed there.
Mr. HORSFALL thought that when they came to measure-
ments, he really thought that 60 feet was as nothing com-
pared with the whole piece of land ; but he could not make
up his mind upon the subject till he knew what extent the
land was.

After a few remarks from Mr. SANDBACH and Mr. A IKIN,
a resolution was passed, referring the matter to the Sub-com-
mittee of Works to report thereon.
The business of the meeting then terminated.

FALMOUTH, JAN. 3.-The West India steamers left this
port this afternoon, the Tay having 60 sacks of letters and 30
of newspapers ; and the Thames, which it appears now will
be the first to come home, a proportionate increase for
Demerara, Mexico, &c.