The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-09 00:00:00

ROAD COAIMITTEI

In the proceedings of this committee, the commissioners
were recommeded to give permission to the Chester and
Birkenhead Railway Company to lay down a tra►nroad from
Grange-lane to Monk's Ferry, and to close Ivy-street until
the tunnel which is intended to be made between those points
is completed.
Mr. LAYCOCK asked how long the tunnel was expected to

be in making ?
The Cu AiumAN said, the tunnel would be made in eight
or ten months ; but the use of Ivy-street would not be re-
quired so long. The application was only made with the view
of facilitating the construction of the tunnel.
.ir. GILBERTSON enquired whether no restrictions were
to be imposed upon the railway company as to the time they
would keep Ivy-street closed ?
The CHAIRMAN observed that the commissioners were
bound by their agreement with the directors, to render them
all the assistance in their power.
Mr. GILBERTSON suggested that they should be required
to have a good carriage road across Chester-street.
Mr. LAIRD.—Tbat they will do.

Mr. WOOD wished to know whether the railway company
could make this tunnel without going to parliament for
power _ _ _ _ _

The CHAIRMAN said the directors were satisfied they had
the power already ; but he did not know whether that was
a question with which the commissioners were at all con-
cerned, and, therefore, he must be excused if he declined all
discussion upon the subject.

Mr. Woob intimated his conviction that some difficulty
would arise on that point.

Mr. LAYCOCK said it was understood that the railway direc-
tors would proceed at their own risk ; and that they were not
to bring the commissioners of Birkenhead into a false posi-

Mr. WOOD.-But, if we give them this permission we
sanction their proceedings.
Mr. LA.YCOCK had no doubt that the directors would act
in concert with the road committee.
Mr. Woon urged that the commissioners ought to be very
cautious before they committed themselves to any act which
might be called into question.
Mr. LAIRD repeated that there was no intention to stop
up Chester-street. There would be merely a tramroad across
it like there was in Liverpool, from the new dock works to the
north shore, from which no inconvenience could possibly
arise. The reason why Ivy-street was required to be closed
was that the tunnel would be so near the surface there that
it would not be safe for the usual traffic to be going on there
whilst it was being made.
Mr. GILBERTSON said, his object was only to secure that
no impediment was made to the passage along Chester-
street.

Mr. LAIRD stated that that object would be accomplished.
The CHAIRMAN observed, it was for the interest of the
township that the recommendation of the committee should
be confirmed.
Mr. PIM said, the road committee would be very glad to
meet Mr. Gilbertson, or any other inhabitant of the places
affected by the proposed tunnel, in order to afford them any
explanations.
Mr. LAIRD showed that according to the plans laid before
committee, by Mr. Yarrow, Chester-street would not be
stopped ; but that it was necessary for Ivy-street to be
closed.
The CHAIRMAN thought it necessary to state, that having
the honour to be a director of the Chester and Birkenhead
Railway Company, he had declined to attend all the meetings
of the road committee which had been held on this subject.
Mr. Woon, as a commissioner of Birkenhead, should ob-
ject to the breaking up of any of the streets of the township,
because he believed the railway company had not power to
make the tunnel ; and, therefore, so far as he was concerned,
he should protest against the sanction of the general board
being given to the appropriation of the railway company.
The CHAIRMAN.—You are then only prOtesting against
the acts and deeds of the general body of commissioners.
Mr. WALKER said that all the company asked for was
permission to lay down rails on the surface of the streets, just
to facilitate the excavation of the tunnel.
Mr. WATSON called for the letter from Mr. Yarrow, to the
road committee, making the application.
Mr. HORNER said it had been mislaid and could not be
produced, but the plans might be laid upon the table.
The plans were then produced and examined. After an
examination, Mr. Gilbertson expressed himself satisfied with

Mr. Woon begged to ask for information respecting the
powers of the railway company to make this tunnel. He
knew that according to the original act of parliament a tram-
road was to be guaranteed to Tranmere, as well as Woodside ;
but that had been abandoned. Under all the circumstances,
he could not, as a commissioner, consent to the public
streets of the township to be stopped up until he knew the
powers of the railway company to do so.
The CHAIRMAN was sorry that Mr. Case was not in the
chair to reply to Mr. Wood's observstions ; because, as he
(the Chairman) was deputy-chairman of the commissioners
as well as a director of the railway, he would have preferred
that an answer should come from Mr. Case instead of him-
self. He did not think the commissioners ought to refer at
all to the powers possessed by the Chester and Birkenhead
Railway Company, or to their act of parliament. That was
not a question for them to consider. They had no right to
consider the interests of Tranmere ; nor had they any right
to consider the interests of the Corporation of Liverpool, as
connected with the Birkenhead Ferry. They had but a short
and simple duty to fulfil, namely, to see how far the inter-
ests of the town could be advanced by the tunnel being con-
structed, and that was a question which had been already
discussed and determined; the commissioners had already
bound themselves by deed as strongly as law could bind
them, on condition of the railway company selling them the
ferry, to use all the powers they possessed to enable them,
both above ground and under ground to construct the tun-
nel. It was but following out an agreement to which the
commissioners had bound themselves.
Mr. Woos disagreed with the Chairman. He thought
the interests of Birkenhead :would be promoted by a tram
road to Tranmere as well as to Woodside.
The CH AIRMAN had no doubt of it, and when the owners
of property in Tranmere brought forward that request, he
was sure the commissioners would:give it due consideration.,
After a few words from Mr. Laycock, Mr. M'lNicol, the
Chairman, and others, the proceedings of the Road Com-
mittee were confirmed.