The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-11-14 00:00:00

n the meantime, virtually the works are'
men are still employed on the dam.a-
tave contracts for the completion of the

stopped; a fel,

and the trust

a effect, the contractors refuse to
roceed with. That, continued Mr. Curry, was their
,osition,. He could hardly trust himself to enlarge on

t whi,

e unbounded confidence that the

trustees, in common with the world, had had in the con-
tractors, they did not for a moment suppose that there
would have been any let or hindrance in carrying on, in
the most prompt and vigorous manner, the contract which
these gentlemen had entered into ; but that a decided dis-
position to stand still exhibited itself now, and had
exhibited itself for many weeks past, was patent to them
all—They were,.perhaps, aware of the immense magnitude
of the contract, and of the time in which those contracts
were to have been completed, and nothing had been done
tip to the present time at these docks but what had been
paid for, and perhaps more than paid for, by the money
that was advanced at once. He was sorry to be obliged to
give -the board' so unsatisfactory an account, but at the
same time he was not sorry that they had called on one
Of the trustees to make such a report, as he believed the
public mind had been under the impression that they had
no contract, and that such undeniable security as Messrs.
Peto and Betts was simply fabulous. But that such con-
tracts did exist, and could not under any circumstances
be broken through, he could assure them, and, as he had
already said, the trustees had given notice to all the
parties concerned, that they meant to enforce them.
Mr. Coos, as a dock trustee, said that, after the clear
statement made by Mr. Curry, there was scarcely anything
left for him to say. It was stated out of doors that the
contracts were not good ones ; but the contracts stipulated
distinctly that the dock works should be completed in
three years. Hehad attended all the meetings of the dock
trust, and he could speak of the great anxiety which all the
trustees had manifested to have those works executed, and
no greater disappointment could be expressed by any body
of men when they found that the works were not progress-
ing. As an individual interested in the welfare of the
township; he must say that, when those contracts were
signed. and sealed, be placed every reliance on the con-
tractors that they would fulfil their' engagements. No-
thing, however, was left them but their blank paper, and
he was afraid that to enforce the contracts they would have
to go tolaw. They eould do nothing in the matter until
the three, years were expired, although the law-clerk
thought differently. The contractors, they might rest
assured, should not be spared. It was a painful position
in which they were placed, and he felt it in pocket in com-
mon with all the tradesmen of Birkenhead.
3lr..lltNnnnsos.—The most tender place to feel it.
Mr. COOK said that it was some consolation to know that
the contracts were binding: and there was no doubt but
that they would be enforced.
Mr. CURRY remarked that what was wanted here was a
wholesome rivalry, as in London, and that was what the
shipowners and others interested in Liverpool were looking
for. Nothing worse could take place to the shipowners of
Liverpool than to have the Liverpool docks and the Bir-
kenhead Docks under one trust.

Mr. ASPINALL. —I wishsome of the shipowners of Liver-
pool would come over and lend us money to finish the
docks..

Mr. CURRY said that the contractors, if they were not
pleased with'the terms, ought to have made the objection
before the signing of the contracts, and not now, when a
year and a half of the time had expired.
Mr. GOUGH remarked that if they sold the docks to the
contractors, they would be soon finished. •
Mr. CURRY said that the contracts should be enforced.
The discussion then terminated.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE

BETTING AT MANCHESTER.-FuIDAY.

Steeple-chasing now being nearly a dead letter in the
sporting world, more than usual attention at this time of
the year is paid to the Chester Cup betting; and perhaps
upon that event there never was a greater number of small
books open, the amounts of which are generally £2OO,
layers of odds being thoroughly convinced, from past ex-
perience, that large books are unmanageable at 100 to 1,
which is the current offer. against any horse not previously
laid against. The difficulty which generally attends the
making of large books upon the Chester Cup at 100 to 1,
is being unable to lay the fall amount against a sufficient
number of horses, thereby compelling the bookmaker to
stand to lose upon those horses that have figured most
conspicuously in the market. A great number of horses,
likely and unlikely, have already been laid against at 100
to 1; but as the majority have been backed for what is
termed in racing phraseology " a frisk," a list of the
whole of their names would be altogether superfluous, and
no guide to our sportingreaders in their speculations upon
that event. Very littly doing on the Derby, Oulston and
Frederick being the only horses backed, An even " pony"
was laid on Bonnie Morn, Dirk Hatteraick, Lord of the
Isles, and St. Hubert, for the Two Thousand Guineas
Stakes, the backer of the four offering to give money to
have the bet repealed. sto 1 was offered on the field for
the Shrewsbury Handicap, and there were offers to bet
to 1 bar Pantomime. Latest prices :

CHESTER CDT.
100 to 1 ag,st Mr. T. Parr's Rabgill—taken.
100 to 1 „ Mr. Wray's D. o.—taken.
100 to 1 „ Mr. J. Osborne's Lord Alfred—taken.
100 to 1 „ Mr. J. Osborne's Lady Tatton—taken

100 to 1 „
100 to 1 „
100 to 1 „

Mr. G. Payne's Syvagee—taken.
Mr. H. Hill's Doctor O'Toole—taken
Mr. H. Hill's Kingstown—taken.

100 to 1 Mr. F. Knowles's

Talfourd—taken

„
100 to 1 „ Mr. Copperthwaite's Early Bird—taken.
100 to 1 „ Mr. Harrison's Heapy—taken.

THE DERBY.
17 to 1 agst Mr. Howard's Onlston—(taken.)
40 to 1 „ Mr. Gulliver's Frederick—(taken.)

LIVERPOOL AUTUMN MEETING

This meeting, which took place on Tuesday and
Wednesday last, proved a decided failure as to attendance,
although the races were contested by numerous fields, and,
from the meagre attendance on the stands, would have
been a decided loss to the lessee, but for the large sum which
was realised by the sale of the winners of the selling races-
The advanced season of the year, with the present de-
pressed state of sporting matters, from so many supporters
of the turf being absent at the seat of war, renders it pro-
bable that this meeting will have to be discontinued.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7.

The Tyno HANDICAP, of 5 sovs. each, with 40 added.
Mr. Parr's Benhams, by Van Tromp.. Marlow 1
Mr. Dobson's f by Pyrrhus the First. Charlton

Four others ran. Won by a head.
The SEFTON AUTUMN HANDICAP, of 6 sovs. each,'witb

200 added. One mile and three quarters.
Mr. Barton's Gem, 3 yrs, sst 21b...Withington 1
Mr. Milner's Grapeshot, 4 yrs, Bst 11b.Ashmall 2

Alonzo, Boddicot, Maid of Teain Valley, Merry Bird,
Braxey, Ethelwolf, Domino, Bracken, Ulster, Kidnapper,
Maid of the Tees, General Breezo, The Medal, Timotheus,
and Morning Star also ran. Won by a length.
A HANDICAP PLATE, of 60 soya., for all ages. T.Y.C.
Mr. E. Gill's Bourgeois, Bst 71b Charlton 1
Count Batthyany's Speed the Plough Aldcroft 2
Nine others ran. Won by a length.
The CROXTETH WELTER CCP, Of 50 sovs. mile.
Mr. Moseley's Alonzo, list 81b...Tacker 1
Mr. Saxon's Hazelnut, lOst 91b Clements 2
Seven others started. Won by a length.
A SELLING STEEPLE-CHASE, Of 6 sovs. each, with 30added.
Mr. Fowler's Augean, 10st 111 b J. Fields 1
Mr. Fennelly's Captain Grant, 10st 71b ...Dea 2
Mr. Benson's Jemmy the Black Dickson 3
Won easily by twenty lengths.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8.
A. SELLING STAKES; of 5 sovs. each, with 20 added. T.Y.C.
Mr. Baker's Miss Allen, 3 yrs Chillman 1
Mr. Fenning's Tonic, 6 yrs Charlton. 2
Four others ran. Won by a head.
The AINTREE PLATE, of 60 sovs., for all ages. T.ZC.
Mr. Spence's Catherine'Parr, 6st 101b.Ashmall 1
Mr. Bancroft's Sister of Mercy, Est 41b...Percy 2
Five others started. Won easily by a length.
The LIVERPOOL AUTUMN HANDICAP STEEPLE- opips, of
100 sovs., added to a sweepstakes of 5 soya. each. 3 miles.
Mr. W. K. Walker's Rosa, Bst 121 b. W. White 1
Mr. B. Land's Needwood, list 41b Geeen 2

Lincoln, Tom of Tuam, and Speculation also ran. Roses
took the lead at the last flight of hurdles, and won by
forty lengths.
OPTIONAL SELLING STAKES, of 5 soya. each, 30 added.
Mr. J. Scott's f by lago—Confusionee .Hayhoe 1
Mr. Sworder's Merry Peal ...............Palmer 2
Five others ran. Won easily by a length and a half.
The SCURRY HANDICAP, of 5 sows. each, with 20 added.
Mr. E. Gill's Bourgeois, 4 yrs, Ost ...Charlton 1
Mr. Fenning's Tonic, 6 yrs, Bst 41b ... Aldcroft 2
Four others started. Won easily by a length.

Mr. Ewbank has purchased Mr. John Scott's two year
old filly by lago out of Confasionee, for 215 guineas.
Seberz, Thor, and Georgey have arrived at W. Smith's
stables, Newmarket, to be trained for their engagements.
The retirement of Lord Exeter from- the turf is only
temporary, as his lordship does not intend to part with
Stockwell, pr any of the breod mares ; in the meantime,
the stables have been let to Harloek, who intends to con-
tinue in business as a public trainer.