The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-06-03 00:00:00

THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTS

Mr. Wm. JACKSON stated that the accounts of the commis-
sioners for the year ending on the 24th May were on the
table, and he should be glad to give any explanation respect-

ing them. - -
Mr. LAYCOCK inquired whether the accounts had been

audited

Mr. JACKSON replied in the negative. They were now
laid before the commissioners, and an audit committee would
have to be appointed by the meeting.
After a brief conversation on this subject,
Mr. JACKSON said he would now give a summary of the
accounts. In the first place, the township was indebted to
sundry individuals, for materials for the public highways,
new streets, work done to the markets, interest, general ac-
count, and sundry items, the sum of £1917 2s. 9d., exclusive
of the bond debt. There was due to the township, from par-
ties, who, when the new streets were completed, would pay
it, £2425 lls. Bd. ; arrears of market rents £B4 15s. 9d. ;
and arrears of rates, £825 7s. Id. ; making a total of
£3335 14s. 6d. So that if the debit was deducted, a balance
would be shown in favour of the township of £l4OB lls. 9d.
This was a general outline of the state of the accounts. Of
course the accuracy of them would be tested by reference to
the vouchers, and perhaps it would be as well to appoint an
audit committee at once, previous to the statement before
the meeting being printed.
Mr. GREEN said that last year two auditors were appointed
who were not members of the board.
The CR AtitmAN recommended that this course should be
taken again.

Mr. MALLABY, the Law-clerk, said no person who had
not been a member of the board had any power to audit the
accounts.

Mr. JAcxsoisr, in continuation of his statement said, that
against the bond debt of £8,150 the township had ample pro-
perty. There was the market, which was valued at £lO,OOO,
and the balance of £1,400; and the township, after paying
all debts, and also for a variety of articles of stock, too nu-
merous to mention, and which might be put down at several
hundreds more, had much more value belonging to it than
the amount borrowed. _

Mr. MALLABY enquired whether the valuation of the
market at £lO,OOO included the large space of land behind
the market ? _

Mr. JACKSON.—Yes ; but not the land which has recently
been given to us. . . .

Mr: LAYCOCK.—And that is worth £6.000 more

Mr. JACKSON wished to state also that the revenue to-
wards paying the interest upon the bond debt last year (of
course he included the arrears owing) had been £493 4s. sd,
thus showing that the commissioners had a fund, independ-
ently of the rates, to pay the interest upon the bond debt.
This fund arose from the receipts of the weighing machine
and market.

Mr. COLE.—It does not appear that we are insolvent.
Mr. LAYCOCK.-1 had no idea that the market was so
productive.
Mr. JACKSON.—I think great credit is due to the Market
Committee of last year for the vigorous way in which they
have acted.

Mr. M ALLABY suggested that two commissioners be ap-
pointed auditors, who should have the assistance of the Fi-
nance Committee, or of any other member of the board who
might choose to attend their meetings. Two gentlemen
should be specially mentioned.
After some discussion this suggestion was adopted, and
Mr. Stansfield and Mr. Laycock were appointed a committee
to audit the accounts.

PURCHASE OF WOODSIDE FERRY.
Mr. JACKSON presented a report from the Ferry Com-
mittee. He commenced by saying that in their last report
the committee stated the way in which the settlement with
the Chester and Birkenhead Railway Company had taken
place for their interest in the ferry; and he had to report
that since then the committee had closed entirely with the
directors, and struck a final balance, showing what the com-
missioners would have to pay them. They had since that
period also struck a balance with the Woodside Ferry Com-
pany as being now the proprietors of the railway interest in
that Company. Indeed it was necessary to strike a nominal
balance in order to show whether the concern, since it had
become the property of the township, had been profitable or
otherwise. He was happy to be able to state, that after cal-
culating interest at the rate of five per cent. upon the amount
borrowed, and also allowing for every contingency, except
loss by accidents or otherwise—and they had no reason to
put aside any sum for that, seeing that- the loss from such
sources had been so trifling—they would have cleared a
balance of £950. which would at once, if the commissioners
deemed it right, become available towards the reduction of
the rates of the township. He wished the commissioners to
understand distinctly what he meant—namely, that assuming
the purchase money to be £44,000, and reckoning one por-
tion of the interest at 4 per cent., and another at 5 per cent.,
and charging interest from the time they purchased the
ferry, the sth of August, and making every allowance, there
was a clear balance to the credit of the township of upwards
of £9OO. _ -

Mr. LAYCOCK inquired in what period this profit had
accrued?

Mr. JACKSON replied in nine months and 19 days, and
that there were two months and eleven days of the most pro-
fitable part of the year to come. He saw every prospect of
being able to congratulate the township upon having, from
this source, a surplus of £1,200 over the expenditure at the
end of the first year. It must be borne in mind, that on the
30th June (instant), they would not be in debt to a single
contractor ; and he thought they might expect from this
source alone an additional income of £lOOO over the preced-
ing year. The Ferry Committee thought it would be deci-
dedly wrong to avail themselves of the surplus income from
the ferry for any other purpose than as a sinking fund for
contingencies. They therefore recommended, having upon
this balance good grounds for recommending, that a compe-
tent accountant be appointed for the purpose of keeping the
books of the township and the ferry in perfect order; that
no passenger pass free by the ferry, under any circumstances
whatever ; that the present terms to contractors be conti-
nued ; that no contractor be allowed to pass at the contrac-
tors' gate unless his contract be paid in advance, within
seven day's of his former contract expiring ; that no person
be allowed to pass the pay.gate without payment, under any
circumstances ; that a system of collecting by tickets be
adopted, adults being charged 2d. each, and children under
twelve years of age ld. each ; that the gate be closed as the
last bell is rung, and not opened till the packet has moved
off, and strict punctuality to be observed on both sides ; that
the packets ply every half-hour during the year, from half-
past five in the morning till ten at night ;at half-past ten and
half-past eleven from Woodside, and at eleven and twelve
from Liverpool ; all contracts expire at the end of the quar-
ter, namely, on the 30th September, the 31st December, the
30th March, and the 30th June, and that the year commence
on the Ist July ; that a schedule of charges be made ex-
clusively for the ferrying of goods, parcels, &c., and ano-
ther for landing and warehousing the same ; that a sepa-
rate room and clerk be appointed to receive all goods, and
deliver them, all to be paid for before delivery; no smoking
will be allowed inside the premises, or on board the packets.
A. very long discussion followed upon these several recom-
mendations. At the end of the conversation it was decided
that each of them should be put separately, which was done.
Some verbal alterations were made in one or two, but
eventually they were all confirmed. The consideration, how-
ever, of a proposition to employ the police on board the
packets was postponed.
A resolution was then carried, to the effect that the board
approved of the arrangements recommended by the Ferry
Committee, and authorising the committee to apply to the
directors to adopt such of them as are practicable, until the
ferry be vested in the commissioners. . .

The meeting then adjourned till Monday next, the Gth
• -

of June

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS.
On Wednesday evening, a meeting of the ratepayers of the
township of Birkenhead was held in the large room of Poole's
hotel, Woodside, for the purpose of receiving a list of all
such persons as are eligible to serve as commissioners under
the Improvement Act, and from that list to select nine fit
and proper persons to be put in nomination at the annual
election on Tuesday next. It appears that another party had
put forward a list, consisting of the following:—
Alexander Kerr, master mariner, Canning-street ; John
Walker, builder, Argyle-street; William Horner, merchant,
Hamilton-square ; Christopher Bentham, tea dealer, Church-
street ; Daniel Mc Nichol, merchant, Lord-street ; William
Adamson, ship builder, Patent Slip ; Thomas Gilbertson,
flour dealer, Ivy-street. One commissioner in the stead of
Mr. Joseph Mallaby, for two years, commencing Ist of June,
1842 :—Richard Fry, tea broker, Church-street. One com-
missioner in the stead of William Fry, for one year, com-
mencing Ist June, 1842 :—William Byenscroft, merchant,
Lingdale-house.
About sixty persons were present. Mr. LAYCOCK was
called to the chair, and he opened the proceedings by reading
the placard convening the meeting.
On the motion of Mr. MADDOCK, seconded by Mr. Mort-
TIMER, Mr. EDWARD WILLOUGHBY was proposed to be put
in nomination. This resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. CROWTHER moved, and Mr. GREEN seconded a re-
solution that Mr. ALEXANDER KERR be nominated.—
Carried.
Moved by Mr. JONES, seconded-by Mr. WILLOUGHBY,
that Mr. WM. HoRNER be nominated.—Carried.
Proposed by Mr. CROWTHER, seconded by Mr. HILLIAR,
that Mr. THOMAS GILBERTSON be nominated.—Carried.
Proposed by Mr. EDEN, and seconded by Mr. SMITH, that
Mr. JoHN WALKER be nominated.
Proposed by Mr. Evarrs, seconded by Mr. WATSON, that
Mr. CHARLES ALFRED VV.,raotv be nominated.—Curried.
Moved by Clamz, seconded by Mr. lltroDEs, that Mr.
' WILLIAM WALKER be nominated.—carried.
It was next resolved that Mr. William Green, brewer,
should be put in nomination to succeed Mr. Mallaby ; and
Mr. William Moseley to succeed Mr. Fry.
This being all the business, the meeting thanked the chair-
man and separated.—The day of election is Tuesday next.

CHESHIRE YEOMANRY

The Cheshire yeomanry hive been performing their annual
routine of eight days' duty, commencing on Friday last ; and
they will take their departure from among us to-morrow,
(Saturday.) They have each day been performing their
evolutions on the sands at. Bootle Bay, and we have been
given to understand by competent judges,
that they have on
every occasion displayed a
very creditable amount of military
skill. Colonels Egerton and Lord De Tabley have been in
command daily, and it is but justice to those gallant officers,
that the men under their command reflect infinite credit upon
the discipline which they have instituted.
On Wednesday evening the performances at the Theatre-
royal were under the patronage of the officers of the corps,
many of whom were present in addition to a considerable
body of the men. The tragedy of " Hamlet " was per-
formed, the principal characters being well sustained by Mr.
Anderson and Miss Julia Bennett. Last evening the mayor
gave a grand dinner to the officers and the yeomanry, and
a select party of gentlemen. The following were present :
The Mayor, Lieut.-colonel Marten, Ist Dragoons, Lieut.
Bartellot, ditto, Colonel Glegg,
Esq.,Capt. Congreve, Joseph N.
Walker, Esq. William Earle,George H. Lawrence,
, Charles E. Ashton, Esq., Joseph' Langton, Esq., Richard Willis, Esq., Dr.
Branreth, Hardman Earletisq.
James Swan, Esq., Lieut. Hamlet', John N. Shaw, Esq.,
the Rev. Thos. G. Leigh, Colonel
*Egerton, Colonel Lord
De Tabley, Major Brooke: Captains Sir Philip Egerton,
Egerton, Antrobus, Lloyd, Worthington, De Trafford,
Court, Richmond, Marsland, and L.
Townshend, Tatton, Leycester, Brooke, and Hill, Lieute-
nants Palin, Wallace,
, Major Wilbraham, Cot-
Brooke, Cornets Barker, Pownall, Thornton, Potts, Wright,
John. ean Case, Esq., Capt. Lacy,
Reade, Raingill, and Worthii;fton
tingham Moss, Esq.,
73d regiment, Mr. Parke, ditto.
This morning there will be a grand review of the corps by
Lieutenant-Colonel Marten, on Bootle Bay Sands. We in-
tend to publish a description of the scene, which we expect
,in a second edition. To-nht to be one of much anima
the officers will entertaintion the Mayor and a party of gentlemigen
at a splendid dinner at the Queen's Arms Hotel.

--_-_-_---
—:—
The illustrious order of the Garter, which it is understood
the Earl of Wilton, with
the rank of ambassador extraor-
dinary, is to convey to Dresden and invest his majesty the
King of Saxony with,
is bestowedon that potentate as head
of the house of Saxe, of
which Prince Albert, who is to be
officially styled " Duke of Saxony," is a junior or collateral
branch.