The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-29 00:00:00

MEETING OF TUF PROPRIETORS
TANIC GARDENS.

OF THE B 0

Yesterday, at t,velre o'clock. a special general meeting of
the proprietors of the Botanic Gardens. was held at the Cla-
rendon• rooms, to receive the answer of the Common Coun-
cil, relative to the proposition made to them, nitd to consider
the propriety of selling the whole or a portion of the gardens.
The attendance, though highly respectable, was but slender,
there being only twenty gentlemen present. •
George Freckleton, Esq., M.D., president of the commit-
tee of shareholders, was called to the chair. soil opened the
business of the meeting. The committee being empowered
to communicate with the council, had proposed to atil the
gardens to them at a price that would cover the existing debts.
This had not been acceded to, and appiication was then made
to sell them the reversion of the leas-, for the sum of 4000
guineas. This was also declined, as was shown by the fol-
lowing resolution, passed at the meeting of tl.e Finance Com-
mittee, had out the 11th Febv. last :—" Rcsolved,—That the
committee • regret that they cannot recommend the purchase
on the terms proposed." Toe committee of the proprietors
exceedingly regretted this, for they were of opinion that un-
less they could devise some means to liquidate tile debt of the
institution, they could not efficiently carry it on. The sum
required to be raised (we understood him to say) was between
£3OOO and £4OOO, and the expenditure exceeded the present
income. They had also the pain to announce that CS shares
had been forfeited in the last year; and that, though the com-
mittee had viewed the subject with the most anxious atten-
tion, they were not prepared, after their unsuccessful efforts
to redeem the institution, to submit any specific plan of pro-
ceeding. The only alternative seemed to them to be to dis-
pose of the gardens, as the best step they could take under
the circumstances. A proposition had been made to dispose
of a part of them ; but this they conceived they could do only
to a disadvantage as regarded the property, and to the injury
of the gardens. They, therefore, thought that the best course
would be to offer them for sale.
A PROPRIETOR remarked that he considered the Common
Conncil did not contribute a proportionate sum for the
opening of the gardens two days in the week to the public.
The total annual income was, it appeared, about £774, in-
cluding their £lOO. They ought to contribute one-third
for that privilege, and the closing on Sunday ' • for many
parties declined to subscribe in consequence of that arrange-
ment. They ought to give £3OO annually towards it.
The CHAIRMAN said it would be difficult to sell any part
of the land, as proposed on the east or north sides. They
would require a road on the east side as an approach to
houses built there, which they must purchase from the
neighbouring proprietor ; and on the north side the houses
would be at the back of the hot-houses, and would not there-
fore. be popular.
Mr. BARCLAY said, that on the north side they could
spare a depth of only 40 yards, and great part of the ground
was wanted for the manure and composts. The building of
houses or. the ground was, moreover, a strange proposition.
They had leftanother site to avoid the smoke ; and they now
proposed to bring the smoke back to the Garden.
A GENTLEMAN remarked that he saw no prospect of con-
tinuing the gardens, unless some private individual would
purchase it, and' dedicate it: to the public use and enjoyment.
Mr. YATES thought no injury would accrue to the garden
by a strip of forty yards in depth beings taken off for build-
ing. The parties who built them would require no gardens
of their own, as they would have the use of the grounds.
It was here remarked that a survey had been made of the
disposable land for building, and that the whole amount that
could be got for it was only about £7OO.
Mr. T. B. BARCLAY was of opinion, thSt if they sold the
Garden at all, they should sell it at once.
The CHAIRMAN, in reply to inquiries as to whether any
estimate had been made of what the Garden would bring,
said that Mr. O'Kill considered it an exceedingly valuable
plot, suitable for the site of ten or twelve good villas, and
that together with the sale of the plants, &c., it ought to re-
aliie £B,OOO.
Mr. HoI.T still considered that something effectual might
be done to enable them to continue the institution. It oc-
curred to him that before they abandoned it they should
make a strong and final appeal to the public ; and that they
might even prevail on the corporation to double their grant
for its support.

Mr. BARCLAY said there was not, it appeared to him, the
same necessity for the garden that had existed some years
ago. There was now a great many priVate gardens in which
there were plants equal to those in the Botanic Gardens ;
and there were several line nurseries in the immediate neigh-
bourhood replete with choice plants, so that hs did not see
why they should feel any excessive anxiety for its continu-
ance.