4 REPORT — 1856. 



enlarge or diminish the channel, unless when formed of materials so hard that 

 the strength of the current is not able to remove them." The truth of this 

 observation is strikingly confirmed by the remarkable waste of the clay cliffs 

 of the Cheshire shore of the river at Seacombe and Egremont. This has 

 been observed for many years past ; but, according to the evidence which 

 accompanies the report of Mr. Walker, C.E., printed by order of the House 

 of Commons, 23rd June 1856, it has greatly increased within the last ten 

 years, or since so much of the tideway on the opposite shore has been 

 abstracted for the north dock- works. 



The result of the inquiry, so far as your Committee have been able to 

 prosecute it, shows the vital importance of a strict conservancy of the River 

 Mersey in all its tidal area, in order that it may be preserved for the vast 

 commerce centered on its shores. There is no doubt that injury — to a great 

 extent irremediable — has been already inflicted, not only upon some of the 

 owners of property on its margin, but also upon the river itself, more espe- 

 cially upon its approaches. Your Committee conceive that the nature and 

 extent of this injury should be determined as accurately and as speedily as 

 possible ; that the trade on this river is vastly too important in its relation to 

 the national prosperity, for the subject of this inquiry to be left to a committee, 

 however zealous, which is unendowed with pecuniary resources, and dependent 

 for information upon the researches of gentlemen actively engaged in official 

 and professional occupations ; and that the result of such an investigation 

 would be highly beneficial to the science of harbour engineering. The 

 scientific value of the information so acquired would be greatly enhanced 

 were the phasnomena of all our tidal harbours subjected to similar research. 

 It is not unreasonable to expect that the ultimate result would give greater 

 certainty as to the influence of projected works upon the well-being of the 

 harbours with which they are associated ; and relieve the Legislature from 

 the responsibility of sanctioning un'dertakings the destructive or conservative 

 eflects of which, at present, are often very speculative. 



Harrowby, Chairman. George Rennie. 



P. M. Grey Egerton. Andrew Henderson. 



R. I. MuRCHisoN. Joseph Boult, Secretary, 

 F. W. Beech EY. 



Report on the past and present state of the Estuary of the Mersey within the 

 last seventy years, as derived from historical records, and according to the 

 maps, charts, and reports of different Engineers, and ivhich have been laid 

 before the Committee appointed by the British Association at its meeting at 

 Liverpool, September 1 854, to investigate and report upon the same. By 

 George Rennie, F.R.S. 



The early history of the Mersey, previous to the beginning of the present 

 century, is confined to the uncertain statements of tojjographical writers such 

 as Lcland, Gough, King, Ormerod, Mortimer, and others; and the charts of 

 Captain Collins in lf;S9, and by M'Kenzie in 1760. 



According to the original constitution of the charters and grants made 

 from tiine to time to the borough of Liverpool, the boundaries of that port 

 were adopted by a commission issued 19th July, 32 Charles II., which i-ecited 

 an Act passed in the 14t]i year of the then king's reign, tor "preventing 

 frauds and regulating abuses in the Customs ;" and also an Act of the 1st of 

 Elizabeth. It was settled in November 1680, that the boundaries of the port 



