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MVERPOOU 



LIVERPOOL. 



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lag to CoUina and Co., rcfpeotivrly make ragolar weekly voyage* 

 betwocQ Lirerpool aad Ifew York, and fdrtnigbtly to Halifax and 

 BoatoD. The arerage time of each voyage acrou the AtUntio ia 10^ 

 day* from port to port. There ia alao a line monthty to Philadelphia. 

 In addition to these gigantic floating palaoea, which are propelled by 

 paddle-wboeU, innumerable steam-boata both on the paddle and screw 

 prinoiplea l«ava Liverpool daily for Dublin and all parts of Ireland, 

 from Cork to Xx>ndonden7, and for ^1 parts of the British ooast, from 

 Southampton to Invemeaa. Of late then has been an extenaiTe 

 introduction of serew-eteamcrs into the Liverpool shipping. 



A continual and rapid intercourse is kept up between Liverpool and 

 the Cheshire shore by means of a large number of steam-boats, which 

 pij evenr quarter of an hour from the various ferries of Tranniere, 

 Woodside, Birkenhead, Seacombe, Ei^mont, New Brighton, and the 

 Liverpool Landing^tsge. This Inmling-stage is a triumph of mechani- 

 cal skill adapted to public oonvenirnce : the stage is 500 feet long and 

 70 feet broail. It recta on a series of galvanised iron pontoons, and is 

 connected with St. George's Pier by a spacious pliitform at either end 

 for the passage both of pedestrians and carriages. These platforms 

 are fumiahed with self-acting or universal hinges, which permit the 

 stage to rise and fjsll according to the state of the tide. The average 

 number of persons daily embarking and disembarking at the landing- 

 ■tage is computed at upwards of 20,000. At Woodside Ferry alone 

 200,000 paid the penuy toll during the year 1851. A considerable 

 amount is derived from the transit of horses, cattle, vehicles, and 

 mercbandife by ferry steam-boats between Liverpool and Birkenhead. 

 Since the formation of a railway and docks at Birkenhead the progress 

 of that place has been surprising, and in a few years it must prove 

 both a commercial rival and an auxiliary to Liverpool Upwards of 

 twen^-four millions sterling have bi«n expended upon the improve- 

 ments of the Mersey and the formation of 24 docks, whereby a stormy 

 ■stuai7 and an unufe auchorage have been converted into the most 

 perfect harbour ever constructed by the skill of man. From the 

 Cheshire shore at Seacombe the panoramic view is unrivalled. Tbo 

 port of Liverpool, with its 6 miles of river-wall and docks, crowded 

 with forests of shipping of every size and from every clime, and the 

 town with its tower, spires, domes, and gigantic warehouses, present 

 to the upectator at a glance more of the grandeur of commerce than 

 any other port in the world. 



There are 34 consuls of various nations resident at Liverpool The 

 number of emigrants who left the port in 1851 exceeded 200,000, 

 of whom the greater portion were destined for North America ; but 

 during the month of January 1852 several emigrant ships left the 

 port with passengers for the British possessions in Australia. During 

 the fint four months of 1853 the total number of emigrants who left 

 the port was 39,156, of whom 35,767 were for the United States, 81 

 for tSritish North America, and 3224 for the Australian colonies. The 

 number of registered lodging-houses within the borough in 1851 was 

 8250, of which 215, averaging 8 rooms in each, were exclusive'.y 

 devoted to sailors, and 239, averaging 12 rooms each, to emiio'auts. 

 There are also very extensive establishments called Emigrants' Homes. 



Liverpool is divided by the Htmicipal Corporation Act into 16 

 wards ; each ward elects an aldermau and three couucillors, who with 

 the mayor constitute the Town Council, By a private Act of Parlia- 

 ment the council is empowered to nominate persons to 611 corporate 

 offices, to make laws for the regulation of the police, the d<>cks, and 

 the town and port generally. Tiie mayor is ex officio a justice of the 

 peace during his year of office and the year succeeding. A recorder, 

 appointed by the crown, presides as judge at the general quarter- 

 aeasiona for the borough ; a stipendiary magistrute presides daily in the 

 police court, and the assizes for the southern division of the county 

 are held twice a year in SL George's Hall, which building was opened 

 for that purpose on December Sth 1851. There ia also a county court 

 at Liverpool, the judge of which is appointed by the Chancellor of 

 the Duchy of Lancaster ; and a court of passage, or paysage, presided 

 over by an assessor, poiseasing coordinate power with the superior 

 courts, has existed for upwards of 600 years. 



There are many elegant public buildings in Liverpool, the most 

 important of which are the Custom-House (already alluded to), the 

 Towo-Uall, the Exchange Buildings, the CoU^iate Institution, the 

 Bailors' Home, and St. George's Hall. There are besides numerous 

 tat specimens of architecture in churches, banks, and public offices, 

 bat our limits preclude the mention of even the names of many of 



Th« Castom-House, or Revenue Buildings, is in the Ionic style, and 

 Bnah admired for its chaateness and beauty ; the ' long room in the 

 oaotre of the building is 146 feet long, 70 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 

 Tha dome may be seen for many miles around Liverpool The Town- 

 Ball ia a Qredan building, and contains on the ground-floor the 

 eoancil-rooma, several committee-rooms, the mayor's, treasurer's, and 

 various other offioaa, in which the business of the corporation is tran- 

 Mated. A handsome staircase, ou whidi is a colossal statue of George 

 C a nnin g, by Chaotrey, leads to a spacious saloon, two extensive 

 drawing-rooms, two magnificant ball-rooms, and a large banquet-room, 

 all communicating with each other. The staircase ia lighted by lateral 

 windows, in a dome whieh is 106 feet high from the floor of the build- 

 ing; and on tha summit of wbioh ia a fine statue of Bi-itannia. The 

 Kinhany Buildings form three lidea of a square, of which the Town- 



Hall on the south forms the fourth, the architecture wall harmonising. 

 The quadrangular area is 197 feet by 178 feet, and is uned by tha 

 merchants of the town as an exchange ; in the centre is a bronze 

 monument, erected iu honour of Nelson, and emblematical of his 

 principal victoriaa. On the east side is a newsroom, 94 feet by 62 

 feet, above which are the underwriters' and cotton sales rooms. The 

 west and north aidaa are chiefly occupied as offices by merchants, and 

 by the American and the Liverpool Chambers of Commerce. 



St George's Hall is of great magnitude, and has a very commanding 

 appearance. The order adopted is the Corinthian ; the eastern fafade; 

 420 feet long, is polystyle, with an advanced colonnade in the centra 

 200 feet iu length : the columns are 45 feet high. The south front 

 has a gr»nd portico 24 feet deep ; the apex of the pediment ia 95 feet 

 from the ground. The interior contains numerous apartments, some 

 of which are of noble proportions. The great hall is 161 feet long, 

 75 feet wide, and 75 feet high. Two large rtrams are appropriated for 

 the holding of assizes ; the hall is used for public meetings, concerts, 

 &c., and there is a second concert-room of considerable size, besides 

 numerous offices and private apartments. The architect was Hr. H. 

 Lonsdale Elmes, who died bifora its completiou. 



The Collegiate Institution, fronting Shaw-street, is one of the most 

 elegant scholastic ediflces in the kingdom : it is in the Tudor style, 

 and built from a design by the late H. Lonsdale Elmes, the architect 

 of St. George's Hall. The principal front is 280 feet long, and com- 

 prises a centre and two slightly-projecting wings. A magnilicent arch 

 rises above the central porch, and lofty oriel windows are carried up 

 through two stories, the main building being four stories in height, 

 the highest lighted from the roof. There are 48 apartments, varying 

 in length from 20 to 50 feet, and all 25 feet wide ; a w. 11-lighted 

 sculpture gallery, 218 feet long; a laboratory; a handsotno lecture- 

 hall 50 feet high, with tv/o galleries, which will hold 2300 persons; 

 and a spacious music-room opening from the lecturer's platform, with 

 rising feats for 300 [lerformers, and a rich and powerful organ. This 

 institution comprises three distinct day-schools for the youth of the 

 three great classes of society, and evening-schools for adults. The 

 foundation-stone was laid by Lord Stanley (now Earl of Derby) in 

 October 1840; the Bishop of Chester is the visitor, and the iuitruction 

 is strictly in accordance with the doctrines of the Church of England. 



The Sailors' Home is a noble gotliic building adjacent to the east 

 end of the custom-house. The foundation-stone was laid in July 

 1846 by Prince Albert. The buildini; contains a spacious ball with 

 four tiers of galleries, a readinti-room, library, chapel, and uuinerous 

 commodious offices. The architect was Mr. John Cunningham. The 

 institution provides board and lodging at a moderate charge for 

 seamen frequenting the port, promotes their moral aud intellectual 

 improvement, and protects them from imposition aud extortion. At 

 the annual meeting January 81st 1852, the registry contained the 

 number of 16,254 seameu of established character, many of whom 

 had certi&cates from their captains for seven or eiglit voyages. The 

 cost of the building was about 80,000^, the corporation having 

 gratuitously pi-e«ented the site. 



Liverpool contains 51 churches belonging to the Establishment, ot 

 which two, St. Nicholas and St. Peter's are parish churches. St. 

 Nicholas is the oldest place of worship in Liverpool, having existed as 

 a chapel of ease under Walton, before the tovm became a separata 

 parish : both St. Nicholas and St. Peter's stand near the river, at a 

 abort distance from the town-hall. Many of the other churches were 

 built and endowed with the funds of the corporation, aud the remainder 

 at the expense of private individuals. "There ai-e also II Roman 

 Catholic, and 8 Scotch churches ; 7 chapels belonging to tlie Inde- 

 pendents (for one of which, in Great George-street, the sum of 12,0002. 

 was subscribed in a few days). The Baptists have 1 cbapels, the 

 Wesleyan MethodUts 15, of which 2 are Welsh; and the Calvinistio 

 Methodists 7, including 1 Welsh ; in addition to which there are 

 numerous chapels and meetiug-houses belonging to the Quakers, 

 Unitarians, Jews, and various other denominations. The schools are 

 very numerous. They consist, besides those already mentioned, of 

 2 Corporation Free schools ; the Blue-Coat school founded in 1709, for 

 250 boys and 100 girls ; National and British schools ; 3 schools 

 attached to the Mechanics Institution ; 2 schools attached to the Royal 

 Institution ; schools for the blind, the deaf and dumb, to. The Royal 

 Institution possesses a museum of natural- history, and collections of 

 paintings aud sculpture, minerals, and philosophical apparatus. To 

 tlie town belongs a valuable collection of Ecological sj>ecimeu8, the 

 gift of the late Earl of Derby. A medical, a philharmonic, and a 

 literary and scientific institution, severally flourish in handsome build- 

 ing;, that of the philharmonic having been erected at a cost of upwards 

 of 20,000^ 



The town contains many buildings devoted to charitable purposes ; 

 a large and well managed infirmary, and two smaller hospitals ; three 

 public dispensaries, and an ophthalmic infirmary ; a lunatic asylum, a 

 fever hospital, and other public establishments for the alleviation or 

 cure of disease. The workhouse is a spacious and convenient building. 

 There are two bridewells within the limits of the town, besides the 

 borough jail, and a house of correction ; the latter belongs to the 

 county, and is situated at Kirkdale, at the northern extremity of 

 Liverpool. 



The corporation have erected 'oaths end waah-hooses in various 



