Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/546

This page needs to be proofread.

540 LIVERPOOL seum has also been enriched by the donations and bequests of the 13th earl of Derby, and by collections from different museums of the town. Liverpool abounds with institutions for the relief of the distressed sick and for the reform of criminals, and with well at- tended public baths, wash houses, and drink- ing fountains. There are several theatres and music halls in the town, a botanic garden at Edgehill, and a zoological garden in West Derby road, whose attractions were increased by the munificence of the 13th earl of Derby. The hotels of Liverpool present extraordinary scenes of excitement on the arrival and de- parture of American steamers. The necropo- lis on Low hill near the zoological gardens, and the St. James cemetery, with the remains and statue of Mr. Huskisson, are the princi- pal burial places. St. James's walk, near the cemetery, and the Princes' parade on the river bank, are well kept promenades. The envi- rons are dotted with many elegant residences of the opulent merchants and the nobility. Liverpool is the most densely peopled city in England, containing in 1868 96 persons to an acre, while London had only 40, Birmingham 44, and Manchester 81. Until recently it was also one of the unhealthiest cities; but great sanitary improvements have been made, and the mortality, which in 1866 was 4'2 per cent., declined in 1868 to 3'3 per cent. The aggre- gate length of the sewers, which 20 years ago was 30 m., had reached 240 m. in 1868. The parliamentary borough of Liverpool is gov- erned by 16 aldermen and 48 councillors, one of whom is mayor. The church livings are in the archdeaconry of Liverpool and dio- cese of Chester. The corporation is distin- guished for its wealth and liberality. More than 30 consuls of foreign nations reside in Liverpool. There are sugar refineries and other manufactures in Liverpool, and that of soap is most extensively carried on. Ship building is also very active, including sailing vessels, steamers, and war ships. In 1867 the splendid docks of Liverpool, including those of Birkenhead, covered 404 acres of water along the Mersey, and extended 5 m. on the Liver- pool side of the river and 2 m. on the Birken- head side. The lineal quay space on the Liver- pool side is over 16 m., and on the Birkenhead side over 10 m. The amount of capital in- vested in the docks is 10,000,000, of which 7,000,000 is in Liverpool proper. The sea wall along the Liverpool side, by which ship- ping in the docks is protected against the ele- ments, is upward of 5 m. in length, 11 ft. in average thickness, and 40 ft. in average height from the foundations. Upward of 80 pairs of gates have been erected, some of which reach to the enormous width of 100 ft. (See DOCK.) The improvement of the approach to the river was to be completed in 1874; but the landing stage, the most magnificent structure of the kind in the world, was destroyed by tire, July 28, 1874. On Jan. 1, 1858, when the Mersey docks and harbor act came into operation, the tonnage dues, which up to that time had to be paid by all vessels entering the port whether they used the docks or not, were abolished, so that no vessel or steamer, entering the river Mersey and not going into dock, has now any other dues to pay than those appertaining to lights, buoys, or anchorage. Its contiguity to the ocean and to the British manufacturing districts, as well as the enterprise of its inhab- itants, gives to Liverpool a foremost position in the trade of the world. Nearly one half of all the products exported from England are shipped from this port. The exports of Brit- ish produce and manufactures for the year ending Jan. 1, 1874, were valued at 93,925,- 396. The principal articles of export were: cotton manufactures, 34,794,989 ; cotton yarn, 4,631,045; woollen manufactures, 11,299,- 679; linen manufactures, 4,648,362; iron, 11,350,312; hardware and cutlery, 2,626,- 994 ; haberdashery and millinery, 2,282,083. There is also a considerable exportation of foreign and colonial produce. The imports of such produce in 1873 amounted to 112,- 824,613, on which the amount of duties received was 3,176,927. More than half of all the madder, palm oil, bacon, hams, and lard, and nearly half of all the rice and unmanufactured tobacco imported into the United Kingdom in 1873, were entered at Liverpool. This is also the leading port for the receipt of grain, and is the greatest cotton market in the world. Of the 13,639,252 cwts. of raw cotton imported into the United Kingdom in 1873, 12,570,632 cwts. were received at Liverpool. The city has an extensive commerce with the United States, arising from the importation of cotton, flour, grain, and provisions, and the exporta- tion of manufactured goods. During the year ending Sept. 1, 1874, out of 2,840,981 bales of cotton exported from the United States, 1,807,- 584 went to Liverpool. The total number of vessels that entered in 1873 was 15,104 of 6,339,376 tons, of which all but 1,231 had car- goes ; 7,923 were sailing and 7,083 steam ves- sels ; 4,042 were from foreign countries, inclu- ding 1,509 from the United States, 1,043 from British possessions, and 9,408 in the coastwise trade. The total number of clearances, in- cluding 1,324 for the United States, was 15,006, of which 12,964 had cargoes. The registered shipping belonging to. the port Jan. 1, 1874, comprised 1,866 sailing' vessels of 990,867 tons, and 563 steamers of 412,464 tons. There were 29 vessels of 31,806 tons built here du- ring the year. The majority of the 8,000,000 emigrants who left Great Britain from 1815 to 1874 sailed from Liverpool. Even of the German emigration a considerable portion has passed through this port. The first authentic record relative to Liverpool is contained in a charter of Henry II. (1173), in which the privileges of a seaport are conferred upon the town. King John granted it a municipal char- ter, Aug. 28, 1207. It was constituted a free