Council House: Bristol, Saturday January 10th:Magistrates present: The Mayor, Co. Worrall & Mr. Jones: Mr. Burton Pinsent, corn-factor, Welsh Back, appeared before the bench, and asked their worships’ opinion upon the point raised in the subjoined facts: A French vessel came to this port with a cargo of wheat consigned to him, and finding the berth opposite his warehouse to be unoccupied, the captain took possession of it and commenced discharging; some time after, however, a Welsh trader came up, the captain of which insisted on the Frenchman turning out from the inside berth, and on the Frenchman refusing, cut his cable and turned him adrift. What he wanted to know was this, – whether, occupying a warehouse on the Back, and paying extra rent and charges, his vessels had not a right to remain in the berth which they might take up as being most convenient for discharging their cargoes? Mr. Jones thought that the fact of renting a warehouse had nothing to do with the occupancy of berths, though certainly no vessel had a right to turn another out without the direction of the quay warden, and if damage had been done to the Frenchman the captain of the Welsh trader might be summoned. Co. Worrall thought the first vessel that came had the right to the quay wall. Mr. Burgess: Who placed the Frenchman next to the wharf? Was he placed there by the harbour master? Mr. Pinsent (as we understood) said he did not know, but the captain of the Welsh trader asserted a general leave to lie there given to him by the quay warden. In the course of conversation which took place, the bench expressed their opinion that no ship should take up a berth except by the direction of the quay warden or harbour master, but that no vessel had the right to eject another from a berth, which could only be properly done by command of the same authority.
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Referenced
GRO1194 Hennock: Joseph Burton Pinsent: 1806 – 1874