The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-12-11 00:00:00

THE WATER COMMITTEE.

At 12 o'clock yesterday a special meeting of this com-
mittee was held at the Town-hall, to consider. the rates
to be imposed under the new act, §o as to meet the
deficiency apparent of £20,090 a-year in the revenue.
Their deliberations lasted- till the time for the ordinary
meeting, at half-past two o'clock.
!At the ordinary meeting Mr. Farnworth occupied the
chair ; and the other members present were—Messrs.
Crellin, Woodruff, Rae, Jeffery, Charles Turner, Beloe,
Vernon, Earle, Estill, and William Johnson. • .
The minutes of the last meeting having been read
over,
'Mr. JEFFERY asked upon what principle an applica-
tion for water-rates, said to be in arrears, was made—
whether upon the old assessment, or the new act of
Parliament—because they might have a good deal of
expense in summoning parties before the magistrates
Mr. WHITE, the treasurer, "Aaid the items read referred
to summonses against tenants. Those which Mr. Jeffery
alluded to were against the owners.
Mr. JEFFERY should like to know by what authority
those cases had been brought before the magistrates,
seeing that the mode of levying the water rate was an
unjust one, and that it had been altered by the new
Act, which comes into operation on the Ist of January
next,
Mr. WOODRUFF said the Town-clerk had reported
that no owner of property could be charged with rates
compulsorily.
The CHAIRMAN said they had had a deputation from
the Houseowners' Association, and had defined what the
basis of composition should be for the next year,—not
the past: He had observed .Mr. )'Gowan going into
court to prosecute a summons, when he said to him,
"You cannot do it; the Water Committee have decided
it is riot legal, and they have altered their charge."
Mr. JEFFERY wished to ask the Town-clerk by what
authority he and his deputy had applied for the
summons ?

..... .
, The TOWN-CLERK said there must be an order in the
sub-committee book. He had never heard of it till that
moment.

Mr. JEFFERY—Then, do I understand Mr. MgGowan
pursued an independent course ?
The CHAIRMAN had no doubt it had gone befote the
sub-comMittee in a list with others, and summonses had
been ordered—the particular case and reason never
being mentioned.
Mr. Woonnurr said many owners of property had
complained to him that they had been compelled to pay
more than they received in rents, and that after the
committee had resolved that they should not be charged
with such rates.

Mr. VERNON had heard of many instances in which
the collectors of those rates had gone on their own
responsibility and taken out a summons, irrespective of
any other authority. He thought if ➢Tr. Jeffery's ques-
tion were honestly answered it would be found to be so
in this case.

Mr. WHITE, the treasurer, said the collector had no
such power. He would prepare a list, and that list
would come before Friday's coMmittee.

Mr. JEFFERY said it had certainly been the occasion
of great inconvenience and expense. There was another
question which he wished to ask—that was as to the
Albany offices. As he understood, the owner had
refused to compound and pay for the offices in a gross
sum. Could any of the offices refuse to take the water ?
Mr. DUNCAN, the engineer, said there were three or
four cisterns, but separate taps.
The TowN-CLERR, in answer to Mr. Jeffery, said
certainly they were not bound to take the water unless
they liked.
Mr. JEFFERY wanted to know then why there should
be one law for one class of property, and another for
another. lie understood if they put the water into a
pile of building such as the Albany Offices, they must
charge for the whole—the landlord was therefore com-
pelled to pay.
Mr. BELvE.said the Albany was a special case. There
were 140 offices there, but offices were only occupied by
18 individuals. It was not likely that the landlord
would pay-for the whole 140; therefore, pendente lite,
it was best to make an arrangement by which they got
full rent from each tenant, and 15 per cent. more, as

;here was no discount.
The CHAIRMAN observed that the difficulty had arisen
'rom the water being put on without agreement with
he owner that he should compound.
Mr. CRELLIN—Is there a pipe put on to every office?
Mr. DUNCAN—NO. •

• Mr. JEPPERY said he understood their principle was
that they refused to supply water to a pile of buildings
made, into offices unless they,had some party to look to
for rent. Now, the water was put into. that building,
and they had no party-to look to for rent. He was not
now discussing whether the principle was right or wrong,
but it should be.uniform. '

Enquiry was promised, and the subject then dropped.
The following report from the Engineer was then
read :

I have to report for the information of the committee
the following matters :—On the filters .nothing out of
the ordinary has transpired. The rainfall for the week
has been very great, equal to a mean of 3.37 inches,
and floods have been experienced over the entire district.
The reservoirs .have.all overflowed. •
At the Roddlesworth some damage has been done to
the byewash by the crushing forward of some of the
coping stones, and some flags have also been lifted by
the water. It appears the greatest depth passing over
at one time was nine inches.
I purpose going to. Roddlesworth to-morrow, and
will be able' to report to the committee the particulars,
with an estimate of the cost of repairs, by Friday.
Mr. Duncanson has been up to Roddlesworth : his
opinion is, to restore the works as they were before
would cost £100; but that the masonry of the walls has
not been good, and heavier breast walls are necessary..
On the pipe line all remains in good condition. .The
depths of water under the ;.overflows of the various
reservoirs were, on the Sth instant, as per table :
Dec. 8. Dec. 1. Rise. Fall.
ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in.
Roddlesworth 0 1 ... 1 ,9 • .., I. 8
Rake
Anglezark...
Rivington O3l 1 1 0 9.&
Prescot No. 1
Prescot No. 2 0 51 ... 0 4 ...
Quantity of water received frm RiVill7toTl during the week
ending Deceinber,B, 1860.
37,287,415
25,633,070
12,042,000

Into Kensington....
Audley-street
~ Park Hill ....

74,962,485

Quantity of water pumped from the wells
at Bootle
Green Lane 12,187 701
WindSor
--- 22,351,201

-97,316,686

Quantity of water in store, week ending
December 1, 1860.
Do. do. December S, 1860 17,969,324
2,093,949

95,222,737
Washing out mains, sewers, &c.
92'722'137
Delivered at Bootle unmixed
mixed
N2;252002:073070

92,722,737 gallons.
Proportion of Rivington to well water as 37 to. 11
The committee next proceeded to matters of finance,
and the reporters retired.

CHESTER ASSIZES.--MoNDAy.

(Before Mr. Justice Blackburn)
RAPE.

John Taylor (67), who could neither read nor write,
was charged with feloniously and carnally knowing and
abusing Sarah Davies, .a girl of the age of seven years,
at Middleswich, on the 6th of September last. The
prisoner was employed as the keeper of a coal-vault,
and the child having occasion to purchase some coals
there tor her parent, the prisoner elltleCa per into ins
office, and there committed the charge imputed to him.
The prisoner was found guilty upon the most clear evi-
dence, and-was sentenced to fifteen years' penal servi•
tude.

ATTEMPT TO MURDER.
Elizabeth Swindell (23), Weaver,' who reads imper-
fectlY, was Charged with feloniously attempting to mur-
der her child, at Godley, on the 18th of August last.
The prisoner was proved to have been delivered of a
female child on the date in question, in an outhouse in
the village, and covered it with sods, and then left the
place. A policeman named Salisbury, stationed in the
:district, discovered the child soon afterwards, and find-
ing it was still alive, secured assistance, and the child
recovered. Mr. Brandt, OR behalf of the prisoner, con-
tended that she was not perfectly sane at the time she
committed the act with which she was charged, and
that it was not her intention to murder the child, or
:she would have then put it down the hole .in, the out-
house; and, secondly, that she might have thought • the
child was dead when she left it'; and, again, she might
have left it there thinking she was, from weakness,
unable to carry it beyond the house. The -jgry retired,
and after a brief consultation, returned, a? verdict of
guilty, accompanied with a recommendation to mercy.
The judge expressed a strong feeling of compassion for
the prisoner, but said be thought his duty compelled
him not to inflict a lighter sentence than that she be
kept in penal servitude for three years.
PLEADED GUILTY;

Joseph Dare (20), collier, who could neither read
nor write, pleaded guilty to feloniously wounding a cow,
the property of Joseph Goulden, at Adlington, on the
24th of November, 1860. Sentenced to nine months'
hard labour.
Charles Smith (35), labourer, who reads 'imperfectly,
was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, with
hard labour, for feloniously stealing a horse, the pro-
perty of James Chapman, at Bosley, on the 30th of
October, 1860.
John Jefferies, alias Jeffery. (26), who reads imper-
fectly, pleaded guilty to being unlawfully on land in the
occupation of Samuel Davies, in Shalnick-park, in the
night . time, armed with bludgeons and nets, and de-
stroying fifteen rabbits, and unlawfully assaulting
George Capper and‘James Griffiths, assistant-game-
keepers to H. B. Trelawney, Eiq., on the 23rd of
August last. Sentenced to nine months' hard labour.