The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-09 00:00:00

tIEALTH COMMITTEE.-YESTERP;AY.

The usual weekly meeting of this committee was held
at halfLpast two o'clock, yesterday, in the Town-hall,
Mr. Langsdale in the chair.
Other members present—Messrs. Beckwith, Robertson
Gladstone, M'Guffie, Dover, Shiel, Johnson, Halhead,
Hodson, and Haydock.

OE THE TOWN.

The Medical ofcer of health reported that the regis-
trar'3 returns for the week ending on last Saturday, show
an unusually favourable condition of the public health, the
general mortality not, only having been lower than in any
week of the previous ten months, but the deaths from the
zymotic class, which are most under the influence of
sanitory measures, have been fewer than in any week of
the previous six years. Only twice since the sanitory act
name into operation has the tyniottd moitality been lower
than in the past *eeh. The total deaths were in the
parish 1i1.,6, and in the out-townships 54 ; making in the
borough 180, or 42 less than the corrected average of the
same week of the preceding eight years. Of 26 deaths
from zymotic diseases, 6 were from typhus, 6 from scar-
latina, 6 from hoopiug cough, 4 from croup, and 3 from
measles. No death was registered from diarrheea or
dysentery, being the second ottcdsioti on which this has
occurred Diseases of the lungs with consumption caused
73 deaths. The temperature was low throughout the
week, the mean being 45 1-10th degrees, more than four
degrees below the average. Thd total rain fall amounted
to 9.looths of an inch.

A letter was read from Mr. F. Venn, to the effect, that
Mr. Newlands had been sent from London to Sunderland,
to make some enquiries, with a view to his being called as
a witness before the committee of the House of Commons.

A conversation took place as to the inconvenience of
Mr. Newland's absence, and the propriety of having his
duties more strictly defined. No resolution was moved in
the matter,

A report was read from the sub-cortimittee appointcd
to make enquiry as to the sewerage of Regent-road. The
Bost Would amount to Id. iu the pound, and it would fall
on Kirkdale. The street not being an adopted one the
committee recommended that the work be not undertaken
for the present.
The tender of Mr. Abraham for the sewerage of Rose
Vale at a cost of £234; of J. Dixon for Bootle-lane and
other adjaernt streets at a cost of £715 ; and of Mr. J.
Tomlinson for Pemberton-street and other streets at a
cost of £165 were accepted.

It was agreed that tenders for carting in the engineer's
department for three years be advertised for.

ADULTIRATION OF FLOUR

Mr. Gladstone called attention to the prolecutiOn against
a flour dealer in Araukliall-road, for adulteration, lately
tried before ittr. Lawrence, one of the borough magis-
trates, at the police court, and expressed considerable
surprise at the decision come to in the matter. He
thought, that as a health committee, it was their duty to
see that the quality of food supplied to the poorer class of
the community was good and wholesome, and that if the
Act of Parliament would not enable them to do that, they
should bring the matter before the council.

The Depiity Town-Clert M'Gowan), explained
ho* the ease had been brought before the magistrate, and
the ostensible ground on which the decision of the court
was based.

Mr. Gladstone, after hearing the explanation, said that
if he had been the presiding magistrate on the occasion,
he would have held that the !No " other provisions,"
in the act included sour, and so would have established
the case for the prosecution. He7would also hold that it
was the business of every retail dealer to test his goods
before he sold them, and to know that what he offered far
sale was a sound and genuine article. It might be an
inferior article, but the retail dealer, in every case, was
bound to see that it was a sound and unadulterated one.
He thought that for the future all Inch cases should be
tried before Mr. Mansfield, and expressed a belief that if
that gentleman had heard all the evidence, he would have
arrived at a different conclusion.

Other members of the committee expressed like surprise
at the decision in the case, and fully eonouried in the
observations of Mr. Gladsttilie.

The borough engineer, building surveyor, and inspector
Of nuisances, reported various particulars of the opera-
tions in their several departments during the week, from
which it appeared that 95 nuisances complained of by the
inhabitants, had been inspected, and means taken to
remedy them ; 864 houses in the unhealthiest. districts,
containing 2976 apartments; and 236 callars, had been put
under examination, with the view of improving their
Sanitory condition; and 37 lodging houses had also been
examined and reported upon.
This concluded the general business.

BANKRUPTCY COURT.-YESTERDAY

(BEFORE MR. COMMISSIONER STEVENSON.)
- - - - ---

IN RE R. GETTY.-Mr. Tyrer appeared to support a
petition on behalf of Mr. Getty, who had fortterly carried
on business as an iron shipbuilder in Liver Pool, and who
had been adjudicated a bankrupt in 1854. He stated that
all the trade creditors of Mr. Getty had accepted a com-
position upon the amount of their claims and were there-
with satisfied, and that the claims of the separate or
private creditors had, in various ways, been disposed of,
and supported the prayer of the petition. Under these
circumstances, Mr. Tyrer submitted that the private pro-
perty of the bankrupt, or the proceeds of it, now in the
hands of the court, should be restored to him. Mr.
Bardswell opposed for the assignees, stating that the peti-
tion must be dismissed with costs, inasmuch as that even
if the trade creditors were satisfied, it was not the fact
that the private claims were disposed of. He could show
from the file of the court that there were many creditors
who were not parties to this application, and that even if a
dividend was advertised,; many more would appear. He
also stated that the costs of the bankrupt had not been
paid, and that, instead of this application being what it
appeared to be, it was an attempt on the part of the bank-
rupt to obtain certain property in Ireland which he knew
had been sold, and which had previously been offered to
him for a trifling sum. His Honour stated that the appli-
cation was of a very unusual character, and that even if
supported, as set forth by Mr. Tyrer, could not be enter-
tained. He had no other course to pursue than to dismiss
the petition with costs.

MEETING OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
AT BIRKENHEAD.-LAST NIGHT.

An important meeting of the medical profession of Birk-
enhead was held last night, at the Craven-rooms, "to
deliberate (according to the terms of the circular calling the
meeting) on the proper and most desirable position for
the profession to adopt in reference to the threatened exten-
sion of the system of unpaid services to the new reformatory
institutions." There was a large attendance, and William
Craig, sen , Esq., surgeon, R.N., was called upon to preside.
Amongst those present were Drs. Baylis, Higgins, Craig,
Craig'e, Holcombe, and Walker ; and the following
surgeons, Messrs. Trevor Roper, Marshall, H. Russell, W.
T. Hamilton, Godden, T. J. Lythe, Isaac Bryerley, Mac-
dougall, Downing, Russell (of Rock Ferry), and Bird (of
Seacombe). Letters of apology for non-attendance were
read from Dr. Schofield, Dr. Vale, and Dr. Lingard, ex-
pressing approval of the objects of the meeting.
The business of the meeting having been opened, several
of the gentlemen present expressed, in forcible terms, the
disadvantages under which the profession laboured in the
matter of gratuitous advice, and other anomalies. The
spirit of the proceedings is, however, comprised iu the fol-
lowing resolutions :
It was proposed by Dr. Baylis, seconded by Mr. D. Rus-
sell, and carried unanimously, " That this meeting is of
opinion that the public and private gratuitous services of
medical men are reaching an amount which renders the
practice of medicine, with its requirements and sacrifices—
the least remunerative of all the professions—that it also
interferes with the cultivation of medicine as a science, and
tends, eventually, to the injury of the very public it is erro-
neously meant to serve."
Dr, Craig then proposed this resolution :—" That the
extreme facility with which medical men gratuitously yield
their services, and the consequent low value generally put
upon them, renders it advisable that the profession should
take steps to preserve its interests, and, as believed, th se
of the public also, by creating a more enlightened opinion
amongst themselves, so that individual members may be
encouraged and supported to sustain the dignity and well-
being of their arduous and responsible calling."
Mr. Isaac Bryerley seconded the motion, which was also
unanimously adopted.
Dr. Higgins then moved a resolution to the following
effect :—" That in view of the great number of the
reformatories likely to be soon established throughout the
country, this meeting strongly protests against the principle
that medical men should be called en for gratuitous services,
amounting to many hundred times the value of a subscrip-
tion, and hope, in any appointment to be made, medical
geetlemen will act upon principles which, while insuring
justice to themselves, shall also secure honest attention to
patients and satisfaction to the governors of such institu-
tions." _ _

Dr. Craigie seconded the resolution; which was adopted.
After some discussion, a vote of thanks to the chairman
closed the proceedings.

THE ANGLO ITALIAN LEGION.—The Genoa Corriere
Mercantile of the 30th ult., quotes a letter from Malta,
stating that the Anglo-Italian legion, on the point of being
disbanded, had, with the exception of 120, accepted a new
engagement for five years, with a gratuity, and an increase
of 6d. in the soldier's pay. The corps is to be sent to the
East Indies, and employed in the Kingdom of Oude.
CONFISCATION OF CHURCH PROPERTY IN MEXICO.—Tbe
steamship Texas, Captain Forbes, reached New Orleans on
the afternoon of April I Itb, with files of papers and corres-
pondence from the city of Mexico to the sth, and from Vera
Cruz to the Bth, the day of her leaving. Notwithstanding
the defeat of the ir.surgents at Puebla, the country was still
in an unsettled state. In consequence of the clergy having
been the principal fomenters of the disturbances, the govern-
ment had issued an edict forfeiting the property of the
church. The edict was very severe against any person who
concealed any of the church property. The Bishop of
Puebla refused to deliver the books containing the state-
ments and accounts of the property of the church. The
officials then procured a body of troops to enforce the
demand. On arriving at the gates of the episcopal palace
they found that the bishop had posted a notice excommuni-
cating all who should assist in carrying out the design
of the government. The property was seized notwith-
standing.