The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-10 00:00:00

haVOnd the average of many previous years, and that on the
Bth of the month there was very heavy rain, accompanied
oy a t
the strop north west wind : that north west wind carried
rain to the Rivington hills, and a few days after the
analysis was made. Now, unless the colour of the water
erase from some ingredient injurious to health, it was a
mitt
• of very small importance, except for some manufac-
turing purposes, such as bleaching, of which they had not
"4211 Y works in that neighbourhood. A more important
question was that of the action of the water upon lead.
When he heard the statements which were made, and saw
the mysterious bottles which were produced upon the table,
andllA heard that flight of oriental imagination in which Mr.
Bennett, indulged when he told the council they might
expect to have one dead in every house, he really began to
tear for himself and family that they must have to suffer
,the tragic end said to have fallen upon Villikins and his
uinah.
aee (Laughter.) He examined the matter for himself,
he found that the question of the action of the
woes..
---
upon lead was not raised now for the first time. It
had been raised, and it had been thoroughly discussed before
11e foetid that at Glasgow, which had been mentioned
in
the minutes of the water committee, a few years ago
.A.ey contemplated supplying the town from Loch Katrine.
eolunaittee of the House of Commons entertained a
bill for the purpose. While before the committee, a
rein Dr. Penny gave evidence of a very alarming
araeter, with regard to the action of the Loch Katrine
• and the result was that the proceedings were
btPendei, a period of time granted for further investi-
eW`en, and the town council of Glasgow acted in the
t st straightforward manner, by immediately proceeding
RPOoint a number of scientific gentlemen to test the
1111,Peti°11. Dr. Penny's experiments were made upon
ittlot lead, certain water acting rapidly upon bright
re which did not act upon other lead. Mr. Stitt then
ea. ▪ the names of the scientific men appointed, and
Proceeded to read extracts showing the character of the
series
of
ato t' experiments h, y adopted to test the question,
" the result, which was that only after lying for a
considerable •
ucetues). time in cisterns and pipes, was any
PPre 11
irnste e effect produced, and that only in some
(The whole of these statements and
thatregarding Glasgow, have been recently
teat ;shed in the Liverpool papers.) Mr. Stitt then said
4,0 suPeose the prayer of the memorial were granted,
pa'r the double set of pipes laid down. For table
eenposes the quantity of water used was about 1 per
end to supply that one per cent., the water must
an in the pipes stagnant water ; and if there were
Pro' truth in the action upon lead (and it had been
eee
re that hard water acted as well as any other) the
spin • Jr. Jeffery provided would be worse than the
" wanted to cure. A remedy could be obtained by
a _lug out the plugs every day, instead of, as now, once
etoweek or fortnight. Rut this would require them to
11.1°Y a very large staff of men.
15r. Alderman Cooper : About one hundred.
SOtt said, that additional expense would very
ishaterially affect the calculation Mr. Jeffery shewed of
4.6aving to result from the adoption of his plan.
asfjetrug mentioned that Loch Katrine water was even
eeee, than Rivington water, Mr. Stitt referred to the
le "'Ties of other towns, stated in a report obtained by
sue 01
asghw town council, where water was similarly
alerted--Bolton, Blackburn, Sheffield, &c. He then
vim' he hoped he had stated enough to allay the alarm
for
eh had been so unnecessarily created. He hoped,
ei:eirectthliaet2nake of the common sense of Liverpool, that
as °.t.e they granted he prayer of so premature a memorial
pon Mr. Jefferys own sbewing, and the fact
cited from the chairman of the water committee, that the.
,y,ceelsle
t -ad not yet drunk the pure Rivington water he
`a. ared it premature—that they would give the water a
fair trial, and if it were hereafter proved that its cetality
4484410 t fit for human consumption, then he would also join
hear) and soul with Mr. Jeffery in his object. (Hear,
112/Jr. Fernihongh thought Mr. Sheil had found fault
for7cessarily with the chairman of the finance committee,
teen:laving commented upon the partirs who signed the
pcnoriatlo., It was the duty of the council to pay every
memorials, but he always understood that the
paefies' et a memorial arose from the importance of the
wtobajelidocazignaeuing it. How the council could attach weight
ent
~..wdesout examining it, was a novel practice
PVtilati --"`" not understand. Compared with the
2,800
.on of the town, nearly half a million, ho declared
res no test of public opinion, many of the
contended were obtained by going from
ailigounsatualir signatures
e, to house, and pressing parties to sign
ward Last week, at a meeting held in Pitt street,
, where 160 persons attended, when Mr Graves de-
t'ared that he would give the water a fair trial, there was
j'elt, a single dissentient voice—not one ; his own ward ob-
jected to the vote he gave last for the same purpose,but many
silld he bad taken the right course. He appealed to Mr.
°Plea Holme to know whether he had ever a single word
iii elnonstrance from his constituents, and the answer was
PoLhe negative. He contended that this apathy on the
vllt of
at sigenerxteen wards in the town was a better proof of
the al feeling was than a petition with 2800
I,leeneatures obtained by such means as he had described.
m
toe
r, hear.)
fitewr John Aikin said that in his opinion Mr. John
e art clearly explained the sentiments of the majority
sr the council in this matter. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Stitt
15,,ga Nd that the memorialists had not made out their case,
teeanse Cetey had not shown that the Rivington water was
al:lkt for use. He did not know what 'Mr. Stitt's idea of
the mess for use might be, unless indeed he would require
tuemorialists to show that the water was poisonous and
4113111 to health—a degree of unfitness which he (Mr.
pro4l) thought the council would not require them to
tle /ee If they had proved that tbe water was highly
14"onred, and not that delicicois water with which they
hith
to • erto been blessed, he thought that that was sufficient
Itstif 3'
ti be a
their coming before the council and asking not
eleat'ePrived of that water which few large towns in the
,itt 7 had the good fortune to enjoy, (Hear, hear.) Mr
et prisere d also bear in mind that if the mixed supply as
far es nt was so very unfit for use how much more unfit
hea„.)e would it be an unmixed supply of water. (Hear,
trialleMucle had been said about giving the water a fair
,etieis:le cordially agreed in that sentiment. He thought the
°,lt 7,4`°„n water should have a fair trial—(hear, hear)—
cteet'l", the? ran it off and cleaned the pipe-. they
la just' not give it a fair trial. (Hear, hear),
et:tmeiltieeearetdo hanedßgivington water, it was the duty of the
Were tee no loner to supply it to the town until the pipes
until it could be given in such a state
thertell„e town could judge of it. (Hear, hear) He would
tetleir-ree Move as an amendment, that the committee be
tioe, eq to take the memorial into their serious considera-
eeetailea" report to the council on the best mode of
keeptn'ng the red sand stone supply for drinking purposes,
I.l)nrpoleatil Rivington supply for sanitary and general
'loth su tin case it should be desirable hereafter to retain
Vtllidplies, and that the committue be also instructed to
!Ile) told Rivington water, until the pipes were clean,
'4lltl 14—PPIY the town for the present wholly with the red
laze' elle water. (Hear, hear.)
seconA. Picton, amid repeated cries to a vote," rose to
I)iteei' the amendment. He said he had never been a
bad --e,„tl on the subject of the water from the Pike. He
"ote°tritic)eed the plan at the outset, not because he had any
„4,11(tein0„11 t,°, it, but because he considered it to be unnecessary
rteted —4" ed for ; but now that the undertaking was com-
-10 gieltud the water tucught to Liverpool, he should like
eisie-c it a fair trial. (Hear, bear). No one would
IPadetl,nore than he would if all the statements that were
be ,;urregard to the quality of the water should be proved
biltliteetr
eunded, and -that the water was, in all respects,
eeen , ()lifer on the community those blessings that had
vtesen et'quently described by Mr. Alderman Holme. At
that tit). eyes p„ opinions prevailed in regard to it. One was
%elle) enould go on with the scheme, and proceed oil the
eea steam
othei, _ that the water was ev.erything to be desired.
that she' utonion was the very opposite of that, and required
tteat eDhould condemn the water as a thing unfit for the
rheintl:Psuese for. which it was intended, and that proceeded
ere PPoeetion that it was unfit for human consumption.
1/°ltraitwue however, a third opinion, and it ap-
e, b ° him
oth
togs
that that opinion expressed the. better points
„4,tht e other opinions and was one which the council
i'ottealtu-tgiapl ti Let the' water have a fair trial by all
.4Z.'d enable eth the
pipes be got into
supply—(bear,
condition that
theu ie. e town to judge of the hear)
%ghe_ it werefound that the water wasunet for human
serve 'eeever •
might be the cost, means should be taken to
)the N)Ply of the red sandstone to the town, (Hear,
°l3jeco ' ho'ever, the supply from Rivington was found
Viueeld. 1.-114,b1e, no one would more rejoice at it than he
? "tat course should be adopted to carry opt that
et e could not help thinking that for a great deal of
atilear had
Occurred, the water committee were to blame.
d,twill'in2har.) There had been en many occasions such an
obietleitss t° give information—(hear, hear]—snch
.ft
eion, Zl,sen to carry out their plans irrespective of public
tti;,°,ast ea-:'ere a slight concession would have conciliated.
eter". thateptity of their opponents, that he was inclined to
ee :wee:l:ago:eat deal that had occurred the committee
e'1)1 eruaelvea
th Prep, . . to blame. (Hear, hear.) Were the
made on the last occasion that the quality
t), inns' e;'l.r. should be tested by competent and impartial
hat he Ize.tied out as the chairman wished, though opposed
etority f
,qty ,•-ert the committee, all this feeling would
tiaar "Wit -Jeu, and they would not now be inundated
144' ati°llB and complaints which were never before
Reeler' Iledso
n Cooer heard of them:
"Ilan er :We had only five complaints last
4r
. p•
leton .
taut ontintied—lnatead of that, they were given.,
deablif a 140'44 of large type and leaded spaces, the publi-
*ter lei jolt by Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer was, no
Y 14 respectable man and a man of ability ; but
Liverpool knew that Mr. Spencer had been