The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-28 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES

Sir,—Tlae Commissioners of Birkenhead have,
'l' their resolutions passed on the 20th instant,
atated fully and fairly the basis upon which they
are prepared to treat for the purchase of these
Corks. The terms offered are in themselves so
reasonable,n that it is difficult to guess how the
theta
can decline to go to an arbitration upon
'ern; and I am informed the Company have not
only
,1 called their shareholders together to consider
tie proposition, but at the request of the Commis-
illoners have, for the present, suspended all action
Ilhon the bill in Parliament, suggesting, however,
at the same time to the Commissioners, the pro-
priety of abstaining, on their parts, from all hostile
action which might tend to disturb the calm con-
4ileration of the proposal.
So far, so well, but to-day I find the walls pla-
carded, and a meeting called-by the Commissioners,
41)en the requisition of ELEVEN gentlemen, to take
11,,ctive measures to oppose the Company's bill in
parliament.

Now, I would respectfully urge my fellow-rate-
DaYers to refrain from gratifying the vanity of these
ileven gentlemen, and by declining to attend the
meeting prove that, we are anxious not to throw
441), obstacle in the way of an arrangement which
eannot but be beneficial to our community, reeol-
,r:.cting that an angry remark or an unjust accusa-
en may put an end to all negotiations, and thus
benefit
the lawyers at our expense.
April 25, 1857. A RATEPAYER.

:ADULTERATION OF FOOD.—The Lancet of Saturday con-
tains the first of a renewed series of reports by the Analy-
''cal Sanitary Commisiion, on the condition of the food
in some of the chief town and cities of the c untry
'his report describes the results of the analysis of various
atliples of coffee, flour, and peper, purchased a short time
u'ek in Birmingham. The results of these examinations
4111 analyses are—First, that of the fourteen samp'es, all
Purebasei as coffee, which was snecially demanded in each
five were genuine,and that the remaining nine samples
forming
of mixtures of coffee and chicory, the latter
in some instances half the article. In no single
I," tauee was roasted wheat, rye, beans, or any other vege-
sabstauce present in the mixtures. although these
ll4bstances were formerly so frequently met with. More-
°vet-, in every sample in which chicory occurred, the
jraper wa labelled s a mixture. It thus appears at
present condition of the article coffee in the town of
showntrmingham resembles that which a few weeks since was
shownn to prevail in London, and that the mixture is can-
It!zinfly palmed eff upon the public in place of pure coffee.
'!'eend, that the eight samples of flour examined were,
Zitb one exception, free from admixture with any other
1"51 of flour, as of rye, oat, rice, potatoe, and Indian corn.
, result agrees with that announced in the report on the
°"Ta purchased in London, and published in the Lancet
some two or three years since. In the sample which con-
tained the rye flour the quantity was so small that it could
eafeely have been introduced as an adulteration. The
I.l4sn't of the chemical examinations of these flour- will be
givt nin the next portion of the repent. Third, that the
/'hale of the eleven samples of black pepper examined
.e re genuine, but some of the samples were indeed
u! dark colour, and appeared to contain an excess
?' busk. The refuse husk of white or decorticated pepper
is frequently added to black pepper ; indeed, it is in this
w." 37 chiefly that this otherwise nearly useless article is got
rid of.