The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-12 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL.

The adjourned mee'ing of the Town Council was held
at eleven o'clock yesterday, in the Town Hall, the Mayer,
Francis Shand, Esq., in the chair.

WATER COMMITTEE.

The Minutes of the Committee contained a letter from
the Town Clerk of Manchester, in reply to the circular
of the committee, stating that no injurious effect was
observed in that city, from the action of the water upon
lead pipes or cisterns. It was also stated, in the minutes,
that the memorial of the inhabitants referred by the
Council, had been referred to the engineer to report upon,
and it was agreed that it be taken into consideration at
the earliest practicable period, the engineer, however,
s.ating that he could not have a report prepared for the
present Council. The Town Clerk was directed to sum-
mon a special meeting of the committee to consider the
memorial, and report as soon as the litter had been pre—
pared by the engineer; and it was, at the same time,
ordered, that samples of the water in its different
conditions, from the time it left the filter beds at
Rivineton, passing through the Prescot reservoirs. &e., be
submitted to the committee, along with samp!ee of the
rod sand stone water, for their consideration.
Mr. Alderman Cooper moved the confirmation of the
proceedings, and in doing so said the committee had had
before them the memorial sent by the council for their
consideration f tom the inhabitants, The committee,
however, had found that they required a considerable
amount of iiformation from their engineer, and they
therefore referred the rep al to him. He had been so very
much engaged that he could not get his report ready for
the present Council, but the committee had ordered a
special day to meet, the moment tha report was ready,
fee the purpose entirely of taking it into consideration,
when he hord they should have a full attends tee, and
be able to report to the next Council. He did not know
teat there was anything else in the proceedings which
required any observation from him, hitt he should be very
happy to affard any explanation which might be required
of him.
Mr. Alderman Parker should like the Chairman of the
Committee to have told tits Council what the effect of
the supply had been upon the reservoirs, or if it had had
any ; and how the mills were supplied. He also wanted to
ltnov whether there was any improvement in the colour
of the water. He *as himself perfectly convinced
that the saffron-like appearance, as the chairman
of the Bath's Committee had called it, would sill con-
tinue, and that the water was quite as discoloured now
as it had been from the first. There was one remark he
va..aned to make with regard to the charges for distribution
of the water, a circnrstance in reference to which ought
to be known at this particular time. When the water
*as in the hands of the old companies the shipping
interest paid. is for every 100 gallons put on board a
vessel. What did the corporation do when they got
thq distribuion of the water ? They reduced the
amount to 6d, which was equal to a bona fide gift of
9,000 year to the shipping interest of the port, unasked
and uns licited. (Hear ) When everything was said
against the corporation, he hoped that little fact would
be brought forward to show that it was not the object of
.the Water Committee or of the corporation to inflict any
penalties upon the shipping interest, but rather to eu.
courage it to the full extent of their power. (Hear.) He
presumed, with regard to the water, that with a little
patience they should know at the end of six months how
things might be. If the water continued as discoloured
as it was at present, he should certainly support Mr.
Jeffery in asking for a separate line of pipes. They
must come to that in the end. As a practical manu-
facturer, he could state, with regard to that manufacture
in which he was himself engaged, that the water was
highly objectionable for the purposes of that manufacture.
Mr. he ckwith sail he understood, from a great number
ofi brewers, 'het the Rivington water was the very best
which could be had for the put poses of brewing. There
was a Mr. Greene, a brewer, in Soho street, who ext oled
the it'vington water to the skies for its goodeess in the
brewing department. As an illustration of that fact,
to convince Mr. Hodson, a very intelligent and important
member, he understood that Mr. Greene sent him a sample
of splendid ale brewed from the ktivinaton water, as a
proof that it was of the bast qullity. He therefore felt
very much surprised when Mr. Parker stated that so far
as his manufacture was concerned, it was very bad for
the purpose. He bad heard indeed of conimon brewers,
and brewers of 41 ale, and he was not surprised that
the water should have an effect upon weak ale ; but. he
could not understand why it should have an effect
injurious to the stro ger brewings. (Laughter.)
Mr. Parker said he had been stating a fact, whereas
Mr. B ckwi.h was only giving scraps of information which
he hid picke t up here and there.
Mr. J. R. Jr ffery asked if the chairman of the Water
Committee could inform the Council what the cost
already incurred had been, for stopping the leak to which
the minutes referred, and whether the Water Committee
had any es imate of what the probable cost *mile be.
A second question he desired to put was, whether the
chairman could inform the Council at what time he
apprehended the water would be sufficiently pure to be
delivered without any mixture. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Cooper said, with regard to the cost of the leakage
it changed every week, and, therefore, he could not state
the exact amount. He should be very glad to lay before
the Council the exact amount on a future occasion.
With regard to what it probably would cost for the
future, he was es anxious himself to know the fact as
any member could be, and he had therefore ordered a
letter to be sent to Mr. Hawksley, requesting Mm, at the
earliest opportunity, to state when it was likely to be
finished, and at what cost. This week, it was stated that
the leakage had gone down to one third of what it was.
With regard to the water being sufficiently pure, he did
not calculate that it would be sufficiently pure for several
months to come—perhaps for twelve months.
Mr. Jeffery : I confess I am very much surprised at
that answer. We were told in February that the water
would be sufficiently pure in March or April.
Mr. Cooper : Not by me.
Mr. Jeffery : I should like to know on what has's such
an answer was givrn at that time, and for what reason
his opinion has been seriously altered.
Mr. Cooper : I do not recollect that I ever made such
statement. If salty such statement was ever made in this
room, it must have been by somebody else. I always
stated 'horn the commencement that I did not expect ii
would be perfectly pure and clear, and the pipes cleansed
for twelve mon les.

Mr. Jeffery : Certainly it was stated either by you or
by Mr. James Holme in your presence.
Mr. Hodson : Mr. Jeffely must be labouring under some
mistake, for I am sure no member of the Water Committee
erersupposed for one toomeat that the water would be pure
so soon. (Hear, hear.) We all knew that twelve months
would be required to cleanse the tubes and reservoirs. I
never heard of such a thing as the water becoming pure
in a month or two, and I have been eight years on the
committee.

Mr. Alderman Bennett said it was stated most dis-
tinctly early in January, when, he was desirous that the
itivington water should he given to the town for one
week in the state in which it_was delivered at the reser-
voirs. Thy engiueer then begged of him not to urge such
a course until March or April, as he did not consider the
water would be pure for the first two or three months.
That was stated openly to the committee at one of their
Saturday meetings.
Mr. J ffery : And in this Councilronm.

Mr. Bennett said, as regarded the leakage, the
committee was about geMog a report from Mr.
llawkt-sley, more fully thou any one else could
give information at present. In reply to Mr.
Jeffery's question, he might state that it was cost-
ing upwards of £loo a week. How long it would cost
that much, no one could tell. The reason of its dimi-
nishing to one third, was b cause of the powerful pumps
and steam engines pumping it from the fissure of the

. .
leakage back to the reservoir—not that the actual leak-
age was at all diminished, but that it was intercepted in

its course, and thrown back into the reservoirs.

Mr. Tinne objected to such unofficial statements.
(Hear, hear.) It was quite incorrect, on the part of a
member of Oa committee, to give such information as

official. (Hear, bear.)
Mr. Ririe ; Mr. Tirane ought to recollect what a great
philosopher has been speaking. (Laughter.).

Mr. Bennett: Mr. tune ought to recollect that we
are here as representatives of the town, and that this
information is no secret. What harm can it possibly do ?
There Is a leak.

Mr. T►nne : I rise to order altogether. Mr. Bennett
is not speaking on behalf of the committee. The Chair-