Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-09 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOTJSE OF LORDS.---FRIDAY.
ROYAL ASSENT.
Their Lordships met at four o'clock,
When the Royal Assent was given, by commission, to the
East India Loan Bill, the Oaths Act Amendment Bill, the
Pateffts of Invention Munitions of War Bill, the Common
Rights, &c., War Department Bill, and several private
SUPERANNUATION BILL.

The Superannuation Bill was brought up from the House
of Commons, and read a first time,

• VOTE OF THANKS TO LOAD CANNING.
The Earl of Derby gave notice that he should postpone
from Monday to Thursday next, the vote of thanks to Lord
Canning.

PEACE OF EUROPE.

In answer to the Marquis of Clanricarde,
The Earl of Malmesbury said that he hoped to be able to
make a statement to the House, before the prorogation,
which wonld show that her Majesty's Government had done
all that possibly could be done to preserve the peace
of Europe.

INDICTABLE OFFEN CE BILL

On the motion for the third reading of the Indictable
Offence (Metropolitan Districts) Bill,
Lord Lyndhurst opposed both its principle and details ;
and after a debate, in which most of the law lords shared,
the bill was withdrawn.

The other bills on the table were forwarded a stage,
and the house adjourned at half :past seven.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer appealed to Lord Pal-
merston not to press the question of which he had given
notice, respecting our foreign relations. He assured the
noble lord that it would be inconvenient, and more than
inconvenient, to the public service, if he put that great
question at the present moment. On Monday or Tuesday
in the ensuing week he should make a statement as to
their relations which would either satisfy the noble lord, or
enable him to make such remarks as he might think fit.
Lord Palmerston replied, that it was impossible for him
to refuse to comply with the request thus made. His only
object was to ascertain the position in which we stood, and
that object probably would be attained by the statement of
the hon. gentleman • or, if not, he should be able to take
the opportunity of demanding further information.
In reply to Lord J. Russell, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer said he would conclude with a motion, so as to
permit the, discussion of the subject.
Replying to Mr. Davison,
Sir S. Northcote said, that the contracts of the Royal
Mail Steam Packet Company had been continued for two
years after the expiration of their former contract, at the
express demand of the company, and in accordance with a
minute of the late government.
Lord Stanley, in reply to Mr. V. Smith said, that he
should bring forward the vote of thanks to the Indian
officials on Tuesday next instead of Monday, and at the
same time lay a form of thanksgiving on the table.

The Attorney-General gave -notice, that on Thursday, he
should bring the whole question of the consolidating of the
criminal law of England and Ireland before the house.
On the motion fur the adjournment till Monday—
Viscount Castlerosse asked the Chief Secretary for
Ireland whether his attention had been called to the fact,
that, at the trial at Tralee, of Daniel O'Sullivan, convicted
of being a member of the Phcenix Society, the eleven Roman
Catholic jurors, including a gentleman lately appointed a
magistrate of the county, who were called and answered to
their names, were directed to stand by the Crown, and, if so,
whether such a course was adopted with the approval of the
government. Of the men set aside, were some men of
property, and others of unimpeachable character, and
were set aside solely because they were Roman Catholics.

Mr. Vance said that this que;tion was brought forward
solely to influence the Irish elections. The Whigs advised
the same course in the case of the trial of Daniel O'Connell,
simply to obtain a fair trial, and the Conservatives
had done so for the same reason on the present occasion.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that no instruc-
tions had been given to the Crown officer to exclude Roman
Catholics from the jury, nor would any such course meet
their approval. There had recently been many
Ribbond trials in Ireland, in which Roman
Catholics had been put on the juries, and it was
not the wish of Government, either in political or any
other trial to make any distinctions between various classes
of her Majesty's subjects, He read a letter on the subject,
in which it was expressly stated that no challenge was
made to any juror on other than personal grounds. The
prisoner challenged 20 Protestant jurymen, and the crown
16, of whom 8 were Protestants. The letter came as an
enclosure from the Attorney •General for Ireland. One of
the jurors, the magistrate alluded to, Mr. O'Connor, was
challenged, because he had formerly been convicted for
conspiracy.__

11fr. H. Herbert defended the gentleman last alluded to.
The trial at which he was convicted took place many years
ago, when he was a very young man, and got into a scrape
in consequence of a tithe agitation. He was glad
to hear the declaration of the Government, being con-
vinced that the trial was fair, and that Sullivan
was justly 'convicted. It should at the same time
be recollected that it was of the greatest im-
portance that no suspicion should be excited in the minds
of the people of Ireland, and for that reason he greatly
regretted the course taken by the law officers of the crown.
Mr. C. Fortescue bore testimony to the merits and
respectability of the jurors challenged.

Mr. M. Mahon read a letter froiii the solicitor to the trial,
who declared that he never knew a more flagrant attempt to
pack a jury.
Mr. S. Estcourt said that the statement just read differed
greatly from the one just made. There was no use in dis-
cussing the matter till further informatiim arrived. The
Attorney-General for Ireland would be in his place on
Monday, and the discussion might then be renewed.
Mr. J. D. Fitzgerald said that the statement of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer was by no means satisfactory.
At a recent trial in Tralee every Roman Cathohc
juror had been laid aside. Even if it was true
that the prisoner challenged twenty jurors, all of whom
were Protestants, the same course ought not to have been
taken by the Government. He protested against the course
of those representing the ground whereby every Roman
Catholic who answered to his name, was ordered to stand
by. Suspicion was thus excited in the minds of the people,
who lost confidence in the administration of justice, and
who believed that the object was not to arrive at the truth,
but to obtain a conviction.

Mr. M. Milnes called attention to the report of the com-
mittee on the Consular service, and hoped that some assu-
rance would be given that the whole system could be
recognised. He wished to know to what extent the recom-
mendation of the committee could be carried out.

Mr. S. Fitzgerald said that the subject had occupied the
unceasing attention of the Foreign Office, especially with
regard to the proposal that the consuls should be paid al-
together by salary, and that the fees they now receive should
be handed over to the Treasury. It would be desirable if
the system recommended by the committee had been more
largely adopted, but many of these recommendations had
been already carried out.

Mr. W. Williams protested against any increase in the
expense in the consular service.

Sir Minto Farquhar declared, on the contrary, that these
officials were very inadequately remunerated.
Mr. Beamish asked the Secretary to the Treasury
whether Sir Samuel Cunard had offered, through a depu-
tation which waited on the Admiralty and Treasury depart-
ments, on Monday last, to convey the mails weekly between
an Irish port and America, for the sum of £soo' the voyage
out and home. Is it the intention of Government to per-
severe in completing a contract for £3,000 for this service
fortnightly between Galway and America. He demanded,
on the part of the public, that this offer should be duly
eonsidered.
Sir S. Northcote said that the offer of Sir S. Cunard was
to call at Cork on the way from Liverpool to America and
on the return, for £5OO. The Galway offer involved a
third American service, in addition to the two now undertaken
weekly ; but as the Galway service was only fortnightly;
there would be three services in one week and only two in
another. This was felt .to be inconvenient, and it was
therefore proposed to ask the American Government to
undertake a postal service in the alternate weeks not com-
prised in the Galway service, and if America declined, it
was proposed to make a similar offer to Sir S. Cunard. It
was, therefore, the intention of the government to complete
the contract with the Galway line.
Mr. Gladstone observed that the consent of Parliament

was first necessary.
Lord Dunkellin protested against the monopoly attempted
by the Cunard line, and pointed out the advantages of the
Galway line. He called on the Irish members to unite in
forwarding a plan so evidently for the advantage of the
country.

Mr. 'Maguire adduced the decided opinion of Sir Samuel
Cunard, that the port of Cork was the fittest for the service,
and was ready for the object without any outlay. The
passage from London to Cork could be effected in eighteen
hours, while the service as proposed by Sir S. Cunard
would be weekly, instead of fortnightly as proposed by the
Galway company. He urged the government to give the
small subsidy asked by Sir S. Cunard in addition to the sum
allotfed to Galway.
Mr Monsell moved that the contract should be submitted
to public competition. The advantages of the port of
Galway were very doubtful. He demanded that the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer should give some assurance. Before
the matter was decided, the:House should have an oppor-
tunity of expressing an opinion.
Mr. Repton hope 4 that the decision of the GovernMent
would be adhered to.

Mr. Labouchere demanded that all the postal eonttacts

season

should be brought directly under the cognisance of the
House, and wished to know whether the expenditure to be
caused by this contract would be put upon the estimates.
Mr. Cogan approved of the very prompt and proper
assistance given by the government to postal communications
betweed Ireland and America.

Mr. J. Ewart observed that there were parties in Liver-
pool desirous of tendering for the contract.
Sir J. Graham denianded a categorical answer from the
government to the question put by Mr. Labouchere. He
objected to the proceedings of the government by private
engagement, without the consent of that house, doubting
whether the advantages of the Galway line would be equal
to the sums expended upon it.
Mr. Lindsay said that a great question was involved, and
and that the government ought not to be committed until it
had been fully discussed.
The motion for adjournment till Monday was then
agreed to.
In reply to Mr. Cayley, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
denied that he had ever declared it to be his intention to
introduce any further measure of reform. All he had said
was that he had fulfilled his pledge, and would not bind
himself to bring forward any measure at a specified time, by
which he meant especially the meeting of parliament in
June or July ; but on a future occasion, if the opportunity
was favourable, the government would bring forward a
measure on the subject, for the settlement of which the
Conservative party offered peculiar advantages.
On bringing up the report of the committee of supply,
Sir S. Grey, alluding to certain statements made by
persons of high authority, that some delay would be inter-
posed between the prorogation of Parliament and a dissolu-
tion, demanded how far those statements were true.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that they iested on
no foundation whatever. The dissolution would take place
as soon after the prorogation as possible, towards the end
of the month. As to the question which had been raised
respecting the postal contracts, it would be a new precedent
to have them, in the first instance, submitted to that House.
Contracts were constantly granted without previous tender.
He recalled the facts of the Galway undertaking, which
offered increased speed at diminished cost : they gained two
days and saved £4OO. However, the company offered pecu-
liar facilities for the transport of troops. The government,
therefore, thought right to adopt on its own responsibility a
policy it felt to be advantageous to the empire, and in
accordance with duty. The amount would, as a matter of
course, appear in the estimates before any money was
paid.
Lord Palmerston, recurring to the dissolution, did not see
why the new writs should not issue immediately, and not be
delayed till the end of the month. Were they to under-
stand that the new parliament was not to meet till July ? If
so, the government would be open to the reproach of wast-
ing the year. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, he had only
mentioned July in reference to the introduction of a reform
bill. He repeated that the dissolution would take place as
soon as the public convenience admitted.

Lord John. Russell could not see why the dissolution
should not take place after the prorogation. The new par-
liament could meet by the end of May, and a Reform Bill
could be introduced ten days after.

Mr. Gladstone, in reference to the subject of the contract,
demanded that the house should exercise some previous con-
trol in matters of importance before the faith of the country
was actually pledged.
Colonel French asked that, if such was. the opinion of the
right hon. gentleman, why did he not make a motion ?

Mr. F. W. Russell urged that the subject should be
treated on larger grounds, and that the contracts should be
suspended till the meeting of the new parliament.
Mr. Richardson vindicated the right of Galway to be
selected as a packet station.

The report of the committee of supply was then agreed to,

The Sale and Transfer of Land (Ireland) Bill was with-
drawn, as was the Receivers in Chancery (Ireland) Bill.
The Local Governments Supplemental Bill was read a
second time.
The Pauper Maintenance Act Continuance Bill passed
through committee.

The Combination of Workmen Bill was read a third
time and passed.
The other orders were disposed of, and the [louse ad-
journed at 9.20 p.m.

LIVERPOOL BANKRUPTCY COURT.-YESTERDAY

In re W. S. HAYES.—The bankrupt, an outfitter and
hatter, at Liverpool, applied for, his certificate. He was
opposed by Mr. Anderson on behalf of the assignees, who
urged as the grounds of opposition that the bankrupt, had
received goods from various creditors and disposed of them
to some of his friends, leaving the creditors to prove on
the estate, from which there was only a sum of £4O,
insufficient even for liquidating the court expenses ; that
he had also made payments to his brother of various sums
of money at a time when he was insolvent, and which
sums were not entered or accounted for in his cash
book. Under the circumstances he asked his Honour to
mark the censure of the court by inflicting a severe punish-
ment on the bankrupt. Mr. Roby for the bankrupt, ex-
amimed him with the view of contradicting the charges
alleged by the assignees, and afterwards addressed the court
on his behalf. His Honour thought the case was one which
deserved the severe censure of the court, and adjudged the
bankrupt a certificate of the third-class, with twelve
months' suspension, no protection being allowed for the
present.
In re J. H. SKEELES.—This bankrupt, a boot and shoe
maker in Liverpool, who was unopposed, passed his last
examination after a slight alteration had been made in the
balance sheet. The certificate meeting was fixed for the
6th of May.

In re- TITTERINGTON. This bankrupt, a licensed
victualler at Liverpool, applied for his certificate. He was
opposed by Mr. Bretherton, who appeared for the
assignees. Mr. Bretherton examined the bankrupt
in reference to his having given to a Miss Wignall,
to whom he was indebted, security at the time
when he was supposed to be insolvent. The
bankrupt admitted that he had given security, but denied
the allegation of having done so with a knowledge of his
insolvency at the time. Mr. Yates appeared for the bank-
rupt. The case was adjourned to Tuesday next.
In re J. P. G. SMITH.—The bankrnpt, a banker at Liver-
pool, made an application for his certificate. Mr. Fletcher
represented the bankrupt, and Mr. E. Banner appeared for
the assignees, but offered no opposition. His Honour,
after examining the proceedings on the file, awarded the
bankrupt an immediate certificate of the first class, and
allowed the costs of his solicitor's attendance.

The Paris Conference was opened on Thursday.
There seems to be no doubt that the double election of
Cohinel C.ouza will be sanctioned.
No SHIP SHOULD GO TO SEA without one of Saunders
and Co.'s Patent Self-cleansing Charcoal Filters, cased and
fitted-up expressly for use on board ship. Note the address,
SAUNDERS & Co., 16, Parker-street, Liverpool.
The Morning Post publishes a long and important
memorandum, presented by the Sardinian Government to
that of her Britannic Majesty, on the condition of Italy. It
is dated Turin March Ist, and is in answer to interpellations
of the English Government. It points out the changes by
which the danger of war or revolution would be warded off,
and the Italian question at least temporarily solved.
THE RECTOR OF THE PARISH.—" He was not much of
a preacher. He preached short, moral sermons. But then
he acted pretty much up to what he said. He didn't set
up for being so different from other folks one day, and then
be as like 'm as two peas the rest ; and he made folks love
and respect him, and that was better nor stirring up their
gall wi' being over busy. Mrs. Poyser used to say—you
know she would have her word about everything—she said
he was like a good meal o' victual, you were better for him
without thinking on it, and Mr. Ryde was like a dose of
physic, he griped you, and worked you, and after all he left
you much the same."—Adam Bede.
THE AGILE GIBRON.—When startled, the Agile Gibbon
flits at once to the top of the tree, and then, seizing the
branch that seems best adapted to its purpose, it swings
itself once or twice to gain an impetus, and launches itself
through the air like a stone from a sling, gaining its force
very much on the same principle. Seizing another branch,
towards which it had aimed itself, and which it reaches with
unerring certainty, the creature repeats the process, and
flings itself with ease through distances of thirty or forty
feet, flying along as if by magic. Those who have seen it
urging its flight over the trees have compared its actions
and appearance to those of a bird. Indeed these creatures
seem to pass a life that is more aerial than that of many
birds, putting out of question the heavy earth-walking
birds, which have not the power to raise themselves from
the ground even if they had the will.—Routledge's Illus-
trated Natural History, by the Bev. T. G. Wood.
HINTS FOR PARENTS.—The human infant, though not
destitute of sight, at its entrance into the world, like the
young of the cat, dog, or rabbit, is equally helpless, and
dependent upon its parent not only for support but for
warmth. And as the human body is longer in arriving at
its full development than is any other, so is it necessary that
this assistance should be longer afforded. It is too frequently
neglected by those who are well able to afford it, under the
erroneous idea of hardening the constitntion ; and the want
of it, consequent upon poverty, is one of the most fertile
sources of the great mortality among children of the poorer
classes. This is easily proved by the proportional number
of deaths which take place in different parts of the year, at
different ages. During the first month of infant life, the
winter mortality is nearly double that of the summer ;
though there is very little difference between the two
ility of pdults.—Carpenter' s dnima4

TIM NORTHERN .TimEs, SATURDAY, APRIL 9 1859

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT,

TO THE RATEPAYERS AND OWNERS OF
PROPERTY IN TRANMERE.

Gentlemen,—l make no apology for the intrusion : if,
while you slept, enemies were endeavouring to inflict a
great damage upon you, you would not require an apology
for my impoliteness in waking you. If those enemies pre-
tended to be friends, that would make no difference.
Deeds, not pretences, you would judge by.
Is such a thing about to happen ? —No, if you wake, and
speak, and act, and vote. But if you do not, assuredly,
Yes ! The only property which, as a township, you
possess, will be abstracted,—while you are cloroformed—
gently soothed into unconsciousness, by doses of sophistry,
misrepresentation, and fiction.
I say your only property. You had another, but that has
been appropriated by Birkenhead, on the payment of £3OO
to the party who is now seeking to deprive you of your
water rights. (See Mr. Laird's speech at foot.*) Most of
the ancient, and many of the modern towns, have properties
of various kinds. Chester has considerable landed property.
Liverpool has an immense landed estate, as well as her
town dues, which, though recently taken from her, she has
received a million and-a-half sterling as an equivalent for.
The only property which Birkenhead had was her gas and
water supply, and that she allowed to float from her apathetic
possession, twenty years since. Only twenty years ! And
what happened last year ? Why, that very property, so
listlessly abandoned for nothing, she was glad to pay
£210,000 to regain. Mr. Laird says, that with all expenses,
it cost not less than £240,000. What happened besides,
last year ? Why, the property, so abandoned for nothing,
so re-purchased for £240,000, brought in, as one year's
return, the magnificent sum of twenty-seven thousand five
hundred pounds.
You are now invited to do what Birkenhead and Liver-
pool did, and which cost them so much to repair. Will
you do so ? Why, if you reckon the extra interest and
compound interest during 60 years, and the enormous
premium which Liverpool had to pay when she re-bought
the Water Works, and the money spent on Rivington, for
which there would have been no occasion had the yield
of the wells been developed as they have since been,
you cannot set the loss to Liverpool by that fatal
blunder at less than Three Millions of Money. The
men who ask you to do this, in the face of such examples,
are surely either beside themselves, or presume you are
so. Why, when they tell you it is no property, do they
expect you to believe them in the face of facts like these.
If it is no property why are they so desirous to get it ?
Why have they already spent £1,500 in the Commons, and
avow their readiness to expend £1,500 more in the Lords to
get it ? Gentlemen, be sure this is a property—and a great
property; and what is-more—it is your property, and that
is the cause of the trouble to these gentlemen. They know
it is yours ; they want it to be theirs. And if they can
persuade you it is worth nothing, you will let them take it.
No property, and not yours indeed ! Why, whose is it, if
not yours? Is it not under the ground of your own town-
ship, as completely as the air above envelopes it ? Is not
the air you breathe, yours,—well, so is this water, as much
as the air. What is yours, if this is not ? It is yours by
nature, by justice, and by law. It might be a natural and
.just right, and still be wrong for you to appropriate it,
because living in society your natural and just rights may
be limited by the natural and just rights of others ; but,
gentlemen, you have in this case, that which gives vitality
and authority to all natural rights —that which enables
them to live and to act ; for the Ligislature of your country,
by the Local Government Act, makes them yours by law,
as well as by nature and justice.
But your opponents tell you—there are no men in Tran-
mere, fitted to take the direction of a great property.
What, in ten thousand people, are there none who can ad-
minister the government of the community—not even
manage a water company ? Why, have we been trained
in France or Russia ? Are we not members of one of the
greatest municipalities in the world ? Surely, to say
nothing of Major Orred, Major French, Mr. lkfoorcroft,
Mr. Branch, Mr. Willoughby, Mr. Liversage, and many
others, these gentlemen have forgotten themselves—they
have forgotten that they live in Tranmere. Or, is it that they
are as grand in modesty as in all other virtues ? What !
Does not Mr. Woodward reside in Tranmere, who, on all
occasions, proclaims to us that he is a man of great public
spirit, and a friend of the poor ?" Does not Mr. Baynes,
who, on his oath in the Commons, tells us that he has a
large landed interest in Tranmere, and who modestly, under
great pressure, reveals, as the extent of his possessions, that
they consist of five acres between him and his partners ;
does he not reside in Tranmere ? And Mr. Ross, the dis-
tinguished arithmetician, who reckons, when all the princi-
pals paid, the interest remains ; and Mr. Ramplin, who is
content to advertise himself as an eminent architect, of forty
years' standing: and Mr. Blaylock, who can safely call a
township meeting for a private company, but dare not
call one for the township of which he is overseer ; who,
though obliged to admit on his oath that he is a
shareholder, can tell us from the chair that he is quite
disinterested; who declares a majority of eight to one, an
equality ; who, when amendments are proposed, will not
receive them; who, when motions are made, will not put
them; who, when a poll is demanded, will not give it ; and,
above all, Mr. Gill, who, in the matter of their own bill, to
say nothing of the gas matter last year, has shown such
remarkable public spirit and disinterestedness, and such
consummate ability. Is not Tranmere honoured as the
residence of all these gentlemen ? and, with them amongst
us, surely, though all other intelligence and virtue should
expire, it is superfluous to fear th want of guiding minds
or honest hearts to govern us.
No capacity to manage ! Why, the assertion is not more
grossly insulting than it is false. Of course they have every
qualification, for they have asked parliament for authority
to direct a water company. Well, let us see what proof
they gave of their capacity, on their oaths, 'before the
committee of the House of Commons. They all avowed
the opinion that water works constructed by the township,
would ruin it; but not one had tested his opinion by any
calculation—not one could justify his assertion by a single
figure. Mr. Raynes "had not inquired into the relative
expense of the township's scheme, as compared with
the private company's, but thought, by a great effort of
mind, he could understand that the farther the water was
brought, the more it would cost ;" Mr. Woodward had not
considered the expense of supplying Tranmere alone with
water, and confessed he was not competent to do so ; Mr.
Blaylock had not ascertained the comparative expense of
the two schemes ; Mr. Houghton had not done so. This
extraordinary man (a great encouragement to struggling
genius) was sure it would be more expensive for the
Township to supply itself with water, than to be supplied by
the company. He had not calculated the expense, and
nobody had told him, but he knew it " from a calculation
in his own mind." Thus, the man who ascertains truth by
intuition is found at last—a farmer on the top of Tranmere
Hill. Let it be proclaimed to the world, and let the earth
rejoice ! Mr. Ramplin had not calculated the expense,
though he was an engineer Mr. Ross had so distinguished
himself by arithmetical achievements, before he went up,
that they did not dare to ask him. Of all these men,
but one, Mr. Britten, had any foundation for his opinion,
and he was actually under Mr. Webb in his
estimate for the cost of the Township's Works. Mr. Gill
was not examined. It would have been very unpleasant to
him to have been questioned as to certain matters of figures,
on his oath. He might have had to admit that Mr. Laird's
statement was true, and Dr. Baylis's denunciation deserved.
But now, in seriousness, are not these fine gentlemen to set
forth the want of governing and administrative ability in
Tranmere. Truly, if we were limited to their light,
our darkness would be great indeed. Why, if they
were fair representatives of the intellect and educa-
tion of Tranmere, then, indeed, they would prove
their own assertion to the committee, true. But is it
possible that in the lowest parts of the Township, greater
incapacity, allied to greater presumption, could be found
than was shown by the very men, who went to London to
represent that, except themselves, there was not a man in
the Township capable of managing a Water Works. The
only parallel to their capacity is their honesty in getting
up a riot at the Township meetings, and then slandering
the Township by telling the House of Commons
Committee that the meetings were so disgraceful, that
the decision was not of the smallest consequence. On
the other hand, Mr. Webb had no opinion or conclusion,
but he had facts and figures on which to base them. So
nnanswerable too, that they were never attempted to be
questioned, and his opponents had to content their malice by
enquiring into his previous life, and were delighted to find
that seventeen years since, he had been unfortunate.l and
Mir;
Docra, the largest well contractor in the vford
, .
Fulton, the eminent London engineer, entirely confirmed
calculations. ?
Why,Whatw that
entht
whereasoseundis thisputed
ainfrd. indisputable Webb
binhis
calculations

* ARRANGEMENT WITS MR. GILL.
[Extract from Mr. Laird's speech to the Commissioners of
Birkenhead, copied from the Daily Post of August 4, 1858.1
Mr. Laird said, the parliamentary committee thought, when they
were before parliament, that it would be a judicious arrangement
for them to prevent any opposition in the House of L and to
ensure the carrying of the bill, by paying £4OO to Mr. liretherton
and £3OO to Mr. Gill. These amounts were paid, and the com-
missioners thereby obtained great powers. There was an additional
c-orn': rin teereason for settling with Mr. Gill—an important one—and one that
would explain to the commissioners that the parliaments.
com-
mittee had made a judicious arrangement. parties had pro-
posed a clause to the committee of the housTe
had entertained the clause, and proposed to insert it
was to the effect that—at any time when the Tin the bill, which
Ferry, or Oxton people thought fit to come to ranmere, or Rock
works, the commissioners should be compelled parliament for gas
&c., in those districts, at a valuation. to sell their pipes,
mittee felt that the admission of that The parliamentary com-
prejudicial to the interests of the that
clause would have been
about £3OO would be well laid out to ratepayers; and they thought
of that sort in it. If those parties secure a bill without a clause
rights which the board now came to parliament to take the
pay them according to the possessed, they would now have to.
They could not come _ Prodt and the value of their works there.
and take them at a bare valuation.

• TABLE
COMPARATIVE SCALE OP

No. 2

company could nctt build water works for less
than £40,000, the township could build them for les
than £15,000. Talk of burdens, indeed; these
are the men who are going to burden you, if
you will but let them. And what, as the consequences,
did Mr. Webb, that able and devoted defender of the town-
ship rights, show ? Why, that the township, expending so
much less on their works, would be able to supply for all
public purposes without charge, while to private persons the
charge would be one-third less than that made by the com-
pany; leaving besides a handsome surplus every year, for
drainage, baths, or other useful purposes, and at the end of
30 years the entire water works as the magnificent unencum-
bered property of the township. Gentlemen, here is one of
those unanswerable tables of Mr Webb, unchallenged before
the committee, or anywhere else—aye, and unchal-
lengeable :