Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-13 00:00:00

HEALTH COMMITTEE.
The usual weekly meeting of this committee was held
y,-.sterday in the Council Chamber; Mr. AldermaviDover itt
the chair. The attendance also included Messrs. Sheil,
Hodson, Beckwith, Gladstone, Crosthwaite, Anthony,
Avison, Barton, Stitt, Haydock, &c.
REPORTS.
The borough engineer, building surveyor, and inspector
of nuisances reported various particulars of the operations
in their several departments during the week, from which it
appeared that 120 nuisances complained of by inhabitants
had been inspected, and means taken to remedy them ;
757 houses in the unhealthiest districts, containing 2,453
apartments, and 667 cellars, had been put under examina-
tion, with the view of improving their sanitary condition,
and 186 lodging-houses had also been examined and reported
upon.

HE/lint OF THE TOWN,

The medieatofficer reported that, in the week ending the
7th inst., the mortality of the borough was lower than in
any week of the two preceding years. The deaths were 183,
being 30 less than in the previous week,. and 48 less than the
average of the eorrespondmg week in the preceding ten
years corrected for increase of population, Deaths in the
parish, 118 ; and In the out-townships, 45; from zymotic
diseases 34 deaths were registered against 45 in the week
previous. They incrucle—from hopping-cough, 8; diarrhoea,
8 ; typhus, 6 ; scarlatina, 5 ; measles, 2 ; diptheria, 2;
small-pox, 1 (after vaccination) ; syphilles, 1 ; carbuncle,. 1.
The mortality from tfmse diseases•: was lower than it had
been for nearly twelve months. Diseasessof lungs caused 65
deaths, against 72 in the previous week. An individual irr
good circumstances died from intemperance.

PlitS

It was stated that, from information. received, it was quite
ctttaitt th.t. i—tv Impel:LOX or nuisances, tett
_ungittitu. va. CjaLtullay last, tliggins was ap-
pointed in Mr. Fresh's place.

WOODEN BENCHRS IN THE STREETS.
A recommendation of the sub-committee; that Mr. Melly
obtain permission to erect good oak seats in the following
localities, viz. :—One or two omßrownlow-hill opposite.the
Workhouse; two in Smithdowni-lane ; one in Hope-street ;
one in net-lane; one or two in Sonth Redford-street ;
one at the top of Park-hill ; and; two new ones in lien' of
the . present seats in Crown-street, create& consideraMe
discussion.

Mr. Gladstone inquired of the Brffough Engineer whether
the seats were at all necessary ? He really could' not see
why the public streets should be obstructed. rt was stated
by other members of the committee that severai-complaints
had been made, that these seats were used for- improper
purposes, ultimately the consideratiou'of the reetTarnenda-
tion was postponed until next week.

THE BUILDING AG-I`

The Building Surveyor read over a number of clauses,
which, it was agreed, should be carried into effect against
those who broke the Building Act.

Mr. Gladstone said, that it ought to go forth that the
town-clerk had found out a law which authorises tie town
surveyor to interfere with a building which had beentrected,
although Mr. Stewart averred in the council that no such
law was in existence.

Mr. Stitt called attention to a house at the corner of
Hugh-street, West Derby-road, which projected out into
the street, and was built contrary to the act.
The Surveyor said that the facts, with respect to that
house, were these : The house was built by a person who had
since gone to America. The present owner of the premises
took them for a bad debt, and, when lie was proceeded
against, the magistrates fined him in the sum- of £lO.
Ultimately, on the motion of Mr. Beckwith, it' wa; agreed
that the town-clerk be directed to take proceedings against
him for the purpose of compelling him to conform with the
act.

"THERE IS A GOOD TIME COATING FOR OCEAN'

STEAM-TRANSIT."

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN

Sir,— Upon the 28th of September, last year
(1858), you did me the honour to publish in your
valuable paper, my letter, under the head of " Ocean
Steam-ships," in which I asserted " twenty miles
per hour" was prcticable at sea. I expected to have
had some comments upon that statement, which
either embraced a " gross absurdity," or a " prac-
tical" fact. That the opinion is entertained by
others, I have only to refer to the vessels
now building by Messrs. Palmer and Co.,
of Jarrow, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, and also
Messrs. Samuelson and Co., of Hull (both parties
for the Galway line), have agreed to produce the
speed I had, some time previous-" to their contracts,
named." May I inquire what is, or what will Liver-
pool do in the matter of " speed," &c., in ocean
steamers? My practical knowledge is at their
service. I hereby take leave to make a broader
assertion I will undertake to prove to any
engineering firm, or steam-ship company, or
individual or individuals, who would provide me
with a steamer, that I can produce the speed
referred to ; and, also, effect a saving in fuel equal to
forty per cent. upon the ordinary consumption of
fuel.

In conclusion, for the benefit of parties interested
in steam property, I take leave to say, that we are
just upon the eve of such changes in its commercial
value, as shall amply repay them for past trials and
difficulties, and prove the correctness of my motto,
that " There is a good time coining for Ocean Steam
Transit."—Your's, &c., ENGINEER.

" Pompey, " said a good-natured gentleman to his
coloured man, "I did not know till to-day you had been
whipped last week:" " Didn't you massa ? " replied
Pompey, " I knowd it at the time. "

THE AMERICANS.—The women of America are, beyond
all comparison, superior to the majority of men in ap-
pearance and manners, particularly in the chief towns, the
society of which gives the tone to the country at large.
They possess an ingenious and easy air, which is nearly
equivalent to the good breeding of Europe. Their coldness,
so much complained of, is less of manner than of feeling.
They are generally educated, in the common acceptation of
word ; but t 1 system'

_ .hey are taught by is amistaken
mixture of the pedantic and the superficial. On a slender
foundation of Latin they raise a slight superstructure of
modern languages ; but soon forgetting their classics, they
too often speak English ungramatically, and they have but
little knowledge of the others. Writing and arithmetic are
the strong points in female education. Most American
women are excellent accountants, and many of them display
handwriting (or, as they always call it, chirography) that
would do honour to -a counting-house clerk, and looks as
rertilar and stiTium ,r__„

ay turn for light literature. They have
much acquaintance with history or other serious reading,
and but a smattering of many scientific things picked up
from casual lecturers. They are taught the usual accom-
plishments of the sex. They are ordinarily but poor
musicians, and know little of drawing, but they dance well
rers, con- 1 World. Among the—

women have a live

the loudness and harshness of the
voice are the most disagreeable, and certain phrases,
familiarity used by the best among:: the ladies of Yankee
land, fall on the English ear as inexcusable vulgarisms
No amount of vivacity or naivete can reconcile us to the
long-drawn out. • " Oh, yes ! " or " Did you ever!" or "Yes,
indeed ! " •or "Do tell !" or " Well now ! " of a New
England belle; or the sharp " I know it." or "No two
ways about that, " " and no mistake, " &c. ; or the fre-
quent violation of grammar and pronunciation. " It warn't."
" Anywheres, " " Not as I know of," " Going a housie-
keeping,
ii
" " I'm a-coming, " • " low have you hen ? " "
do it right off. " and a dozen such expressions, have shocked
me "time and again " (to use one of their pet ones), coming
from some of the sweetest lips in the United States. Bat
the filagree phrase and silken term " precise" of attempted
fine speaking are still worse. Nothing is more provoking
than to hear an agreeable woman saying what gives her an
appearance of underbred affectation, for ordinary minds are
always afraid of homely words. " Garments " for clothes,
" mansion" for house, a "vehicle" for a carriage " do-
mestics " for servants, the -" atmosphere " for the air,
4, where did you worship ? " for what church were you at ?
" I opine " for I think, are in everyday use, A. drunken
fellow is always "an incorrigible inebriate" " Corsets. " a
word scarcely English, instead of stays, "elastics" for
garters, "hose" for stockings, and similar conceits, are
very general. And I know at least one instance of one of
the " exclusives" who is prone to talk of her "people "
not meaning her kindred, as Ruth did when she spoke of
Naomi, but her scanty household, consisting of a waiter
,
Angliee, footman), a cook, a -"seampstress" (no lady has
a lady's maid)
and a chamber-girl (Anfiliefl housemaid).
But most ladies who have been in Europe do not shrink from
nYing " legs " almost as freely as they talk of " limbs, "
and some of them would scarcely hesitate to ask for the
that I
contradistinction
heard
de
tbnreeZt ofin a chicken, though almost all call it the " white
menttio'n "dark
servants meat.
called "
"helps"
eml
pus
by any ono above the e:
class which owns the epithet; but I
am afraid the substitution of "rooster" for sock is al-
together national, Th". Coolly Grattan.