Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-29 00:00:00

sanction cif two-thirds ofmembers present at .a public meeting,
which shall have been specially . called by—printed circular,
stating the'objeet of the meeting. 'X. That the public meeting; to receive the Previsional
Committee's report, and for, the' election-of President; Trea-
surer Secretary, .and the Coineil, be held at the Clarendon-
buildings, on Wednesday next; at eye o'clock.
The adoption of the report was moved by a gentleman
whose name did not transpire.
Mr. J: B. HTionus, in seconding the motion, said, he
thought it would be well that theyunderstood thoroughly
what they were going to do. They did "not want to
oppose sanitary measures that were useful, but sought,to
protect themSelVes and their property.; and, he thought,
they had been more hardly dealt with than any others
in the town. He remembered well that, when the
opposition was , got up in 1850 to the owners of small
property being compelled to pay the sanitary rate they,
were told that if they withdrew that opposition, and
allowed them to pass the bill; the rate would be one,
shilling insteadof two. He stoke of Toxteth-park as
he was more acquainted with that district. In 1855 the
rate wail ls.' ,11,1 d.; in 1856, ls. 110. ; in 1857,
ls. 111,c1:; in 1858, it was 2s. 43,1, and this year it
is 2s. 9d. That was how they were served. It was
a fact that could not be denied that every house had
to pay more than :was sufficient to construct the main
sewer in front of it. Sanitary reform was a very good
thing, bat it was quite possible for them to pay too clear.
for their whistle. It was quite reasonable to think that
theloye-laws Could be adopted in country towns, where
the people could afford 'gardens, but in Liverpool the
principal expense ih building was the purchase of the
land. Small houses were in great demand in Liverpool
by people-who were not able to pay large rents, but the
actions of the Health Committee had been, the cause of
the owners of property to increase the rents on the
working classes, otherwise they would be losers. It was
a well know-n fact that cottage property was very much
at a discount, by' people leaving the small houses 'and
joining together to take larger ones.' He believed that,
if every family had a house of their own, morality would
be improved as well as health. He hoped the associa-
tion would show by their acts that they were a body
who ought to be respected. . .
Mr. BANNISTER thought, among all the injuries that
had been done to the owners of house property, there
was none to be compared to the first resolution that was
passed by the Health CoMmittee, the, effect of which
was, that the owners of a certain class of property shonld
be whollY exempt from any compensation for any injury
done them in consequence, of the operations of the Health
Commitee.
The report was then adopted.
Office bearers and a council were . appeinted, after
much talk.
Mr. TT-romp-sox remarked when this had been done,
that he did not think either the meeting or the
corporation had taken, a proper view of the matter,
for it appeared to him that: if the bill which the
committee were trying to saddle upon them were
passed; not one of the houses in the best streets in
town could be, re-built, supposing they were destroyed
by fire. A great portion
,of the property in the town
was held by corporate lease, but if snch a law was
brought into operation, tile Corporation would haie no
power to renew the leaseS. He did not doubt but when
it was looked at in that light, it would not be attempted
to get it passed. ~
Mr. WILLIAMS said the bill was ignored by everyone.,
Mr. THOMPSON—It's an ugly child that nobody will
father. (Laughter.),
A deputation was appointed to wait on the Health
Committee to-day, and thanks having been voted to the
chairman, the meeting separated.