The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-27 00:00:00

IHE .NO iH R TiLt 8.---LI V ERPOOL, WEDNESDAY, MAY 27., 1857

we are that in all particulars of any moment it
will be found we have recorded everything—the
quantity and quality of the water,—the nffi-
ciency of the filtering beds, andthe enormous leak-
age at Millstone-bank ; with accuracy ; and that
Mr. DUNCAN, despite all hi ingeuuity and Mr.
Alderman COOPER as Chairman of the Water
Committee, and the Messrs. HoLmit as strong
pro-Pikeists, will be this day unable to contro-
vert a single statement which our reporter has
put forth.

From first to last, the great bulk of the people
of Liverpool have been opposed to the introduc-
tion of the Pike water, on the ground that it was
unnecessary, as they were perfectly satisfied that
the red sand-stone wells would, if judiciously
managed, yield an abundant supply, notwith-
standing the rapidly increasing character of our
population, for at least another generation. This
feeling was disregarded, and an Act of Parlia-
ment was obtained. rendering it compulsory to
construct the Rivington works. •In such a state of
things the Ratepayers were compelled to submit
in silence; and although regarding the enormous
outlay as an act of unparalleled extravagance,
they made up their minds to make the best they
could of a bad bargain. We will not here
recount the " schemes" and subterfuges" which
were resorted to during the construction of the
Rivington works, to give an air of plausibility to
the knowledge and foresight of the Pike party in
the Council, and to justify a line of conduct
which up to the present moment threatens the
imposition of a heavy Borough rate. At last the
water was seruptitiously introduced into Liver-
pool—not, however, before Mr. ITAWICSLEY'S
original estimate of 480.0001., had been nearly
tripled. The first sight of the water convinced
every one that it was impure—the Pike advo-
cates, of course, excepted ; for we must do them
the credit to say that no matter whatever they
thought of the liquid, they have, with a
persistance bordering upon pertinacity,
clamoured against reason, common sense, and
unanswerable: facts, in vindication of the
extreme Purity of the washings from the Riving-
ton hills. The Town Council and the public at
large are well aware how the Chairman of the
Water Committee, and his Lieutenant, Mr.
JAM ES HOLME, explained and re-explained
the origin, the cause, and the probable
duration of the discolouration. Nay, more,
we all remember when the latter

gentleman was descanting upon this very topic
in the Council Chamber, that he, with a tact and
mien of a full-fledged comedian, which were
never surpassed in the best days of the elder
KEAN, MACREADY, OT the versatile CHARLES
MATIIEWS, quaffed off a copious draught of the
deleterious compound, and by this oratorical
coup d' eke attempted to storm the ranks of his
opponents. It was a vain effort. The public
admired the performance of the actor, but
detested the principles of the prompter.
We have already alluded to the prayer of
the ratepayers' memorial. It did not ask the
Council to throw away the vast sums expended
upon the Rivington project. The memorialists
were convinced—and subsequent events have
proved that they were correct—that the Rivington
water is unfit for dietetic purposes. Believing,
then, that to use it for such would be most injuri-
ous to the public, and the forerunner of a general
epithmic, they sought the continuance of the
water from the old wells, not for the purpose
of throwing to waste the Pike water. Yesterday
we demonstrated how that can be done at a small
outlay. This is the question which the Council
will have to decide to-day.

We are aware that Mr. DUNCAN proposes
to comply with the prayer of the memorial by
recommending a new set of pipes. To this
we demur, on the ground that it is unnecessary,
independent of the enormous outlay which it
would cause. Give us the red sandstone water
through the present pipes, and where the Pike
water is required for manufacturing and steam
purposes, lay a new set. It is well known that
water for manufacturing and steam purposes
in nineteen out of twenty cases is required only
in that district which runs from the extreme
south to the north end of the town, and as far
east of the river as the bottom of Lord-street.
Assuming such to be the case, the plan laid
down in our remarks of yesterday is not only
the most practicable, but least expensive. We
said—" Let a grand trunk main be laid from
the top to the centre, or rather to the lower
part of the town, another running from the
north to the south end, joining the other about
the middle, and then let main branches and
service pipes be carried from these as occasion
may require, confining the present expenditure
to the necessity of supplying 2,000,000 of
gallons of Pike water per day for manufacturing