Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-10-07 00:00:00

HEALTH COMMITTEE.

The usual weekly meeting of this committee was held'
yesterday, in the Council-room of the Town-hall, Mr.
Alderman DOVER in the chair. The other members
present were—Messrs. Beckwith, Vernon, Crelirn, Shea,
Stitt, Bowling, Avison, Anthony, Gladstone, au& gay--
dock.
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 124 nuisances com-
plained of by inhabitants had been inspected, and means-
taken to remedy them; 994 houses in the unhealthiest
districts, containing 3,027 apartments and 431 cellars,
had been put_ under examination, with the view of
improving their sanitary condition ; 227 lodging-houses
had also been examined and reported upon.
_

Mr. BECKWITH remarked' fn reference to a portion:
of the Inspector of Nuisances' report, regarding a
quantity of stinking fish and meat in the market that
had been complained of as a nuisance, that such things
ought not to be allowed to remain to stink the whore
neighbourhood. He thought a remonstrance of some
kind should be sent from the Health Committee to the
Markets' Committee on the subject,
Mr. k
VERNON asked why this had not been dealt wit
as any other nuisance ?

Mr. GLADSTONE—Because it requires too. much -com-
mon sense—more than the Corporation of Liverpool

- .
has got. -
Mr. STITT asked if the calling of a jury was accord-
inc to to a bye-law ?
M‘GowAx answered that they were obliged to
call a jury of tradesmen to say that the articles com-
plained of were bad; but-they could call a jury in five
minutes.

Mr. BzcxwlTH asked Mr. Higgins how long the fish
remained after being complained of ?
Mr. HIGGINS said the officer told him that the psh
had been-seized in the morning, and remained after for
two or three hours.

Mr. CRELLIN said the matter could not have been
dealt with sooner.

-It was then agreed to send the report to the Markets'
Committee.

The Medical Officer of Health reported that the mor-
tality of the borough continues unusually low. The.-
deaths which, in the first week in August, were 245:
have, in the subsequent weeks, been successively 235,
226, 215, 205, -194,--190;-189, and (last week) 170.
The mortality of last week was 91 below the correeted--
average (excluding cholera) of the same week,ot the
preceding ten years. Of the 170 death's last week, 114
were in the parish, And the out-townships. Of
the deaths from zymotie diseases, 13 were from typhus,
15 from diarhoea, 10 from scarletina. 6 from hooping
cough, 2 cholera, 1 diphtheria, 1 syphiles, and 1 measles.
Diseases of the lungs caused 45 deaths. -During the
quarter, 2,922 deaths were registered in Liverpool, in-
cluding 215 sudden and voilent deaths, and deaths in
hospitals. This number is .408 less than the corrected
averag,e (without cholera) of the same quarter of the
preceding ten years. The deaths in the metropolis,
during the same period, were about 1,000. in excess of
the average, excluding cholera. The deaths from
diseases of the zymotic clasS numbered 897, about
200 less than the average ; more than one-half the
number (4.58) were caused by diarrhoea ; 10.5 by
typhus, 89 by hoopinougli, 82 scarlatina, 42 dysentrYr
21 cholera, 21 croup, 19 syphelis, 17 diptheria, 16
measles,- 10 erysipleas, 6 thrush, 3 purfuria, 1 scurvy*,
1 carbuncle, 1 quinsey, and -1 small-pox. The mor-
tality from small-pox is lower than ever previously-
recorded, only one death having occurred during the
last four months—that of a child who had neverr-been
vaccinated. Disease of the lungs occasioned 578
deaths, including 323 from consumption, giving a lower'
mortality than in any previous corresponding quarter.
Mr. STrei asked if Dr. Duncan could point out to
the committee any particular reason for the decrease in
mortality ?

Dr. DUNCAN answered that the diminution was not
confined'to any particular district of the town, foi there-
was a great improvement over the whole of the town.
He could not, point positively to any particular cause,
but he attributed it in a great measure to the sanitary
works that had hem carried out ; and he thought it was
partially owing to the atmosphere for some time past.
Mr. GLADSTONE asked if his remarks referred to a
length of time back or recently ? The committee were
to bear in mind that they had no severe weather at all
during the spring of this year, but they had
weather after

r y hot

Dr. DUNCAN said he intended his remarks to apply
as far back as January, in which month, for two weeks,
the mortality was above the average.
Mr. BECKWITH said he understood that proceedings
were to be taken against the Lyceum for recovery of
the rates.

Mr. AVISON -slid, if the resolution was carried oat, it
would, in
_his opinion as a professional man, be

less expenditure of money.
Mr. SHELL said they had a question befOre the 'Fi-
nance committee not long ago. The case was drawn
up and laid before the first barristers of the country,-
and they gave a most distinct opinion on it; -but, when
it was taken into court, it was decided against tbat
opinion,—so much for the opinion ola lawyer.
The matter then dropped: - •
Mr. BOWRING pioposed that a sub-committee be
appointed who would be answerable for the carryinc, out
of that branch of the committee's business which reTated-
to lodgin,g.-honses.
The CHAIRMAN said he understood that Tuesdaro
committee would take it under their charge.
Mr.. BOWRING was quite satisfied, so long as taw'
matter had not been lost sight of.
An agreement was come to -that Bath street, and Li
number of other streets near the dock estate, were to be
swept in future by the- Mersey Board, in consideration
of which the town was to pay the board the. soul lof
14'7s. per' annum.
The CHAIRMAN said Mr. M‘Gowan felt somewhat"
annoyed by a letter that had been written by All.'
Theodore Rathbone on the subject of lodging-houses-
The letter had been handed. to Mr. M'Gowan by Vl'
Woodruff.
Mr. BECKWITH asked for the letter to be read.
Mr. MGowAN said.ho nnderstood it to be private. ,
Mr. BEciriviill said they could not deal with
without they heard it. • -

Mr..M'GowAri observed that, though the letter Was
marked private, so long as he had the committee'o
approval he. need not care what people outside said-
The letter_that Mr. Rathbone had written was chargkot
him with giving the committee very bad advice with
respect to lodging-houses.
Mr. SHELL said, in that case Mr. Rathbone had not
paid any of thema high compliment, in charging therl
with acting on bad advice.
The CHAIRMAN—It is understood that we don't
interfere.
Mr. BEcirwmr—l really.think that the Town-clerk
should have a fair stage. Now, the fact is this, Theodore
Rathbone is going to make an amount of stock-in-trade
of this matter when he goes to the Social Science A°-
elation at Bradford. I think the Town-clerk should
down there and hear his statement, and then give 1:'

opinion.
It was then stated that it had been arranged that Mr'
31'Gowan, Mr. -Newlands, and Dr. Duncan' were all t°
go to Bradford, to attend the meetings of the associ-
tion. • •

The committee then separated.

, .. .r.
TRICENTENARY OF, THE ItEFORMATION. IN Erns'
LAND.—The programme of arrangements for cornme-•
morating the Tricentenary of the Reformation in Scot-
. land, has been published. It appears there is to be is
.series 'of-"Meetings held in Idinburgh anring‘four dar,
beginning on Tuesday, the 14th of August,
Pro't ' t°
which not only Protestant Siachmeiiit home, bu
testants from all lands, and of -all'eVangelical denomi-
nations, are invited; and at which papers forming the
basis of conversation will be-read,- illustrative of he
Lamont, vonnger, of Knockdow,
civil and religious history of Scotland before, at, sin
subsequent to the Reformation:
CRUISING IN THE ARCTIC SEAT.--The fine schooner'
yacht
.Grittevra,'-of. 142 tons; belowing .to. Mr. James
on Sunday, from.'Spitzbergen, bringing her owner all
Lord David -Kennedy, who • have' passed the suisrner
cruisin is the Arctic Seas, where we understand their
rifles: have made ave .4 bl havoc
•rr consi era e among tiler.
walruses, the Polar • bears, the
seals, and the reindfcb.
The.Oinevra has on board two young Polar bears; 'hoict_ •
these enterprising* sportsmen'
capfured-aliie after sh o
:the.
ing the.old ones. Mr. Lamont, whO hi ,a Fellow of _
arrived in Leith Rosdid4
Geological Society,of London, has devoted much tei:l6!
and attention to the eindy of numerous extensive gla
04,1 Z.
on the coast. of -Siitzbergen, and has Made alargirie
ess%
lection of shells, fossils, and other geological seleciientige
otof tthese
remote
which no doubt will prove interesting la
world, as illustrating the natecal.,bisto_risogynen.
and comparatively u.aknovrn regions.

BRITISH f 7,
erfORTH AMERICAN ROTAL MAIL ST M-

SHIPS

NOTICE.-REDUCTION IN PASSAGE MONEY.

The Pusage Money to liew York is now,

Reeond cabin

Twenty-x Pounds
Eighteen Pounds

r reight by the Mail Steamers 6 Halifax and Boston and to New
, York direct, £3 per ton and 5 per cent. primage.
Zreight on Parcels ss. each and upwards, according to size.
parcels for different Consignees, collected and made up in single
rackages, addressed to one party for delivcry in America, for
the Pdrpose of evading the payment of freight, will, upon ex-
amination in America by the Customs, be charged with the
Proper freight.

The BRITISH AND NORTH AMERICAN ROYAL MAIL
STEAM PACKET COM r ANY draw the attention of Shippers
.Bad Passengers to the 329th section{ of the New Merchant
QmPlung Act, which is as follows

`re" No person shall be entitled to carry in any ship, or to
quire the master or owner of any ship to carry therein,
-‘,„Zafortis, Oil of Vitrol, Gunpowder, or any other Goods
in the judgment of such master or owner, are of a clan-
..,.`ez'ous nature ; and if any person carries or sends by any ship
tZY goods of a dangerous nature, without distinctly inarking
heir nature on the outside of the package containing the same,
otherwise givingnotice in writing to the master or owner,
;tor before the time of carrying or sending the same to be
topped,
he shall for every such offence incur a penalty not
.7.ceedino. £lOO ; and the master 'or owner of any ship may
ruse to take on board any parcel that he suspects to contain
4°0,, ds of a dangerous nature, and may require them to be
vftesl to ascertain the fact."
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