Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-22 00:00:00

WORKHOUSE COMMITTER

The usual weekly meeting of this committee was held
yesterday, Mr. Churchwarden Cropper in the chair. The
other gentlemen present were—Messrs. Syred, Scott,
Critchley, Denton, Broome, Owen, Williams, Peck, Smith,
Jones, and Luff. -
The medical officer aeported that the number of deaths
occurring in the establishment during the week, ending
19th inst., was 16. The number of patients in the hospital
last week was 607 ; new cases admitted since, 133 ; cared
and discharged, 111; now remaining under treatment,
613, of whom 60 are fever, 22 are' itch, and 6 smallpox
cases.
The Master of the vagrant sheds reported.that there were
relieved in this department during the week; ending April
16th,' 293 destitute :persons, of whom 175 were males, 93
females, and 25 children. .
The Governor '(Mr. Carr) reported that the total number
of inmates in the establishment last week' was 2,030.;
number this week, 2,007 ; being a decrease of 23 ; numbex
in the corresponding week last year, 2,464'; shewing a de-
crease on the year of 434. '
Mr. Denton again drew the attention of the committee to
the subject of the tea, which was before the committee at
the last meeting.
Mr. Goodacre,
,the contractor, was called • before the
committee. He said he was prepared to meet any charge ,
that might be brought against the articles which he supplied.
He never executed an order with more honesty in his life
than he did this. If the goods were not as good as sample
he had committed an error, and if he Was right he hoped
the committee would protect him.
Mr. Denton 'said it was in the absence of any feeling
whatever to Mr. Goodacre ; in fact he never saw Mr.
Goodacre before in his life, to his knowledge. -` It was;
simply he considered it an act' of duty on his part to bring
the matter forward. He would ask Mr. Goodacre if he
considered the coffee which was being supplied equal to the
sample submitted to the committee at the time the Contract
was entered into.
Mr. Goodacre : Most certainly it is.
Mr. Denton : I think you must allow that the coffee which
was returned was not equal to sample. -
Mr.. Goodacre said,' he could not allow words to be put in
his mouth in that way. He positively denied that it was
worse than the sample.
Mr. Denton said, the wording of the contract was " good
congou tea," and he was prepared to say, that this was not
congou tea.
Mr. Goodacre explained, that the sample of tea which he
submitted to the committee was a mixed tea, and that the
tea supplied to the house, though dusty, was a superior tea.
~He was quite prepared to prove that it was ld. or 14d. per
lb. better than sample.
.Mr. Peck said, he had submitted the teas to his brother
who .was a dealer in the .article, and also to Mr. Syers, and
they both stated that the tea supplied to the house was
better than sample.
After some further remarks, Mr. Goodacre was requested
to withdraw for a short time.
Mr. Owen said, they must remember that Mr. Goodacre
had a character to sustain, and that it had been assailed
before the public, and they should take care that the
matter was set right. If the article on the whole was
better than the sample submitted to the committee, then
Goodacre had fnlfilled his contract honestly whether it
was congou or not.
The Chairman said,- it was merely a question whether the
tea was equal to sample. The question of congou was a
new matter imported. .He thought Mr. Goodacre had acted
in perfect good faith.
Mr, Scott said, that there was a tea that could be got
at a,ch_eap rate, and when liquored it appeared very good
tea, and might be as good as some other teas, but he never
saw so much dust in any tea in his life,' as in that brought
before the board at the last meeting by Mr. Denton.
Mr. Denton said, Mr. Chesney drew his attention to it,
as for his own part he knew nothing about tea. It
was brought before the committee,. to compare it with
the sample, and the committee pronounced it to
be rubbish. (No, no.) The word was made use of, ,and he
did say that the tea now supplied was one-third dust, and
it was inferior because it was dust. It cost a great deal
less money, and if they had permitted other contractors to
supply such a tea, they would have made a great deal of
money out of it. The sample of • tea was 6d per lb. better
than they were getting ; and, as regards the coffee, it was
much inferior to sample, and it was taken back without a
grumble.
Mr. Smith said Mr. Chesney told him that, after, examin-
the tea, he found it was 2d per lb. better.
Mr. Owen said no member of the committee intended to
inipute any improper motives to Mr. Denton. He had in-
troduced the matter hastily, and it turned out that'he was
wrong.
Mr. Scott considered that. Mr. Denton was perfectly right
in bringing the matter before the public. The tea was per-
fectly small and full of dnst, and if he' had seen it, he would
most likely have.done as Mr. Denton did.
Mr.- Critchley said he had met Mr. Chesney on the day of
visiting, and he told him that he had been in the Work-
house, and had instructed Mr. Denton with reference to
the tea, as it was bad.
Mr. Goodacre was called in, and the Chairman explained
to him that the committee were satisfied that he had sup-
plied the tea according to contract, and they had nothing
to say against him.
Mr. Goodacre asked if Mr. Denton would tell him the
name of the gentleman whom he had consulted with
reference to the quality of the tea, ' as was stated in the

Mercury.
The committee interfered, and said it would be better to
let the matter rest.
The'subject then dropped, and Mr. Goodacre retired.
Mr. Jones then proceeded to go over the accounts for
brickwork, stuff, time, &c. He said a letter had been
received from Messrs. Smith, Travis and Co., stating
that he had made misNpresentations. Mr. Smith
was labouring under a mistake as to what he said. He did
not say that his bills amounted to £5OO or £6OO. He said
that he held in his hand bills to that amount. Mr. Smith
was correct in some matters which he referred to, but as to
the matter of cement, the price of which was stated to be
correct at 15s, he contended that good Portland cement was
obtainable at 11. s per barrel. Mr. Jones then went over the
accounts, and compared them with the orders given by the
committee, and in conclusion strongly condemned the system
which was carried on.
Mr. Owen defended the committee from any blame in the
matter, and stated that these accounts had been commented
on upon several occasions previously, but Mr. Wylie told them
that it was impossible for them to get tenders in many
distances.
The committee expressed an opinion that Messrs. Smith
and Travis should be called upon to take off a large discount
from their account.
This concluded the business.

-To SHIPPERS AND EXPORTERS.--A most profitable
article of export, to warm climates especially, are the Self-
cleansing Charcoal Filters, patented by Messrs. Saunders
and Co., of 16, Parker-street, Liverpool—in fact they are
invaluable wherever there is bad water. S. and Co. allow
a liberal discount on export and wholesale orders.
EXTRAORDINARY AND USEFUL INVENTION.—There
18
nothing that housewives complain of with greater truthful-
ness, than the breaking of some favourite piece of glass,
valuable china, or earthenware. In hundreds of cases such
things cannot be matched, and of course cannot be mended.
The latter want has been obviated by an extraordinary and
effective invention, by Mr. Adshead, of Derby Pottery, near
Derby. It is a cement that may be said to heal, in a per-
fect manner, all cracks and breaks in the articles spoken of ,
and not only in these, but in marble, alabaster, &c. The
benefit of this article need not be dwelt on. We have seen
some of its effects at Mr. Hall's, our neighbour's, and the
glass that has been cemented by it is stronger in that part
than in any other. The article is very cheap, and no house
can be long without it. Mr. Hall is the agent for its sale
in Liverpool, and all interested can judge for themselves by
looking in at his establishment. Agent for Liverpool, E.
T. Hall, 23, South John-street. Sold in bottles, is each,
or sent free on receipt of sixteen postage stamps. N. 8.--
None are genuine, except bearing the signature, "E. T.

THE NORTHERN TIMES, FRIDAY, APRIL 22 1859

WALLASEY COMMISSIONERS.
An adjourned meeting of this board was held last night at
the Public Offices, Egremont, Mr. N. Caine presiding. The
other members present were —Messrs. Hill, Pooley, Hughes,
Holmes, Ball, Fishwick, Marshall, Daunt, Parr, and the
Rev. W. Roberts.
VICTORIA-ROAD, NEW BRIGHTON.
Mr. Bouch, Mr. W. B. Golbourne, Mr. Booker, and Mr.
Garrett, were introduced to the board as a deputation from
the inhabitants of New Brighton, to bring before the board
the state of the Victoria-road.
Mr. Bouch addressed the board, referring to a meeting
that had been held at New Brighton a week ago, respecting
the state of the Victoria-road. At that meeting, Mr. Gol-
bourne, Mr. Pickering, and himself, were appointed to wait
upon the board. They all believed—at least he believed—
that the members of the board were their friends and neigh-
bours, and he would regret as much as any one' could do,
that they should sustain any inconvenience such as they had
been sustaining. They were quite alive to the difficulties
which the board had to contend with, but his view on the
subject was this. The inhabitants of New Brighton were
lobouring under what they deemed a great injury to their
persons and their property, and were' told 'that the local
board of health is the only source to which they could apply
for assistance. They were told that the bOard could make
roads,' and keep them in a passable state. He'had paid
rates for twenty-one years, and he would say of all that
had been done by the Wallasey Commissioners, less had
been done for the district of New Brighton than'any °the?
district in the parish. The landowners had made a road at
the cost .of about £4OO, but the commissioners had done
nothing to keep it in repair. He entered at considerable
length into a statement of the grievance under which the
Teeple of New Brighton laboured in not haying this road
in such a state as it ought to be, by having the sand removed
which accuinulated on it.

The other gentlemen of the deputation followed Mr.
Bouch, all complaininc, of, how they werelreated.
•
Mr. Pooley entered into an explanation, during which he
stated that the beard would, as soon as possible, make tbe
condition of the people of New Brighton better, but, at the
same time; he exonerated the board from all blame in the
matter for so far.
The deputation then retired.
MR. POOLEY AND MR. PARR.
Mr. Pooley said.:' I count it fortunate that this adjourned
meeting enables me to shorten by a fortnight, the currency
of a statement made by Dr. Parr, without previous notice, at
our last sitting. I wish his 'speech might.be allowed to pass
as a manifestation ,of mere petulance, but since it was no
hasty ebullition of feeling, but delivered after long and
careful, forethought, and since it obtained, an unusual
prominence in, the newspapers of the day, it is too
injurious to the board and to myself to remain unrefuted I
trust to the usual fairness of the press for as much publicity
to What I shall now offer as to the statement. I complain
of. "Dr. Parr states that when he first joined the board
it was the arena of most "disgraceful scenes at,
nearly, every meeting." declare that statement to
be utterly incorrect, and no. person will have read it
with so much surprise as the members themselves,
who 'as a bbard have been distinguished for transacting
their business with a temper and decorum which become a
deliberative,bOdy. That during the seven years I have held
a seat there have been a few meetings when what
may he .termed a " scene" has occurred is true enough.
It is no less true that it is more than a year since any-
thing has occurred which coned affect the sensibilities of the
most fastidious ; but that these scenes have been at any
time general, or even frequent,. is without foundation,
except in the peculiar memory or imagination of Dr. Parr.
So much for the " scenes ;" now.., for- the actors. The
doctor assigns to me the sole origination. and principal
part therein, but it so happens that on the most
flagrant of those very few occasions I was not even
present either, as actor or spectator, and the only
part I took was to interpose my mediation afterwards
to terminate the legal proceedings, which had been
commenced by the injured party. The aggresser in
those scenes is not now at the board. Dr. Parr will
have no difficulty to discover his name or the divi-
sion of our district which he represented. These
old events might be well allowed to repose in oblivion, but
since the doctor has recalled them I am obliged to advert to
them (though I conceal the names, to avoid personal
irritation), in order to show that Dr. Parr bestows
on me a bad distinction which I do not merit, and
on the board a stigma which it ought not to bear.
The. true origin of Dr. Parr's choler is a scene" in
another place, wherein he was himself the principal
performer ; .the worthy member had allowed himself
to fall into the unenviable position of a defaulter to
the board by non-payment of his rates, and was, very pro-
perly brought before the magistrates, and compelled to pay ;
for consolation under his vexation, he fell to stigmatising
the board in open court in no measured or dulcet terms, hht
went so far as to denounce us as an " intolerable nuisance."
From the, board his anger descended to their officer,' by
whose impartial rigour he had been brought before the
bench. For that abused officer's sake,' one cannot but
be glad that the doctor's power to crush him was
not equal to, his will. There can be no surprise that
for this conduct the doctor received, correction at our next
meeting, the severest point of the rebuke I administered
being an allusion to the respectability of his position, which
' had not been sustained before 'the court, any more than that
other gentlemen of his standing and neighbourhood had
been sustained, by the' circumstancesb above adverted to.
As my. animadversions on Dr. Parr's .condnct were
made in his presenCe and hearing, he can say
whether or not they were correctly reported ; but whether
my language, on the occasion which so excited Dr. Parr's
temper, or my words and conduct generally at this board,
have been worthy of the terms applied to them by the
doctor, that is' to say, " very coarse and very vulgar " (awful
qualities in the latitude of New Brighton), or whether
thOse terms belong more properly to him who applied
them, I leave to the judgment of this board. In the
discharge of the duties you have confided to me here it has
often devolved on me to oppose stoutly certain persons whose
interests have been pressed in opposition to those of the
ratepayers and in so doing I have used severe terms with-
out regarding the person of any man ; but I have always
clothed my meaning in words as remote from coarseness
and vulgarity as from tameness and feebleness.
My. conduct has been before you for a very length-
ened period, and you have honoured me with your
confidence in many important and somewhat difficult
affairs. I trust I may be allowed to say, that I have
done what in me lay to promote the welfare of the district ;
that in doing so I have not in any manner acted unworthily;
and that the injurious- reflections on my general behaviour
among you, which Dr, Parr has published, are altogether
groundless and unjustifiable.
Dr. Parr said he would not reply to the speech with
which Mr. Pooley has favoured them, but would merely
contradict one of the statements that he had made, viz.,
that he had said the board had become a nuisance. He
had no recollection of having used such words, but he
intended to apply to the number of summonses which had
been issued by the collector of the rates, and the nuisance
complained of, was the way in which those rates .were col-
lected. ,

The matter then dropped.
Dr. Parr moved the following resolution, of which he had
given notice at the last meeting : "That it is expedient
to have a further consultation with Mr. Rawlins regarding
the position in the parish of the well from which it is
intended to supply the inhabitants with water."
Mr. Rawlins, who was in attendance, then entered the
room.
Dr. Parr said : In bringing forward the motion of which
I have given notice, I have no other motive than to obtain
information —satisfactory, if possible - that the well. which
Mr. Rawlinson proposes to sink at Poulton, will supply the
parish with pure water. I think, if any doubt exists, the
question is of such vital importance to the well-being of the
parish, that every satisfactory means should be taken to re-
move it, and justifies the motion I have proposed. I should
not have proposed it had it not been for my anxiety to see
the undertaking successful. I am told that lam very late
in seeking this information. My reply is that my attention
has only recently been called to the matter by the com-
plaints of the inhabitants bordering the pool, that their
wells have ceased to supply them with water, and that this is
owing to the Wallasey Pool being dry, and the spring water
in consequence escaping into it. This appeared to me
to establish the fact of a very free and easy communication
between the wells and the bottom of the pool ; and when
I called to mind that the wells on the Liverpool side, to the
extent of a mile from the river, had become gradually
brackish, I began to fear what might be the possible conse-
quences of Mr. Rawlinson sinking his well •so near the
margin of the pool. Now, the only security, as it appears
to me, of a plentiful supply of fresh water from the
well at Poulton, will depend upon the flow of water
into the well greatly exceeding the demand ; for if
the opposite condition should exist, then, owing to the easy
communication through the bed of the pool; the impure
water from the pool will enter the well. Now, if I mistake
not, Mr. Rawlinson's confidence in his well yielding a plentiful
supply of fresh water depends upon the non-existence of any
great fissure or fault between this and the others side of the
pool. The question, therefore, resolves itself into —What
are the grounds of Mr. Rawlinson's opinion that no fault
exists in the bed of the pool ? If no fault exists then the
supply from the great sandstone basin on the other side of
the pool will be amply sufficient for ages yet to come ; but if
a fault does exist, then the water will be obtained only for
the area of this parish, and if the supply should not
be sufficient then the impure water from the pool will
enter the well. I would, then, propose to Mr. Rawlinson
whether it would not be advisable to sink the well in the
centre of the parish. Mr. Rawlinson will admit that it is
impossible to demonstrate whether a fault exists or not. It
can only be a matter of conjecture one way or another ; and
as an uncertainty must exist, will it not be advisable to place