Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-12 00:00:00

- THE PROPOSED NEW BYE-LAWS.

A special meeting of this committee was held in the
Council-obamber at the Town-hall, yesterday, for the
purpose of considering the representations made by the
deputation at the previous meeting against the proposed
'new bye-laws for the.borough. Mr. Sheil presided; and
the other members present were Messrs. Stitt, Beckwith,
Bowring, Crellin, Ridley, Barton, Job, Hay-
deck, Gladstone, and Crosthwaite.

The CHAIRMAN suggested that it might be desirable
to go over the bye-laws seriatim, although he was
aware that the deputation objected to them altogether.
Mr. STITT said there was a question raised by the de-
putation anterior to the bye-laws, and that was as to the
jurisdiction of the committee ; for Mr. Bremner laid it
down that the committee ought to confine itself to
matters affecting health. Now, he undertook to say,
the Building Act enacted that this committee should
take cognisance of the safety and security of the inhabi-
tants, as well as their health ; and therefore the argu-
ment which would tell them that they had nothing to
do with anything which did not affect the public health,
seemed to him to be an entire mistake.

Mr. M'GowAN said the objection made to the first
bye-law was, that as it stood at present, it would shut
any gentleman out from litigating with them as to the
sufficiency of the foundation. The deputation wished
to have an opportunity of raising an issue with the
committee. It was now modified by striking out the
words " to the satisfaction of the authorities ;" and then
that would leave the matter of the sufficiency of the
foundation to be settled before the magistrates.
Mr. STITT, previous to giving his sanction to any of
the bye-laws, wished to ask some of the officers of the
Health Committee certain questions. As the first bye-
law related to the foundations, he wanted to ask the
borough engineer or any surveyor, whether he considered
that the safety of the public, and especially the in-
habitants in the dwellings themselves, was endangered
by the present foundations.
Mr. RISHTON said he should decidedly think so. He
had made out a list of houses which had been built on
filled-up ground, and which were now, in consequence,
in a dilapidated and dangerous condition. Some were
built partly on the rock and partly on the filled-up
ground, and in those cases it was even worse.
Mr. STITT thought this would be an answer to the deputa-
tion, as to the origin of the new bye-laws. There was ano-
ther reason, and that was that the giving way of founda-
tions had entailed considerable expense upon the rate-
payers, for wherever sewers were made the defective foun-
dations felt the effect, and claims upon the Corporation was
the consequence. He wished to ask the medical officer
whether, in his opinion, he considered the present foun-
dations were in any way prejudicial to the health of the
people.
Dr.' DUNCAN replied to the effect that houses built
upon the sod were prejudicial to health, from their
dampness. There were whole streets at the north end
of the town so built.

Mr. GLADSTONE hoped the. committee would abstain,
on the one hand, from listening .with too favourable
an ear to the representations of builders and owners
of houses, and on the other from placing in the hands of
their officers the- exercise of what might be called
despotic power. (Hear, hear.) The committee had
often had reason to regret that they had not sufficient
power to deal with many mutters which were brought
before their attention ; but whether these bye-laws were
approved or not, they must not leave the public to
suppose that either Mr. M'Gowan, Mr. Rishton, or the
Borough Engineer were responsible for them. They
were bound, as a committee, to carry out what was
essential to the welfare of the community; but
not at the expense of cruelty ' in reference
to private interests: But he wished the public to
un ferstand that the public officers of the
Corporation were. not responsible for the framing of
those particular bye-laws. (Hear, hear.) As to the
question of the foundations, he suggested that the
parties should not be .left in the hands of Mr. Rishton
entirely, but that they should .be allowed to provide
themselves with the certificate of three respectable
builders or architects, as to the sufficiency of the
foundation. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Avisox concurred in the observations of Mr.
Gladstone as to tilt officers of the Corporation.
Mr. STITT said, sufficient had already been stated to
show that there was an evil to be prevented ; and as Mr.
M'Gowan had so modified the particular clause in question,
that the parties could appear before the magistrates,
and prave that the foundation was sufficient, he thought
the case was fairly -met on all sides. He wished to ex-
plain that the plan and section of the foundation which
would be required under the new bye-law had been
misunderstood by the deputation. It ways not to be a
geological section of the ground ; .it was to be a mere
section of the building.
Mr.' BowurNo advised delay in the matter, and
moved that it be left to a special committee to consider
and bring up a report. •
Mr. BECKWITH seconded the motion; but,_after some,
discussion, it was negatived by a large majority.
Mr. CROSTUWAITE contended that the sanitary laws
conferred ample powers on the officers already.
The first bye-law, after some further discussion, was
agreed to, as modified. _

-Mr. MiGowAx said the next bye-law had reference to
iron columns. As- proposed originally it stood thus :
"None of the external walls of any building erected or
rebuilt after these bye-laws come into operation, shall
be supported entirely with iren or other metallic columns,
storey posts or pillars, without the intervention of solid
stone or brick pillars or piers, and all such last-named
pillars and piers shall be made of such size and strength,
and be placed in such situations, as may. be required by
the said building surveyor ; and where iron or metallic
columns, storey posts, or pillars are used, the same shall
be of such quality and dimensions as shall be approved
by the said building surveyor, and shall, whenever re-
quired by him, be secured through the building by tie-
rods, or- otherwise,' to his satisfaction." The objec-
tion to that was that a building so constructed would
give rise to a difficulty, on account of the different
laws of expansion connected with the Materials named.
That could be met by a bye-law, directing that where
iron columns were used they should. be of such strength
as the Council should require, otherwise that such iron
pillars should be rendered secure by the intervention of
solid stone, or brick piers, or pillars. At present neither
the committee or the Council had any power over the
strength of the iron pillars used in buildings.
Mr. CItELLIN asked if iron columns of sufficient
strength were used, there would be any necessity for
brick piers.
The BOROUGH ENGINEER said there would not.
Mr. CRELLIN asked if certain strengths could not be
fixed for certain classes of building .
s• . _

The Bouovou ENGINEER said that could not be done
until the number of columns to be used and the weight
of the upper part of the building were defined by the
architect.

It was then agreed that the bye-law should be altered,
as suggested by Mr. M‘GoWan, and that disputes arising
under it should be settled in the same manner as those
erected
endex la
and
dbuysee-daws
aproposed—arising under the first bye-law.
" Every Mr. l‘ila‘uGi l°dwi nAgN t os abied
dwelling-
house shall have in the rear, or at the side thereof, an
open space belonging exclusively thereto, to the extent
at least of one hundred and fifty square feet) free from
any erection thereon above the level of the ground."
This bye-law had been confirmed by and adopted in
about 78 other towns. The deputation thought the
space proposed would interfere with the interests of land-
owners or of persons who had purchased land for building
purposes, and expressed themselves content to abide by
the present law on the subject.
Mr. Svirr 'said this was a question affecting the
health of the people. He would ask the Medieal Officer
of Health whether a regard for the health of the 'town
demanded the enactment of such a bye-law as this.
Dr. DurrcAs said general experience had proved that
the rate of mortality was in proportion to denseness of
population.
Mr. Snrr thought the reason given for the adoption
of this bye-law very insufficient. If the bye-law was
passed, there were places in Liverpool where it could
not be carried out without seriously injuring property.
Mr. M‘GowAN said there was provision for that by
empowering the Council to forego such space.
Mr. CuosrnWArrE Considered that the bye-law was
a most objectionable one.
Mr. AnsoN believed that the bye-law would affect the
value not only of individual, but of the corporate pro-
perty in the borough.
On the motion of Mr. Stitt, the bye-law was then
directed to be amended as suagested by Mr. M'Gowan
and Mr. Stitt, and it was understood that the law will
only refer to dwelling houses to be built hereafter.
Mr. , M'Growitx said the next bye-law stated that :
No new house or houses hereafter to be built or rebuilt,
shall be occupied until the same has been certified by the

building surveyor, after examination, to be, in his
opinion, in every respect fit for human habitation.
This bye-law was adopted.
The fifth and last bye-law, relating to the removal of
snow from the footpaths, was expunged.
The committee adjourned for a week.