Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-02 00:00:00

REGULATION OF COMMON LODGING-HOUSES.
The following report'was read upon this subject
At the Council meeting of the sth of October, 1859, •

•eport of the Watch and Health Con
;ommon lodging-houses of the horoug

imittees, respecting the
was adopted, recom-

.ion of inspecting

that the practice hitherto in
e places, partly by the police,
ers in combination with.their

other duties; should be discontinued—that t'
mittee should be required wholly to take char
and .that an efficient staff should be appoin
exclusively.
Your corn

of the matter

the dut

e, having considered this recommendation,
re of opinion that it is advisable to place the superinten-
dence of the common lodging-houses under the Medical Officer
of Health, and to hold him .responsible for the effectual
regulation and inspection thereof. In order to enable him to
carry that arrangement into effect, it is requisite that he should
have proper assistance, and your committee have accordingly
conferred with him thereon. He is of opinion that three in-
spectors will be necessary in addition to the one already em-
ployed under him, in connection with this business, making
in all four inspectors, each of whom would have a dis-
tinct-district allotted to him, and be subject to regulations
for visiting the houses, as -well .during the night as in the day
time. He is further of opinion that, for the purpose of securing
vigilance on the part of the inspectors, a superintendent or
chief:inspector will be required.
Your committee, after full inquiry, concur in these views.
They believe that a smaller staff would be inefficient. They
therefore recommend that the proposed number of officers
should accordingly be appointed ; and having regard to the

peculiar nature of .the duty in question, your committee consi-
der that these persons should be married men, and that their
remuneration should be as follows::--Each inspector, 30s. per
week, with uniform. The superintendent, or chief inspector,
335. per week, with uniform.
The joint report above referred to, also recommended
that the Health Committee should, as soon as practicable,
report upon a variety of details connected with the
management of these houses, as also whether any and
what means can be devised for bringing other inferior
lodging-houses under supervision.. .On these subjects your
committee have caused information to be collected, but it is;
most desirable before presenting any report thereon, that they-
should personally examine into the prOceedings adopted in the.
City of London, where a private act upon the subject is in
force, professing to deal with a much larger class of houses
than those, affected by the Liverpool Act or Lord Shaftesbury's
Acts, with the object of ascertaining hew far similar regula-
tions are applicable in Liverpool.
Your committee therefore recommend ,that Mr. Bowring,
the chairman of your sub-committee, and Mr. Job, together
with Dr. Duncan and .fr. McGowen, should be appointed a
deputation for that purpose.
Mr. BOWRING moved the confirmation of the report,
and suggested the addition of Mr. Beckwith to the de-
putation.

The motion was agreed to without dissent.
Some formal business having been transacted, th e
committee adjourned.

WALLASEY COMMISSIONERS,

The monthly meeting of this board, was held last
might, in the Public Offices, Eg,remont ; Mr. Pooley
presided. The other members present were—Messrs.
Hill, Eyre, Holmes, Fishwick, Byerley, Hughes.
Littledale, and Rev. Mr. Roberts. The minutes of last
meeting having been read, the confirmation of the pro-
ceedings of the Works and Health Committee was
moved by Mr. Hughes and unanimously agreed to.
Mr. Hill, chairman of the .as and Water Committee,
in moving the confirmation of the proceedings of the
committee, said he was happy to be able to congratulate
the board on the progress which had been mad, as the
works will be in such a forward state that the district will
be supplied with gas in a few days.. The time of the com-
mittee had been principally taken up in appointing the
staff for the gas works, and fixing the price they were
to charge for the gas. lie thought the board had been
fortunate in securing the services of so practical a man
as Mr. Highfield at the comparatively low salary of
£l5O per annum. They had determined that the price
should be five shillings per thousand cubic feet. Some
of their friends out of doors considered that this
was scarcely enough ; but it was a question for the
board to consider whether such a course of, procedure
would not have the effect of lessening the consump-
tion. Mr. Hill then entered into some statistical details
in reference to the probable income and expenditure of
the, works. He estimated the income at £1,854 18s. 4d.
per annum, and the expenditure at £1,431105., leaving
a clear profit of £423 Bs. 4d. for the first year, although
he considered that the profits in the course of three
years would be much greater. By that time they would
be 'entirely free from debt, and enabled to go on regularly
rowed from Govern-

with the payment of the money

ISH WICK

In ans

ire confirme

LOTA OE COMMIT

The proceedings 'of tl lis committee, which Possessed
no points of public int crest. were -confirmed without
comment, cat the motio a of Mr. Shand, seconded by
Mr. Boult.

AND 'QUAYS COMMT

It appeared that a let ter having beer read from Mr.
J. B. Cooper, the hone Tory secretary-of the Volunteer
Rifle Corps, asking pen mission to useXhe sheds on the
north of the Prince's, and the east of the Salthouse
Docks, for the purpose o f evening diil2, it was resolved
that the committee coul d not recommend the board to

I know

University)

Joshua Willmsl

)Ck, (Dublii

Bwivrina, Sir T. B. B

m the oh

The CHArnmAk said he would stat*
eats and aims of the 'Financial Reform Associatic
which he did at some-length. They hae, he said, diif
;ulties to encounter and received opposition from persons
who had objections to-olrenge ; but their aim had been

wours would lead
r object.

steady, and he hoped their enc
distant day to the accomplishmen

_ thought their association was entitled to pubic sym-
pathy, and that the time had come for wider action. He
would now turn to the other object of their meeting
to do honour to men who‘had carried out their principles.
1 Having expressed the regret, which they must all feel, at
_
the 1 the absence of Mr. OolYo -I 0— - lir

said it only remained

guest of the evening
would, in their name;

Bien ana ueneral Thompson,
for them • to•welcome the chief
—Mr. Bright. (Cheers.) He
cerus,ratulate him on his restora-

i•tion to health, and the active duties of political I
(Applause.) Their country could ill afford to lose si
sons ;—(hear, hear)—and he trusted that the disini
estedness, the eloquent advocacy, and the entire devot

}:mess to the great obje,

is which he believed to be for

the people's eood, would always continue to distinguish
(Applause.) The,association owed him the deepest
.gratitude for the tender of his services which he had
made to them on that eceasion. (Hear, hear.) If there
:was one thing more than another which contributed to
.give Mr. Bright the place he occupied in public estima-

'Though they differed with him they must respect him;
they might grumble that he did not handle abuses with
kid gloves, that he laid-€a somewhat heavy and sweeping

; liana on ti
(:hear, hew

honesty o:

purpose, and his entire conseera-
The association had agreed to

lion to the public goOd
to,present to Messrs. Cobden and Bright, am(
Thompson, an address expressive of their deep gratitude
to,them for their services, and this he would oall upon
Mr—jeffery to read.

to Gene:

Mr. JEFFERY then read :the address, which was very
lengthy, and which, after showing the objects of the
association, concluded by ...expressing thanks to Mr.
Bright for the efforts he had made to carry them out.
The CHAIRMAN said, that before calling upon Mr.
Bright ,to reply, he would read Mr. Cobden's letter of
apology, ,which was as follows.:-
-

TO PA)BASTEON GLADSTONE, ESQ., PRESIDENT OF TUE

FINANCIAL REFORM. ASSOCIATION

Faris, Nov. 28, 1859.

My dear Sir,—For the last ten days I have been confined to
my bedroom by severe indisposition, originating in a cold and
cough, followed by fever, which has left me in a state of con-
siderabledebility. My medical attenuant, who promises me,
with care and caution, a speedy recovery, warns me that to
undertake a journey to Liverpool to address a large public
meeting would. in the present state ,of my lungs, be almost
an act of suicide. I need not assure you how, deeply I regret
to be unable to fulfil my long-standing promise to be with
you on the Ist. I do not, however, ask you to release me
from my engagement, but only to allow me to postpone its
fulfilment to a future, and I hope early, opp,,rtunity.

There newer was a moment when I felt ii•eater interest than
at present in the realisation of your society's programme for
substituting direct for indirect taxation. If I required an
illustration of the importance of your principle, which implies
the removal of custom-house impediments between nations,
I should find it in the present relations of England and France.
What means this periodical visitation, which, like ihe
cholera or 'some other infectious disease, has; every two or
three years since 1847, caused tho panic cry of a French in-
vasion to overspread England, and which at the present
;moment 'is heard again in tones as loud and menacing as
ever I Here am I, with all my children, in the very jaws of
the imaginary monster which has been conjured up to terrify
nap. good cormtrymeu, and yet I feel no less safe from attack
or mury of any kind so long as I refrain from molesting or
wronging others, than if I were residing in London or Liver-
pool. Whence springs the idea of danger which pervades the
public mind at home 1 I attribute it mainly to the want of
intercommunication, and the consequent ignorance and pre-
judice which prevail respecting the character and designs of
our nearest continental neighbour.

Here ore two of the greatest nations, separated only by
the narrowest strip of ocean, with their distingt and proud
annals, their rival traditions, their differences in racy
language, and religion, all tending to produce a
but nature, which always works by laws of compere...
has endowed the two countries with a variety of productions,
and imparted to the, populations an instructive desire to
supply each' other's wants and deficiencies, which, had
nature's laws been allowed their free action, would have
brought the two nations into such constant contact and com-
munication, and laid them under such mutual dependence, as
would have subdued the merely latent causes of antagonism,
and rendered impossible the present state of hostility and.
alarm. But, down almost to the present day, the Govern-
ments of the two countries have devoted their energies to the
task of preventing, as far as possible, any esmmerciat inter-
course between them. The baneful consequences are, naturally,
such as we behold. Let uS hope that legislators will awaken
to a sense of the 'responsib lity which attaches to those who
thus array themselves against the obvious laws of the Creator.
Meanwhile your society will, I hope, persevere in ilia useful
labours, and continue to draw around you the symplthy and
co-operation of good men. You are not a politicalorganisa-
ffi vfalr nhian+

Llienation

tion ; your functions are those of an euucator,
is to prepare the public mixd for the future action of the s
man. The
be remote, but
the d,

p by ste