Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-09 00:00:00

WATCH COMMITTEE.

The proceedings of this committee were read. They
comprised the following report, :

THE LIGHTING OF THE BOROUGH.

The Spec:al Corami:tee appoin'ed to consider the Resort of t
Lighting Inareetors, on the suhj;•et of the Lighting of f
Borough,

REPORT AS FOLLOWS
As to re-arranging the Lamps.—ln the able report
presented by the lighting inspectors, it is suggested that if the
lamps, throughout the borough were re-arranged, and placed at
shorter distances apart than they are at present, they would,
with a diminished supply cf gas to each lamp, p,adue, a more
diffused light than is now afforded. Your committee have
carefully inquired whether such suggestion can conveniently be
carried into effect ; but amongst other difficulties which present
themselves, it appears that, in order to carry out the principle
recommended, a sum of £8,921 would be required to defray
the cost of procuring and erecting the necessary additional lamp
posts. It also appears that the lamps are lighted under a
contract with the Gas Company, which the, Watch Committee
have no power to vary during its roiitinuance, except by mutual
consent.; but if the Gas Company were willing to light the
present and additional lamps with half the present supoiv of
gas per lamp, as. stated by the inspectors, at one-half the present
charge for gas, without altering the rate of charge for lighting,
extinguishing, and cleaning, there would be an additional
annual cost of nearly £3,000 beyond the present expenditure.
As the power to levy a lighting rate is limited, by act of par
liawent, •to a sum which is iiisufficient to meet the current
expenditure, the whole of the above sums would have to be
provided by the Ceuncil out of tie borough fond. In order to
meet the deficiency already arising from he limit thus fix 'd,
the Ceuncil last year paid upwards of £4,500, and this sum
even, under existing arrangements, will annually increase.
Upon a careful consideration of all the circumstances bearing on
the question, your committee do rot feel at liberty, at the present
time, to recommend such an extensive alteration as the inspectors
have suggested. It appears, however, th it in t out-townships
owing to different parts of new streets having been built no, at
different times, the lamps are very irregularly placed. Your
committee recommend that in all such cases the lamps should
be properly arranged, and the inspectors should be requested to
report in detail thereon.
2. As to the Lighting of Courts and Alleys.—Tlie
principle hitherto acted upon has been only to light such of
these places at the public expenseas police purpes• s demanded ;
and then only in thoroughfares. L appears that if one lamp
were placed in each court and alley, and projecting irons used
instead of pillars, as more economical, a turn of 668 would
be required to defray the coot of procuring and erec:ing the
same, whilst the expense of lighting, according to the present
contract price, would be £6,169 per annum, under this head
alone ; and keeping in view the insufficiency of the lighting
rate, for the purposes of present expenditure, as already ex-
plained, your committee cannot recommend any alteration to
be adopted. .

3. As to large Lamps.—Five sites have been already
sanctioned by the Council for the erection of large lamp,
namely ;—Wavertree-road, New Park entrance; Lew Hill,
top of Brunswick-road ; The Old Haymarket ; New Quay ;
Narybone. Your Committee re,:ommend that lamps now in
wore, should be erected accordingly at tl:e first four places,
but it appears there is not sufficient space to admit of one a:
Marybone. If the Watch Conaml:tee shall ti ink fit to erec
,additional large lamp", your Committee consider the foliowinz
vs desirable site?, namely :—St. James'-place and Mill-street ;
',per Parliament-street, B!a;r-street, and Si. James'-road ;
*r Parliament-street, and Princes Park-road ; Evertor
and Everton-road ; Kirkdale-road and Boundary-
`icetiand-road and Athol. street; Berry-street, lien- '
and Bold-street; St. Georges' Baths, east side.
•ommend that one lamp of smaller size should be
Monument, London-road, also two smaller

lamps on high pedestals at Hurst-street and New Wap-
ping, and that the present large lamp at Waterloo-place be
removed to Wolstenho'rne-square. The Borough Engineer
submitted a plan, showing a new arrangement of the upper
portion of the large lamp, affording five branch lamps in lieu
of the ?resent lantern, but having the base and pillar unaltered,
Your Committee recommend that 'before more lamps ate
ordered, a specimen showing the proposed alteration be fitted
up at inspected.
The inspectors and water engineer have been in communica-
tion reApecting the introduction of fountains in connection with
the large lamni, and they consider the scheme practicable and
desirable. Your committee, therefore, recommend that the
infretori should be instructed to report as to sites and other
par, icui ars.

Your committee farther recommend that a meter and regu-
lator should be fitted up at each of the large lamps, but it
appears that ❑o reflector ca❑ be usefully app!ied with the
burners cow used.

Las:ly, as to Urinals—The application of the Heal h Com-
mittee to have certain of the public urinals lighted nice-3 with
the e•iire approve of your committee, and they recommend
that twenty-four double u inals be lig:lted as requested.
Mr. J. B. B RAN CK glt moved the confirmation of the pro-
ceedinge. In reference to the suggestions for lighting the
town, the carrying out of which under existing circuth
stances the commictes cnuld not recommend, they would
in the first year, if fully carried out, involve an additional
cost of 1.2500, and of £14,000 every succeeding year.
Mr. JOHNSON seconded the motion, which was adopted.

THE NORTHERN

TIMES.-LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1857,

Houghton, and Tonlmin; Councillors Nicholson, Ferni-
hough, Graves, Jeffreys, Wagstaff, Brancker, Picton,
Jeffery, Kitchen, Aikin, Farnworth, Robertson, and Hal-
head.

Against: The Mayor ; Aldermen Bennett, Dover, Gard-
ner, and S Holme ; Councillors Crosthtwaite, Stitt, Sheil,
Woodruff, Bradley, Eraydock, Livingston, Steaing, Banner,
J. Hoime, Johnson, Hodson, Mellor, Beckwith, Clint, and
Anthony. • _ _

The recommendation was then adopted.
The report of the Sanitary Officers was then read in
reference to the terms upon which they proceeded to the
Crimea, and the manner in which the government refused
to meet their claim when presented. This document we
published fully at the time when it was presented to the
Health Committee.

Mr. Alderman DOVER moved the confirmation of the
proceedings. and in doing so took occasion to call attention
to the report just read. Wishing that the matter might be
brought to a speedy conclusion, he expressed a wish that
the Council should take some steps which might secure
that object. The officers, he contende3, had been very
unfairly dealt with, and he thought the Council ought to
come to their rescue. It was quite clear from the report
that the services of the officers at the time were invaluable.
A bargain was made ; and the bargain was broken. The
officers had applied in more forms than one to recover
their money, and had been unsucceasfill. He held that it
was a case in which the Council ought to interfere, although
he was not prepared to suggest the precise manner of doing
so. He would leave that to those better acquainted than
himself with public matters connected with government to
determine what steps out to be taken.

Mr. Alderman PARKER expressed---- doubt whether the
Cunncil could take any further steps.
Mr. Alderman BENNETT hoped that further steps would
be taken, and that the Council would interfere. The Go-
vernment had already admitted part of the claim. The
Borough Engineer's c4t7m was reduced in the first instance
by -£3OB, but afterwards the amount taken off was altered
to £174, and it might only require a third investigation to
make it clear that the whale sum was due. He declared
that any merchant in L•verpool who should act as the
Government had done, would be accounted guilty of a
direct fraud. He suggested that the Health Committee
should be requested to for ward the heads of the whole
statement to Government.

M. J. R. JEFF ERY suggested that the committee should
themselves point out some course which they could re-
commend a 4 desirable to follow.

Mr. Alderman Tuammt expressed some doubt whether it
would come within the province of the Council to take any
s eps in the matter. While he fully agreed w;th what had
been said in resiect to the unjustifiable refusal of the
officers' expenses, still, be thought, the application ought to
come from the Health Committee alone, not from the
Council.

Mr. HODSON urged that the Council were concerned in
the matter, inasmuch as the officers were invited to go out
through the mayor of that year, Mr. J. A.. Tobin.
Mr. SHEIL c-mtervied that the Council had, to s,me
extent, an interest in the matter, inasmuch as, according
to the agreement which was made at the time, the salary
of the officers was to be reimbursed to the Corporation,
out of the money they should receive from government.
He did not believe, however, that the Council would, in
any case, act as the government had done, and leave the
men themselves to be sufferers.

Mr. GRAVES recommended, as having had considerable
experience in the collection from government of claims,
that some attempt should be made again to have the matter
fully explained, and placed in the p...uper light before the
authorities.

Aft.'r some further conversation, the subject was referred
back to the Health Committee, in order that the Com-
mittee might bracig up some report to the Council, as to
the steps they recommended to be taken.
The ceneral proceedings of the committee were then
confirmed.