Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-11-20 00:00:00

462,546

Average 471 77,091
tied many other unions showing the same result ; the latter
Workhouse is quite new and capable of being extended to
accommodate 600.
The population of Toxteth Park at the last census,
was 61,326.
That the number of inmates in the Workhouse for the
West Derby Union, (contai deg a population at the 1 ast
census of 153,243) since June 1848, to March 1857, has not
exceeded an average of 635, the lowest number at the end
of any quarter being 494, and the highest number being
735, and since the erection of the hospital, in 1850, the
average number of inmates thereof has not exceeded 64
for the whole Union.
That the difference in the cost of a Workhouse of the
extent proposed by your board, and the co,t of a Work-
house and hospital such as your memorialists herein
suggest, would impose for many years a serious and
unneccessary tax upon your memorialists in addition to
the present heavy local and other rates and taxes, and
which many of your memorialists find it difficult to bear.
Your memorialists therefore do most earnestly and
respectfully request that you will be pleased to reconsider
the question of workhouse accommodation, for the reason
herein set forth.
On behalf of the said vestry,
(Signed) M. GREGSON, Chairman.
In reply to that, he said he had received the following
Sir,—l beg to send you herewith an extract from the
minutes of ties proceedings of the Board at their weekly
meeting, held yesterday.—l am, sir, your obedient
servant, W. CLEAVER, Clerk to the Union.
M. Gregson, Esq.
A statement, signed by M. Gregson, Esq., as Chairmen
of a Vestry Meeting of the ratepayers of Toxteth Park,
held on the 30:h ult., praying the guardians to reconsider
the question of the extent of workhouse accommodation to
be provided for the township, having been read, it was
resolved--" That a respectful reply be made to the
memorialists, that the guardians have given the most
mature censide ation to the subject, and are firmly of
opinion that they would not be justified in providing
workhouse accommodation for a less number than 800,
the provision for which they have instructed their
architect to make."
The CHAIRMAN : That is the reply he had received
frost the guardians. From that it appeared that they
only proposed to erect a workhouse fur 800, but from a
remark that was made by the Chairman of the B'silding
Committee it appeared that the architect had received
instructions for a workhouse for 800, but that would be
capable of accommodaticg 1,000. There appeared,
therefere, that there was aortae discrepancy in the two
statements. It is now, however, for you to consider
whether that reply is satisfactory. (Cries of " no.") If it is
satisfactory, then there is an end of the matter ; but if it
was not satisfactory, then it would be for the vestry to
decide what steps should be taken in the matter. He
was quite sure that they must all feel much distressed at
being at variance with the guardians, because ha did
think, as a body, they did that which they thought was for
the best interests of the township ; still, he did think that
it would only have been right that they should have listened
to a memorial from the ratepayers assembled in vestry,
and endeavoured to meet their wishes as far as they
could. (Hear, hear.) With these few remarks he would
leave the matter in the hands of the vestry, and he hoped
that those gentlemen who addressed the meeting would
confine themselves to speaking on the subject of building
a new workhouse, and would not introduce any extra-
nious matter. (Rear, hear.)
Mr John Moss then came forward and proposed the
following resolution •—" That this vestry views with regret
ttie answer of the Board of Guardians, declining
to accede to the memorial of the ratepayers in vestry,
assembled on the 30th ult." In doing so, ho
said, that having only recently returned to Liverpool,
after an absence of some years, he could not be expected
to be posted up in parochial matters, but he could assure
them that he took a deep interest iu such affairs and had
done so ever since he was a member of the Select Vestry.
From what he had seen in the newspapers, however, he said
that the Guardians bad been guilty of acts of great
extravagance, and, as he thought, were about to incur an
outlay that was perfectly unnecessary. lie advised them
to be very cautious in commencing building., and in doing
so, he spoke from his experience in Liverpool, for there
the first contract for the workhouse at Brownlow-hill was
£40,000, but in the end, and it was not yet completed, it
had cost £l2O 000 ; although he was anxious to co all he
could in providing for future generations, as it was the
duty of all to try and leave the world better than he found
it, still he thought it would be perfectly absurd to attempt
to erect such a workhouse as was contemplated, and which
could not be required for many generations to come. He
suggested that such a house should b 3 built as would
provide accommodation for the present time and for a few
yearn beyond it, and that it should be so built as to be able,
from time to time, .to Add to its extent as it was required.