Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-31 00:00:00

THE ALE TESTERS.

The two Ale Testers appointed at the last court were
then sworn into office, and took the following oath :
" You shall well and truly serve the office of ale founders,
or ale testers, of this Hundred ; until you be discharged
of the same, you shall see that all brewers of ale or beer in
this Hundred do make good and wholesome drink for
man's body, and that they and all publicans and beersellers
do sail the same at that reasonable rate and prices as shall
be assessed in that behalf, &c.. &c. You shall also see
that all bakers of bread within this Hundred do make good
and wholesome bread for man's body, &c. ; and if any
default, you shall present every the offender or offenders at
the next Court."

THE 13178INESS OF THE LAST „COURT.

The Steward of the Curt the❑ said—l shall now de-
tail to you the business of the Court, it is almost the same
as reading the minutes of the last meeting, which is so very
often done. The (list is ILL

TER BIRKENHEAD, LANCASHIRE, AND CHESHIRE JUNCTION

At tha last Court there was a presentment made that a
railway bridge belonging to that company, and in the
township of Tranmero was in a ruinous and dangerous state.
The jury fined them £5 for having the bridge in such a
state, and £5 per day for every day that the same bridge
was not put in proper repair at the expense of the com-
pany. Now, Mr. Reeve, what do you know about this
bridge ?
The Reeve : The bridge has been repaired.

The Steward : When ;as it done ?
The Reeve : It was done the morning after the present-
ment was served.
The Steward ? Then you say now that there is no
danger ?
The Reeve : No, not now.
The Steward : Then that point we may consider as
being settled. The fine is not, in this instance, accumula-
tive, but there is the day's fine, which will be recovered.

lIIR GREEN-LANE PUMP.

The Steward : There was alio a presentment made
against a common well, in a place called Green-lane,
Tranmere. In (hit case it was ordered that a pump
should be put down, that the inhabitants might have a
good and efficient supply of water, in that rather densely
populated place. Has that been done?
The Reeve : Alnew pump has been erected on the site
of the old well.

The Steward : Has the well been cleaned out ?
Mr• Reeve: Yes; I have been there since, and I found
that there was a good supply of water, as it flowed in a
continuous stream, and was good. A friend of mine
tasted of it.
The Steward : Well, then, that has been disposed of.
THE DiaGEROUS BRIDGE.
At the last court a letter was read, of which the fol-
lowing is a copy, complaining of the dangerous state of a
bridge :

Upton, Birkenhead, 17th June, 1857,
Sir,—lt was my intention to be present to-morrow at the
Wapentake Court, but find my engagements in Liverpool
will prevent my doing so, it has been suggested by a friend
that I should mention a filet which I proposed laying before
you ; but I feel rather unwilling to do so front my being a
peifee stranger . still, as I think the exercise of the court is a
public benefit, that must be my apology. The objeet lam
desirous to bring before you is the present state of a bridge
in the Hundred of Wirral. It is situated between the west
side of Bidston-bill and Upton. on the road between the latter
village and Birkenhead, and is generally known by the name
of the Ford Bridge. It was, I believe, formerly erected by
the Hinderton Turnpike Trust. The road over the bridge is
about seventeen feet in width, and the stone walling of the
sides is only about twelve inches above the level of the road.
There is no other protection, and the depth on each side from
the top of the bridge to the water forms a descent of about
ton or twelve feett, making it very dangerous. The south side
of the road also. on the Upton side of the bridge is, in my
opinion insufficiently protectoil for nearly thirty yards, where
it is nearly as narrow as on the bridge. I shall be glad to
attend the next court,Yand'.f -you could kindly'suggest any other
course in the matter, I shawl be glad, the public generally being
greatly interested hx tllO matter.—l. am, sir, your obedient
servant, JOHN Wir,Lis, JUN.
The Steward : Kr: Perrey, the foreman of the jury, was
requested to comr
..tunicate with the trustees, and a corres-
pondence had ta'Aen place on the subject, and I have had
forwarded...to roe the following letter :
Upton, Ist July, 1857.
Dear Sie,'----I received the letter you addressed to Mr.
Barker reetteeting the Ford Bridge. I called at your place last
Saturd.rf, , but you were from home. I must admit that the
sides cif, the bridge do require some additional protection, but I
th'4". the part of the road on this side the bridge, which Mr.
Will'is in his letter alludes to, is quits sufficiently safe.
no'Never, to keep things quiet, I have ordered the whole to
be. railed immediately. The bridge belongs to the trustees and
WA. to the county. It was built before the trustees had the
'roads, and has never been adopted by the county. If you would
', like to see me more particularly about it, please to write and
appoint a time and I will come over.—l am, dear sir, your
obedient servant, JOHN BRISCOE.
To W. Perrey, Esq.
The Steward : From that I presume that it is to be
done, and so that motion is disposed of for the present:
TILE SLAUGHTER-HOUSE AND Till OFFENSIVE SEWERS IN
T RANM ERE.

The Steward: There was also a foul sewer immediately
adjoininc, Sewell's slaughter-house, which was ordered to
be abated, as a nuisance, and on that point I have a
communication from from ME, W. Waring Parrey,