The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-13 00:00:00

Case said, he had examined the evidence of Dr, Duncan and
a gentleman who had taken statistical notes, and he had
checked it against some notes which he had been furnished
by Mr. Whitty, the. head-constable. He found that there
were in this town 11,996 houses in back courts, and 7,800
inhabited cellars. He would take the cellars at a population
of five each, which gave 39,000. He would take the courts
at 12,000, and six as the number of inhabitants to each house,
which gave 72,000. This gave a total of 111,000 individuals
living in cellars and courts, pretty nearly half the population.
Many of the courts had entrances not more than four feet
wide, which were covered in at the top, so that in many in-
stances in these narrow courts there was no mode of venti-
lation whatever. Many of the courts as well as the cellars
had no privies. It was evident, that these were the places
where fevers and pestilences were generated, so that if fever
ever got in, it would be difficult to get it out. It was lament-
able to remark, that the mortality of last year was no less
than one in thirty-three of our population. This called for
inquiry ; and if they could ameliorate the condition of the
poor, they would be able to lower the rate of mortality. It
was natural to suppose, when they contemplated the dark,
gloomy, damp, and noisome dwellings in which many of
them resided, that when they had finished their daily toil,
they were tempted to the alehouse or the gin-shop rather
than to their homes. After some further remarks, for which
we regret that we cannot spare space, Mr. Case moved,
that a committee be appointed to make all necessary inqui-
ries, and to take into consideration the subject of the inha-
bited cellars and small dwellings in back courts, with reference
to the health of the poorer inhabitants, and to report to the
Council thereon, with any recommendation that may seem
proper to such committee.
Mr. JORDAN seconded the motion.
After some discussion the committee was appointed, and,
at the suggestion of Mr. Gladstone, a member was chosen
from each ward. The following is a list of the committee :
Messrs. John Holmes, Houghton, Case, Wright, Mellor,
Aikin, Bright, Yates, Cooper, Birkett, Gladstone, Kilshaw,
Slaiter, Moon, Jordan, and Harbord.

NEW JUSTICES.
Mr. SIIEIL, after many compliments to the late mayor,
for the great services which he has rendered to the town, pro-
posed the following resolutions :

" That Sir Joshua Walmsley, knight, Mayor of Liverpool
for the year that has just expired, be recommended to her
Majesty's principal Secretary of State as a person who, from
his station and standing in the Borough, would be proper, if
her Majesty should be so advised, to be included in the Com-
mission of the Peace for this Borough, and who, if appointed,
would, in the judgment of the Council, discharge the duties
of the office of magistrate to the general satisfaction of the
community; and
Resolved unanimously,
That the Mayor be requested to lay this recommendation
of the Council respectfully before the Secretary of State, ac-
knowledging the consideration given to the recommendation
of the Council on former occasions, and requesting a continu-
ance of his Lordship's courtesy in this present instance."
Mr. HENRY LAWRENCE rose for the purpose of seconding
the resolution, but he was forestalled by Mr. Jordan.
The resolution was passed unanimously.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE hoped, as the majority of one party
in the magistracy was so large, that the Council would be
disposed to hold out the olive branch in this instance, and to
send a similar recommendation in behalf of a gentleman
whom he would name, and whom his constituents had de-
lighted to honour. He would propose that Mr. Sands be
similarly recommended.

Mr. 6LADSTONE seconded the motion, which was carried
unanimously.

Mr. EARLE said, he could not but admire this offering of
the olive branch. He remembered the time when he sat in
that room, and when there was no such offering by the other
party.

Mr. CASE remembered it too. He remembered that Mr,
Earle sat in that room, and he was a Reformer.

Mr. GLADSTONN.-Mr. Earle certainly sat in this room at
that time ; how he got in I cannot tell.

Mr. EARLE.—I was not made a magistrate,jcertainly ; and
if they had known my politics, 1 should not have been ad-
mitted.

The Council broke up at a quarter before two o'clock.

MEETING OF THE DOCK COMMITTEE

The Dock Committee held a meeting in Revenue-buildings
yesterday for the dispatch of business. Mr. Sands and Mr.
Aikin, the two new members of the committee, appointed by
the council on Monday, were introduced. There were pre-
sent besides these gentlemen, Messrs. Leathom, Benn,
Barclay, T. Holt, Holmes. Middleton, Booth, Mellor, Bul-
ley, G. Holt, Evans, Horsfall, Martin;Smith, and Chapman.
Mr. LEATHOM took the chair.
The proceedings of the last meeting were confirmed, and a
number of accounts ordered to be paid.
Mr. Franklin, the corporation surveyor, in a letter to the
surveyor, applied for a quantity of the committee's mortar for
the purpose of being used in repairing the south side of the
Chester and Ellesmere Basin, and in the reconstruction of
the steps in part of the wharf.—The application was granted,
on condition that it be paid for at its fair value.
A letter from the manager of the Steam Tug Company was
read, acknowledging the offer of a piece of land by the com-
mittee, for a life-boat station ; and stating that the directors
of the company gratefully accepted the terms.
The north harbour-master presented a reportdated the sth
instant, in which he recommended the immediate deepening
of the Prince's basin. The report assigned several reasons
for this proposal ; and after a few remarks, it was referred to
the Committee on Works.

The CHAIRMAN reported to the committee the appointment
of Messrs. Sands and-Aikin in the place of Messrs Gladstone
and Segar.
The Harbour-master and Dock-masters Sub-Committee
presented a long report, from which it appeared that the
north harbour master had been under the necessity of em-
ploying a number of men on Sunday, in place of the dock-
gatemen, and that he requested the instructions of the sub-
committee thereon. The sub-committee decided that the
men should be paid their wages, and that they approved of an
extra number of men being employed in cases of emergency,
but each case to be reported to them. The report further
stated that the snb-committee could not recommend any alter-
ation in the dock-masters' regulations for discharging berths,
and also that they had most peremptorily required all
dock-masters to place a copy of the dock-laws on board of
every vessel entering any ,dock. The report concluded with
suggesting a list of fines on the servants for petty offences.
The report was approved, with the exception of the list of fines,
which was ordered to be printed for further consideration.
On the motion Mr. CHAPMAN, a resolution was passed,
recommending the ship owners and steam-packet proprietors
to confer on the best means of preventing collisions, and that
a letter be written to the Admiralty, suggesting the introduc-
tion of some general enactment on the subject.
Mr. HORSFALL referred to an account which appeared in
one* of the Liverpool papers of a disturbance amongst the
extra men employed by the committee, on Sunday ; and ex-
pressed his fear that they often occurred.—A resolution was
passed that Mr. Hartley should report on the subject.
The committee then separated.
* The STANDARD.

CORRESPONDENCE.

BRIBERY IN EXCHANGE WARD

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SIR,—A case of unparalleled bribery occurred in this ward
during the late contest. The niece of a butcher, not a hun-
dred miles from Byrom-street, was promised by the better
half of a celebrated Jewish pawnbroker, and in expectation
of victory, a gift in remembrance of the eventful day. When
the present arrived, all was expectation and gratitude, for
the size of the article seemed to forebode something in the
shape of a plate-chest. What, therefore, was the surprise of
the parties, when the cover was carefully removed, and be-
hold ! a—a cradle was exhibited to their wondering eyes.
The " daughter of Israel" proceeded to set off its value to
the young lady by stating, that it had rocked all her large
and interesting family ; but the butcher, not liking the looks
of the relic, ordered it off to the house of a neighbouring
publican, where it remained for two days. It is said that
the independence of the butcher and the liberality of the
pawnbroker were well matched on this occasion.
I am, sir, 84c., UNCLE BEN.
Moss-brook, Nov. 7th, 1840.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE TOWN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

STR,—Will you or any other person give me an answer to
my inquiry, viz. :—The liberals, or rather I should say radi-
cals, are constantly boasting of the mighty great acts that
their party have done for us since they got into power. I
beg to ask, how many streets have they widened ? or what
have they done to add to the improvement of the " good old
town?" There are a number of old, narrow streets in the
central part of the town, which might be widened at a low
cost, and would add greatly not only to the facility of busi-
ness, but would be a great improvement and comfort to the
town at large. It was only the other day I read in all the
newspapers that a poor man, driving a brewer's dray, was
killed in Cunliffe-street, owing to no other reason than the
narrowness of the street. It is a well-known fact that there
is an immense communication from the north end of the
town to the central part. Now Leeds-street and Highfield-
street are good streets ; and if Cunliffe-street and Sir Tho-
mas's-buildings were taken down on either side, we should
then have an exsellent thoroughfare from the north end of
the town to the neighbourhood of the railway, the principal
streets and hotels, &c. By giving me any information re-
specting the above inquiries, you will greatly oblige
Yours, &c., A CONSTANT READER.