The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-09-07 00:00:00

unanimous movement practicable ? We suspect
that it is not so. In the first place it is scarcely
the truth that all spinners are working without
profit. In the next place others have orders on
hand, which must be executed. Some have stocks
-of cotton to work up; and not a few, we fear,
there are whom circumstances compel to keep on
their business, in the hope of prospective improve-
ment in the times, but meanwhile at a sacrifice of
means. If these difficulties could be got over, a
most beneficial-movement might be effected; and
as it seems that the working classes are fully dis-
posed to bear their share of the loss which must
accrue, we cannot see that those difficulties ought
to be regarded as insurmountable. A few spin-
ners and manufacturers, whose circumstances will
not permit of their suspending work entirely,
might be permitted to be exceptions to the general
rule.

OUR readers, and the inhabitants of Liverpool
generally have, we believe, gone with us in our past
advocacy of the exercise of energy and activity, on
the part of the Health Committee in the perform-
ance of the important task committed to their
charge—the improvement of the sanatory condition
of this town. Some of them have gone even fur-
ther than ourselves ; and accused the committee of
being slow. The accumulated evils of years have
not been removed in a season. The time required
for the formation of machinery and the selection of
a working staff has been set down as so much time
wasted; and men have jumped at once to the con-
clusion that, because all that ought to be done,
and all that the Act gives powers to do, have not
been done at once nothing has been done.
Another feature, however, in the tone of the
public mind, has just presented itself. The opinion
seems to have pretty generally prevailed that an
act of parliament, with its necessary powers, would
achieve everything ; that the cost of improvement
was only to fall upon those whose property was to
be affected, or upon the funds of the Council. It
has been said—" Flag, pave, drain, close up cellars,
and courts; but do not tax those who are to
the advantage of these sanatory operatic

now, when it has been made apparent by the pro-
ceedings of the Health Committee that these opera-
tions cannot be carried out for nothing; that a
central depot is required for the materials used, and
for the offices necessary ; we find people opening
their eyes and exclaiming against the cost as enor-
mous and uncalled for, or wondering that there is
any cost at all.

Such has been the case in the opposition offered,
no doubt with the most sincere regard for the pub-
lic good, to the proposition' to purchase the pre-
mises of Mr. Tomkinson, in Duke-street, for a
central depot. We are not sufficient judges to de-
termine whether the site in question is the best
which might have been selected. We presume,
however, that it is as good and cheap as could be
found. What we remark upon, however, is the
erroneous idea with which some gentlemen run
away, that improvement in our sanatory state can
be effected without some cost to the community.
We wish to prepare that community to meet a con-
siderable expenditure, if they wish that any good
should be effected. Men may whine over the con-
templation of the sum total of mortality caused by
defective sanatory regulations ; but if sincere in
their lamentations, they must prepare themselves
to pay for the cure. The next rates laid will doubt-

less satisfy the public forcibly of this fact.
An important consideration ought to be pre

in the minds of those parties wliO just now seem
alarmed at the probable expense of sanatory im-
provement. It is not only possible, but highly
probable, that if local bodies, fortified by acts of
parliament, set themselves to the counting of the
costs (and for that reason do little or nothing),
they may shortly have imposed upon them, by the
enactment of a general bill, an over-riding power,
against which they will find no remonstrances will

and which ;ill tax them to its own full be

and without consideration of circum
We have before us, whilst we write, an article :in
Fraser's Magazine of the present month, the tone
of which abundantly convinces us that the influen-
tial organs of public opinion are not disposed to
wink at half measures ; and that, if we -

;tir not

ourselves, we shall speedily have the power of con-
rs, in the matter of sanatory
of our hands. We certainly
dO-not coincide with the opinions and positions of
the writer of the article in question, which appear to
us to be more especially directed to the authorities
of the city of London, than to the authorities of
places who, like those of our town, have voluntarily
in the matter but legislation does not usu-

ting our own affa-i: