The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-03-09 00:00:00

TIIE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

tary of State approved of the appointment in every respect
excepting the principle of the aPpointm6nt, which was
that of estimating the duties of the office as only likelyto
require a portion of the. time of the person appointed, and
of allowing him to continue private practice ; the Secre-
tary of State was of opinion that the medical officer ihould
devote the whole of his time to the duties of the office,
and suggested the propriety of his having professional
assistance.—The report was confirmed.
_ _ _

In reply to some remarks which fell from Messrs. Moore
and Aikin relative to the appointment of a medical board,
Mr. Nicol. replied that Dr. Duncan would have an op-
portunity of consulting the registers of six or eight parish
surveyors, from which he would Make his reports, which
would therefore be the same in character as though they
emanated directly from a board.—Mr. PARKER was sur-
prised that any gentleman should characterise a report
got up in such a manner as being the report of a board ;
the report would still be Dr. Duncan's, for he would
consult his own views in making his report after having
inspected the surveyors' registers. He (Mr. Parker)
approved of the appointMent of a medical board.—
Mr. TINNE suggested that the subject being yet in its
infancy, the better method would be to refer the question
to the Health Committe for consideration.—Mr. Ancor
was quite agreeable.—Confirmed.
Some other routine business was disposed of ; after
which the report of the Sanatory Committee relative to
the insufficient supply of water came under consideration
in due course.—Mr. Nicol suggested that as the report
was so voluminous, the Council would dispense with
hearing it read. He moved its adoption.
Mr. PARKER, for his own satisfaction and that of
his constituents, wished to be informed how many un-
favourable reports had been received by the Sanatory
Committee. Why should Mr. Hawkesley's report be the
only one brought-before the Council. He considered it
was a question which was likely seriously to affect the
pockets of the rate-payers ; it was not a corporation, but
a borough-rate question. He was opposed both to the
Bala Lake and the Pike scheme, but he believed if the
latter were carried out, the water-rate would exceed all
the borough-rates. With respect to the supposed excel-
lence of the Pike water, he believed opimons had been
given respecting it as opposite to that of Dr. Lyon Play-
fair as any two things could be. Mr. Parker went on to
state that the Pike scheme was altogether prepostesrous,
and concluded by proposing that, as there was now an
auxiliary in the Green-lane works, and consequently ' no
immediate scarcity of water, the question might be-post-
poned to another occasion. (Cries of No, no.)
Mr. S. HoLmE had long taken a deep interest in the
question, and now rejoiced to find the town was likely to
be supplied with an abundance of water, and that provi-
sion would be made for posterity. He was glad too that
they were about to get rid of the hard water at present
used. With respect to the proposition for obtaining
water from the sand-stone on which the town stood, he
was convinced it could not be done without robbing all
the private wells. He hoped the report would be adopted,
and was of opinion that no money could -be better laid
out than in bringing a supply of water from Rivington
Pike.

Mr. HIGGINS looked on the propOsed scheme as the
least likely one. The district whence the supply was to
issue was, he understood, a cultivated one, and conse-
quently the water, which must have a large surface, would
contain many organic impurities. He believed that the
scheme could•not be carried out for less than a million
sterling, though Mr. Hawkesley estimated the cost at
£lOO,OOO or .1:500,000 only. He wished to know why the
report of Mr. Cunningham, who had been appointed to
inspect the Cumberland lakes with a view to impounding
them for the purpose of supplying the town with water, had
been withheld from the Council. The committee had
never produced that report, and he now stood upon his
right to demand its production.
A good deal of discussion here ensued relative to the
merits of the different schemes which have been broached
for the accomplishment of the object.
. _

Mr. AHuN'said that although he still adhered to his
own little crotchet—his belief that there was plenty, of
water under the town--he was willing to bow to the deci-
sion of the committee.

Mr. ROBINSON thought it advisable to purchase the
present water works and then pause, for if the works must
be purchased on completion of the plan between them, it
could helloing no harm. He thought if the Pike scheme
were carried out the water rate would be increased four-
fold.

Mr. IslicoL, in reply to what had been said in opposition
to the project, would content himself with stating that
Mr. Hawkesley's had been adopted because it was consi-
dered to be the best. He had taken the opportunity of
asking the gentlemen constituting the board of one of the
water works on a former occasion whether they could give
a daily supply of water ; the reply was, with only one
dissentient voice, that they could not. Both Dr. Buck-
land and Mr. Anstead were of opinion that there could
not be an adequate supply of water obtained from our
sandstone. Much had been said about the report being a
report made by Mr. Hawkesly exclusively. From a com-
bination of unfortunate circumstances, both Mr. Cubitt
and Mr. Rendall were prevented from accompanying that
gentleman when he made his survey. In reply to a re-
mark made by Mr. Higgins, he wished to say the district
of the Pike was not a cultivated one.

plugs in that part of Tabley-street. We had two excel-
lent plugs at the corner of Hurst-street and Tabley-street,
but,the smoke was so dense it was impossible to get at
them, although several attempts were niade to 'do so.
From one of these plugs I gave Mr. Maxwell a continuous
supply of water for three weeks, for salvage purposes. I
saw the Bead-constable. at the fire. I called his attention
to the fact of our having an abundant supply of water,
and he acknowledged that we had.
This closed the evidence on the part of the Harrington
Company.
Mr. Maxwell was then called, he stated that he received
'the alarm of fire shortly after 3 o'clock, and reached
Mason-street about +-past 3. The engines in Tabley-
street had no water for some time. He took the.men from
them, and commenced clearing out a cooperage which was
several times on fire. He was so occupied for about three-
quarters of an hour. The smoke was exceedingly dense ;
it was as much as he could do to get across from Tabley-
street to Mason-street. He believes that the engines
in Huist-street were supplied with water a consi-
derable time before those in Tabley-street had a
supply. Has been informed that the Harrington
company have no plugs in the lower part of Tabley-street.
Never was better supplied with water for salvage pur-
poses than at this fire. Mr. M`Donald was good enough
to give him a supply from the mains for three weeks,
thus saving the working of the ordinary engines.
The Harrington company have latterly given a much
better supply of water at fires than they used to do for
salvage purposes especially. I have always experienced
the most prompt attention from their officers.
Mr. Hewitt examined.--I received the alarm of a fire
in Tabley-street at the Fire Police Station at half-past
three o'clock. ,I immediately turritd out the engines, and
reached the fire in about seven minutes afterwards. We
had at first no other water than what we brought with us
in carts. There was a supply of water from the Harring-
ton company mains for two or three engines in from ten
to twenty minutes after they got to the fire.
Mr. Parker here commented in strong terms on the cir-
cumstance of this witness's testimony not having been
given in the Report which the police had presented to the
Committee. In that report, said he, they say there was
no water for three quarters of an hour after the arrival of
the engines, while here is Mr. Hewitt, the first man who
ought to have been examined, and who acknowledges that
there was a supply of water, for two or three engines, in
from ten to twenty minutes after their arrival.
The Chairman thought Mr. M'Gill's report had not
been fully borne out, he having stated that the supply
was before the arrival of the engines, whereas it appeared
it was not till after their arrival that a supply was obtained.
Mr. Stanistreet replied that that would be merely a
play upon words. It was clearly proved that there was a
supply before the engines were ready to receive it.
Mr. Procter thought something ought to be done with
their own officers for making such reports, and misleading
the committee in the way they had done ' • and the chair-
man would find it absolutely necessary to do something.
Mr. Booker and Mr. Parker both concurred in Mr.
Procter's views ; and the inquiry, which had occupied
a considerable time, terminated.