The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-01-26 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

LOCAL- MEETINGS'.

RELIEF OF THE POOR. -On Thursday a meeting,
called at the request` of several of the most respectable
inhabitants, by the overseers, Messrs. Watson and East-
wood, was held at Birkenhead, to consider the best means
for relieving the poor during the present inclement wea-
ther. At the hour appointed the room was completely
full, and on the motion of Mr. Eastwood, the Rev. A.
Knox was called to the chair. Sdveral excellent speeches
were delivered by the chairman, Wm. Jackson, Esq.,
Wm. Potter, Esq., &c. ; after which a committee was
formed, of which m. Potter, Esq., was appointed chair-
man, and Wm. Cole, Esq., treasurer. In the course of
the evening upwards of £lOO was collected, and on Fri-
day nearly four hundred persons were supplied with bread,
soup, coals, &c. _

10XTET11 PARK.—Owinc, to the requirements of the
late Act of Parliament, relative to paving and sewerage,
which are transferred to the Corporation of Liverpool, a
meeting of the ratepayers was held, on Friday, to re-
adjust salaries, &c.—Mr. Thomas Lloyd in the chair.—
The parish committee recommended that none of the
assistant-overseers should remain, with the exception of
Mr. Charles Case, the relieving-officer, whose office was
not affected by the recent change: The committee re-
commended several gentlemen to office. Finally, it was
recommended that Mr. P. Mac,auliffe,, who had been a
faithful servant, be appointed treasurer and general super-
intendent, at a salary of £2OO. Mr. William Dickenson
was appointed rate-book clerk, at a salary of £l6O a year.
Mr. S. B. Rogers was appointed collector, salary, £l3O ;
Mr. J. Kenyon, in-door collector, at £l3O ; Mr. John
Rowland, out-dpor collector, at £l3O. The meeting then
separated.

SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB.—On Thursday,
the annual meeting of the subscribers was hell in the
School-room, Great Oxford-street. The chair was occu-
pied by the Rev. Rector Campbell: The report stated
that the largest number of pupils at any one time upon
the books since the commencement of the school, to the
end of 1845, was 56 ; but that the year 1846 closed with
64, of whom 42 were boarders. Mr. Rhind, the head mas-
ter, reported favourably of the progress of the pupils, and
also that all the inmates were in good health, no unfor-
tunate occurrence having happened during the past year,
except the death of a little boy, from an internal com-
plaint, brought with him when admitted. The master
also reported that he continued to receive additional testi-
monies to the good conduct of those who had been ap-
prenticed from the school. Some instances were menti-
oned. From the statement of accounts, it appeared that
the balance in hand at the commencement of the year was
£3lB 4s. 6d.,'of which sum £3OO had been. invested in
dock bond. The receipts, this year, had been (exclusive
of the balance) £1469 18s. 9d., and the expenditure
£1486 18s. 6d., lealing in hands of the treasurer only
£1 4s. 9d. The usAal resolutions were adopted.
THE SAILORS' HOME.—The annual meeting of the
members was held on Wednesday last, at the temporary
offices, in Bath-street. The chairman, Mr. Aikin, being
absent from indisposition, Mr. Colesworth, vice-president,
presided. He stated that though some obstacles had been
met with, the several branches of the institution had been
well sustained. The number of seamen who had regis-
tered during the year was, 3889, making, since the open-
ing, 7221. 470 ships had been supplied with crews.
Notes had been cashed for seamen to the amount of
£2248, and this had reduced the discount in other quar-
ters. The savings' bank for seamen was going on well ;
£1165 had been deposited during the year, and only £864
drown out. The deposits were principally small, and
made by men now at sea. Agreeably to the arrangements
made, the Rev. Mr. Maynard had, on Wednesday even-
ings, gratuitously officiated as minister in the hall. The
erection of the new building had been contracted, for by
an eminent builder. The committee alluded gratefully to
Prince Albert's visit, and closed with an appeal to the
public on behalf of the institution. A number of resolu-
tions, bearing on the business of the meeting, were pro-
posed and carried, as will be seen by the advertisement
in another column.

DOCK COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.—A clock was ordered
for the turret now erecting at the Albert Dock. Mr.
Horsfall said the telegraph report for the past week,
showed how valuable the electric telegraph would be.
The communication during the whole week had been in-
tercepted by fog, and a greater argument there could not
be, for the introduction of the electric telegraph. The
Chairman said the electric telegraph was about to be in-
troduced at the docks in a small way, and that would be
preppratory to its introduction on a large scale. The
Harbour-masters' Sub-committee reported that they
could not recommend vessels which had discharged in the
Albert Dock, to have a preference of loading-berths in the
Salthouse and Canning Docks, as recorfimended by the
American Chamber of Commerce, but they stated that
every possible facility would be given to such vessels en-
tering the Canning and Salthou!e Docks.—A letter from
the Steam Association, wishing steam-vessels to be placed
on the same footing in graving docks as in the open
docks, as regards the charge for tonnage, was referred to
the Harbour-masters' Sub-committee ; as was also a let-
ter from the agent of the Dundalk Steam-packet Corn-
pany.—The Chairman said Mr. Cubitt, the engineer; was
then in Liverpool, for the purpose of inspecting the land-
ing-stage. The snow would be an impediment to him ;
but he gave him (the Chairman) the strongest assurance
that the stage would be ready within the time.
WEST DERBY. GUARDIANS.—The usual weekly meet-
ing of this body was held on Wednesday. The Chair-
man stated that at the previous meeting of the board,
Mr. Smith had used offensive language in reference to
Mr. Shaw, one of the members, and called upon him to
retract.—Mr.' Smith refused to do so, and a resolution
was then carried, that Mr. Smith is deserving of, and do
receive the censure of the board. The report of the me-
dical-officer of the fever-house showed that up to the 19th
instant, two patients only had been added to the fifteen
already in the house ; one had died, and another had been
discharged, leaving fifteen as before. There were five
ready to leave the house, but they had no homes to go to,
e ' and the Union Workhouse was already very full. The
report of the Master of the. Workhouse show

..d the fol-
lowing statement :—Up to Saturday, the 16th, there were
in the house 463 inmates-77 men, 169 women, 134 boys,
and 93 girls. The number on' the day of meeting, was
481, a greater number than the house could conveniently
accommodate. Mr. Alfred Stephens and Mr. John Cow-
burn were proposed as candidates for the situation of me-
dical officer to the Toxteth-park district, vacant by the
resignation of Mr. Harbord. The former was elected by
a majority of 9to 4. It was decided that the medical officers
in each district should be appointed vaccinators in their re-
spective districts. Mr. Rowlands was appointed pro tem,
relieving officer of the West Derby district, (No. 2,) until
some communication was had with the Poor-law Commis-
sioners, when the appointment will be again brought be-
fore the board.

INSTITUTION FOR THE INDIGENTannuaI
meeting of the subscribers was held .on Friday ; Henry
Lawrence, Esq., occupigd the chair. Mr. R.W. Houghton
(the treasurer) read a statement of the accounts for the
previous year. They began by stating a balance in hand
of £217 10s. 4d. ' • by subscriptions £546 10s. 6d. ; pa-
rishes' allowance £303 ; received for pupils' necessaries,
' &c., £l,ll 3s. 2d ; found in the poors' boxes £l5 is. 10d. ;
by interest £B4 9s. 4d. ; by legacies £245 ; by donations
£33 2s. ; making a total of £1586 ss. 2d. Deducting
£925 7s. 4d. would leave a balance in favour of the In-
stitution of 1561 17s. Bd. ; to which sum add £404 as
debt received, making a total balance of £965 17s Sd. ;
•

against w

h sum there was a set-off of one

year, amount-
ing to £1062, leaving the institution in debt £lO3. The
report stated that the number of pupils at present in the
school was 88. During the year 23 boys had been ad-
mitted into, and 35 had departed from the institution.
The candidates for admission were five males and four
females. The resolutions passed will be found advertised
in another column. Mr. R. W. Houghton laid on the
table a notice which had been served upon the trustees by
the London and North Western Railway Conipany,
stating that they were going to Parliament 4or powers to
take from the trustees a portion'of the property of the in-
stitution, vested in their hands, namely the church. Mr.
ofmnr
oamamtrtpmeatronh omye
gt
tet ho aywn :uch powersek
n thoughtuuewrlgdahttbeehtoetdth.a that such notice should be
placed in the hands of their solicitor, in order that the
thought that if s
eWere
wotgifhi
roeat
hnecet
eha und institution.rdct ho
not
tttho b
pe re
ao tiiwki Hoea
nnye
of the property. The chairman thought it no a
under the circumstances, to take any qt.,. ; ..reces.s.ary,

40theijonnthhematter
but if Mr. Banner would inovearesauj
he would put it to_ to the meeting. Mr. Bannee• question,
so
and the resolution will be found along With the others:
Mr. John Smith (one of the wardens) rendered in a state-
ment of the chapel accounts, which showed a balance in
the hands of the banker of £336 9s. 4d., -notwithstaading
£231 2s. 7d.' had been incurred for extra expenses.

finding that the inmates were destroying some of the
barrels and utensils used in their unlawful calling, the
officers proceeded to the rear of the premises and forced
open the door. Oni entering they found the still at full
work, and the prisoners in bed in another apartment.
He ordered each of these prisoners also to pay a fine of
£3O, or, in default, to be imprisoned three months.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HEALTH
OF TOWN MEDICAL. OFFICERS.

[We had no room for-the following article last week.]
Edwin 'Chadwick, Esq.-, registrar-general, having been
requested to give a testimonial to the fitness of Dr. Dun-
can to act as officer of health for Liverpool, on the sub-
ject of sanatory arrangements, has addressed a letter
(dated - Somerset-house, Jan. 8,) to Mr. Shuttleworth,
the town-clerk, to be submitted to the corporation.
He commences by a warm eulogium on the talents and
zeal in the cause of public health already disinterestedly
exerted by Dr. Duncan, as evinced especially by his able
report on the causes of the unhealthy condition of Liver-
pool, which he ranks with the reports of the most eminent
men who have devoted their attention to the same philan-
thropic object in other large towns, and proceeds to say
that the arrangements of our council in relation to the
appointment of a health officer, have been made under a
misconception of the onerous duties to be performed. He
remarks upon the impolicy of fixing the salary at so low
an amount as very little more than the annual payment of
£1 per thousand of the persons whose general health it is
proposed to watch over, while the impending loss on each
adult person's premature death is, at least, £325. If, he
says, the services required had been fairly examined, it
would have been seen that not one, nor two, professional
men giving their whole time to the performance of pro-
per duties, could execute them. He estimates, taking the
authentic statistics of diseases and their causes in this
town, that in order to initiate measures of prevention,
" three or four officers of health at the least, giving their
whole time to the service, at an expense of £2,200 per an-
num, would be a very economical expenditure, as power-
fully tending to reduce the annual charge of £lB,OOO for
the excess of funerals alone ;" but, he adds, " that the
intended compensation for the services of one officer, that
he may take private practice, is entirely destructive of all
efficiency, even if a full number of officers were appointed,
and the remuneration were adequate." This opinion is
grounded on past experience in analagous cases, for, as
the writer of the letter justly, we believe, states, "regular
private practice not only acts constantly as an inducement
to the neglect of regular public duties, but often as a se-
vere penalty for the proper performance of them." He
is, in finer of opinion that officers of health should be in-
dependent of all such influences ; should be responsible
only for adequate attention to the public service ; and that
the requisite expenditure he proposes would result in a
vast pecuniary economy.

The only Passage of Mr. Chadwick's intelligent letter
which we have room to quote verbatim, is the close :

" I am not aware in what stage the question as to the appoint-
ment may be ; but I hope it may not be too late to submit
these grounds for revising the arrangements under which it is
proposed to be made. Dr. Duncan, after his reports, and the
demonstration of their truth, can really have stood in no need
of any testimonial from me; and should the considerations I
have submitted be deemed too late to alter the arrangements, I
would beg to present this as a personal testimonial in the way
of protest against the precedent of allowing private practice on
the part of an officer of health to come in conflict with his pub-
lic duties."

We doubt not but the suggestion thrown out from such
an authority will receive due consideration by our local
authorities, and if they find they have erred in judgment,
they will not hesitate to adopt it, or some approximation
toward it, for the public good.
There is but one point of omission,in Mr. Chadwick's
letter, which, we feel assured, had he known the fact, he
would 'cheerfully have supplied. He has borne due testi-
mony to the noble exertions of Dr. Duncan in the cause
of public health, but makes no mention of the long and
equally honourable services of Dr. Harbord and Dr.
Watson, whose able and undeniable expositions of the
nuisances, want of sewerage, &c. throughout every dis-
trict of Liverpool, have appeared in the columns of this
journal,—forming a mass of valuable evidence on the sub-
ject, which has fully opened the eyes of our thinking com-
munity, who were before comparatively ignorant of dan-
gers that surround them on all sides, and who, however
they may lament, cannot controvert their existence.

OFFICIAL ENQUIRY

AT BIRKENHEAD

On Tuesday, Messrs. Goldfinch and Rennie resumed
their enquiry relative to the contemplated Birkenhead
Water Works A ct, when Mr. Lloyd proceeded• with the
examination of Mr. Hawkesley, the engineer, who read a
paper giving an analysis of the water at Birkenhead, and
which he declared to be excellent ; but at the same time
he stated that the present works were not capable of sup-
plying 2,000,000 gallons, the quantity necessary for
80,000 individuals, and the shipping that might be ex'
petted at the new docks. Upon cross-examination, Mr.
Hawksley stated that he had not heard that the present
company contemplated making a resemoir near the site
now proposed by the commissioners. With regard to the
rate at which the present company supplied the water,
and the rate charged at Nottingham, and upon which Mr.
Hawkesley based his calculations, there appeared to be
but little difference. The quantity of land which the
commissioners proposed to take for the new works was
23,132 square yards of land at ss. 3d. per yard. The bill
provided for the raising of £60,000 on the supposition of
having to provide entirely new works, and, if they had
not, to do this, £30,000 would be sufficient. The case for
the promoters of the bill here terminated.

pthat omtphaencyo,
company
readn y
Mr. Highfield, on behalf- T Th 7 iiirkenhead Water
Workseared C
a h statea d no mt
ce hg nat r, from
e habiittaanpts-
the which it ap-
peared that the company had not charged the inh
the full price which they were allowed to do by act of
parliament. Upon cross-examination by Mr. Lloyd, Mr.
Highfield stated that upwards of £90,000 had been laid
out in the plant of the Water and Gas concerns, and the
total amount which had been applicable as dividend since
the year 1841 was £7,500, up to the 30th of September,
1846, and the whole of the profits had been laid out in
extending the works. He also stated that negotiations
had been commenced between the company and certain
owners of land, in the month of April last, with the view
of enlarging the water works ; and these had only been
put a stop to from the knowledge that the commissioners
had begun to entertain the question of establishing gas
and water works. The amount which had been applica-
ble as dividend from the water concern alone was about
£1,600. Mr. Jackson opposed the bill in person ; and
after some remarks as to the impolicy of the commission
ers taking up the supply of water, &c., brought the pro-
ceedings to an abrupt termination by promising to give
water gratuitously for sanatory purposes, and to do all
the other acts contemplated by the Commissioners, and to
put in a written document to that effect by Friday. This
was deemed satisfactory, as Mr. Goldfinch said that after
an offer of that sort Parliament would pause before it
interfered with Mr. Jackson's vested rights.
On Wildnesday, the Coinmiisioners commenced their in-
quiry into the Sanatory Bill of the Commissioners, the
clauses of which, upwards of 200 in number, were read
.through by Mr. Townsend,*after which Mr. Brownrigg
submitted the following financial statement respecting the
present position of the township :
VALUATION OF PROPERTY OF TOWNSHIP OF BIRKENHEAD.

£. s. d £. 8. d.

—.. _. _ __. -.
Woodside and Monk's Ferries. __
Nett income over expenditure ll,OOO 0 0
Value of Woodside, &c., Ferries,
Taken at 25 years' purchase..
Market, at cost ' 28,200 0 0
7684 yds of Landon which it stands, at 40s 15,368 0 0

Slaughter-houses, at cost
Land on which they stand, at 15s
Land per Mr. Stewart's valuation.
New Park, Flaybrick, &c.
Less deposit received on land sold

7,433 0 0
3,521 0 0

43,568 0 0

212,759 0 0
6,888 0 0

Land sold in Ivy and Cheater-street

10,954 0 0

•205,871 0 .0
1,169 0 ,0

Land not valued icy Mr. Stewart
2,451 yards land for Town-hall, at 40s 4,902 0 0
2,965 do. do. Brideweil, at 40s 5,930 0 0
5,223 • do. around Slaughter-houses,
at 15s 3,917, 0 0
3,287 do. do Market at 60s 9,861 0 0
93,000 do. Cemetery Land, at 6s 27,400 0 0
6,202 do. Collegiate Land ss. 6d 5,324 0 0

Value of Old Town-hall Materials ....

61,055 0 0
700 0 0

'598,317 0 0

Amount down 598,317 0 0
Amount borrowed on Bonds 366,367 15 0
Floating Debt 31,198 0 0

397,565 15 0
Less, which will be recovered on account
of new streets,.and which forms part of
the Floating Debt lO,OOO 0 0

Surplus over Debt

87,565 15 0

R 210,751 15 0

On Thursday, the Government surveyors resumed their
inquiry in connexion with the Sanatory Bill. Mr. Brine
and Mr. Salter, the surveyors, and other of the township
officers, were called to give evidence as to the drainage and
sewerage, in order to ascertain whether it came up to the
requirement of the Government Commissioners. They
were also examined as to the public edifices, including
the Town-hall, their cost, &c., and the erection of build-
ings in general. The evidence went to show that such
new buildings were necessary, in order to meet the in-
creasing wants of the township. The next subject that
came before the surveyors was as to the street pavements,
sewers, &c., and on this head a great body of evidence
was taken. Some information was also elicited as to the
necessity of having public cemeteries away from the
town, and the injury to public health from allowing inter-
ments in church-yards and other places situate in large
towns. Mr. Salter, surveyor of buildings, produced re-
turns of the number of houses in. the township receiving
it supply of water and gas, with the mode of supply, and
other interesting and valuable details. He was highly
complimented by one of the Government Surveyors, and
also by Mr. Townsend, for the admirable manner in which
the returns had been compiled, and the amount of infor-
mation contained in them. This closed the evidence in
favour of the Sanatory Bill, and there being no opposition
the court was adjourned at two o'clock. After the pro-
ceedings terminated, the Government Surveyors went
round the township to inspect the various public and
other edifices in the township, the site of the proposed,
and the situation of the present, water and gas works,
&c., in order to complete their commission.
On Friday, Mr. Mallaby, on the part of the, present
Water Company, laid before the Commissioners a written
document containing the conditions under which the
former were willing to, carry out the projected alterations.
Tee court re-opened, at one o'clock, to hear the reply of
the Comtnissioners, which was unfavourable to a compro-
mise. Evidence was adduced on the part of the company
to show that the present rates offered by the company
were more advantageous than those proposed by the Com-
missioners. The gas ctuestion will be mooted next month.

INTERESTING EXPERIMENT BY THE
LIVERPOOL AND HARRINGTON WATER-
WORKS COMPANY.

On Thursday forenoon, several gentlemen assembled in
the yard of the Waterworks Company, in Harrington-
street, to witness an experiment in the ejection of water
through a simple hose and pipe, which, as was fully
evinced, will, if adopted, prove of inestimable value in
the rapid extinguishment of fires in any part of the town,
independently of the slow, uncertain, and expensive em-
ployment of the best ordinary fire-engines,

A length of new hose, With a meta branch pipe, of
/ths of an inch in diameter, was secured to a stand-pipe
communicating with one of the mains in the middle of
the yard, and by means of this simple and portable appa-
ratus, such was the united power of the hydraulic pres-
sure of the water in the reservoir and the force of the engine,
immediately proximate at the works, that it threw a con-
tinuous. stream of water* to an astonishing height, and to
a great distance, by the mere direction of two men, hold-
ing the one pipe, and they on the ground. Had a man or
two been placed on the roof .of one of the lower build-
ings with this pipe, there can be no question that the
water would have reached a much higher summit, for the
hose was tortuous and kinky in several parts, and, more-
over, not perfectly water-tight, being, though of the best
leather, quite new, and partly pervious through the extra-
ordinary pressure. As it was, even ih the infancy of the
contrivance, which, when perfected, will be much more
effective, the water was thrown to the top of the engine
chimney of the works,—a height of at least 100 feet, and
from a point at a considerable distance from it. The
power exhibited in combined distance and height was also
surprising. The water was thrown clear over the whole
length of four story buildings, round three sides of the
large yard, over the still higher range of houses on the
west side of Hill-street on the west.
After this first experiment, the parties proceeded to the
south end of Exchange-street, with the same piece of hose.
This was intended to show they power of the contrivance
at a long distance from the works,-wherever the company
have laid mains, It was n

could be thrown so high here as close to the engine, and in-
deed, the superintending engineer, Mr. James Mc, Do-
nald, had ordered that the engine should be put at a low
pressure, lest any of the pipes in the main (which have
not been all proved, as all the, new ones are) should give
way.' Nevertheless, the water was thrown across Dale-
street, to the top of Bank-buildings, five to six ordinary
stories in height, (say 50 feet,) and over the top of the
buildings immediately contiguous at the west corner of
Exchange-street east, an apparently greater achievement,
as the projection was nearly perpendicular. The advan-
tage of the system—to which. Mr. Mc. Donald has given
his utmost attention—is not only the projecting force that
can' be given to the water, but the continuity of the
stream. By gravitation and steam-power, provided the
pipes be strong enough, (and they can all be made so,)
as much water can be thrown, without delay, in or upon a
burning building by one of the branches used on this oc-
casion, as by six ordinary hand engines within the same
time,—the latter, be it remembered, requiting successive
relays of men to work them, and long pauses between
each exertion, during which the devourin
complishing its work

Bistrirt dictucs,

g element is

The price of gas in Chester has been reduced to 6s. Bd.
per 1000 cubic feet from the Ist instant.

—...---.
Only two manufacturers at Manchester are now work-
ing full time.

The machine trade at Preston is suffering severely
Where more than a hundred men were employed-
four or five are now engaged.
On Sunday, Catherine Sharples, aged
self in the reservoir near Bury, whilst in a state of intoxi-

JB, drowned he