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

OFFICIAL ENQUIRY AT BIRKENHEAD

On Tuesday, Messrs. Goldfinch and Rennie resumed
their enquiry relative to the contemplated Birkenhead
Water N 4 orks Act, 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-
pected at the new docks. Upon cross-examination, Mr.
Hawksley stated that he had not heard that the present
company contemplated making a reservoir 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.
Mr. Higbfield, on behalf of the Birkenhead Water
Works Company, read a statement, from which it. ap-
peared that the company had not charged the inhabitants
the full price which they were allowed to do by act of
parliament. Upon cross-examination by Mr. Lloyd, Mr.
Ilighfield stated that upwards of £90,000 had been laid
out hi 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 negociations
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 establighing 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 Wednesday, the Commissioners 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 s. d,

Woodside and Monk's Ferries
Nett income over expenditure,
Value of Woodside, &c., Ferries,
Taken at 25 years' purchase..
Market, at cost
7684 yds of land on which it stands, at 40s 15,368 0 0

11,000 0 0

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

3,521 0 0

10,954 0. 0

212,759 0 0
6,888 0 0

Land sold in Ivy and Chester-street..
Land not valued by Mr. Stewart
2,451 yards land for Town-hall, at•4os 4,902 0 0
2,965 do. do. Bridewell, at 408 5,930 0 0
5,223 do. around Slaughter-houses,

205,8710 0
1,169 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 Amount borrowed on Bonds down
Floating Debt

598,317 0 0

366,367 15 0

Less, which will be recovered on account97,s6s 15 0
of new streets, and which forms part of
the Floating Debt lO,OOO 0 0

Surplus over Debt,

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 idgeneral. The evidence went to show that such
new buildings were necessary, in order to meet the in-
.l . _

creasing wants u. _ nip. The next subject that counted for by the vigilant and careful inquiries which
came before the surveyors was as to the street pavements, the guardians cause to be made into the circumstances of
sewers, &c., and on this head a great body of evidence every applicant, and to their invariably requiring labour,
was taken. Some information was also elicited as to the in return for relief, from all who seem capable of perform-
necessity of having public cemeteries away from the ing it.—Manchester Guardian.
town, and the injury to public health from allowing inter- At the annual meeting of the Manchester Chamber of
ments in church-yards and other places situate in large Commerce, on Monday, samples of the most excellent
towns. Mr. Salter, surveyor of buildings, produced re- cotton were shown, which had been grown on the experi-
turns of the number of houses in the township receiving mental farm of the East India Company, in Madras.
a supply of water and gas, with the mode of supply, and They were pronounced equal to the best New Orleans
other interesting and valuable details. He was highly cotton, possessing a good staple, perfectly clean, an&
complimented by one of the Government Surveyors, and quite fit for the common purpose of spinning. An ex-
also by Mr. Townsend, for the admirable manner in which perienced cotton broker, who was shown the samples,
the returns had been compiled, and the amount of infor- without being informed whence they had come, expressed
mation contained in them. This closed the evidence in his surprise, perceiving that it was a new kind of cotton.
favour of the Sanatory Bill, and there being no opposition .He valued it at Bd. per lb., and yet it is stated that this
the court was adjourned at two o'clock. After the pro- cotton might be laid down in Liverpool at as low a rate
ceedings terminated, the Government Surveyors went as 3d. per lb.
round the township to inspect the various public and DEATH FROM SUPPOSED QUACKERY.—An inquest was
other edifices in the township, the site of the proposed, held on Monday, at Manchester, on the body of a la-
and the situation of the present, water and gas works, bourer named Greenhalgh, aged 25 years, who it was ru-
&c., in order to complete their commission. moured, had been " killed by one of Coffin's men." He
On Friday, Mr. Mallaby, on the part of the present was afflicted with asthma, and applied to a quack named
Water Company, laid before the Commissioners a written Flitcroft, who gave him a powder called "Dr. Coffin's
document containing the conditions under which the pick." It was green, and mainly consisted of India to-
former were willing to carry out the projected alterations. bacco and cayenne. Soon after taking it he died. The
Tee court re-opened, at one o'clock, to hear the reply of jury returned a verdict of " Died from inflammation on
the Commissioners, which was unfavourable to a compro- the lungs," which they accompanied with an expression of
raise. Evidence was adduced on the part of the company opinion that the deceased had been improperly treated by
to show that the present rates offered by the company Flitcroft ; and that as Flitcroft was a bricklayer by trade,
were more advantageous than those proposed by the Com- and had no knowledge of medicine, it was highly wrong
missionera. The gasovestion will be mooted next month. for him to act as he was doing.

OBSERVANCE OF THE, SABBATH.—A public Meeting-
was held on Friday, in the large room of the Town-hall,
Manchester, for the purpose of hearing the addresses of
Sir Andrew Agnew, Dr. Candlish, and other clergymen
and gentlemen, upon the- question of " a better observ-
ance of the Sabbath ;" and also of adopting a memorial
to the directors of the Edinburgh and Glasgow. Railway,
congratulating them upon " the noble struggle which they
have made to vindicate the sanctity -of the Lord's Day,
in resolving to discontinue the running of trains on that
day." There was a large number present. The Rev.
Chancellor Raikes occupied the chair, and upon the plat-
form we observed the follawiag clergy and gentlemen :
Sir Andrew Agnew,- the Revs. Hugh Stowell, H. W.
M`Grath, Mr. Bleasdale ; the Revs. Mr. Holland and
Mr. Roby, methodist new-connection ministers ; Robert
Gardner, Esq., Dr. Black,,&c. A memorial to the direc-
tors, exhorting them. to persevere in not running Sunday
trains was agreed to.

A Juvenile Refug,

d Sehoolof Industry was opened
3th instant. It is situated in

in Manchester on-the
Nelson S

et, near_ the Leeds Railway, Station. Thirty
vagrant children between five and twelve years of age
have been admitted: The boys have been employed
during the intervals- of7tuition in untwisting old ropes,
and the girls in sewing. One good. meal of soup and
bread is given in the day, and a piece of bread in the
A similar...institution- is. being established in

evening

On Tuesday, a. fine schooner, named the Margaret and
Martha, belonging to Mr. T. T. Rigby, and intended for
the coasting trade, was launched from the building yard
of Mr. S. Mason, at Runscorn. A dinner was provided
for Mr. Mason's workmen, and afterwards another was
sat down to by the owners and builders of the vessel, and
their friends, at Mr. John Rigby's, Boathouse - Inn ;
Captain Reaper presided, assisted by Mr. Lancaster, of
Liverpool, pilot, as vice. When we state that Mrs. Rigby
was the caterer, it is almost supererogatory to say that all
was excellent. About ten minutes previous to the launch,
the brig Hampton, which has been undergoing extensive
repairs at this yard, was let ofrthe slip to the astonishment
of the spectators, who considered it to be accidental, and
in the first instance appeared to be rather gamed; but
the appearance of the gallant tars on board this vessel
allayed all apprehensions. This brig is, we are,iaformed,
one of the largest ever repaired upon slip; sb.o.is 210 tons
regilimr, N.M.