The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-05-13 00:00:00

THE WATER COMMITTEE

The proceedings of this committee having been read,
Alderman COOPER rose to move their confirmation.
The specifications and plans of Mr. Hawksley were now
before the Council, under consideration; and they were
waiting the attendance of Mr. Hawksley before the com-
mittee, to issue advertisements, inviting tenders for the
work.

Alderman BENNETT interrupted, and said that the
minutes did not show that all the estimates had been re-

ceived.
Alderman COOPER said the printers had sent the re-
mainder since. Mr. Hawksley was expected in a few days.
Mr. AvisoN seconded the motion. He must say, as a
member of the Water Committee, he felt very glad that
Mr. Hawksley, as the chairman had stated, was about to
attend there soon, for they had been waiting long and
anxiously to see him ; and, he must say, he thought the
members of that committee had not been treated with
that courtesy by Mr. Hawksley which they should have
been. He had been a member of the committee for a
year and a half, had attended its meetings pretty punc-
tually, and he was satisfied that Mr. Hawksley had never
attended the committee above twice in that time. (Hear,
hear.) Now, if the Rivington works were to go on, it was
necessary that Mr. Hawksley should attend more
regularly.
Alderman BENNETT, in confirmation of what Mr.
Avison had said, read from the minutes the numerous
and varied requests to Mr. Hawkesley to attend the
committee. On the 25th November Mr. Hawkesley was
requested to attend the committee on the following Sa-
turday ; but he did not attend, and he did not even send
an apology. Was this the conduct which a person in
their employment should assume towards the Council ?
He now came to the present months' proceedings, and he
found that the committee had agreed to pay to Messrs.
D. Y. Stewart and Co., pipe contractors, two sums, one
of £9,247, and the other of £l,OOO, in anticipation. This
he thought a most unwise course. There were 13 broken
pipes lying at Horwich, and some be believed across the
water; and by paying beforehand, the Council would be
deprived of deductions for these, and have only the un-
pleasant alternative of bringing legal actions to recover
the amount. But it appeared that not only had Stewart
and Co., received some pre-payment, but that all the con-
tractors had been put on the same footing. He had to
complain of the meagre character, and the vagueness of
the entries in the minute book, which kept the Council
quite in the dark as to what was really being done.
Messrs. Goldie and Co., he saw, had applied to have 21
per cent., and he put upon the same footing as the other
contractors. When he (Mr. Bennett) was on the com-
mittee, an arrangement had been made with that firm.
Did they want 21 per cent in addition ?
The TOWN-CLERK.—Yes.
Alderman BENNETT said, then there was only one thing
which astonished him afterwards, and that was, that the
committee should pay the 22 per cent. He, as a private
person, certainly would not do it, and he did not think
the committee justified in spending the funds of the town
in such a way. He hoped that no tenders would be ad-
vertised for till the plans were before the Council. Had
the Parliamentary Sub-Committee power to arrange with
the Chorlton Company, without bringing the matter
before the Council?
The TOWN-CLERK replied in the negative, and
Mr. BENNETT expressed himself satisfied. He con-
cluded by protesting against the meagre minutes entered
of the committee's proceedings at such an important crisis
as the present; and said he must also repeat the strong
convictions he entertained of the great inattention which
Mr. Hawksley had shown.
Mr. PICTON agreed with Mr. Bennett and Mr. Avison
that there had been great delay in the preparation of the
plans; and he must confess that his patience was be-
ginning to get exhausted. They were now if not in an
absolute condition to advertise, nearly so. The plans had
not yet all been laid before them. He thought their
deputy-chairman was wrong in that. A portion of the
plans had, and a portion of the specifications ; but what
the committee were anxious for was, that Mr. Hawksley
should come before them, go through the plans, explain
them, and put the committee in full possession of his
views upon the subject. (Hear.) The majority of the
committee were of opinion that ought to be done before
any steps were taken to procure tenders. He should
explain the payments to Messrs. Stewart and Co. That
firm had made large demands upon the Corporation for
compensation for losses by delay during the time that the
Pike question was being litigated in Liverpool. Expen-
sive law proceedings were looming before the committee,
and they had acted in the way which they thought best
for the Corporation ; they had cut down the compensation
to the smallest sum, and made the advances stated, with
the consent of their sureties. Messrs. Goldie and Co.
were, as a matter of simple equity and justice, put upon
the same footing.
Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSON moved that it be an in-
struction to the Water Committee, that they advertise for
no contracts till the plans and estimates have been before
the Council and approved of by them.
After some further discussion,
Mr. CHALMER asked, Supposing Mr. Hawksley does
not come ? (Laughter.)
Alderman COOPER.—Then we should have to come to
the Council to get you to appoint somebody else, I sup-
pose

- Mr. CEIALMER.-1 think you should have come long
before for that purpose.
Mr. LLOYD seconded Mr. Henderson's motion.
Mr. BIGHAM was inclined to believe that the commit-
tee would act fairly with them, but there was some dis-
position to throw a cloak over their proceedings, and
there was an apparent attempt to blind the Council at the
time when they were to be called upon to sanction the ex-
penditure of half a million. There was a minute on the
book to the effect that the Town-clerk be instructed im-
mediately to advertise for tenders.
Mr. PICTON explained that this was superseded by
another, which forbad the issue of advertisements till all
the specifications were before the committee.
Alderman COOPER agreed to accept Mr. Henderson's
motion, without a division, and the minutes were con-
firmed.