The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-03-25 00:00:00

LOCAL MEETINGS.

WEST DERBY GUARDIANS.—At the weekly meeting
on Wednesday a letter was read from the Poor-law Board,
as to the question, whether it was legal that the apprentices
of the medical officers of the union should attend cases of
midwifery as accoucheurs ? The answer was to the effect
that a medical officer is bound to discharge his official
duties personally ; and in cases of childbirth, where it was
impracticable for himself to be present, his substitute
must be a person duly licensed ; but there was no impedi-
ment to a medical officer's apprentice watching in a case
of labour, and reporting progress to his principal. A let-
ter was read from Mr. Austin, the poor-law inspector,
stating his retirement from the superintendence of the
district. The subject of the charge against Mr. Allen was
then brought forward ; but presently such a scene of con-
fuiion and uproar ensued that the chairman quitted his
seat in despair of being able to restore order, and the
meeting separated in the greatest disorder.

_
ARCHITECTURAL AND ARCHAOLOGICAL SOCTETY.—
The usual fortnightly meeting of this society was held on
Wednesday, Mr. J. A.Picton, the president, in the chair.
The Chairman referred to a subject of interest to Arch-
aeologists, the recent discovery of the site of the old pool
during the excavations in the neighbourhood of Paradise-
street, Whitechapel, Lord-street, and Church-street. The
bridge has been brought to light which formerly spanned
the watercourse of the pool. A brook ran out from the
pool in the higher part of its course, flowing along
Whitechapel and Paradise-street. The pool was in the
process of time narrowed, and a breast wall was carried
along to narrow the channel. This wall, during the latter
part of the excavations, was laid bare for some portion of
its distance, and it resembled, as had been suggested,
something like what the Fleet ditch in London presented
in one part. The bridge was ten feet span, not more
than nine feet wide, and the rise of the arch would pro-
bably be about four feet. It was tolerably well con-
structed with squared stones; arid it was interesting to
compare the present rush of life and noise in the locality
with the smallness of the accommodation required for the
traffic eastward at the time the pool was in existence.
Mr. Strype contributed the paper of the evening, pointing
out " the objects and advantages of the study of archmo-
logy." The subject was treated in a most eloquent and
comprehensive essay, which gave rise to an animated and
interesting discussion, in which the Chairman, Mr. Chas.
Reed, Mr. Joseph Boult, and Mr. H. P. Horner took
part. Mr. Reed announced that the next subject for the
students' design was a roadside inn, in the Italian style,
to be sent in that day month.

HEALTH Comm-re:E.—The weekly meeting was held
on Thursday, Mr.-William Bennett in the chair. Mr.
Fresh having made his weekly report of the clearance of
nuisances, a discussion ensued respecting the erection of
slaughter-houses in Plumb-street and Norman-street, Dr.
Duncan objecting on the ground of health. The subject
was ultimately postponed for a week. The Medical Officer
of Health reported that mortality of the borough continued
rather higher than the average, the mean temperature
having, for the last four weeks, being lower than usual,
and diseases of the lungs more than usually prevalent.
There were registered during the last week in the parish
of Liverpool 163 deaths, and in the extra-parochial wards
63—making an aggregate of 226, against 239 in the previous
week, and 215 in the corresponding week of the three
years preceding. Consumption caused 40 deaths, and
other diseases of the lungs, exclusive of hooping-cough.
45. The deaths from zymotic diseases were 53, the same
as in the previous week. None of this class of diseases
showed any tendency to increase, with the exception of
small-pox, which proved fatal last week to 7 children—
none of whom had been vaccinated—and 3 adults. Typhus
caused 10 deaths ; hooping-cough, 1 ; m asels 6 ; scar-
latina, 2; croup, 3 ; erysipelas, 2 ; and influenza, 1. The
Medical Officer had communicated with the Medical
Relief Committee of the Select Vestry on the subject of
the increase of small-pox, and the large proportion of
fatal cases in which vaccination bad not been performed.
The mean temperature of the week was 434 degrees, a
degree and a half higher than the previous week, and one-
third of a degree below the average of the same weeks of
the five preceding years. The reading of the barometer
was below the average on every day except Tuesday. The
mean of the week was 29.76 inches. The rainfall amounted
to 17.20ths of an inch. It was stated that the receipts
for bathing at the Pierhead baths during the week were
£3l6s. 6d., and the expenses were £5. Mr, Dover thought
it should be known that the baths were opened to those
who wished either hot or cold bathing.
SELECT VESTRY.—The Rev. Rector Campbell presided
at the fortnightly meeting of the vestry, held on Tuesday,
at the Parish-offices. The Workhouse Committee's pro-
ceedings showed that there were 1,876 persons in the
house against only 1,760 in the corresponding period of
last year. The committee recommended a commutation
of the rations accorded to the governor, Mr. Evans, and
to his servant girl, to a fixed money payment of £:35
a year.—Mr. Denton warmly opposed the reduction,
characterizing it as a paltry attempt at economy. He
moved, as an amendment to the adoption of the proceed-
ings, that £5O be allowed.—Mr. Willaner illmported tLe
amendment. It was degrading, he said, to a man who
had the charge of a building containing nearly 2,000
people, to deal h such a way with him, it was not treat-
ing him with the respect which they ought to show, and
he trusted that the amendment would be carried.—After
a somewhat desultory conversation as to the amount and
quality of food consumed by the governor and his servant,
Mr. Abraham moved that the question should be re-
ferred back. It would be a great injustice to the rate-
payers to raise the salary of the governor, who was
already grossly, extravagantly overpaid. This was nothing
but an attempt to get an increase of salary. The gover-
nor had already £3OO a-year, and had a house and at-
tendance allowed him.—On the division, Mr. Denton's
amendment was lost, and Mr. Abraham's carried by a
considerable majority.—Mr. Woodruff moved that it be
an instruction to the committee to make the allowance
£4o.—Mr. Earle: I move that you attend the governor's
feeding time, and see what he eats. (Laughter.)—The
matter then dropped.—A letter had been received from
the Poor-law Board, sanctioning provisionally the division
of the town into twelve medical districts, and the various
medical officers had been appointed to all the localities
except one (marked A in the plan). There were three
candidates for the office ; Messrs. Dunlevy, M'Clellan,
and Hobson. Mr. Dunlevy was elected ; the salary being
fixed at £l4O, with vaccination fees ; the whole time of
the surgeon to be devoted to the duties of the office.
cx COMMITTEE.—The usual weekly meeting was
iursday. The proceedings of the sub-commit-
ks having been read, Mr. Fisher asked whether

held on T!
tee of wor

it had been decided to carry out the Wapping docks,
according to the plan agreed on in 1848. He saw they
had commenced the work at the north-west corner.—
Mr. John Hartley: That is only to get the mortar-mills
up.—Mr. Fisher suggested that instead of making two
docks, the enlargement of the Queen's Dock would be
more for the accommodation of the trade, and to keep
up the communication with the Salthouse Dock. He
would give a notice of motion upon this subject.—Mr.
John Hartley : There has been nothing done to militate
against your object.—Mr. Bold : The object is to get
more quay space.—Mr. Fisher said that instead of
making the Salthouse Dock so much larger, he would
take the space off, and make a larger space inside, because
he believed that those would be used as export docks. In
the Albert Dock, a vessel with imports could be discharged
in a short time, and they wanted export rather than
import docks.—Mr. Steele intimated that he had a simi-
lar suggestion to make, and the subject was referred to
the sub-committee, Mr. Fisher and Mr. Steele being
recommended to attend.—A series of long communica-
tions was read relative to the party to whom the £5O
voted by the committee for the Southport life-boat should
be paid. The contending powers were requested to at-
tend before the sub-committee, to which the subject was
referred.—Mr. Garniss was appointed superintendent of
the timber docks and the Harrington estate, in the room
of Mr. Jones, lately deceased • and a police-constable,
named Nelson, was appointed' deputy, his wages being
fixed at 30s. per week.—Mr. Bold stated, by these ap-
pointments, that £lOO a year would be saved to the trust.—
A letter was read from Mr. Hodgson, the senior harbour-
master, recommending the appointment of a dock master,
and twelve dock gatemen, to the-Wellington Dock. He said
the Stanley Dock was quite full of vessels, and all the
berths in the Nelson and Bramley-Moore Docks were
occupied.—Mr. Bold said it was desimble to impress on
the public mind that the prejudice to the north docks was
dying away. He might also state that there was a greater
amount of tonnage in the docks of Liverpool than ever
was before—(Hear, hear.)—The suggestion of Mr. Hodg-
son was then agreed to by the committee.—A letter was
read from the Town-clerk, requesting a conference be-
tween a committee of the Council and the Dock Com-
mittee, to ascertain whether the latter body might require
the land upon which the pierhead baths now stand. On
the motion of Mr. Turner, it was agreed to, on an ex
pression of opinion on the part of the committee, that it
was undesirable to erect baths on the present site.—The
chairman stated, in reference to what port should be the
point of departure for the American mail, that a gentle-
man had complained that the Dock Committee was so
supine that they had not brought before the Commis-
sioner the advantages of Liverpool as a point of departure.
—The proceedings then ended.
MR. ROSSON AND THE LIVERPOOL " CATHOLIC"
MEETING.--The talk is, that as Mr. Rosson has been en-
gaged in rubbing the rust off the old armour, which he
fancied be should never want again as he had hung it up
in Moor-hall, no wonder that he has no time to spare for
improving the Port and Harbour of Chester, the glory of
which achievement must soon pale its twinkling fires
before the grand enterprize of emancipating his " ancient
church" from what he tastefully calls " the fell claws of
Wluggery ;" and that since he is going a-soldiering
again, there is no hope of securing again for the old city
his important and unbought services, not that, like the
patriot of old, he " loves Chester less, but he loves Rome
more ;" that his definition of Whigs and Tories is no
doubt very correct and very candid; but that if, as he
states, he has had experience of Whig trickery from his
youth, he ought at least to have been as candid at Chester
in July, 1850, as he is in Liverpool in March, 1851 ; as
had that been the case, he would not have hurried here
to recommend the electors to support a pure Whig of a
place-hunting family, when an honest and independent
Conservative was in the field as a candidate ; and that if
he is to play Marplot again after this fashion, he should
do it with greater consistency of principle ; but that after
the display that he has just made, some of his former
friends are beginning to think that Cestrian affairs will
get on none the worse without Isis interference. The
further talk is, that in his melancholy attempts to be
facetious on the dramatic genius of Dr. M'Neile, he was
modestly forgetful of his own capabilities in that line ;
since there is no doubt that Mr. Rosson would play
Bombastes Furioso to the life : and his bold defiance from
the Liverpool stage of Lord John Russell, whom he de-
scribes as ' a man very small in person, and as great a
pigmy in intellect," (never mind the bull) reads rather
like a travestie of the valorous challenge.
"Whoever dares these boots displace,
Must meet Bombastes face to face."
—Cheater Courant: