The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-03-18 00:00:00

LOCAL MEETINGS.

The Roman Catholics had a numerous meeting at the
Amphitheatre on Wednesday. There were between 3,000
and 4,000 persons present, the great majority of whom
belonged to the labouring classes. The assemblage was
most disorderly and uproarious on several occasions, and
some Protestants were roughly ejected, amidst the great-
est contusion and alarm. The principal speakers were the
chairman (Mr. Weld' Blundell), Mr. John Rosson, and
Mr. Aspinall, barrister.
MECHANICS' INsTlrtrnoN.—The annual meeting of
this institution was held on Wednesday, Mr. T. S. Black-
burne, the president, in the chair. From the report,
which was read by the secretary, Mr. Nichol, it appeared
that the institution is at this time in a more efficient and
vigorous condition than at any former period of its history.
The lectures and the annual subscriptions have caused
some loss, but all the schools have been better attended
than they formerly were, and are at present progressing
most satisfactorily. The Chairman movedithe adoption of
the report, and dwelt at considerable length upon the ad-
vantages of the institution, remarking that, for a subscrip-
tion of half a guinea a-year, access could be had to a
library counting 15,000. volumes. Mr. Alfred Lafone
seconded the motion, which was carried • and on the mo-
tion of Mr. Spencer, seconded by Mr:Murphy, thanks
were voted to the ladies and gentlemen who had presented
donations during the past year. Thanks were then voted
to the directors, on the motion of Mr. Aikin. seconded
by Mr. Parkinson • after which Mr. George Holt moved
a resolution thanking the teachers of the school. This
was carried unanimously. _

WEST DERBY GUARDIANS.—At the weekly meeting
on Wednesday, a long discussion took place on the sub-
ject of certain alleged irregularities on the part of Mr.
Allen, one of the relieving officers. It was ultimately ar-
ranged that the charges brought forward should be fully
investigated at the next meeting of the board.—The Vi-
siting Committee's report contained several charges of
impropriety against Mr. Reed, the schoolmaster, relative
to his being absent from the house during the time of
duty, a neglect of the cleanliness of his pupils, &c. Mr.
Reed entered into a lengthy explanation, but the investi-
gation terminated by a vote of censure being passed upon
Mr. Reed. The same committee also urged complaints
against Miss Hartley, the schoolmistress, and Miss Corn,
the mistress of the infant school, principally to the effect
of neglecting to commence the duties of the school at the
proper hour in the morning. Miss Hartley, who is in
declining health, assigned this an apology, and said that
she had come to the determination of resigning her situa-
tion, an.l she handed to the chairman her formal resigna-
tion. The board accepted it, and expressed deep sym-
pathy for Miss Hartley. Miss Corn received a gentle
rebuke, with advice for her future conduct.
PROPOSED NEW CHURCH AT WEST DERBY.—A spe-
sial vestry meeting was held on Wednesday last, in the
parish church at West Derby, to consider the propriety
of adopting a rate in aid of the fund for building the pro-
posed new church. The present church at West Derby
is small, inconveniently situated, and altogether ill adapted
for the accommodation of the inhabitants in the neigh-
bourhood who belong to the Church of England. By a
spirited and voluntary offer on the part of the gentlemen
in the neighbourhood, £7OOO were subscribed towards
the erection of a more commodious edifice ; and the Earl
of Sefton, with his characteristic liberality, offered a site
of four acres for the church and burial-ground. The
estimated cost of the building and burying ground, how-
ever, is £30,000 ; and the proposal made at the vestry
meeting, on Wednesday, was to sell to the ratepayers a
portion of the land which had been so given, and to levy
a church rate on the parishioners to pay for the land—the
money so raised to go towards the erection of the church.
The rector of the parish, the Rev. John Stewart, was in
the chair. A resolution in favour of the measure being
proposed by Mr. Horsfall, Mr. William Hardie moved an
amendment denying that there was a want of accommo-
dation. A long discussion ensued, and, on a division
taking place, the amendment was declared to be carried
by a large majority. Mr. Charles Robertson then moved
" That it is inexpedient that any rate be levied for the
erection or enlargement of any church in West Derby."
This was also carried by a large majority. The Rev. An-
drew M'Conkey, a clergyman of the established church,
having opposed the imposition of a rate under such cir-
cumstances, a poll was then demanded, to take place in
the Board-room in Town-row. Mr. Hardie pleaded for
Low-hill as the place of polling, as, being more conveni-
ent for the bulk of the voters, but to this the rector would
not assent. The polling commenced on Thursday, and
closed on Friday evening. The poll exhibited a majority
of 136 for the opponents of the rate. _ _

HEALTH COMMITTEE.—At the weekly meeting on
Thursday, Mr. Lloyd, in the absence of Mr. Parker,
took the chair.—A reply from Mr. Bradley, surgeon, to
the communication of the secretary to the committee,
Mr. Hughes, in relation to the case, of a poor woman,
who, Mr. Bradley had complained, has been the victim of
injustice in regard to the collection of rates, was read.
The letter was ordered to be placed upon the proceedings.
—Mr. Fresh, the inspector, reported the cleansing of 1110
cesspools during the week, and the issue of 633 midden
notes to persons whose middens had to be emptied ; on
140 nuisances complained of by inhabitants, and the re-
ference of 84 others to the borough engineer for remedy
by drainage; with various other statistical details of the
operations of his staff; including a re-examination of
1587 cellars, formerly cleared of inmates, in the lower
parts of the town ; shewing that 1013 were empty, 273
claimed as under the late act, 242 found occupied, but
without beds, and 31 with beds, in evasion of the law, but
which would be again cleared. The manure wharves were
reported to be clear of deposits of nightsoil.—The weekly
report of the building surveyor was also read.—On a re-
ference to the proceedings of the Council of the previous
day, some conversation took place as to the desirability of
removing the baths from the St. George's Pier altogether,
in order that this site might be rendered available for
dock purposes; the general opinion, however, seemed to
be, that the increased dock accommodation would not
outweigh the combined advantages which the present site
would afford to the baths. The medical officer reported
that the deaths during the week in the borough ware 239,
being 16 more than had occurred during the previous
week, and 33 more than the average of the same week
during the three preceding years. The increase in the
mortality had been caused by disease of the lungs, which
had occasioned 96 deaths—a greater number than had
taken place in any week since the month of April, 1849,
with one exception. Zymotic diseases had caused 53
deaths.—The miscellaneous business comprised recom-
mendations to repair, pave, &c., several streets, which
generally were adopted. The construction of severe
drains also was ordered.