The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-03-19 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STAl6)Aiiii.

MEETING OF THE HEALTH COMMIfitE

The adjourned meeting of the members of the Health
Committeelkwhich was postponed from Thursday last, in
consequence of there being present only Mr. Parker, Mr.
Homey, and Mr. Thompson) was held yesterday. Pre-
sent: Messrs. Parker (in the chair), Dover, Hodson,
Thompson, Hornby,Langsdale,Chalmers, Walthew, God-
frey, and Bent.
Mr. GODFREY, complained of the frequent demands
made on the time of members of the Council in conse-
quence of the great number of committees held weekly,
and observed that it was impossible that all these meet-
ings could be attended by members.
Mr. HORNBY explained that the present arrangement
was the result of experience, and thought that no better
system could be devised.
Mr. DOVER observed that his absence from the two last
meetings of the committee was occasioned by some deli-
cacy he felt at being present during the discussion of a
matter in which he was personally interested.
Mr. HORNBY was of opinion that Mr. Dover might
have attended with propriety; there could be no reason
why he should not have taken part in the proceedings re-
ferred to.
Mr. DOVER thought his presence would have embar-
rassed the proceedings. Mr. Dover was about to enter
further into the matter, when the chairman informed him
that the case would be brought before the meeting in the
course of the proceedings. Some discussion ensued upon
the question of admitting apprentices to the department
of the public offices, under the management of the
borough engineer. The chairman asked for information.
Mr. THOMSON, who had been the chairman of a sub-
committee, which inquired into the matter, dissented
from the practice of taking apprentices into the borough
engineer's office. As a public body they ought not to
create a large staff of apprentices to compete with the
established members of the profession; besides, Mr. New-
lands was opposed to allowing apprentices to " suck his
brains."

Mr. PARKER observed that the question was one of
economy.
Mr. Tnomsoer doubted the economy of the practice.
Mr. HODSON advocated the practice, and as a question
of economy it was supported by
Mr. HORNET, who moved that the subject be referred
back to the finance committee to be reported upon.
The number of cess-pools emptied during the week was
168. Mr. Rose reported that he had during the week re-
moved a large quantity of the deposits of manure from the
wharfs, and would soon have it in his power to remove the
remaining portion. The deaths registered for the week
were—for the borough 120, for the extra parochial places
40, total 160, against 169 the previous week, and 212 for
the corresponding week in 1849. The analysis of the dis-
eases by which the deaths were caused also embraced the
state of the atmosphere during the week.
Mr. THOMSON asked Dr. Duncan whether there would
not be more moisture apparent that day (yesterday) than
apgeared to have been observed last week.
The worthy councillor being understood to allude to
the consequences, in a convivial sense, usually attendant
on the demonstrations made on St. Patrick's day, the
question was hailed with a burst of laughter.
A memorial from a number of the residents of South-
hill, Toxteth-park, praying for improved drainage, was
read. The application was understood to be one of an
impracticable character.
A letter from Messrs. Pooley and Son, of the Albion
Foundry, complaining of a want of impartiality, as far as
they were concerned, in the distribution of the contracts
by the Council, was read. It was referred back to allow
of inquiry into the particulars.
Another letter from Messrs. Cane and Farrar, com-
plaining of the state of the pavement in Dutton-street,
was read.
Mr. Tnomsoer proposed that the bridge in Chisenhale-
street be lowered, and thus to effect the desired alteration.
The latter was referred back.
At this period of the proceedings, Mr. James Lawrence
and Mr. Cooper, as a deputation from the Markets Com-
mittee, then sitting in an adjoining room, entered the
Council chamber, to state what had been agreed on with
reference to the depot in St. Anne-street, for boiling down
unwholesome meat. It was arranged that Dr. Duncan
should inspect the premises. The next subject, the
Town-clerk's and the treasurer's report, excited a good
deal of interest, as it bore directly on the question to
which Mr. Dover referred at an earlier stage of the pro-
ceedings' viz., the rating of warehouse property. It ap-
peared that Mr. M'Knight and Mr. Baxter had given
notice of appeal, to try the legality of the general rate.
On Friday, Mr. M`Knight signified his intention of pay-
ing a rate of £4 2s, levied on warehouses in Neptune-
street, under protest. The question still remained open
as concerned Mr. Baxter, but after some treating, as to
the day when the case should come before the stipendiary
magistrate, that day (Monday) was fixed upon ; however,
Mr. Baxter had also paid the rate since. Mr. Parker,
who stated these particulars, went on to say that the
Town-clerk being in London, Mr. Paget, the gentleman
who framed the bill, under which the rate was laid, had
been sent down to defend the case, consequently some
expense had been incurred in the matter, without any
result. Mr. M'Knight had agreed to the postponement
in his own case being to Saturday morning, and then lie
thought proper to pay the rate. Mr. Baxter's case was
postponed to that (Monday) morning, but he likewise had
paid the rate.
Mr. DOVER did not know in what shape this case came
before the committee, but it had been communicated to
him the:, the parties concerned bad sought a week's delay,
and the probability was that had that time been given
they could have substantiated their case. He could not
say that such would have been the result, but he was led
to suppose it would ; however, their request was refused.
Mr. PARKER said Mr. M'Knight had agreed to have
the case heard on Saturday.
Mr. DOVER contended that Mr. APKnight had dis-
tinctly pressed for a week, and it was only after opposition
that he had consented to Saturday, and this had been the
more readily conceded from the fact of the absence of
Mr. R. Harbord, the chairman of the warehouse owners'
association, in London ; it was not known on what day he
might return, and hence the concessim on the part of
Mr. M'Knight.
Mr. HODSON made a few observations on the fact of
the warehouse owners having, by causing the Corporation
to bring counsel from London, occasioned a considerable
expense to the town.
Mr. DOVER rather warmly resented the imputations
and asked what the gentlemen could do. They had
asked for time which had not been granted to them, and
the consequence was, that the legality of the rate re-
mained still a question.
Mr. HORNET differed from this view. In the first
place, the parties came before the court to ask for a
reduction of their assessment ; if the rate had been re-
duced no question would have been raised as to the
legality ; but when they find that no reduction would be
submitted to, they impugn the legality of the rate, and he
(Mr. Hornby) must designate such conduct as a fac-
tious opposition, for when they (the Council) ask these
gentlemen to allow the case to be heard judicially, they
first desire a postponement, then agree to a certain day.
Mr. DOVER.—He (Mr. APKnight) was obliged to agree.
Mr. PARKER.—When Mr. Rushton asked Mr.
M`Knight if Saturday would suit him, he replied it
would.
Mr. DOVER.—Because he could not help himself.
Mr. HORNET justified any expenditure of public money
that might have been necessitated in such a grave case,
and contended that the warehouse-owners had been the
cause of such expense.
Mr. DOVER rose to reply. lle did not think the body
he represented deserved such remarks (he alluded to the
word factious) as had been made by Mr. Hornby. They
were the best customers of the Corporation ; they paid
one-fifth of therates, and they only complained because the
Council were doing that which in equity could not be de-
fended. They had for the last two years been paying this
illegal tax on property which, after meeting its various
burdens, left nothing for the owners ; and, though the
rate had been paid this year, the contest had not ended
probably, for he could tell them that the legality of the
rate was doubted, and he warned them not to lay the
same burdensome impost next year. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Tnomsoer thought when' it was known that pro-
perty to the amount of £BOO per annum was reduced to
£5OO, the case of the warehouse owners was one for con-
sideration in the laying of the rate next year.
Several members remarked that such a case would not
occur again, as next year the circumstances would be dif-
ferent

Mr. lionsoN made some remarks, defending the rate
and the bringing of Mr. Paget down. As to the deprecia-
tion in warehouse property, he was of opinion that house
property in some parts of the town had depreciated quite
as much.

In answer to a question as to what the warehouse
owners were really going to do in the matter ?
Mr. DOVER observed that he had paid some hundreds
of pounds in rates, and he believed he only owed them
about £6O.
Mr. HORNBY thought Mr. Dover should give them
some notice of the intentions of the warehouse owners,
in order that they (the Council) might know how to pro-
ceed.

Mr. DOVER would venture to say that they would pay
the rate this year, and added that whatever part they
might take next year in refereice to the general rate,
their desire was only to act legally ; and, in doing so, he
scarcely thought they merited the remark which had been
made by Mr. Hornby.
Mr. HORNBY explained that the word factious made use
of by him applied exclusively to the nature of the opposi-
tion : he did not apply it personally.
Some further discussion ensued on this subject, which
terminated in Mr. Hornby withdrawing unconditionally
any objectionable remark he might have made.
A letter was read from the Rev. Mr. Marlen, incum-
bent of All Saints', on the defective state of the pavement
in the neighbourhood of his church.—Another letter,
accompanying also a report from the West Derby guar-
dians, was read, desiring the improvement of the sewerage,
roads, &c., in Harper-street and neighbourhood. Com-
pliance with the last Iceguest was considered impracticable.
Mr. TnomsoN begged to bring before the committee the
following case: Mr. Lloyd (T.C.), having reason to suspect
some irregularity in the manner in which some of the cor-
poration servants discharged their duties, had questioned
a boy he met somewhere, who stated that he was in the
employment of the coporation, and that he had 58. per
week ; he afterwards said his wages were 6s. Mr. Lloyd
made a memorandum of the boy's name, &c., and upon
consulting Mr. Ashlin, found that no such boy was em-
ployed by the corporation at all. It appeared that he
was doing the work of a brother, whose wages were 15s.
per week ; his father was also in the receipt of the same
sum

Mr. PARKER thanked Mr. Thomson for the informa-
tion, and expressed his conviction that the General Pur-
poses Committee would enquire into the charge.
Mr. LANGSDALE observed that he was cognisant of a
similar case.
This closed the proceedings.