The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-02-25 00:00:00

TI-11-4. LIVERPOOL AtAfVDARD.

TOWN EDITION.

THE LATE MARQUIS OF WESTMINSTER.

I LONDON NEWS OF YESTERDAY.

We have intelligence from Lisbon to the 18th inst. On
the night of the 17th the Queen was confined, and gave
birth to a Princess. The medical bulletin of the 18th an-
nounces that her Majesty and the Infanta are going on
well.

The Parliamentary Committee decided this day, that
the standing orders of the House had been complied with
in the application for the Chester and Holyhead Railway
Bill ; also as regards the Birkenhead Dock Bill.

SANATORY REGULATIONS.

The commissioners of inquiry into the state of large
towns and populous places have just made their second
report. It is a very lengthy document, and contains 30
distinct recommendations. The first recommendation is,
that, in all cases, the local administrative body appointed
for the purpose have the special charge and direction of
all the works required for sanatory purposes ; but that
the crown possess a general power of supervision. In
their third recommendation, the commissioners, " to ren-
der unnecessary the frequent applications to parliament
for additional powers and extension of jurisdiction,"
suegest that the crown be empowered to " define, and to
enlarge, from time to time, the area for drainage included
within the jurisdiction of the local administrative body."
Recommendation 4 would make the appointment and dis-
mi-sal of the chief surveyor subject to approval. Clause
5 is most important. It recommends that " upon repre-
sentation being made by the municipal or other authority,
or by a certain number of the inhabitants of any town or
district, or part thereof, setting forth defects in the con-
dition of such place, as to drainage, sewerage, paving,
cleansing, or other sanatory matters, the crown direct a
competent person to inspect and report upon the state of
the defect, and, if satisfied of the necessity, have power
to enforce upon the local administrative body the due ex-
ecution of the law." Clause 7 empowers the local admi-
nistrative body to purchase the rights of parties affected
by the improvements. Recommendation 9 is a general
composition clause. Landlords of houses are to be rated
in all cases where the yearly rental of the house is less
than £lO. Subsequent clauses recommend that the cost
of making the main and branch sewers be equitably dis-
tributed among the owners of properties benefited ; that
the local administrative body be empowered to raise mo-
ney by way of loan, on the security of the rates; that the
paving of towns be placed under the management of the
same authority as the drainage, and that the limits for
both purposes be co-extensive. That the usual provisions
in local acts, vesting the dust, ashes, &c., in the adminis-
trative body, be made general; that the more con.mon
nuisances incidental to large towns be declared nuisances,
and be summarily abated ; that the provisions in local
acts with regard to the consumption of smoke be made
general, and that the principle be extend,d to steam-boats
plying within the limits of any city or town. That power
be given to the local administrative body to ascertain the
cause of noxious exhalations, and to take legal proceed-
ings for the abatement of the evils. Recommendations
17 to 21 relate to the supply of water. They would make
it imperative on the local administrative body, charged
with the management of the sewerage and drainage, to
procure a supply of water in sufficient quantit+es, not
only for the domestic wants of the inhabitants, but also
for cleansing the streets, scouring the sewers and drains,
and the extinction of fire. For this purpose they would
give the local administrative body power to contract with
existing companies, and to purchase the interest of par-
ties in water-works; and that, as soon as the pipes are
laid down, and a supply of water can be afforded to the
inhabitants, all dwelling-houses capable of benefiting by
such supply be rated in the same way as for sewerage,
and other local pia; poses ; and the owners of small tene-
ments be made liable to pay the rates for water. With
regard to public improvements, the commissioners recom-
mend that, subject to proper control, the local adminis-
trative body be empowered to raise money for the pur-
chase of property, for the purpose of opening thorough-
fares, and widening streets, courts, and alleys, so as to
improve the ventilation of the densely crowded districts
of towns, as well as to incre ise the general convenience
of traffic. Recommendation 23 lays down the proper
dimensions for courts and alleys. The three succeeding
recommendations would make general the. provisions pro-
hibiting the use of cellars as dwellings various cases,
and provide that all new houses be furnished with neces-
sary conveniences; and that a proper ventilation be se-
cured in all public buildings and schools. Recommenda-
tion 27 would give the local administrative body power to
require any landlord to properly cleanse premises in a fil-
thy or unwholesome state, and in case of his neglect or
inability, to do so by its own officers, and recover the
expense from the landlord. The next paragraph recom-
mends that magistrates have power to license and issue
rules for the regulation of lodging-houses for the recep-

Lion of vagrants. Recommendation 29 gives the local
administrative body power to appoint a medical officer to
inspect and report periodically on the sanatory condition
of the town or district. The hat recommendation is,
" That, for the purpose of aiding the establishment of
public walks, in addition to the legal facilities adverted
to, the local administrative body be empowered to raise
the necessary funds for the management and care of the
walks, when established." In an appendix attached to
the report is the evidence taken before the commissioners
relative to the sanatory condition of Birmingham, Bath,
Bridgewater, Bristol, and Clifton. It appears quite cer-
tain, from the expressed intentions of the mini3try, that a
legislative enactment, founded on the labours of the com-
missioners, will be laid before parliament during the pre-
sent session, and there is every reason to believe that
such a measure will speedily become the law of the land.
One effect of its adoption would be the annual saving of
large sums of money now expended in parliamentary
costs, consequent upon the passing of local acts.

We regret to have to record the death of the Marquis of
Westminster, which event took place on Monday night at
half-past ten. The late Marquis was the eldest son of the
late Sir Richard Grosvenor, successively created Baron
Grosvenor, Viscount Belgrave, and Earl Grosvenor, who
married on the 19th July, 1761, Henrietta, daughter of
Mr. Vernon, of Hilton-park, in the county of Stafford.
The late Marquis was born on the 22d of March, 1767,
and therefore at the time of his decease was in the 78th
year of his age. In due time the youthful hope of the
house of Grosvenor was transferred to the celebrated
school of Harrow-on-the-Hill, a place at which many men
of high station and distinguished fame have commenced
the more public part of their education. The records of
that ancient seminary may, perhaps, contain sonic evidence
that the future Marquis stood high amongst his contem-
poraries ; but, if the fact be so, the fame of it has not
reached the present age, and will therefore never descend
to posterity. From Harrow he went to Trinity College,
Cambridge, and graduated there with as little distinction
as had attended his career at school. When the Marquis
of Westminster was a youth, every man of good family
made the grand tour accompanied by a tutor, or governor
as he was some'imes called. Lord Westminster had for In the report of the Railway Committee of the Board
travelling companion a very remarkable man—the cele- of Trade on the South Eastern line, which has been laid
brated Gifford, who was the first, and certainly most emi- before parliament, a long explanation is entered into of
vent editor of the far-famed Quarterly Review. Every the reasons which have influenced the committee in giv-
one knows that William Gifford was originally a shoe- frig a preference to lines in certain districts. These rea-
sons cannot fail to interest all connected with railways,
maker : the accident which procured for him the patronage
of the first Lord Grosvenor occurred thus,—Gifford was or railway speculations, as upon them, the decision in the
in the habit of corresponding with the Rev. W. Peters, case of the South Western, and lines similarly circum-
whose letters were forwarded under cover to Lord Gros- stanced, has been come to.
venor. One day Gifford inadvertently omitted to direct In this, as in every other case, we have endeavoured to
the enclosed epistle, and his Lordship opened it. He took keep steadily in view the attainment of the greatest
a fancy to the writer—sent for the friendless youth—as-
amount of public advantage. We have not recognised
sisted him with money and countenance, and appointed the existence of anything like a vested right in existing
c
him tutor to the young Lord Belgrave, whom, as already companies to be protected from the same description of
stated, he accompanied to the continent, with probably as competition which they have themselves inflicted on
much advantage to his charge as that young gentleman was canals and other existing modes of communication. Be-
capable of receiving ; but of which no very remarkable yond, perhaps, a bare preference, in cases of absolute
traces appear to have been left, for neither in the Parlia- equality, due to the interest of shareholders, who them.
mentary debates nor by any other public means did he selves
constitute a portion of the public, we have not
manifest much acquaintance with foreign policy, manners, considered that an existing railway company could claim
history, or literature. Bat his moral character and his any preference over other parties proposing to effect the
discretion were unimpeachable, same objects, beyond that which might result from an
Having spent a few years at school, having graduated at identification of interest with the public.
an university, and having travelled on the continent, it Considering the subject in this point of view, it up-
was thought by himself, and acknowledged by his friends, pears to us that as a general rule the most important
that the time had arrived when his Lordship ought to set-
,I point for the interests of the public is to secure the best
the in life ; therefore, on the 28th of April, 1794, being permanent lines of railway communication for the coun-
try at large and for the wants of the districts. To sanc-
then in the 27th year of his age, he espoused the Lady
tion an inferior or unnecessarily circuitous line, proposed
Eleanor Egerton, only surviving daughter and heir of
Thomas
by an existing company, or to reject one of decided pub-
the peculiarities first Earl of Wilton. From this alliance one of
liarities of the house of Grosvenor is derived. As j lic and local advantage, proposed by a new company, for
almost every reader knows, it is by no means unusual for the sake of any terms that could be offered by an exist-
the eldest son of a Peer to be summoned to the same as-
ing company, would, in our opinion, be, except under
peculiar circumstances, uns th e l sembly with his father during the lifetime of the latter, by
thus sacrificed, and unwisfair towarde
as regards theocal interests
general stn
one of the secondary titles vested in the family, to which
permanent interests of the public.
he is destined eventually to succeed ; but it is a remarks-
We have, therefore, as a general rule, considered it as
ble fact connected with the house of Grosvenor, that the
an essential preliminary requisite, before entering upon
second, and not the eldest, son for many years enjoyed a
the question of giving protection to existing companies
seat in the,House of Lords concurrently with his father,
by allowing them to complete the railway communicati-
w hose death we have announced. This is the present Earl ons of particular districts, that the lines proposed by
of Wilton, who derives that title from his maternal grand-
them shall be. in all substantial respects, sound in them-
father, and who has relinquished the name of Grosvenor
selves, and not inferior to those proposed by any other
in order to assume that of Egerton. The father-in-law of
parties.
the deceased Marquis of 'Westminster, finding himself The principle here stated, that competition loses more
without male issue, procured a new patent for his Earldom or less of its value as a security for the public, a hen,
of Wilton, entailing that title upon the second and younger
from the nature of the case, it is limi'ed to two or three
sons of the Marquis successively, considering, naturally parties, who are constantly urged by mutual interest to
enough, that the eldest son had sufficient wealth and ho-
combine, has received abundant corroboration from the
nours in his paternal inheritance. The late Earl of Wil- experience of what has alrea ace in the history
ton died in 1814, and then the present Earl succeeded to
of railways.
those honours which his grandfather had procured with
The following instances may be mentioned where rail-
the peculiar remainder above noticed. Six years after-
wards Lord Wilton assumed the name and arms of Eger-
way companies, in a situation to compete, have, after a
ton, and nothing will remain in future generations to mark short time, either amalgamated or combined together, so
a connexion between his descendants and the powerful as to put an end to competition :
house of Grosvenor. This necessary explanation respect-
The Leeds and Selby with the York and North Mid-
ing the peerage of Lord Wilton having been disposed of,
land ; in this case the former line being virtually for seve-
we resume the thread of Lord Westminster's biography. ral years shut up.
He entered political life under the auspices of Mr. Pitt, The Birmingham arid Derby with the Midland Counties.
the first place which he represented being East Looe, the The Chester and Crewe with the Grand Junction.
second being the city of Chester; but in the year 1802 his The Manchester and Birmingham with the Londonand Birmingham.
father's death, by raising him to the peerage, put an end The Bolton and Preston with the North Union.
to his functions as a member of the lower house. When The Northern and Eastern with the Eastern Counties.
Lord Westminster was only 22 years of age he was aptOn the other hand, we are not aware of a single instance
pointed one of the Lords of the Admiralty, and held tha which can be pointed out, in which the public are now
situation till the year 1791. In 1793 he was appointed one deriving any benefit from direct competition between the
of the Commissioners of the Board of Control, and during railways.
the revolutionary war with France he raised in Westmin- In addition to the instances of combination between di-
ster a regiment of volunteers, which he commanded for rectly competing companies, recent experience has fur-
several years. In those days he was a Tory, and a warm Dished numerous instances of the tendency of smaller
supporter of Mr. Pitt's administration ; but, on the lines, originally sanctioned as independent undertakings,
death of that great man, he joined the Whig party, and
to them he remained faithful for 40 years. to resign their independence into the bands of powerful
neighbours. We may mention, among ether instances of
His character has now been before the world for more
than 56 years. If the question be asked, who were his this tendency, the amalgamation or lease of the Sheffield
celleagues in office? with whom was he accustomed to and Manchester to the Midland and Manchester and Bir-
act ? or against whom was his opposition directed? we mingham ; of the Bristol and Exeter, and Cheltenhamand Great Western, with the Great Western ; of the Hull
might find at one extremity of the list the names of Pitt,
and Selby, and Manchester and Boltop, with the
ch
Man-
Burke, Wyndham, or Fox, and at the other may be seen
ester and Leeds ; of the North Union ith the Liver-
those of Sir Robert Peel, or Mr. Gladstone, or the Earl
pool and Manchester and Grand Junction; w
of the Green-
of Dalhousie, or Lori John Russell, or any other amongst wich with the South-Eastern ; of the Sheffield and Ro-
the men' of the present day. Of course, when he adopted
therham with the Midland ; of the Chester and Birken-
the Liberal side in politics, he devoted himself to the task I head with the Chester and Holyhead • of tire Bristol and
of recommending that economy in the state of which he I Gloucester with the Birmingham and' Gloucester. Be-
set so good an example in his own numerous establish- I
merits, at the same time supporting a repeal of the penal sides others that might be quoted.
laws against the Roman Catholics, opposing the Bill of ' The same principle has received further elucidation from
Pains and Penalties against the Queen of George IV.,
the inquiries of parliamentary committees on former oc-
casions, as well as from the great body of evidence col-
and a Reform in Parliament. The honours of the house q
contending for a repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, leered by the Commissioners of Inquiry into the sanatory
of Westminster of course descend to hi condition of large towns, in regard to the operation of the
s lordship's eldest
principle of competition, as compared to that of well-re-
son, Richard, Earl Grosvenor. Besides the present Mar-
quis and the Earl of Wilton, his Lordship's only other gulated monopoly, in the analogous cases of water and
child is Lord Robert Grosvenor, for he had no daughters. gas companies. Indeed, it is too evident, as a general
proposition, to be disputed, although great caution may
On these three sons, therefore, devolve the representation i be required in its application, and in discriminating those
of one of the most ancient families in the kingdom.
cases where the competition is of a pure and simple na-
The Marquisate of Westminster was conferred by the
tore, such as must eventually lead to a compromise, from
Whigs in 1831, and he received the Order of the Garter
those where a certain degree of indirect and incidental
immediately previous to the accession of Sir Robert Peel competition may exist, from which the public may expect
to power, in 1841.
to derive lasting benefit, either in the shape of reduction
The noble Marquis was taken ill on Sunday, the 9th of
this month, and though the strength of a naturally good of charge or of extension of accommodation.
constitution occasionally enabled him to rally, the unfa-
When an existing railway company proposes schemes
vourable symptoms continued on the whole to increase.
which, although only partially sufficient for the full accom-
modation of the district, may yet be sufficient to prevent
About five o'clock on Monday evening a shivering fit
came on, which, combined with other signs of approach-
other parties from entering the field with further or im-
proved istrict, t he arguments againe
ing, dissolution, deprived his assembled family of any hope
creation roiects in that
dde monopoly acquire additional strength.st theT
that he could recover. At about half-past ten o'clock he I simpler case is when, as in the present instance, the exist-
breathed his last in the presence of the present Marquis of Westminster. The Marchioness (now dowa-
frig company is able and willing to offer guarantee for the
public advantage superior to any that can be afforded by
ger), the present Marchioness, and other members of his
Lordship's family were in attendance. a new company.
The remains of the late Marquis of Westminster will be Of the ability of an old company to offer such guaran-
tees, there can, generally speaking, be little doubt.
in accordance with the deceased's desire, this day, deposited in a vault in Eccleston Church, near Chester,
lstly. An estabdshed company, who has a valuable pro-
perty and large available income, independent of the new
scheme, can, of course, offer a guarantee for the fulfilment
of all that it undertakes to accomplish greatly superior to
that of any new company, however respectable.
This consideration derives great weight from the expe-
rience which has been already afforded of the failure of
theymany
wneer we
inoocomesrpnaonri
a te tod.
wr eneed h
on
hn
le
yobjectsrefer t foro
the
which
in-
stance of the Eastern Counties Company, which was
incorporated as a line from London to Norwich, and has
tnheevrerrl
aynedt
Eb
ae
setne
rcna,r rwi ehdi
ehb efyo or nudlaCnoylcyheaerstaearto;
hort of
popfedthse Nor-
Cambridge ; and of the Great North of England, which
abandoned the portion of its line between Darlington and
Newcastle.
2nTahe traffic
be worked
of asy stem
moreof l i nesconn
economicallyecte andcon-
veniently
d wi tlio n e
ap ne o dtidhl
eY.
teen rc 0n .
panies. Tire company which works the main
always
under one uniform management than by inde-
pendent
line, and possesses the principal terminal stations,
can run more frequent trains, and make better arrange-
ments for forwarding the traffic of the cross lines, than it
could afford to do if or three separate establishments
had to be maintained, and the harmony of arrangements
depended upon two or three independent authorities.
Under such circumstances, a conflict of feeling and inte-
rest has almost invariably grown up, from which the pub-
lic has suffered the most serious inconvenience. When
the traffic is large, this conflict has frequently led not
only to increased inconvenience, but to increased danger ;
and where the terminus of a portion of the rails of the
company have been common to the other, these results
have been greatly aggravated

THE BOARD OF TRADE RAILWAY

COMMITTEE

idly. Aicestablish-ed company can always, if so disposed,
offer guarantees and advantages for a greater extent of
railway than the new company, viz., for the existing as
well as the projected lines. When the existing company
is already in the possession of the principal trunk of the
district, the advantage of securing such guarantees for the
whole system, rather than for only a small portion of it,
is rendered more apparent.
The Select Committee of last session, for reasons which
are stated in their report, attach great importance to the
obtaining of guarantees from existing companies, by vo-
luntary arrangements similar to those which they recom-
mended, and which Parliament subsequently adopted in
the case of new railways, and express a strong hope, " that
among the existing companies there may be those which
will be disposed to accede to arrangements, resembling,
in their general Principle and effect, those which are now
proposed for new railways."
4thly. Whatever guarantees may be thus offered by ex-
isting companies possess the double advantage, as com-
pared with similar offers from new companies, of coming
into immediate operation, and of being more certainly
rendered effectual. An offer from a new company to bind
itself to charge fares considerably lower than those usual
upon other lines, might readily be made, in the hope of
thereby securing their bill ; the fulfilment of it would
d.epend almost entirely upon the eventual success of the
and its ability to perform its engagements. No act
of Parliament could compel an insolvent concern to carry
on at as low rates and afford as ample accommodation as
a prosperous undertaking might be able to do. A mode-
rate offer from an established company, who can be relied
on ta fulfil their engagements, is therefore preferable to
one apparently more advantageous than a new company.
For these, among other reasons, we conclude that the
policy indicated by the committee of last session, of giving
a preference to the schemes of existing railway companies
for supplying their own districts, when such schemes are
as good or better than those of any other parties, where
no special reasons exist which should induce us to look for
advantage from competition, and where the old company
voluntarily offers such guarantee as may reasonably be re-
quired to protect the public against the possible abuses of
monopoly, or such conditions as at once place the :public
in a better position than they could hope to obtain from
competition, is that from which the greatest amount of
permanent public advantage is likely to b e derived.
We by no means intend these principles to be consi-
dered as rules of universal application, being satisfied that
no abstract or invariable rule can be safely laid down by
which to decide cases of such complexity, and varying so
greatly in detail ; but we have thought it desirable to state
thus generally the views which have' guided us in cases
like this of the South-Eastern district, and upau which
we have arrived must mainly depend.