The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-11-17 00:00:00

WATER SUPPLY.

Manchester, says Mr. Hawkesley in his very confident
letter to the Town Clerk, is seeking possession of a terri-
tory whence to derive water, smaller than that he has sug-
gested for Liverpool, and calculates on higher resulrs.
Why, he asks, should his Liverpool friends doubt? And
then he pledges himself that both as regards quantity and
quality, the proposed district will "afford all the impor:
tant town of Liverpool requires."

. .
These points in Mr. Hawkesley's letter are open to
strong observation. They neither give nor suggest the
real merits of the case as they will unquestionably appear
before a parliamentary committee ; and the publication of
the letter would seem to justify an inference that the com-
mittee of the Town Council are impressed with the notion
that a mere expansion of the assertions in it will obtain
water cheap and plentifully.
It is very true that the Lyme district, whence the Cor-
poration of Manchester are seeking to procure water, is a
less surface than the " territory" which is to send its ac-
cumulations to Liverpool. But there is a little disinge-
nuousness in passing by what will be found a " great
fact" in the committee-rooms of parliament—that from
the " Lancashire district" these will be hosts of claims
for compensation—compensation in water, and not money
—and that the Lyme district is exposed to no such de.
mands. There are no mills, print-works, and bleachetit>s
supplied by the drainage of Lyme Park ; not even on the
sides towards Disley and Stockport. In the " Lancashire
district" these establishments are numerous ; and the men
of those parts are too wise in their generation not to un-
derstand their pecuniary interests as well as their business
convenience. Allowing for the compensation in water
that will be demanded, and must be conceded, the yield
from the hills of Lyme will be at the very least equal to
that of the Lancashire district, whilst the works will
scarcely cost more than one-fourth of what Mr Ambrose
Lace considers moderate for Liverpool—.£4so,ooo.
Then comes the very simple question, why we in Li-
verpool are to doubt Mr. Hawkesley's assurances. We
are not aware that any engineer, even of the most estab-
lished reputation, is, upon his mere ipse dixit, to be ex-
empted from reasonable doubt, when a most important
branch of his estimate, which affects both cost and quan-
tity, receives the barest possible notice. We take leave,
and we believe many versons do. to intimate a con-
siderable doubt as to Mr. Hawkesley's estimates for
quantity as well as price. The proposed district will af-
fpou a
rdtiwhetherperhaps, all that Liverpool can possibly require ; but
this is not the whole question. The question is, whether
there will be sufficient, not only to supply Liverpool, but
to leave to the district itself sufficient for its present
actual consumption, with provision for a rapidly increasing
11071, anve to the sanatory value of an adequate sup-
ply, as Nell as to the imperative nemssities of extending
establibbotents connected with manufactories. When
these contingencies are considered, engineers of equal
eminence with Mr. Hawkesley will unquestionably agree
with ordinary pers ms, not professional, that they con-
tain within them the elements of future, if not of present,
insufficiency. Then as to price- Some of the parties in-
terested in the drainage o the proposed district may ac-
cept a money compensation for what is taken from them,
s'eing that the Corporation of Liverpool has a good ac-
count at its bankers. All claims of this description must
enhance the price in Liverpool. On the other hand, those
aeosation in water, will need it in

who req

very large quantities. All claims of this description will
reduce the segregate yield, and materially operate upon
the quantity sent hither. So far from each person having
30 gallons per diem, as Mr. Lace said, or twenty, as Mr.
Hawkesley suggests, these compensations will reduce the
amount to twelve gallons, the minimum, if we remember
rightly, spoken of in the report of the Sanatory Corn-

_ .
missioners. A falling off in quantity, and an increase in
pike, however small, are not so very far beyond the range
of nrobability as to make it a misdemeanour to doubt
some of Mr. Ulawkesley's assurances. They will all be
thoroughly tested in the forthcoming "tug of war," and
Mr. Hawkesley must be prepared to meet others just as
resolute and as competent as the opponents who perplexed

. -
and defeated him in'the last session.
We profess to be admirers of consistency as much in
practical men of business as in those who "guide us in
politics ; and if a man commits himself to a sreat principle.

. .
either in deliberate writ:Tig or in solemn testimony, we
like to see him adhere to it. We give 111 r. Hawkealey
all credit for merit as an engineer, but the fatal facility of

thinking aloud has been the means of causing him some
reproach. Certainly many of the opiniot.s be has pro-
pounded on the subject of water management are in
curious contrast to the task be has undertaken for the
Corporation of Liverpool. He is endeavouring to give
them the means of furnishing us with water, although he
is absolutely convinced, and the conviction has been
proudly published by himself, that they are not a fit body
to have such a duty entrusted to their charge!
We refer to this gentleman's evidence before the Sana-
tory Commissioners—all of which is based upon the prin-
ciple that local bodies are, for many reasons, incompetent
to serve the public in the case of water supply, and other
purposes. Here are a few passages:—

I think it would be injurious to invest any local body with
new powers of expenditure, without the means of supervision
and regulation, by a competent superior authorits, to protect
and promote the true interests of the community. Pp. 92, 93.

Again,

It is impossible that common local authorities, subject to all
local interests and influences, could conduct such an important
business with any proper degree of efficiency, foresight, and
economy. P. 93.

This is rather plain speaking ; but Mr. H awkesley no
doubt believes still what be said in 1844, although he has
not thought it beneath him to help one of these local bodies
to conduct " the important business" of water supply,
knowing beforehand that they could not conduct it with
efficiency, foresight, or economy. Onepassage is not very
complimentary to the morals of these incompetent local
bodies :

The worst and most inequitable provisions in private acts are
usually to be found in the acts obtained by corporations, and
other bodies having the command of the public purse. P. 95.
Another, equally candid :

The projects of public bodies are always to he looked upon
with suspicion, and require the most close, preliminary, and
disinterested investigation, as to the propriety, efficieury, econo-
my, and equity of the measure proposed. P. 95.

Mr. Hawkesley must really excuse us for raking up some
of his opinions, seeing that we have the same end in view
as himself—the public benefit. They were read against
him with some effect in one of the committee-rooms last
session. He shivered with anxiety to explain. Possibly
his ingenuity will enable him to make out a plausible case
in his own justification ; and we are too charitable to sup-
pose he would aptly such language now to the Corpo-
ration of Liverpool. His words, however, remain upon
record, to be taken for what they are worth.
In our next publication, we shall endeavour to show
the Sanatory Committee, and the public, that much mis-
conception has heretofore existed as to the abilities of the
present companies to give a greater supply of water than
what they at present do; if we are correctly informed,
and we believe we are, both water companies could give,
in case of need, nearly double the quantity which they do
at present.

ABERCROMBY WARD

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

SIR,—A roost infamous " leader" apneared in the
Mercury of Friday last, stating that Mr. Joseph Horn
had been led up to the poll for the above ward by Mr.
Hand on the 2nd instant in favour of Mr. Thomas Kate.
I brg respectfully to contradict that statement. Having
seen the individual in question, I can, from his own state-
ment, candidly say, that it is an entire falsehood, the be.
fore mentioned party not having spoken to Mr. Hand
that day.—l am, Sir, respectfully yours,

A BURGESS

WEST DERBY NEW CHURCH.-011 Thursday last
th- cap stone of the spire of tills elegant edifice was fixed
in its place and• the church, which displays excellent
taste, and has been carried into execution in the best style
of workmanship, will, no doubt, affi.rd great convenience
to the extrusive population of West Derby, for which
they are indebted to the munificent liberality of Mrs.
Thornton, of the Elms, who, we believe, has built and en-
dowed it entirely at Ler own privhte expense. It is ex-
pected that the church will be opened for Divine service
in the course of thvee or four weeks.

BLUE COAT HOSPITAL.—On Sunday morning, the
newly-elected ma‘ot. G. H. Lawrence, Esq., walked in
procession to St. Peter's Church, to attend the usual ser-
vice on the Sunday after the mayor's election, when a
sermon is preached for the Blue Coat Hospital. The
procession was unusually numerous and respectable. The
Rev. Rector Brooks preached an excellent sermon from
the lOth verse of the G h chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to
the Galatians. The reverend gentleman, we may remark,
has advocated on similar occasions the interests of this vs.
luahle charity for forty-eight years in succession. The
it,., n..-;.l.4llEcti .CB4 Oa. Bd. •

LANDER E R'S PICTURE OF Hostaga DRINKING.—
We a ere yesterday much gratified by a view, at Mr.
Grundy's Repository, in Church-street, of Edwin Land-
seer's beautiful picture of "Horses Drinking in the
Court-yard of an Ancient Mansion," and also of the en-
graving of the same. The scene appears to be laid in the
reign of Charles I ; if we may judge from the fashion of
the costume, and the style of architecture. The princi-
pal figures are, a grey horse, and beside it at the fountain
a black horse mounted by a troo, er, or huntsman, if we
may guess from the fact that there area number Of hounds
in the foreground, to whom a young female peasant is
giving food and water, and while caressing one of them,
(she at the time on her knees,) is looking towards the
cavalier, as if receiving his approval. The two horses,
especially the grey one, are admirably depicted, both as
regards outline, colouring, arid shadow. The conntenance
of the grey is especially beautiful, the whole head and ex-
pression of the eye being so natural and so beautifully
ihrown out that it conveys all but real life. Several other
points in the picture exhibit equal mastery, particularly,
in omr opinion, the head of one of the group of dogs,
turned back in an inquiring attitude to his master, as if
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ihdi
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tdheep
tarrot uo
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r; also the head
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fountain. The building in the back ground representing
the court-yard is a fine specimen of the old-English style,
and through the entrance, which consists of a huge arched
eateway, is seen a distant smiling landscape. The pic-
ture is certainly one of the most agreeable and perfect
compositions, in the department of the artist, that we
have yet seen ; and this is saying much when it is re-
membered that, as an animal painter, be is the first now
living. Bes des the painting there is the engraving from
the original, of rather smaller size, but so beautifully and
faithfully delineated, that the two, but for the colours in
the former, appear to be fac-similes. This engraving, I
which is in the finest line stye, is one of the most suc-
cessful productions of the burin that has yet been accom-
pli-hed in this or any other country ; and its execution
occupied the artist. J. H. Watt, Esq., (the engraver of
" Horses Shoeing," by the same painter,) for a period of
five years. The print itself would form,* valuable acqui-
sition in the best cabinets of Europe.