The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-11 00:00:00

SELECT VESTRY

At the meeting on Tuesday, Rector Campbell pre-
sided. Mr. Ferguson observed that the expense of
removing the Irish back to their own country had cost
the parish, during the last three months, the sum of
£862 19s. 3d. He thought it high time that a stir
should be made, and that the Vestry should call upon
the government to relieve Liverpool from this odious
burden, and lay the rate upon the treasury, the consoli-
dated fund, or the county. The Chairman said that
between this and the next meeting they should consider
whether it would be well to pass any resolution, and make
any application to government upon the subject. It ap-
peared from the proceedings of the Irish Relief Com-
mittee. that an investigation had taken place into the
conduct of Mrs. Bennett, the matron of the Great Howard-
street sheds. She was charged with having disposed of
Anthpq of the 'lndents. and annronriated the mn„ina

received for their benefit to her own use ; and the Com-
mittee being satisfied of the truth of these charges, ordered
that she be forthwith dismissed from her situation as
matron, and that no more patients be sent to the Great
Howard-street sheds.--A long discussion took nlnrp fig to

the conduct of Air. Bradshaw, one of the
District Medi-
cal Officers, who, it appears, had, in his great regard for
his own safety, required patients in fever cases to come to
the door to be examined, instead of going in to them.
The committee had expressed its. disapprobation of such
conduct, but after some discussion the final decision was
postponed.—The Chairman read a letter from the .Poor
Law Commissioners, inquiring the cause of Dr. Brett's
dismissal from the Workhouse; and he also read a letter
from Dr. R. H. Brett, the celebrated lecturer on chemis-
try, stating that he had no connection, and was totally
unacquainted with, the Dr. Brett alluded to.—The total
numbers, English and Irish, relieved for the week ending
the Ist instant, were 5461, at a cost of £606. The total
numbers relieved for the week ending the first of January
last year, were 4341, at a cost of £527, showing an in-
crease for this year of 1120 persons relieved, and £97
expended.—lt was reported that Mrs. Harper, of the
Great Howard-street sheds, had died of fever, and that
she was the third person belonging, in an official capacity.

to that hospital, who had died of that malignant disease.
The expenses of her interment were ordered to be borne
by the parish.—There being no probability that the la-

zarettoes would be further wanted ' for the use of the
parish, the whole of them were ordered to be surrendered
to government, and the fittings-up sent to the workhouse.
—The total number of sick cases in the town were re-
ported to be 4786, including 1386 fever cases, being a de-
crease since the previous week of 318.-in the total number
of cases, and of 232 in the fever cases.—Mt. Poole gave•
notice that he would move, at the next meeting of the
vestry, that & committee be appointed to take into con-
sideration the propriety of rating the Liverpool dock
estate for the relief of the poor.

On Saturday afternoon, a special meeting of the Vestry
was held in Fenwick-street, for the purpose of me-
morialising the Council relative to the New Dock Bill :
the Rev. Rector Campbell in the chair.—The Chairman
explained that the amended bill provided for an exten-
sion of time for the building of the dock warehouses—
giving the Dock Trust power to apply for leave to con-
struct them "after the end of next session." This pro-
vision would, he thought, preclude them from applying,
this session. In reply to Mr. Bennett, Mr. Earle said
the trust must go on with the Wapping docks.—Mr. Ur-
quhart and Mr. Ferguson both thought the present bill
would put the parishioners on a worse footing than the
former one. The trust were going to pull down valuable
rateable property. in Wapping and put nothing in its
stead. Mr. F. complained of want of courtesy on the
part of the trust to the parishioners, in not furnishing
them with a copy of their bill. The property to be
pulled down was rated at £lO,OOO, and the parish
would not receive a penny as an equivalent. A long
conversation ensued, in the course of which. Mr. Earle
contended that: the Vestry had nothing to do with
warehouse rates, their sole duty being to attend to the
poor. The Chairman considered the Vestry had also a
right to act as trustees of the public purse. Mr.. Poole
said that as the proposal to construct warehouses without
rates was now withdrawn, it became a ground of in-
quiry whether the Vestry had legitimate grounds for
again going before the Council. The only ground was,
that, by the destruction of the Wapping property, the
parish revenue would be diminished £30.000. Mr. Earle
said, that, by the new bill, the scheme for building ware-
houses was not abandoned; it was only postponed for a
year. The Chairman confessed he could not see that the
vestry had now any ground, to memorialize the Council.
Their only legitimate course, he thought, was, to take
care that no warehouses should be erected in future with-
out paying rates. Mr. Jeffery, who represented a deputa-
tion of the Guardian Society for the protection of trade,
urged on their behalf the memorializing of the Council
not to rescind (as was proposed by Mr. Bramley-Moore)
their former resolution. According to the bill in its for-
mer state, property was to be erected there, but that idea
had been now rejected. The dock alone had now to be
constructed there, without warehouses aroun I it, so that
a loss annually of £30,000 would be entailed upon the
parish. The chairman remarked , that the operation of the
bill would prevent the trust building warehouses this sess-
sion, but, he thought, a pledge was implied to build them at
a future time. After some remarks between Mr. Jeffery and
Mr. Earle, Mr. Urquhart moved a resolution to the
effect that the board viewed with apprehension the revised
bill, and considered it more prejudicial to the ratepayers
than the former bill, as if the former bill had been carried
out, with the rating clause, it would have prevented a de-
preciation of the parish revenue; but this revised bill con-
templates the removal of a large amount of rateable pro-
perty, and gives no equivalent for so great a sacrifice.
This was seconded by Mr. Ferguson, and on a division,
the motion was carried by a large majority. There ap-
peared, for the motion, Messrs. Urquhart, Mellor, Seward,
Smith, Johnson, Haigh, Pim, and Ferguson. Against it.

Messrs. Earle, Poole, Sharpe, and Bennett. A memorial
embodying the resolution was ordered to be prepared, and
the vestry adjourned.

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

On Wednesday the usual monthly meeting of the
Council was held, and the Mayor, in opening the business,
alluded to the deaths of Mr. Alderman Bushby and Mr.
Elmes, the architect of St. George's Hall, on both of
whom he passed very high encomiums for their personal
qualifications and courtesies. The Finance Committee presented their annual report
on the probable income and expenditure of the year, from
which it appeared that the nett income of the estate, from
all sources. could not be estimated for the ensuing year at
more than £143,850, and the obligatory expenditure at
less than £109,157, leaving a surplus of £34,693. The
continuance of branches of discretionary expenditure,
such as the schools, &c., was estimated at £1942, leaving
a nett surplus of £32,741, out of which the cost of the
following works must be defrayed :—Observatory. £lOOO ;
various improvements, £lO5O, ; pediment of St George's
Hall, £2OOO ; and the new baths in Paul-street, £790 ;
making a total of £4840, and leaving an available surplus
of £27.901. Out of this, the sum of £20.000 would be

required this year under the contract of St. George's
Hall, so that the actual sum at the disposal of the Coun-
cil would be £7901, to be applied for the public benefit of
the inhabitants, and the improvement of the borough.—
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE said that when St. George's Hall

was completed. the whole surplus of £32,000 would be at
the unlimited disposal of the Council. He added, (with
reference to the donations from the Council to the public
charities), that the grant of £lOO a-year to the Royal
Institution had enabled between 16,000 and 18,000 per-
sons to visit the museum gratuitously, during the past
year, but he wished the directors would throw open the
doors a little wider. With reference to the appointment
of Mr. Wightman as architect to the Corporation, in the
place of Mr. Franklin, he thought that he (Mr. WO was
entitled to £lOOO a-year. because he would give ma all his
private practice and act as surveyor, architect, arid estate
agent to the Corporation; and he gave his reasons for
thinking that the services of Mr. Newlands and the ser-
vices of Mr. Weightman should be kept perfectly distinct.
It was agreed that the financial report should be circu-
lated amongst the members of the Council.
Mr. ROBINSON moved that the sum of 300 guineas be
given to the dispensaries, instead of 157 guineas. This
was objected to by Mr. HARRORD, who said he thought
the dispensaries did more harm than good, and that no
person attended at the dispensaries, or, if they did, were
properly looked after, now that the parish surpons did
their duty in all parts of the town. Several members,
however, spoke to the utility of these charities and even-
tually the usual grants to the various charities were car-
ried. .

The Council then proceeded to discuss the propriety of
appointing Mr. Weightman as surveyor, at £l,OOO a-year,
Mr. EARLE and Mr. RATHBONE dissenting, in conse-
quence of Mr. Franklin not having received so much, and
because the sewers laid down by Mr. Weightman were
not correct. They also argued in favour of the appoint-
ment of Mr. Newland.—Mr. STEWART spoke strongly in
favour of appointing a gentleman of great local knowledge
and experience like Mr. Weightman, and said that very
much indeed of the prosperity of the corporate estate de-
pended upon the surveyor and estate agent.—Mr. S.
HOLME, like Mr. Stewart, observed that it was absolutely
essential to the prosperity of the corporate estate that the
surveyor should be a man of the most extensive know-
ledge; acquainted, if possible, with every party wall and
every acre of corporate property. He contended that Mr.
Franklin had been an under-paid officer, and that the sur-
veyor ought not to receive less than 1,000 a-year. He
observed that .Mr. Weightman was a man of great local
knowledge. If Mr. Weightman were appointed, he would
have the superintendence of the new gaol—a building
which would cost £150,000, aid if Mr. Newlands pos-
sessed superhuman powers he could not superintend the
erection of that structure and at the same time discharge
all the other business he had in hand as the surveyor to
the Health Committee. Mr. Weightman, upon the rail-
ways, would have his £2,000 or £3,000 a-year ; and if he
were appointed to the office now proposed a great saving
to the Corporation would be effected. The appointment
of Mr. Weightman was carried by a majority of 43 to 8.
It appeared that a friendly understanding bad been
come to between the Town-clerk and Mr. Lowndes rela-
tive to the future payment of the magistrates' clerks' fees.
—Mr. DANSON, who originally mooted this subject in
the Council, delivered a long speech upon it. He im-
pressed upon the Council the necessity of insisting upon
Mr. Lowndes the propriety of paying for the printed
forms required in his office out of his salary of £4OO a-
year, and also, in the event of a national poor-law, or a
law of settlement, being enacted, that it should be com-
petent for the Council to reconsider the question.—Mr.
G. H. LAWRENCE stated that the thanks of the Council
were due to Mr. Danson for having brought this impor-
tant matter before them, as by his having done so much
good had undoubtedly been effected. He quite agreed
with Mr. Danson as to the necessity of re-considering
the appointment in case of there being a new laW'of set=
tlement, but he did not think it right that Mr. Lowndes
should be asked to pay for the printed forms used in his
office.—Mr. DANSON expressed himself satisfied, and the
matter dropped.

The proceedings of the Watch Committee comprised
the 'necessary proceedings preparatory to laying a watch
rate upon the parish of Liverpool, the townships of Ever-
ton and Kirkdale, and those parts of the township of
West Derby and of the extra-parochial place of Toxteth-
park which are within the borough.—Mr. LACE moved
the confirmation of the proceedings.—Mr. Dowling wrote
'to say that fifty policemen with cutlasses had been ap-
pointed to take charge of the outskirts of the town, with
a view to the prevention of any additional highway rob-

A long memorial was read from Messrs. Saml. Griffith
and Thos. Thistle, clothiers, complaining that they had
been deeply injured as tradesmen by certain acts of the
Watch Committee with reference to a certain contract
which had been entered into by them for the supply of
police clothing.—Mr. PARKER entered into a long expla-
-tory statement, with the viev- of showine that the me

morialists had not been injured. Their clothing was ae-
dared bad by competent judges, and it was rejected ; and
so satisfied was he of the correct judgment of the Watch
Committee in this matter, that he had not the slightest
objection to the fullest investigation.—The proceedings
were confirmed, and by that confirmation the Watch

Committee were held to be perfectly justified in not ac-
cepting the 763 pairs except at a reduction of 30 per cent.,
they being inferior to sample.—Mr. EARLE said the
country in which Messrs. Griffiths and Thistle were born
was noted for its obstinacy, and that most probably these
7entlemen would never have troubled the Council with
zN long printed memorial had they been Englishmen.
T.,. said it was necessary at the present Council
to pass a resolution authorising the Town-Clerk to re-
move, by certiorari, into the Court of Queen's Bench,
the six orders for compensation under the Sanatory Act,
recently made by the Recorder.—A numerously-signed
memorial was presented from Toxteth-park, praying that
the orders be not removed by certiorari.—Mr. T. LLOYD
asked whether the appellant would have to pay the costs
on both sides in the Court of Queen's Bench ?—The
TOWN-CLERK replied that the costs were in the discre-
tion of the court, and would most probably be appointed
-at the time of the delivery of the judgment.—The resolu-
tion authorising the Town-clerk to remove the orders to
the Court of Queen's Bench was unanimously carried.
The Council then adjourned. until Monday.

Mr. Lnc

DWELLINGS FOR THE LABOURING CLASS AT
BIRKENHEAD.—EVILS or,-rnz WINDOW TAX.

In the Journal of Public Health, under the able and
experienced editorship of Dr. Sutherland,. of this town,
for the present month, there appears an article by ,h
Hunter Robertson, M.D., claiming- the attention of our
readers, not only from the enlightened views of the writer,
but from its local interest. He begins by. giving Birken-
head- the credit of " having conceived and put into opera-
tion one of the most remarkable plans vet formed for the
working classes,"—so imperatively called for, as testified
by our sanitary bills. The first pile of these dwellings
was built by the Dock Company, for the accommodations
of the workmen likely to be requi
red for the construction
of the docks and warehouses. They. are highly finished
and substantial, but the cost will probably render them, an
unprofitable speculation. The whole is fire-proof, and
calculated to accommodate 350 families. The whole cost
about £50,000 ; but as they have heretofore been described,
our author prefers giving the details of two tenements
more recently erected inßirkenhead; the one by Wm.'
Laird, Esq., called Morpeth Buildings, consisting of 64
dwellings; the other by Robert Hughes, Esq., consisting
of 70 dwellings.
The first is on the Scotch plan, in flats, and consists of
eight blocks of eight dwellings each. Each block has a
stone passage, leading to the stree, from whence a stair-
case and doors to the various dwellings proceed.. The
blocks are four stories high, without cellars, and each flat
is divided into two dwellings. Like the Dock cottages,
each dwelling consists of three rooms,—kitchen, parlour,
and bed-room, or two bed-rooms. The kitchen is 13ft.
by 9ft 9in.; one bed-room 9ift. by 7ft., the other 91ft.
by 6tt. The kitchen is provided with a grate and oven.
Adjoining the kitchen, by a well-fitting door, is a water-
closet, and there is an abundant supply of water for all
purposes, from large cisterns at the top of each block.
Gas is also supplied, and- there are dust shafts,, through,
which all dust and dirt is swept, and falls into a dust-
cellar, from which it is regularly removed. Each room is
simply but effectually ventilated by peculiar openings—
one, admitting air below, the other, near the ceiling, for
the egress of vitiated air. Our author considers these
dwellings will be sanitary. He supplies (from the owners)
particulars of the cost, and the returns. The cost of the
64 dwellings, belonging to Mr. Laird, was £7943 ; the
returns (with deductions) £366. The rents of the cot-
tages are on the ground floor 4s. 6d. per week ; first floor,'
45.; second floor, 2s. 6(1. ; third floor, 3s. ; the gross'
rental of the 64 being £624. The deductions, amount-
ing to £258, are for window taxes, £127, township rates,
water, insurance, &c., £l3l. Our author considers these
buildings too expensively finished, otherwise they would
have cost 30 per cent. less. A fair sum for each, not in-
cluding the ground, would be about £7O, which would
give a return of 6 per cent.

The great drawback (says the writer of the article) on
buildings of this description, is that most grievous of all
losses, the window tax. It is without doubt the most
effectual means of preventing healthful, cheerful, and
comfortable habitations being erected for the labouring
classes ; and so long as it exists we need never look for
cheerful, well-aired, or well-ventilated dwellings. As a
matter of course, this tax falls upon the tenant in the
shape of rent.
The net rental of Morpeth Buildings is £366, or a
little over 41 per cent—not an adequate return. The
window tax is more than 20 per cent. on the net rental.
The same tax on the Dock Cottages is £6OO. per annum.
Our author thinks, that if this tax cannot yet be relin-
quished, a new mode of assessment should be adopted.
Mr. Hickson, he says, suggests that for every 100 cubic
feet covered in for habitations, there ought to be a cer-
t-' :nd for

,am number of windows or openings light and venti-
lation, and that these should be charged for whether
opened out or not. Our author thinks this plan would
not be beneficial, but the contrary, and suggests that
instead of such a mode of taxing, a certain per-centage
should be charged on the rent of every house exceeding
£l5. In this way, there would be no object in decreas-
ing either the dimensions of dwellings, or diminishing the
number of windows, and the benefit would be felt by the
working classes, whose houses seldom exceed in rental
£l5 per annum. On this point we are ourselves of opi-
nion that it is possible to abrogate the obnoxious tax alto-
gether. Why not substitute for it another tax or taxes,
bearing upon the luxuries of the competent without
trenching upon the humble comforts, or rather neces-
saries of the working classes. Surely a clever Chancellor
of the Exchequer might immortalize himself by devising
some plan to remove the present crying evil—the impo-
sition of a tax for the enjoyment of the light and air of
Heaven.

POLICE

INTELLIGENCE,

On Thursday, a man of the name of James Keating was
fined in the penalty of £2O, for carrying on the business of

. _
a marine store-dealer without a license. Having been
committed some time ago for receiving stolen goods, he
procured a person of the name of Hood to obtain a license,
and he carried on the marine store business under that.
CHARGE OF ROBBERY.—A rough-looking fellow, named
Samuel Hughes, was charged at the Police-court on
Thursday, under the following circumstances :—Con-3ta-
ble 239 stated that, on Wednesday evening, he saw the
prisoner go up to a gentleman, in Everton-crescent, and
demand his money, saying that times were bad, and he
must have some. The prisoner afterwards went up to an-
other gentleman, and was about to proceed in a similar
manner, when he (the officer) took him into custody. In
reply to a question put by the magistrate, the officer said
one of the gentlemen was Mr. Webster, of Northumber-
land-terrace, but he would not attend. Mr. Rushton.—

How can Mr. Webster suppose the magistrates will be
able to put down the various outrages that are going on
if he will not attend to give evidence ? Take a summons,
and bring him here. Ile prisoner was remanded in order
that the case might be further inquired into.