The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-30 00:00:00

THE SUGAR DUTIES.

To-day the Committee appointed by the House of Com-
mons, on the sugar duties, are to come to their resolution
upon what shall be their recommendation to the House,
with reference to the degree of protection to be afforded
to the West Indian planters for some years to come.
Three several plans have been proposed to the committee
—a very elaborate one, by Lord George Bentinck. This
was rejected. There was a second scheme, of Mr. Wil-
son's, with which the planters were tolerably satisfied,—
this also was discarded. Tnere was a third, attributed to
Mr. Goulburn and Mr. Cardwell, which would, we be-
lieve. have been still more agreeable to the West Indian
interest, but of which a vital clause was thrown out by the
influence of Lord George Bentinck. Thus the committee
have come to a stand-still, and the report stands a good
chance of going up to the House without any reco►n-
mendation in favour of protection at all, unless the pro-
position of Sir Thomas Birch be accepted. This is to the
effect, that the duties on foreign sugars shall for the next
six years be 20s. per cwt., and on British sugars 10s. per
cwt.. and then gradually to reduce the former duty until
it falls to 10s. per cwt. The recommendation is to be ac-
companied by another for a large increase in the supply of
free-negro labour.
This would appear to be the last effort that can be made
in the committee, and we would call the attention of all
who do not desire to witness the abandonment of a great
line of national policy to this most important subject. We
would have it considered upon "slavery" grounds. The
West Indian planters tell us, and common sense would
appear to confirm the statement, that in time—in a few
years—they will be able to bear the competition with the
foreign sugar-grower upon equal terms. If this be so, the
question of slavery is favourably solved. After all we
have done, this last experiment is surely worth trying.

PETITION FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE
NAVIGATION LAWS.

We were not a little surprised yesterday afternoon on
learning that a document to the above purport was lying
for signature at our Exchange News-room. After the
opinion of the town had been so unequivocally recorded
against, any such measure, at the meeting in the Sessions
House on Friday, we might have expected that the good
sense of the promoters of repeal would have prevented
such a display of their weakness and obstinacy. We
found our information, however, strictly correct. The
placard, also lying on the desk, was to the following
effect : . _

"VA Petition for Repealing the Navigation Laws, and
removing at the same time all restrictions on the
construction and employment of British Shipping,
lies here for signature."
This is doubtless an endeavour to give effect to the un-
successful amendment proposed by Mr. Wylie at the
meeting last week; and however little we may be inclined
to attach importance to this proceeding, we still conceive
it necessary that the shipping interest of this town should
not suffer any thing which may appear, however meagrely
supported, in a substantive form, to pass without a prompt
contradiction. We therefore earnestly call upon our
fellow-townsmen to lose no time in getting up a counter-
petition, when they will shortly be able to demonstrate
that the supporters of the Navigation Laws are in an
overwhelming majority in the borough of Liverpool.
At four o'clock yesterday afternoon only 24 names had
been appended, consisting of those parties who had spoken
at the meeting in favour of repeal, in addition to whom
we noticed, at the head of the list Mr. Eyre Evans,
lower down Mr. William Rathbone, et hoc genus omne,
to the number before stated ; and at five o'clock they had
only raised 11 more.

COMMITMENTS FOR TRIAL AT THE SESSIONS FROM
THE POLICE COURT YESTERDAY.—JOhn Kelly, a boy,
for breaking into the house of Michael Connolly, in Peter
street, on Saturday, and stealing therefrom a quantity of
wearing apparel. Mary Curry, for stealing in Tarleton
street from Jane Wright, 4s. 6d. and an apron. Eliza
Healey, for stealing from Richard Simon a person from
London, in a house in Beau street. a watch and handker-
chief worth £2 2s.
PRESENT TO THE EXCHANGE NEWS-ROOM. Mr.
Forrester, of the house of Wiley, Webber, Forrester, and
Co., of Oporto and this town, has presented to the com-
mittee of our Exchange Buildings a proof copy of his beau-
tiful surveys of the river Douro. This work has been
considered of such importance that it has been adopted by
the Portuguese Government as a national work; and Mr.
Forrester, who has already had the honour of knighthood
conferred upon him by the Queens of Spain and Portugal,
received from both these Governments the most flattering
testimonials on the presentation of his maps of the Douro.
We understand that this work will not be published for
the present. The donor, Mr. Forrester, has received the
cognomen of " The Reformer of the Wine Trade of Liver-
pool."
ATTACK ON A LANDLORD.—Mrs. Allen, wife of Mr.
Allen, publican, Shaw's-brow, yesterday appeared before
kr. Rushton, against a man, who had she said, been one
of six or seven Irishmen who had on Saturday night
forced themselves into the house, and said they " wanted
some Orangemen," apparently to assail them, and that
they must be sent for. Their conduct was so violent that
Mrs. Allen sent for the police, but they all escaped, with
the exception of the prisoner, who, before he was appre-
hended, had struck the landlord so cruelly on the head
that he was unable to come up, as appeared from a sur-
geon's certificate. Upon the prisoner there was found a
long piece of iron, resembling an old-fashioned pot-hook.
Mr. Rushton strongly reprehended the conduct com-
plained of. What had the prisoner and his companions
to do with Orangemen, or to assail them with dangerous
weapons such as that produced ? He ordered him to be
, remanded to the gaol, to await further evidence, and en-
deavour to discover the other aggressors.

--.
ROYAL MERSEY YACHT CLUB' .—On Saturday last, the
anniversary of her Majesty's birthday, the members of
this club opened their season by the yachts sailing in com-
pany, under the broad pendant of the worthy and respected
commodore, T. Littledale, Esq., whose flag was hoisted
on board of his fine yacht, the Queen of the Ocean-59
tons. The day was remarkably propitious for the occa-
sion—fair and beautiful, with a light gaff topsail breeze,
which remained steady during the whole day. The fleet
counted, 'in addition to the commodore's craft, the Drift
—53 tons, the Vision-45 tons, the Minona, Hebe,
Jeannette, Ranger, and Gem. the latter vessel belonging
to the hon. secretary, who officiated as the vice-commo-
dore on the occasion. The yachts were manoeuvred by
Ackers' code of signals from the commodore's craft, re-
peated by the Gem. Each of the yachts had a select
party of the friends of the various owners on board, and
after sailing over a distance of upwards of forty miles, re-
turned to Liverpool, and all expressed themselves highly
delighted with the day's cruise.

THE WATER QUESTION.

THE POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY.

Yesterday evening the adjourned meeting on the water
question (which had commenced on the previous Monday)
was held in the theatre of the Royal Institution, and the
interest excited drew a large and respectable auditory.
Mr. BENNETT, councillor of St. Anne's Ward, took the
chair, and after a few opening remarks,
Mr. GRANTHAM, C.E., was called upon to open the
discussion upon the adjourned meeting on Mr. Dwyer's
paper of last meeting. Matters, he said, since he undertook
to do this had crowded upon him, which rendered the task
he undertook more onerous than he expected. The so-
ciety felt every respect for, and acknowledged the value of
the exertions which the body of gentlemen constituting
the Health Committee had devoted to this subject—one
foreign to their business avocations ; and he wished to
place the society clear from any imputation of going with
any popular feeling, which he knew was prevailing against
the plans they had in view. The society wished to inves-
tigate the question upon its real merits. An inquiry had
been going on by scientific men, and he had to regret that
the report of the gentlemen engaged npon it had not as
expected been yet laid before the public, as Fe and others
might have derived information from it. He bad, at the
last meeting adduced some statistical facts relative to the
Water Companies, which as many gentlemen were then
present who had not heard them, he would recapitulate.
(The statistics he furnished, stating that the companies
had received little or no interest on the outlay for the
first years.) He then brought forward other comparative
estimates, showing that the present local wells, with an ad-
ditional one would supply the town for years, without the
necessity for incurring the outlay laid down for any of the
new large schemes of bringing water from great distances.
He assumed that 3,000,000 gallons, with an addition of
20 per cent., or 600,000 gallons, for courts, watering
of streets, &c., would be required to make the supply
ample; also, 600,000 gallons for cleansing sewers, &c.
The present works, if improved, would, he believed, yield
7,500,000 gallons a day ; and he had also estimated the
expense for a new station at £68,300. For sewerage, and
the watering of streets and cleansing of courts, he was
in favour of employing salt water, as equally suitable,
and they might have a reservoir in an elevated part of the
town, to which a small engine would pump it. Some of
the present mains, which if the new scheme were to go on,
would be removed or rendered useless, might for this pur
pose be available. He combatted some objections made
to the use of salt water, as tending to spoil gentlemen's
clothes, as futile. With regard to supplying manufactur-
ers and others, who employ condensing engines, they in
general would prefer pumping their own water. The cost,
of the smallest "monster" schemes proposed would be
far more than that of availing themselves of their imme-
diate resources. With the former, the people would have
to pay, as he showed by figures, a large amount more.
The new plan, in place too of costing half a million,
might cost double that sum. It would be impossible to
reduce the rates, if so large an addition was to be levied
upon us. He read an abstract of a paper he had that
day from Mr. Simpson, showing that large quantities of
water could be obtained from the upper sandstone rocks
in this and other adjoining localities. He next touched
upon the demand that had been made for a constant sup-
ply in all the pipes, but expressed his opinion that this
was necessary only in some of the great mains, and that
the service pipes should have cocks for regular and fre-
quent supply only. Courts could be well supplied by
cisterns which the works would keep always full, and that
they were not provided (for the cost would be but Is. 61
per house additional per annum), was solely the fault of
the landlord, and not of the companies. Some of them
thus supplied, let for 265. a year more than those opposite
which were not ! He then showed, that to give a more
frequent supply to districts did not require so large an
additional expenditure of water as was generally believed,
and this he proved by adducing Marybone district,
which cost very little more to supply it six times a-week
in place of three times, as formerly, though densely
peopled. 'With respect to drying up private wells, this
was of trifling consequence, as compared with the general
advantages of large and deep wells; and the few parties
who lost their wells, could be supplied immediately at a
very little more cost. He had seen Revington, and he
believed all its waters, and he deemed the scheme
respecting it great, but surrounded by risk and dif-
ficulty. He would not be one of the gentlemen who
would incur the respons bility of carrying it out. It was
against it that the light, though not extensive thrown
upon it lately, excited doubt and alarm. The public, in-
cluding himself, were all to blame that it had gone so far
without proper investigation, and the discovery of these
difficulties now surrounded it. They had already
spent £30,000 in law expenses, &c., on it, and some
seemed to think they ought therefore to go on with it,
and spend £400,000 more. He concluded by saying
that from what he could judge or learn, he would respect-
fully recommend to the Corporation a postponement of
their plans. There were- great difficulties in the way.
They ought to lay all feeling aside, but a consideration for
the public good ; weigh well the arguments on both sides;
and think of the great burden they would throw upon the
town, by persisting in their present scheme. Let them
wait, at least, until the question was more thoroughly
sifted, as to the supply that could be furnished by the
present works, and until others that might be added
within their own vicinity, were fairly tested. (He was
listened to throughout a long and able address—of which
this is but a synopsis—with great attention, and sat down
amidst much applause.)
Mr. SMITH, who was called upon by the Chairman, as
one of the parties who had visited the Rivington Pike,
said, that he found that many of what he had been ac-
customed to call ditches, were called streams, and many
of them. as well as of the streams, were perfectly dry.
The Douglas contained only an inch, and the Yarrow 21,
the former being abstracted altogether by the canal com-
panies. It was said, however, that the water was to be
dammed up when plentiful, and doled out to us when
wanted. The vallies, now meadow land, to be msinured by
guano and other commodities. The water was not such
as we could use ; and he found that the quantity
would not be more than sufficient to give compens
sation required. In Manchester, he had found that
similar water, pure to the eye, would not be used. The
Rivington water had the same properties—animalculge,
and vegetable and earthy matter—which lie had found in
pools abounding with fish, and of course full of food suit-
able for fish. He had never seen a country so deficient
in water, although he had visited many parts of the
country. If they only proposed to collect it in winter,
we could procure it easily, by the same means upon our
own sandstone grit. In the valley of the Riddlesworth
the stream runs over the oral measures ; and the water
runs through the millstone grit, and resembles skim milk.
The speaker referred to the insecurity of depending upon
estimates, and referred to the increase of those for St.
George's-hall; and combated the notion that so large a
quantity as 200,000 gallons would be required for working
the cranes at the docks. Mr, Smith concluded by en-
treating the people of Liverpool to pause before entering
upon this enormous expenditure, reminding them that,
in the event of their driving the inhabitants of Liverpool
by highs rates to take their families into smaller houses,
they might not improve the sanitary condition of the
town.

Mr. GRANTHAM explained as to his remarks with
respect to the landlords not providing tanks, so far as the
Bootle Company was concerned.
Mr. RAWLINSON maintained that an expenditure of
money for a supply of water to a large town was not to
be looked at in comparison with a good supply. After
referring to the fact that this was not a country of foun-
tains, and to the low sanitary state of Liverpool, he pro-
ceeded to contend that the Rivington Pike scheme was
after all an inadequate scheme, and that a much larger
amount might be brought from the Dee for the same
money. His scheme was calculated to supply 30,000,000
gallons ner day, and although Mr. Grantham might think
that excessive, the inhabitants of New York did not
think so. This quantity could be supplied at a profit
over the total expense of procuring it. He stated that by
his plan the mains could be kept full at all times for fires,
for flushing sewers, and all other purposes. Mr. Raw-
linson condemned the Rivington Pike scheme on the
ground that the water there came down unequally ; and
contrasted it with the ample supply which could be
brought from the Dee ; and after an appeal to the people
of Liverpool on the score of their local greatness, con-
cluded his paper amidst partial cheers.

Mr. SPEN6ER complained that the meeting had shown
a feeling in favour of some speakers ; and contended that
they were not prepared to go into a decision upon the
figures and estimates brought forward by Mr. Grantham.
After a few remarks in opposition to the views of Mr.
Grantham and Mr. Simpson, of the Green-lane Water
Works, he proceeded to read a letter from Professor Ans-
ted, referring him to local experience as to the supply to
be got from the red sandstone. Mr. Spencer admitted
that the quantity required might be got, but that it would
be as extensive as the double supply from Rivington
Pike. In reply to Mr. Rawlinson's remarks, he said that
the gauges at Rivington had, up to last week, given above
a million gallons more than the estimates. The fact
which Mr. Smith had stated—that on his visit the streams
were dry—proved that the shed was not upon a boggy
marshy land ; and produced specimens of the water from
all the streams, taken at various times and sealed up by
Captain Francis, and contended in favour of their superior
purity. He proceeded to remark upon Mr. Rawlinson's
advocacy of the Dee water, as water not likely to be got.
The Rev. Mr, DWYER thought that none of his argu-
ments had been touched. He asked, as to a statement
made that. the public were getting salt water out of some
wells, where was it ? He was told it was in Oil-street.
Mr, WM. EARLE said it was in his well; and if he
wished he could give him salt to his porridge. (Laughter.)
Mr. DANSON, after some remarks upon Mr. Grantham's
estimates, spoke to the large increase of water tenants since
there was given the assurance of an approaching supply
of that commodity, which was increasing the revenue
from the water company very largely. He proceeded to
condemn the remarks of Mr. Smith, which he deemed
derogatory of the character of the eminent professional
men engaged in this question. The speaker went on to
argue that the out-townships. who were complaining of
the present rates, had a full right to bear those rates which
they had sought to have paid out of the borough fund.
Mr. SMITH explained and denied that he bad made any
imputation upon the gentlemen engaged by the Corpo-
ration.
Mr. GRANTHAM replied by defending the slight altera-
tion which he had made in Mr. Hawkley's estimate ; and
seeing many of the officials engaged in the sanatory ques-
tion, his friend, Mr. Fresh, in particular, repudiated the
charge of having thrown any stigma of inattention to the
wants of the town by the committee upon the subject.

THE FLOWER SHOW.-Our readers are fully apprised
that the first Horticultural exhibition of the Liverpool
Association will take place on Thursday next, at the Corn
Exchange. No doubt the attendance of the public will
be as numerous as the occasion merits. The promoters
of so interesting an exhibition ought to be encouraged to
g ve us further similar opportunities.

MORE RIOTS AT BRADFORD.

COLLISION WITH THE MILITARY.

A correspondent in a letter from Bradford, dated yes.
terday evening, writes us to say that that town has been
the scene of another very alarming commotion. Yester-
day the utmost excitement and uneasiness prevailed.
During the course of the day immense numbers of chartists
and unemployed operatives, accompanied by women,
marched through the principal streets of the town, for
what object no one could tell. The inhabitants hourly
expected that riots would take place. With a view to put
down the insurgents, should they make any attack, or
commit any breach of the peace, the 'military force, con-
sisting of artillery, cavalry, and infantry, had been placed
under arms, ready to act at a moment's notice. In the
course of the early part of the day an affray took place
with the police, several of whom were roughly handled
and suffered much by the mob. All the shops are closed,
and business completely suspended.