The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-23 00:00:00

MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.—At the last annual meet-,
ing of this institution, the directors were requested to con-
sider the practicability of throwing open the gvening
School to all who chose to attend, at charges varying.fro4
three shillings to ss. per quarter. The reasons assigned
for this proposal were, that it was very difficult for tht
class of adult mechanics to pay the yearly subscription of
twenty-one shillings in one sum, and that they often had
to pay for a year, but were unable, in consequence of cir-
cumstances affecting their employments, to attend the full
time for which they had paid. The directors have On'
salted the wants and convenience of the working class ea,
and at the same time retained to them all the privileges of
membership, by making the yearly subscription of on•
guinea payable in quarterly sums, by those who attend
the Evening School. We perceive, also, that two vat,
interesting lectures are announced, one by Mr. Pepper, ot
London, on Light and Polarized Light, in the course ot,
which a great many experiments will be introduced, and
another by Mr. Melville, of London, on Invertebrate°
Animals, to be illustrated by living specimens collected
on our own shores.

LIVERPOOL AND THE HEALTH BILL.—On ThUndaf,
in the House of Commons, on the discussion of the
Health of Towns Bill, on clause 1 (excluding London and
Westminster from the operation of the act, and extendiet
it to all other parts of England and to Wales) having bee's
put, Mr. Cardwell, in whose name stood a motion for the
insertion of a clause to except Liverpool from the act, but
to allow any superintending inspector to report upon, one
to superintend the mode in which the local sanatory acle
are carried out, and to include it under the act on a par"
tion from the Town Council to that effect) suggested to
the government that the great town which he had the ho-
nour to represent, possessing, as it did, several local ad e
for drainage, sewerage, and water-works, should be re'
garded in the same light as London, which was exempted
from the provisions of the bill, and that no extension of
those provisions to Liverpool should take place until*
special inquiry had been made into the state of the town,
and into the way in which the present sanatory regulti-
Cons were conducted,—The Attorney-General was under-
stood to say that as to Liverpool, a preliminary inquirY
might be instituted, and a special report presented to the
house, on which they could act as regarded the town of
Liverpool, but there was no analogy between the circum-
stances which effected it and London and Westminster,
because the very complicated arrangements existing in the
latter had no parallel in the few local acts which had been
passed for Liverpool.—Mr. Cardwell remarked that the
town of Liverpool possessed.a sanatory'act, framed on the
model recommended in former commissions, which We°
much more efficient than that at present before the house;
inasmuch as it had been passed with a regard to local cir-
cumstances, and was not a mere general bill.—Viscount
Morpeth thought the reply of the Attorney-Gcneral was
quite sufficient to satisfy the honourable member for Li-
verpool. There was at present a commission of inquirY
into the special circumstances connected with London,
but no such inquiry existed as to Liverpool.
BIRKENHEAD DOCK COMPLETION BILLR.—The Par'
liamentary Committee on these bills resumed on Mondel,
Lord Charles Wellesley in the chair. Our locaD members
were present. The opposition of the coasting trade We°
proceeeed with, and it appeared from Mr. Campbell'
chairman of the Coasters' Association, that there was noir
sufficient beaching ground at Woodside, but if the works
were completed as proposed that would not be enough-
Others gave similar evidence. A claim was put in bY
Wr. Pollard and Mr. Hosker to the land attached totheir
frontages in the Pool, down to low-water mark—adverse
to the crown—but this was opposed, and the claim net
gone into. It was stated by Sir John Rennie and others,
that to make the works efficient £580,373 would be
required. One witness stated that if the inner pool were
made, he doubted the possibility of keeping the outer
pool clear by sluicing, and dredging would be very costly-
Mr. Gordon, professor of civil engineering, of Glasgerr,
thought the contemplated outlay on the outer works
would be useless without the completion of the inner
works. Mr. Barnett, who represented bondholders to
the amount of £30,000 or £40,000, said they had been
given to understand that there was a possibility of amal-
gamation with the Liverpool Docks, which they would
much prefer to the worke- being carried on by the assist-
ance of Government and subscriptions.. They wanted e,
sale or an amalgamation with Liverpool. It was state,
that the " Home port clause" would be withdrawn, eef.
that the promoters proposed to except all vessels from'
wharfage rates up to 200 tons—so that so far as theLiv,....er"
pool Dock petition goes the opposition ceases .---1-"`,
Thursday the committee again met. Mr. Barnett Pro"
posed an adjournment should be consented to, so that
negotiations might be entered into with the Liverpo:l
Dock Trustees, which he believed might result in mutual
advantage. He applied on behalf of the bondholders:
Mr. Webster said the question could not be entertainrs
by the committee. After the bills were passed the parts d.
might negotiate. After some conversation, it was agree
that the committee should stand adjourned until Tuesee,.
the 30th instant.