The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-04-14 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

If A Constant Reader will favour us with a call, we can put
him in the way of obtaining the information he desires. lies
letter was received too late to enable us to give a specific re-
ply in our paper of to-day, _

Cidig itibtrpoct &tanbarb.

TUESDAY MORNI\G, APRIL 14, 1846.

The Rev. Cecil Wray, of St. Martin's Church, 1
has taken the very questionable step of calling
public attention to himself and his late curate, now
a member of the church of Rome. We would not
deem his wretched attempt, to throw the blame of
his late curate's apostacy on the evangelicals, worthy
of any further notice than we have devoted to it
elsewhere, but for a gross and unfounded misrepre-
. sensation of Mr. M`Neile, which Mr. Wray has
thought proper to print. His words are—
" Bracketing the Prayer Book, so that each minister
may orn t what he chooses, is the ingenious suggestion of
the Rev. El. l'al•Neile. of Liverpool, to relieve his party
-from thsir present painful position. In his recent pub-
lication, • The Church and the Churches,' he again urges
that a slight alteration. very slight, more verbal than
real,' will be thankfully accepted. flow galling must be
the yoke which can force a clever n.an to hazard such
extravagant proposals!"
This we advisedly call a gross and unfounded
misrepresentation. Mr. M'Neile, in his recent
admirable publication, called " The Church and
the Churches," discusses the. possibility of uniting
to our National Church, Christian brethren who
conscientiously object to some of our present form-
ularies. With reference to their scruples, not with
reference to any yoke felt by himself, he suggests
.the propriety of some change. He quotes from
Archdeacon Hare in condemnation of the Act of
Uniformity as requiring a declaration injurious to
the best interests of the national Church. Upon
which he says for himself-
- " There is a wide difference between disapproving of this
Declaration ourselves, and disapproving of its enforce-
. ment upon others. It is not because of any personal
repugnance to it, that we deprecate its enforcement. In
fact, it exercises no force upon us; we make it with per-
fect freedom, so Jar as our own individual feelings are
Concerned. But others, and truly devoted Christians,
cannot view it as we do, and we most highly disapprove of
compelling such men either to submit to it with wounded
consoiences and injured self-respect, or to separate them-
selves from the national church." (Page 86.)
With this language before us, it is difficult to ex-
culpate Mr. \Vray from the charge of wilful misre-
presentation, when he intimates that Mr. M'Neile
feels himself ender a galling yoke. No; but Mr.
-M'Neile feels for others, and does not make his own
experience or his own preference the measure of
catholicity. He desires to see the church orderly
indeed. but truly catholic in the comprehensiveness
of Christian charity. He says—
" I am aware of the necessity of some rule for the
maintenance of ' decency and order ;' but surely when the
nature of that necessity and of the great end in view are
fairly considered, the rule should be prescribed with the
elast,c tenderness of a nurse who takes into account the
varying temperaments and dispositions of the children;
and not with the rigid recklessness of an imperious task-
master, who would prostrate into a Pt ocrustes bed nl the
varieties of human feeling and human conscience; cutting
short to its own arbitrary standard all the outgoings.
musical, architectural, and otherwise .'..ecorative, of a de-
votional imagination ; and torturing out to meet the same
standard all the simplicity of that abstract spirituality of
mind which unfeignedly shrinks front decorations in re-
ligion. as from the precincts of an idolatrous temple."—
(Page 83.)
Then after suggesting an arrangement which, as
he says, " would not erase a word nor add a word,
nor alter a word, in any of our services; and yet,
if introduced by the proper and competent autho-
rities, would gladden many a heart ;" he adds—
" I am increasiNly impressed with the absolute necessity
of some movement in this direction for the preserVation of
our church. I fear none will be made. Dread of altera-
tion is as intense as it could be—and as it ought to be—if
all our ritual, in its most minute details, were of express
divine apsoietment. Whi!e fsr the sake of details of hu-
man origin, and of at least questionable wisdom, we are
involved in a continued violation, towards many Christian
brethren, of that loving forbearance which is indeed of
divine appo ntment." (Page 93.)
We commend the distinction here so wisely made
between divine and human appointments to Mr.
Wray's serious consideration ; and when he talks
of Catholic consent, and refers to the rule of St
Vincent, of Lerins, " Quod semper, quod übique,
quod ab omnibus," we request his candid opinion of
the application of it to the crisis in the Church's
history when Arianism was in the ascendant, and
in such a monstrous and notorious majority as to
give rise to the celebrated saying so eulogistic of
the strength and orthodoxy of Athanasius's private
judgment 1 A thanasius contra mundum.
The following notice of Mr. M'Neile's book
appeared in the Morning Herald of Saturday. We
have much pleasure in reprinting it.
Mr. Nl'Netle's fame as a writer has been long esta-
blished, but it will be greatly increased by the volume
now before us, which is, in every respect, worthy of its
highly gifted author. We hail, with much satisfaction,
the appearance of this seasonable publication. Though
not directly controversial, it is, in our judgment, emi-
nently calculated to checs some of the worst evils of the
Tractitea, by showing., as ,Nlr. M'Neile expresses it in his
preface, that the Church of England " supplies abundant
scope and opportunity for every exercise of devotion, and
for every act of self-denial and benevolence, which go to
constitute the whole reasonable service' to which Chris-
tians are called in this world " We have been much
struck with the remarkable contrast which this book pre-
sents to Mr, Ward's Ideal of a Christian church. In the
one we see the low, evasive, casuistry of a man who has
no confidence in the ground which he has himself select-
ed ; it is no better titan shifting sand. In the other we
tind the bold, straightforward proclamations of a man
"mighty in the scriptures," and standing with unshaken
-firmness on the rock of eternal truth. Ward crawls and
crimes—_M'NeUe walss erect and commands. Ward
shufiles—M'Neile reasons. Ward borrows tinsel, and
aims at stage effect, front the embroidered garments and
ecclesia.t.cal pantomimes of Rome—M`Neile, in habitual
simplicity, and without any effort, appropriates the im-
perishable jewels of divine revelation. Ward describes
his ideal Cta.istian under a load of self-imposed or church.
imposed commandments, devising ever fresh methods of
self-denial, and sultj-ctitig his lower nature to rules more
and more inflexible—M`Neile repudiates all such " will
worship," and describe, his real Christian as a practical
worshipper, whose ohject is not to arrest attention by ex-
aggerated works of supposed extra meritoriousness, but
quietly, ste +day, and unostentatiously in the appropriate
duties of the state of life in which he is providentially
placed, to k en the cornmandu cuts of. God.
But Mr. M•Neile's book is not directly controversial.
His object is rather to re-state fundamental truth in
Plainness of speech, remembering, as he says, that Chris-
tian knowledge is not hereditary, arid that the real source
of danger from the heresy of the few is to be found in the
ignorance of the many. We congratulate the rev. gentle-
man on his executioo of ths noble design, and cordially
recommend to our readers a perusal of his work. They
will find it singularly characterised by moderation, not
only in the author's statements of his own views, but also
(a more rare quality) in his objections to hip opponents.
Mr. M'Neile has refused, and we think wisely, his sanc-
tion
,to the proposed evangelical alliance, but he has
proved himself a real friend of true Christian unity, and
loves not in word hut in deed, as is evidenced by the ad-
mirable tone of this book.

The pause in our headlong career towards the
adoption of ultra . free trade measures, which' the
manly and consistent efforts of the conservative
minority of the House of Commons have won for
us, has not been without its value to the country,
'and is not likcly to be altogether without its influ-
ence upon the fate of Sir Robert Peel's proposition.
It has given us time to think ; to weigh those pro-
positions in all their hearings upon the national in-
dustry and the national greatness; to separate the
various interests, of which this vast empire is com-
posed, and to examine their probable effects upon
-the future prosperity of each. The House of Com-
mons itself will approach the consideration of the
great question at issue, after the recess, with' cooler
judgment, with more information to guide its de-
cision, and, we trust, with a determination not to be
led blindfold by its faith in the impeccability or the
infallibility of party leaders ; whilst the masses of
the country are daily shelving themselves less willing
to take that great leap in the dark, to which the
ministry of Sir Robert Peel and its whig-radical
allies were about to lead them.
Upon one branch of the question involved in these
measures, peculiarly interesting to this port, viz :
their effect upon our existing colonial relations—we
are happy to see, and to know, that a great impres-
sion has already been made upon the public mind,
unfavourable fo the adoption of the ministerial pm-
positions in their present shape, and which may
ultimately reach and influence the Legislature itself.
The public, and even the manufacturers who enter-
tain free trade opinions, are fast getting rid of the.
notion, sedulously instilled into their minds by free
tra le spouters and writers, and repeated, without
contradiction, so constantly that it had become
almost a recognised truth, that our colonies were so
many drags upon the resources of the mother coun-
try, and contributed comparatively nothing to her
industry anti strength ; that they were possessions,
whose interests we might tamper with and destroy,
without their population stirring a hand or taking a
step in their own behalf. The question—of what
use are these colonies ?—is receiving a much greater
amount o: consideration, and a very different reply
to what would have been given to it when the public

mind was fevered with the first mooting of the-e

ieasures.

We give in our columns this day a letter from
Mr. Isaac Buchanan—a gentleman from whose pen
several previous appeals to the good sense of his
fellow-countrymen have appeared—in reply to an
article in the Manchester Guardian of Saturday
week ; and we ask for that letter and the itnpnttant
statistical facts which it contains, the candid con-
sideration of our readers of every shade of politics.
The Question, as treated by Mr. Buchanan, is not
a party question, or a question of conflicting classes.
It is emphatically a national question. It is one,
whose settlement upon just and wise grounds, con-
cerns not only the statesman, the merchant, and the
manufacturer, but affects materially the interests of
the mechanic and the manufacturing labourer; and
which, unless so settled, must exercise an influence
over the future position of this country in the great
family of nations, the importance of which is well
nigh inconceivable. We shall not risk the weaken-
ing of the effect of Mr. Buchanan's communication
as a whole by quoting any isolated portion of it here.
We may, however, direct especial attention to the
statistics which Mr. Buchanan brings forward,
sheaving the vast increase of the exports of our
cotton manufactures to Colonial markets, which has
taken place within the last three years, as compared
with the aggregate exports to all countries. To
some of our readers, the results which Mr. Buchanan
shews may be new. To most they will be startling.
To the cotton manufacturing interest they ought to
convey a lesson, and we may add, a warning. Such
markets as the Colonies of Great Britain are now
affording for the products of the national industry,
should not be lightly tampered with ; and would
not, if the legislature and the public would weigh
fully their value, and their national as well as com-
tnercial importance.

Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, in his excellent description
of the wonders of strange lands, has introduced to
our notice, as existing in Laputa, a class of
functionaries whose employment it is, by the
application of " flappers" to the head land other
sensitive parts of the person, to keep awake
important personages when required to be attend-
ing to their public or private duties. Such a
class would not be without their use in our own
country. They might be made excellent attaches
to some of our courts of justice. ''hey would be
invaluable in our Council and its committees, where
the "Deus h&c otia fecit," carved upon their chair
backs, so irresistibly invites their occupants to sleep.
They would be peculiarly valuable in the Ministerial
Chambers in Downing-street and Whitehall, from
which right honourable secretaries e ery afternoon
emerge, to take their seats in either House of the
legislature, in as profound a dose and as utterly un-
aware of what has been going on in the world since
they left their beds as if they had tasted the waters
of Lethe, or had only newly been usheted into the
world.

A striking instance of this want of acquaintance
with passing mundane affairs, on the part of an im-
portant member of our Government, was afforded
in the proceedings of the House of Commons. on
Wednesday evening, the member in question being
the Home Secretary, Sir James Graham. We quote
from the Times of Thursday morning :
" Mr. CHRISTIE wished to ask, either at once or on the
next day, in consequence of two recent cases in courts of
justice of women who had infants born in workhouses
being obliged to strip them of their clothing on leaving
the house, whether there was any intention to in,titute
an inquiry into those cases, or to make any alteration in
the arrangement which it seemed was there acted on ?
"Sir J. GRAHAM said, he, did not know the cases to
which the hors. gentleman referred, and, no notice of the
question having been given, he had had no commun;ca-
tion with the Poor-law CommissiOners on the subject.
His attention had not been called to it either in the house
or out of it, and it was impossible at once to answer
questions on minute details of Poor-law administration.
It w,uld be better to put the question next day."
Sir James Graham, let it he borne in mind, is the
minister peculiarly responsible for the administra-
tion of the Poor-law. It is to him also that the
criminal statistics of the country are returned, and
to whom the carrying out of the sentences of the
judges is referred. Yet here were two cases, arising
out of the mal-administration of the Poor-law, in
which unfortunate female paupers had been dis-
charged from their respective workhouses, with
their unfortunate new-born offspring in a state of
nudity, and had been tempted by their necessities
to the commission- of infanticide, and subsequently
been tried for their offence by a jury of their
country; and yet Sir James Graham " did not
know of the cases." The judge who tried the
wretched offender in one of them, and who miti-
gated the severity of his sentence expressly because
she had been driven to the commission of the crime
for which she was arraigned, had commented in
strong terms of indignation upon the " iron rule"
of the New Poor-law; and yet Sir James Graham
declared that " his attention had never been called
to it either in the house or out of it!" The ques-
tion which these cases involve is the serious one,
whether masters of workhouses are to turn out
new-horn infants, with their unfortunate mothers,
without clothing upon them, to perish from the
inclemency of the weather, t 3 shock the eyes of
humanity in the streets or the public highways, and
to tempt to the crime of !nor er ; and yet this is,
forsooth, in the Home Secretary's estimation, one
of those "minute details (!) of Poor-law administra-
tion" upon which he considers it " impossible to
answer questions at once !"
Now really we do think it a public scandal, that a
Minister of the Crown, whose express duty it is to
watch the administration of the law at home, should
be permitted to enter the House of Commons in
such a lamentable state of ignorance. There is, we
venture to say, scarcely a man in the kingdom ca-
pable of reading, and of ordinary intelligence, to
whom these shocking cases were not fully known.
There is not a newspaper in the kingdom in which
they were not stated in detail. Sir James Graham,
we therefore presume, reads no newspapers. His
official mind is too sublimated to allow of his en-
tertaining the ordinary or extraordinary affairs of
this world, unless conveyed to him through the me-
dium of an official document, or through a state-
ment in Parliament. We would suggest, therefore,
to him in particular, the addition of a " flapper" to
the staff of the home-office. Let him employ some
intelligent and indefatigable reader to peruse daily
the leading organs of public intelligence, and " cram"
him before going down to the House; -so that if
Saint Paul's has removed to Trafalgar-square, or
Oliver Cromwell revisited the earth. he may not he
under the painful necessity of confessing his igno-
rance of such important events.
Seriously, it is lamentable to witness the impene-
trability of public men to everything which is going
on in the world out of doors. No facts, however mo•
mentous—nothing of public opinion or public feel-
ing—can reach their minds or their attention, ex-
cept through their official machinery or the medium
of a commission.

The Cornwall and Devon Central line is to be "wound
up." and the deposits returned less the expenses.
Mr. O'Connell arrived in Dublin on Friday, and was
to he present at Conciliation Hall yesterday.
The Great Westerd steam-ship sailed on Saturday for
New York, with 120 passengers.
The King of Pru.sia has addressed a note to all the
members of the German Customs Union, impressing on
them the necessity of revising the tariff.
On Sunday last the Rev. Rector Campbell announced
that the Lord Bishop of Chester will hold a confirmation
at St. Nicholas' Church on the 3d July next.
The Southampton, Manchester, and Oxford Junction
Company return £l, ls. per share of the .£2 12s. Gil. paid.
The scheme has failed for the present, and the directors
are at law both with their servants and shareholders. •
A criminal attempt was mlde last week, in Brussels, to
create disturbances, by the wide distribution of an in-
flammatory circular amongst the working classes. Six
persons have been arrested.
A fire brr•ke out on Sunday at the steam flour mill of
Mr.- Pattison, Hill-street, Toxteth-park, by whicha great
quantity of flour, some of the machinery, end a portion of
the building were completely_destroyed. Mr. Pattison
was uninsmed.
THE BRIDGI,WATER ESTATE.—Sane idea may be
formed of the interests involved in the estate of the Trus-
tees of the late Duke of Bridgewater, and also of its mag-
nitude, from the fact, that in the present parliamentary
session, agents are engaged in watching, supporting, or
opposing no less than thirty-five private bills.
On Tu-aday, the Rev. William Howell Lloyd, a minis-
ter of the Established Church, was received into the
Church of Rome, at the chapel of the bishop's house in
Birmingham. A few days before that a gentleman of dis-
tinction from Scotland also made a profession of faith in
the same chapel.
WAR AGAINST INDIAN CORN.—The discovery made
by a philanthropic member of the Corn Relief Committee,
to the effect that Sir Robert Peel after his own %ly fashion.
is pouring In.lian corn into the country, well knowing its
deleterious qualities, with a view of thinning the super-
abundant population of Ireland, will no doubt create a
" profound sensation" when the startling revelation
reaches the opposite side of St. George's Channi4. The
detection of this odious plot to decimate Her M.jesty's
Irish liezes—equalled only in its atrocity by the poisoning
of the wells inChina —is due tothe vigilance of a M r. Hayes,
and was boldly proclaimed in the course of a discussion at
one of the "charity" meetings held last week at Cork.

SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE TOWN.-IMPOR-
TANT PUBLIC MEETING.

(Continued from pane 3.)
it was well worthy of being adopted in Liverpool, and
every other town. One advantage pointed out by Mr.
Hawkesley, in the constant system, was, that it saved the
expense and inconvenience of tanks of water upon the
ri,of of the house. There was nothing to do but to join the
surfice pipe, and to have a tap, and you had a constant
supply, the fact being that the reservoir was at some dis-
tance on a hill or is a river. You need not have one upon
your own house. Gentlemen knew the inconvenience of
having tanks upon their hou,:es ; but by the constant sup-
ply system this was all saved, and you had a perpetual sup-
ply in every room. The advantages aristng therefrom
were, in many respects, very great. Water butts, espe-
cially among the humbler classes, were apt to be neglect-
ed, and to become foul. They could not be. cleansed upon
the scientific arid economical principles that a general re-
servoir could. (Hear.) Mr. Hawkesley showed that by
proper attention the ground reservoir, wheretbe water was
collected, might be kept pure throughout the whole year,
that it saved the annual expense of water-butts in houses,
also the room, arid the inconvenience of their occasional
bursting, besides the serious inconvenience of having the
water in a bad stwe. Mr. Hawkesley was asked,
"Is what is usually called the waste of water' pre-
vented in your works by an extra number of men ?"

His answer was,
"'The fact is directly the reverse. The constant sup-
ply is the means of a large economy of men. Our com-
pany has maintained its supply by night and by day ever
since its establishment, except during a period of one
month. We find that one experienced man, and one boy
of about 18 years of age are, on the system of constant
supply, quite sufficient to manage the distribution of the
supply to about 8000 tenements, and keep all the works
of distribution in perfect repair."
Mr. liawkesley was asked whether,
" lii respect to the apprehension expressed, that if the
system of constant supply at high pressure were adopted,
much lareer mains would be required, what is the evi-
dence of fact and experience 1"

Ile answered,
" Directly the reverse of the hypothesis. If the sup-
ply of water for ordinary purposes be the only considera-
tion, then for the same reason that smallrr pipes do suf-
fice for the tenant's communication pipes, smaller mains
will suffice for the system of constant supply at high pres-
sure. Where 20-inch mains are used on the system of
periodical supply, 12-inch mains would amply suffice for
the constant supply; instead of 7 and 6-inch mains 5 or
4-inch would suffice; instead of 3-inch service pipes for
the occasional supply, 2-inch would suffice for the constant
supply ; indeed for constant conveyance sizes much smaller
than these would answer the purpose; but as there are ir-
regularities of draught it is needful to provide accordingly.
The objection of Mr. Wicksted is founded upon a sup-
posed state of things which never does occur, namely of
all the pipes discharging water at the same time."
Then an objection was made to the system of eonstant
supply that the inhabitants of the smaller houses would
cut a.vay the pipes ; and Mr. Hawkesley was asked what
is his information upon the subject. He says—
" We have some of the poorest and worst-conditioned
people in Nottingham, and we scarcely ever experience
anythirg of the kind. In fact, the water at high-pressure
serves as a police upon the pipe. The cutting off a cock
with the water at high-pressure is rather a difficult matter
to do quietly. 'Knocking-up' is too noisy ; and when a
knife is put into such a pipe and a slit is made, a sharp
flat wide stream issues, very inconvenient to the
overator ; and when the pipe is divided, there is the
full rush of the jet to denounce the th ef. We have lead
pipes allirover the town, in the most exposed places and I
can affirm that such an event rarely occurs out of the
houses and never within." _

This was the result of experience. One part of the
resolution affirmed that the system of constant supply
would prove economical in a sanatory view. On this
subject he would read at otV.er extract from Mr. Hawkes-
ley's evidence. The question is—
" What has been the effect produced on the blbits of
the people by the introduction of water intu the houses of
the hub'uring classes?"
Mr. Ha vkesley replied,
" At Nottingham the increase of personal cleanliness
was at first very marked indeed. It was obvious in the
streets. The medical men reported that the increase of
cleanliness was very great in the houses, and that there
was less disease."

In conclusion, the speaker called attention to the book
from which be had read the extracts, and observed, that
he was convinced no one could read the work without
being convinced that it was an imperative duty lie owed
to the community to use his best endeavours to procure
for this community the best and most abundant supply of
so valuhble a necessary of life. He, therefore, most
sincerely recommended the motion to the meeting. (Loud
cheers.)
11lr. THOMAS Mooßs: seconded the motion, and, in
doing so, requested the Town-clef kto read several clauses
of the Dock Act, 7 and 8 Victoria, cap. 80, from which
he conteaded that the Dock Committee had power to
supply the town with a considerable quantity of water
now flowing to waste out of the canal. The canal was
supplied by the river Douglas, and a very great additional
quantity might be obtained from the same source.
(Cheers.) A quantity sufficient to fill Kensington reser.
voir, now in course of completion, and which it would
take seven days to fill by the pipes already laid from
Green-lane. The top water of the Leeds and Liver-
pool canal was upon a level of 58 feet 7 inches above
the old dock sill. This would afford an ample sup-
ply for the flushing of sewers, and the extinguishing of
fires; and if it were not deemed sufficiently pellucid for
culinary purposes, it might be conveyed into reservoirs
and filtered. The water which overflows is originally
derived in Fart from the river Douglas,—about forty-four
feet above the level of the canal, and that part of it. which
is derived from the Lancaster canal is about 300 feet
above the level of the old dot k sill. A single inch of the
surface water of the Leeds and Liverpool Cane], of which
the first pool is 28 miles in length, would afford a❑ ad-
ditional supply of 33,495.(00 gallons, in case of emergency
float fire ; and a still greater supply might be procured by
raising the waste weirs at Appleby, Leathom, Halsal,
Lychate, Aintree, Netherton, and Bootle. This the canal
company would be enabled to do, and it was a duty incum-
bent on the Dock Trustees to see that it was carried out. In
fact, the Dock Trustees, without going to Parliament at all
were enabled to t ffect that important object; for they were
empowered to make any use they pleased of it, and there
was no such additional supply, that he was aware of,
from any source in the vicinity of the town. Suppose
they had a fire in Liverpool, and wanted a body of water
to extinguish it, they had nothing to do but to take one
inch from the surface of the canal, independent of the
daily waste of nine millions, au4 that one inch would
furnish, as he bad said bef re, no fewer than thirty-three
millions of gallons. This waste, which had been natu-
rally running to waste for seventy years, had perhaps,
only turned an oil mill, or been used for condensing
purposes; and lie knew of no source from which so im-
portant a supply could be had at so reasonable an expense.
About seven engines, averaging seventy-four horse-power
each, at pr,-sent supply the whole of Liverpool. Three
eipines raised the water for the Bootle Company. These
engines were estimated to raise about 1,000,000 gallons
a day for general use. That only supplied a small por-
tion of the town. The Liverpool and Harrington
Company would not state what they produced, but
he believed they raised all that they could. The engine
in Lodge-lane produced 770 gallons per minute. If tour
of seventy-f ,ur horse-power engines were added to those
already named, flit re w uld be sufficient oinking water
for the town of Liverpool. But then additional water
would be required for the extinguishing of fires : and if
the quantity of water from the canal, of which he had
spoken, were taken into account, it would tend very much
to the benefit of Liverpool. (Applause.)
The resolution was then put from the Chair, and car-
ried unanimously.
TINNE then read the following letter from Mr.
S. Hohne

Leamington, 11th April, 184 G.
My dear Sir,—On arriving here this evening, from a journey
into Dorsetshire, I found, by letters which met me, that the
Mayor has fixed Monday next for the public meeting, on the
subject of the Water Companies' Bill now before Parliament.
From the arrangements which 1 had previously made, as well
as others made for me, it w:11 be impossible for me to reach Li-
verpool to take any pert in the meeting. To procure for our
town a copious supply of water for all purposes has long been
my wish, and 1 much fear that such an object can never be
achieved, so long as the supply is in the hands of those who
make a profit by the sale of such a necessary article. Had I
been in Liverpool, I should have deemed it my duty to take
part in the proceedings, and to enter my protest against giving
increased powers and privileges to those who have evinced so
little sympathy for the wants of the community. The prin-
cipal clauses in the present bill are of such a nature that I am
surprised that they should have been introduced into it; but 1
shall be much more surprised if tl- e inhabitants of Liverpool
do not t,,stify, by their disapprobation, and by the most united
and vigorous opposition, thou sense of a measure which, if it
ever passes into a law, must aggravate the acknowledged evils
which we are all so anxious to have removed.

Having taken an active part in endeavouring to obtain a bet-
ter supply of water, it may seem strange that I am not present
to aid you on the forthcom►ng occasion ; and I shall feel much
obliged by your stating to the meeting that absence from home,
and having been without any intelligence for a week, renders it
impossible for ►ne to reach Liverpool in time for the meeting.
1 am, my dear Sir, yours very faithfully,
SAML. lIOLME.
J. A. Tinne, Esq., or Mr. Duncan.

Mr. REAY, Secretary to the Guardian Society, then
rose to p rgoh pehoi
bss
eereetrigh
repe,
ten
seaextnt
tt,hr e.es.ooaul
would
absencehad
v e o ifr
ee Mli ce
a considerable portion of the task he otherwise had to
perform, respecting the position of the Liverpool and
Harrington Water Works Bill, now before Parliament.
After reading the resolution. the speaker proceeded to
give a succinct history of the Water Companies, and their
present position in the borough. By the 27th George
111., passed in 1786, the Corporation of Liverpool obtained
an Act for improving the Borough, and supplying the in-
habitants with water. The capital requ'red for the pur-
poses of supplying water was sub=cribed chiefly by house-
holders, in 400 shares of £2OO each, to which, subse-
quently, £l5 324 were added, making the whole capital.
£95,324, or £238 64. 3d. per share. Some time toter
another comp;.r.y was formed, and by the 3d George
passed in June, 1822, the corporation disposed of their
rights, so far as related to supplying the inhabitants
with water, and the shareholders in the new company
were incorporated by that act under the name or
title of " The Company of Proprietors of the Liverpool
Corporation Water Works," with a capital of £95,324,
in 400 shares of £238 6s. Bd. each. The act, however,
limited the number of directors t nine, three of whom
were to be members of the Town Council. He (Mr.
Reay) deeply regretted that at that time the Corporation
should have parted with their rights—rights which, had
they been retained, the ratepayers would have been reap-
ing the benefit of. (Hear, hear.) He found, however,
under that bill that no one could hold more than five
shares, and each proprietor had only one vote. for each
share be held, and the powers of the company were limited
in their operation, and sinking wells, &c., to Liverpool,

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.