320 The Mortality of Liverpool, | July, 
town clerk and the legal adviser to the Health Committee, now 
town clerk of Bradford. Upon these gentlemen, than whom a more 
enthusiastic, honest, and indefatigable trio never existed, devolved 
the responsibility of pulling down and improving houses unfit for 
habitation with the disagreeable accompaniment of turning out the 
tenants inhabiting them. The difficulty which they encountered in 
obtaining magisterial support was referred to in our former article 
as characteristic of the state of things in every part of the country ; 
but now let us see how their efforts were seconded by the Council 
itself—for, not having any concern with local politics, we have only 
to deal with the Corporation as a body, and not with any of its com- 
mittees or sub-committees. 
About the time of the cholera outbreak, the following, as nearly 
as we can ascertain, was the state of affairs. ‘To the credit of the 
corporation in the alleviation of the plague-stricken districts, we 
find the following items, approximately stated, but sufficiently so 
for practical purposes. 
Since the passing of the Sanitary Amendment Act of 1864, three 
presentments had been made by the Grand Jury to demolish in all 
485 houses. The amount which had been expended for that object 
was about 4,000/., and it was expected that about 30,0002. more 
would be employed for the purpose. 
An active member of the Health Committee brought forward a 
motion that 1,0007. should be granted for structural alterations in 
courts, to give them more light and air, but it was not carried (our 
readers may think this should go to the debit of the account). 
Small sums, however, varying from 15/. to 402, are occasionally 
voted out of “surplus capital” for the purpose. 
The corporation has bought, with a view to re-sale on chief rent, 
for the purpose of building workmen’s dwellings, 22,550 yards of 
land at 18s. per yard. 
We think these are the important items, making in all, 
let us say, 60,0002. or 70,0002. to the credit of the local 
authorities of Liverpool, for what we shall call the “ Reformation 
Account.” Now let us inquire what goes to their debit in money 
and kind; that is to say, what money has been devoted ‘to less 
necessary purposes, and what steps have been taken to retard 
sanitary progress there. 
In the first place, for the benefit of the large shopkeepers and 
the local gentry the small item of 118,000/. (we are within 1,0000. of 
the mark, and wnder it) has been devoted to widening a portion of 
Church Street, already one of the handsomest streets in the town : 
of this amount 8,000/. was employed in law expenses. 
Item No. 2 is a trifle of 250,000/. for a “ People’s Park,” situated 
about five or six miles away from those parts of the town of which 
the inhabitants have most need of fresh air. Although this project 
