1866. | and its National Danger. 321 
was brought forward:ostensibly for the benefit of the “ people,” it 
was stated at the time in the Council by a member of the Health 
Committee (that committee, we believe, having opposed the scheme), 
that it was in reality a park for the gentry, and something was said 
to the effect that it was mtended as a kind of barrier between the 
poor and rich. A member of the council, a draper, who advocated 
the project very warmly, and who, we believe, mhabits a hand- 
some house beyond the boundary of the intended Park, said some- 
thing about the necessity of a “ Rotten Row” for Liverpool, where 
the poor would have the pleasure of seeing the equipages and attire 
of the rich. About the same time a discussion took place concerning 
the short water-supply of the town, and the chairman of the Water 
Committee said regarding the Corporation Baths for the poor, “that 
the town could not afford water for such luxuries!” Here, then, we 
have two items of 368,000/. for widening a wide street in the town 
and forming a Park outside of it. And it has been stated in defence 
of this latter proceeding, that a good deal, if not all the “ Park- 
money” may be recovered if properly dealt with. Just as if the 
same rule would not apply much more forcibly if the same money 
had been laid out in sanitary improvements within the borough. 
But, about the time stated, the Town Council committed an act 
in direct opposition to the wishes of the community, as expressed in 
strong terms by nearly all the local papers, of whatever creed or 
politics, which cannot be too severely reprobated, and of which we 
can hardly think some of the persons concerned had seriously 
weighed the consequences. They virtually drove away from the 
town the gentleman who was not only the most willing but also 
the most able to deal with the great danger which has been hanging 
over the town so long and which threatens the country at large, 
we mean Mr. McGowen, the legal adviser to the Board of Health 
and Deputy Town Clerk. 
As far as we can gather from the local press, and from reliable 
information which we have received, the circumstances of this pro- 
ceeding were as follows :— 
The Town Clerk, Mr. Shuttleworth, was compelled by indis- 
position to retire from his office, and amongst the local applicants 
was naturally Mr. McGowen, his Deputy, who had been twelve 
years in the service of the Corporation ; of the Health Committee 
more particularly, and in whose favour all the local candidates with- 
drew. Mr. Rayner, the Town Clerk of Bradford, was the only 
other competitor, and when he heard how strong a feeling had been 
manifested in favour of Mr. McGowen he also withdrew. A power- 
ful cabal was however formed, consisting of some leading men “ on 
both sides of the house” (for, as we hear, party politics run tolerably 
high in the Liverpool Town Council), and these persons succeeded in 
inducing Mr. Rayner to renew his application, and under a promise 
