322 The Mortality of Liverpool, §c. | July, 
that a separate office should be created for Mr. McGowen, they also 
induced a small majority of the council to elect their nominee, 
contrary to the wishes of the Health Committee, who pleaded hard 
for their best coadjutor, and also against the voice of the large 
mass of the townspeople. Shortly afterwards, Mr. McGowen was 
offered the Town Clerkship of Bradford, and seeing, as he said, that 
there was no intention to provide him with an office, he accepted it. 
Then followed Jaudation and regrets, a corporate testimonial, and 
after his departure (if we are rightly informed) still greater per- 
plexity in regard to the health of the town, for immediately after- 
wards the cholera outbreak occurred. Many were the rumours at 
the time concerning the motive which induced a number of gentle- 
men to propose, and others to countenance this suicidal conduct. 
Pergonal animosity and cliqueism were the more generally credited 
causes, but it was even rumoured that the exigencies of party 
polities of a wider (we cannot say higher) nature than mere local 
ones had necessitated the act. Be that as it may, our readers will 
agree with us that it is little to the credit of the Corporation of 
Liverpool, and that it is a national hardship that the town and 
kingdom should thus be further exposed to the ravages of a 
virulent epidemic. To repeat the printed words of Dr. Duncan, 
when speaking in 1843 of the state of thimgs which had existed in 
Liverpool for half-a-century, and throughout that time had rendered 
it, as it is to-day, the most unhealthy town in the whole country, 
“inferior considerations triwmphed over the public good.” 
Is it necessary that we should recapitulate the conditions which, 
it is agreed on all sides, are absolutely requisite for the safety of 
the three kingdoms, in order to show that none of those conditions 
are complied with in a most vital portion of the realm? Are our 
readers satisfied that epidemics rage in an unnecessary degree in 
the great aorta of our commerce and emigration—that every 
condition exists there for fostering those diseases, and that the 
local governing body should not be permitted any longer to 
administer this portion of its duties without higher direction 
and control ? 
We cannot think this requires any further showing. What, 
then, should be done? Shail Government interfere? We should 
say not. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, bemg member for that 
division of the County of Lancaster in which Liverpool is situated, 
and having a near relative in the Town Council, might be subjected 
to the same influences which are brought to bear upon the local 
members, and which impede the progress of sanitary reform. We 
do not for a moment mean to insinuate that the Right Honourable 
gentleman would be guided by such influences any more than we 
should suppose the members of any honourable body would know- 
ingly allow themselves to be thus led or coerced. But occult 
a 
