The Towns of Manchester and Liverpool have increased since 1826 to an astonishing extent; and we can only regret that this increase has not taken place according to some regular system. The consequence of the want of such a system is, that one part of the town becomes attended with less advantages in point of salubrity, recreation, and markets, than another; and this in time must occasion a deterioration of the health of the inhabitants of those parts, and finally the depreciation of their property. It appears to us that all towns ought to be governed by a council of representatives, elected by the whole of the householders. Were this the case, the poorer occupiers of houses would have their wants attended to, and we should not find, as at present, almost every thing done with reference only to the rich. In Manchester, not only would gardens and places of recreation be provided in the interior of the town, but the cleanliness of dress and of the interior of houses would no longer be injured by the dark volumes of smoke now issuing from the chimneys of numerous engines, and covering every thing with soot. To the rich, who have for the most part country houses, or who look forward to having them, this is less an evil than to those in middling or poorer circumstances, who have no prospect but that of local and perpetual labour, and therefore they submit to it. In our preceeding article, we suggested a mode by which the soot might be deposited; but on conversing with an eminent engineer and proprietor of extensive engines and consequently smoky chimneys, in Liverpool, he assured us that the whole of the smoke might be consumed with very little additional trouble or expense, were the proprietors of engines compelled to do so. We are perfectly satisfied, from his information, that this might be the case; and that it only remains with the government to remedy this evil, whenever they think proper.
