The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-26 00:00:00

1?OCX COMMITTEE. The 'weekly meeting of this committee was held on Wednesday, at one o'clock. Mr. Rankin presided, and the Vier members present were—Messrs. lobinson, Maun, ittledale, Mendell Bold, Lockett, Brocklebank, Hubback, Anderson. 9 , Chilton, Gladstone, Rounthwaite, Clint, and Itathbone. 'r enders for t wo t ons o f co tt on w i c k for lamps from Messrs. John Murphy and Co. „ Th e sub-committ ee on ware h ous e management reported that the following amounts had been transferred to the general account for the half year ending the 24th inst. : From the Alb er t warehouses, £ 15,000 ; f rom t h e S tan l e y w atell °"see, £3,500 ; in all, £18,500. a A letter was received from Messrs. John and Thomas i ehtl a° ll , complaiuince of fines inflicted by the stipendiary ta!lstrate for dock obstructions. The writers stated that frotnaY purchased a cargo of palm oil, ex Charles Horsfall, j h “iessrs. Horsfall and Co., which was being discharged the Breamiey-Moore dock. The discharging commenced n_a the 9th, but the vessel got the cargo out faster than the "Ilhignecs could possibly remove it, and on Friday Mr. dMansfield inflicted a fine of £5, and costs, and on Wednes e. , I sr ' -v ea rn jug a second fi ne o f £l.O , and costs . The writers reKetnat only a reasonable time had been occupied in s i „,_ so large a cargo. of The Chairman th oug ht it was qu i te ou t o f t h e power b ye ..L vy omraittee to interfere unl es s they altered their l an T ( pe solicitor : It is not our bye-law; it is the law of the Mr. Robinson said it was in the power of the committee to 11 so a more • - 10ther ttnie. It might be a matter of enquiry too fast in this instance the vessel had not been discharged aPpar eut T be removed. All the accommodation given was si gn to relieve she ships, without looking to the eon_ at all r. - these ebback was very glad to find some notice taken of ./1 8 0;, a n". Many of the large American ships were it . e .,_'r?ed from three hatches, and at such a rate as made ^uolly Me w . 8 p ble for any receiver of the cargo to take it It vv i' is 0 quickly as not to incur a fine. He found also that g e t , very customary for some merchants' warehousemen to Ir the fines by using a little ,4 palm oil" with the not policemen.ea gave instructions to his own warehousemen bribe any any account to give one farthing, in the shape of a Lis to „ a ny policeman. He found, however, that many of 04-vieliaeo,urs got off, and . he could understand that the Police tney were relieved from the fines was by the „, Men receiving bribes. terer.. Robinson said that was rather a serious charge and Mr Gladstone upon the police. i er lvi r .,. Gladstone thought it well the matter should be re so,'" to the consideration of the sub committee, because in instances it had occurred to him that the fines ware ~,,,Z,ewhat arbitrary, Of course, however, Mr. Mansfield Ariu guided by the law, and had nothing to do with the allociPle of the fine. He often thought also that the time wed w as Mr. very short. Va s fr Isold said the usual amount of fine in timber cases t day ei n 2 s. 6d. to 103., and he thought £5 for the first Pgo a nd £lO for the second very heavy, in the case of a °f Palm oil. st ate r. Gladstone said the fine was usually regulated by the nient of the p oliopeman as to whether an actual obstruc leas caused noty. W er r• Ro unthwaite thought Mr. Mansfield was sometimes arbitrary in his fines. AT!, Brocklebank said it should be stated, in justice to quits ansfield, that the fines were found formerly to be th e laonerative, from their smallness, and the chairman of inapoe_orninittee waited on Mr. Mansfield to urge him to use more heavy fines. said 1 . ; Mondell bore out Mr. Brocklebank's statement, and nayi, was found in some instances that parties preferred Oa th g the fine every day to incurring the expense of rent. b at ground the chairman waited on Mr. Mansfield to sag e at --en to impose heavier dries. cie;:triolTadstone thought, if that were so, it settled the - t ree s ubject w as re f erred to t h e h ar b our master's nom -sittee. This con clad: a d the general business. DUTCH RHENISH .RAILWAY. The followi ng ex t racts f rom a report of the directors, tlate d the 15th of December, will sufficiently explain the difft the eulties the company have had to contend with as to large goods traffic flowing upon the line, consequently upon t he Junction with the Cologne and Minden company— "'tesPecting the traffic since the opening, to Prussia, we t u st state that we have been disappointed in the goods Z n l , f le , chiefly on account of the total want of preparation q l , i ' e r Part of the Cologne and Minden company, for a and regular transport of the same. After the a ub • tn ercus promises received from that company on the • Ject, after the communication of the protocol of the ot r e r re cee, held at Emmerich in 1854, we could not expec t ~';wise than that everythi ng was i n order on the part qo"L"-PUSSia, and this so much the more, because our ei v eroment had hastened to inform us of all the arrange 111s Which were required for the international goods of T h e e , and made a point of their completion as a condition oa st , Permission to open for traffic. Feeling fully in i t d, therefore, that a similar course had been pursued it i tz rus sia, our astonishment was the greater when in-th9:lediately appeared to us that nothing was prepared fr ee i s matter. For example, the whole system of the ttiti r Ps sage of goods' waggons through Emmerich was of t , e'y lost sight of, which, in fact, was the main object uoinue narrowing of the gauge, so that all goods had to be , • a, a!zled of Emmerich, in order to undergo the Customs ronlination. For this purpose, however, neither the Dld°erich goods shed, nor the entire station at that N va „ Wee calculated, so that in consequence more goods' o h :rus arrived than could be regularly expedited, and on Btandpr more than 100 un ex a m ined goods' waggons were Mos t ri g at Emmeri c h. Th e c onsequences have been been unfortunate for our traffic. Some lots of goods have c o t incre than t en days on their roa d f rom A m sterdam cale e b ° ,g.tte, Whilst in consequence of the before mentioned issu e d' lon, the Prussian customs' inspector at Emmerich Roods, an order not to allow any more than ten wh• ich orderfrontiers was totally at variance with the treaties . con tlatur;rWeen. the two governments. The direction have Ni'ret e LY used every effort to put an end to such a d state of affairs. We applied both . to the . H T om h : 'Gov ern " and to the Cologne and Minden Direction. Isent o , l went immediately took up the matter, and rep Nv e or ; mese difficulties at Berlin, to which representations ,goods ,P r obably indebted for the permission to expedite ...\vhil st ' l rect to the chief stations east of Obekhausen, .0-earn ~;°augmentation has been made in the personel at and t i e l "e, u• This last measure is, however, only palliative, p for the traffic to Cologne will not be m ov edNv gb , o before the direct transport to that place in closed the °3 is allowed. But even then, much is required on part of Us to n , the Cologne and Minden"Company to enable Roodo7mPete with the water communication, for as their to roo el l l 'affic is at pres en t arran ged, two days are required th. Cologne from Emmerich. r. Be titatin ts subject, also we have made numerous repre ‘jelo — ris both t o the Dutch Government and to the a nd Minden C om p an y, and we do not doubt of Dort 0/ su cceeding in effecting a regular and speedy trans which g ° °ds• But it cannot be denied that the delays 0 1 ha ve taken place have had a most prejudicial effect tro uble credit of t ffi which it will involve much Ur ra Ule tO re-eStabliBb. 41 - sail ed i 8 TRADIN G IN NEW YORK.—Another slaver has wat e h„,, N tn this port within a few days past. She was closely dete ct but the officers of the government were unable to Th e faanYthiug which would justify them in detaining her. I .l)Tir n et has already been noticed that in the estimates or liherctiations for the ensuing year, provision is made for a and th 311131 to aid in the suppression of this illegal traffic ; .er e ; 4 good reason to believe that the general govern lions 1-18 earnest in its efforts in this direction. Sugges out aye recently been made with the design of pointing t he 1 9 .1 4 n 1 i e w ay in which the fitting out of slavers in ports l o to f eo na ted States might be prevented. The proposa vessels When t in the African trade to take crews made up ,Veig t °J. native born citizens is no doubt entitled to much kno w i n ' , It is not likely that men of this character would engage in slave trading under the penalties to it i s `"eY would be liable, if the fact could be proved ; and iiill more improbable that such men would be wanted to th: n lose of this nature, for they would be too accessible th e officers of the law and too communicative to answer ar e ',.111.13Q8e. Portuguese are infinitely preferable. They fer e i -°vt °ga irrespcnsible, and friendless, converse in . a ) 4 4 1 , 1 to and when bonnd for the coast of Africa ee ttne 'llow their destination,employers, or any circumstances tes , r i, e , te d with their business. But there are still other kn ow - - "one which might prove equally Effective. As is well thi s 1 . 3 9 slave vessels are generally procured from parties in se titt ?,,ltY, but after leaving port seldom return, being burnt, th e or run ashore as soon as their c argo is landed. In na lte e P it lion of eminent legal authority, which we might bon and one who has devoted much thought to the subject, the alt should be given to the satisfaction of the collector of t hat 1-1-,3q by parties sending vessels to the coast of Africa heir ships shall return within a specified period ; and te r r. r ,"ne who knowingly engage in building, fitting out, th e I ,'"ing supplies, men, &c., for a vessel to be engaged in in usluve trade, Amid be punished for their participation i 5 our ° T i llie. The number of men concerned in this traffic erew.ilya.singty small. Even among the men composing their Pr e ,;,," I ,s not unusual to find one or more who have been there - "uslY detected in unlawful expeditions. Although te trl are some serious difficulties to be overcome in the at oh r , it still appears to be practicable to enact and enforce e .'. 4 we as shall carry consternation into the camp of these in w P h i.rtors, and redeem the national flag from the dishonour i lon they would so unscrupulously involve it—convert ,Le . New insignia of liberty into a cover far monstrous crimes. c 4 O York Journal of Commerce. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. LIVERPOOL RPORB MR. BENT, A NEST OF THIEVES.—Two young fellows,(well-known to the police) named John Finegan and Thomas Connor, were charged with having stolen a bundle, containing shirts, sheets, quilts, and a variety of personal linen ; and Harriet Watkins and Ellen Stretton, were charged for having received the property, with a guilty knowledge. The prisoners were in the custody of detectives Laycock and Smith, both of whom showed their usual tact in catching the parties. The facts of the case were as follows :—A Mrs. Ambrose, who resides at Halwood, Childwall, who keeps an extensive laundry, (her cus tomers reside in Liverpool) came into town on Tuesday evening with her cart, which contained a large quantity of clothes tied up in bundles, for delivery to the respective owners. The cart was left standing in Hood street, in charge of a bay, who, it appeared, for a m oment absented himself. The male prisoners were on the " prowl," and at once " dived" into the cart, out of which they took a bundle of clothes, and a basket containing beef, mutton, candles, and a variety of " good things," which Mrs. Ambrose was taking home to comfort her family at Christmas. A boy, named Peter M'Namara, saw the " move" and informed the officers, to whom he described the Prisoners; and the constables knowing them, they proceeded to the house of the female prisoner, Stretton, in Spitalfields, where they arrested all the prisoners, and found the whole of the property, mutton and all. The prisoners were fully committed for trial. CURIOUS CHARGE OF FORGERY.—George Alexander, described as a hoarding house keeper, living in Chartres street, was brought up by Constable 105, on a charge of having forged the name of William Kelly, a sailor, to a note, whereby he had obtained a sum of lOs from Mr. Martin, of 1, Paisley street, on the 12th of May last. Mr. Block defended. There was a confused mass of evidence given 'in the case, and if we set it before our readers it would make the confusion worse confounded; so in order not to give them the trouble of unravelling the plot, we give the narrative of the case as we could best collect it. It appeared that William Kelly is a sailor, and that he is in the habit of boarding (when in Liverpool) at a Mr. Thorns, and that he was also in the habit of leaving his advance note either with Mr. Thorn, or at whatever office he shipped, leaving directions for Mr. Thorn to be paid the amount. These notes are not payable for a certain time after the ship sails, and Mr. Thorn's custom is to let the notes lie at the office, until due, and then call and receive the amount. However, if the boarding master wanted money before the notes came to maturity, it seems he could " lift" as it is called, the notes, by allow ing certain discount, and so make use of, or pass them on to other parties as cash, for whatever terms the parties might agree on. Kelly went to sea in April, and his note was due on the 12th May ; on that day the prisoner, Alexander, presented Kelly's note, and also another for payment at Mr. Martin's office, and got the amount £5. The second note was right, and there was no controversy about it ; but the allegation was that the prisoner had forged Kelly's name, and also that he had procured the note by some means not explained. Mr. Thorn, on the 12th of May, sent his wife to Mr. Martin's, to receive the amount of Kelly's note—thinking that the note lay at the office all the time ; but when she went there, the prisoner came in with the note, and alleged that he got it fairly and as it was signed by Kelly , and paya ble to b3arer, Mr. Martin was of course, obliged to pay it, and to refuse Mrs, Tnorn. Nothing could therefore be done until Kelly came back, and on his arrival here, proceedings were at once taken against the prisoner. Kelly now swore that he did not sign the note, nor did he give it to, nor authorise the prisoner (about whom he knew nothing) to lift it. He told Mr. Thorn to get the amount in the usual way. In support further of the charge, two clerks, from Mr. Martin's office, proved the payment to the prisoner. On cross-examination by Mr. Block, one of the witnesses admitted that the prisoner called at the office a short time after Kelly sailed, and took up the note, paying eleven shillings for it, and that of course the note was paid when presented. Mr. Bluck : And you charged him the eleven shillings for it ? Yes, that is the usual rule. Mr Block : Was he allowed any part of that eleven shillings after ? No. Mr. Block : Pretty !fair rate of interest, eleven shil. lings for £2 10s. for a few days! That's the rule, sir. The other witness admitted that some one did come and pay eleven shillings for the note, but he could not say it was the prioner who diu so. Mr. Bluck : Now, sir, is this not the fact, that any one who called and paid eleven shillings for the note could have taken it up ? Yes, sir, that is if authorised to do so. Mr. Bluck : Will you swear the prisoner was not authorised to do so ? I will not, sir. Mr. Bluck said he was at a loss to know what the charge was ? The line of defence he then took was this. He produced a witness who stated that about the time Kelly sailed, a sailor called on his client (the prisoner) and represented himself as Kelly, saying his note was at Mr. Martin's. The prisoner advanced him money on the note, and then went and paid the lls for it, kept it till at maturity and got paid the amount. This was the case on both sides, and after some discussion the magistrates ordered the prisoner to pay back the amount of the note, as they were of opinion be did not get it rightly. Mr. Block protested against this, and dwelt on the innocence and honesty of his client, but the rule was made absolute, and the money was paid with great reluctance. THE Losz NOTES AFFAIR—In Monday's paper we gave a curious history of £45 in notes, which Mr. Sharp, of the Goree, happened to drop in Lord street. The details must te quite fresh in the readers recollection, and it will be remembered that James Mortimer, a watch movement maker, whose shop is in Basnett street, was stated to have absconded with £25 of the cash. Detec tective officer Sullivan was on the look out for him since, and on Tuesday evening he sent officer Astic to the prisoner's lodging in Shaw's brow, where he arrested him on the charge. The prisoner was brought up on Wed nesday, when Mr. Aspinall appeared for him. The officer said when he took the prisoner into custody he was drunk, and on telling him the charge was for stealing some bank notes, the prisoner said, " I have got none of them, but I know who has." The ~boy Green, and an apprentice of the prisoner were examined, and gave similar evidence to that already published. Mr. Aspinall contended that there was no offence proved against the prisoner, but the bench remanded him to Monday, when he will be brought up along with Riley, who stands remanded to that day. BEFORE MR. MANSFIELD, IMPORTANT TO SAILORS. George F. Hall, late a sailor on board the ship A. E. Soullard, summoned Captain A. Montgomery, the commander of that vessel, for a balance of wages. Mr. Campbell was for the com• plainant, and Mr, Almond for the defence. The case was not an ordinary one, and the decision will prove of much importance to sailors, as we believe it is the first case of the sort, adjudicated on, in reference to the particular point. To., facts are these : on the 161 September, on the voyage from Callao to Liverpool, a sailor named Leonard, stabbed the captain very danger ously, and the mate. A full report of this case appeared in our paper a few days ago, both under the head of Police and Assizes, as Leonard was tried at the latter, and sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment. When the captain was stabbed, he called on the crew to put Leonard in irons, but they refused. He gave them twenty-four hours to consider, but they still refused. He was dangerously ill for fourteen days, and only was able to crawl a few times on deck to take observations for the ship. At the end of the fourteen days, Leonard was got into irons, The present question arose in this way. The captain ofd that the prisoner and some others or the crew, not only used mutinous language, but that they refused to obey orders, and totally refused to put Leonard into irons, and it was alleged that he had thereby forfeited his wages under the act of Parliament. There were several witnesses examined pro and con, when Mr. Mansfield asked if the plaintiff had received any advance, and the captain said he had paid him two months. Mr. Mansfield ' censured the conduct of the portion of the crew who refused to assist the captain from the attacks of a murderous ruffs in, whom the captain would be justified in blowing his brains out. He mentioned a case in wleich a captain shot a sailor, and when the captain was brought before him he discharged him, as the captain was justified in shorting any ruffian who endangered life or ship by his conduct. He decided on stopping from complainant six days' pay for each of the fourteen days alluded to, and this was virtually a verdict for the captain, as the deduction would be more than even the amount sought. Before Mr. Mansfield retired for the day, he addressed the reporters, and said perhaps the gentlemen would be good enough to make a memoran. dum of a few observations. On the previous day a person named Connor was prosecuted by the Post Office authorities, and that person stated to the court that he had employed Mr. Bluck to defend him; that Mr. Bluck had deserted and left him iu the lurch at the last moment, and did not appear for him. This statement appeared in one of the papers, (The Daily Pest) and Mr. Bluck, it seemed, very naturally, telt most anxious about it, for if such a charge turned out to be true, it would seriously affect him. However, be (Mr. Mansfield) had ascertained the real facts to he as follows :—Connor retained Mr. Bluck to defend him. Some days, however, before the case came on for hearing, a difference arose between them in respect to the fee which Mr. Bluck was to receive. Mr. Bfuck had drawn 1 up briefs of the case, and it was arranged that the man I should undertake his own defence, Mr. Bluck handing NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY. him over the briefs and the fee he had already received at the same moment. It was only common justice to Mr Bluck to give this version of the case, and he was sure the gentlemen of the press would feel pleasure in publishing it. (Those who know Mr. Bluck, either in his professional capacity or as a private gentleman, could not for a moment imagine that he would act in any way dishonourable.) HEALTH COMMITTEE. Christmas Day falling on Thursday, the usual weekly meeting of this committee was held at half-past two o'clock, on Wednesday, in the Town hall, Mr. Dover in the chair. Other members present : Messrs. Sheil, Beckwith, Godfrey, Crosthwaite, Tinne, Johnson, Robertson Gladstone, Haydock, and Stitt. HEALTH OF THE TOWN. The medical officer of health reported that during the week, ending on last Saturday, 196 deaths were registered in the borough, being 42 less than the average of the corresponding week of the previous eight years, correctinc , for increase of population. The number of deaths in the parish were 140, and in the out townships, 56. Of 49 deaths, caused by diseases of the zymotic class, 10 were from typhus, 10 from scarletina (a smaller number than in any week of the previous three months, 9 from measles, 4 from hooping cough, 4 from smallpox (one after vaccination), 1 from syphilis, and I from influenza, being only the fourth death from this disease during the previous year. Diseases of the lungs caused 74 deaths, including 32 from consumption. The mean temperature of the week was 43 9 10 degrees, being 8 10th of a degree higher than the average. Rain fell on three days of the week; the total amount was 17.100ths of an inch. _ _ - • • The occupiers of several shops in Deane street, and also in Great CharlAte street, having complained of a most offensive smell in their premises, from a well in an adjoining passage which receives the contents of several wetter closets, it was ordered, for the removal of the nuisance, that the sewer in Deane street should be ex tended about 20 yards, at an estimated cost of £l5. The Borough Engineer, Building Surveyor, and Is• spector of Nuisances reported various particulars of the operations in their several department during the week, from which it appeared that 123 nuisances complained of by inhabitants, had been inspected, and means taken to remedy them. 1321 houses in the unhealthiest districts districts containing 4529 apartments, and 667 cellars, had been put under examination with the view of improving their sanitary condition, and 174 lodging houses had also been examined and reported upon. A deputation of the proprietors of the Abattoir, and for whom Mr. Townsend, solicitor, acted as spokesman, waited on the committee to complain that it was a general practice throughout the town for parties who had licenses to slaughter for their own purposes on their own premises, to violate the conditions of their license by slaughtering there also for wholesale purposes. They enumerated two instances in which this had been done, and declared that there was abundance of accommoda tion for slaughtering at the public abattoir. Mr. Marshall, manager of the abattoir said that there was plenty of room there now, but that they charged more for slaughtering than at the private slaughter houses. The charges, however, were fixed by the cer-- - poration, and were not exceeded. Mr. Townsend explained that the abattoir company solely had the privilege of slaughtering for wholesale purposes in the town, and that the corporation were bound to protect them in that right. On the motion of Mr. Godfrey, seconded by Mr. Crosthwaite, the offending parties were called in, and cautioned that if they again offended their licenses would be withdrawn . In reference to the late fire in Raglan street, Mr Newlands reported that the hydrant was in the position indicated by the mark in the wall, but that the fire man, mistaking the mark, had measured in the wrong direction, Mr. Beckwith asked if there had been received an invitation from the Water Committee to visit the Riv ington Pike and test the water? The Chairman replied that, in looking over his cards of invitation for Christmas, he did not see one from the Water Committee. (Laughter.) Probably it was mislaid. (Laughter.) The following reports were read : TREASURER'S DEPARTMENT, CORNWALLIS STREET• RE-ARRANGEMENT OF STAFF, The sub committee appointed to consider the re-arrangement of the treasurer's staff, which has become neressat y in conse quence of the recent changes which have taken place in that department, have been met by a deputation from the watch committee and the water committee. The subject in question having been fully discussed at a joint meeting, It was, resolved—That the following statement, ehowing the past and proposed arrangements of the staff, be approved and recommended for adoption : LATE STAFF Mr. Ashlin.. Mr. White .. Mr. Hlrdisty Mr. Wilson PROPOSED STA.YI £7OO Mr. White. 240 Mr. Hardisty, as chief 200 clerk 120 Mr. Crosby 120 Receiver at the Counter 120 10.5 Mr. Neilson 120 90 Mr. Hughes 85 Mr. Nicholson 80 Mr. Rogers 9O 80 Mr. M'Fadzen 801 Mr. Tyrcr . . 70 Mr. Lister . 26 , Mr. Mayer I Mr. Jones Mr. Crosby . Mr. Neilson . Mr. Hughes . Hr. Nicholson Mr. M'Fadzen Mr. Rogers... Mr. Owens Mr. Tyrer Mr. Jones £1996 1 £1706 Showing a reduction of £290. The treasurer having - reported that the situation of receiver of rates at the counter is at present held by Mr. Wm. Wilson, but that he is confined at home from ill health. It was unanimously resolved,—That it be referred to the health committee to take such steps as they may deem proper in reference thereto. _ _ The joint eub committee further recommend that satisfac tory security should be given by Mr Rogers £2so I Mr. M Fadzen. £ 250 Mr. Nicholson Mr. Hardisty at present finds security in the sum of £l,OOO, which is deemed sufficient, being the same as was given by his predecessor. Mr. Crosby finds security for £5OO, and Mr. Hughes for £250, which also appear to be sufficient. Tills LATE FIRE IN RAGLAN STREET. A report from Mr. Hewitt, euperintendant of the fire brigade, forwarded through the watch committee, was read, and the following reply thereto : In reference to the report of Mr. Hewitt, as to the plugs in Idris street, being covered during the late fire in Raglan street, The borough engineer begs to state that ho thinks Mr. Hewitt must be mistaken in the locality. The hydrant at the end of Raglan street was not more than half an inch below the surface of the paving, and was quite uncovered. The difficulty experienced in finding it on the night of the fire appears to have arisen from the firemen having mistaken the mark on the wall, which is a corner mark, and signifies that the hydrant lies in the direction of the angle, for one of the ordinary marks which signifies that the position of the plug or hydrant is opposite the mark in a direction at right angles to the wall. The health committee's workmen are instructed to pay particular attention to leave all plugs and hydrants visible, and the instructions will be repeated. _ _ . A copy of the report was ordered to bo sent to the watch committee. THE BOMBAY STONE TRANSACTIONS The following report from the borough engineer was read : In reference to the Bombay stones mentioned by Mr. Holme last week, the engineer begs to state that Mr. Holme must have been entirely misinformed as to the transaction. It was stated that the person offering the stones applied at Cornwallis street, and was sent to Toxteth Pa►k, where the surveyor informed him that the stones were too small, and sent him again to Cornwallis street, where he was told that the stones were too big, and was uncourteously used. Now, it should he stated first of all that the stones were not breakers, but broken stones, or, in other words, macadam. Secondly, the person offering them did not apply in the first instance at Cornwallis street. _ Whan he came there he stated to Mr. Davies that he had offered the stones to the Aigburth people, and they refused them because they were too small for them. Mr. Davies called the surveyor to go with the applicant to see the stones in bulk, as they appeared to him not to be what we call Bombay stones, and also because the samples exhibited allowed great irregularity in size—one stone being about throe inches and the other about one and a half inch square—and therefore quite unfitted for macadam. Before leaving the counter, however, it was stated that 6s. a ton bad been offered for them, when the applicant was informed that the price was out of the question. The price wo pay for well broken Bombay stones is 45. 6d. per ton. The committee then adjourned. ----,,...-.- ADELI'UI THEATRE.—On Wednesday evening (Christ mas Eve), the usual attraction of Boxing night was anticipated by a dress rehearsal of the Pantomime, and, if we may judge by the house, which was crammed from floor to ceiling, we have every reason to believe that " Beauty and the Beast" will not prove the least attrac tive of our local burlesques. For a first production every thing worked tolerably smooth, everything passing off highly satisfactorily. Miss Landon (late of the Theatre Royal), met with a most enthusiastic reception, which was evinced upon every occasion of her appearance on the stage ; her singing to sleep of the Beauty was a rich treat ; and Mrs. Bickersteth (from the Theatre Royal, Manches ter), not, only played the Beauty, but is a beauty in all she says and does. WEST DERBY UNION. 'rhe usual weekly meeting of the members of this board of guardians was held on Wednesday, at the board room, Mill lane, Everton. The Rev. William !Malin, the ch eir man, presided. The other guardians present were Messrs. Siddeley, Lunt, Wilson, Elias," H. Edwards,' W. Baynes, Abrahams, Mawdesley, Watkinson, I. Edwards, Johns, Craig, Patti, Davis, Sagar, Pickup, Shaw, Weniley, and Harrison. TIIR RETURNS The Clerk reported that he had examined all the books kept by the several officials of the union, and found them correctly made up. The Master of the Hospital reported that last week there were 120 patients in that establishment, since when twenty five had been admitted, seventeen discharged, and fire deaths. This week there were 123, and for the correspond ing week of last year there were 118. The Master of the Workhouse reported that last week there were 672 paupers in the workhouse ' • since then thirty three had been admitted, one birth, and sixteen dis charged. This week there were 690, and for the corres ponding week of last year there were 693. Cheques to the amount of £ , were voted for the relief of the out door poor, and also for the salaries of the officials. The Clerk stated. in answer to a ques ion put by a guar dian, that there was £2,00p in the bank, not quite half the amount required to meet the demands. THE FITZPATRICK DISPUTE At the last meeting of this board it was unanimously decided that in consequence of a certain appendix being placed to a medical certificate, namely, " this is getting medical orders with a vengeance," that Mr. Fitzpatrick, the medical officer in vesticn, should be ordered to attend before the board, and explain what he meant by adopting such a course of conduct, which was deemed by the board to be both offensive and impertinent; there woe also ano'her charge made against the same medical gentleman, namely, that of neglecting to attend upon a pauper patient (Duff•) ; and it was then decided that the two cases should be decided at one and the same time. Consequently, on Wednesday, Mr. Fitzpatrick, the medical officer,with Duffy, the pauper, were in attendance, and after the usual routine business had been disposed of, one of the officials of the union was requested to invite Mr. Fitzpatrick into the board room. That gentleman attended, and was invited to take a seat ; after which, The Chairman, with his usual conrtesy, explained to Mr. Fitzpatrick the offence the remark had given to the Board, and that it was unanimously considered as perfectly uncalled for, and not at all justifiable. Mr. Fitzpatrick then, with what some persons might censider impertinance, but others might attribute it to the impetousity of his temperament, asked the clerk to produce the certificate he had sent in on the previous week, observ ing that he could not explain the one without he had the other. The Clerk replied that he ha I not the certificate with him. The Chairman said, all that the board required was, " What was meant by the offensive words he had appended to the return ?" Mr. Fitzpatrick then requested the chairman to inform him, if there had not been a select committee appointed to investigate such cases as these, and why it was that he bad been the first medical officer who had been singlel out to have his name paraded before the public is the newspapers. The Chairinan said it was in consequence of the observe_ tions he had placed at the end of the return, the board unanimously beine , of opinion that such remarks were in_ judicious and uncalled-for.' Mr. Fitzpatrick said on that point there might be a 3ifference of opinion, as there was nothing in them that was unbecoming a gentleman, or derogatory to the profes. sion to which he belonged. The Chairman said he did not sit there to bandy words, or their meaning, with Mr. Fitzpatrick. All the board wanted was an explanation. Mr. Fitzpatrick then, with considerable volubility, and with marked emphasis on certain words, informed the chairman that he should not give any explanation of the words, unless he was allowed to give a f,311 explanation, and one to his own satisfaction, of all that had occurred. Ile would not be in the sligh est degree tramm , lied or fettered in the language he used, so long cs he did not go beyond the bounds of decorum, er use such words that were unbecoming a gentleman, or derogatory to the professioi to which he belonged. If he was not allowed to state all that he had to say, without being fettered; he should sit down and leave the room, and apply to the Poor Law Board to send an Inspector down to have a Lull investization into the matter. After some further energetic conversation had taken place, as to the etiquette of the discussion, The Chairman said he should insis giving an explanation of what he meant on Mr. Fitzpatrick Mr. Fitzpatrick then, with much energy and a con siderable amount of tautology, proceeded to explain that the reason he wrote those words to the report which had been considered as offensive was, that on the week preced ing he had received an order to attend upon a pauper, named Taylor, at the extreme end of his district, at eleven o'clock in the morning, and at half-past one o'clock he had attended to the order, when he found that the pauper had died on the previous night, so that when he went the man had been dead eighteen hours, thus charging the relieving officer with neglectinv , his duty. This latter observation was strongly denied by i' all the guardi ins in at!'endance, and after a little sparring between the awuss.d and the accusers, the scene waq put an end to by The Chairman asking Mr. Fi'zpatrick if he intended any impertinence or disrespect towards the board when he wrote those words to the return ? That gentleman replied that be most certainly did not intend to be offensive or disrespectful to the board, and the board, through their ch iirman, accepted that as an apology, and so ended the firs charge. The man Duffy was then called in, and as it had been stated that Mr. Fitzpatrick had refused to attend upon him, he, in answer to the chairman, sail, that when Mr. Fitz patrick called to visit him he was out, and did not return for ahout a qu irter of an hoar ; and th it when, on the next day, he called at the surgery, Mr. Fitzpatrick refused to have anything to say to him In answer to this charge Mr. Fitzpatrick said, that when be called et the house he found two women there, one of whom was smoking, and that they told him that the man was out, arid never said that he would b 3 in shortly, if they had he should have sat down and waited until he came in, but from what they said he was satisfi.?ii that he called before he was expected, and that the man was out of the house, therefore he went away. When the man called upon him at his house he did not appear to be in pain, and he would not attend upon him, and from what had taken place he thought he had acted in a proper way. It was not his practice to call upon people a second time, when they were from home the first. The Chairman here read a certificate from Mr. Hol lows of the Old Swan, who had attended upon the pauper since Mr. Fitzpatrick had refused to do so, and he stated that he was suffering from "acute rheumatism and inflame tiou in the bladder," therefore the board were of opinion that he should have been attended to when he called at the surgery.. . . . . - Fi.zpatrick, on bearing that certificate, said he should be prepared to prove that this man, whom the guardians bad employed to attend the man, had been endeavouring to get persons to conspire together against him, there was no person suffering from acute rheumatism and inflAmation in the bladder could have walked to his surgery, and that the certificate given was false, and the person who gave it was not qualified to judge of such eases. He also went on to say tbat he did not think it was his duty to look after the poor, when he did not do so to other patients. To this last assertion the Chairman replied amidst the applause of the board, that the poor had as much right to be attended upon as the rich, and should have the same attention, and concluded by asking the medical gentleman, whether, supposing the Mayor of Liverpool had called upon him, to give him a visit, and that upon his going the Mayor had been out, and then supposing the Mayor had called at his surgery, whether he would have been treated as that popr man had been ? Mr. Fitzpatrick replied, that he would cot call a second times on any patient. Mr. Olney . , the relieving officer, then gave some brief explanation relative to the case brought forward by Mr. Fitzpatrick, which was perfectly satisfactory. Mr. Harrison moved, and Mr. Baynes seconded a reso- Ixtion to the effect that Mr. Fitzpatrick was deserving of the censure of the board, for not having afforded medical relief to the man Duffy, when he called at the surgery. This was unanimously adopted, and thus that part of the business concluded. THII NEW WORKHOUSES. The following report was then read from Mr. Arthur Ilohne TO THE CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE OF GUARDIANS OF THE WEST DERBY UNION " Liverpool, December 13th, 1856 " Gentlemen,--In accordance with your instructions, I have carefully surveyed the buildings in Mill.lane, with a view to their present and future extension, to meet the in- creasing wants of the union unders open Br Gentlemen "1 have to report-1, upon the present buildings. 2, [low they can be extended. 3, Cost of extension. 4, Effect of extension. 5, Whether it would be advisable to erect a new workhouse on a more suitable and extended site. "First.—lt appears that the present buildings, situated on the northwest side of Mill lane, Everton, was erected about fourteen years ago ; at which time the inmates num bered about 208, and for which there would no doubt be sufficient accommodation. " The buildings are substantially built with brick, and stone dressings ; have been both light and airy, although there does not seem to have been any attempt at elassifica tion, beyond the mere separation of the sexes. _. " Th) original space occupied by the buiidings did not extend beyond the stables and piggeries, which are now however, not far from the centre, in consequence of the extension of the land, and the erection of bays', girls'. and infants' schools. Laundry and wards over, hospital and other buildings (see plan). It appears in the female section an addition has been made to the dry rooms and dormitories by lengthening the wing into the women's yard. " The house is in good order, and clean in every depart ment, and the sewerage ssems to have been properly con , structed, and the ventilation well attended to. " Second Extension.—lt is found that the number of inmates has been gradually on the increase from 208 to 787 in the 14 years that the building has been occupied; the highest number being 787, and the lowest within the last few years 590; the average being 688, the annual increase being 34. The original structure not having b for more than half the 'Umber now in the hour buildings have been raised from cies of the case demanded ; it od that a lar, is now 0., .ge portion of what a rendenn design further accommodation without fore, be readily icult t airing grounds, and affecting the light and tree circulation of air. On reference to the plan which I have prepared to illustrate this report, it will be seen that, in order t( for the wants of the male side, I have proposed to ( a wing 82 feet long by 24 feet wide, a viz., ground floor, day rooms, two up --this would provide space for 60 additional of the day rooms. The smith's shop, now or be easily removed to a more suitable po " The next extension very much req and children's departments provide site, c This can be provided I raising one or two stories over the laundry and nurseries This would:give 35 beds, for 72 children, on one floor, with out any alteration in the rooms below. The hospital is merely a shed, never intended for its present use, and quite unfit for occupation, as there is not any possibility of separating medical, surgical, or other cases. It is also imperfect as regards ventilation ; in fact, it appears strange that the inmates have escaped hospital and other favors in such a confined and unhealthy range of sheds. " This section should be entirely removed, and a new building erected, having proper reception rooms, nurses', bath, and operating rooms, with classified wards for the different cases. As the space at your disposal is small, I advise that this structure should be two stories high. warmed, and properly ventilated. " An additional space might be obtained, on the female side, by the further extension of the wings ; but I am afraid it would very much interrupt the space of the airing yards, already reduced by former erections, and obstruct that free circulation of air so essential in buildings of this character. " I consider the present position of the stables and pig. genies as very objectionable, being near the dining hall, and other occupied buildings. lam not prepared, however, to say where they could be removed, unless additional land is purchased behind the schools and hospital. The kitchen and domestic part is badly arranged, and too much cur tailed for such an establishment. " Third—Cost of Extensions— The cost of the extension to the male side, three stories, would be about •• • • The cost of constructing new rooms over the laundry, strengthening tie roof, &o. The cost of erecting new hospital, with proper accommodation, as described . £1,040 0 0 800 to 900 The total cost would therefore be about 2,500 0 0 " Fourth.—Efect of Extension.—These extensions would provide additional accommodation for about four or five years, at an expense of say £1,700, the cost of the hospital not included. It ,is, therefore, for the board to consider, how far it would be judicious to carry out these proposed buildings, on the present limited space, or whether it would be better to purchase land at the back, for a more extended and permanent provision. In doing so, however, it must be borne in mind, that the buildings are already much de tached, and difficult to superintend, which would be further increased, if extended beyond the line of the present bound ary. It, therefore, becomes worth consideration. 6 ' Fifthly.—Whether it would be advisable to add only to the present 'buildings, so far at is absolutely necessary, and to provide a more suitable and cheaper site on which to erect a new building, capable of meeting the wants of this rapidly-increasingiinion Inept at a very high r rchase of cheaper la, o be, difficulty of a an extent as would adUnit of out-door labour and employment. " The erection of a building with proper classification and capable of future extension, without interfering with the integrity of the plan, as regards proper superintendence, classification, light, or ventilation. "Should theb-dardians decide upon the extension of the present bnildi 'g upon_the plan sug, requisite pleas, s the course of six i " Trusting tho s from _port may ested in t and teu may be ready in ,tore, I remain, our obedient servant "Annum. HILL HoLmu, Architect." TO THE CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTER OF GUARDIANS OF TIE Esr DERBY 'UNION. '• Liverpool, Dec. 22, 1856. " Gantlemen,—At your meeting, held hero on the 19th instant, having been requested further to consider the best position for the hospital, stables, and piggeries, on the pre sent land, I beg to state that I have prepared a plan, marked No. 2, on which the hospital is placed at the end of the new wing, or man's extension, and the stables piggeries, &c.; on the site of the present boys' hospital. " It will be seen, on reference to the drawings, that the whole of the workshops, stables, and piggeries are placed in such a position, that they will form a blank wall next to the boys' playground, the windows, doors, and yard for those buildings being tamed away from the schools,and facing the The materials of the present stables, &c., would of course be re-used, so that the expense, in my opinion, would not be more than £250, to carry out this very necessary and important removal. The large space which would be left open where the workshops and stables now stand. would give ample room for the new hospital, besides opening up a free passage for air and light to the main buildings. " I am not prepared to submit any plans for the hospital at present, as, before doing so, I should prefer having a consultation with the governor and medical officers, in order to arrive at the amount of accommodation required ; but, I may state that I am of opinion that the site now proposed would give great facilities fa supervision and inspection, being near the main building, at the same time having a distinct and separate entrance yard, &o. The cost of the hospital would of course depend upon its extent. —I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant, "ARTHUR HILL HOLMIC, Architect." After some conversation, and the propositions of several ammdments, it was decided, on the motion of Mr. Lunt, seconded by Mr. I. Elwards, that the subject of the report should be considered that day fortnight. The Board then adjourned. 4 WHY SAILORS DESERT FROM AMERICAN SHIPS, peculiar hard Amore cow, of tt thing mor concl on to v mots to architects ha and library architect at its rating suffrag made s stands 11 thes carp pull ur Aution regard to the derate the al ever, thA there The desertion of seamen from Americ an merchant ships in foreign ports has latterly, we regret to say, become an event of frequent occurrence. Last summer a rather remarkable case of this kind took place in England. Several sailors, who had contracted on American soil for the voyage out and back, absconded from their vessels at North Shields in the River Tyne, and thus violated the engagements to which they had voluntarily become parties, in this, their native or adopted country. When the details of this case first reached us, we could perceive no valid - excuse for such conduct on the part of the absconding seamen, and at once denounced it as unjustifiable and criminal—nay, we went so far on that occasion, as even to cry out for a remedy for an evil which appeared equally in: jurious to the interestsof our shipowners and our commerce. In this particular instance the conduct of the sailors was probably what we described it ; but our subsequent expe rience in cases of a similar class has led us to the conclu. Bien that oppression on the part of ship's captains and their subordinate officers too often constrains seamen to abscond from their vessels and violate their engagements. The Liverpool correspondent of the London Times, in a recent communication, reports shameful things of some officers of American merchant ships that have visited that port. Outrages by officers of United States' vessels, as well on the high seas as in the Mersey, are, according to him, of common occurrence. Seamen, he assures us, are not un frequently seen to jump into the river on the arrival of our ships, that they may swim ashore and escape the brutality of our mates. Nor is this the worst. Numerous cases are admitted into ,the hospital in which men have been beaten, he asserts, " within an inch of their lives " while for several days before the commuication in question was penned, Mr. Mansfield, the stipendiary magistrate of Liverpool had been engaged in the investigation of charges against three of the mates of the American ship Ocean Monarch, and hearing evidence which disclosed a series of atrocities of the most dreadful and disgusting nature. The result of this investigation was that the three officers A excite with the Chester ; amenable to a wl- mischievous pi ward with people volu intolerable tt public eneou case one o ism) naively a were found guilty, and- fined in proportion to their respective criminality. Now, these cases reveal a state of things which is not less discreditable 'to our national character than injurious to the interests of our commer cial marine. Of course, such disgraceful conduct is far, very far from being characteristic of the officers of our mercantile navy as a class. But there can be no question that it is too extensively prevalent among them, and that in every case where it exists it not only induces desertion on the part of our seamen, but renders desertion under such circumstances justifiable and excusable. Let there -be only less of tyranny and brutality on the part of our officers and :they may depend on it that there will be less desertion and more fidelity to their several engage meals on the part of our seamen.—New York Paper. Winiftj,‘=fta,.....al LIVERPOOL LIBRARY COMPETITION A careful perusal of the proceedings of the Liverpool Town COuncil, as reported in last week's Building News, brings one to the unpleasant conviction, that the evils of our present system of ercbitectural competition are every day becoming worse and worse. They have at last shed their malignant influence over Liverpool itself—the very city of art patronage, sans pear et sans reproche ; and, as poor Haydon declared it, " the Florence of England." Mr. Allow, the author of the design, " Con Amore," belongs, we belie- "n Rorql Institute of British Architects,' to [lop . body we may Our - bus . but with Liver gher game still) the candid ent sys -Z26,000." S, opotent, and ti for months, and learning (at an pet ing architects) what they one► eon ven —that £20,000 was a sun] titter's , it setion of th coolly added .e6 - .000 to their es after all, their corporation surveys phrase of a councilman, " the derni_i whose prolific noldle they are to 100 l problem, which other architects hay in vain—tnalgre the unlucky little 1 ave known quate to the reali tion surveyor was the council broke up, that said ( authorised to—what do our res We Know no an architect to assist him )!e have now iscovered that, to apply the rehitects lution of a it hands at ozed out ere repute) of Mr. Allom ; we know noth ng (save by what we learn by the foregoing proceedings ; and that best of all possible authorities in this matter, Mr. Picton, the architect chairman himself, who, it is gratifying to see, has kept his fingers and his cloth unsullied by the pitch and tar with which this unlucky business has become smeared, asserting, up to the very last of it, that —" The plan was acknowledged on all hands to be the best; that it could, by an alteration, be brought within the means at their disposal ; that it was satisfactory to Mr. Brown, who had given them nearly one half the cost; and that there was no solid substantial objection to it. • * * The surveyor's report was, that the plan " Con Amore " was in every way the best for their purpose." The town surveyor may be, for aught we know, quite equal to the architectural emergency, to meet which he has been called on by the ruthless Town Council, but he can hardly be expected in fairness to jump down his own throat, for the request of his taskmasters is to a cat call for the performance of t 556 0 0 assured them " the plan of ' C on A I - post tantamount Having Ls in every way the best for their purpose," what is the poor man to do:—produce a beater ? It says little for the architectural' intelligence of our times to find two men of such known experience as Mr. John Stewart and Mr. Samuel Holmes lending their names to the perpetration of such an absurd farce as being enacted—that of attempting to get building by the process of consn' a good public iting one of i and con a trnctio about the planning _ ..., and ano ther about its facade or architectural expression. The better sense of these gentlemen will surely show them that nothing good can possibly be got at by such a miserable system of patchwork. To us it really would appear that the only logical step for the town surveyor to take, is to return the design of " Con Amore" to the council. If it must needs be curtailed to £26,000, Mr. Allom is the most likely person to know how to do it ; and if there is nothing for it but the pro duction of anew and cheaper design, he has proved himself the fittest person to produce it. This v for the architecture of Liverpool out of pure re mate erec new libra ,s pres, Allom. The Liverpool corpo granted that the mere paymen them of all obligation to the ~ how- of prem •dly be conceived prone to rush into psi We will venture to ray nk so low as to compete for E fessional public status they feel an only be atta day for English art when our repressing, by continued b generous--so truly hon, have fall pressum seems of Liverpool, who, witt works of Wood Elmes, of La ," who, after an, is I give them anything under As to the right of the C mium of £l5O in the face of the c right to the design by virtue of its PI words, y the vot protection for architects ag y enriched son, of £30;00 titions, it is high time there should be one provided. We that in the case of a town club house competition, a competitor, who declined to part with his design on these terms, had it returned him—accompanied, neverth e l ess , w i t h a cheque for the amount of the offered premium ; and in the Competitions Code of the Architectural Association there is, if we remember rightly, an express provision against the very trap in which Mr. Allem appears to have. been caught. If the Royal Institute of British Architects will do nothing for him, his brother architects ought, at least, for their own sakes, to enter a strong protest against the proceedings of the Liverpool people, who seek now to avail themselves of a picked design, produced with every bawd of failure, for a paltry remunera tion, short, by a hundred pounds at least, even of that pay to which its author would have been entitled had he been simply employed to prepare them, sans any of the risks of competi tion, and wish, therefore, a certainty of being paid for his services. If, on the contrary, our architects are to tacitly put up with this affront, we ask,.where is it to end : are they prepared to sanction by their silence the monstrous assumption that competition premiums, with nothing beyond them, are to be their guerdon "in full payment of all demands" on future committees ? This question should be promptly and plainly replied There is in this Liverpool case one peculiar feature, and we cannot con clude these remarks without noticing it. After having sub. jected Mr. Allom to the ordeal of a public competition, the Town Council now set themselves up to decide, forsooth, upon We shall not that gentleman's eminence as a _ condescend to enter into the question, but we raise onr Liverpool, Barry as a question at all, and against the lved in it. Elmo has built in t Westminster, ly chose a c if they seek to orePerye ,hey have made their bed tions a Leir fair Du at Hunt (RATIO advanced Thn I Bittonstration against the Ina lace about the middle of next ttpacious place which can be y xlieve,"from what we kn ame, at , ourney aking for the in r to seal the door •erpool Ley must, great popoular CIE BARON WARD.—Bar of Parma, and Regent to the possessed of princely estates in Howden, in Yorkshire_ anri n this very me Minister boy, and served as went to Italy Baron Lowenber . afterwards, on his a Parma, in whose household he most important position in th Manager. THE strely commit the is not with !oture, and ;fish Architects of competition. • imagine any 'o7 than the the of sketching, pie have arrived. Some hundred ject of a museum mittee, with an led sixteen ofthe lern to