The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-12 00:00:00

POISONING OF A LADY, BY STRYCHNIA, AT LEEDS ADJOURNED INQUEST ON THE BODY (FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.) , TUESDAY. This mo rn i ng at eleven o'clock th LEEDSe prisoner, Mr. W. 13° Yel was brought np on rem an d a t th e police court, before the mayor and a full bench of magistrates. The court was ranch crowded in the expectation that the facts of the case Would be gone into, but on the prisoner being placed at the b ar, the coroner's clerk rose and said he had t o apply to the bench for a further remand, on the ground that the inquest BAse body o f M rs. Dove was still pending. After a short altation amongst the magistrates the prisoner was agalt in remanded to Thursday morning. appeared from the antecedents of the accused that for '`'Me Years back he has displayed an eccentric, if not a mischievous, disposition. He is the only son of the late M t • ehrietopher Dove, formerly a currier in Park-square, r - l!cls • Ilia father during his life time was a strictly every ous man, and was in the habit of having prayers read tbe Horning at his place of business, when the whole of alw ays m his employ, in addition to the family, were stead p At this time the accused was exceedingly Slid of a serious turn of mind. When fe eie • e e ighteen years of age he evinced a disposition for 1,174, 14 g Pursuits, and was placed in the family of a farmer oodhouse, near Normanton. Unhappily, whilst these ee t e e tn,s .propensities displayed themselves, he was con --"‘iY Involved in all kinds of mischievous tricks. On one placed a daughter of the farmer in whose house he was ,e l eeed at Woodhouse, having done something which dis- L e sed him, he threatened that he would be revenged upon te.erin.d. one evening, after the young woman had retired to Cate' end he succeeded in getting hold of half-a-dozen a - " , and, after tieing their tails together, he threw them NI the bed • th in wh ic h she was sleeping. The consequences h e Young woman were very serious, and several months - e ...."Pled before she recovered from the shock. On another il, Sion, he had a quarrel with a neighbouring farmer, and, he evenin g , whilst the farmer's cows were in the field, e obt a i ned a quantity of phosphorus, which he rubbed all ov er the different beasts. 1 e ki l lele are several important witnesses yet to be examined, 1 , 1 ..‘ is not expected that the case w i ll term i nate before may The evidence will, very likely, terminate to olo'4lW evening; after which, we learn that the coroner iwrlratisea, u sg p ain to adjourn to Thursday morning, when he to the t i ther We understand that no evidence th• be,adduced inquest on behalf of the prisoner ; hia that, in the event of an adverse verdict, the defence on e ad Lai will be that of insanity, and that several medical T i !ther witnesses will be examined in support of it. tiedt im portant evidence given in this case by Mr. Morley of tee ulr• Nunneley, th e s u rg eons, has excit e d the attention le a " f riends of William Palmer, of Rugeley, and we v4 ; 1 1 1 that at the present time they are in communication veite mee the se gentlemen, relative to their being called as 0047 8 , e i▪ n Palmer's trial, in the case of Mr. John Parsons /Ta o , &Ile evidence given by Messrs. Morley and as to the detection of strychnia in the human I mil -- J o a .... fter death, is in direct opposition to the theory pro elete.mett by Professor Taylor, who has given it as his tt e te - mbe that its discovery at all is doubtful, and in no case 1,.` 1 :, very few hours subsequent to death. On the other e i V i kl , Messrs. Morley and Nunneley, who stand very high eta as as analytical chemists, has positively and distinctly lito...et hot they discovered the presence of strychnia in the mach Mrs. Dove, as late as the fifth day after death. phi following is the conclusion of yesterday's evidence, A I P S given after my parcel was dispatched : net l: p upil of Mr. Morley, was the ne• h e OM Ell o ts OD, ese called. He said : I know Mr. Dove, S _ ilb i • c e n Mr. Morley h as a tt en d e I M rs . D ove d ur i ng her had"' He has called at the surgery frequently. We have e°conversations about poisons. The first conversation 4 e ld b . e about a month ago. He asked me the effect of 1 7 , h ma upon man, but I can't tell you the exact word . s. tiesteeetwed him aa account of strychnia and its effects, in " Materia Medics." I got the book and showed b u a lin s place. He read it, not aloud. He mentioned that nouse was infested with cats, that he wanted to kill. sek u tsll,hked for some po i son to k i l l them, as he sa id t h at g a h e t poison was t h e b est means o f destroy i ng t h em . -"lothele r at, h e as k e d me for some strychnia in one way or a C oroner • I gave him s om e ; a b ou t t en gra i ns . I t was i n it, Piece ~ of white foolscap paper, and I wrote " poison" upon . i t e, o „ - L Said he was to take care of it. Mr. Dove called again mt a week afterwards. He said that he bad poisoned mte cat, but that the rest of the poison had been washed Z h w aY by the rain, and that there was another cat about the .--ee • I think he said, " I'll set same more if you'll give it M ei" or words to that effect. I gave him five grains more ;of strychnine. He said, " I think you had better write „Pc?jeolf upon it, had'nt you ?" and I did so . I don't reeol ii" anet thing else. I have not had any conversation with aittee that time relating to poison, his wife's illness, or 44 death. i s h By Mr. Barret : I think the poison was first mentioned iv conne ction with Palmer's case. Did not he say we have : s tile cats that are an annoyance to the house, and we wish . remember'poison them ? Something to that effect. I do h n at t i t arsenic being mentioned, but I won% swear that . w aa DOt • but I can swear it was not mentioned vili!eference to Palmer's case or cats. e ra cq ?la William Scarth, pupil of Mr. Morley, was next / :tuned; He said : I know the prisoner, William o, e. atr e c e t e : moer the last witness saying he had given Dove Tlfra,--7,• I thins it was about four weeks ago. I saw ball'''eve a fortnight ago to-day. She was in bed, par tow)! undressed. She had these spasms and musen'ar 45f 4:eactions. I noticed she bad twitching of the muscles t cget face t and when that occurred the teeth were brought h, and p awls.the fingers bent towards the palms of the cra ze f The head was thrown back slightly. Mr. Dove Las e Z r ed lar• Morley. I was at the medical ;school, and , a vay to the surgery, and there found Mr. Dol . re. him . '',. ‘ alorley was absent 1 was fetched, and returned with were u;', n . o ur way, I remember his saying, "If my wife coronet 'tie would there be a coroner's inquest, or would the cot s require an examination ?" I said I believed the de:tree Jurisdiction only extended to accidents, sudden as e x es' or Poisoning. Then he said, would Mr. Morley have had t i n l 'mation. I said, most likely, because he generally atopee_e examinations. Nothing was said about a pot req u i r ' e .,. When I said most likely Mr. Morley woul d Neve r cc 7: e xamination, he said, " I am sure my wife . would itailtttinrafaaera9lity.)o' NI said, " I know you have an antipathy, Slid to one in your father's case." He IfTl.'t_tabstance that he should have an objection. I saw *twee ki n d again on the Thursday night. She then had the rc ti e rl e st t of attack, but more violent. She was sensible. asking her whether she felt any pain between the and B, Shoulders 2 la the cheat as it were, when the attacks were on, foi tke l said she did, very violent pain. I also asked if she e t,.at the mouth and bit her teeth, and either she or fiv e tc " l thain said she did not. I remained with her from *bee 11l u minutes. I don't think she was getting easier oliv e 4 e, f t• Elletson did not tell me that he had had a kno ve rs h a ttort with Dove about Palmer's case. I did not s tryeb ▪ a day or two ago that Dove had received - t - J ett _ vrice.eeeini:s peacock, surgery-boy to Mr. Morley, was then re tac e d• I have known Mr. Dove since December last. w eeks ember a conversation with him about a month or five leek ee ego• He ordered me to make the medicine. He the : 4 on the shelf and saw " tart. of antimony," and at • hi e ' l l , 4 pe ti.me said, "This is what, I suppose, Palmer killed se ke "e With." I made no observation upon that. On the th ee Shelf there was strychnine. He said, " I suppose Ile s _e.atlit test strychnine ?" I said, " Yes, they can." ete e g°l " • They can test all minerals and vegetables except kr; Morley a second tim e ; an d I sa id, "Yes, they can, for Pois e , "eY tested it in the stomach of a young woman who le . l .„,ed he rse lf , at New Road End. " I was present when fies r C l etson gave Mr. Dove the second strychnine, not the death It would be about a fortnight before Mrs. Dove's Ste mnm H 8 called and said he wi s h e d t o h ave some more ate mi e, as he had kill e d one cat ; that he had put some A vef nine on some meat, that one cat had got some and eh, °and dead. These were the only two occasions that I head Mr. D ove say anything about poison. qhflr• Thomas Nunneley, F.R.C .S.E., of Leeds, was then e:ll:tined, and at great l ength described the symptoms the ti of e e e e aeed exhibited, and generally corrobo ra t e d t h e ev i dence ofef Morley as to the discovery of strychnia, i n th e b o d y deceased, pronounci ng as his deliberat e o pi n i on t h at chnia was the cause of death. itt telY Elizabeth Fi s her, single wom an , was then examined: I ei lived as servant with Mr. Dove, i n C ard i gan Place. efore I left, Mrs. Dove had been confined to her bed, but h i 'leyer saw any twitchings. I knew that there was poison p a t i ll e house, but did not know what it was, but that there ek ' P(4 ° ll . On the 10th February, Sir. Dove said he was i te ln eg to Mr. Morley's for medicine, and he would bring tat: Bn rne poison to kill the cats. We were troubl d ed .t w w it a h s eaten and they came in and ate some fish. I said troubled b Y the rats, but Dove said cats. We were not oled with them, they only came across the wall. When h e s ra a e back f rom M r. M or l ey ' s, on the 10th Fe b ruary, aak e 4 - he was going to give the cats some poison, and tw ee me to giv e hi m a pl a t e . I di d so. He then put poiacitixteat on th e plate, cut the meat open, and put some °un.etweett. He then took the plate out and put it aor ae a.°g kennel. H e a l so gave me a pi ece of cheese, with told 4, -°4°4 °n it, to put in my bed-room t o kill t h e mice. He 'Z elda een the 12th that the m ea t wa s gone . On the said e Y) the llth as it rained on the Monday, Mr. Dove ta eat :e doubt the rain had washed the poison out of the the Un lie said h e would give the cats some more poison. In Us P riday, he ask e d me if I h ad seen any. I sa id no. / a or _ e vening of that day, between eight and nine o'clock, the kit'ciferneywlnilowhite cat in the yard, dead, underneath dead , t :ad, and that it . f When I told him I had found e wh ich e had lightened me very much, he asked and whit °I them : the grey and white one, or the yellow ash e one ? I told him it was the grey and white one. th e Me on S a t ur d ay morning that he had buried it in • the yel l s lace ; and I saw no more of the cat, the poison, or sea th e w mid Whit e cat. Mr. Dove told me that he kept - s on he ar hoz in his razor box, but I never went to look. His Yr kept up stain on the bedroom ohiumeypieee. + , le prisoner, THE NORTHERN I left on the Tuesday following the 19th of February. Mr. Dove said nothing more about it to me. During the tims I had been with Mr. DJVC his conduct had been very violent. He would swear at Mrs. Dove, at d if she said anything that he did not like, he would strike her. I have heard him threaten her. Ile said that he would do for both of us, either one way or the other. He came to live in Leeds about the 21st of December. He got drunk. In about a fortnight ho came home one night, between seven and eight o'clock. He went into the room where Mrs. Dove was. The bell rang, I went upstairs, and Mrs. Dove said, " Look, Mr. Dave has come home drunk." He asked her " Why she had called me upstairs to tell me that for ?" and she said, "Because, when you was at Normanton you promised you would not get drunk when you went to Leeds." He said," Never mind, I'll do your job for you, Gne way or another." She then said she would go to bed. He would not let her, and she slept with me that night. Some time after he got drunk again, and came home about a quarter to two o'clock. She 'said, Oh, William, you say you want your dinner at half past twelve, and it is now a quarter to two." He said, " Never mind ; mind your own business, else I'll do your job for you." He ordered me out of the room, and I went and sat on the kitchen I steps. I hadn't been there long before Mrs. Dove screamed three times. I went to her assistance, When I got into the room, I saw Mr. Dove holding one of her arms with his left hand, and a carving knife in the right hand. He says, " You are a d—d w—, and was before I married you." I heard him sharpening the knife on a steel before I entered the room. I went up to him and said, "If you dont be quiet l'll knock up Mrs. `Witham to come in," and took up the poker for that purpose. He then left go her arm, got his dinner and went out. He came home between eight and nine in the evening, and when he came home Mrs. Dove was down in the kitchen. I went and opened the door to him. He asked where she was ; I told him, and he came down. As she "nipped" up to go up the stairs, he struck her on the side of the head as she was going upstairs. He followed her, and I too, with a candle, up into the garret, where she fainted. He got some brandy for her, with which I rubbed her lips. About six weeks ago, on a S tturday night, he said he had got £5 from the executors, and on the Sunday Mrs. Dove said, " William you are not going to take all that money to chapel with you ;" and he said, " Never mind ; I have hid it out of your way." On the Monday he came home drunk. She asked him what he had done with the £5, and he said he had drunk some of it. She asked him for some mor ey, and he said he would sooner give it to anybody else than to her. On the Tuesday he was going out, and she said, " Don't go out, William ;" and he said " You hold your tongue, or I'll give you a pill that will do for you." He was abusive when ho was sober, sometimes, if anything was said that did not suit him. On the Tuesday after the Saturday he had the £5 note, she said to me, " If I die at any time, I should wish my friends to have my body examined." She has told me that before, and since, in his presence. She said to me, " Elizabeth, come in here, I wish to speak to you. Now, if I should die at any time, and you are away from me, it is my wish for you to tell my friends to have my body examined." She has repeated that several times in my presence. On the 19th instant she missed a book—" The Magazine of Arts"—which belonged to him. He said he had given it away, but he would not tell her to whom. She said it could not be anybody of any good, or he would tell her. He then said, " I wish you was' dead, and out of the way." She thereupon repeated her former wish, not in his presence, adding, "I am sure he will do for me either one way or the other." He told me, in the presence of Mrs. Dove, that the poison was in the house, and that it was in the razor box. She did not seem at all fearful of it, but she said several times she hoped he had put it out of the war. I could not repeat to you his conduct towards her. He repeatedly struck hsr. She was in fear of him, although she appeared not to he when anybody was i n , H e was worse when he was drunk. By Mr. Barret : When he was drunk ho always con ducted himself in an excited manner, lie said to his wife, when we lived at Woodhouse, after he-had - certssfinertse " Wizard," that he knew Mrs. Dove's days would ha ended in February, and he told her so. When he was sober iref' has promised his wife that be would do better. She never abused him ; she might be cross sometimes. I and Mrs. Dove have talked about his conduct sometimes. I don't remember her saying to me, "Mr, Dove is one of the best husbands when he's perfectly sober ;" but she has said that Mr: Dove was sometimes very kind when he was sober. He has threatened her when be was not drunk. This witness gave her evidence under an excess of emotion. At this stage of the proceedings the inquiry was adjourned until Wednesday morning (this day.) TRADE REPORT.-TIIESDAY, better to leav inti,neinnf 111, Mr. CI FORS SELECT VESTRY.-YESTERDAY. The usual meeting of the select vestry was held in the board, workhouse, at ten o'clock, yesterday. The Rev. Rector Campbell presided, and among the members pre sent were, Messrs. Bradley, Shaw, Owen, Denton, Gard ner, Mellor, Crawford, Satchell, Fairhurst, Whitby, Chesney, Whitty, Woodruff, Ba.irstow, Bold, Clarke, J. Jones, Wensley, and Braucker. ;s were to WORKHOUSE COMMITTER The minutes of this committee were read. It appeared that the numbers admitted to the vagrant sheds during the past week were 189 males, 1M females, and 27 chil dren, in all 370. The number of sick cases in the house on the Ist instant was 706, including 38 fever, and 82 itch. The total number of persons in the house on the sth instant was 2574. Mr. Shaw moved the adoption of the proceedings, which did not contain anything of importance. Mr. Woodruff objected to the pavement and the level of the new road within the precincts of the workhouse. Mr. Shaw said, to have male the road or level suggested by Mr. Woodruff, would have caused alterations which would involve a considerable outlay. After a shor4 conversation the proceedings were confirmed. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS' COMM ITTRE The proceedings of this committee comprised a resolution with reference to the remarks recently made by Mr. Fair hurst in reference to the conduct of the head master of the Industrial Schools, in regard to the enlisting of boys from the Industrial Schools. The resolution declared the opinion of the committee that, the conduct of the head master (Rev. Mr. Holmes) was not open to reproach. Mr. Crawford moved the confirmation of the proceed ings. kr. Fairhurst said—lt will be remembered that at our I made some observations respeetinz a num )t boys who had been permitted to enlist into the pressed a strong opinion that this board was doing very wrong to permit it, and gave notice of my in tention to resume the subject in committee. Peeling warmly, as I did, the injustice done to these children by permitting them to enlist into an occupation of which they could not possibly!know anything, or he able to form any idea at so young an age, and that this step once taken, and permitted by us, fastened them to the consequences, there being no taking on trial, as in the case of an intend ing apprenticeship or a servant, I made some observations on an officer of the schools—the chaplain—who was an active agent in the affair. Those observations were to the effect that he had encouraged the children to volun teer, and that by so doing he hail degraded his high and holy office. The chaplain naturally felt aggrieved, and addressed a letter to the schools committee, complaining, and asking for an inquiry into his conduct. This reason able request, which was the only official way of rebutting my observations, was attempted to be refused, but on my motion was allowed. After examining the pupil teacher and boys who had called on me, the committee conceded that the words imputed to the chaplain by me had been so reported to me by one of the boys, in the hearing of the pupil teacher (Connor). The chaplain's statement was then taken. He said—" I took the first and second their confirmation divisions into one of the class rooms, in consequence of a request from the bandmaster to supply him with a list of names of boys fit to go into the army. I said, Now, a number of boys are wanted for the army ; they rnust.be 14 years of age, four feet six inches high, and they must have the consent of their friends. No one will be forced to go.' One of the boys whom I called said his friends objected ; I sent him out of the room. Another was too low; I sent him out of the room. Another, being over 4 feet 6 inches, I kept him in tie room, and all whom I thought suitable. Some came back, saying they were tall enough. The list b.howed 11 over 14 years, 5 over 15, 2 over 16, and 2 over 17. Some could play music ; some could not. Those boys who went to Mr. Fairhurst's were of the number rejected." Now, taking his own statement of the facts, it would appear that he invited the boys to volunteer, and that instead of using the word " encourage," I ought to have said "invited," the two words being, in my estimation, nearly synonymous. At a subsequent meeting several more of the boys were examined. most of them agreeing with the chaplain's account, except one, who stated that the Queen's name had beta used. The resolution just read was then proposed by Mr. Satchell, and was met by an amendment from me, in which I gave the chaplain the benefit of all doubts about the boys' statements, and exonerated him from all blame in the fullest manner; but asserting that such functions were unbecoming the office of chaplain, an ought to be left to be dealt with by the governor, under the direction of the committee. This was lost. With regard to the other ex pression— that he had degraded his high and holy office— I freely admit my regret that in a moment of excitement and warmth of temper, caused by my strong feelings on the subject, I applied the words personally to him, and I tender this expression of my regret as publicly as the charge was made, and from a sense of duty to him as well as respect to my own character as a man. But, sir, lam as firmly convinced as ever, that, the exercise of such functions is, in the words of my resolution, incompatible with the office of chaplain, and with that feeling I shall move the following resolution as an amendment :--" That so much of the proceedings as refer to the resolution on Mr. Holmes's conduct be omitted, and the following inserted :—Resolved, That this board fully exonerates the Rev. Mr. Holmes from all blame as to the manner in which he performed this duty, believing that he had no other object in view but relieving the seho. - ,ls of a number of boys, who were desirous of volunteering ilto the army, and for whom there appeared to him to be no more eligible mode of disposing of them ; but this board is of opinion that the exercise of such functions is incompatible with s office of chaplain, and that for the future it will he dealt with by the super- such matters tc he direction of t !conded the resolution i defended the co ~luct of the committee in objecting at first to any inquiry, as he said they consi dered the charge a trumpery affair altogether, and felt they could anticipate the result of it. They were of opinion that even if the Rev. Mr. Holmes had uttered the words he was charged with, it was still so paltry a case that it did not deserve inquiry. Ile could understand such opposition from a member of the peace society, but the doctrines of that society were not recognised in the industrial schools. The selection of children for the army from these schools was not a new thing, and it was the opinion of the majority of the committee that if the chap lain had not had something to do with the affair they should never have heard a word of complaint. It was singular that since the chaplain had been there, not a single measure took place which did not meet with oppo sition from some parties, (Hear, hear.) He felt called upon to make these remarks because he thought the com mittee was justified in not going into an investigation on such a charge. He contended that the effect must be most injurious and pernicious to the children of the schools, to have them brought from time to time into collision with the officers with the view of getting the committee to censure the latter. He believed the boys were desirous of going into the army themselves, and denied that any attempt. was ever made to smuggle them into it. He declared that he had no sympathy with the morbid sentimentalism displayed by Mr. Fairhurst. Mr. Satchell declared that a fixed determination was evinced by some members of the vestry to throw every possible obstacle in the way of the chaplain. Mr. Whitby said he saw nothing of the kind, but quite the reverse. The chaplain had been very fairly dealt with. Mr. Gardner said there was not the slightest impedi ment ever thrown in Mr. Holme's way. He agreed with Mr. Fairhurst, that it was no part of the clergyman's duty to canvass for the army. Mr. Satchell: We placed him there as chaplain and head master, and this is an attempt to remove from him part of his duties. Mr. Chesney: One which I should think he would be very glad to be relieved from. Mr. Whitty repudiated the accusation which was made against Mr. Fairhurst, and by insinuation against hinasel, as he had taken part with that gentleman. They would desire something worthier as an object in discharging their duties, than to attack the chaplain simply because he was chaplain. If Mr. Fairhurst and he were to be de terred, because of a difference of religion between them and the chaplain, from expressing an opinion on any pub lic act of the chaplain, or any officer of the institution, he for one, would not wish to hold his seat at that board for a day; Mr. Satchell had made an insinuation against them. LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 18‘62 at once come forward and say so. (Hear, hear.) He thought it was quite incompatible with the position Mr. he should superintend the multifarious duties of which Mr. Whitty had spoken. i It was an ex• posure of incompetency upon the part of the committee to manage their affairs, if that ~w as the way in which proper person to hold the office he did, then he was the only person to whom application ought to be made, espe cially in a secular point of view, and not Mr. Holmes. The latter gentleman was appointed expressly to be bead master of the teaching department and no more. Mr. Bradley : And the industrial department as Well. Mr. Denton said the other day they had the governor of the institution apparently considered an unfit person even to judge of cups and saucers. All this he contended was an undermining, a two-faced sort of way of dealing with an old servant who had served them faithfully, and who deserved thanks for the manner in which he had con ducted the schools. It would be better for the committee to come forward and deal with the question honestly, and if Mr. Coates was no longer a fit and proper person to hold the office, not to spend the public money in paying him for it. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Woodruff did not at all object to the first part of Mr. Fairhurst's resolution, but he did object to the last part, because it asked the board to take away from the committee the power of making such regulations as they thought fit for the government of the schools. It was not usual for the board to attempt any interference with the principles laid down by the committee; and at any rate, he thought, every means should be exhausted before such a step was taken. (Hear, hear.): The board then divided, when there appeared eight for the amendment, and ten against it. The amendment was therefore lost, and the proceedings were confirmed. MEDICAL RELIEF COMMITTEE From the proceedings of this committee it appeared that light and airy wards had been constructed for the recep tion of harmless lunatic c ises, which it was proposed to transfer for the future to that house, a medical officer being placed specially in charge of them. The minutes also stated that the chairman of the committee having complained of neglect upon the part of Mr. Leather, to attend a violent case of lunacy under his charge, by which neglect very serious consequences had well-nigh occurred, Mr. Leather was called before the committee, and heard by them in explanation of the circumstances complained of, and it was resolved that the redivision of the medical and surgical cases among the medical officers of the house be reserved for consideration at the next meeting. It was also resolved that Francis Evrton be appointed medical officer, instead of assistant, his salary to be raised from £75 to £lOO a year for additional duties. Mr. Bradley proposed the adopt ceedings, reserving, however, th )n of the general pro special recommends. of a motion for tions, in reference to which he gave not Mr. Woodruff said it was intended to get the narrow end of the wedge in fur retaining within the walls'of the house cases of violent lunatics who should at once be removed under proper regulations to proper treatment, then, whatever the saving might be, he trusted that neither that board, nor the lunacy commissioners, would sanction such a proceeding for a moment. The first effort of that board should be to take every means in their power, irres+ ective of cost to restore reason, and under no circumstances would he be a party to anything which would depart from that course. He had heard already of one case which, if the facts were as stated to him, would be a subject of investigation for the board hereafter, but to which he would not make any furthur allusion at present. 11r, Bradley said there was no intention whatever upon the part of the medical committee to retain a single case of violence in the house, but on the contrary to pass them off as frequently as they found! it judicious to do so. He could assure the board that there was not the slightest intention in that respect to deviate from the course always pursued. Finally the general proceedings were confirmed. COMMITTEE The - minutes of this committee contained a statement in reply to an article which appeared in the Liverpool Mer cury of the 27th of February, and which charged the vestry with having during the past year expended £70,000 as the cost of distributing £50,000 worth of relief, being 235. expense of distribution to every 20s. of relief given. - Mr. Woodruff, in moving the confirmation of the pro- , ceedings, briefly alluded to a subject which he stated was not quite ripe, as yet, for fuller discussion—the propriety of sending destitute vagrant boys to the reformatory in place of bringing them into that house, at the discretion of the magistrates before whom they were brought, and who now had to send them either to prison or into the workhouse—the parish to pay something fur their sup port until they were provided with means of earning their livelihood. Fie then referred to the reply of the com mittee to the article in the Mercury, and remarked that although it was not al ways desirable to take up anony mous charges, yet iu that inst ante, as the charge appeared to have an editorial sanction, it was considered right to reply to it. He expressed a full approval of newspaper surveillance over public boards, and exposure of improper management, but in that case he thought more care should be exercised in putting forward statements, which, if they were not replied to, must reflect upon the conduct of the men who devoted their time to the duties of that board. He had been told, but of course he could not say how truly, that the statement in the Mercury had been supplied, either directly or indirectly, by a member of the vestry. He hoped there was no member of that vestry who knew so little of his duties, as to put forward such incorrect statements. He did hope that if there was any truth whatever in the statement, that it had come directly or indirectly from a member, that member would get up at once and say whether he did so, and whether he knew anything at all about it. Mr. Whitty : Name, name. Mr. Woodruff said Mr. Whitty's name was given. (Hear, hear.) He had no authority for it, more than mere hearsay. When members of a public board did their duty, let the public give them credit for it ; when they neglected that duty, .let the public be aware of it, and censure them ; and let the press on every occasion. give full publicity to all matters upon which the public ought to be info+•med, but let there be equal care taken how the characters of gentle men were compromised whose characters ought to be treated with at least just consideration. (lhar, hear.) Mr. Whitty said he was not the author of that state ment, nor did he know anything of it until it appeared in print. He would have hesitated and paused before putting forward such a statement as that. lie suppose", however, ho was at liberty to express his opinion in con versation with any gentleman who asked his opinion upon such matters. tie did not know anything about the article, but he remembered having a conversation with a gentleman in reference to the expenditure, from which it was not at all impossible the article came. It was simply an expression of opinion upon his part, and he did not think it was at all intended for the press, or that any public charge would be manufactured out of it. He should himself be jealous of the public character of a body like that to which he belonged. He did not believe the vestry was incompetent to discharge its duties, or that any member of it was, intentionally or knowingly, given to jobbery or corruption, nor did he think the board would be rectified by any entirely new infusion. At the same time, the facts in the newspaper appeared to him to be in some measure correct. He asked, on one occas i on , th e weekly ex pense of each p au p er , an d h e was told b y the clerk about 2s 10d, and the same statement was made by Mr. Farnall at the board. He contended that when asked his opinion he had a full right to give it, and should not for doing so be pointed at as the author of the article in question, of which he knew nothing, and which he never supposed would have appeared, until he saw it. The subject then dropped, and the proceedings were confirmed. Mr. Shaw moved that Mr. James Ireland be appointed assistant overseer, which was agreed to. The usual advertisements were ordered to be issued for contracts. _ . ............_ After transacting several matters of no public import ance, the board adjourned. THE BURNOPFIELD MURDER Respecting the Burnopfield murder the Gateshead a gentleman in Scotland, he said it was not the ho c Observer says: —The case of lancets having been shown a 8 ea;d and n r addressed s e h d e t a inno not the the letterc w as e e v e ht r eo had presented to the deceased. Subsequently, Stirling's ha d b r h o e t a h r e d r, th e a at K e i e r ,a k s i e n tilled', he said the lancets were, he believed, Ale same, but d speak of a case given to him by another gentleman. «'e find the following in the Times g :—" reference to this case we have to place on record a circumstance of a very . remarkable and even affecting nature, which, however it may be accounted for, or disbelieved, is nevertheless perfectly true. Mr. Stirling's parents, who, it will be remembered, reside near Dumbarton, on the Clyde, having been in Durham during the assizes, attending the Court for the purpose of hearing the trial of the alleged murderers of their son, the state oddi\eldr.thathe ment which we subjoin is from Mr. Stirling himself. On the night of the Ist of November, the day on which the murder was committed, Mrs. Stirling had a remarkable, and what she termed a fearful dream. She dreamt that some persons were about the house, intending to break into it. In a short time, a man, with a dark complexion and black dress, looked in upon her at the window, presented a gun, and discharged it at her. At this juncture, she awoke in great alarm and trepidation ; and since then, the dream— most strongly impressed upon her mind, by the fact of her son's murder, intelligence of which would not reach her until six or seven days later than the dream—has ever been vivid in her recollection Mrs. Stirling accompanied her husband to Durham, for the purpose , as we have said, of being present at the trial. She expressed a great desire to see the two men accused of the murder ; and, for that pur pose, visited the prison on Wednesday. Several men were walking in the yard at the time, including Cain, Rayne, a turnkey, and three or four others. Immediately on perceiving Rayne, with out being told the names of any of the men, she recognised in him the features of the man whom she saw in her dre am fi re through the window at her, pointed him out, and burst into tears. Mrs. Stirling still expresses her positive conviction with respect to Rayne. The circumstances we have mentioned may appear strange, but, we may repeat, they are perfectly correct. The bring vividly t o li g ht the Red Barn murder , in which Corder, the murderer, was brought to justice through a remarkable dream of the mother of the murdered young woman. Ia the present case, the dream is no lets remarkable, though it cannot have a similar effect." LIVERPOOL COTTON . There has been a very quiet market for Cotton to-day, the demand has been active, the supply ample, and prices are barely so firm. The sales—including 50 Per nambuco, qd to ; 100 Egyptian, Gd to Girl ; 500 • Surat, 3,,d to reporte'd 5,000 bales, of which 500 are on speculation and for export. Pia IRON : Our market for warrants closes at 693 to 70s, cash. Tons. Shipments from Glasgow last week ti corresponding week 1855 10,350 „ 1854 12,333 it Aggregate shipments from Glasgow from Ist Jan., 18.56, to date 70,877 I Same period 1855 Decrease 17,996 Price this time last 3ear 57s Total shipments from Liverpool inFe,bruary, 1856 1,07 R 1855 1.406 1854 5,942 manufactured iron, Feb. 1856 23.606 )1 1855 7,090 „ 1854 18,632 Exports from I: pool to the United States Feb. 1856 184 If „ 1855 222 11 1854 5,584 SUGAR : The quiet tone assumed in our market within the last few days still continues, and the sales are confined to a small lot of grainy Demerara, at 41s. 40 hhds Antigua, at 38s 61, 35 lihis Tiarbuloes at 37s to 40s 61, and 125 hhds Porte Rico at 37s 6d per cwt.__ • MOLASSES, Rum, AND COFFEE : Nothing has occurred. TF,A : The transactions have not been large, with few sellers of common Congou under 921 per lb. RICE : Our market remains flat. SALTPETRE: We have nothing further to notice. HEMP: The Bombay offered by auction was not sold. JUTE : 250 bales damaged found buyers at irregular rates. SAGO FLOUR: 150 bags are reported at 21s per cwt. CORN : We had again a good attendance of the trade at our market of this day, with a more general and extending inquiry for most descriptions of wheat, and having a mani festly improving feeling on the part of buyers as well as sellers, we are enabled to establish advanced quotations for all sorts; the business done is to a good extent, chiefly if not altogether for home consumption, and we raise our currencies fully 4d to Gd per bushel above those of this day se'nnight. Upon a fair supply cf farmers' wheat this m irning. sales were more freely effected, and an advance of 3d per 701hs over the rates of last week were acquired. The demand for flour improves daily, and may be quoted is 6d per sack and is per brl higher. Barley in steady request and ld per bushel dearer. Beans, upon a fair enquiry, commands 6d per qr advance. Oats and oatmeal in better inquiry, but without decided improvement in value. Indian corn is not freely offered ' • holders require 6d per qr advance, but the sales are checked in consequence, and the business of the day in this article is only of moderate amount. Arrivals and exports from the 4th to the 10th March, 1856, iwclusive : From Ireland, 1,184 qrs wheat, 24 qrs barley, 51 qrs malt, 2.980 qrs oats, 6.695 sacks oatmeal, 742 sacks flour; Coastwise, 62 qrs heat, 275 qrs malt, 413 qrs oats, 4 sacks oatmeal, 3 sacks flour ; Canada and other British Colonies out of Europe, 517 qrs wheat ; United States, 460 qrs wheat, 5,689 qrs Indian corn, 2,853 brls flour : Europe, &c., 1,440 qrs wheat, 1,730 qrs Indian corn, 4,755 sacks flour; Egypt, 12,540 qrs wheat, 4,560 qrs beans. Into Runcorn, 505 qrs oats, 280 sacks oatmeal. Total, 16,203 qrs wheat, 24 qrs barley, 326 qrs malt, 3.898 qrs oats, 4,560 qrs beans, 7,419 qrs Indian corn, 6,979 sacks oatmeal, 5,500 sacks flour, 2,853 brls flour. Exports to foreign parts. 56 qrs barley, 484 qrs oats, 24 qrs pease, 198 sacks oatmeal ; Ireland, 2,394 qrs wheat, 124 qrs barley, 31 qrs oats, 18 qrs beans, 11,400 qrs Indian corn, 1,074 brls Indian cornmeal, 677 sacks flour, 77 brls flour ; coast wise, 582 qrs wheat, 300 qrs malt, 21 qrs oats, 19 qrs beans, 2 qrs pease, 160 qrs Indian corn, 12 brls Indian cornmeal, 20 sacks oatmeal, 47 sacks flour, 112 brls flour. It. MARIN & SONS. Mr. Satchell : I mean what I say exactly. Mr. Whitty said from the insinuations which were made it would unquestionably appear, that if Mr. Fair hurst or he attempted to offer any observation upon any public act performed by the chaplain,or any officer of the institution, they must do so under the very unpleasant imputation, that it was done because of their religious difference. It was not the chaplain against whom he spoke, or Mr. Fairhurst spoke, that day. Mr. Fairhust had removed whatever observations he had made upon the chaplain, and applied them to the principle, which was sanctioned by the committee, of enlisting boys at such an early age in the army. Mr. Fairhurst had made a very honourable, and very fair explanation as regarded the chaplain. He (Mr. Whitty) would not utter a single disrespectful word as regarded the chaplain, but he had a very strong opinion that the committee should not sanction such a course as had been pursued. He had no objection to the chaplain been charged with the moral and religious training of the children, but he had a very great objection to the committee forcing upon the chap lain communications with recruiting depots, or to forcing upon him the superintending of industrial occupations in the school—things which a chaplain could not possibly understand. They were not carrying out the principle of a very wise and popular saying—" the right man in the right place " when they put a minister of the church to superintend tailoring, and to hold communications with recruiting sergeants. (Hear. hear.) Making him master tailor and master clothier, as well as recruiting superin tendent, was quite absurd ; and when appended to that long chain of occupations they found the collegiate term of Bachelor of Arts, it made a ludicrous anomaly. (Hear, hear, and Oh, oh.) Mr. Bairstow asked when any person in town required a boy as a servant or apprentice, to whom was applica tion to be made? The Clerk said to the committee. Mr. Bairstow : Then why did not the recruiting ser geant apply to the committee ? Mr. Fairhurst : The chaplain wrote to him. Mr. Bairstow thought Mr. Coates, the governor of the schools, was the person through whom the application should have been made. YESTERDAY'S MARKETS. Mr. Denton thought the committee ought to deal fairly LEEDS CORN : Wheat in moderate demand at 4s adyanve with Mr. Coates, and if ho was not a fit and proper person Barley Is dearest No change in other &aides, to hold the office of governor of that institution let them LONDO N SUGAR : The l arge public sales . are going off heavily, and prices are scarcely sustained. COFFEE : The public sale to-day was too small to give quotations. Native Ceylon quoted 49s to 51s. TEA remains dull. Rica : This article continues dull of sale, but prices are unaltered. Rum: No business of importance reported. SALIT eTRE continues iu good demand. Refraction 11 to 121 sold at 324 to 32s 6d ; refraction 51 at 345. COTTON : 100 bales sold at previous rates. INDIA-RUBBER has been in good demand, at the late advance. In other articles no material alteration. TALLOW : The market is quiet to day, at the annexed quotations, namely :—Town tallow, 51s net cash. Peters burg Y.C. on the spot, 67s 6d ; March to April, 53s ; April to June, 51s 9d. _ _ SMITHFIELD HAY : Mr. E. J. Davis reports trade with out alteratio n . P r i me mea d ow h ay, 100 3 to 105 s ; superior, 110 s to 115 s ; inferior, 70s to 90 ,- , rowan, 703 to 95 , ; clover, 1003 to 130 s ; second cut, 1003 to 120 s ; straw, 26s to 30s. POLICE COURT -YESTERDAY h.THBONE A SWTNDLER OAUGHT.--Detective Scott brought up a young man, named Edward Lyon, on a charge of having swindled )nd charge of haring committed a site Morrish, and Co., Comptei obtained a carpet and hearth rue. The cat waistcoats, and on a a, ar offence at Messrs. Jeff house, where of the prisoner bore the following :—" E. Lyons and Sons, oil and tallow merchants, It tinford gardens, Whitechapel, Liverpool ;" and on the back of the card was written, " Bootle Hall, Bootle," which the prisoner said was his country house. From the statement of Scott, and the evidence of Mr. Pierce Morris, (foreman of Mr. Hope,) Mr. Plant, an assistant of Messrs. Jeffery and Co., and two porters—one from the latter house, and one from Mr. Hope's—it appeared that a short time ago the prisoner ordered a coat and two vests ,o be sent, on Saturlay nt out with the goo at Mr. Hope's, and ordered the pod last, to Bootle Hall. The porter was and he was ordered not to leave them with Shortly after, the prisoner called at t shop, and . , found the things sent- out. -He followed the porter, and got the parcel, containing the property, from. him, repre senting' that he' had been to the shop, and paid far the goods. The porter thinking, as he said, the state ment was all true, and as the gentleman lived in such a grand as 13;etle-hall, had no hesitation in giving up the In reply to his worship, Scott said there was such a place as Bootle hall, but there was .nothing whatever known there of the prisoner; nor was there such a house in Rainford gardens as . that lot "E. Lyons and Sons." The prisoner ordered a carpet, hearth rugs, and other things,"from Com?ton house, and went with the porter who took the goods, by prisoner's orders, and left them -at lkfr. Hope's, the porter thinking all was right. The prisoner had a vehicle, in which he took the things away. The success thus far gave him done a" roaring trade" in the swindling line, t him on Monday nigh 'lto custody laving as ,he officer, m of th h© had obtained at Mr prisoner last the bridewell keeper happened to come in, and saw the constable 277 kicking me. He cried out "step—that's enough of this sort of game." The complainant further said the other two men struck him, but not so severely as the officer 277, who kicked him whilst down, most brutally. George Gerard, the keeper of the south dock bridewell. said when he had booked the charge against the complainant, and had him taken inside, he turned to ouc of the drawers to get out a book, when he heard a great noise inside and he hastened there as quickly as possible. He found the min down and con- v. He " this work will not do here; I must report this case." • He did so. All the three officers were together, but he did not see the others kick the man. The officers cross examined the complainant and the bridewell-keeper. but the gene ral statement was not shaken. Maj Greig said he attended there to watch the cas•:!. He was very cautious about his men, and careful of them $f they were violently used. It was very rare, indeed, that he found any of his men guilty of extreme violence whilst in the discharge of their duty. He took every care of his men to make them as efficient as possible, and at the same time to make them perform their duty with - good temper, moderation, and civility. When he found a man that could not exercise those qualities in the discharge of his duty, he got rid of him as soon as he could. In cases where his men were used badly, he would take every care of them, and in cases where the police acted wrong towards the public, he would show the public that the police should be severely punished. It was, he was very glad to say, extremely rare indeed, to find a police officer acting with extreme violence. This case was an exception, and Whet/ :he heard of it, he at once determined to take it 'before the magistrates to have it openly dealt with, and let the public see the result. The magistrates consulted for a short time, and at length Mr. Harvey said, police man 277 must be dismissed from the force, and we will give the complainant a fr e e summons against him for the assault. The , other constables, we hand over to Major Greig, to be dealt with by him as his discretion may direct. s fo - iegan met I MORE ASSAULTS.—Thomas Stewart lied officer 554 in R vas charged with reet, and a fine of was fined .'rescott, on the I on him ; and. Thomas Rainford having assaulted John &AnnumNo.—John Sullivan was fined Ils 3d, the value of a quantity of foreign manufactured tobacco, which he attempted to smuggle from a ship in the river. B A.NKRUPrcY COURT.—YESTERDAY (BEFORE MR. COMMISSIONER PERRY.) In re CiTHARnis HunFlES.—The bankrupt:, grocer and draper, of Holly well, pissed this day her last examination. M3NDAY Ix RE WM. SIIERRAD.—The bankrupt was a victuallef and grocer, at Crewe. He was adjudicated a bankrupt in Januaryy, and now a petition was presented by him, and signed b the trade assignees, praying that it might be annulled. Mr. Shepperd, of Stoke-upon-Trent, appeared both for the bankrupt and trade assignees, to support the petition. His Honour observed that he thought, in such case, the bankrupt ought to be represented separately. Mr. Shepperd replied that as the petition was also signed by the trade assignees, and as they were favourable to it, he thought there could be no objection to the same party representing both them and the bankrupt. His Honour said that there were circumstances in the case which called for very great discretion on the part of the court- He :found that the messenger had made no less than eighteen seizures upon concealed property in the case ; and as the concealment of property was an offence for which the court might be called on to direct a prosecu. tient, he could not assent to the annulling of the adjudica. lion until the last examination took place. Mr. Shepperd said that the concealment was wholly without the batik• rupt's knowledge, and was effected during his i lness. His Honour: The bankrupt's property has been sold at a. much less price than it probably would have fetched. Mr. Shepperd : I am nut aware that the creditors will receive a less dividend than they otherwise would. His Honour: HoW much has the property been sold for? Mr. Shepperd : I really do not know. His Honour : Surely as attorney representing the assignees, you ought to be able to state what it sold for. Mr. Shepperd: The fact is that the creditors have accepted £470 from a friend of the bank. rupt, to cover the dividend, pay all expenses and in liqui dation of all debts. I believe the trade assignees have received .230. His Honour : Let the trade assignees then hand ov, - .r the money, and furnish an account to the official assignee. The property must be protected for all the creditors, and Certainly under the circumstances of the case, I will not sign any order for annulling, until after the bankrupt has passed his last examination, Mr. Shepperd : I am quite ready to give the court every infor. , mation touching the concealment. His Honour : Yon must understand that you cannot be a witness and advo cate at the same time. Mr. Shepperd The effect of the money being paid into court, will be that I shall have it out somewhat diminished. His Honour t In answer to that observation, which is not a proper one, you must know that it is the imperative duty of the trade assignees to pay over whatever money they receive to the official assignee, and that they here must do. Mr. Shep perd And, failing that, the official assignee has his remedy. His Honour: Am Ito understand that you, representing the bankrupt and tha assignees, intend not to pay over the money ? Mr. Shepperd : Certainly not; but I wished to point out that the o' Pet of this court Is to facilitate arranaerocnts between bankrupts and creditors. His Honour : Certainly; such is the object of the court, but where there is a concealment of property, I owe it to the protection of the community at large, to have the fullest explanation. The petition was then ordered to stand over until the bankrupt has passed his last exami- nation. TN RE GEORGE Moss.—The bankrupt, coal-miner, of Wrexham, obtained an immediate certificate of the second THE SOUTHPORT RAILWAYS strippea Hope' there ras a sort of col- cross-examined Mr. Hope's r fused history of a public.bouse, and some wine given ; but, although the prisoner tried to make a debt of the affair, he failed, and he was fully committed for trial. AN INCORRIGIBLE GIRL.—A girl. named Ann Jane Leech, was charged with stealing some money and clothes from the house of a Mrs. Fairclough,;in Moor-street.. A remarkable feature in the case was related by Mr. Clough and detective Carlyle. It seemed that some time ago the gill was charged with a like offence before Mr. Aikin, who toik eom- r, and by considerable exertions be got her into the La'lies Char le Penitentiary, with great kindness, but last week she lett the institution, and turned to her old bad trade. She was committed for three months. CURIOUS CASE OF BIGAMY.—A. very miserably-looking fellow, named 'fbotnas Redmond, a shoemaker, was charged by Anne Newall with bigamy. Mr. Clough sail before the evidence was gone into he wished a remand, and for that ground he would ask the policeman, 590, who had the prisoner in custody, what he said when arrested ? The constable stated as follows—" The prisoner did not object to have two wives (laughtet) —that is, he dial not deny that he was married to two women, but said he could not avoid it." " (Laughter.) The prisoner, in answer to this, said " I don't deny it at all. I am a man of veracity, and wish to speak the truth only. I am very fond of the truth—l am, indeed. My first Wife scan dalized me—disgraced me—dishonoured me. She his indeed, and therefore I thought I must "exonerate" myself from her, and get another wife. Four years ago she left my girl to the wide world, and the streets of Manchester into the bargain. She " exonerated" herself .from me, and went to live with a particular friend of mine—he was a particular friend, I assure you—as his wife ! and what did she just as bad ? why told him I was dead- r -dead as a door nail ! —consequently I was justified in taking another wife !" . _ agistrato : That will do. • = FLUNnER BY A FOREMAN z • perso named David Jones, foreman to Mr. Richard Williams, a tailor, carrying on business%in Tarleton-street, was charged with having stolen a quantity of cloth, and other materials, the property of his employer. The' piisoner was in custody of detective officer Caton, who said, in consequence of infor mation that the prisoner was acting dishonestly to his employer I took him into custody. 1 went to a piece brokers, a Mrs. M'Farland, No 28, London-road, and there received some cloth which had been sold by the prisoner to her, and which Mr. Williams identified. 'Mr. Williams said he had great confidence in the prisoner, who had been with him for six or seven years, but it appeared latterly he (the prosecutor) lost a great variety of property, which it appeared the prisoner had purloined. The prisoner alleged that in consequence of the smallness of his salary, which was thirty shillings a week, Mr. Williams always gave . hica a suit of clothes every year, and that the property now produced consisted of the articles which he bad taken for that purpose. Mr. Williams admitted that he did make the prisoner a present of a snit of clothes every year, but denied the other portion of the prisoner's statement, and said the property was positively stolen from his stock. The prisoner was committed for two months for not being able to account for where he got the property. (BEFORE 'MESSRS. HARVEY AND EARLF:.) A :,WAT s cri "CASE." - James Cuddy summoned James Hely a pawnbroker under the fallowing circumstances : In May 1855, the complainant pledged a watch for £2 ; it was worth £7 as ho stated. In the mean time, the defendant transferred his trade to Mr. Woodruff, and, some how or o'her. the watch could ❑ot be found. The defendant contended that his liability was transferred with his business and stock, but the bench held a different opinion, and ordered him to pay £4 in adrlition to the two poundsialready lent on the watch. ASSAULT —A Captain Jamieson sunlit - to:x(1 Mr. Cargill for an assault. The facts were these .—The Captain brought home a ship, and tendered hie account to the defendant, who charged him (the Captain) with the passage of his wife home. The Captain then wanted to get hack the account, saying he would furnish a new one, but the defendant refused to give up th, , , account, as lie thought the Captain wanted to " cook" it. followod, allezod assault Was coll. 1 a rizitt to The ben (BEFORE MR. T. RATISBONE.)—MONDAY. POCKET PICKING —For some time past St. John's and other markets have been infested, particularly on Satur day's, by well-dressed females, who derive a good business from pocket-picking. On Saturday, one of the constables at St. John's lklarket, watched a well-dressed and appa rently respectable young woman, who gave her name as Mary Anne Forbes, whose movements attracted atten tion. He saw her at a stall, where there was a lady named Stone, the wife of a livery-stable keeper in Heath-street, Park, and he observed the accused pick her pocket of a purse, and he then seized her, when she dropped it. An other constable picked it up. It contained 9s. The pri• soner was sent to gaol for two months. Patrick Doyle, alias Hoffman, was sent for trial for stealing a coat from the door of Mr. Hayes, Park-lane. A TICKET-OF-LEAVE MAN. WillaM Brown was brought up on a charge of having attempted to pass a base h a lf- c rown. It appeared that some Yedxs ago th e p r i soner was sentenced to transportation for burglary. He subse quently obtained a ticket-of-leave, and returned some time since to Liverpool, and it appears since that period he had been taken up two or three times, on charges of having passed base money. On the last occasion the police communicated with the authorities at the mint, and in order to have their directions the prisoner was re manded. He was kept for 14 days, but in consequence of " routine " and "red tape," there was no reply made from the mint, and ultimately the prisoner was discharged. He no sooner got out than he turned to his old trade again, and on Saturday he was stopped in a public-house, offer ing a base half-crown. He was remanded for seven days. CHARGE AGAINST A BROKER.—John P. Kelly, a broker, painter and plumber, residing at No. 34, Foutenov-street, was brought up by detectives Thompson and Scaife, on a charge of having a considerable quantity of stolen pro perty in his possession. Mr. Bluek was for the prisoner. It appeared that early in May last, the house of a Mr. Duck worth, in Breck-road, was plundered of a consider able quantity of valuable brass materials, and that these articles were found on Saturday, concealed in the pris oner's premises. Mr. Bluck endeavoured to show that the prisoner was innocent, and that he was engaged in one branch of trade, whilst his wife carried on the brokery business, and the prisoner knew nothing of her transac tions in that way. He said the prisoner bore an excellent character. Ho contended that the most that could be done in the case, was to proceed against the prisoner for not being able to account for the possession of the pro perty. Mr. Duckworth identified the property, and said none but a tradesman, a plumber and glazier, could have removed the taps &c., in the manner that they had been removed. The prisoner was fined 40s and costs for not being able to give a satisfactory account of how he came by the property. DARING ROBSERY.—Thomas Moran, Anne Donnelly, Bridget Kane, and John Lavell, were charged with steal ing a gold guard chain from the person of Mr. Chaffers, at his public-house, South-street, in the Park. On Sun day, the prisoner went into the house, and after some time created a disturbance. Mr. Chaffers went to eject them from the premises, when the prisoners, in the most audacious manner, fell on him, and tore his chain off, with which they got away, but were subsequently can tured. Mr. Bluck was for Lavell, who, Moran said, hid got the chain. All the prisoners were remanded. STREET ROBBERY.—John Thompson was charged with having stolen a watch from Joseph Roberts in the street. The complainant was standing in Roe-street, listening to the eloquence of a " pill puffer," when the prisoner quietly unscrewed the watch from the guard, and made away with it. He was observed by a boy, and was subse quently captured. The prisoner was remanded for further inquiry. (BEFORE MESSRS. HARVEY AND BARCLAY.) ASSAULT BY A POLICEMAN.—John Dixon, a labourer, whose head was bandaged up, and his face covered with blood, appeared to charge police constable 277, with hav ing assaulted him, and officers 397 and 117 were charged for aiding him. The facts of the case appeared to be as follows :—About seven o'clock on Sunday morning, the three officers were going off duty at the south end of the town, when they saw the complainant beating a woman. They took him into custody, and brought him to the south dock station. The complainant said, after they took me to the station house, and entered my name on the books, they took me inside and knocked me down, beat me, and kicked me desperately about the bead and time, and at TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES Sir,—There will be many of your readers that will be disposed to question, with me, the policy of the directors of these rail ways, in suddenly terminating the weekly contract between Southport and this town and Manchester. The late contract price had the effect of attracting winter residents from both places to Southport on account of its greater salubrity, and freedom from the more humid ffinditions of,the atmosphere of the large towns, to and from which they are easily approachable to business by the rail. This consideration although at first inducing a limited residence, has in many instances resulted in a permanent one. It may then be fairly doubted if the present alteration will succeed in retaining a single individual of the class referred to, which I will denominate weekly or monthly visitors, by demanding from them nothing less than the daily return fare of 4s 6d or 27s 6d per week of six days. In my opinion, while admitting the late contract some what low, the issue of weekly and monthly tickets (at a period of the year be it observed when there is no great demand upon the passengers' traffic) at a proportionate rate to the annual charge would have brought more grist to the company's exchequer. Taking the annual rate at 181, a weekly passenger is called upon to pty in proportion to an annual charge of 711 los. It may, therefore, fairly be doubted if, without reducing the daily fare, the directors might not have exercised a little discretion in rendering the facilities of transit possible to short winter contractors to any but the affluent. As the case now stands, such a prohibitory demand will not compel annual contracts, and neither enrich Southport nor the companies.—l am, &c. Cuts. Liverpool, March 10. THE CRIMPING SYSTEM TO THE EDITOR OP THE NORTHERN TIMES Sir,—Tour paper of last week contained repetitions of an advertisement, put forth by parties who are endeavouring( to obtain an alteration in the " Merchant Shipping Act,' whereby they may be permitted to engage crews for mas ters of vessels, failing their being licensed by the local marine board, and in justification of themselves aeainst the charge of crimpage, they state that the prac tice was carried on to such an extent inside the walls of the Sailors' Home, that lately, " no less than one shipping master and seven clerks have ,been dismissed for bribery and improper conduct." Now, sir, you will agree with me, that every man's character, particularly that of a public officer should be above suspicion, and as y th ou e a w bo il v i e i s u ta j t o em sti e c n e t may fl sure conjuncture wh en some parties t m ha in t e,L am unfortunate letter. upon At were dismissed by the local marine board for the above offences, it was intimated to me that I had better resign. which I refused doing, as " I had nothing to resign for ;” wherefore I was served with notice, that " after the expiration of three months, my services would no longer be required ;" such proceedings have come to the know ledge of parties transacting business here, and therefore, I beg to state, that the assertion in the advertisement referred to, and now going' , the round of the merchants' offices, as embodied in a petition of parliament—so far as regards myself, is wholly inapplicaVe, and totally foreign to the subject—Deny it who can ! It is unnecessary to say anything further at present. — I am yours &c F. H. HALPEN, Shipping Master. Local Marine Board, March 10, 1856. THE BLOCKADE IN THE BALTIC KIEL, MARCH 5.--Her Majesty's ship Euryalus, 51, Capt. Geo. Ramsay, C 8., arrived on the after. noon of the 3rd, about 3 30. p.m. The Pylades, 21, Captain D'Eyncourt, and the Falcon, 14, Com mander Pullen, passed the Imperieuse, 51, Capt. Watson, C.B. (senior officer), in the Categat, on the 29th ult., on their way to Elsinore, and the Harrier, 15, Commander Derriman, has arrived at Elsinore since. The squadron were to meet Capt. Watson in the Baltic on the 6th, and proceed together to Faro. HAMBURG, March 6.—An order from the Admir alty has been received by Commodore Watson to leave Kiel for the Island of Moen, where the British squadron is to assemble, and immediately c m:mance ate blockade in the Baltio.