The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-06-01 00:00:00

WORKHOUSE commirrEE.

Yesterday morning the ordinary meeting of the
Workhouse Committee was held at the Parish-offices,
Brownlow-hill. Mr. Churchwarden Cropper occupied

the chair. Messrs. Churchwarden Smith, Denton,
Critchley, Peck, Scott, Browne, E. Byford,
Lightbound, Goodacre, J. Whitty.

Mr. Carr, the governor, reported that the number of
paupers at present in the establishment was 1,86.5, being
11 less than last week, and an increase of 61, compared
with the corresponding period of last year; vagrants
relieved in the sheds during the week ending the 26th
instant 172 men, 89 women, 27 children, total 288,
being an increase of 34 persons over last week, and a
decease of 8 persons compared with the corresponding
week of, last year. The medical officers reported that
there were 596 persons in the sick wards last year ;
new cases, 167 ; cured and discharged, 153 ; died, IS ;
remaining under treatment, 02.

THE REMUNERATION TO THE OFFICERS FROM THE INDIA

BOARD.

Mr. DENTON inquired who were the recipients of the
money received from the India Board, and suggested
the propriety of making the names of the recipients
public.
The CHAIRMAN, whilst unwilling that the list of
officers who received money from the India Board
should be made public, was ready .to afford the com-
mittee full information on the subject. When the
soldiers from the Great Tasmania were sent, to the
workhouse, some misunderstanding arose as to whether
the India Board were ready to compensate the Work-
house Committee and the officers ; Mr. Rathbone was
communicated with, who desired that the soldiers should
receive every attention, end the India Board would
amply compensate them. A question arose as to the
amount of remuneration the officers should receive, and

it was at last determined that the two senior surgeons
should reeeive ,an army sturgeon's full pay of 245. pet
day for three weeks, and the two junior officers 10s. per
day—the pay of army surgeons in time of peace. The
other officers, with the exception of the governor, who
refused to receive any remuneration, were placed down
for sums varying according to their several positions.
Mr. Rathbone consented to this arrangement. The
communications which passed between him (the chair-
man) and Mr. Rathbone were private. The governor
having refused to receive any remuneration, he thought
it would be preferable that the matron also should not
receive any. The governor, however, had told her that
she was to get some money, which had given rise to
some unpleasantness. When he (the chairman) received
the letter and the"money from the, India Council, he
confessed he had made, a mistake in not laying them
before the committee; still he thought all the gentlemen
constituting the committee would have acted precisely
as he had done on receipt of the communication—viz,
distributed the money amongst the officers.
Mr. DENTON said that since the chailman had con-
fessed his fault, all they could do was generously forgive
him. • Yet he was strongly opposed to the chairman, or
the vice-chairman, acting on their own responsibility
without consulting the committee. In the present
instance some unpleasant rumours had spread about the
matron not receiving any part of the money.
The CHAIRMAN did not think that their head officers

should have desired a £5 as a gratuity.
Mr. PECx did not see it in the light of a gratuity at
all. The board gave meritorious rewards to meritorious
officers.

Mr. SCOTT took a similar view of the subject, and
Mr. WRITTY remarked that it was a kind of a shame
or penitential offering on the part of the Government.
They had committed a crime, and they were anxious to
show their penitence.
Five pounds was ordered to be dittributed amongst
the nurses who attended upon the soldiers, and the
subject dropped.
TILE CRY FROM TILE CELLARS.

The CHAIRMAN read the following 'report by the
governor:—
With reference to the. memorial of the aged men of the
workhouse, addressed to the Poor-law Board, under date the
19th instant, complaining of their dap oom accommodation, I
beg to inform the committee that the aged men occupy two
dayrooms—one 58 feet 3 inches by 21 feet 9 inches, and 10 feet
high ; and another 59 feet 9 inches by 24 feet 10 inches, and 10
feet high. Each of these rooms has two fireplace., for which
an abundance of fuel was issued during the winter and spring
up to the 13th instant. Each room has five full-sized windows
facing the south, and five full-sized windows facing the north,
as well as a ventilating shaft communicating with the roof of
the building; there is also a covered pasFage from one day-
room to the other. The yard accommodation measures exactly
812 yards. From the dayrooms you enter the yard by two
doors, and in doing so descend 6 inches, thus showing the floor
of the dayroons to be 6 inches above the level of the yard.
Now, the yard itself ranges from 3 feet 8 inches to 7 feet 1 inch
above the level of the footway fronting the offices on Brownlow-
hill, and the average height of the dayrooms in question is
fully 5 feet 6 inches above the relief offices and dayrooms
close by, all of which,, it is well known, are above the level
of the public road running close by.
The committee can at once satisfy themselves that the alle-
gation that these men are located under ground is not correct,
by looking from the boardroom window into the yard below
and the dayroom opposite, both of which form the subject of
complaint.
It is worthy a note that the sleeping room of the officer in

chirgp of t 143 Farfsh olly4s is several feet below the dayroom in
question, although initnealltel, adorning.

It is true that at the south side of the es' ounitt the high-
level yards of other departments, to which the aged s`tto!e, an
access, stand several feet above the level of the aged men's dat-
rooms, but there is a four feet wide open area standing
between, to provide against damp or injury to the health of the
Efged men. Tho,rooms of the letter are in no part pre,sed by
the earth of inc higt-level yards, nor are they approached
nearer than four feet at any Wm'. It,itkowlteg to the different
levels of the different roads and yards of tWe' Itorkttiottse that
the steps referred to by the aged men are introdaCell*. Tife-fr
-' however, alter the fact that the yards and dayrooms
considerably above the adjoining Brownlow-hill

referred to tu,

road.
Fires were not withdrawn from that! 114yrooma tid the 13th
_ _

-
instant, and on that day the medical men ordered that fires be
withdrawn from all the sick roams ; hence I discontinued them
in all healthy dayrooms. This is never a popular proceeding
in the workhouse.

I beg here to invite the committee to inspect the accommo-
dation set apart for the aged. They have well-fitted lavatories,
large and airy bedrooms, a private stairs for their own use,
and are located with a view to keep them as far as possible
from annoyance from the rougher classes.

It is hardly necessary to add that there is no truth in' the
statement that the inspector was kept from visiting this por-
tion of the Workhouse. On the contrary, both Mr. Mainwaring
and Mr. Farrell visited these dayrooms in my company. One
of the rooms was originalfy the Wye schoolroom, and in this
room` Mr. 13i:9wn, her 4a/ fifty's Inspector of Schools, repeatedly
examined ther. On no occasion Vas a" cvehiP/41if, been made to
me by any inmate of the workhouse against thbse rooms.
The CuistamAN,added that the cellars were in the exact
condition reported by the governor. It was quite aburd
to suppose that there was any cruelty in the matter.
The cellars and the yard where the old mlen',spent their
time were certainly rather gloomy and dreary, and the
governor had expressed his readiness to remedy that
defect as far as possible.
- - - •• • - -

vv
Mr. DENTON agreed with the chairman that the place
looked rather uncheerly ; beyond that there was nothing
to grumbl&at ; and this was the first time that any com-
plaint had been made.

THE COMPLAINT AGAINST MR. TOMLINSON.
The CHAIRMAN said that the committee had inspected
the beef supplied by Mr. Tomlinson, the contractor, and
he desired that some of the gentlemen should express
their opinion on the matter.
Mr. DENTON replied that as one of the deputation
appointed to inspect the meat, he must say that the
quality of what he saw was very fair ; on the average,
it was as good as might be desired, on the workhouse or
any other table.
Mr. BYFORD had some years' experience in btiying
moat; and hA must say that it WWI not "such as he should
likP to have upon his table.
Mr. Whitty, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Turner (who is
himself a btitcher) differed from Mr. Byford.

Mr. tEcx said that rather than eat the meat which
he saw on Wednesday he would starve.
The Cliiiin4Art eiplairied that it would not be
expected that all the Meat shoirld he of the finest
quality, Unlike families who selected faimirite Joints,
the Workhouse Committee bought whole, or nearly whole,
carcasses ; therefore they should expect to find some
parts rougher than others.
This was deemed satisfactory, and the subject dropped:
This was the whole of the business.

FLORAL & HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION
AT THE BOTANIC GARDENS.

Yesterday the Liverpool Floral and Horticultural
Society held their first exhibition, for the season, of
plants, flowers, fruits, vegetables, dn. ; and, considering
the state of the weather, it was astonishing to find such
a splendid show, and so great a number of visitors.
Notwithstanding the early date of the meeting, and the
backwardness of the season, the display of flowers, tie.,
was certainly equal to that of any former opening exhi-
bition. Rain fell almost without intermission all day,
and yet the marquee was continually filled by a most
fashionable company, including, we are happy to say,
a very large proportion of ladies, whose fair looks and
bright eyes challenged a comparison with the most elegant
and tasteful attractions there collected from the vegetable
creation. The number and variety of colour displayed on
the bonnets and dresses of the fair portion of the company
were certainly sufficiently attractive to lead us for a
moment to hesitate whether the moving or the stationary
display of elegance and taste ought not to have carried
the prizes. Certainly, although the ladies did not con-
stitute the objects of the exhibition, they were not the
least charming part of it.
On entering, the visitor could not fail to be at once
fascinated by the magnificent display of gorgeous
azaleas of various hues. Next in splendour came the
fuschias. The orchidaceous planti, though not so
numerous as either of the two classes we have named,
were perhaps one of the greatest attractions of the
show. 'We never saw a finer set of calceolarias than
that which gained the first prize. The pelargoniums
were, as usual, very numerous, and perhaps of more than
ordinary variety and beauty. The achimenes and ver-
benas were also plentiful, and were much admired.
Some of the baskets of flowers, and miscellaneous
collections and devices, presented a most luxurious
colour-treat to the eye, and displayed the highest
taste and skill. Among the vegetables, we observed

some excellent specimens of cucumbers, cauliflowers,
cabbages, lettuce,' potatoes, French beans, parsley,
onions, asparagus, rhubarb, and mushrooms. Excel-
lent order was maintained by Inspectors Tomlinson
and Gardner, and twenty police officers; and the light-
fingered gentry who infest such gatherings were taken
charge of by some half dozen detectives in plain clothes.
The following is the list of prizes :