The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-11-23 00:00:00

THE WORKHOUSE COMMITTEE.

The usual weekly meeting of this committee was held
yesterday at the public offices, Brownlow-bill. Mr.
Churchwarden Cropper presided ; and, the other gentle-
men present were Messrs. Owens, Satchell, Denton,
Shaw, Smith, Peck, Atkins, Critchley, and Williams.
The master of the workhouse reported that the num-
ber of inmates in the house was last week, 2,290; this
week, 2,285 ; decrease, 5. For the corresponding week
of last year, the number was 2,027, showing an increase
on the year of 258.
From the report of the medical officer, it appeared
that ; the number of cases on the books last week was
672 ; since then -there has been 196 new cases ; dis-
charged, 169 ; 26 deaths ; remaining, 67.3 ; fever cases,
29 ; itch cases, 44.
The number of vagrants relieved at the sheds was
196 men 99 women, and 34 childrev.--total 329, being
an increase of 54 on the week, and 83 on the year.

INSPECTION OF PATJPER9.

_ .
Some routine business having been disposed of; and
the various books, &c., examined and passed,
The CHAIRMAN said it was usual for other boards of
guardians at certain times to have a list 'of the paupers
under relief in the Workhouse. He .thought that the
present was the time that •they should have such a list
prepared for, their own satisfaction. He would suggest
that upon a Certain day that , the paupers, except the
infirm and imbecile, should be taken before them, and
that thelrestry really should have the opportunity of
Seeing whether or not there were some of, the paupers
in the house who had no right to be there. Some
were able-bodied. He had understood that there were
some' who were in the house solely because their children
were in the Kirkdale Schools. Was it right that such
persons should be in the house. I
Mr. PECK—But has not, all those alreadYneen before
the committee.
The CHAIRMAN—No; only the new cases. The old
cases have not been seen. But all that is asked for is
to have an inspection, then all would be able to see
whether there were any there that had no right to be
there. He did not allude to the sick and infirm. There
was another reason why such information was requisite;
it would enable us to know who was in the schools, and
then see if there could not be some of the out-door
children entered.
Mr. PECK stated that the inspector (Mr. Browne)
had visited the schools, and instead of finding 100 there,
there was not more than 60, so that in point of fact
they might be. charmed with obtaining money of the
Government under false pretences.
The CHAIRMAN said it was net so bad as that. But,
putting that part of the question 'out of consideration,
he ,considered that it was most important that they
should know exactly who were the parties in the house,
for the sake of the ratepayers.
Mr. DENTON said it was a most important subject,
and fully concurred with the Chairman in the general
inspection of the paupers ; but in reference to the other
matters, that would be A subject for future consideration.
After a desultory conversation; it was decided that all
the inmates of the workhouse between the ages of sixteen
and sixty should be ready' to be inspected by the vestry-
men on Wednesday next; and, prior to that date, that
the Governor should be prepared with a rettirn. of the
age, &C•l'Of each pauper.

r.tuhiste LUNACY' oc Toro'
Commissioners
o
The fromreportssTilEiNssEißousers were read,
and were exclusively confined to making recommenda-
tions for some alterations in the wards appropriated for
persons admitted therein labouring under delirium tre- '
mots, lunacy, and suchlike mental diseases. A com-
plaint was made that lunatic paupers were kept a much
longer time in the workhouse, before their removal to
the Rainhill Asylum, than was allowed by the 66th sec.
of the Lunacy Act. A letter was also read from the
Clerk to the Commissioners, stating that all the cases
could be received at the Rainhill Asylum, and that great
facilities .would be afforded to such a result if the lunatic
paupers were taken before the magistrates as soon as they
were taken into the workhouse, and removed to that
establishment. He mentioned a case in which five such
persons had been in tbe hinfse on an average or' 23 days
before they were removed.
After some conversation, the law clerk stated that out
of 932 cases of lunacy which had been sent to the work-
house, 639 had been discharged cured in a short time;
and in only 369 cases had it been found necessary to
send to the asylum, whereas, if the recommendations had
been adopted, the whole of the 932 cases must have
been sent there, which would have entailed a great
expense upon the ratepayers. With reference to the
five women referred to, it was several weeks before the
medical officers gave a certificate as to their insanity,
but after that was done, they were removed within four-
teen .days. -
The CHAIRMAN said that it had been found most
advantageous for the magistrates to visit the patients at
the workhouse, instead of the patients being taken to
them, and that he had supplied a list of five magistrates
who, were always ready' to attend at the workhouse to
pass the paupers, and if that number was not found
sufficient, he would double it.
It was decided that the present system had acted
extremely well, and that there was ,no necessity to make
any a ,
Iteration • but in respect to the other recommenda-
tions, it was decided that those which had not already
been complied with, should be carried out as
practicable.
There being no other business before the committee,
the proceedings were brought to a termination.

ACCIDENT •IN BIRKENHEAD.-011 Thursday last, a
man named Joseph M'Knight, was hurt while working
at the docks, by a quantity of stories falling upon him.
We believe the injury was not serious.
FORMBY WATER-POWER APPAR4TUS.—Yesterday a
second trial of this apparatus applied to the working of
a ship's' pumps, was exhibited on the river. The flat
J&eph, in tow of a steam-tug, left the south end of the
C4eat Landing Stage about twelve o'clock. The experi-
ment was, we understand, successful. We have repeat-
edly called, attention to the invention ; 'a long notice is
not therefore necessary.
ROBBERY IN BIRKENHEAD.--At the • Birkenhead
Police Court, yesterday, Ann Evans, of 111, Oliver-
street,. was placed in the dock on a charge of haling
stolen a skirt. It appears that the prisoner went to
ledge with a woman, named Eliza Carter ; and the first
morning she was there, walked off with the skirt of her
landlady, which happened to be hanging behind ,the
bedroom door. The dress was soon missed, and, upon
inquiry, was found pledged at a neighbouring pawn-
broker's; the prisoner was identified as the person who
had pawned it. She was sent to jail for seven days.
. STEALING A MANTLE.—Edward Philips, a labourer,
of Bootle, was taken before Messrs. G. H. Horsfall and
R. Benn, at the County Magistrates' Court, on a charge
of having stolen a mantle from the,house of Mr. Hus-
band, attorney, Seaforth, The mantle was the property
of the prosecutor's servant. It appeared that on the
15th inst. the prisoner, under pretence of selling rosin
barrels, had ingress into the prosecutor's house, and
abstracted the articles from the kitchen. He was seen
by Noel, the servant, 'who followed him. Some time
afterwards the article was found concealed under a
quantity of stones at a distance of about 100 yards from
Mr. .Husband's house. Prisoner denied having com-
mitted the offence. lie was sent to the sessions.

THE DAILY TIMES, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1880._