The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-24 00:00:00

THE CHARGE AGAINST MR. STEPHENS.

Mr. STEPHENS, one of the medical officers for the Toxteth-
park district, was in attendance, in compliance with the re-
quest of the board, to furnish an explanation with regard to
the charge preferred against him of having refused to attend
the pauper Mary Clare.
Mr. BARNETT, the relieving officer by whom the charge
was preferred, was also present.
Mr. ALrAss said it would be for the convenience of all
parties present, that it should be distinctly stated what the
charge was.
Mr. BARNETT said his first charge was, that Mr. Stephens
refused to visit the pauper Mary Clare, for at least five or
six hours ; and, in the second place, that having admitted
his liability to attend, by going to her in the evening, he
had subsequently, up to the present date, neglected the
woman.

Mr. STEPHENS : I beg to state, gentlemen, as a positive
fact, that I did visit the woman. I wrote to Mr. Barnett,
requesting he would come over to me; and when he did
come, I told him tnat I did not think I was bound to attend;
that he. might be right or I might be right; but that,
as we differed in opinion, in order to avoid any unplea-
santness, I would attend to the case. When he was going
away, he said to me, " you had better go
down and see her soon." I said, " No, you said yourself
that she came here three times, and she surely can come
here again." But as I had to pass the house in the evening
I did go is, and I saw the woman. I saw that her leg was
in a very bad state, and I gave an order to have her sent
to the hospital, directed to Mr. Lathan. He was the person
who had a right to receive the order, and I have no doubt
that the cause of all this is that Mr. Barnett did not see the
order. He must have been under the impression that I
never saw the woman. Ido believe that if he had known
I gave that order he never would have asserted that I did
not visit her.
Mr. WENSLEY asked if Mr. Stephens would attend
paupers out of his district.
Mr. STEPHENS : That I have stated I did visit her is
quite sufficient proof I have done so. I differ ,in opinion
with the officer; but that is no reason why I drould refuse
or neglect my duty.
Mr. SHAW begged to call the attention of the board to a
report of the last day's proceedings, which appeared in the
Mercury of Friday. There was an inaccuracy in that report.
It was there stated that he (Mr. Shaw) said he was sure,
from the manner in which Mr. Stephens had been treated
by the board, he would not attend there. The remarks
which he made, and which he was informed was correctly
reported in the NORTHERN DAILY TIMES, which he had not
seen himself, even to the effect that upon the only occasion
when Mr. Stephens reported an office to the board, the board
treated him in such an ungentlemanly manner that he did
not think Mr. Stephens would ever report another office.
He never said that if Mr. Stephens were called upon he
would not attend.

Mr. HORSFALL said that his impression was that Mr.
Shaw did not use these words, and his manner was very dis-
respectful to Mr. Barnett.
Mr. SHAW : It is very strange then that the NORTHERN
DAILY TIMES which I understand correctly reports what I
said, should be altogether different.
A discussion of the most desultory character here arose re-
garding the propriety of Mr. Stephens's conduct, during
which almost every gentleman present simultaneously
addressed the chairman, and the greatest confusion pre-
vailed.

Mr. STEPHENS stated in reply to the chairman, that hav-
ing visited the woman on the day when his attendance was
called to her, and having given her an order for the hospi-
tal, his impression was that she had gone there, and he
thought the relieving officer was bound to report when she
refused going there. He also stated that although he had
visited her, he did not conceive he was bound to attend any
person out of his district, but he did so in order to avoid
anything unpleasant, until he received an order from the
poor law commisissioners u ,on the subject.
After some further discussion the pauper Mary Clare, was
called before the board, and stated that Mr. Stephens re-
fused at first to look at her leg ; that he visited her on the
evening of the 3rd of November, but did not order her any-
thing; that he called again and looked at her leg last Wed-
nesday, and again the previous night, but did not order her
° anythine., and that when first he said she should go to the
hospital, she told him she would not do so.
Mr. STEPHENS said he did not wish to bring on the dis-
cussion again; but he was very sorry he did not bring his
apprentice there, who was present at the interview with
Mr. Barnett, and could state that he did not refuse to attend
the woman.
Finally, after some further discussion,
Mr. M‘GEE proposed a resolution that the board con-
sidered Mr. Stephens blameable.
Mr. TATTERSALL seconded the motion. •
Mr. KIRKUS proposed as an amendment that the dispute
having arisen in consequence of a misunderstanding., the
board was satisfied with the explanation which had been
given.
Mr. MILLER seconded the amendment.
A poll was taken, when there appeared 11 for the
motion and 8 for the amendment. The motion was there-
fore declared carried.
Mr. ALPASS moved that in case Mary Clare continued
to refuse going into the hospital, the medical officer be di-
rected to give her no further assistance.
Mr. KIRK.US seconded the motion.
A poll being taken, the motion was negatived by 11 to 7 ;
and a motion proposed by Mr. Horsfall and seconded by Mr.
M'Gee, that the woman be attended where she is, was car-
ried.
The discussion then closed. _ . _

The CHAlxains stated that the health committee had
agreed to make a sewer from Kelshaw-street, pro-
vided the board give up the right to the sewer in Mill-
lane.

The board then adjourned.

The emigration from Cork for ten months to 31st ult.,
Wa3 33,263 and for the like period last year, 22,687.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

The following appeared in our second edition
of yesterday :

JASSY, 11TH.

The third and fifth Russian corps are on their
march, but up to the present time no fresh troops
have arrived at Jassy. The arrival of General
Budberg is expected, to preside over the adminis-
tration of Moldavia; each of the two Principalities
is to have a separate government. The consuls of
England and France arc still at Jassy, although
their official communications with the local govern-
ment have been interrupted for some time past.

VIENNA, TUESDAY EVENING.

The Turks have entered a camp near Utzitza
(probably Urbitza), on the Servian frontier. They
have commenced throwing a bridge across the
Dwina, and have sent out picquets. The Servians,
greatly excited, have risen as one man to defend
the frontier. Cannon had been sent there. A con-
flict was expected.
The engagement in which the Turks are re-
ported successful, took place on the Highlands
of Armenia, between Alexandropolis and Altaziach,
the Russians were compelled to abandon their
ground.
The Austrian corps of observation is concen
trating at Temesvar, on the Servian frontier.