The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-20 00:00:00

WEST DERBY UNION.

Yesterday the usual weekly meeting of the Board of
Guardians for the above Union, was held at the Board-
room of the Union House, West Derby-road. Mr. J.
HARRISON, in the chair. The other Guardians present
were :—The Rev. W. Badnall, Messrs. Kirkus, Lunt,
Jeffries, Wensly, Abrahains,, Mountford, Brown, G. Har-
rison, Fleyes, Carter,latterscll, Alpass, Mc Gee, Shawerand
Owen.
..z

The routine business having been disposed of, the Clerk
to the Board read the following communication relative
to the

LAW OF SETTLEMENT

"Poor Law Board, Whitehall, Oct. 18th.
" am directed by the Poor Law Board to forward
to you for the consideration of the Guardians o ithe West
Derby Union, and for observations which they may be desirous
of making thereon, a copy of a communication which the
Board have received from the Board of Supervision for the
Relief of the Poor in Scotland, relative to the removal of
an aged woman from that Union to Scotland. lam directed
to add that the Poor Law Board have written to the Board
of Supervision for the name of the woman referred to, and
the date on which she was removed from the West Derby
Union, to Scotland, and they will communicate to the Guar-
dians these further particulars of the case so soon as they
are informed of them.
" I am, your obedient servant,
" COURTNEY, Secretary.
"W. Cleaver, Esq., Clerk to the West Derby Board of
Guardians."

Copy of a communication to the Poor Law Board from
the Board of Supervision for the Relief of the Poor in
Scotland, relative to the removal of an aged woman from
the West Derby Union to Scotland.
"Board of Supervision, Edinburgh, Oct. 7th.
" 11,4• Lord. —I am directed by the Board of Supervision
for the Relief of the Poor in Scotland, to transmit to you
the accompanying copy of a letter from the Inspector of the
Poor at Luss, dated Oct. 4th, respecting the removal from
the West Derby Union to Scotland, and I am requested also to
lay the same before the Poor Law Commissioners for Eng-
land, and favour the Board with their opinion as to the
propriety of the removal, and as to the manner in which it
is stated to have been conducted.—l am, &c.
" Lord Courtney." "W. P. WARNER.
Copy of a letter from the Inspector of the poor of Luss,
to the Secretary of the Board of Supervision, Edinburgh :
" Sir,—l am directed by the board of this parish, to
let you know the following particulars respecting an old
woman who was born in this parish, left it when young,
and resided in Liverpool for a period of thirty-seven years.
Her husband being a soldier, and having a pension, along
with their own industry, supported themselves up to the
period of the husband's death, which took place in .tho
month of September, 1852. All means of support being
then cut off, and she being unable to support herself, applied
to the West Derby Union Workhouse for support,
and was admitted into the workhouse ; but in a few days,
the Governor told her she must be sent to Scotland. She
being very unwilling to be separated from her family,
having four residing in Liverpool. But it would not do, so
she was taken before the magistrates, and sworn to her
parish of birth, and was accordingly sent per steamer to
Glasgow and left in the Broomielaw, without money and
withour friends, and almost unable to walk from the
effects of rheumatism and other infirmities ; had she not
been observed by some humane person who conducted her
to a night asylum, where she was looked after for the night,
and in the morning was sent to the Inspector of the Poor.
Her statement is as follows :—That they resided in
Liverpool for a period of thirty-seven years, about six
years in the last house they occupied, and paid their rent
to the landlord, and supported themsevles up to the period
of her husband's death. The Board hoped that the Board
of Supervision will give their advice in this case, and say
what the English Poor Law is, and if the Liverpool autho-
rities legally carried it out, by sending the person referred
to, to Scotland.— I am Sir,
DUNCAN MCFARLINE, Inspector of Poor.
Secretary to Board of Supervision, Edinburgh.
The clerk said the great omission in the correspondence
was, that it did not mention the name of the woman, nor
when she was. removed. It stated that she resided in
Liverpool, and not in the West Derby Union.

A Relieving Officer, and the Master of the House, said
theArecollected the circumstances :—The woman's name was
Biddy MacKenzie.

ALrAss : Was she removed by an order of removal
to Scotland ?

Officer : —She was taken before the magistrates, and a
removal order was made.

The Master .of the House.—She said she had lived

Ash-grove, when she was removed. She was removed in the
regular way.

-The Clerk suggested the best course to be adopted would
be for him to. wnte to the authorities.
The Rev. W. BADNALL : When the woman was removed,
did you go with her to Scotland, or did you send her ?
Officer : She was sent by the packet, and she was provided
with food and money.
The Rev. W. BADNALL condemned the system of persons
being sent by packet without some persons accompanying
them, to give them into the charge of the authorities of
the place where they were removed to.
Mr. M‘GRE remarked that it would be attended with a
great expense, to send a person wiih all the paupers who were
removed.
The REV. W. BADNALL wished to inquire of the Clerk,
whether the law did not require such to be done ?
The Clerk replied in the negative. He said the person
removed was, with the removal order, given into the charge
of the captain of the vessel.

The Rev. W. BADNALL : Then it was a most infamous law ;
I was a disgrace to the laws of this country ; it was a, law that
might not to be submitted to or tolerated, and he could not
sufficiently speak in condemnation of it.

Mr. TATTERSELL fully concurred in, the observations
uttered by Mr.. Badnall.

The Clerk said he did not see that there was any particu-
lar hardship in the case. The parties were removed, they
were sent away, provided for,land on the arrival of the packet
they could obtain relief.

Mr. M'GEE—When they arrive they can obtain relief as
well as they could in this country. It was the duty of the
authorities of the places, whether in Ireland or Scotland, to
pick up such cases and render assistance; the same as their
officers did here.
The Rev. W. BADNALL considered the practice exceedingly
objectionable. The persons were sent away without any
money. Where were they to get assistance ? If it was the
law of England, it was a law that was an outrage on huma-
nity, and common feeling.
Mr. 'JEFFRIES : •Can we amend the law ?

The Rev. W. BADNALL : Yes; we can amend any law.
Mr. SHAW : Could not see that the law was so bad. The
Guardians had a person removed, to whom they gave money
to go with ; but if they were to send a person with
each case, they would require, at least, 150 officers. He
could not see that such a course was necessary. They gave
them money, and if the parties choose to expend that money
in whiskey, they, the Guardians, could not help it. Surely
the Guardians were not bound -to find such persons with
whiskey.

Mr. 71-lEYES was about to offer some remarks, when
The CHAIRMAN said there was no subject before tho
board, and the discussion dropped, it being understood' that
the Clerk would communicate with the authorities on the sub-
ject, and report thereon at a future meeting.

UNPAID SALARY.
The Clerk read a letter from Mr. Palgrave, solicitor, re-
questing the Board to pay him the salary due to Mr. Dean;
who was confined in a lunatic asylum. After a brief con-
versation, the Clerk was instructed to apply to the auditor
for his sanction to pay Mr. Palgrave.

OUT-STANDING ACCOUNT.

The Clerk said he had received an account from a Mr. Scot-
ten, requesting the payment of a bill which had been stand-
ing since 1848 for work done by him during the visitation
of the cholera. The bill had not been presented before.
He (the Clerk) had examined it, and found it correct that
the work had been done, but he could not say who it was
that had done it. The Clerk was instructed to make inquiries
as to whether the work was actually done by Scott,en, and if
so, to Write to the auditor to get his sanction for the payment.