The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-11 00:00:00

HEALTH COMMITTEE

The usual weekly meeting of the health committee
was held yesterday, at half-past two o'clock, in the
Town-hall, Mr. Alderman Dover in the chair. The
other gentlemen present were, Messrs. M‘Guifie, Beck-
with, Crosthwaite, Sheil, Tinne, Halhead, Haydock,
Godfrey, and Johnson.

The -Medical officer of health reported, that the mor-
ttlwrh,tialoarleaesweel
decrease
critlnkweyenaseasogheddtsfeieui
fkpbti
triosie:gi
u.fene; g2:pww6Tstr2heheii
iwlevnieesluieetowsrldilae:eetegsihealtiakenaetniiivolngesecrsitnit:altdbfre2lriryeioileteiepycgniaai
oretrisrlfddilnesweitissliei. Gaevaseactescb:ineiltosadsi instant,orvogooef.
average of
ty3ghootielihiff,one thet7ti
1,10 showed9de,nwi2eis,lungs
weeks
proceeding,
r
and last week 74. Corresponding With this decrease,
there has been an increase of temperature. The mean,
which
orervitohuesswameeeksp,earvioedraogfrm
averaged more than 8
degrees
years,
w
been 4 3 degrees. The wind blew from the south-east,
a last a s itn week thebelow
two
morethatpthan two degrees above it, having
and about a quarter of an inch of rain fell during the
week. 70 deaths were recorded from disease of the
reymotic class, and of these 24 were from the hooping
cough, the largest weekly mortality yet recorded from
that disease. From scarlatina, the deaths were 21,
typhus, 6, measles, 5, (less than in any week of the pre-
vious four months), smallpox, 2, syphilis, 2. The deaths
above 60 years of age were 21, the number in the pre-
vious week having been 32

The memorial from the inhabitants of Newby-terrace,
Belmont-roads complaining of deficient light and
sewerage, which was referred from the council on Wed-
nesday, was brought before the committee.
Mr. Beckwith said he believed part of the terrace was
not in the borough,

Mr. Crostliwaite said the whole of the terrace was,
but the road was•not in the borough.
Mr. Tinne suggested that the committee should
merely confine themselves to what referred to the sew-
erage, with which alone they had anything to do, as
the lighting question was referred to the watch com-
mittee. If the inhabitants of Walton had adopted the
public health act they would be in a position to meet
the committee half way by bearing- a proportion of the
expense; but until they did so, he did not think the
committee could do anything, as any sewer or other
work they undertook there would benefit as much that
part which was outside the borough, as that which was
inside.
_ _

Mr. Godfrey moved that proceedings by indictment
be taken against the surveyors of Walton for the
nuisances complained of.
Crosthwaite moved a direct negative.
Mr. Tinne thought the council would never approve
of the committe taking such proce !dings.
.Jr. Shell seconded Mr. Godfrey's motion.

After some conversation, however, it was agreed that
the memorial should be referred to a deputation, which
should wait upon the surveyors of Walton, previous to
any proceedings being taken.

A resolution was la—id before the committee, from the
special committee appointed to consider the question of
the removal from Cornwallis-street of the Public Offices.
The resolution was, that the surveyor and borough
engineer, make a report upon the probable cost of the
buildings proposed to be erected in Dale-street, and the
amount which might be expected to be Qbtained for the
site,and materials in Cornwallis-street.
A resolution was also laid before the council from the
watch committee, as to the adoption of stained glass
sheets bearing the names of the streets in the public
lamps. The resolution stated, that subject to the
approval of the health committee, the watch committee
were willing that the experiment should be tried, with a
dozen of the street lamps in the first instance, as an
experiment.

After a short conversation, the committee declined to
take any step in the matter, leaving to the watch com-
mittee to act as they deemed fit.
This concluded the public business.

MURDER, AND SUICIDE IN FRANCE.---The house of M.
Dezombre, a landed proprietor in the commune of Guinea
(Pas de Calais), has just been the scene of a murder and
suicide committed under the following circumstances :—An
old woman of about 62, who has resided in the house since
she was a girl, and had therefore acquired all the confidence
of her master, was the complete mandger of the household
affairs. She had under her a young matt of about 25, who
was, in the opinion of the old dame, rather too fond of
pleasure, and he consequently- at times received sharp
lectures on the subject, although on the whole they got on
pretty well together. A few days since, however, some
workmen on entering the house were horrified on seeing
the dead body of the old.servant lying on the ground with
further the
a dreadful gash across ithe face, which extended from the
temple through the nose. By the side of the body was a -
large pair of bellows, such as are used in old farm kitchens.
Some hair was attached to the iron pipe of the bellowe,
in
ne
thtoe
which seemed to show that it was with that utensil that the
dean Marie"--the
bmotyyd eorf
the
ed youngbeen
man
wascommitted. o u
nOdn
hangingse a rch.in g
under a shed,
and on the door of the kitchen was written in chalk—
name by which M. Dezombre was designated. This affair
`iliSs hperotdhurceeadtente,dgrtoeatcommenplsaaitnioonf
&Upon:: , ,

Tilt RUGILIY POISONINGS

Our attention has been called to some of the many
unfounded reports in circulation in this case, and which,
as they tend to keep the public mind in a state of excite.
ment, and are calculated to act in a way prejudicitl to
the accused, we think it right to give publicity to the
following, which may be relied on as authentic :—The
reports in general circulation that Palmer had insured
his wife's life for the sum of £13,000 is not true—the
sum being £8,000; and it appears that such assurance
was effected to cover the value of Palmer's interest in
property at Stafford, worth about £3OO per annum,
which property, on the death of Mrs. Palmer, would
revert to another family. • In this case, therefore,
Palmer had a bona fide pecuniary interest in his wife's
life, and that assurance appears, therefore, to have been
properly and fairly made to cover the loss which her
decease would, and did, occasion. We are also assured
that many of the other reports in general circulation
are destitute of truth. The story about the late Lord
George Bentincic seems to have no foundation whatever,
as it appears that at the time of -his 1 miship's death
Palmer was scarcely known on the Turf, and certainly
had no betting transactions with his lordship.
The rumour as to the supposed sudden and
mysterious death of the late Colonel Brooke,
Palmer's father-in-law, is even more groundless, as it
would seem that Palmer did not know the Colonel, who
died while Palmer was a mere youth. Another report
seems to have gained general credence—viz , that Pal-
mer had, in reality, no medical qualification. We are
assured that Palmer passed through the regular course
of study and duties at St. Bartholomew's hospital, and
that the records of Apothecaries' Hall, and of the Royal
College of Surgeons, will testify as to the full medical
qualifications possessed by the accused. With these and
many other similar reports in circulation we feel that we
are only doing right in directing the public attention '0
the facts now stated ; and as the prisoner has had no
opportunity of explaining any of the numerous charges
laid at his door, we think it will be well if these reports
be received with great caution by the public, as an act
only of justice to the accused, until he has the opportun-
ity of meeting and answering them. The charges in
themselves are fearful enough to bear, and we think
there is a spirit in Englishmen which desires that no
man shall be unduly prejudiced till he be placed on his
trial, and justice dealt out with an even handed mea-
sure.—Sun of last night,

The sentence of death on Daniel Lordon, convicted of
murdering his wife, has been commuted to transportation
fbr life.

A FACT I'OR MR. MACAULAY.—Dr. Lushingtrn stated
in the Admiralty Court, on Tu•-sday, that forty years ago
he was coun.el in a cause relating to the very ship which
brought William 111. to this country.

One hundred and twenty men of the 2nd Royal
Cheshire Militia, volunteered their services to the line on
Saturday last. The majority of the men have been
selected for the 2nd- Dragoon Guards (the Queen's
Bays). • • -

Flow TO GAIN PaUSSIA.—Let nur Ambassador to the
Court of Berlin represent to his Majesty seriously, at the
proper hour after dinner, that the Allies comprehend
France, England, Sardinia, and Turkey. The King will
tben see that Russia has arrayed against her no less than
eight Powers —Punch.
Letters from Barcelona announce that there have been
fresh disorders there. A workman employed in M. Rose's
factory having been discharged, a mob of a hundred united
operatives attacked the house and did great damage. Some
pistol shots were firea, but happily without effect. The
arrival of some troops restored order.

POST-OFFICE DEFALCATION.—We learn from Dublin
that yesterday Mr. Richard Jones, tea-dealer of Grafton-
street, in that city, and who there kept a post-office receiv-
ing box, was yesterday arrested on a charge of appropriating
the contents of letters deposited with him for transmission,
and had been committed for trial on the charge. The
magistrates fixed the amount of bail for the appearance -of
the accused to answer the charge at £l,OOO.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDWARDES.—This distingnished
officer, so long known as Major Edwardes, and whose
fame is world wide, has been promoted to the rank of
lieutenant-colonel in the army, a promotion which is
understood to be' the 'prelude to a command in the next
campaign. For his services in 1848 Major Edwardes was,
by an extra act of the East India Company, promoted
from the rank of lieutenant to that of major. He also
received a gold medal, and the rank of C.B.
A COLLIERY FILLED WITH WATER.--GATEsnsAn, Jan.
B.—This morning, in the Shipcote colliery, about a mile
from Gateshead, the water rushed throu&h into the workings
of the new mine, and in a short time filled them, ascending
some feet up to the shaft. The drifts, it appears, had been
pushed too near to an old working at the Felling, where
there was a considerable lodgment of water, and the barrier
being insufficent, from the strata being of a very porous
character. The workmen were employed at the time, but
they had sufficient opportunity to escape, and it is satisfac-
tory to learn that no lives have been lost. The pit has been
since drained.

THE BIRMINGHAM CHAMBER or COMMERCE.--A meeting
of the Council of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
was Meld at the offices, Bennett's-hill, on Wednesday, the
9th instant. The president, Richard Spooner, Esq., MT.,
occupied the chair; and there were also present—G. F.
Muntz, Esq., M.P., Messrs. S. S. Lloyd, J. D. Goodman,
W. Mathews, P. H. Moritz, Edward Gem, &c. The
meeting was made special for the purpose of taking into
consideration the present state of the monetary laws, and
after considerable discussion, the following resolution was
passed, namely :—" That it is the opinion of this council
that it will be found impossible, without great injury to
every interest, to carry on the war to an issue consistent
with the honour and safety of the country, under the
present monetary system, and that it is the incumbent
duty of parliament to take into immediate consideration
the pffect produced by the acts of 1819 and 1844, with
the view of calling out the energy and power of the
nation." The Secretary was directed to forward a copy
of the foregoing resolution to each of the Chambers of
Commerce in the kingdom, requesting their opinion
thereon, and inviting their co-operation in bringing the
matter before parliament.

THE CHILD MURDERS IN THE METROPOLIS.-At the
Central Crimininal Court, on Wednesday' the judges, Mr.
Baron Martin and Mr. Justice Crowder, were occupied in
trying the cases of child murder which have recently
created so much painful excitement throughout the country.
The first case was that of Mary M'lsleill, aged 25, charged
with the wilful murder of two of her children. It will be
remembered that the accused was found by the landlord of
the house in which she lodged sitting calmly at the fire,
while the bodies of the two infants were lying with their
throats cut, in the same apartment. She admitted the act
to have been committed by her hand, but at the trial it was
shown that the unfortunate prisoner was of unsound mind,
her father having destroyed himself while an incurable
lunatic in an asylum, and she herself having had her mind
affected ever since the birth of her last child. The jury
acquited the prisoner on the ground of insanity, and she
was ordered to be detained in custody during her Majesty's
pleasure. The same was the result of a second case, that
of Sarah Allen, aged 33, charged with the murder of
three of her chi'dren by drowning them in the river Thames.
It will be remembered that the prisoner took out her little
victims from her husband's house, an] In a short time after-
wards they were found floating in the river. Unquestionable
evidence of the existence of a mind labouring under irre-
movable delusions was given, and the jury returned a similar
verdict to that in the preceding case, and the court pro-
nouncal a similar order for the detention of the prisoner.

Porsosis.—The fearful cases of poisoning which have been,
and still form, the subject of judicial inquiry, impart addi-
tional interest to the following narrative of facts :—A phy-
sician was the other day suddenly summoned to the bedside
of a gentleman who was thought to be in extremig. On
arriving at the house he found two other medical attendants,
who had been unable to grapple, to their own satisfaction,
with the formidable symptoms which the patient exhibited,
and were therefore desirous of a third opinion, the
patient in great pain, his face swollen, his eyes
forced out -in horrible convexity, and glaring withl
an unnatural brightness. A consultation po:4,
ip t
wasaee
and antidotes for vegetable 1
. poison being administered,
agreed that a strict investigation onceshotldatl-r
e be set on
foot. It'was ascert tined that the patient had been in the
habit of drinking ash-leaf tea, some of it was produced,
family medical attendant incautiously drank half a wine The
glass
of it, and was very soon se zed with symptoms similar to
those under which the patient laboured, and which were
now discovered to resemble the usual results of belladonna.
Tests for that poison were immediately applied with success,
and then powerful remedies given, both to the original
patient and to the new one, for that special ,poison. After
a severe struggle, both gentlemen gradually reco-
vor at ered. a
It appeard that the ash-leaves had been applied
f herbali' shop, which the physician visited ; and,
on asking for some more ash-leaves, a paper bag was pro-
duced from a corner. It was without label or any means of
distinguishing the contents from those of the hundred other
paper bags that were lying about. Ho inquired whether
hie patient bad been supplied from that hag, and was
answered it the affirmative. He examined the leaves, and
found them to be leaves of the- belladonna plant ! Public
attention cannot be too strongly drawn to this fact. In this
country herb shops are universally kept by persons in no
way qualified to deal with the dangerous and deadly powers
of many of the drugs they sell. it happened fortunately
that, in the present instance, the victim is in good
circumstances, and was therefore, able to procure the best
medical treatment in the promptest manner ; but herb-shops
abound in poor neighbourhoods, and herbs are chiefly the
medicines of the poor, taken and administered empirically
and ignorantly. In such cues it is necessarily impossible
to detect mistakes. Deaths may occur amongst the humbler
claws, of which we hear nothing, and the origin of which,
if thoroughly investigated, n• fight be traced to some
poitonoue herb bought from 8 herb.shop•

TRADE REPORT

TIIIIRSDAt

CorroN: The market continues quiet to-di y, the trad
purchasing very sparingly, and holders, although offerin
freely, do not so eagerly press sales, and prices remain the
same as yesterday. The sates, including 100 Pernambuco, at
6&d to 61d; 100 Bahia, at 56d to 60; 400 Egyptian, at
6d to 7d; and 300 Surat, at 31 to 41, are reported 6,000
bales, of which 1,000 are on speculation and for export.
SCOTCH PIG IRON : Our market for warrants closed at
75s for cash. 1,000 tons were done at this price, cash in
one month.
ASHES No sales.

ARGODS : 160 cases of Perugias and Bologna's at 823 6d.
CONCENTRATED LEMON JUICE : 27 pipes at 10, all for
the trade.
OLIVE OIL : The good demand continues. 14 tuns Malta
at £5O 151,10 tuns Taranto at £53 103, 6 tuns Malaga at
£5l 15s, 15 tuns Seville, £5l lOs to £52.
CASTOR OIL : 50 cases at 7i.1.
SHUMAC: 100 bags Sicily at previous rates.
LIQUORICE JUICE : 5 cases Corizlisno at 105 g.
ROMAN VITRIOL : 5 ensleg .2C, a 1

Oi.
Roam: Selling in.,sthall lots at 4s G I

N 'TRATE 0:

SODA retail

WAX : 7 cases E. I. sold

£7 23 611 for yellow

EPSOM SALTS retailed at 83 3

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