The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-27 00:00:00

REFUSING TO GRANT RELIEF TO A PAUPER

A report was read from the Liverpool constabulary
office, to the effect that, a poor woma❑ with four childrea
had sought shelter in the Rosehill police station, and that
it appeared from her statement, that her husband had
been dead several weeks, and that she and her children
had been in a perfectly destitute condition. That she had
lived in Kirkdale, and had applied for parochial assistance
to the West Derby Union, and also to the Liverpool
parish authorities, but had been unable to get any relief
from the one or the other, and for several weeks had been
backwards and forwards from one place and the other,
until she was found in the most destitute state by the

police.
Before the report was read, the case had been enquired
into by the guardians, and the woman with her family
had been admitted into the workhouse, but the clerk had
subsequently taken the statement of the woman, from
which it appeared that she had been living in Liverpool,
and that while in a state of great destitution (Nlartin),
the relieving officer for the borough had given her some
assistance, but refused to give her more, as he stated she
belonged to West Derby, and thus the poor woman with
her family, were ultimately turned into the streets, not
being able to pay any rent.
The Clerk stated, that this appeared to be a case of
culpable neglect on the part of the Liverpool authorities,
as it was quite clear she had lived there, and was living
there at the time their officer relieved her. How they
could justify refusing to relieve this woman with her
children, the oldest of whom was eight years, and the
youngest eight months old, he could no conceive.
The Clerk was instructed to forward the particulars of
the examination to the Liverpool vestry ; and it was also
suggested, that the facts of the case should be forwarded
to the general board, a doubt being expressed as to
whether any redress would be given from Liverpool, if
such was not done.
A " MERCURY " Easton CORRECTED.

Mr. Harrison said he wished to correct a state.
ment that had been made in the Mercury of last
week, when reporting the proceedings of that board. The
motion no mace in relation to the extension of workhouse
accommodation, which the special committee had reported
on, was for the building of an industrial school, and not
for a school and workhouse, as had been stated in the
Mercury.

Mr. Wensley and Mr. Abrahams confirmed the state-
ment made by Mr. Harrison.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DISPOSAL OF THE BUSINESS

Some short time since, in consequi-nce of some allega-
tions made by Mr. Shaw, the poor law inspector attended
and instituted an enquiry as to the mode of distributing
relief, the result of which has been a formal order from
the poor law board, authorisimg the guardians of the poor
of this union at any ordinary meeting to form committees
of themselves, consisting of not less than three guardians
to each committee, and may, from time to time, assign to
any one of such committee the whole or part of the district
of any of the relieving officers of the said union, in order
that such committee may hear and determine all applica-
tions for relief on account of poor persons residing or
being in the district.
As this order will materially facilitate the transaction
of the public business, it was greeted as a great boon by
the guardians.

CHARGE OF DRUNKENNESS AGAINST AN OFFICIAL,

At the meeting of the board, last week, a letter was
read from the Rev. Mr. Postaince, the incumbent of St.
James's, Toxteth Park, in which, in several cases, he
charged the relieving officer with neglecting and refusing
to afford relief to several parties he named, although they
were in great distress and deserving of it. On that
occasion the relieving officer was questioned, and directed
to supply the clerk with the facts of each case to send to
the rev. gentleman, and thus exonerate himself from blame
Those facts were not supplied to the board until this day,
when another letter was read from the rev. gentleman, corn.
plaining that, although he had seen the order made in the
newspapers, he had not received any communication on
the subject, and further stating, from what he had heard
from Mrs. White, of Ashton-street, that when he first
called and refused to give her relief, that he was so drunk
that he could scarcely walk up the court, and that the
state he was in was noticed by the neighbours—that when
he called again, on Wednesday last, he gave her 2s 6i, at
that time being drunk, and likewise, that when ha had
visited another pauper, who was on a bed of sickness, she
told him that she had had nothing except what she
received from the church minister, that he was drunk, and
said all the church clergymen might be, for what he
cared about them. The rev. gentleman also alleged that
Mr. Pickup had promised to meet him and visit the cases,
but had failed to do so.

Mr. Lunt said the letter contained such serious charges
that he thought the only course that could be pursued,
would be to have a special committee appointed to inves—
tigate the whole matter thoroughly, and would, therefore,
move the appointment of a committee.
Mr. Evans thought that the rev. gentleman should have
brought witnesses forward to substantiate the charges.
Mr. Wensley said there were three direct charges of
drunkenness against the officer, and he thought for the
benefit of all parties that an investigation should be made
into the matter. He concluded by seconding the motion.
Mr. Harrison thought that the rev. gentleman should
have been cautious in taking the statements of such
characters, for, although they were his nearest, they were
anything but his dearest neighbours.

Mr. Cunt: What course would you have adopted, if he
had not applied to this hoard?

Mr. Harrison
no.")
Mr. lleyes hoped,the Park guardians would not endea
your to prevent a full investigation.

Rave let it alone. (Loud cries of " no,

A. committee was then appointed to investigate the
whole of the charges, and to invite the rev. gentleman to
attend with the witnessess. '

THE INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS.
The visiting committee reported that Mr. J. B. Browne,
the inspector of schools, had made his periodical visits,
and he was happy to say that the children had gone
through with a satisfactory examination, and had made
satisfactory prooTess. He suggested some improvement
in the desks in the school rooo.s, and expressed his regret
that, in consequence of the want of room, some of the
girls had to go and sleep with the women, which he
' thought was very detrimental, and might •be subversive
of the good they had received. He hoped it would not.
be long before they had an industrial school, unconnected
with the workhouse, in which the boys might be brought
up in industrial occupations, and the girls as domestic
servants. This, he conceived, would only be a question
of time, as many unions, not more populous, had already
carried that idea out,
The report was ordered to be entered on the minutes.

THE LUNATICS.
Mr. Nevins was appointed, at a salary of -per
annum, to visit the lunatics in the asylum four times in
the year, with a view of having them sent to, the work-
house, if lit to be removed.
-

After some routine business the board adjourned

The population of Cincinnati, within the corporate
limits, is stated to he 470,000. The exports from that
city for the year 1855-6 am( anted to 50,744,786 dollars ;
in 1851-2' only 33,234,896 dollars. This gives an idea of the
great increase of businEss within four years. The imports
into the city of the last, year amounted to 75,295,901 dollars.
A poor hawker entered an inn, in the Staffordshire
Potteries, to show his wares. The persons present, about
seventy in number, began first to !oak at his wares, then to
pocket them piecemeal. lie ran to the door for a pJlice-
man, but, by the time he returned, his whole stock,
amounting to nearly 41 in value, was stolen, and it
was impossible to charge any one present with the
robbery.