The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-16 00:00:00

REPORT.

The committee, in submitting to their subscribers an account
of the labours of the society for the year just ended, trust that
the results obtained will be found such as to gratify those, whose
kind support has enabled them to do the work they have
undertaken, and to insure that continuation of good will on the
part of the public, which is so essential to the very existence of
the society. The total amount of subscriptions-and donations
received this year hair been £514 14s. Id., being nearly £92
more than the preceeding one. Relief, not including loans,
has been granted to the extent of £360 14s. 81., thus exhibit-
ing an increase of £32 as compared with the last. The
aggregate number of applications has been 1085, 977 of which
have been granted, against 1144 and 1044 in 1855. The
average expense per case was about 7e. 3d. while it only
amounted to 6s. 6(1. last year. Our society has now been
established five years. During that time, it has spent £1,550
in affording relief in no fewer than 5,091 instances, besides
granting loans to the extent of £277, one fourth of which has
been repaid. Of the applicants comprised in the 5,091 cases
above-mentioned, 840 have been assisted on their route to
America, 583 have been enabled to return to their native
country, and 457 have been provided with tools, clothing, and
medical advice. The committee have much pleasure in
noticing a new feature in the contributions made this year to
the society. A sum of £2O has been handed to, us in the
name of the Free City of Frankfort by its consul in this
town ; and we have likewise received a donation of £5 from
the Royal Saxon Government through the same channel.
We venture to hope that this example of generosity may induce
some other governments of Germany to support an institution
which iucludes so many of their subjects among the objects of
its charity. While rendering our thanks to whom they are
due, we do not wish to omit to record the liberal manner in
which several of our members have aided the society by
increasing by private donations the amounts spent on special
cases, when the sub-committee did not consider themselves at
liberty to draw too heavily on the funds for the assistance of
one individual, however deserving the person might be. The
aggregate of these sums equals fully one fifth of our total
income, though not forming any portion of it, or included in
any way in the accounts. To the same causes as last year may
be attributed the slight decrease perceptible in the figures
relating to the applicants. These causes are principally the
very great diminution in the number of emigrants passing
through Liverpool on their way out; and the reduction in the
arrivals of continental labourers who used to come over to find
some employment in this country. One class of applicants,
however, has been decidedly on the increase for some time
past, and threatens to entail heavy expenses on our resources.
We allude to the numerous instances of Polish women and
children who arrive in Liverpool with the vague hope of
finding, in some way or other, the means of crossing over to
the United States whither the head of the family has gener-
ally preceded them. These sorts of cases are among the
most expensive we have-to deal with. Another fact to which
we wish to draw your attention, is the steadily increasing number
of people returned from America, most frequently in a state
of great destitution. In the first year of its existence, the
society had only 36 such cases brought under its con-
sideration, but this number has since risen to 79 in
18:53, 135 in 1854, 172 in 1855, and 212 in 1356. The ill
treatments and robberies to which foreign sailors are subjected
on board American vessels, and which have already been noticed
in these reports, continue, we regret to say, painfully frequent
You will, however, be glad to hear that the guilty parties in
one of these cases have met with the punishment they deserved
at the police court of this town. The ship on board of which
the offence was committed was the Tran Side, and the victims
three German and two French sailors. The re-establishment
of peace, which has been so beneficial to the world at large,
has had rather a contrary effect with regard to this society, by
putting an end to the enlistment of foreigners in the British
service, which was so actively carried on in the United King-
dom, and by inducing a number of adventurers, who had been
trying their luck in the east during the war, to come over to
England, where part of them Wall found their way to the re-
lieving societies. As regards our internal organisation, we
think it right to mention that the number of meetings of the
sub-committee (for dispensing relief) has been reduced from
three to two per week, it having been considered that a total
number of 104 such meetings per annum was adequate to the
work to be performed, and quite a sufficient claim on the time
of the few officers of the society whose occupations allow them
to attend personally on such occasions. Before closing their
report, your committee are anxious to express the sincere regret
they have felt at losing the valuable services of their late lion.
secretary, A. Bossi, Esq., whose departure from Liverpool
compelled him to resign the functions lie so z-alously and
effectually discharged. In conclusion, your committee look
upon the results of the past year with satisfaction, and appeal
again to your tried benevolence to enable them further to carry
on the work, and deserve the name of " The Friends of
Foreigners in Distress."

1856. To balance from last meeting.. . .
Subscriptions received 405 13 0
Donation
Loans returned
Ditto from Manchester society.
Ditto from E linburgh society
Ditto from Glasgow society .. 2 0 0
Money kept back
Interest as per bank book

1:637 1 2

C. ---
1856. By grants including passages to Hull.. £360 14 811
Loans, including £5 in the hands of the
secretary
A ssistant secretary's salary 9l 0 0
Rent, stationery, coals, and sundry ex-
penses
Balance at the bank ..
. .

Ditto in band

7 7 7

£637 1 24

To balance at the bank .
Ditto in hand
CAI i❑ hands of the secretar♦ . 5 0 0

£B7 1 3

From the statistics furnished by the society, we learn that
during the year ending Nov. 14, 1856, the number of
applicants for aid was 1,085, of which 977 were granted
and 108 refused, by a decrease, as compared with 1835, of
59 applicants and of 27 in the number granted. Of the
applications granted 34 were assistance to America, 121 to
the Cont;nent of Europe, 83 to various towns in England,
14 to Dublin and Glasgow, and 212 returned from America ;
30 were assisted with medical advice, and 83 with tools and
clothing. During the last four years there were 5,819
applications, of which 3,091 were granted and 728 refused.
The total amount spent in relief was £1,419 Ils nide of
which £354 15,4 8!;(1 was in 1836. The amount of loans
granted from 1852 to 1856. inclusive, was £277 3s 6J, of
which £6B 19s 5-11,-d were paid, and the balance unpaid was
£2BB Os Op. Ot these sums £57 lOs 3d were granted in
1856; of this £2O is 1,1 bad been repaid, leaving £37 9s
I,ld unpaid.
Mr. Prange, who kindly read the report, moved that
it be both approved of, and adopted.
Mr. C. Pickering said he had much pleasure in seconding
the resolution. Iu the course of the remarks he made,
he said that there had been a receipt from Frauk'ort
for £2, in aid of the t inds of tha soc ety, but from the
immense number of persons who were brought to this
country, and who were thrown upon their resources, he did
not believe that they would meet with relief. He vehe-
mends contended that there was a great amount of foreign
pauper relief recorded, but that the relief that wa.. granted
was only given by a few houses chiefly confined to the Greek
and Swiss houses. The following resolution was, therefore,
unanimously agreed to .—" That the report and abstract of
the treasurer's accounts be approved and adopted, and that
the same be printed and circulated."

It was then maved by Mr. Mullens, and seconded by Mr.
Sotkerfcth .—" That Mr. T. Prange be requested to con.
tinue to act 36 vice president, Mr. Poencke, as treasurer,
and Mr. Pictet as honorary secretary, asd that the following
gentlemen be requested to serve on the committee :
The Foreign Consuls in Liverpool, the Hon. Medical
Officers, th Chaplains of Foreign Congregations, Messrs.
E. Meugens, G. A. Mullens, A. Eyssen, A. Rabus, H .
Arends, J. E. Barendt, W. Kunhardt, D. Wichelhaus, C.
Stoess, 0. Burchardt, A. H. Lemonius, Edmund Pictet,
E. Springman, George Behrend, E. De la Rne, H.
Stotterfoht, N. Mahe, E. Engel, C. Arends, and T.
Stotterfoht."
The following complimentary vote of thanks was next
past to the late officers : "That this meeting acknowledges
with thanks the great services rendered to the society by
Mr. Bossi, the late Honorary Secretary, and that it.bas
heard with pleasure that Mr. Pictet has undertaken to
succeed Mr. Bossi in this office—also, that the best thanks

of the meeting be tendered to Mr. Bencke for his exertion•
as treasurer."

Then followed the following vote of thanks—" That the
thanks of the meeting be given to the officers of the society,
and to the gentlemen who have served on the committee."
A vote of thanks having been acended to the chairman, the
Mayor briefly returned thanks, and in the course of his
observations expressed a hope that some means would be
taken by the society for suppressing paupers from foreign
countries being sent to this port.
The meeting then concluded.

- -
EXECUTION OF ROBERT MARLEY,
YESTERDAY,

The execution of Robert Marley, who was convicted at the
last session of the Central Criminal Court of the murder of a
young man named Richard Cope, under very aggravating cir-
cumstances, took place yesterday morning at eight o'clock, in
front of the gaol of Newzate. The facts of the crime for which
the wretched man suffered are so fresh in the recollection of
the public that it will be unnecessary to repeat them. The
prisoner, it will be remembered, made a daring attempt a$
robbery in the shop of Mr. Berry, a jeweller, in Parliament
street, and in the course of that attempt he inflicted deadly ins
juries upon the deceased, who was Mr. Berry's shopman, with a
life preserver. The prisoner, ever since his conviction, has ap•
peared quite resigned to undergo the sentence, and evidently
never for a moment anticipated that there was any chance of
escaping the capital punishment. lie, therefore, evidently ap-
peared determined to endeavour to atone for his crime by a full
admix+ion of his •guilt and an acknowledgment of the justice
of his sentence. Mr. Under Sheriff CI osley and Mr. Ander-
ton, his colleague, have been at the gaol three or four times
every week since the prisoner's conviction, and he has
repeatedly expressed his gratitude for the kindness he has
received at their hands. They have frequently inquired
whether there was anything he desired to be done, consistent
with their duty, but he has always declined, and also requested
that no letter should be given to him, as he was desirous td
divest his mind from all things connected with the world.
The prisoner has paid great attention to the religious exhortas
lions of the Rev. Mr. Davis, the Ordinary of Nevegate, and on
Sunday in particular he paid the most earnest attention to the
discourse of the reverend gentleman, and his firmness was
most remarkable. The Reverend Mr. Davis, at the prisoner's
request, remained with him the whole of Sunday night, and
down to the period of his execution. Shortly after 7 o'clock Mr.
Sheriff Mechi and Mr. Sheriff Keats, accompanied by their
deputies, Messrs. Crossly and Anderton. arrived at the goal and
very soon afterwards they proceeded to the condemned cell. The
prisoner was standing up, and on Mr. Sheriff Mechi in-
quiring how he felt, he replied " Very well." He then said
that he was quite prepared to die, and that he hoped he had
made his peace with God. Mr. Sheriff Mechi said be
hoped he had, and then inquired whether there was any-
thing that the prisoner wished to be done. He replied in
a cool and firm tone, "No, sir ;" adding. "I am very
thankful for the kindness I have received from everybody
since I have been in the prison." Mr. Davis then said that
the prisoner wished him so say that he deeply regretted
the crime he had committed, and that lie fully acknow-
ledged the justice of his sentence, and was perfectly satisfied
with his trial and the verdict of the jury. Marley
expressed his concurrence in the statement made by the
Ordinary ; and his demeanour during these preceedings was
most remarkable for firmness, without, however, the
slightest show of bravado. A minute or two before eight
o'clock, Calcraft, the executioner, was brought in, and he at
once proceeded to pinion the unhappy man. Marley quietly
resigned himself to his hands, and Calcraft inquired if the
pinioning apparatus, which now consists of strong straps instead
of cord as formerly, hurt him, and be replied," Oh, n 0."....
All the preparations were now complete, and precisely at eight
o'clock the mournful procession passed from the condemned
cell to the scaffold. The culprit walked with a firm step and
ascended the steps leading to the scaffold in the same manner,
The cap was then placed over his face, and the noose adjusted
round his neck, the bolt was drawn, and the unhappy man apt
peared to be dead almost in an instanp There was an unusally
large concourse of persons to witness the execution, and their
behaviour, with very few exceptions, was orderly and decorous.
The body, after hanging an hour, was cut down and taken
back to the gaol, and to-night it will be buried within the
building, in conformity with the terms of the sentence. On
Friday morning a gentleman came to the gaol who represented
himself to be a Roman Catholic priest, and he expressed-a
desire to have an interview with the prisoner. • The authori- •
ties of the gaol invariably allow the utmost possible latitude to
unhappy persons in the condition of the prisoner, and they are
always allowed to see the ministers of any religious persuasion
with which they may Le connected, if they desire to do so,
but as Marley had not expressed any such wish, he was asked
whether he bad a desire that this gentleman should be admitted
to him. He replied that he could not understand why such
an application should have been made, as neither himself nor
any member of his family bele -lad to the Roman Catholic
persuasion, and that he had no desire for any further spiritual
advice than that of the worthy ordinary of Newgate, the
Rev. Mr, Davis, which was all that could be wished
for, and he therefore declined to see the gentleman who
made the application. No one has visited the prisoner
during the week, except Mr. Davis and the other authorities
of the prison whose duty it is to do so, and he has
expressed a wish that none of his relations should be admitted
to him. None of them, however, have applied with that object,
and he has seen no member of his family but the sister who was
alluded to last week. Executions at Newgate are now happily
much less frequent titan formerly, and nearly twelve months
have elapsed since the last occurred. Tho sufferer upon that
occasion was a man named Bousfield, who murdered his wife
and three children, and it will be remembered that after he
bad been turned off he made several attempts to get upon the
scaffold, and succeeded in placing his feet three or four times
upon the edge of the drop. The occurrence caused a good
deal of excitement at the time, as it was thought that there
was some neglect on the part of the executioner in the per-
formance of his duty, and in consequence of what then occurred
a new mode has been adopted of pinioning criminals that effec-
tually precludes any chance of such an event recurring.