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

' WANTED, A MAGISTRATE!

During the last week the attendance of the magistrates in
the second police court has been most unsatisfactory to the
public. We have had, from time to time, occasion to call
attention to such grievance, but it ltas now beCorne` intolera—
ble, and the only remedy, as we have frequently stated, is the
appoMtment 'of some gentleman, who must attend and die-
charge public business. It is both ridiculous and annoying
to witness the waste of public time that takes place every
morning in the second police court. How are merchants,
traders, artisans, and labourers, who attend as prosecutors or
witnesses in the various cases that comes before the court,
kept waiting for an hour or two, during the short valuable
partion of the day—frin eleven to one o'clock—on the leisure
of come gentleman who is dubbed a •" borough magistrate?"
Thu merchant is kept from his counting house, traders from
their shops, artisans and labourers, whose daily bread is depen-
dant on the work of their hands, are here deprived of nearly a
day's wages—and that is no small item in the week's account
of a poor man's earnings. Reporters, barristers, and attornies
are kept looking at each other ; policemen, who have been up
all night, and who ought to be in bed, in order to be refreshed
for the next night's duty, stand shivering in hopeful expecta-
tion that some J. P. would even by accident step in and
relieve them. There is another class of persons who are
subject also to hardship, and ',that class consist of prisoners,
who, on investigation-of their cases, come to be discharged.
According.te our Constitutional law, no subject ought to ba.
-kept in custody-longer than necessary, and it is a hardship for
an inuoc-nt person to be detained a moment longer than he
ought. The scene in the court on Saturday morning,
embraced all the points alluded to. It was very
wet, no doubt, and a magistrate might catch cold if he
ventured out. There Was some few, however, one gen-
tleman, with groat good nature of course, offered to
amuse the company by sinking the " Low Backed Car."
Mr. Lloyd, the usher, as usual went balooning about 'Change
trying where 'he conld light on a magistrate, but his cruise
totally failed—ho would as soon have discovered the north
west passage. At' last Mr. Hevwood, who frequently comes
to the rescue in such cases, happened to come into court, and,
seeing the forlorn condition of the place, he, with his usual good
nature, took his seat on the bench and proceeded to crscharge
the public hu,iness. Again, we say, that the only remedy for
the evil—for evil it is—is a paid magistrate.

CLAYTON HALL.—TIIE BROUSIL FAMILY.—That inde-
fatigable and tasteful caterer for the musical public, Mr.
E. Thomag,"has, "we are glad to perceive, again engaged
the above-named celebrated family, whose wonderful per-
formances here, a short time since, attracted such atten-
tion from crowded and delighted audiences. There were
many persons in Liverpool who were, by peculiar cireum-
stances' at the time, prevented from enjoying the pleasure
derivable from the performance of this gifted family, and
we doubt not that their present visit will be one of
unmitigated triumph, and that the public will duly appre-
ciate the exertions of Mr. Thomas, in affording them such
an exquisite treat. •