The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-04-28 00:00:00

THE PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.-SATURDAY.

to Liverpool. I wrote and went to her father in order

to --I
Mr. Ayton.

Did you sleep with her that night

Witness : I did.
Mr. Bolton : And you went for the purpose of reclaiming
her, did you? (Loud laughter.)
The witness was examined at some length, but the
greater portion of the evidence was not fit to meet the
public eye. HP, in point of fact, however, proved the
opening allegations of the case. He said she was a
prostitute, living at Thompson's, in Albion-street, where be
admitted seeing her in April or May last. He admitted
having given her money several times, and that he 11,1.4
offered £3O to the girl's brother, on the condition that he
would maintain the child, up to fourteen years of age, hut
the reason he did not pay it was that he found it would
not be binding on him, or save him from annoyance after-
wards.
Mr. Ayton : You have spoken of this
prostitute ; have you ever seen anything to warrant you in
saying so ? The witness replied that ha heard, on one
occasion, enquiry made for her, and saw a man go into the
house,
Mr. Bolton said he considered the offer of the £3O a

woman as a

proof of the paternity et the child.
Mr. Alderman Holme said there was an attempt at a
compromise. certain!y.
A discussion took place as to whether the girl's brother
should be called, and the plaintiff's attorney said he had
no objection to have the man examined.
Mr. Bremner then went on to cross-examine the defend-
ant, who said he wet the plaintiff and another female on
the town, as common women. She took him to the house
in Albion str.-et, as he dhd not know it before. He denied
having said that he would do what was right after the birth
of the child; the negotiation took place about a month
nrer the chid was bore, and it was at the request of her

brother.
Mr. Ayton t If you were not the father of the child, why
Witnrgo

,ea,]ge

would yiat pay £3O

. .
prevent her coming forward hereafter, and t
some false and some true, injuring my elm,
to be sccare from all future anhoyancc, and to

•nitp of thf

1 crmid not, 1

did not pereorm the promise. He swore that tor several
months before the child was born he had not seen the girl.
Hannah Scholer, the wife of a lodging house keeper,
who resided in Cheapsido in Jaen iry last, proved

t ber hour
antilf several tim

that the complainant was confin
defendant had been speaking to the
in the street a furtright belle the child was
Mr. B,lton : We do not want any more evidence in this
case. The defendant has s atei in the most positive
manner that he had not seen her for several months before
the birth of the child, and here is a most respectable

witness who distinctly swears the contrary.
11Ir. Bremner : This is the most extraorditrry observa-
tion I have ever lr,aztl; I hope the bench is not going to

decide before they hear the other side ?
Mr. Bolton I tare no hesitation in going further, and
saying more, if you like.
Alderman Holme : I do not wish to decide on an ex
parte statement, so go on with the other side.
Robert Davis, the brother of plaintiff, was examined, and
said he was a small farmer residing near Mold. He met the
depend ,nt af`er the birth of the child and had a conversation
with him about the affair. It was in a publichouse in the
neighbourhood of Lime-street. He proved that the de-
fendant was to pay .630 and cxoenses, or £33 without

any expense. The detendant said he ran a chance of the
child dying, or the girl getting married, and then the de•
fendant said the child might be left on the parish, but

witness said he would not let it g 3 on the parish, no more

than his own child. The defendant said he wanted to be
&ear of the child, because he wanted to be a clergyman.
Witnesses's sister, however, persisted in saying the defen-

...„.......... . .
dant was the fathiT of the child. V
In reply to Mr. Bremner, the witness said he could not
read, and Mr. Hughes, the attorney, told him that Mr.
Fenton had turned out a regular scamp (loud laughter),
and to put the document in the fire, which he did.

morning.

(Laughter.)
Mr. Bremner then addressed the bench on behalf of his
client, and contended that the woman had been an impro-
per person, but admitted that his client had confessed
that his condnet with the complainant was improper, yet
he argued that he was not the father of the child, and
after his address he called,
Margaret Blackwell, who stated that she lived, in last
April, at No. 26, Great. Newton-street, and on a Tuesday,
the 18th or 19th of April, the plaintiff took lodgings at
her house, saying she was going to be married next d4y,
and on Thursday night she came, and after that, the same
night, an eld:rly, stout gentleman carve and stooped an
hour or an hour and a half. He came on Friday and on
Saturday evening., and had tea and wine. They came
down from the bedroom about twenty minutes to eleven
o'clock, and the plaintiff had a wrapper over her night
dress. The man went into the parlour and then went
-
away. Asked her where he was going? and she said to
Waterloo College. On the following Tuesday a man
named George called. The complainant told witness that
she had quarrelled with the old man, and he would not
come again as he spoke to her about other men. 'When
George came, Mr. Fenton was there. (Loud laughter.)
Mr. Berm: When did he come ? Witness: About the
same time that George came. (Laughter.) She (the
plaintiff) went and told George to go away whilst Mr.
Fenton was in the house. _ _ _ _

Mr. Benn: How do you know ? Witness : I heard the
servant say so. The witness said the girl went out and

remained out with George, and did not come back till
seven in the morning. She left the week after the Chester
races. On cross-examination, she said she would not
allow George to sleep in the house, but she did allow Mr.
Fenton, because he was the girl's cousin. (Loud laughter.)
The girl told her he was. He was there at least four
times.

Elizabeth Doyle was produced. She was a lodger in
the house of the last witness, whose evidence she partly
corroborated, and stated that the girl had brought two
letters to read as from George. She kept the letters.
She knew the defendant to stop in the house one night.
On cross-examination, she said she was married, but
thongh she had not seen her husband for more than
eighteen months, that she was a mother in Mav last.
Mr. Ayton : Who is the father of your child ? Witness
(indignantly): I will not answer that question; I refused
to answer it at Mold, and I refuse to answer it, now; its
an impertinent inq•lisitive question. (Laughter.)
Mr. Ayto❑ : Hov.v many children have you? Witness:
Six.
Mr. Avton : On your oath will you swear that your
husband' is the father of any one of them? 'Witness: I

will not answer you.
Mr. Bremner : She need not answer you.
Mr. Ayton : Very well. Do you get any allowance
from a gentleman ? 'Witness : I will not answer you.
Inspector Horne was examined, and he stated that he
saw the complainant in the house in Albion street, which
was a bad tine, in February last, but he did not know
that she was an improper person.
Mr. Ayton : If she had been a street walker in Liver-
pool, would you not, as an inspector of police, know her
as such ? Witness : I would.
This closed the case for the defence, and Me. Avton
addressed the bench for the plaintiff, and the magistrates
then cleared the court for a short time, and then again
called the defendant, and handed him the envelope of one
of the letters addressed to the complainant, at the Stork
Hotel. This letter was signed with the name " George,"
and the magistrates asked him what handwriting the
envelope was in ? He replied—Not in mine.
Mr. Parker : Do you know whose handwriting it is ?
Defendant: I do not.
The Bench : Did you address this (a letter) to the
Miners' Arms at Mold for Sarah Davis ? Defendant :
Yes, it was addressed there for her.
Mr. Parker : There appears a great similarity between
the writing on the envelope addressed to the Stork Hotel
and that sent to Mold by the defendant to her (the
defendant) with your name on a piece of paper.
Mr. Bremner: Come write it-Jdon't be nervous—write
it in your usual style and usual name. (The defendant,
did so.) I have the father of the young gentleman here,
if any question arises about the handwriting of that
envelope, to prove it is not his.
The rev. gentleman here came forward and said : Al-
though he was anxious to be examined, he would not open
his mouth until his expenses ware paid.
Mr. Ayton : If Mr. Bremner examines the Rev. W.
Fenton, I shall certainly cross-examine him.
Mr. Bremner: Only as to the writing.
Mr. Avton : I will certainly as to other points.
Mr.PPrker : No, only as to the hand writing.
The Rev. Mr. Fenton: I shall not open my ltps until
lam paid my expenses—l claim 6 18s as, my ex

penses.
Mr. Bremner : This is the third time they have sum-
moned him, yet they dared not put him into the box.
Mr. Parker: The magistrates are unanimously of
opinion, that we should make an order on the defendant

in this case.
Mr. Breather : (to the complainant), Then Sarah
Davies, I give you notice, that I shall appeal to the
quarter sessions against this decision, of which I nuw
give you due notice.
Mr. Ayton applied for the costs. and the bench made
an order for reasonable costs, including- attorney's :beg.
(It is right to state that Mr. Alderman Holme had left
bench some time previous to the consultation of the
magistrates.)

The .2lfoniteur is expected to publish the text of the treaty
on Sunday.
MEDAL FOR TILE BALTIC CAMPAIGV.—Her Mljesty
expressed to Rear-Admiral Sir R. Dundas, when at the
review of the fleet, on Wednesday list, her intention of
granting a medal for the late Baltic campaign.
TUE LORD-ADVOCATE'S NEW EDUCATION BILLS.--013
Tuesday night a great public meeting of the citizens of
Edinburgh favourable to a liberal and enlightened scheme
of National Education for Scotland," WAS held. There
were some persons present inimical to the measure, who
created great commotion by moving amendments, which
were all rejected. The resolutions were carried by large
majorities, and petitions to Parliament, in favour of the
bills, were adopted.
A HONEYEMOON DAREENED.—At Bodmin, on Thursday,
the 10th instant, Mr. Edward Cocks was married to Miss
Maria Lord. During the day. one of the gentlemen of the
wedding party kissed the bride; an event which cau•ed
some unpleasantness at d j,alousv to the bridegroom. A-
length a quarrel ensued, and the bride, in the height of
passion, took off her wedding ring, threw it at the bride-
groom, and then left him ; and up to this time they have
not met.—Plymouth Journal,

IiMEn',IIWWMI2.2I.2'.2S"..rie"."IBMIUMI

The Synod resumed its sittings at ten o'clock this
and after the usual devotional introduction.

proceeded with their business

THE BIRKENHEAD TRUST DEED

The committee appointed to consider the proposed
alterations in the above-named deed, in order to incor •
porate with the ministers, elders, and deacons, in the
management of the trust funds, the six lay trustees who
are ai present associated in the trusteeship of thebuilding,
brou
tt up their report. It appeared from
the report, that they recommended no alteration to be

made at present.
On the motion of Mr. Mathesob,
seconded by the Rev.
Mr. Murdoch, the report was adopted.

COLLEGE REPORT.
The report of the committee appointed to corsjder
the details dr the college working, was brought up by
Dr. Hamilton. The report recommended a considerable
increase in the committee, by adding the names of four
ministers and four elders. The committee coincided in
the opinion generally expressed by the Synod, that the
college should be retained, and expressed their gratifica-
tion at the fact, that several liberal friends of Ott
college had joined in a mutual guarantee to a cousidtr-
able extent, as a reserve fund, on x.hich the treasurers
might fall back for the next three cars, if there were
any deficiency in the income. 'Fhe committee, however,
expressed a hope, that for the future the income would
not be deficient. The committee also considered it
desirable that they should have the power to provide
for lining up the professional chair, if they could make
what they considered an eligible appointment. The
',port was adopted on the motion of the Rev.
ted to Murdoch.

RESIG AIT lON 0

The committee appointed to col. .es►gnatiott
of the Rev. Aleiian:!er Anderson, as general secretary
of the schemes of the, church, recommended the accept-
ance of the resignation, but, at the same time, expressed
their high sense of the valuable gervlces he had rendered
in conducting the affairs committed to his charge, and
their regret at losing him.
Mr. Robert Barbour moved the adoption of the
report, which w•as secowled by the Rev. Mr. Duncan,
clerk of the Synod, and after sever•'! members bail ex-
pressed their grateful sense of the Rev. ➢ir. Ander-
son's services, adopted.
Several committees were appointed, and memorials
received.

der the

PETITIONS ra p,IRLIANEtiT.
The Rev. Speers bniught uP, the report of the
committee appointed to prepare petiti:`u% to
The petitions contained in the report sere agaitt.t the
amended marriage bill, and in Livour of the (xistai,Z
law ; against the Alayrooth grant, against Sabbath
desecration by Sunday training, public anlnseineths,&.e.
The petitions were all advpted after a alloct con.
versation.

THE ORGAN QUESTION.
The Rev. Dr. Hamilton brou4ht up the reasons of the
majority of the Synod against the dissent handed in by
the Rev. Mr. Chalmers to the deci,sion upon the question
of instrumental music in churches. After some con—

venation, the reasons were received

THE BERWICK OVERTURE

This was a motion referring to the condition of the
Berwick Presbytery, and the necessity of giving some
suppl,mental aid. A conversation followed on the
condition of some of the Presbyteries, where it was stated
that the ministers were only to receive the very smallest
stipends ; and instances were even mentioned where a
minister and his family could only procure potatoes for
their subsistence. Dr. Hamilton moved that the over—
ture be referred to -_the Home Mission Committee, to
enquire into. After some discussion, the motion was
agreed to.