Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-02-03 00:00:00

WORKIIOUSk COMMITTEE.-

Tife usual weekly meeting of this committee of Olt'
Seleet:Vesti7 was held-ire the boardroom of the parish-
officegf Brownlow-hill; yesterday forenoon. Mr.. Church-
warden Cropper presided and the 'other members
present ire*--Messrs. Dentoiff Snott, Smith, A. Byford,
and Broome:

From the report of the medical officers, it appeared
that the OW number of invalid paupers finder treat-
ment last week was 716 ; new cases since, 163 ; cured
and discharged, 166 ; died; 21 ; total number under
treatment this weeks 69k 'including 13 fever and 7 itch
cases.—The number'" of destitute persons relieved in the
vagrant sheds during the past week was as follows :
134 men, 56 men, and: 13 children ; total, 203 ; being
an increase-of 28 on the week, and a decrease of 25 as
compared with the corresponding week of last year.—
The governor, Mr. Carry- reported that the- number of
panpers in the house this week was 2,276, being an
increase of 52 as compared with last week,• and a
decrease of 149 as compared with the corresponding
week of last year.
• _ _

The follo4ing letter was read from. the .Pbor-law
Board, AI-reference tcf the charges agaimit Mr. Leather;
medical' officer :

TO tr. PrAGOER, ESQ., VESTRf CrVitlr Or TILE rArasit Or.
LIVERPOOL. • •

Poor-law Board, Whitehall, S.W., Jan. 30, 1860.

Sra,—l anr directed by the Poor-law; Board to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of the nth instant. in reply the
letter which the board addressed tc; the Select Vestry of the
parish of Livorpool on the 9th instantrrespecting the case af
Mr. Leather„ the medical officer of the workhouse.

-- ---
The board 'direct me to state that tln-y sincerely regret- the.
relations which. subsist between the Select Vestry and lift.
Leather, and vkichiitut render;a satisfactory performanwof
hie duties upon the part of that officer extremely difficult. The
vestry are, however; aware that the power of the board tb
remove poor-law•'offlcers is limited, and that the law does not
'justify their removal except under certain given cireurastapcer
and conditions.

^ The board
have been urnahle, after a careful consideration of
the correspondence, to' arrive itt the conclusion that sufficient
cause has at present' been showii;to -jastify them in requiring
Mr. Leather's resisnation. The boarkare, however, willing,
as they have previously stated, to direet an inquiry before an
inspector into any charges which the vestry may desire to
prefer against Mr. Leather, and the Vestry areuware that the
advantage of such inquiries is that they are mere formal in
character than inquiries-instituted by vestries and boards of
guardians, and that it- is generally the practice of the inspector
to examine the witnesses produced on oath. . .
There are several charges against Mr. Leather yak' red to in
the letter of the select vestry of the 28th December, but the
board do not very clearly collect from the letter of the select
vestry 'of the 13th instantiwhether they are or are -not desirous
of having. those or any charges now investigated.-4 am, sir,
your obedient servant, • IV-FLEMING, Secretary.
The The CHAIRMAN said' they had only two courses left
open. They could either-suspend Mr. Leather or write
to the Poor-law lioardi telling them that the charges
were of such a nature, and extended over such a length
of time, that the evidence- to be obtained 'in support of
those'charges could not lead. to any-satisfactory result.

On the motion of Mr. Denton, the letter. was re►erred
to the general Vestry, with a request that the board
would deal with it at their-first meeting.
The other business before the committee related only
to matters of detail.