Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-30 00:00:00

THE WORKHOUSE COMMITTEE,

At the weekly meeting of this body yesterday, Mr.
Cropper presided, and there was an unusually limited
attendance, the only other members present at the com-
mencement of the proceedings" bei4llr. -E. Byford and
Mr. Owen. There afterwards .enteted the room Messrs.
Critehley, Melly, Peck, Gair, and Smith.
The Governor's report showed that, with accommoda-
tion for 3,500. inmates, healthy and sick, the total
number of paupers in the house last week had been
1704, against 2,016 in the corresponding week of last
year. The increase this week over last-had been 45.
The Band ;*Waster at the Industrial Schools attended
the committee with six:l)6p whom he had trained ,as
musicians, and for whose services as musicians and
stewards' assistants an application had heed received
from the owners of the Imperador steamer, which' is
about to sail with the view of laying down the Red Sea
cable. The boys,-we believe, form a complete band in
themselves, and they are designed to entertain the cap-
tain and officers during the voyage. The boys were
questioned, and each expressed a cheerful readiness to
go. Leave was accordingly given, the necessary outfit
also being provided:
The workhoitie medical report showed that the total
number of individuals uroler treatment is 483. There
are 16 fever eases, 13 itch, and one of small pox. It
appeared that the number of vagrants who had slept in
the sheds last week was 280; of these, 182 were. males,
83 were females, and 15 children, showing on the total
an increase during the week *of 63 persons ; btit .as
compared with the corresponding week of last year, a
decrease of 36 persions. •
Mr. MARSDEN, the, local agent for Ritchie's patent
cork beds, attended the committee, to urge their advan-
tages for hospital purposes over the straw beds at
present in, use. He submitted specimens.
It was agreed to order three of them, as an experiment
The GOVERNOR, in his journal, reported that on
Friday, the 23rd, instant, sixteen emigrants were sent
back fiom Boston, per the " Harvest Queen," and
were brought to the workhouse in a state of .extreme
destitution. The average age of five of this number was
seventy-one years, and they stated that they had been
forty years each in America. One was blind, and
another nearly so'. Eleven have been forwarded to
Ireland, the - place of their birth, and the remainder
are under orders for pass, and will' be sent .to Ireland in
a day er two.

CHAIRMAN said it-was a great shame that these
people should be returned to' us in that way. lie never
saw anything more miserable than their appearance.
Mr. PECK asked if there was any .'complaint, of their
treatment on the passage home ? He had heard that
these returned emigrants were treated more like pigs
than human beings, on board the ships in which they
were sent from America here.
The CHAIRMAN said he had questioned them upon
that point. They said they had not been badly treated :
that they had all they wanted ;--but it was hard and
wrong, that, after being forty years in America, they
should be sent back.
Mr. SMITH-Cannot some representation be made
upon the subject ?
Mr. MELLy—They use our English people while they
have strength, and then.send them back to us when dis-
abled. _ • .

Mr. PECK -I think we should write to the Govern-
ment urn the Subject..
..

The t HAIRMAN:-ThiS *IS not so bad a case as the
number of lunatics which we had returned upon us.
But we .do the same in regard tcareland.
Mr..PEcx thought' each pauper's stalenriit should be
taken down before a magistrate,, and at once forwarded
to the 'Government.
Mr. OWEN—Why do not the American authorities
send them to Ireland ?
The CHAIRMAN—Because it is cheaper to send them
here.: -

AGGAR (the clerk)—Thq know no Ireland, but
oily Great Britain, in the matter.
Mr. OWEN thought they ought to petition Govern-
ment to-make" the Irish parisluOneS pay them for the
maintenance 'of those people. (A laugh.)
The CHAIRMAN said the hardship and cost resided in
the fact that they were -ebriod to send an officer with
them to catty them to their particular places.
The subject then dropped, and the committee soon
after*ards adjourned.