Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-23 00:00:00

TOXTETH-PARK BOARD OF GUARDIANS

yesterday,

Eces, Park-road

Mr. H. S

Alpass in the chair. The other members present were—
Messrs. Joseph Harrison, John Wilson, Arthur Grind-
rod, George W. Hunter, William Baynes, Alexander
Miller, John Moss, M. A. Johns, and J. B. Hughes.
After the usual business of granting relief to out-

door paupers, the report of theGoverttor of the West
Derby Workhouse was read, which showed that the
number of paupers in that establishment belonging to
the district of Toxteth-park, was last week 336 ; this
week 331; against 361 in the corresponding week of

last year. The number sick and in the infirmary was,
last week, 32; this week 31. Cheques were granted to
the relieving-officers, for the relief of the poor, to the

amount of n 5

Mr. CLEAVER read the following letter

;8, St. James'-place, 22nd September. 1859.
DEAR SIRS I wish to call y..ur attention to the foll€Aving
se. Application was made to your relieving officer by a wo-

man nanie-d Thompson, whose hnsband (since dead) was very
ill. The family were visited, the man in the last stage of con-

sumption, your relieving officer charged with being in drip'

and put such cruel questions that the sick man requested hini
to leave the room. This occurred on Thursday, and from that
day until Monday, when I was called upon to visit, no relief
had been given beyond a medical order; and had it not been
for the kindness of Mr. Barns the family (husband, wife, and
three children) must have been starving.---I am, yours, dm.
A. Eimer.
H. S. Alpass, Esq.

Mr. HEATH, relieving officer, was called in, and
questioned by the chairman as to the truth of the
statement in the letter. He said, in answer to the
questions, that he went to see the man, and from his
appearance he thought he had been drinking. He
asked the woman if he had been drinking, and she said
he had not. He gave him a medical order, and the
woman did not ask for any other assistance.
Mrs. THOMPSON was called, and she stated that she
not only applied for medical relief, but also for some
assistance, by which she meant provisions, or money to
purchase some. Mr. Heath said to her, hen he called,
that her husband was under the influence of drink, and
refused to give her the assistance which she required.

Mr. HEATH informed the board that they were living
in a £2O house, and letting apartments off, and they
could not be in need of much. But no other relief had
been asked from him than a medical order.

Mrs. THOMPSON said it was quite true they lived in
a £2O house in Pleasant-hill-street, and had let off all
the house except a room for sleeping in. Her husband
was a painter, and had been ill for several months before
his death

loss observed that this was not the first time
the harsh conduct of Mr. Heath had been complained of.
The CHAIRMAN said to Mr. Heath that he should
remember that though people were poor, their feelings
ought to be consulted, for they were not destitute of
feeling. It was the last resource when they came to
him for relief, and he ought not to deal harshly with

Mr. HEATH answered that there was a prejudice
against him, and that every little matter that could be
brought forward, was shown it its worst form.
A committee was then appointed, consisting of Messrs.
W. Baynes, John Wilson, and M. A. Johns, to investi-
gate the matter.
Mr. JOHN WILSON said he wished to take that oppor-
tunity of making an explanation with regard to a mat-
ter that had occurred some time ago at the board. At
the time he referred to, personalities were in very fre-
quest use, and he was led to insinuate that a member of
that board had been driven out of a court of justice
charged with perjury. It had been reported that lie had
cast his eyes towards a gentleman at the board, which
led to the conclusion that that was the person alluded
to. He had made inquiries into the subject, and he
found that the person alluded to was Mr. J. B. Hughes.
(Hear, hear.) Mr. J. B. Hughes had not been driven
out of a court of justice charged with perjury, but the
Hughes' he referred to, was a family who used to live in
the same neighbourhood as that in which Mr. Hughes
lived at present. The insinuation had gone abroad as
being directed against the other Hughes, who lived in the
same neighbourhood. He wished to state to Mr. Hughes
and the board, so that it might go forth to the public,
that Mr. J. B. Hughes was not the party who had ever
been in such a position in a court of justice. (Hear,

hear.)
Mr. HUNTER said it had never been thought so. The
statement had emanated from John Wilson's mouth.
Mr. Moss observed that the subject should not have
been introduced at all. _

• The CHAIRMAN said, when a gentleman got up to
speak, it was hard for him to know what that gentleman
was going to say till he had said it. He thought it was
better to allow the matter to drop.
Mr. HuollEs said he accepted Mr. Wilson's apology.
Mr. WILSON- answered that it was not an apology,
but a statement of explanation.
Mr. HUGHES said he accepted the explanation, but
he hoped that would be a caution to Mr. Wilson in
future.
The CHAIRMAN remarked that the character of Mr.
Hughes was well known.
The matter then dropped.
The proceedings of the Building and Visiting Com-
mittees were read, which contained a recemmeadation
to the following effect :—That as Messrs. Kilpen and
Montgomery had withdrawn their men from the new
workhouse, three day.' notice be given them, that if
they did not resume, Mr. Culshaw, the architect, would
take such means as provided in the contract to compel
them to proceed with the completion of the building.
The proceedings were confirmed.
A letter was read fram Mr. Drawbridge, resigning the
situation of deputy medical officer under Mr. Finnigan,
and it was resolved that Mr. Finnigan be made aware
of the resignation, in order that he should appoint a
person in the room of Mr. Drawbridge.
This was all the business before the board.

DVe are requested by Mr. Heath to state that he
omitted to inform the board of a statement made to him
by the woman aftef his visiting her husband, namely,
that he had once been in a lunatic asylum ; Mr. Heath
asserts that she gave this explanation to him by way of
accounting for the excited state of her husband.]