Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-01-07 00:00:00

MERSEY DOCK BOARD

'The first meeting of the newly elected permanent Dock
Board was held at one o'clock yesterday. The members
present were : Messrs. Charles Turner, Smith, Arnold,
Farnworth, Bold, Hubback, Segar, Anderson, Hutchison,
Forwood, Boult, W. M. Moss, Lockett, Mondell, Inman,
Rankin, Graves, Bushell, Langton, Rounthwaite, James
Holme, Evans, Brocklebank, Shand and Tobin.
The return of members elected was taken as read.
The Solicitor announced that Mr. Harold Littledale
had been appointed the fourth nominee member, and that
he had that morning received the re-appointment of Mr.
Bushell, the retiring no.ninee member. The number of
nominee members was, therefore, now complete.

APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN.
Mr. Shand said: Gentlemen, I believe the
mext duty we have to perform, is one which I
am sure we shall feel very happy in accomplish-
ing, because it is a very easy task. We have to
appoint a chairman; and the experience we have
already had of Mr. Turner in that capacity is such that
I think we cannot hesitate for a moment in selecting him
as the chairman of this important Board. (Hear, hear.)
I beg, therefore, to propose that Mr. Charles Turner be
elected chairman of the Board.

Mr. Rankin had much pleasure in seconding- the
nomination of Mr. Turner, who had so ably filled the
chair during so many years past. •
The motion was carried by acclamation.
Mr. Turner having taken the chair, said : I beg to
thank you, gentlemen, for the honour you have conferred
upon me. Ido not doubt, for one moment, that you will
give me the'same assistance and support for the future
which, during the seven years that I occupied the chair
of the old Dock Committee and of the Provisional Board,
I received from the members of either body; and in that
hope, gentlemen, I trust that I shall be able to perform
my duties in this chair so as to justify the confidence you
have been pleased to place in me. (Applause). •

APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES.
The Chairman said, the first business of the new Board
was the appointment of committees; and as that was a
very important duty, upon which the well-working of the
Board would in a great measure depend, he proposed that
they should take the same course as that taken by. the
provisional board last year, and appoint a committee of
selection, consisting of the chairmen of the former com-
mittees and of the Board, to consider the re-arrangement,
and report on it.
Mr. Smith thought it would be necessary, in the first
instance, to consider the standing orders arranging the
number of committees. They would have to make an
addition to the number - for instance, the pilots' com-
mittee. He, therefore, urged that, before appointing a
•committee of selection, they should first fix the number
-of committees and the number of members of which each
should consist.

The Chairman thought the number of committees, and
•of members would form part of the subject to be con-
sidered by the committee of selection.

Mr. Smith did not think that that portion of the
labour ought to be left to the committee of selection.
After some discussion it was agreed that a special
•committee should be appointed, to consider and report
upon the arrangement of the committees, the number of
each, and the members recommended to be placed on
each ; the committee to consist of the following gentle-
men :—Mr. Turner, chairman, of the board ; Mr.
Brocklebank, chairman of the works committee ; Mr.
Hubback, chairman of the warehouse committee; Mr.
Mondell, chairman of the marine committee ; Mr.
Lockett, chairman of the docks and quays committee;
Mr. Rankin, chairman of the finance • committee ; Mr.
Rounthwaite, chairman of the master-porters' com-
mittee and Mr. Shand, chairman of the parliamentary
committee. Mr. Bold proposed that Mr. Laird be added,
but Mr. Smith objected to the addition and the name was
finally withdrawn.

Mr. Smith said, there was one point to which he
thought it necessary to draw the attention of the special
committee. The committees, as constituted by the Pro-
visional Board, had the peculiarity that the three nominee
members were all members of the. works' committee,
and two of them were not upon any other committee. It
appeared to him that the labours of the board could
be pretty equally divided, and he thought it would be
found that each gentleman would have to attend about
two committees, with a few additional members, who
would have to take part in three. It ought to be under-
.stood that the three nominee members should not be
placed upon one committee, but that 'each should be
placed upon two committees, and that, in all probability,
no two of them would have to sit upon one committee.
Mr. Rankin said, Mr. Smith was under a mistake.
Each of the nominee members had been upon two
committees.

Mr. Bold said, Mr. Smith was entirely under a mistake,
and he was very sorry Mr. Smith had thrown out the

apple of discord, as he might call it, in speaking of the
_nominee members and the elected members. (Hear, hear.)
Ile, himself, as a nominee member, felt that he sat there
for the interests of the board generally, and of the port,
whether he sat as a nominee or an elected member.
,(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Smith said, he did not deny that some of the
gentlemen were upon two committees, but two of them
sat upon the parliamentary committee, which was not a
committee which had to attend to duties week after week.
Its duties were only occasional, and every gentleman
considered it a compliment to be on that committee.
Mr. Bold believed, there had been nearly as many meet-
ings of the parliamentary committee as of any other
committee in the course of the year. Its duties were,
in some respects, more arduous than those of any other
,committee, inasmuch as very great attention and time

were necessary to the-execution—of them.
Mr. Shand hoped the nominee members would be
appointed, and considered just as any other members of
the board. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Bushell said, Mr. Smith appeared to wish to single
,out the nominee members for some special purpose. He
thought it would be much better to allow the nominee
members to do what Government intended, and what
their own desire was—to take their places at the board
on equal terms with other members, and without any
distinction whatever. (Hear, hear.) He !night appeal
to the board, from one year's experience, to say whether
any act of his had ever singled him out as either a nomi-

nee or an elected member of
with any question which had been brough
them. (Hear' hear.) He mentioned this, because the
Press too had dealt with the question •, andhe wished it
to be understood, that when he found he Gould not sit at
that board in a capacity to act regarding its interests to
the best of his ability, without reference to the mode by
which he had been placed there, he would immediately
retire from it. Speaking for himself, and leaving other
nominee members to speak for themselv
that the Government knew nothing of li
certainly had never, from the day of his nomination to
-the present, suggested to him what course he ought to
:take. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Smith disclaimed any intention to make an
:attack on Mr. Bushell of the nature attributed to him.
Mr. Arnold thought it not unworthy of remark, that
:all the nominee members had been upon the works'
=committee. It had created re:harks. The parlia-
mentary and the works' committee were e nisidered
;to some extent, honorary committees. (Oh, oh )
The marine, warehouse, and docks and quays com-
mittees were the working. committees of the Board. He
thought Mr. Smith had done right to make the remarks,
and that the subject was not unworthy of the considera-
tion of the special committee.
Mr. Shand did not think the parliamentary committee
by any means a .merely honorary committee. (Hear,
hear.) He maintained, however, that it was a very
honourable committee. (Hear, and laughter )
•The questiOn then dropped. The -standing orders
adopted by the Provisional Board were read over, and
agreed to.
Mr. Smith moved that an addition be made to the
standing orders, defining exactly the number of com-
mittees, and the number of members to each. He urged
that this was necessary to prevent additions being made
to the numbers of committees, as had been done in the
'old Dock Committee

ho could say
(pinions, and

econded, and ‘mcord-

The motion, however, was not
singly fell to the ground.
Messrs. Turner, Laird, and Tobin were r
leasowe Embankment Commissioners.
Mr. Tobin moved that a special meeting of the Board
be held on Saturday, to receive the report of the commit-
tee of selection.
The motion was agreed to.
The minutes of the last" meeting of th,_, Provisional
Board, and of the works' committee, were read and
confirmed.
A letter from Mr. MGowan, enclosing a memorial
from a number of cart-owners, to have a cart stand
appointed at the north-east corner of Wellington dock,
was referred to the docks and quays committee.
Mr. Hubback called attention to the letter of Mr.
Edward Chaloner, published in the local newspapers,
regarding empty vessels in the Toxteth dock, which he
urged as a subject worthy the consideration of the docks
and qua y 3 committee.
Mr. Tobin also thought the Subject a very proper one
for consideration. If the Board ever intended to exercise
the power of removal, it would be well to consider the
matter now.
Mr. Farnworth remarked, that the letter from Mr.
`Vidal, which he had seen in the papers, and that of Mr.
Chaloner, seemed calculated to lead the public some-
what astray. It was not the fact that the circumstances
referred to had caused a decrease in the importation o
timber to the extent of 12 or 10 per cent. This was ug

-appointed

said in plain terms in the letters, but it might be accepted
as an inference by the public who did not understand the
facts. The decrease on the Clyde was to a much greater
extent; By the London circulars it would appear that
the decrease over the United Kingdom was about 12
per cent. The public might be lead to draw an inference
from the letters which did not represent the real facts.
(Hear, hear.)
The Chairman thought the subject of the letter very
proper for consideration. (Hear, hear.)
The letter was referred accordingly to the docks and
quays committee. •

This concluded the general businesi,

WORKHOUSE COMMITTEE,

Yesterday morning this committee held its usual
weekly meeting in the board-room of the Workhouse,
Brownlow-hill, Mr. Churchwarden Cropper, in the
chair. The other members present' were—Messrs.
Chritchley, Smith, Williams, Syred, Peck, Steele,
Denton, Bairstow, Melly, and Owen.
The Me lical Officer reported that the number of deaths
during the week ending 4th July, was 30, of whom
14 were men, 7 women, and 9 infants under two years,
four of whom were under nine days old. The number of
patients in the hospital at the above date was 654,
including 35 fever and 8 small-pox cases.
The Master of the vagrant sheds reported that there
were relieved in this department of the establishment
during the week ending January Ist, 141 males,
52 females, and 12 children-=total 205 ; showing an
increase over last week in males of 13 ; decrease in
females 13 ; increase in children 3 ; nett increase over
last week 3 : decrease under the corresponding week of
last year 130.

The Governor reported that the number of paupers in
the house last week was 2,412. ; number this week 2,431,
being an increase of 19 on the week. Number in the
corresponding, week of last year 2,600.
Same conversation took place in reference to the heat-
ing of the dining-hall, in which it was stated that the
hall was exceedingly cold and uncomfortable, and as the
inmates meet there on the Sabbath, it would be desirable
to have it heated.
Mr. Bairstow moved that Mr. Wylie be instructed to
prepare an estimate of the probable cost of heating the
dining-hall by means of steam pipes.
Mr. Critchley seconded the motion, which was then
agreed to.
Mr. Peck submitted some plans of a vehicle, which he
had obtained for the purpose of conveying- fever patients
to the hospital. The plans submitted, would admit of the
patient laying down. After some conversation, it was
resolved that the supply of the vehicle be left to public
competition.

A LADY VISITOR T.kNIPERING WITH THE RELIGION

OF THE INMATES

The Chaplain, after announcing in his journal that
he had commenced Divine service on Sunday afternoon
last, at three o'clock, thought it his duty to mention,
that Miss Kennan reported to him that one of the
Roman Catholic lady visitors had been tampering with
the faith of a girl, in the school, named Catherine Foley.
The Governor also reported the case in his jonrnal,
and before the Chairman read the report, he submitted
to the committee whether the name of the lady
should be read.

Mr. Melly, and several other gentlemen, expressed
their opinion that the name should be suppressed, but
after some discussion, it was decided that the name
should be read.

The Chairman then read the Governor's report, which
was as follows :

" I beg leave to bring under the notice of the com-
mittee, certain papers placed in my hands by the school
mistress, involving a complaint against Miss Gillow, one
of the Roman Catholic lady visitors, for alleged tampering
with Catherine Foley, aged 15 years, a Protestant, and
two other Protestant girls. I have forwarded the papers
to the Chairman, and, pending the enquiry by the com-
mittee, have thought it better to request that Miss Gillow
should discontinue visiting the girls school, to which she
readily assented."

The Chairman then read the following correspon-
dence :

" Liverpool Workhouse, January Ist, 1859

" Sir,—lt is my painful duty to call your attention to
the fact of Miss Gillow, the Roman Catholic visitor to the
girls and infant schools, having tampered with Catherine
Foley, a Protestant, yesterday, December 31st, 1858. I
have enclosed the girls statement for your perusal, and
waiting for further directions from you, I have the honour
to remain, yours respectfully, " E. S. KENNAN.
" To G. Carr, Esq." -
" Liverpool Workhouse, January 3rd, 1859.

" Sir,—Since my communication to yaii on Saturday,
respecting Miss Gillow and Catherine Foley, it has
transpired, that on Friday also, she visited the class, and
put similar questions to Jane Smith and Margaret
M'Guinness, the two school girls sent down there for
puu.ishnient.—l remain, sir, yours respectfully,
" To George Carr, Esq." " E. S. KENNAN.

CATHERINE FOLEY'S STATEMENT

"January Ist, 1859

" I was upstairs cleaning my bedroom, when ono of
the Roman Catholic girls, Ann Nolan, came and told me
that the Roman Catholic lady wanted me. I went down
into the school-room, where she was catechising the
Roman Catholic children. When I went down, she had
a paper in her hand withimy name on it. I don't know
where she got the paper. When I first went into the
room, she told me not to deny my religion. I said : I
don't know what you mean.' She replied that I was a
Roman Catholic. She had been into the dining hall,
and they told that I was a Roman Catholic ; think it
was Elizabeth Young, a woman in the building, who had
told her, as she (Elizabeth Young) threatened to tell
Mr. Nugent, that myself and Mary Donnelly, a girl who
came from Kirkdale at the same time as I did, were
Roman Catholics, because our sisters were. The lady told
me that I should be damned to all eternity for changing
my religion, and that it was very wicked in me to do so.
She said she was sure was a Roman Catholic ; I
replied that I was a Protestant. She asked me if it was
for any interest that I had turned. I understood by the
question that she thought I would be more kindly treated
if I was a Protestant in the house. She also said that
she had been told that I had turned because I was chosen
to be a singer in the church. I said throughout that I
was a Protestant. She asked me about my parents and
sisters, and I told her my father was a Roman Catholic
and my mother a Protestant, but that Ellen had put
herself down a Roman Catholic for the sake of getting
out on Sunday. The lady then told me to be off. 'lt is
my wish always to be a Protestant, because my mother
and all my friends are Protestants, and I firmly believe
that the Protestant is- the true faith.
" CATHERINE FOLEY."
Mr. Denton said he thought Miss Gillow ought to be
present. (Cries of no, no.)
Mr. Smith and some other members expressed their
opinion that Miss Kennan and the girls should be brought
before the committee.
The Chairman remarked that there would be uo use in
cloaking the matter; some interferences had been made,
and it rested with the committee what course to take.
Mr. Smith said the best course was to hear the
evidence.
Mr. Melly said it was all acknowledged, by Miss
Gillow, except one sentence ; she admitted that she did
commit this indiscretion, and did ask the girls whether
they wore Roman Catholic or Protestant, and the other
facts as stated, but she denied having used the expression
that they would be " damned to all eternity" for chang-
ing their religion, but stated that they should not have

done so, and she further stated that if the schoolmistress
had not been away on her Christmas holidays, she would
have followed the usual course and asked the mistress for
these girls whom she found missiog from her class ; she
sent for them, and cross-examined them as to their te-
ligion, and charged them with having left the faith which
they originally professed. This, of course, was a breach
of " rule six." _ _ .

Mr. Owen said they should be certain that she used the
words " damned to all eternity."
Mr. Critchley : I have no doubt she used them.
Mr. Peck remarked that some of these girls were
imprisoned for bad conduct —a circumstance which might

affect their veracity. _
The Chairman : The facts are admitted.
Mr. Denton : It is decidedly the Raman Catholic doe-

trine,
Mr. Owen : If a Roman Catholic member were present
he might say otherwise.
Mr. Smith asked if they had no other evidence except
what the girl spoke to, and thought the parties should
be called in.
Mr. Melly submitted that Miss Gillow's own admission
was quite evidence enough, without calling any other
person.
Mr. Owen thought they ought to have communication
with Miss Gillow, the party concerned.
It was agreed that the Governor, Mr. Carr, should be
called in to state what he knew of the case.
In reply to the Chairman, Mr. Carr stated that he
had seen Miss Gillow, and she knew what had been
written in reference to her. He had seen the girl Foley
and she maintained that the statement of Miss Kennan
was. true —every word of it. Another girl, about 13 years
of age, a Roman Catholic, also confirmed the statement.
She was present at the time. There were three little
girls between the ages of 9 and 10 years, whom it would
be almost absurd to bring before the Committqo, but they
to a little prattlin3 story. He took theta separately