Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-23 00:00:00

THE REFORM CLUB.;

The third debate on the Government Reform Bill was
resumed last evening, Mr. C. T. Bowring in the chair. The
debating-room of the club was crowded to excess, and the
interest in the subject had evidently increased. A very
animated discussion took place on the disiection of Mr.
Disraeli's bill, in which the admission to the franchise of
lodgers paying £2O a-year deservedly received a large share
of attention ; and, the opinion being manifestly in favour of
the clause, it was contended by several speakers that the
qualification should be reduced to £lO, it being an acknow-
ledged fact that lodgers generally are saving and thrifty
men, who do not marry till they have made a position for
themselves, or occupy a house until they see the way to pay
the rent, and consequently these were the men deserving the
franchise.
The desirability of admitting payment of income-tax as a
qualification, elicited a very warm discussion ; several mem-
bers arguing that the tax, according to its present mode of
assessment, was grossly unfair, unequal, and iniquitous, in
many cases amounting to a legal robbery ; and that the ut-
most care was requsite in the admission of a tax, which,
while meant to be temporary, might become a permanent
institution of the country. Eventually, after a debate in
which considerable ability and aptness were displayed,
the following resolution was unanimously adopted :
" That in the opinion of this meeting, no Reform Bill will
be satisfactory to the country that does not comprise the
disfranchisement of dependent boroughs ; transfer the
vacated seats to places not at all or inadequately repre-
sented ; leave untouched existing freehold rights in counties
whilst lowering the occupation franchise; establish a simple
franchise for boroughs, founded on a rating to the relief of
the poor ; admit lodgers paying a lower sum per week than
that fixed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer; and extend
to all voters the protection of the Ballot."
The Chairman then announced that the merits of a
system of direct taxation would form the subject for the
next discussion, which would be held in the new debating
room on Tuesday next, the 29th instant, and the meeting
then unanimously passed a resolution, inviting Mr.
Robertson Gladstone to preside on the occasion.
After a vote of thanks to the Chairman, the meeting
separated.

TOXTETH-PARK UNION.
DR. orLivto on's CASE.
Yesterday, a commission was held in the Public Offices
Park-road, before Mr. Manwaring, Poor Law Inspector,
for the purpose of enquiring into the case of Dr. Gilmour.
The following guardians were present--Messrs. Johns,
Moss, Hughes, Joseph Wilson, and John Wilson.
On our reporter entering, Dr. Gilmour said he wished to
be excused for interrupting the inspector, but he would
protest against a reporter being present.
The Inspector said he was sorry he had not the power
to assist him. It was a matter for the guardians, and a
public matter.
Mr. Moss said, he, as a guardian, could not comply with
the request of Dr. Gilmour ; on the contrary, he must
approve of. a reporter being present. It was a public
matter, and he thought it better to have it open to the
public newspapers.
The Inspector said, he would make a memorandum of Dr.
Gilmour's protest.
Thomas Williams was examined upon oath, and stated
that he was a relievinc, officer under the Toxteth Board of
Guardians, and had held that office for two months. At a
meeting of the ge.aardians, twelve cases were brought under
their notice, where certificates had been signed, certifying
that Dr. Gilmour had been in attendance on these patient;
when it was found he had not. The committee then directed
me to make further inquiry into the matter, and I found
about 30 cases more, of which not more than six had been
attended by Dr. Gilmour. The whole of the certificates
professed to be signed by Dr. Gilmour I have banded in
to the poor-law inspector. These certificates should corres-
pond with the book.
A long examination of the books was then gone into, and
many of the certificates given did not agree with the entries
on the medical book.
Dr. Gilmour was then sworn, and said : My name is James
Gilmour. I have been a medical officer to the Toxteth
Board of Guardians for ten years. I have heard Mr. Wil-
liams give his evidence as regards the certificates. These
certificates are not in my handwriting, except one in refe-
rence to Mr. Sutton, dated November 29th, 1858. All the
others were written by try assistant, Alfred B. Thompson,
who signed my name to them by my authority. In Sutton's
case it is not entered in the medical book. I can only account
for that, as I cannot call to mind anything of the matter ; I
suppose it to have been a chronic case.
Mr. Moss : The certificate says disease of the lungs. How
was it that Dr. Gilmour said it was a chronic case.
Dr. Gilmour said he could not account for the case not
being entered. He had no doubt that the certificate was in
his hand. The certificates were signed by my assistant in
a handwriting resembling mine very much, but I never
directed him to imitate my hand. The only way in which
I can account for several cases not being entered, as that, on
gt.t.soded at the surgery for the first time
I enter him in the book ; I was never la um
ferring the entry to his book. Mr. Thompson, my assist-
ant, was with me for two years, and attended on patients
during that time. I was aware that when he attended
on any of the patients it should have been entered with red
ink. My reason for not entering- it in red ink
that for several years my assistant acted as seem—
and entered the name and complaint of the patient
even when I was attending the case myself. This is the
only explanation I can give. lam still under suspension.
I have nothing else I would wish to say, as I have written
to the Poor Law Board. I wish their attention directed to
my letter of the 21st February.
To Mr John Wilson : I don't remember what was the
reason I assigned to the guardians for not making these
entries in red ink. Ido not remember that I assigned as a
reason that I had no red ink. My declared substitute is Mr.
Drawbridge, who is now fulfilling the duties under the direction
of the Guardians. He never acted under my direction.
My salary was £175 per annum, without extra fees. lam
one of the vaccinators.
To. Mr. Moss : The age of Mr. Thompson is now 22
years. He is not qualified to practice, and has no diploma.
He has completed his course of study all but for one winter.
I have no witnesses to call.
Mr. Moss said he could not allow the proceedings to close
without observing that the medical committee had found
that their duty in the matter had been a painful one. It
had caused a great deal of and even calumny had
been spread abroad on the members who had done their
duty in the matter. It was for the Inspector and the Poor-
law Board to judge whether the Guardians were justified
in doing what they had done, according to the evidence that
had been brought before them, The Guardians had tried
to treat the medical gentlemen in a becoming manner, but
the medical officers had thought it proper to make it a
subject of personality. He would, as a guardian, disavow
any motive, in taking the course they had done, further
than was their duty to the ratepayers and the poor people
whose wants they were to provide for.
Mr. John Wilson. said, he would endorse the statement
of Mr. Moss. The duties of the medical committee had
been to him, as a member, very painful duties.
This ended the commission.

ACCIDENT TO THE PACIIA. OF EGYPT'S NEW YACHT.
Intelligence was received at Southampton yesterday morn-
ing, that the Paella of Egypt's new yacht, the Faid Gehaad,
which left that port a few days since, had encountered very
severe weather in the Channel, and was obliged to put into
Falmouth on Thursday night, with a broken engine.
At the House of Commons, at 4 o'clock on Monday' the
benches were fully occupied. Many members, even at this
early period of the sitting, were driven up to the galleries,
on ordinary occasions at the same hour almost untenanted.
The strangers' gallery was filled as soon as opened ; in
the peers' gallery were Earl Grey and Mr. Dallas, the
American Minister.
Among the notable incidents arising out of the presenta-
tion of petitions to the House of Commons, on Wednesday
evening, we may notice the cheers that greeted Mr. Raley,
the new member for Manchester, as ho presented a petition
signed by 53,600 inhabitants of Manchester, neatly tied up
in the form of a cotton bale, and which the hon. gentle-
man shouldered in the most handy and porter-like manner
when called on to bring it up to table ; the ironical cheers
from the opposition that greeted Mr. Garnett, when he
presented the first petition in favour of the government
scheme ; and the applause with which Mr. Bright was
received when lie presented a petition with 40,000 signa-
tures from Birmingham against the bill.
SUICIDE THROUGH LOVE.—Yesterday morning Mr. John
Humphreys, the newly-elected coroner for East Middlesex,
received info' rmation of the following painful case of self-
destruction by a young man, named Charles Neale, aged
21, who resided in Long-lane, Smithfield, but who carried
on business as a bonnet blocker at No. 69, •Banner-street,
St. Luke's. The deceased had formed an attachment to a
young woman who resided in the same house, and who
carried on her business at Islington as a milliner. During the
past week the deceased had been in a desponding state of
mind through a quarrel with his sweetheart. On Monday
morning the deceased wished his landlord and friends goo
bye, as they would never again see him alive. About he):l'..
past twelve the report of fire-arms was heard in his. *shop,
and on the inmates entering they discovered the deceased
lying on the ground, and the forefinger of his rir.,ht hand
was partially bent, and within a few inches of a r niall pistol,
Which had recently been discharged. An alarp was instantly
raised, when a policeman obtained the
_ass' istance of Mr.
Love, surgeon, Mr. Wright, and Dr. Le, I,on, who found he
had othimself in the right side, just aove his heart. He
was conveyed to St. Luke's Workhwase, where his sweet-
heart came to see him, and sheedy after expired in her
presence, •