Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-01 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TVIVEES, FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1859

TOXTETH-PARK BOARD OF GUAUDIAN S

The usual weekly meeting of the board was Imtd-yeste rday,
at the Public-offices, Park-road. Mr. Thomis- Wrqua hart
presided. The other guardians present were—Messrs. John
Wilson, Alexander Miller, Henry Layland, SamuerSiddeley,
William Baynes, William Leyland, Arthur Giindrod,
Joseph, Harrison, M. A. Johns, J. B. Hughes, Jolin. Moss,
Joseph Wilson, W. H. Ogden, and William Johnsen:
The report of Mr. Gough, governor of the West Derby
Workhouse, showed that the number of paupers in the -work-
house, belonging to Toxteth-park were as follows :.---Last
week, 358 ; this week, 362 ; corresponding week last year,
426. A cheque was drawn for out-door relief of paupeys, to
the amount of £125.
The Chairman said he thought it necessary to explain
why he had refused to sign the proceedings of what was
called an extraordinary meeting of the board, held on
Friday last. He had•received a summons, a few hours after
he had left the meeting on Thursday, requesting him to
attend a special meeting. He knew that that meeting
would be illegal, as seven clear days' notice was required
by the regulations of the Poor Law Board, to call an
extraordinary meeting, and the meeting held on that day
could not be an extraordinary one ; because, even a
very pressing
H_ occasion, required at least three
days' notice. e, therefore, treated the summons with
contempt. If such a proceeding continued it would bring
the representative government into contempt. When that
meeting could not be made out a special meeting or an
extraordinary meeting, so as to be legal, Mr. Moss, then,
who was. the chairman, on his own responsibility, said it
was a meeting of emergency, and invented reasons for
his calling it such, stating that John Wilson and
other, gentlemen had been charged with felony.
He - (the chairman) would say no such charge was
brought against Mr. Wilson or any other member
of the board. It was known that Mr. Moss's
were applied ,to the chairman, and what
was stated he-would just read from the public press. _ " It

remark!

was not right or proper to say that any members of this
board had done anythinf, in connection with a felonious act.
No one said they had. It was a serious matter, and should
not be lightly treated with.", Now this was no charge against
any gentleman. If any gentleman represented him as mak-
ing charges which he had never made, he would be amenable
for such false accusation. These were his reasons for not
signing the proceedings, and he was convinced that it was
illegal.

Sohn Wilson said, when he served the Clerk with a
notice calling that meeting, he said there was not sufficient
time given to call a meeting. They looked over the book
together, and the Clerk then told him that he was perfectly
right, and there was no occasion for any longer time, and I
gave him notice to call a meeting for the next day. You
that it was illegal, but it was of very
little importance. When we did meet, the object of
the meeting was found to be illegal. I believe
had said to' me that it would be illegal
seven days' notice, I would not have called
Next morning when we met, he told us. I then gave
of another extraordinary meeting, as that one was

'eon]. to thiiil

Air. Cleaver : 1 said to Mr. Wilson that the object of the
meeting was a legal one, but when a motion was brought
forward to rescind the resolution on the books, I said it was

Mr. Wilson : There is a difference of opinion on this
matter as to what is a case of emergency. I would like to
know, when a case of emergency occurs, who is to decide
whether it is so or not. Ido not think it of much conse-
e whether you sign the proceedings or not.
Chairman : You must respect the law. Look at the
lings of our council of the houses of Parliament, and
..anised society ; due notice must be given to rescind
a resolution.

every or

Mr. Wilson: We don't want to resist the law.
Mr. Moss read the instructions of the Poor Law Board
having reference to this matter. He then said the meeting
was one of emergency, and he would say so still.. The
tenure of office was nearly expired with the members
of that board, and they would not have an opportu-
of refuting the serious charges that were
.ht against them, as members of that board. On that
ground he would contend that the meeting was one of
emergency. But they were told that the meeting was

illegal.
The Chairman said these observations had reference to
the chairman. It was his intention to protect members,
and he did not conceive that the felonies were to be proved
against members of this boar. He never brought a charge
against Mr. Wilson, and if any person charged him
with doing- so, he would say such a charge was false, and
they would be amenable for the charge.
Mr. Wilson : Your remarks call me up 'again to-
The Chairman : Do you want to make a charge ? You
will be amenable if you make a false charge, by saying I
gal° you
.bad character.
Mr. W a
ilson : 1 will nave no false charges made against
me. Do you mean to say that, after the remarks of Mr.
Moss, at the last board-day, you did not know who you
charged with felony ? Did you not know who opened tho
doors ? That is a plain question.
The Chairman :. You should have boen present at the

enquiry.
Mr. Wilson : Do you charge me with felony, sir ?
The-Chairman : I de not.
Mr. Nilson : Two or three days before the meeting you
were told who done these things. (Hear, hear.) Why
then did you say that you did not believe that a member of
this board would be guilty of such an act.
The Chairman : Because I did not believe the report.
• Mr. Moss : _You were told that the report was that Mr.
Wilson was one of the parties.
man : But I did not believe it.
Moss : Bah, bah. -
Mr. Ogden : Will you let me see that newspaper, Mr.

The CI
Mr

Chairman-

The Clerk : I wish to correct a statement of Mr. Moss's.
I. did not say to Mr. Moss that the meeting was illegal.
What I said was that it was perfectly legal to meet to con-
sider the propriety of rescinding the resolution, but that it
was illegal to pass a resolution to rescind the one on the
books without seven days notice.
Mr. Moss : Then it was illegal.
Mr. Cleaver : To consider was legal ; to rescind was

iljpgal

I contradict you

You do Contradict me, and not in the most

corteous tern

Mr. Ogden: So far as I read this newspaper it goes on
to say—" That it was not right nor proper to say that any
members of the board should do such a felonious act."
The Chairman : Well, we want the matter to stop.
Mr. Wilson : Not yet. _ _ _ _ _

Mr. Miller said—Yo one regrets more than I do this pre-
mature though trifling indiscretion on the part of Mr. Wilson
and his coadjutors. We all give him credit for being a
straightforward man, and even his greatest opponents at
this board giVe him credit for straightforwardness and the
strictest general probity. I can easily imagine a gentleman
of his moral rectitude and temperament, when informed by
the printer that he had not only been foiled, but that the
public had been cheated by the proceedings which he
had heard of, that in a state of excitement he
had done that which, under other circumstances,
he would not have done. For my own part, I have
no doubt whatever on my own mind that there
has been some fire amongst all this smoke ; but with re-
gard to the malpractices with the voting papers, I sin-
cerely trust that the miscreant will be brought to justice.
Depend upon it, the public are as sagacious as even an
imperious neighbour of mine, with whom I held a con-
versation yesterday, and who, I believe, is using all his
influence to excite and agitate some of our last members,
in order to gain electioneering capital, and thereby, if possi-
ble, regain his lost position, which would administer the
greatest satisfaction to his insatiable desire for office and
chairmanship. (Cries of " Name.") Gentlemen, *I pass
that over ; and you may all pass it. The public know well
that those who are most zealous for their interest will be
most faithful to their trust. With these few remarks I
have done, being desirous only of doing justice to the
motions which, I believe, actuated Mr. Wilson and the
other gentlemen who may have acted along with him.
Mr. Moss said, he agreed with the remarks of Mr. Miller.
He would not say, that it was a prudent act on the part of
Mr. Wilson, though his intention might be good. He could
not countenance going into the closet except in a proper
way. But Mr. Wilson had good reason far what he did.
He thought that he was not a man to be led away by
vanities, and after his forty years residence in that township,
he had not acted such a part as to entitle him to the name of
felon. But, remembering that most respectable tradesmen
and others, had given him such information as led him to
believe that there was some practices going on, which was
not only unjust to the guardians but also to the ratepayers,
in the use of these voting papers, and he had with his
honest zeal, ran at once to see if anything was wrong. No
doubt there was some ground for the suspicion, and they
must have the papers examined by an officer of the Poor
Law Board. He would say then, those that were entitled to
discredit, it would lie at their own door.
The Chairman said it was unnecessary to discuss the
matter further, and as they had appointed a committee to
report on the matter, he thought the remarks of Mr. Moss
would have come much better after the report had been

Mr. Moss : But perhaps it won't bo read,
The Chairman : I hope it will.

The business of the board was commenced by Mr. Moss
moving that the new workhouse as it is at present, be
insured in the Royal, and London, and Liverpool Insurance
Companies to the amount of £5,000.
• Mr. Harrison seconded the motion, and it was unaut,
mously agreed to.
A considerable quantity of correspondence was read by
the Clerk, 11114011 which were letters from Drs, Whittle And

Barnett, enclosing aeccsnnts, the fornier fey Zl3l, 65., and
the latter for £93 155., for their services.
Mr. Rogers asked if that was their accounts ttpto the 26th
Inst. ?
The Clerk said those aervuntf had been paid.
Mr. John Wilson moved that the accounts shwa be sent
back-
Mr. Moss Would it not be well for Mr. Cleaverta•send
a respectable rate to each of these gentlemen, statiiig that
theiratcounts,eould not apply ta,us, as we do not owe than
anything?'
This proposition was agreed to..
A later from the Poor-law boartli wished to know if the
guardians"had consulted their legal' adviser in appointfng
Messrs Finnigan and Smith as surgeons, and what was the

informaon received-
A lette-r from the hoard of health called the attention
of the board to a chirefthat had died of croup, in Toateth-
park, and that it was said that death occurred for want of
proper attention.
Mr. Moss said that could not apply to- the new medical

officers.
Mr. Johns thought it applied to the relieving officers in
not giving orders to the• medical officers to attend to the
case.

The matter-was referrect to committee.
In accordance with a notice of motion, Mr. John Wilson
proceeded to move that the newly elected medical officers
be appointed vaccinators, subject to 28 days, notice.
Mr. Cross seconded the motion, which was unanimously
agreed to. .

The Clerk then read the, report of the committee ap-
pointed to inquire into the opening of the closet where the
voting papers were kept. The. following is the