The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-05 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD.

BEFORE THE REV. R. ICI. FIELDEN ANI) R. BRYAN, ESQ.
DESPERATE ASSAULT ON DISTRAINING OFFICERS.—
Michael Finnegan, ani Bridget his wife, were brought up
in custody, charged with having violently assaulted and
beaten James Naylor, while making a distraint on their
goods for rent. James Nayler, the complainant, stated he
was a bailiff, and lived at 143, Eldon-street, Liverpool;
and on the 29th of May last, he came over to Birkenhead
to execute a warrant of distress upon Finnegan's goods,
at No. 8, Market-court, for rent due to Mr. Craven. That
he got to the house about three o'clock, when he saw both
the prisoners. Told them what he wanted, and shoved
them the warrant. The male prisoner said he would go
to Mr. Craven, and left for that purpose, ho (Naylor)
agreeing to do nothing until he returned. In a short time
Finnegan returned, and produced a receipt for the rent,
but not for the costs. Whereupon 53 6d was demanded for
the levy, which F.neeg;in said he would not. pay,
the consequence of which was, that he (Naylor)
proceeded to levy for that amount, upon which both pri-
soners attacked him, the male prisoner with a poker, and
the wife with a mallet, until his head streamed with blood,
and he had beers uud,:r the doctor's hands ever since.
Complainant's head was bandaged up, and he also produced
a doctor's certificate that the would inflicted with the piker
was very serious, and would not be well for some time to
come. William Wright, also a bailiff, confirmed the pre-
vious evidence. Mr. Bretherton appeared for the prisoners,
but elicited nothing to shake the evidence, and, having
addressed the bench, the Rev. Nit-. Fielden said that the
bench had fully considered the case, and also the remarke
urged in favour of the prisoners by Mr. Bretherton, and
they had taken the best view of the matter—indeed, the
only one they could. However hard a case might be upon
poor people when a landlord issued a distress, the
persons who executed that distress were not blame-
able, provided the distress was not exercised with
unduo hardship. It appeared that the officers
in this case used great forbearance, and all the
violence arose from the conduct of those upon whom the
distress executed. If officers were on the premises at all,
there must, of course, be costs as well as the rent to re-
cover. If those costs were excessive, there was the law to
resort to. The township of Birkenhead, he thought, had
already had an awful lesson, for it was not long ago that a
bailiff was killed under almost similar circumstances to the
present, and he (Mr. Fielden) was in hopes that such a
thing would not have occurred again. The bailiff Naylor
had received a dreadful injury in the head, and there was
no knowing what might be the result. If there had been
any irregularity in the distress, it could have been set
right afterwards, but the prisoners had no right to take the
law into their own hands. The bench, however, had
taken into consideration what had been said by Mr.
Bretherton, and also the fact that they had already sus-
tained considerable punishment by being in custody since
Friday, but they must further mark their sense of an
assault of this nature, and therefore they would convict the
prisoners in a penalty of 103 and costs, or twenty-one days'
imprisonment in default of payment. It was stated in
court, that Birkenhead bailiffs will not venture to lay a
distress in the courts where such persons as the prisoners
reside, for the fear of being murdered, wlelch will account
for Liverpool bailiffs, in this instance, being employed.
ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER AT THE TRANMERE
WARES.—William Glover, Michael Whittington, and
Owen Boyle, three labouring men, who said they worked
at the Liverpool North-end docks, were charged with
having assaulted Thomas Hindley, one of the Cheshire
County Police, while on duty at the Tranmere Wakes, on
Mond iy last. From the statement of the officer, it ap-
peared that between five and six o'clock in the evening he
saw Glover attempting to pick the pocket of a drunken
man who was lying down asleep in the field where the
Wakes are held, when he took him into custody, and
having handcuffed him, was proceeding on his way with
the prisoner to the Birkenhead bridewell. After he had
got a short distance several of the prisoner's companions
came up, Boyle and Whittington being amongst them, and
commenced throwing stones at him, (ffindley). One
thrown by Whittington, struck him a severe blow
just over the left eve, and knocked him down,
but the one thrown by Boyle just missed his face.
While he was down, all the three prisoners commenced
kicking him, and then Glover ran away. One of the Bir-
kenhead police happened, however, to come to his assist-
ance, and ultimately all the three prisoners were secured.
Glover and Whittington said very little in answer to the
charge. Boyle denied being there. They were all three,
however, fully sworn to, and they were ordered to pay a
penalty of 103 each and costs, or fourteen days' imprison-
ment.

DISORDERLY BEER-HOUSEi.--JOhn Evans, of St. Ann-
street, beer.house keeper, was summoned for keeping his
house open at ten o'clock on the morning of Sunday last.
Detective-officer Hodgson proved finding six men in the
bar parlour, with a jug, and glasses con+aining ale, before
them. Fined 20s and costs. James West, beer-house
keeper, at the corner of Brook-street and Watson-street,

for a similar offence, at a quarter before eleven o'clock
same morning. Hodgson said he saw two men coming out
of the back yard door, with a jug, containing half a gallon
of ale; both of them were drunk. He then proceeded
into the house, and in the kitchen he found seven men,
with three pints of ale before them, and two of the men
worse for liquor. Fined 20s and costs. John Hill, beer-
house keeper, Market-street, for permitting drunkenness,
andotherldisorderly conduct, in his hou_ie oa the 28th ult.
Hodgson stated that in the afternoon of the day named
he visited defendant's house, where he found two men
stripped and fighting, and the defendant's wife quite
drunk. There had been drinking and fighting there all
the afternoon, and he hnd never seen such a scene in a
beer-house in his life before. Blood was all over the floor,
and the place was swimming with beer, as if a barrel had
been allowed to run about the place. Find lOs and coots.

At LEWIS & COMPANY'S, Ranelagh street,
BOYS are CLOTHED from the Ages of 6 to 20 Years,

The only prison in the whole county of Sunderland,
having a population of nearly 26,000 inhabitants, is with-
out a prisoner.
A country gentleman exposed some firkins of butter for
sale in the Limerick mirket on Saturday last, for which the
highest price he was offered was L 2 15s. This he refused,
and brought the butter into Cork, where he received £3 7s
a firkin for it.—Limeriek, Chronicle.
RAILWAY TRAFFIC ON DERBY DAY.—The South-
Western Railway conveyed upwards of 37,700 passengers
through their Waterloo terminus to the Derby, including
above 1000 season ticket holders, without any accident or
d clay, thanks to the able arrangements of the staff.
COMMERCIAL FAILURE.—Painful rumours have been in
circulation of the probable consequences to some firms in
the north of Ireland of the failure of Mr. Doherty, in
Liverpool. We regret to learn that Mr. Morton, of
Bellvmens, general merchant, has been compelled to sus.
pend payment. Cases of this kind are deserving of much
sympathy,—Banner of Ulster.
A NEGRO ARGUMENT.—Mr. Ousted, in his work on
Texas, mentions an old negro near Victoria, the only
Baptist of the neighbourhood, w;.o always " stuck up for
his own faith," and was ready wi,h a reason for it. " You
kin read, now, keant you ?" " Yes." " Well, s'pose
you've read about John de Baptis', haint you ?" " Yes "
"Nell, you never read 'bout any John de Methodic', did
you ? You see I has de Bible on my side, den."
THE NEW CHELSEA-BRIDGE QUESTION. —On Tuesday a
meeting of the inhabitants of Pimlico and Chelsea was
held at the Literary Institution, St. Leonard-street,
Pimlico, to take into consideration the intention of the
government to levy a toll on the above bridge ; and reso-
lutions were unanimously passed pledging the meeting to
use all constitutional means to prevent the toll being im-
posed. It was also agreed to appoint a deputation to Lord
Palmerston on the subject.
DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERY AT NAAS.-011 Monday,
the 18th ult., at half-past one o'clock in the day, as a
farmer named Mullane was returning home from the usual
monthly fair of Naas, accompanied by a servant boy, in a
gig, they were stopped on the high-road, near Kill, by two
men, one rather old, armed with a large pistol, the other
a much younger person. The elder man set to work to
beat both the farmer and his boy on their heads and faces
with the pistol, or some other heavy weapon, evidently
with a murderous intent, from the effects produced; and
the younger man meanwhile was busily occupied looking
for the farmer's pocket-book, which he succeeded in
obtaining, when they both made off with the prize, for
which they were, doubtless, in waiting. A few minutes
after the occurrence, a gentleman met the farmer on the
road, driving into Kill, in a moot pitiable state from the
wounds inflicted on his head and face. Information of the
robbery was given by the gentleman at the police-offices,
in Johnstown and Naas, within an hour after it occurred,
and the police succeeded, by their active exertions, in
detecting one of the perpetrators of the outrage. He was,
in fact, under arrest by one of the force, but owing to the
aid rendered by some members of his family, he has
for the present escaped the hands of justice.—From a
Correspondent. . _ _

AN APOLOGY FOR " LITTLE DORRIf."----Ar. C. gel cons

winds up " Little Dorrit " by saying •—I must have been
very ill-employed, if I could net leave its merits and de-
merits as a whole, to express themselves on its being read
as a whole. Bat, as it is not unreasonable to suppose that
I may have held its various threads with a more contin-
uous attention than any one else can have given to them
during its desultory publication, it is not unreasonable to
ask that the weaving may be looked at in its completed
state, and with the pattern finished. If I might offer any
apology for so exaggerated a fiction as the Barnacles and
the Circumlocution Office, I would sesk it in the common
experience of an Englishman, without presuming to men-
Von the unimportant fact of my having done that violence
to good manners, in the days of a Russian war, and of a
Court of Inquiry nt Chelsea. If I might make so bold as
to defend that extravagant conception, Mr. 'Merdle, I would
hint that it originated after the railroad share epoch, in
the times of a certain Irish bank, and of one or two other
equally laudable enterprises. If I were to plead anything
in mitigation of the preposterous fancy that a bad design
will sometimes claim to be a good and an expressly relig-
ious design, it would be the curious coincidence that it has
been brought to its climax in these pages, in the days of
the public examination of late directors of a Royal British
B ink. Bat I submit myself to suffer judgment to go by
default on all these counts, if need be, and to accept the
assurances (on good authority) that nothing like them was
ever known in this laud.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS.—We
find the weight of the new House of Commons to be 31
tons, 5 stones, viz :—Ather-ton, Ayr-ton. Brans-ton, Bux-
ton (2), Codring-ton (2), Dut-ton, Ebring-ton, Eger-ton
(3), El-ton, Eus-ton, Hamil-ton (2), Lang-ton (2), 'Langs-
ton, Ly-ton, Ossuls-ton, Pal(iirs-ten. Pax-ton,
Palmers-ton, Pilking-ton,Rep-ton, Staple-'on, Warbar-ton,
Wadding-ton, and Winning-ton ; Elphin-stone, Glad-
stone, and John-atone (3). In measnring we find its
breadth to be one Cubitt, and its length Miles (,) Long.
Its landed property consists of four fi-ilds—Bot-field,
Had-field, Schole-field, and Wing-field ; several Woo
three Hills, a Marsh, a Moore, and a Warren. On exu.;-
ining the nature of the soil we find nothing but Beach
and Clay. Its house property is not extensive, consisting
only of a Hatt, and a Hard-castle, with several Halls, and
two Mills. Its family consists of twenty-three sone, viz :
Davi-son, Deni-soa (3), Dad-,on, Fergu-son (3), Greg-son,
Hodg-son (2), Hud-son, Hugge--on, Jack-son, Harri-son,
Mat'ie-son (2), Richard-son, Robert-son, Stephen-son,
Thomp-son, Wil-son, and Wraigth-son ; and yet, strange
as it may appear, it has only one Child, whom it has the
Power to bring up Hardy, not fearing the effects of cold
Steel, or dreading the fury of a Tempos`. Its colours are
Black, White, Brown, Grey, and
.Greene, and though it ha s
two Kings, a Duke, and a Knight, it has only one Rich mem-
ber. There are working men amongst them—a Glover, two
Millers, two Taylors, a Potter, a Turner, a Co Tier, 'a
Forester, a Carter, a Cooper, and seven Smiths, and if n
a costermonger, there is his Barrow. It is fortunate the
Jews are not admiited, as the only provisions they have
consists of pork and Pease and Whit (e) bread; of the
first named there is abundance, for we find no less than
fourteen hams, viz :—Cheet-ham, Conning-ham (2), Ing-
ham, Fara-ham, Gra-ham, Hot-ham, Rayn-hats, Pscking.
ham, Wynd-ham (3), and Wind-ham ; and if they have
lost their Brightness they are not without Manners, or
Grace, or Hope; and if some are Wyld, and Cross, and
Close, and Moody, there are others who are Bland, and
Merry, and 'Wise. Gentlemen in difficulties had better
avoid the H 'use, lest they run the Hassard, of
being sued by one of the following duns—Dunne,
Dun-can, Dun-combe, Don-lop, Dun-bar, and Dun-das.
The House Ills barely esceped Shakspere'a anathema
against unmusical souls, since it ln s secured hut a solitary
Fife and Drum (mold). On the March they most always
walk, since they have but one Hors(e)man in their com-
pany, and in endeavouring to " pursue the even tenor of
their way" they will meet with a Crooke, and Bridges.
Both of whom will be Heard, since, like a Truman, they
will not allow their lingual accomplishments to Rust. The
geography of the house not only comprisnt several
portions of Old England, but &so a small part of the ter-
ritory of our Gallic neighbours (besides the generic name
of French), and a large slice of the Low Countries viz.:—
Bathurst, Blandford, Beresford, Beaumont, Galway,
Holland, (Lo(e)vaine, Lincoln, Newark, Newport, Osborne,
Pevensey, Salisbury, Stafford, Stirling, and 'Yorke. The
principal points of the compass are North, East, and
West (head), while the genial influence of the soft South
gains no admittance. The religion of St. Stephen's is
confined to a Kirk and a Bethel!. The Butler will be un-
able to supply the members with any choice vintage, as he
has on.y one Butt to draw from. Men of straw are
professedly debarred from admission to the House, and
yet curiously enough, one seat is devoted to Hay- We
have frequently heard of the venality of certain consti-
tuencies, but it will be seen that the house still has its
Price; but let the members beware of encouraging evil
practices, thine Calcraft is of their number; and they are
not far from New (de) gase,—C, 7s, Rye'.
"A NOVEL INKsTAND.—Anew and very ingenious inkstand ha.
been submitted to our notice; by a simple but ingenious contrivance,
the ink is always kept clear and fluid."—Northampton Mercury.—
Sold at is 8d 2s 6d, and 38 6d each.—Advt.
CASH AND DEED BOXES.—The next important thing to. the posses-
sion of cash is, bow (when you have got it) to keep it safely,, eitherin
the connting.honse or at home. The same remarks apply to deeds
and other valuable documents. We have seen a large and varied
stock of both these desirable articles, manufactured expressly for Mr.
E. T. Hall, of South John-street, that challenge attention. These
boxes are made on new and. .
admired principles, and possess patent
locks, which defy
the ingenuity of any pick-lock" in the world to
open, except with the legitimate key. To merchants, solicitors, and
others, these new safe., on a small scale, must prove votable indeed.
—Northern Daily Times, 21st May, 1857.

FALSE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

Yesterday, the following shopkeepers of this town were
fined, for having in their possession false weights and mea-
sures, by which the purchasers at their establishments
were more or less defrauded :
Thomas Palphregman, a bacon dealer, of Limekiln-lane,
for having a half-pound weight ten drachms against the
purchaser. Fined ls., and ls. costs.
Dangle Kennedy, provision dealer, of Athol-street, was
fined 2s. 6cl and costs, for having a false beam four
drachms against the purchaser.
William Buxton, butcher, of 180, London-road, was
fined ss. for having his scales ten drachms against the
purchaser. At the time the officer detected this case—
having been induced to visit the shop through complaints
having been made—the defendant was weighing half a
pound of beef at these large scales, which were incorrect,
although some sales were correct. This was not the first
offence.

Alice Carter, of Tichfield-street, was fined Is. for having

a two-pound light weight.
James Percy, Rose-place, was fined sg. for like offence.
John Routledge, grocer, of 19, Scotland-road, was fined
20s. and costs, for having a false weight.
Martin Burns coal dealer, of Adlington street, was fined
3. 6d. for a similar offence.
James Heiney, potato dealer, of Blackstock-street, was
fined 2s. 61. and costs for a like offence.
William Duff, potato dealer, of Radcliffe-stree", was
fined Is. for the like offence.

Herbert Vyers, coal dealer, of Netherfield-road, was
fined 2s. 6d. and costs for a light weight.
Margaret Ellis, of St. John's Market, for having a
weight five ounces short. Fined 10s. and costs.
James Whittaker, grocer, of Great Howard-street, false
scales ; two informations for the same offence. Fined 200.
and costs in each case.

Exclusively tor CLOTHING BOYS from 6 to 20 Years.

LEWIS & COMPANY. Ranelazh street.

A Rico PAUPER.—The Inspector of poor at Marykirk,
finding it necessary to remove an old woman to the poor's
house, made an overhaul of her domicile. In every
imaginable place, and tied up in different old rags, guineas
notes, crown pieces, &c., &c , turned up to the sum of £5O,
SINGULAR INCIDENT.— On last Saturday evening, some
boys were playing on Bachelor's-quay, when they ob-
served what they thought to be two human hands in the
river, just at the mouth of the sewer which runs under
Duncan-street. On descending to the place they found
that their conjectures were right, as they found there two
hands, both left ones, with the bones of the arms and
shoulder-blades attached. Information of the circumstance
having been conveyed to the George's-street station, some
of the police went and removed them to the bridewell,
where Dr. Allen, of Newsome'e-quay, and another surgeon,
gave it as their opinion that they were portions of bodies
which had been dissected. One of the hands is much
larger than the other and the smaller one is in a much
more advanced state of decomposition.—cork Examiner.
ROBBERIES or CASH, &C., ON THE DERBY AND OAKS
DAYS.—Notwithstanding the activity and vigilance of the
police, the robberies were unusually numerous. Amongst
others are the following : -A nobleman connected with
the turf was hustled by a gang of swell mobsmen, who
deprived him of his pocket-book, containing Bank of
England notes to a large amount, some blank cheques, and
about £35 in gold ; the latter was in a long green New-
market parse. He also lost a dimond pin and gold lever
watch. A gentleman was robbed near the winning post of
£l6O in gold and notes; another lost nearly £2OO, a blank
cheque-hook, and betting-book, about t two o'clock on the
Derby day, and was again victimised about the seine hour,
on Friday (the Oaks day), for £125 in gold and notes, a
gold watch, and a single stone brilliant pin. Captain Sir
Henry Welsh lost a valuable dimond pin and ring, and his
purse, containing upwards of £3O. The gold and silver
watches, valuable breast pins, shirt studs, portemonaies,
purses, and pocket-books, containing in the aggregate,
upwards of £1,200, are innumerable. The thieves also
succeeded in purloining several ladies' reticules, containing
cash and valuables, from carriages. Upwards of 20 were
apprehended, of whom five have been committed for trial
to Guildford, and the remainder sentenced to various
terms of imprisonment.
NEARLY BURIED ALIVE.— A letter from Cleves, Hamil-
ton county, Ohio. says : " Wet Eckman, a wealthy citizen
of this place, was taken violently ill on the morning of the
15th, and by having the prompt and kind services of two
erudite Esculapiuses, received his " quietus" about 5 o'clock
the same day. Next morning the defunct Eckman was
kindly stowed away in his coffin, and jolted in a market
waggon to Berea church, a distance of two miles, where a
funeral sermon was preached by tile Rev. W. Lee. The
solemn thing was about concluded, the last hymn was read,
and tee the choir was about to " strike up," when they
ware suddenly annoyed by discordant and very unmusical
sounds and kicks which it seemed obvious were going on
inside the coffin. You may positively imagine there was
some consternation in that meeting-house about that time
—well. there was nothing else for a few minutes. At
least half of the congregation broke for the door, and the
balance were about to "follow suit," when the Rev. Mr.
Lee descended from the pulpit, and in a loud voice ordered
the coffin to be speedily opened, which was dene, when it
was found that \Vat was not only alive and kicking, but
was struggling manfully to free himself from his (to him)
mysterious confinement. The blood was flowing freely
from his mouth and nose, but in a few minutes he was able
to speak. He was carried to the house of Mr. Abram
Patterson, about 200 yards from the church, and a physi-
cian sent for, who remained with him lentil the next morn-
ing, when he was able to walk about the room.—Philadel-
phia Evening Bulletin, 9tle of May.
SCOtCH JOBBERY OF PUBLIC 11.1oNEY.—We are indebted
to Mr. Robert Kerr, an enterprising Paisley manufacturer,
for directing our attention to what seems a very gross
public job. There is a sum of money voted every year
for the encouragement of trade and manufactures in
Scotland. As at present managed, this fund seems to
be chiefly devoted to the encouragement of a few lucky
individuals in Edinburgh, who hold the almost sinecure
offices of receiving it from the exchequer, and pretending
to apply it to its proper purpose. Mr. Kerr's statement is
not so complete as we could have wished, nor as, with the
return moved by Mr. Hastie before him, he should have
made it. Yet it contains facts striking enough. During
the ten or eleven years ending 1854, the Edinburgh board,
had, at their disposal, nearly £40,000, of which Mr. George
Forbes, the secretary, pocketed £5,500. Among the pay-
ments last year of the return, 1854.55, are the usual 4500
to the lucky Mr. George Forbes; £2OO to a still more
lucky Mr. George Todd, secretary to the Royal Caledonian
Horticulural Society ; csmeensations for loss of offices
by linen sternness, varying 'from IBs a-year to a stamper
at Inverness, to £67 to a stamper at Forfar; £1,055 to
masters and curators in the board's School of Design ;
£323 to dusters in the Edinburgh Picture Gallery ; some
£125 for fee duty on the Royal Institution ; and £ll9,
chiefly for the travelling expenses of two directors on a
visit to London. The only sums expended on useful
purposes—though some of them are not directly, at least,
promotive of trade and manufactures—are £45 for the
purchase of examples and works of art, and £74 in prizes,
of from £1 Is to £4, to young me s
sfor proficiency in
drawing, &c.—Abercifee
QUENN 25, LANCASHIRE.—LICENSES FOP. THE SALE OF
BRITISH WINES.—INIcORTANT DECISION.—This was a ease
in the Crown paper, which had been stated to try the
validity of a conviction by the magistrates of Staffordshire,
in quarter sessions assembled, against the defendant for
selling three pennywor,h of British-made wine, which
was consumed on his premises, without having been duly
licensed for that purpose. The defendant, Henry Joseph
Lancashire, carried on business at Bilston as a merchant
in British wines, and had an excise license, which was
drawn up in the form prescribed by the Gth George IV.,
c. 81, and enabled him to retail sweet wines, but not to
sell them to be consumed in his house or premises. A
subsequent statute—the 9th Geo. IV, c. 64, s. 18—
required the Commissioners of Excise not to grant
any license for the retail of exciseable liquors
until the magistrates had certified that the
applicant's house was a proper one to be
licensed ; and then the 4th and sth Will. IV., repealed the
excise duty formerly paid by the maker of sweet wines,
but lest it still necessary that the retailer of them should
continue to take out the ordinary license. The question
of
f were the
ecxocui
sr
et a wb al
es ,
liwq hu eotrhs
ou the part of the magistrates, submitted
now raised forortlstewedeetciswtionneser
3Birri.tissheontildde:
that they were exciseable liquors, and that the convic-
tion was good. Lord Campbell, in delivering judgment,
said, the only question was, whether sweet or made
wines were exciseable liquors within the meaning of
the 9th Geo , IV., chap. 61. If they were, the
con-
viction would stand ; but if, on the contrary, they were
not, then the conviction must be gnashed. In his
his opinion they were not exciseable liquors within
the meaning of the statute. He thought that liquors
coming under that designation were those subjected to
excite duty. Formerly these wines paid an excise duty,
and a licensno wes also required for the vending of them,
but that duty had been entirely repealed ; and, although
the license continue() as before, that circumstance did not
make them exciseable 'ignore, any mere than a license for
the ssle of aqua pierce would convert it into an exciseable
liquor. Mr. Justice Coleridge concurred in the opinion
expressed by the chief justice. Mr. Justice Erie considered
that these wines were exciseable liquors within the 4th
and sth William IV., when read in conjunction with 9th
Geo IV. He thought that the conviction was right. Mr.
Justice Crompton agreed with Lord Campbell and Mr.
Justice Coleridge that the conviction was wrong and ought
to be quashed. Conviction quashed.