Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-05 00:00:00

tion which -would be in -all probability carried. by the
Council. He believed the law was that the Corporation
made a bye-law fixing the salary, and then they gave
over the appointment to the Home Secretary.
The TOWN-CLERK said the Home Secretary could not
appoint until the Council passed a bye-law that one or
more stipendiary magistrates—
Mr. CII'ARLEs TURNER would like to know distinctly
whether the Council would give the power of nomination
to a sub-committee or not ?
Alderman Woonaurp—Certainly not.
Mr. HODSON thought a small committee should be-
aPpointed to consider the question.
Mr. TURNER—But will you give them the power of
nominating the new stipendiary ?
' Mr. HODSON—Of course I would.
Mr. AVISON was opposed to such a power being con-
ferred upon any committee.
Mr. 'JEFE-EstT—Then will yon tell us what the com-
mittee would have to do ?
Alderman DOVER asked where was the necessity for
the intervention of a committee at all ? There were two
gentlemen, candidates for the office of stipendiary magis-
trate, and the Council were pretty much divided as to
which should be chosen. It would, therefore, be a very
unfair thing towards those gentlemen if the friend of
either of them moved the appointment of a committee
of selection. He would not delegate that, however, to
a committee, unless it was chosen in such a way as
would give satisfaction to the friends of both; but if
the committee were not to have the power of nomina-
tion then he did not care of whom it consisted. As •to
the duties of the stipendiary magistrate, he thought
they should be so fixed as to place under his cognisance
important cases where uniformity of decision was most
desirable. -

Mr. GLADSTONE moved the confirmation of the
proceedings of the special committee appointed
on the 10th of December. The Council, he dared
to say, would be aware that with regard to the
question of the propriety of appointing a second stipen-
diary magistrate, the committee had received a deputa-
tion of the Law Society ; that the matter was fully
discussed, and that to the various points set forth in the
memorial of the society, the committee had, to the best
of their ability, endeavoured to direct their attention.
After some length of time the deputation from 'the Law
Society retired from the committee, he believed, with
this impression, and which very much corresponded with
that which was on his own mind, that,. in the first' in-
stance, when a new stipendiary had been appointed, a
very great improvement might be made in the trans-
action of the public business by a classification of the
business, that was to say, that in those instances
where a knowledge of the law .was required, all
such cases should he transferred to the stipendiary.
The deputation withdrew, therefore, with the under-
standing that the committee were favourable to such a
modification of, the business of the cJart, and that if it
were found from experience, when the new stipendiary
was appointed, that there were still fair grounds fur
proposinc, a second stipendiary the question would again.
be urged by the Law Society, and would come before
tht Council in the usual way. There was every dispo-
sition on the part of the deputation of the Law Society
to listen to and to be guided by reason.
Mr. BELOE seconded the motion, which was agreed to.
On the motion of Alderman Cooper the question of
the nomination of a new stipendiary magistrate was
deferred until the adjourned Council, which is' to be
constituted a special Council for the,purpose.

WATCH COMMITTEE.

The proceedings, resolutions, and reports of the Watch,
Lighting, Fire Police, Fire-prevention,- Hackney Car-
Triage, Licensing; and- Gas Committees were read, and,
on the motion of Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Kitchen,
confirmed. • • .

HEALTH COMMITTEE.
The proceedings, resolutions, and reports of the Health
Committee were read, comprising--1. Recommendation
to appoint James Wilson (at present employed in Dr.
Duncan's , department) chief inspector of common
lodging-houses, at 335. per week ; and also a recommen-
dation to appoint Thomas Poynton, James Crellin,
Thomas Day, and John Boyd, assistant-inspectors of
such houses, at 30s. per week.
The. MAYOR said there was a letter from Mr. Theodore
Rathbone on the lodging-house question, which would
no doubt receive the attentive consideration of the com-
mittee. There was also an application from Mr.
William Hardisty, chief-clerk in the treasurer's depart-
ment, Cornwallis-street, for an increase to his salary,
which would in due course be referred to -the Health
Committee.
The TOWN-CLERK read the following letter.:—
Treasury-chambers, December 30, 1852.
Sta,--Adverting to the correspondence R hick has taken
place with ieference to a site for a new post-office for the town
of Liverpool, I am desired by the Lords Commissioners of her
'Majesty's Treasury to state to you that experience of the suc-
cessful results which have attended the extension of the system
of district post:.office in London has led the Postmaster-general,
after a very full and careful consideration, to the conclusion
that a similar system may probably be extended to Liverpool
to the great advantage of the public, thus obviating the neces-
sity of providing a new central post-office. Ukler these cir-
c :instances it would be useless to revive any of the questions
which have been under discussion respecting the site offered
by the Town Council (a laugh), and it only remains for my
lords to decline the offer of this site (laughter), expressing
their regret if the Town Council has been put to any incon-
venience by the necessary delay in arriving at a decision; but
at the same time hoping that delay may have been the means
of establishing
and hear,
p6stal accommodation to the large and rapidly-increasing
hae
a systemrl.i
acamlctusil art:: tor
obedientgi give greaterservant facilities to
population of the important town of Liverpool (renewed laugh-
ter,

s. iAmG.
Alderman Dovxn. moved the confirmation of the two
recommendations of the committee above referred to,
and the motion was agreed to. He then moved the
confirmation of the general proceedings of the com-
mittee, and stated that on Friday the committee would
receive a deputation from the house-owners of Liver-
pool on the question of the bye-laws which the com-
mittee proposed for adoption, in accordance with the
was agreed
provisionsEoLfLtihNe sLe
coocnadl
eGd otvheer nmmoetinotnA, cwt, hilcBhs 8

The Council having now sat five hours, adjourned
until Monday week next.

BOROUGH SESSIONS.-YESTERDAY.

The following sentences were passed yesterday by the
learned Recorder on the subjoined parties:--Thomas
Milker, sentence deferred ; Alexander Thompson, five
calendar months, with hard labour; Samuel. Bowen,
sentence deferred ; Robt. Bouch, twelve calendar months,
with hard labour ; Elizabeth Price, three calendar
months, with hard labour Mary Ferguson, one calen-
dar month, with hard labour; Betsy Roberts, our
calendar months, with hard labour; Margaret Naters,
eight calendar months, with hard labour; Mary Malone,,
three calendar months, with hard labour.
In the case of Mary Malone, the Clerk of the Peace
stated that Mr. Fenwick, barrister, had been retained
by a person who had no authority to practice.
- The Recorder—How does that occur?
Mr. Walter—The gentleman is now here, and he is
incapable of doing any business. He is so drunk, that I
really think you aught to commit him.
The Recorder—l can't do that unless I first know
:that he is an attorney, 'and that he is incapable of dis-
charging his duties. Does his name appear in the
Law List ?

Clerk of the Peace—lt does not, your Worship.
Recorder—And what is his name ?

Clerk of the reace-,His name is Mr. Lightfoot.
Mr. Lightfoot—My father, grandfather, and many of
my name have been attorneys, and I challenge any party
to take away my right of pleading.
Recorder—Mr. Lightfoot, you are evidently labouring
under intoxication.

Mr. Lightfoot—l grant that; but I defy any one to
commit me, or question the proceedings that I have un-
dertaken. - •

Recorder—You are no credit to the profession to
which you profess to belong.

HORRIBLE !—On Friday morning, in the house situ-
ated at High Blantyre, occupied by John Robertson,
gaffer on the Hamilton and Strathaven Railway, a most
painful scene occurred. Robertson's wife wakened
about five o'clock in the morning in a very exhausted
state, and • found her infant child, aged nine, months,
lying dead sin her arms. She immediately aroused
her husband, who also felt in a weakly condition,
but had strength enough to get out of bed. They then
discovered that their next eldest child—a boy named
Allan, aged about three years—was also dead, and
the third, a girl nine years old, seemingly approaching
dissolution. The father removed the little girl. into an
adjoining apartment, and she fortunately, in the course
of a short time,-recovered. The wife was likewiser con-
veyed thither, and is progressing favourably. The -deaths
of the two youngest children were occasioned by suffoca-
tion—the family all slept in one bed—five human beings
huddled together—in a small, ,dingy, smoky dwelling,
consisting of one apartment, withqut sufficient ventila-
tion.--Glaspia Herald.