Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-09 00:00:00

WORKHOUSE COMMITTEE.

The weekly meeting of this committee of the Select
Vestry was held in the Board-room, at the Parish Offices,
Brownlow-hill, yesterday forenoon. Mr. Churchwarden
Cropper presided ; and the other members present were
Messrs. Scott, Critchley, Peck, Cafferata, Owen, Wil-
liams, E. Byford, and Smith.
From the weekly returns, it appeared that the number
of paupers in the house was 2,183, showing a decrease
of 230, as compared with the corresponding period of
last year. The number of sick was 708, including 28
fever, and 27 itch cases; and there had been 10 deaths
dining the week. There had been relieved in the
vagrant sheds during the week 139 men, 54 women,
and 17 children, total 210, being a decrease of 24 as
compared with the past week, and a decrease of 88 as
compared with the corresponding week of last year.
The following report was read and adeptod :
ewhasdpa underpwrt
newspapers
The Workhouse Committee having, in pursuance of instruc-
tionsoc°anfnsioththedgee2irrvBalteetihntoteuantlrtatibmhleeeaotri,lteansscilthheedieecths'i'anamJgPoeit
ultimo, present the following report thereon.
The allegations contained in these letters may be classified
as follows : signature, nee appeared
t°i unw nr
generaleth,t re
andee local
'togetheraad
dated ed, the 30 t h

1. That referring to the quality of wheat.
2. That the handmill labour test is unsuitable and unneces-
sarily severe.
3. That the classification in the epileptic department is de-
fective.

4. That the officials of the workhouse evince a disposition to
prevent thorough examination of its arrangements.
5. That imperfections exist in some of the minor arrange-
ments of the establishment; and
Generally, that the select vestry, in the exercise of their
functions, act in a much more "superficial way than is consis-
tent with the public good or the reasonable claims or legal
rights of the poor."
With reference to the first charge, it must be noticed that
the writer asserts that the wheat ordinarily supplied is bad,
and that one contractor supplied for three months an honest,
" sweet, and good article." As it is not probable that the
contractor spoken of would furnish a better article than the
terms of his contract required of him, and, as the standard
sample has not been lowered in quality, it• follows that wheat
,inferior to the standard sample is sytematically received into
-the house.

The committee have themselves examined the wheat nowin
stock ; this is of good quality and equal to sample. There are
now in the store 140 sacks of flour, ground in the workhonse
from wheat supplied under the present contractor ; this is also
sweet and wholesome. A sample taken from the bulk by the
chairman of the committee, and baked by a tradesman residing
out of the parish, produced sweet, wholesome bread. Bread,
such as is supplied to the paupers, and which is made in great
measure from flour ground in the handmills, is laid on the
table at each of the meetings of the committee, and regularly
tasted by one or more of the members present ; this is invari-
ably sweet and wholesome.
Members of the board frequently visit the stores and examine
the quality of the supplies, such as are found to be inferior to
samples being rejected. The committee must, of course, in
these matters, to a great extent depend upon their officers
doing their duty ; and, although they consider it possible that
articles of inferior value may occasionally find their way into
the stores, they confidently record their own opinion (and they
consider the facts coming under their own observation justify
this confidence) that the charge of wholesale corruption now
made by implication against their officers is wholly unwar-
ranted. The remarks as to the officers and paupers having
different qualities of bread is altogether irrelevant. As well
may a charge of harshness be brought against any gentleman
who declines to supply his domestics' table with the delicacies
to be found on his own.
• From the manner in which the, handmills are spoken of it
would hardly be supposed that of xpwards of 6,000 families, or
12,000 persons, who were in receipt of relief in this parish on
the day in question, only twenty-one were working at the mills.
These were ablebodied robust women, any one of whom had she
been of good character and had evinced a disposition to fit
herself for any of the ordinary occupations of life, would not
have been in that position. The committee look upon this
mill system simply as a labour test, the efficacy of which is
apparent from the present comparative freedom of the work-
house from single xnincumbered women of indifferent cha-
racter. That it should be applied to those who may fairly be
looked upon as the legitimate recipients of parochial relief, or
that in rare instances individual cases of hardship may not
under it, as under any other system, occur, is not asserted ;
but that it has affected a vast improvement in the discipline of
the.workhouse, has been of considerable economical advantage
to the parish, and has not been without_fruit as a reformatory
agent,. experience amply shows. The work is designedly dis-
tasteful to the class engaged on it ; and no other kind of labour
yet brought under the notice of the committee combines in
itself so many of the essential qualities of a workhouse labour
test. While, therefore, the committee are prepared to sanc-
tion the introduction of matmaking, or any other kind of remu-
nerative labour for the employment of the ordinary inmates of
the establislunent, they see no ground in the objections raised
to recommend the discontinuance of the mill system as a test
for a special class.
The committee consider the complaint of a want of classifi-
cation in the epileptic department to have been justly cha-
racterised by the chairmareas " frivolous." They have them-
selves inspected these wards, and are unanimously of opinion
that neither on physiological nor humane consideratidns is
further classification necessary.
The Workhouse Committee are far from wishing to throw
any impediment in the way of strangers visiting the work-
house or gaining information as to its arrangements, and this
fs-the first-occasion upon which their officers have be-en 'Charged
with failing to carry out their views in this respect. It is
worthy of notice, however, that the writer of these letters, on
his last visit to the workhouse, entered the establishment
freely, went unaccompanied by any officer to one of the wards,
and did converse with the inmates without interruption; and
it was not until he commenced to censure the arrangements in
the hearing of the paupers that the governor requested him to
confine his ;conversation with them to gaining information,
and to reserve his strictures for a more fitting opportunity.
In the case of most men such a restriction would have been
unnecessary, and no reasonable man can fail to see its perfect
propriety. Twelve ladies, otherwise unconnected with the
workhouse, have free access to it at all times, and may con-
verse freely with its inmates ; and, although a mode of bring-
ing their remarks under the notice of the committee is
expressly provided in the printed regulations placed in the
hands of each of them, no complaint has yet reached the com-
mittee from them. --- -
In an establishment containing accommodation for 3,500
persons, it should be no matter of surprise that some of the
minor arrangements are not always in a state of perfection ;
and the committee are prepared at any of their ordinary
meetings to learn without astonishment. that a drinking
fountain requires a ladle, that a shower bath in one of the
wards is not on the most improved principle, or that the ven-
tilation of one of the passages is not perfect. In complaining
of the want of bath accommodation, it would have been but
an act of justice on the part of the writer to have said that
there are in the workhouse 38 baths of the ordinary kind,
supplied with hot and cold water, 14 shower baths, five hot-air
baths, and two large plunge baths. But it would seems that
this gentleman must complain, and a curious instance of this
has come under the notice of the committee. The party were
taken to a department of the house appropriated to aged, well-
conducted women. Three occupy one room on the gt'ound
floor, and they are allowed to take their meals in it. 'Each
'-room-contains an open fire; a supply of gas-is-laid -on, the
window may be opened, everything is scrupulously clean and
comfortable, and, above all, the occupants are happy and con-
tented. The writer of these letters here complained that there
was no provision for ventilation.
In holding up to public reprobation a committee whose whole
care it is to provide a comfortable shelter for the deserving
poor in their time of need, and at the same time to protect
from impositieti that public whose funds they are called,upon
to administer, the writer of these letters has departed from
that rule of justice which he claims as his sole actuating prin-
. ciple. The body which be condemns contains gentlemen as
anxious as himself, to relieve the poor from oppression; and
- whose judgment in such matters is probably in no way inferior
to his own, while their opportunities of judging in the ease of
the Liverpool workhouse are infinitely greater. So long as
th-e committee enjoy the benefit of the assistance and confi-
dence of such men, they feel little concern at the structures of
a casual visitor ' and- they- regret- that -the resolution of the
general board has compelled them to reply to communications
which, not being addressed either to the board or to them-
selves, they cannot but look upon as irregular.

LIVERPOOL POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY.

(Before J. B. LLOYD and L. PEEL, Esqrs.)
UNWHOLESOME MEAT.—Elizabeth Spencer was sum-
moned by Inspector Reed for exposing 54 lbs. of slink
veal for sale on the 28th ult. in her stall, Pt. John's
Market. She had been several times before the magis-
trates for the same offence, and on this occasion was

REFORMATORY StrAmoßsEs.-The following persons
having children in various reformatories were summoned
to contribute to their support;' aid orders made upon
them for such sums as they could afford :—Samuel Ball,
Sun-street West, is. ; James Roberts, Craven-abeet,
ls. 6d. ; Alexander M'Kinley, Green-lane, ls.; Jane
22, Circui-street, • 6d: ; • Thomas Ready, Crosby-
Ennis,
streetiLO:'Morois Sample, 20, Bent-street fa. ; Michael
Boyle, Z2l:se,ekll2y,. Ben
Jonson-street,
tworr----Wmrtra-rs, AND --MEASu a.1387--fflie follow-
ing r palqic,4 ; sntunioned for using iljogp,4 weights,
&c., wArs e fined in the sums annexed, in addition
efboleitritstifiti coStk in WetinefisP-i-Elizabeth Goulburn,
el ()vision dealer, 31, Norinan-strect, Ilondgu-road, butter
scale 4 draehins against purchaser, 10.5.. (fined previously) ;
Irfrehial/ • Morgaii, provision d Thomas-street,
An#49r,scalp,fai tObawmist parch4§6lll4os..',. Jo 4 Carr,
callearler7:4, South-street,, scale 2 lbs. against pur-
Eft d fish dOtiei; 401-: Aghton-
sgeetwlWP ACl)Gi.,.niana, Owens,
grocer, 1, St. aul's-square, 4 lbs. weight, 22 oz. light,
2s. 6d. Mary Kevill, provision dealer, 18, Prinirose-
wile IV. ,agninstrptuchaser, 2s. Gd.
„John Came-
ron, provision dealer, 358, Rake-lane, scale oz. against
purchaser, 2s. 6d. • • - •- . .
• .; • " •
:Maw sley mid Son can now supply the new, and
popular Game-- of Carda;"•St. George and the Dragon,
having just received, their new patterns. 4,:casue_
street. . d22
06e)6to..cses, os /3Laex Bzir4uts2--;.Their
sfeetual extermination by Greer's
.vnilPatentAnti-Verrain Solution,
3c1., 6d,, and' is., at the Anti-Verm Office, 49, Broow_bil
. It. is a well-knowa maxis' that ,Mi time sraoney "—the terms
are relative ; so to save one
.is to save the other. We save
both time,,and oconomise, patience, and ---- Present Frd tempers,
when we have a good PEN—a bad One upsets patience and
temper. preserve all, then, by purchasing your steel pens and
other stationery at E. T. Flail's wholesale steel pen warehouse,
23, South John-street. John Gillott's, Thomas Lowe's, G. W.
Hughes, and other maker's, on sale at ls. per arr.ce• Good
Pen Holders, 2d. per dozen.