Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-19 00:00:00

letter to the chairman of the committee, stating my loss,
and asking for compensation, but he never replied to it. I
made a personal claim, and the defendant told me that he
would pay me the amount if the chairman would consent,
and requested me to write another letter, in order to get his
consent. I did so, and called again on the defendant, and
he said, the committee declined to pay me, as, if they did
so, they would have to pay all like claims. The plaintiff
then handed in a pro,gramme of the performance to the judge.
His Honour : What portion of this refers to the shawl ?
Plaintiff : I put that in to show that the committee had
charge of the whole arrangements. I submit that they
should have taken reasonable care of what was entrusted
to them ; and I think, leaving the room without some one
to take care of the articles, was not taking reasonable care.
Mr. Forshaw said if the committee could be made respon-
sible for the dress of any of the guests, the question would
be, was this shawl a portion of the ball costume that the
committee invited the plaintiff to attend in. His Honour
said he thought there was no legal claim against Mr.
11‘lienzie, as he was the treasurer, and it could not be his
duty to look after clothing. He gave a verdict for the de-
fenaant.
COLLISION - BRIDGEWATER TRUST V. JACOB DUCING.—
In this action Mr. Temple appeared for the plaintiffs,
and Mr. lime for the defence. Mr. Temp/'4 said
that the action was brought to recover the sum of
£49 195., in consequence of injury sustained by the flat
Success, which arose from neglect on the part of- the
defendant's servants. On the 2nd May, 1859, the flat
Success was going to enter the Waterloo Dock basin, and
there was a man towing her along the wall with a rope, one
man being abOard, and another ashore. The defendant's
vessel, the brig De Capo, was being towed from the south,
while the flat was on the north. The brig was
going into the Prince's Dock basin, and was coming
from the .opposite side, and when the flat that was
on the north came up, the ship was in the river, and near
the south pier. There was a tug towing at the port side,
and on the starboard side she bad a rope from her bow to
the corner of the pier. which served to facilitate her turninc,
into the passage. While the tug was pulling alcing, the
rope got out of they` notch in the bow, and
they had no hold of her, and the steamer
shot across the passage. Her anchor, which was
on her port bow, caught the fiat in the side, and when he
got her loose, she was taken into the dock and there she
sank. Ile apprehended there was gross negligence on the
part of those that navigated the ship. He did not mean
the pilot, but those entrusted with the navigation of the
vessel. The Bridgewater Trust were employed in carrying
fifty-two tons of iron in the flat for other people, and the
iron with being in the salt water was very much injured,
so that they were obliged to pay £32 10s. There was
damage to the flat, there was the surveying of
the iron and re-loadidg of it, the whole of
which amounted to the sum claimed. Samuel
Battney said : I was master of the flat Success, and
remember the 2nd of May last. We were going into
Waterloo Duck ; I had one man ashore pulling by a rope
to pull her uy the basin. We were close to the north-pier.
We were going a-head, and there was another vessel a-head
of us. Theship ran up to us, and the anchor ran right
into us, about 15 feet from the stern ; the flat was going
down fast, and we were loaded with iron. There were a
good many men• extra employed iu discharging her. To
Mr. !lime: It was about ten o'clock at night; just
gone dark, and about half-tide. There was very little
wind. There were people called out to us to• get out
of the way. I don't know what width the basin is, but
there was plenty of room. It was not very dark. My man
saw the rope, that was made fast from the brig. The
water was all out in two or three- hours after the fiat sunk.
To Mr. Temple: When they called out to get out of the
way, we were going as fast as we could. Oliver Guest : I
belong to the fiat, Success. On the morning when the
accident took place, I was ashore • pulling a-head,
with the rope. The brig was coming a-head from the
south. The anchor was under water. I went on board
the flat, and I found water in the bold. The 'brig backed
out of the dock basin, and when she did so the flat went
, with her. We soon got loose and we hauled her up to the
head of the basin, and she sunk. The hole was just above
the bilge of the fiat. To Mr.. lime : I heard. some men
shout to get out of the way ; that would be about a quarter
of an hour before I got on board. We could not get out of
the way for other flats a-head of us. It was contended for
the defence, that the flat was not going fast enough out of
the way, and that it was impossible to prevent a collison
Some witnesses- were examined to prove this view of the
case, but as it appeared that nothing more could be done
on the part of the men on, board the flat, a verdict lon
£49 19s was given.

FOOT RACES FOR THE WORKING
CLASSES.

In giving insertion to the following letter (we
have the writer's name and address), we cordially
concur with the writer. In the case of our more
fortunate brethren, who have introduced the health-
ful, and in no small degree delightful, sport of foot
racing, we think they have set an example worthy
of imitation by all classes. Indeed, we think that
heretofore this branch: of physical education has
been sadly overlooked, and we are of opinion that
considerable advantages would arise to the working
classes if the philanthropists would turn their atten-
tion to it. Much time that is now wasted by strong
young working men would be profitably spent in
training—away from the "sot shop"—and then the
emulation that would naturally follow, .to become
the winner of prizes, in money and other things,
would stimulate to great exertions. Indeed, the
benefits that would follow cannot, at present, be fully
estimated. We heartily agree in the suggestions of
our correspondent, and invite public attention to
this interesting subject. The following is the
letter :

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES

Sir,—The meditative man finds food for his imagination
wherever, he goes, and at the last Rock-ferry Steeple-
chase, a bright idea flashed across my mind, which I now
place on paper, for the benefit of those inhabitants of our
"good old town" who spend their time in doing good, and,
who will doubtless be able to carry into practice the prin-
ciples I now enunciate.

Why should there not be public races for. the Working
men of Liverpool ? What exercise would be more healthful
during the summer months ; and what would conduce more
towards the moral, and, I may also add, intellectual develop-
ment of the poorer classes than this invigorating pastime ?
For my own part, as far as an humble individual can
assist in this, to my mind, great work, I would only be too
proud to lend a helping hand backed by a willing heart.
Trusting that some more prominent individual will take
this matter up, and thus be the means, under Providence.
of saving, perchance, many a hard-working artisan from the
certain destruction which waits on every one, yielding to
the charms of the low pot-house, and the blazing gin-
palace ; and also hoping that you, Mr. Editor, will
pardon me for thus intruding on your valuable space.—l
am, dear sir, yours obediently, It. A.
Liverpool, May 17, 1859.