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

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF INQVIRT

" The committee appointed by the guardians. to inquire
into the statement made by their clerk at the last weekly
meeting with reference to the openingc, of the. closet in
which the voting papers are deposited, beg to report that
they have obtained the most conclusive evidence of the
truth of such statement, and feel much regret in being
compelled to add that three of the present members of this
board have been parties to the transaction.
"They find that on Saturday; the 19th instant, the closet
which is 'situate in the apartment called the waiting-room,
in the Public Office, was opened, either by a false key or by
violence, by one or more of the following gentlemen, viz.,
Mr. Joseph Wilson, Mr. John Wilson, Mr. Henry Layland,
and Mr. Joseph Diokinson Carter, and that all these
gentlemen, by a preconcerted arrangement, were engaged
on that day in a secret examination of the voting papers
which were kept in this closet. The committee have
carefully considered every pretext which could possibly
be alleged for this proceeding, but can find no
justification for nor even an extenuation of the
same. In the first place the three members of this
board could not plead a justification, on the ground that the
closet and its contents were their property as guardians,
they havinf, no authority whatever apart from the general
board, and they had made no request to the board with
reference to this matter: As regards Messrs Joseph Wilson
and Henry Leyland, they cannot justify their actions by
virtue of their office as overseers (even supposing there
existed, which there does not, the least shadow of pre-
tence for claiming such papers as the property of the over-
seers), inasmuch as there are four overseers, and the subject
had never been mentioned by them to the other two.
Moreover, it was known that the key of the closet was in
the possession of Mr. Cleaver, the - clerk to this board, and
no application had been made to him.

"'Vile committee have perhaps gone beyond the limits of
their legitimate duty in making inquiry into the matter of
certain suspicions said to have been entertained • by the
gentlemen in question with reference to alleged irregulari-
ties committed at the election of the first board of guardians
for this township, inasmuch as in the event of these suspi-
cions having been proved to have been well founded, it
would have offered no justification whatever for the great
impropriety (designating it by the mildest terms) committed
by the violation of the sacred character of a locked reposi-
tory of official 'documents; but the committee are fully
persuaded that there exists not the slightest ground for any
snch suspicion.
"The committee, in conclusion, refer the board to the
evidence taken by them in this painful matter as a warranty
for this report, and they respectfully submit to the guardians
that it is an incumbent duty to record on the minutes of
their proceedings an indignant protest against the outrage
which has thus been committed, and which will otherwise
entail upon all the members of the board the well-deserved
odium of the public

" Should the board feel disposed to doubt the truth of
the statements in the evidence, they see no other alterna-
tive than to request . the attendance of a Poor-law Inspec-
tor as early as possible, to make a full and searching
investigation into the whole matter.
"J. B. HUGHES, Chairman.
" Toxteth-park, March 31, 1859."

At the requubt uf buvcial 41....:a-....n cc it ap-
peared in our columns of Monday last was read.
Mr. Hughes said he had a very simple duty to perform,
as chairman of the committee which had met on Friday
evening. On that evening the committee had devoted
several hours to a carefnl examination into the matter
entrusted to them. They had examined the voting papers,
and had found nothing wrong with them. Atter a few
more observations he moved that the report be received and
adopted

Mr. Harrison said he was not one of the committee, but
he had felt keenly on the matter. He would second the
adoption of the report.
Mr. John Wilson moved as an amendment, that the latter
part of the report only should be received, which was the
part requesting the "Poor-law Inspector to be sent down.
He thought, that gentlemen who took upon themselves to
examine such a matter, should have called more witnesses and
proper witnesses. They hall not done so, it was merely a few
about the doors, such as Mr. James. They had found that
their examination could not reach far. There was another
point in the matter. The committee would not admit the
reporters, who would have taken copious notes, and cor-
rectly ; but, for all that, the reporters were not admitted,
much to the discredit of the committee. In the NORTHERN
DAILY Timms of Monday there was a report of what had
taken. place. That was a breach of faith on the
part of some of the committee. He saw that
report, and it was nearly word for word with
what had been read, and was a one-sided report to damage
him and others. It was necessary that the under-hand
work should be enquired into, which was going on. Some
people had a great regard for the Sabbatn, according to their
conversation, but he did not think it right for Dickson to
be working there with his books, when the old woman was
at church. Who could know but there might be some-
thing done within the door then. He would not say
that another, course, if taken by him, with
regard to these voting papers, would not have
been more desirable, and very likely he was too fast, and
felt too sore on the matter. But on the last board-day one
member had alluded to the good men that had formed the
first board, and spoke of them as incapable of doing any-
thing that was disreputable. He went on with about half
a dozen names, and then when he came to one that was
doing great things at the time he staggard and stopped.
(Name, name.) It is no use to name the person. There
was the printing of these papers, and the printer said he
had printed a number for Mr. Holden : What right had
Mr. Holden to get nomination papers when there were
plenty, up stairs, as many as he could carry. Had he any
right ?
Mr. Johns : Yes.
Mr. Wilson : I am not asking you, I am asking, the
chairman. Mr. Cleaver was not then returning officer..
The Chairman No, Thomas Avison was tho returning,

Wilson continued to say that he had been told that

Then follows(
on the Inspector arriving,.
The motion was put, and Mr Wilson's amrndnrent. in
an amended form, the words-c If which were these:.—" That
the Poor-law Board be requested to send down a Co.mmis-
tioner to examine into the• whole circuutitaneeof of the

d sonic remarks; about what wrA,likely to ari