Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-08-12 00:00:00

TAE SERPENTINI

Sir SosEru PAXTON asked the First Commissioner of
Works whether he intended to proceed with the works, as
proposed by Mr; Hawksley, for partially cleansing the 'water
in the Serpentine.
Mr. 'FrizitOy said that he intended to proceed with the
plan, not fOr partially, but entirely, cleansing the waters of
the Serpentine.
A lengthened discussion ensued, in which Mr. STEPHEN-
SON declared that the state of the Serpentine had been
greatly exaggerated, hut approved of the plan as the most
economical yet proposed.

Sir J. PAXTON, on the contrary, staked his reputat

that the plan would turn out a failure.

CHARITABLE TRUST 3 ACT.
On the order of the day for going into committee on th
Charitable Trusts Act Continuance Bill,

Mr. NEWDEGATE opposed: the bill on the part of the
Roman Catholics in the north of England. The Roman
Catholics were desirous of being placed under the operatibns
of the general law of the land, and were apprehensive lest
the entire number of the Catholic charities would pass into
the hands -of Cardinal Wiseman. On this ground the
Roman Catholics of the north had petitioned against the
bill, which he called upon the house to • reject on their
behalf. 4e moved, as an amendment., that the bill be
committed that day three months.

Mr. SPOONER seconded the amendment
Mr. HENNESSEY supported the motion.

Mr. Bowym animadverted on the new character in which
Mr. Newdegate appeared as the advocate of the Roman
Catholics, of whom he had hitherto leen a bitter opponent.
The only object of the bill was to prevent the confiscation
of charitable property under the Superstitious Uses Act,
Until some well-considered and permanent measure could be
devised.

After some observations from Mr. Scully and Mr

Kinnaird,
Sir G. C, LEWIS observed that the bill was merely a Con-
tinuance Bill. lie trusted that it might now be passed,
and next session they could legislate more satisfactorily on
the subject.
Mr. SPOONER declared that he would do all in his power
to put an end to these continuance bills. There was no
danger whatever that these charities in question would he
brought under the Superstitious Uses Act. The object was
to check the foreign interference brought to bear upon. he
Roman Catholics of this country.

Mr. P. O'BRIEN remarked on the singularity of the fact,
that the advocates of the Roman Catholics, on the present

occasion, were its bitterest enemies.
On a division, the amendment Was negatived by 70 to 47:
The bill then passed through committee, and the stand-
ing orders being suspended, was read a third time and
passed. •

Tnn DIVORCE COURT

The Trouse then went into committee on the Divorce
Court Bill.

On clause 4, extending the provisions of the bill to Ire
land,

TllO ATTORNEY-GENIMAT, said that the clause had not
1-Ten inserted in the original bill, but it was introduced in
the HoUsse of Lords, and he moved the omission on the part
of Government.

Mr, D. GRIFFITHS objected to double legislation, putting
Ireland on a different footing from England.
Mr, DEASY said that the clause was totally inapplicable
to Ireland—that it was totally opposed to the feelings of
the people—that it made the Irish subject to a foreign
tribunal, and interfered with the privileges of the Irish
courts.

On the clause giving the judge discretionary power of
sitting with closed doors, '
Mr. E. JAMES moved the omission of the clause, declaring
that the adoption of such a rule would not prevent the pub-
lication of any case, while it would lead to imperfect and
garbled reports.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the law was due to the ex-
perienced judge who presided in the court. That court was
often haunted by bad characters, whose conduct was such as
to be most offensive, when ladies gave their evi-
dence under certain circumstances. Hence, many wo-
men were afraid to come forward, and the consequence
was, a direct denial of justice. He was in favour of publicity
as a general rule, but contended that this discretionary
power ought to be placed in the hands of the judge. On
clause 7, the provision authorising the Attorney-General to
examine husband and wife as to any collusian in the case,
was struck out.

The bill then passed through committee, and was read
a third time and passed Ths Sale of Gas Bill, as amended,
was considered,_ and read also a third time and passed.

On the conideration of the Attorneys' and Solicitors'
Bill, as amended,
Mr. KNIGHT was commenting on the bill, when the
House was counted out at half-past seven.

DEATH OF A CHILD THROUGH THE BITE OP A DOO.—OR
the sth instant a number of children were playing around a
pump behind the residence of Mr. John Cropper Brierley,
waste dealer, Promenade, Rochdale. A young servant girl
told them to go away, but they refused. It is said that. the
girl then'hissed the dog at them, when it bit George Edmund
Stott, aged three year?, on the leg. Mr. Stanwell, surgeon,
was called in, but on the 9th instant the child died from the
effects of the bite.

A WOMAN BURNT TO DEATH AT Bourox.—About two
o'clock on Sunday morning, a police-constable found smoke
issuing from the house of Edmund Holt, in Back Howell-
croft, Bolton, and on going into the house he discovered' a
woman, named Mary Ainsworth, lying on the floor, with
her clothes burning. Molt, the owner of the house, was
near to her, fast asleep. The fire being extinguished, the
woman was removed to the infirmary, where she died in
about an hour.. The deceased was thirty-two years of age.
Both she, and Holt are sUpposed to have been in a state
intoxication.
A Boy AND GIRL SCALDED TO DBATll.—lnquests were
held on Wednesday, one at West Ardsley and the other at
Wakefield, on the bodies of David Brook and Mary Jane
Phillips. The boy's mother had taken him into a neigh-
bour's house at West Ardsley, where she left him playing.
There was a can of boiling water on the sink. This, by
some means, the child upset upon himself, and was so
' injured that he-bas since deed.--.the mother or the girl had
left 'a large basin of boiling water on the kitchen floor, and,
While she was upstairs, the girint , w
thehilebasi playing with the eat,
laccidentally fell 'backwards ion, and was also so
dreadfully scalded that she died soon afterwards, verdict
in each Oases " Accidentally soldcd,"