Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-11-12 00:00:00

THE WEST DERBY UNION•

IT has often been our duty to notice at
f,19
tlabe,
condemn certain proceedings connected with
West Derby Union Guardians. We did s,O
a feeling of duty, and not from any deosire
ridicule-or bring in'o contempt the decisions;
straoiirr,
that body. On the present occasion,
though it may appear, we have first to acceer,
praise, and afterwards to censure them, for, urt
taro proceedings which took place in the ue
of Queen's Bench, on Monday last. fold
On that day the Board fiaured in the 01°,0
manner alluded to. In the first place' 01 se
Guardians held a special meeting for the pllheParge
of making a searching inquiry itvo the c
iQed
that had been preferred by a woman na the
CeanKs, alleging that the Governor of
Workhouse had taken improper i
liberties,
rge
her. Our readers may recollect that this
after
• was brought before the Police-court, anuheerd,
all the complainant's evidence had been, 0,
the presiding magistrate, Mr. Alderman Peidol
although acquitting Mr. GOUGE in, a „waft
point of view, looked so sanctillle-blia
and threw out such inuendoes as led the Os is
in general, and the West Derby Guardiallgo
particular, to think that the story of NIA
CLARKE was true, and that, morally Yea otte
there had been an improper ultcarcarata
between the pauper CLARKE and Mr. 'there
The Guardians very properly feltj roan
was an unwarrantable stinc, in Mr. Al'Ae the,
Florun's remarks cn the case, Itil."de
fact of eulogising the complainant's °bathe
giving evidence, as well as the remark
reaiS.
present state of the evidence, they"--the„-:ted'
trates—`, could not say it was corrou''' roe'
legally." The latter word was driven I‘,belb the
with all the peculiar emphasis for wincif
worthy Alderman is so notorious, not °ll,,,late
the Bench, but in the Council and on the rhos,
form. The decision of the magistrates, to Was
Mr, Alderman HOLME was the rnouthPlecde,;oteitt
correct, but the mode of delivering ig itod
caused the Guardians to take up the ea9c,etbei
carry the evidence a point beyond that whe. 006
magistrates had pronounced judgmenit'd pet
which,. as Alderman HOLME said, '")1 etioe
apply to future proceedings." The invest'Sfor
of the Board of' Guardians took place 00 lee,
day, and resulted in the moral, as well ale eol
exoneration of Mr. GOUGH. The evidend the
MARGARET CLARKE, which so enartoluLentolle
Bench of Magistrates, notwithstanding tuPvio-s$
witness, THOMAS PRICE, told them She veclit
"lady of easy virtue," and that he had Pr°,oo
in Beau-street last May—was demoliebed, 0041
men of education and character, holding the
and responsible situations, completely gay fet,
lie to the main gist of her teetimoni'r tol,
instance, we find her swearing, "I nevevall
Mr. MOORE that the child was my htl"3„he46
Hear what the Rev. Incumbent of St. Steep
avers on this matter—' On one occasion,
odoe`
he called at her house she was out, and innee the
were then thrown out that Mr. GouGg w 3 obe
father of the child, and when she did cool 00
ordered the woman to leave the room, antaAjCV
he asked her the question, and she:is
Mr. GOUGH has nothing to do with it---dedioo
husband's child." Dr. NEVINS, the Oho ►
officer of the Union, also stated that, vi,j"
that
was discovered she was enciente, she suited gr,
her husband was the father of the child' de
REYES, one of the .Guardians, also 1n gat
similar declaration. After perusing theee,tlP
ments, all of which confirm the impressievoOP
CLARKE'S story was concocted for the t rigiaing
and that Mr. Gormr's explanation °a ticUhlf:e.
the woman money, was true in evetY,l,3,of
for a person in his position, if gun' tied 01,41
offence chated, could have easily ad°, 0011,
and means to prevent an exposure of 'I-5, of t"e
delinquincies. We thank the Guardial);ooollf.:
'West Derby Union for having had the atterrf
manliness and honesty, to probe this I.,cter°
they have done, and to vindicate the ch,garc'-ial.4
a truly meritorious and urbane °I“'"
gentleman who has endeared himself Lto be re
inmate of the Workhouse, of whie'ratale"f4-
Governor ; and we furthermore cong-0
them upon the fact, that they have silegietaeijv
no matter how they may bicker „peal'
themselves on certain matters and occ'eljalAiv
they will not tolerate indecency or ilnift,o, V:4
in any one of the officials. To Mr. 0°1;0-a tbdjlt
must tender our congratulations on Pass'„len
such a trying ordeal, and that the uttinza`'cf,°,,
of the inquiry has been to prove the seelln.ataejd
what CLARKE said Mrs. GoUGH told her' ',oil',
that " she would not believe Mr. Golicifl se, A-
do anything wrong." The more the i;96el
which the foregoing remarks refer, is Clllibt;
the more does it show that a wilful, "
unusual attempt, has been made to eatort othillro
gained Both CLARKE and his wife have 'it be
by the course they have taken,excePtidollls,e'a
prove that they are most unworthy ind'v,,-ae it;
But we are glad, although it naay i,
most painful to Mr.•Gouon, that the lniaratetc
tion has taken place. It will show to Mahge-
adjudicating upon affilliation cases, sla i 4
worthlessness of oaths made by persovot be
position Of MARGARET CLARKE, and 14
~hOO 045
pronouncing their decision they 'gong ►g
doubly guarded not to utter a11Y,,,,re gO'
tending to affix a moral guilt, Wrollitge
beyond their province to say that it i 6 '6700 wit
Furthermore, the designs of' erring W„° t,ess
most dangerous. They call into PlB',W°,ll;ed'
cunning and logic which most of the 5: igle to
in a greater or less degree; and nootheo,eitl
degraded and debased, are nothing , theiboe
prefer a charge, well knowing that tbei bese
nothing by their attempts at extortion; ieh titic
nothing to lose. The length to svd- arifiv:o,
remarks have extended prevent us I.oracotlei of
under notice the proceedings in the d
Queen's Bench, respecting the allege 9 of the
Mr. GOODWIN against the Guardiaiiillor°
West Derby Union. The matter shall
subject of future comment.
t
BOYS' CLOTHING MADE WITH GREAT TASTE,
COMPANY'S, Ranelagh-street'
tl
"AC'
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM OEGANISA.IIOI4•,se
has just been formed in Preston for the Purcieetofiroa;
meacing an agitadon in that town on the 814,113 e evof 111,
liainentary Its.fortn, with especial refercnCe ps6 of tOt
chisement of that vast mass of the intelligeT:ii,ilee
tbi9 s f toje‘e,
1 o
population who, as yet, do not possess the P:0
suffrage. The general apathy which eilsts,,moters,, 0,14
throughout. the country has induced the Pr" tisi
s ciety in Preston to believe that if an iai,eliondueted Se,
conducted agitation were commenced Abea
_e,corent opP;
spirit and energy, the country might
ta7 he( orb',
sense of its duty in this resp, ct, end cel rived °of I •
nests of Parlamentary Reform
4rand excuse for not countenancing an :great Psalter
would be uePteoion 0 th..
;ranchise, viz., that the people were ind' held in ";
subject. A public meeting will sher;ly be ..atiop Ito
and, from what we have heard, the orgeo"otei 01'0
to be a very powerful one. It has been sfesti°" atio t°#ollY
committee should take action also in the sin t,
nlcipal Reform, the disgraceful olioproeee,a ev' 000
of Preston this year having outstripPe(Loiont
tests for bribery and shame-faced Pe"
rendered some such step highly necessary.
fe.s°
At LEWIS Sr COMPANY'S, R arle,
L... 1 W Tweritl
BOYS are CLOTHED from tike ARea °