Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-11-10 00:00:00

NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.

THE CHARGE OF CRUELTY AGAINST A
RELIEVING. OFFICER.

WEST DERBY GUARDIANS

POOR-LAW INVESTIGATION.

This investigation, into the conduct of Mr. Heath,
relieving-officer, Toxteth-park, was resumed yesterday
morning, at the Public-offices, Park-road, before Mr.
Mainwaring, Poor-law Inspector.
Mr. Bremner again attended on behalf of Mr. Heath.
The guardians present were —Messrs. H. S. Alpass,
chairman of the board ; Moss, Baynes, and Wilson.
The first witness called for the defence was Mr.
Joseph Harrison, vice-chairman of Toxteth Board of
Guardians. He said he was present on the 22nd of
September,- when Mrs. Thompson came before the board
and stated that she only applied for a medical order, and
not for relief. She. also admitted having said, when Mr.
Heath entered the house, that Dr. Smyth intended to
write to the Board of Guardians. It was the wish of
the board, he said, that the relieving officer should visit
the poor before granting medical relief.
• By Mr. Baynes—He was quite correct in what he had
stated as to what Mrs. Thompson had said ; he took
notes at the time,• but had not got them now.
Mr. Baynes said he was quite of a different opinion.
Mr. Alpass, chairman of the board, was next called,
and having been sworn, said he had presided at the
meeting of the board on the 22nd September, when
Mrs. Thompson was called before the board. She did
not ffsk for any relief that day. She was in receipt of
medical relief. She made no further application, as
she said money was coming. to her. She again attended
to support a complaint against Mr. Heath. After con-
siderable pressing she admitted that Mr. Heath had not
refused her a medical order. • She also admitted when
she applied for a medical order, she had asked for nothing
else: She -told- the- board that she said to Mr. Heath,
when he entered the house, that Dr. Smyth would write
to the guardians.

appear more des-

atute t 1

an many otl

He was certain Thompson made no allusion to wanting
food for his children. It was. not usual to visit sick cases
after giving medical relief.
.He was aware that his

letter was mac. Alien, relieving officer,
dated Walton gaol. In this letter Mr. Allen said that
he had been arrested for debt—that debt not being
incurred by himself—but by going as a surety for a
friend. He asked the sympathy of the board, and im-
plored them, for the sake of his family, to allow another
party to do his work for one month, he being paid out
of his 14" Tire (Allen)- expected to be

released on the 7th December,
to' his duties with renewed assiduity

he promised

to return

Mr. Allen was a most, efficient officer, and he had served
the board well and faithfully for the last 15 years. He (the
chairman) wished that he could say the same of all the
officers of the union. If it was the wish of the board
that Mr. Allen's letter should be complied with, he
believed that Mr. Marshall, who was lately a relieving
officer in Toxteth-park, would accept the temporary
appointment.

By Mr. Baynes—He was speaking from memory.; but
this case had attracted great attention from the first, and
his attention had been kept alive about it. Before con-
cluding, Mr. Alpass said he wished to make a statement,
in regard to Ms. Heath, and it was this—that he con-
sidered him oneof the most painstaking relieving officer's,
and as chairman Tie had always found him exceedingly
careful in enquiring into cases of relief. Net contented
with visiting during the ordinary hours of the day,, he
does so at such hours in the evening when he is not ex-
pected, and has, consequently, acquire

M. EDWARDS wished to know how the duties of the
office were to be fulfilled. It would certainly be an act
of charity to give Mr. Allen another opportunity; but
there were none of the officers belonging to the union
who could spare the time to attend to the business lately
transacted by Mr. Allen.

Mr. Parrs- repeate

he had no doubt that

arghall

a knowledge of

month or so

ROBERTS said that he wished to be as cha

visheci t,

Alen i'vas not disq uc

know

Mr. Plrrs..-

--Of course he's disqualified for the preset
he's in gaol, and cannot perform his duties.

,er some further conversation
Abrahams, and seconded by

t was moved 131
. Mawdsley, tha
od of one month

e appoi:

at the rate of 30s. per week-, such sum to be
deducted from the salary of Mr. Allen, which is £lBO

per annur

)or Law Bot

would b

ire to or

an jay

.gation into the matter

hope the board will haN

;ruction they hay

THE CONSERVATIVE BANQUET,

Mrs. Thompson' came to his office with Mr. Barnett,
who, after telling me her husband had. died the
night before, put the question to her in a very The monthly meeting of this body was held in the
formal manner, was. she in- actual want of victuals ? Beard-room of the Woikhouse, Mill-road, yesterday,
She said yes. Mr. Barnett then left. He then asked Mr. Pitts, in the chair. The other members present The great banquet at Liverpool to the noble
her if she was not about to receive some club money. were—Messrs. Woods, Roberts, Shaw, Abrahams, John , chief of the Conservatives is a " sign of the
She answered that she was, and had been about it, and Davies, Whitley, Garrett, Pilling, Medcalf, Wareham, times," to the significance of which the Liberal
thought she should get it. She was going to the Mawdsley, Hayes, Smith, Parker, Richmond, Clarke.
sptaeratdyva:eN-ery
bdyesNiNi:iolui s
chtocoshnusetrtvhaetiisrm:yeass. r
elptr is
e _ Burial-office about it now. In the course of the same Cheques were drawn for the relief of out-door paupers, an event typical in every respect of the quiet
afternoon be visited her, and she told him she was pro- as follows :—Mr. Potts, £120; Mr. Olny, £46; and Mr.
growth
raised the money, and did not require any relief. When Lythgoe, £22. rented in its chiefs, is again risin-, into the ascen-
she apologised to me on Thursday evening, he was Mr. GOUGIT, the governor, reported the number of
dant. It is only twelve ea •' '
under the impression at the time that she said her hus- paupers in the workhouse to be, last week, 658, admitted
before, and two -ears . will not elapse ere it be
band had been in an asylum; but she might have used since, 43 ; born, 1; discharged,. 31; dead, 2. In the
The3b the word hospital. He used the word asylum in his house this week, 668 ;of whom 378 belong to Toxteth- there again. . anquet to Lord Derby was a
letter to the guardians, but he had now his doubts since park. Corresponding week of last year, 616. tribute alike to the man and to the statesman.
she had stated in her evidence that she said hospital. -mr. u-
...ALT,
.th& master of the hospital, reported the It was a willing and proud homage to the bright-
When he went to Thompson's house, he did not go in, number of the inmates in the hospital to be, last week, est reputation in England. It was a hearty and
in a blustering manner. He was perfectly sober. The 81 ; admitted since4o ; discharged, 'll • dead, 2 : and genial acknowledgment of the private virtues and
statement made by Mrs. Maher, that he had said, three in the hospital,- this week, -88; of whom 33 belonged to generous nature of the noble Earl—a tribute of
times to Thompson, "You're driink," was untrue. _ Toxteth-park. Corresponding week last year, 118. admiration to the brilliance of his Iparliamentaiy
By Mr. Wilson—The house did not Tan CASE OF MR. ALLEN. career—of sympathy with his political principles,
It.
N.S and of gratitude for his services as a statesmen.
t I And in order to make the political character of
the banquet unmistakeable, as well as to render
1 1
.
ILgratifyingtothe noble the scene especially
pient of their esteem, the gentlemen of Liverpool
em,
o h. surrounded the Earl with those who were at once
lien's his friends and his political colleagues—thus mak-
ing the banquet a well-merited ovation to the
whole Conservative Cabinet.

(From the Press.)

This great political demonstration, made by the
second city of the kingdom, exhibited none of that
wild party zeal, eager to run into faction, which
used to characterise such demonstrations in the
days gone by. Among the Conservatives, and in
a lesser degree among the Whigs, faction has ex-
pired. At least the fury of faction has disappeard
in both of the leading parties in the State just
as it has done in the country generally—and now
is nowhere cherished save amongst the narrow-
minded clique who follow the mad war-whoop of
Mr. Bright. Radicalism has put on a new and
worse form. The Radicals even of ten years ago
—the Roebucks and Milner Gibsons—stand aloof
from, or look coldly upon, the unholy war which
a Quaker-led mobocracy now wages against the
whop established institutions and predominant
the country. Radicalism has begun

to act as a counter-irritant to that itching desire
for change which so long possessed the public
mind. And under its operation the Liberal party
will be rent in two. The party which has hitherto
fbllowed the standard of the Whig chiefs now
pause, both chiefs and followers, in a temporary
hesitation, and mentally review their position.
Are they to go still forward, and by a mad leap
approximate so closely to the position of the
'1 be content to fol-

tadicals that these latter w
pw them for a short time lom

id firm, and

—or ought they

ltra-ita,

:alism

as any onc. His speech at Aberdeen
d ground to hope that he is more ready
to fight the Radicals than surrender to them;
but we have so often had grand constitutional
speeches from his lordship, followed by conduct
the most unconstitutional, that our fears of a fur-
ther lapse on his part unquestionably predomi-
nate. And where he goes three-fourths of the
Whig party will follow. , But the " old Whigs "
hat section of the Liberals represented by
Grey and Lord Norinanby—will stand firm.

3rofil.em

furnishe

this resistance they will find themselves acting
along with the Conservatives. And the result of
this co-operation bids fair to be the formation of
a powerful constitutional party, superior in num-
bers, and far more in character and statesmanlike
ability, to the party which advocates organic