Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-11 00:00:00

THE WEST DERBY UNION.

The usual weekly meeting r,f the bard was held yester-
day, at the board-room, Mal-lane, Everton. The Rev.
Mr. Badnall, tho chairman, presided. The other members
present were —MeserJ. Henry Edwards, Whitby, Pickup,
Me&elf, BayneF, Miller, Parr, Heyes, Wilson, Johns,
Evans, Richmond, Sager, Almond, Isaac, Edwards, Taylor,
Ledger, Abrahams, Evans, Owen, Roscoe, Clarke, Tatter
sail, and Pitte.

THZ OFFICIAL lIRTURNS.

Cheques to the amount of £230 were voted for the
maintenance of the ont-door poor in the several districts
conneced with the Union. The master of the workhouse
reported that last week there were 582 paupers in the
workhouse, since when thirteen had been admitted, twenty-
one discharged, and four deaths. This week there were
570, and for the corresponding week of last year 614.
The master of the hospital reported that there were ninety-
nine patients in that establishment ; since when ten had
been admitted, thirteen cVslharged, ald one death. This
week there were ninety-fire, and for the -corresponding
week of last year eighty-eight.
THE HOSPITAL commtrrzz, AND A SCENE ABOUT THE PIGS.
The proceedings of this committee recommended that
the master in the hospital be requested to pay 8s per week
for the rations of his wife whilst she resided in that estab-
lishment.

Mr. JIHRAHAMS moved the adoption of the report, and,
with a view of showing that the eommittee had only charged
a fair price for the rations supplied to Mrs. Davis, quoted
the following statement of the actual cost of the rations
supplied to the master, with theeontract prices, each week:
Bread, 8 lb., 'ls. 4d.; meat, 7 do., 3s. 04d.; potatoes, 7 do.,
; tea, 4 oz., ; coffee, 8 oz., 81d ; sugar moist,
8 oz., 3d. ; ditto loaf, 12 az , 9d. ; butter, 12 oz , is. ;
cheese, 8 oz., 31d. ; bacon, 8 oz., aid. ; seven eggs. 4id. ;
ale, 7 ouarts, 2s. 4d. ; milk, 3 pints, 40.- Total 12s. 9d.
Mr. 'ISAAC EDWA&DS : I wish to know from the chair-
man of the committee, or any other member of the board,
whether there is as much wine consumed at the meetings
by guardians, as there was some few months since ?
Mr. ABRAHAMS (With great warmth): As chairman of
that committee, I can say that the guardians do not have
any wine.
Mr. ISAAC EDWARDS : Well, I asked the question, be-
cause I was yesterday told by a gentleman that that was
the case.
Mr. ABE IMAMS: I will take my solemn oath that there
is neither wine or spirits consumed by the guardians at
their meetings.
Mr. ISAAC EDWARDS : I believe it, as you state it is so,
and I could hardly think that the gentlemen forming the
committee would take any of the wine. When I was
asked the question, I told the party that Mr. Pitts would
no more do that than he would keep pigs at the expense
of the board.
Mr Perrs : I call on ynu to withdraw that.
Mr. ABRAHAMS : I will swear that it is not so.
The CHAIRMAN " Order, order." You have said so
once, and that is enough.
Mr. PITTS : But I insist on having an explanation.
That is no answer to me.
The CHAIRMAN (imploringly) : Will you allow me. It
does no,, seem that we have anything to do with the matter
Mr. Edward: has not stated to this board that von did
keep p'gs at their expense, but that he told a gentleman
that there was no truth in it. What he said out of this
room we can have nelhing whatever to do with. You
(Mr. Pitts) have minuderstood what was said.
Mr. WHITBY : Is there any business before the board.
The CHAIRMAN : It has been moved that the proceedings
ba confirmed.
Mr. BIRCH thought that Bs. per week was too much to ask
the master of the hospital to pay for the rations of his wife,
and moved that it should only be 6s. per week.
Mr. PICKUP seconded the amendment.
The Board then divided, when the amendment was
carried by 12 to 8.
Mr. PITTS : But, sir, before this question is disposed of,
I must ask you to request Mr. Edwards to withdraw
use est,. s,,essi he made use of towards me.
The CHAIRMAN : I am FOITy IlLie quo+afinn has been
brought up again. Mr. Edwards merely stated that he
did not think it was likely that wine was drunk at the
hospital more than that the pigs were kept there by Mr.
Pius.

Mr. PIT rs : I beg to say that I do not keep the pigs at
the expense of the union.
Mr. EDWARDS : There have been thirteen pigs there of
yours and you only pail ls. 6d. per week.
The CHAIRM tN : I know nothing about it.
Mr. PITTS : I pay what I wa4 called upon to do by the
guardianP. I hive one there, a breeding sow, that they
keep for me.
The CHAIRMAN : If there are thirteen there I think that
one of them belorg4 to me.
Mr. SHAW : As tythe. (r aughter.)
Mr. PITTS : I made an agreement to pay 2,.1. 61 per
week for them, and yi,u have other pigs kept there as well
as mine.

Mr. SHAW : There is no reflection on you. Th, only
fault ww, thY tha arrangement was not entered on the
minutes. The best way will be to be more regular in
future.

Mr. Pura : I did not ask the board to take my pigs to
keep It V-721-4 a nix ntaty offer on their part.
Mr. WasoN : The more regular way would have been,
to have had the affair entered on the minutes.

Mr. SIIA.W : And then the general hoard could have con-
firmed or rejected th:> offer.
The CHAIRMAN : I think I am entitled to cue of the
pigs: (Llughter. )

The pig inestion then dropped

THE VISITING COMMITTEE

During the late invcstigati, n before the InspEctor from
the General Board, certain facts were elicited, upon which
the hoard alludtd to as follows :

The Board take this opportunity of adverting to two or
threo points which have been brought under their notice
in the course of this inquiry. In the first place, the board
deemed it necessary to press upon the attention of the
guardians the advisability of all medicines, and extras
ordered for the sick being administered by the three re-
sponsible paid nurses, and of all cases of midwifery
miming in the workhouse being attended by the medical
officer instead of by the nurse, Elizabeth Wood. They
also think that the porter's book should be kept with
strict accuracy, the precise time of every person entering
or leaving the workhouse being entered therein. When
children born in the workhouse are not born alive, the
Board are of opin;on that the fret should be duly recorded
in some book kept for the purpose
This, motion was referred to the Visiting Committee, and,
after duly investigating the case, they reported that the
present system of having unpaid nurses had operated satis-
factorily, and that r,o alteration should be made ; and,
with regard to the other point, that the midwife should be
employed in all ordinary cases, and that in extreme cases
that the medical of&er should be sent for.

Mr. ABRAHAMS moved the adoption of the report.
Mr. SHAW : But that is in direct opposition to the in-
structions from the Poor Law Board. I, for one, cannot
consent to the committee's recommendation. I think the
wife of the poor maTi is as much entitled to the services of
a medical man as the wife cf any of us sitting at this
beard. I shall move that the medical officer attend to
every case i f midwifery occurring in the house, at least
when his services can-be obtained.

Mr ABRAHAMS : He is al waya sent 'or when Mr. Gough,
the master, thinks it necessary, and Dr. Nevins has never
failed to at-end.

Mr. &taw : i did not say one word about Dr. Nevins,
but it appears that his name must be dragged into every
discaSsion. I o doubt, but that Mr. Gough is as good a
judge as to when it waa necessary for a medical man to
attend on such cases as I am. and I will confess that I
should not know whn to send for him. We have no right
to break the laws, but as Englishmen we have a right to obey

Mr. Whitby : 14 it contrary t,.) the instructions from the
Poor Law }Lard ?
The Crux : It ia, moat decidedly; for they recommend
the appointment of nine paid nu,ses.
Mr. PITTS : But if we carry that out we shall entail a
very great expense on the Union. Barely, if there were
nine or ten women in the " straw" at one time, the medical
officer could nor, be called noon to wait for each case.
31r. WHITBY : I am surprised o hear how some gentle-
men can blow hot and cold at ore time. If it was the
order of the Boerd it ghoul.; be obeyed. When gentlemen
liked they were 'all for The Beard, and at other times, when
it did not suit their purpose, they refused t) listen to their
instructions.

Mr. ROSCOE : Is the medical officer entitled to any fee
for attending on such cAseF ?
The Cum{ : No, he is not.
Mr. Salw : If Latazd alone I will object tc the reeom-
mendaticn from the Visiting C.;mmittee.
The Rlard then divided, whMn the amendment that the
medical offiler attend each case was nen. there being
twelve for the committee's report, and seven aping it.

:tug PINDING LIBEL CASE.

Mr. SHAW : T wish to ask a question, anCt perhaps the
clerk is the pen= best able to answer it. I tee, from a
paragraph in a paper, that an application has been made
to the Court of Queen'a Bench in the ease of James
Goodwin. wish to know whether the hoedwiU 471 to

pay the expense& From the papers, it seems that the
application was made in the name of the board?

- The CHAIRMAN: I will a 'newer that. The board is not
responsible or liable to on( I farthing of the expenses.

THE BOARD AND ITS Mt DICAL OFFICER, DR. NEVINS.
The CLERK then read th e following communication from
Dr. Nevins :