Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-27 00:00:00

OFFICfAL R&7•JItVa.

The MISTER.Of the WoRKHOUSB reported that last week
there were 564'paupers in the workhouse, since when 37
had been• admitted, 25 discharged, 4 deaths ; th s week
there were 572: of which 34.3 belonged to Toxteth-Park.
For the corree;',onding week of last year there were 606
paupers in the-house.
The MasTErt of the Hos-mar, repeal that this week
there were 96 patients in his establishment ; last week there
were 95, since when 12 had been admitted, 8 discharged,
and 3 deaths-; 33, belonged to Toxteili-Park For the
corresponding-week of last year there were 93 cheques to
the amount of £l69•voted for the maintenance of the out-
door poor in the•eeveral townslips in connection with the
Union.
The CLIRK reported that he had examined the books
kept by the several offfeials of the Union, and' had found
them all correct.

MR PUBLIC FatiTAINB:
The CLTRK then read the folloving letter
Liverpool, 25th August, 1857.
Gentlemen,—I request your leave to place a polished granite
fountain in the wall ofyour hospital in the West Derby-road,
nearly opposing the Zqolog.cal Gard, ns. I doubt not that th.+
experience of the foun'ain in the•Sinithdown-lane, which i;
allow as far out of town,.will sati.fy you that the public will
receive more than sufficient benefit from such a fountain as
will justify your permission to erect one in your wall, at my
expense, and subject to being taken down again by me, a due
notice having been previously given to me, showleg thst it
was undesirable and inconvenient to you. I would prefer
placing it as near the town end of the wall as possible, but am
willing to adopt any position you may point' out along that
wall.—Awaiting your reply, I remain, gentlemen. yours truly,
0. P:
To the Board of Guarcliansof West Derby.

MR. Sntw had much ',league° in movivg that the re-
quest of Mr. Melly be complied with, at the same time
observing that he thoulht that the town wag and-r a debt
of watituie to that gentleman for his public benevolew:e in
erecting such fountains.
Ma. LUNT seconded the motion, which was supported
by Mr Abrahams and unanimously adopted.

ExrnA, GUARDIANS- FOR THE TOWIISHIP;
This question, which has been so often mooted at the
board, was brought to a termination yesterday, -when the
following letter was read from the General Bard :
SIR,—I aril directed by the Poor Law Board to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of the 22nd instant, and in reply to
inform you that tke order to authorise the election of additional
guardirns for the several townships of West Derby, Everton,
and Waver ree. will be issued in a few day'.—l am, Sir, your
obedient servant, N. GItE%, Secretary.

A CAUTION TO ABSCONDING lIIISBANDS.

In consequence of the great number of cases that come
before the Board of females left chargeable to the parish,
from their husbands leaving them,
Mr. Snaw moved that a list of all such delinquents be
prepared and published throughout the town.
This was seconded by the Rev. Mr. Tattersall, and
unanimously adopted.
There being no other business bafore the Board, the
meeting was adjourned.

HOW A WIFE CAN BE DISPOSED OF IN
LIVERPOOL.

It has been sail, but we will not vouch for the truth o.
the assertion, that if there was to be appointed by law
in each locality a parson who had the power of un-marry -
ing those who were married, that he would have more
business than he could perform. But from what trans•
pired at the West Derby Board of Guardians yesterday, no
such appointment is requisite, for a man has not only
disposed of his wife, after being legally married, but he has
actually given the man (we are obliged to call him man,
although he has, by his acts, rendered himself neeserving
of such an appellation) a sum of money to get rid of her,
and this, too, after he had at' the altar pledged himself
before his Maker "to love her, comfort her, honour,
and keep her in sickness and in health, and
forsaking all others and to keep only her so long as
both should live." But such is the case—even in the
great metropolis of the north—Liverpool. In some be-
nighted counties in England, we have road of men telling
their wives, in cattle markets with a halter round their
necks, but we never expseted to hive to record'a similar
fact in this locality. But so it is, however it must be
regretted. The simple history of the case as it transpired
before the West Derby Guardians, yesterday, is a's follows :
—A decent and respectable-looking female, who had,
perhaps, seen thirty summers, with a child in her arms,
came forward to ask for assistance and support for herself
andrchild, she being at the time perfectly destitute. Her
tale was soon told. It was this—she had been a eervant, and
a guardian who had known her, cenfirmed her statement,
that she had always conducted herself respectably, and
had married a mariner by the name of Hughes, with whom
she had lived several years. From some cau'e or another
an estrangement took place, and by mutual consent they
agreed to annul she marriage t es, The actual husband,
Hughes, wishing to get rid of his bargain, negoc.ated with
a person—a master joiner and Wilder living within the
immediate neighbourhoc d of the Workhouse, who con-
sented to take the woman. Hughes, wishing to get rid of
his helpmate effectually and for ever, had a regular
document drawn up, the woman said by a lawyer of this
town, in which it was spec'fied, that he (Hughes)
Was to be considered as dead, and that he would
never put in any claim for the woman. This document
was duly signed by all parties interested, but in order to
melee assurance double sure, he declined to give up the
right to his wife, until she was again married to the man
who was to take her for better or w eras." Mr. Hughes,
therefore, repaired to a coffee hens° in some square in
Liverpool, kept by a Mr. Chadwick. He was also accem-
panied by the joiner and the mariners wife. They there
sat and had friendly intercourse together, and the result
Was, thtt the joiner and the woman at once repeirecleta
St. Paul's church, where they were united together in the
holy bonds of wedlock, After that ceremony had bee :,gone
thronet with, the "happy couple" again returned to the
coffee house, where the mariner was in waiting, and upon
being shown that his wife was actually married, and the
marriage lines being produced to show that such was
really the fact, he handed over 'to. the joiner of Hygeiee
street his wice—his real wife —and the sum
of Yea, 100., and thus he thought he had
got clear off. The master mariner being perfectly
content with. the, result of his negecistions, left the newly
married pair to enjoy their own days let peace, and quitted
the grand and festive scene. The joiner took his new wife
home with him, and. there they lived together for some
time, and the result wive that a, child WB3 born. They con-
tinued together until very recently, but the joiner having
enjoyed and expended the £0 10i.. and his companion's
wife, a disagreement took place, and the result was that
the wife of two husbands, with her young_ child, were
turned adrift on the wide world, and had to seek
the aid of the parochial au horities. When
before the Beard, the woman conducted herself most
respectfully; and, in. answer to Mr. Shaw, she said she
did not know she was doing wrong when she con-
sented to be sold, because a law) er had made out the
docte.nents, wed, therefore, she thought it was all right.
The Ce meel:,ans ordered her to be relieved with 2s. per
week, and to be removed to her proper settlement, where
tha cam will, no doubt, come before a proper tribunal.
a