Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-11-27 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1857.

district was brought under the general Health Act ; but,
in a word, while their total rates now were 2s 3d, they
would become 2s 4 6-11 d or 2s sd, if the amalgamation
took place, an increase in place of a decrease.
Mr. BOULT : Yon have not added the 5,14 for Grove
Park.
Mr. Gaßosox replied that that was a local rate, and
proceeded to argue that they themselves could have the
night soil removed as cheaply as it could be done by the
Town Council. As to lighting, there was not a road in
the district which the Council woull not be
memorialised to light by parties who would not have
to pay a farthing of the expense, and under all circum-
stances the amalgamation; instead of being a beneflt, would
be a disadvantage to the rural district. He would, there-
fore, move that the incorporation do not take place.
Mr. LATnunitY seconded the amendment.

Mr. F. BOULT observed that 'nest of Mr. Gregson's
arguments were quite erroneous, and urged that while he
carefully enumerated all the disadvantages of the incor-
poration, he made no mention whatsoever of the advantages
to be derived horn it. For instance, if they now drained
into a corporation Fewer, they would not be allowed the
advantage which the other district had, of paying the
expense in twenty or thirty years, but would hive to pay
it at once. That was an advantage which they would
gain from incorporation, and no small advantage too,
seeing the extent of district which in a few years they
would have to drain. It was true, that at present they
had only to drain the district mentioned by Mr. Greg,son,
but they could not say what a few years would bring. A
railway would certainly be brought through the district,
and Vie Beckhoir-:e and \Vcodhouse p.7operties would
also soon be brouzht into the market to suit purchasers.
This would give rise to extensive drainage, and the sooner
they prepared for it the better. As to the expense of
highways, he calcu'ated that those of the rural district had
to pay for just four times as much as those in the town,
and weighing all the advantages and disadvantages of the
incorporation, he was quite willing that it should take
place, and that they should hear the special burdens of
the town part of Toxteth-park, while that district equally-
bore theirs. It should be remembered, also, that all
improvements undertaken for the future by ill: corpora.
tion, would be borne out of an improvement rate laid up )a
all, and that there were many improvements in their
district—the widening of S.Bithdo sn-lace, for example,
which required to be carried out.
Mr. BRISCOE thought if trey were united to Toxteth-
park they would in any sewer rates be able to divide them
between the landlord and the tenant. As it was, he
believed the tenant had to bear the whole, if he was cot
the owner. lie could not help thinking that if they had
an extended area for the rate contributors they should
diminish their rates. He had heard nothing at all said
about their dispensing with the staff which they at present
employed, provided they were taken under the wing of the
corporation. They could reduce the expense in that we
and they would be likely to be better served if they had
the borough police, who were more eflhient and more
numerous than the county police ware.
Mr. WILLMER would suggest that as that was really a
very important question for the ratepayers, as the meeting
was so very limited in number, and as the fat's relating to
the subject had been brought out with mere elaborate and
important effect than they appeared as ernbodie in the
report—the least they could do for the ratepayers who
were not present on that occasion was to give them
an opportunity of reading what had taken place, and of
coming at some future period to decide upon the question.
H thought it would be scarcely tight that with the small
number of ratepayers present they should commit the
ratepayers outside either to one course or the other. He
would, therefore, if he was in order, move an amendment
to the effect that the meeting do now adjourn for one
month.
Mr. TREFIFY seconded the amentlinenf.

Mr. BouLr did not want to throw any taetious oppositio
in the way of a full consideration of the question, but he
did not think they would gain much by an ajournmen%
At the last annual meeting of ratepayers to supply
vacancies on the Board of Health, the chairman, the law
clerk, Mr. Hughes, and himself constituted the meeting.
Mr. WILLMER urged that it would be only right to give
the ratepayers a full opportunity of considering what was
said at that meeting, as they were about to commit them-
selves to a very important scheme, which might involve,
if opposed, cot siderable expense, and as there was no
necessity for acting with any haste in the matter.
Mr. URQUHART, as the mover of the resolution,consented
to the amendment.
It tens finally agreed, unanimously, that the meeting
should be adjourned' to a future day, to be named by the
Board of Health, not within a month from the present.

The proceeding then concluded with a vote of thanks to
,he Chairman. '

THE ASIIOVER MURDER.
INQUEST AND GOVERNMENT RtiVAB D.

Asuovize, Wednesday.—This frightful ml der still
remains shrouded in mystery. Since the perpe ration of
the tragedy, Fox, the chief onngte.hlo, ham boon eee.a
zealous in his endeavours to trace the murderer. Six
men had been arrested on suspicion, and discharged after
proper inquiries had been instituted ; but another man,
named Richard Hodgkinson, has been apprehended, and
so strong are the circumstances against him, that he
has been detained. The p lice are at the present
moment collecting evidence which, it is hoped, will
elucidate the mystery that at present surrounds the
case. Last evening a communication teas received here
from the Home-office stating that her Majesty's Govern
ment would offer a reward of .ElOO for the apprehension of
the murderer or murderers, and a free pardon to any
persons who were not the actual perpetrators of the crime
Yesterday, Mr. Busby, the coroner, resumed the inquest
upon the body of James Simpson, at the White Lion inn,
in this to am. The first witness examined was Hannah
Simpson, the wife of the murdered man, who deposed
that when her husband left home to go to Alfreton
market he hal about him his silver watch and
a half crown, which she gave him just before
he started. He took soma butter to the market
to sell. Thomas Rogers, grocer, and Joseph Boar, a farm
s rvant, deposed to seeing the deceased in Alfreton market
on the day in question, and that he was perfectly s b e. at
the time. Mr. Joseph Fletcher, the proprietor of the
Alton Colliery, gave evidence to the effect that he
discovered the deceesed lying in t' e road. He was
groaning. There was a wound near his left ear. He was
bleeding, and the back of his eae and his shirt collar were
blackened, as with powder. lie did not speak at all.
Witness did not hear any report of fire arms. John
Bassett, a farmer, spoke to hearing a report of a gun
or pistol in the direction where the body was found.
Peter Skidmore, surgeon, of Ashover, detailed the nature
of the wounds. He discovered two wounds in the brain,
and afterwards extracted a billet and a slug, the latter
resembling a large swan shot. They had penetrated the
skull, and the bullet was lodged in the middle lobe of the
brain ; the shot was lying a little further in the same lobe.
The shots must have come from the left hand side. The
gun or pistol must have been in very close proximity to
the head at the time it was fired, propably half a yard
distant. Some further evidence having been given, the
jury returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against some
person or, persons unknown.

TH3 GOVERNMENT PRESS & PARLIAMENTARY

REFORM,

The Globe wishes to know where we f rand sthtments
in the Ministerial journals that there would be no Reform
Bill next cession.
The nines is to bs regarded as the leading organ of the
Governm3nt ; and on the oth instant sx e find it saying:—
"Under these circumstances, we do not think the sulojeo
of Parliamentary Reform will stand much chance in the
next session."
Again, on the 18th instant, the Till US summed up its
reasons against a Bill next session by :—"We cannot but
think ou the whole that Parliamentary Reform had better
wait."
The same evening the Globe itself wound up an article
depreciatory of the question by disclaiming : —" Any g.and
expectation for the session of 1858."
And next morning the Morning Pose—better inspired,
perhaps, than even the Times or the Globe—frankly re-
marked, in foreshadowing the measures of next session :
" We do not expect to hear anything of a Reform Bill. '
This is where we find the Ministerial Press preparing
the way for a Ministerial abandonment of the promise of
a Reform Bill next session. At times, however, the
Ministerial Press is not very well informed as to Minis-
oriel intentions. For instance, on the 12th instant the
Globe took us to task for insisting that the circumstances
of the country required an instant relaxation of the Bank
Act for 1844, and ridiculed the notion of the Government
interfering as it had done in 1847. Yet, in a second
edition of the Globe of the same evening appeared the
Government Letter to the Bank of England, authorising
the Bank to employ those means of assisting suffering trade
and commerce which the Governmental Globe had a few
hours before described as " empirical." So it will in all
human prbability turn out with Parliamentary Reform.
We shall have a Reform Bill, notwithstanding the
assurances of the Ministerial Press to the contrary. And
thus they will learn another lesson of the inconveniences
of subserviency.—Daily News.