Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-19 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD

BEFORE J. R. SHAW, ESQ., REV. M. COXON, AND R.
BRYANS, ESQ.
STEALING A POwL.—Thomas Leasor, a young felow 18
years of sge, and who does not bear the best of characters,
was charged with stealing a hen fowl, the property of Mr.
John Henry James, of Argyle-street, china and glass dealer.
From the evidence of Jas. Casey, a watchman in the employ
of Messrs. Clover and Royle, shipbuilders, at Birkenhead,
it appeared that he was passing along Market-street, be-
tween six and seven o'clock on Tuesday morning last, when
he saw the prisoner, who was on a piece of waste land, pick
something up and put it under his jacket, and at the same
moment he heard the scream of a fowl, upon which he told
a police-officer, who went after him. A girl named Mar-
garet Connor saw the prisoner running away down Cam-
den-street, and while so doing he threw away something ;
she went to see what it was, and found the fowl now pro-
duced. Mr. James identified the fowl as his property, he
having seen it early that morning in the fowl-house. The
prisoner pleaded guilty, and he was sentenced to fourteen
days' hard labour in Chester Castle.

A CANVASER.—John West, a bone and rag collector,
and who had on two other occasions been convicted and
sentenced to imprisoment, was charged with stealing a.
piece of canvass the
unei•scar;tv
afifernury
außuo2th,,u of
ur
o'clock, the prisoner was seen in Mr. Booth's yard by
a joiner, named Johnson, who was working in a
house, from which he could see into the yard, and
distinctly saw the prisoner put the canvass into his bag,
and then proceed to walk away, when he was stoppsd and
asked what he had got in his bag ; upon which he pulled out
the canvas. He was afterwards handed over to the police.
Prisoner pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to two calendar
months' hard labour in Chester Castle.

ANOTHER FOWL STEALER —Jane Jones, a prostitute,
was charged with stealing a Spanish cock fowl, the
property of Mr. Thomas E. Wilson, agent, residing
at Holt Hill, Tranmere. The prisoner was seen by
a Mr. Edward Darby, who resides at Holt Hill, to
feed the fowls, and when she had enticed them near enough,
she suddenly seized the cock by the tail, and put it under
her shawl. He continued to watch her, and then saw her
take it' from under the shawl, and put it underneath her
clothes. He then went for a constable, who took her into
custody. Tee prisoner dropped the fowl as soon as she
saw the officer. The prisoner, who had been in custody
on seven previous occasions, was fully committed for
trial.

STALING A BLANKET.—Margaret Price, way charged
with stealing a blanket from the house of Bernard
Waters, a labouring man, residing in Meacock,amet, and
at whose house she lodged. The blanket was afterwards
pledged at the shop of Mr. Radcliffe, a pawnbroker, and
the prisoner was distinctly sworn to as the person who had
done so. The prisoner denied stealing the blanket, or
having been to the pawnbrokers. She was, however,
convicted and sentenced to fourteen days' hard labour in
Chester Castle.

DISORDERLY BEzullousE. --Thomas Hoskinson, a beer-
house keeper in St. Anne-street, was summoned for keeping
open his beer-house on Sunday last, at 12 at noon.
Defendant pleaded guilty, and was fined 40e. and costs.

THE RATING OF SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS.

The following is a ccpy of the memorial from the Select
Vestry of Liverpool to the louse of Commons on the
above subject :

To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled—
The humble Petition of the Select Vestry of the Parish of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, who are the
elects(' representativzs of a population numbering, by
Or last census, 258,000 souls,
SHEWETH,—

hat a bill has been introduced into your honourable
house, entitled " A Bill to amend the Act 6 and 7 Victoria,
chapter 36, to exempt from County, Borough, Parochial,
and other Local Rates, Land and Buildings occupied by
Scientific and Literary Societies.
That if the said bill should be adopted by the legislature,
property to a very large extent will be exempted from
contributing, as it now does, to the local burdens.
That your petitioners entertain very strong objections to
the provisons of the said bill. First—Because the privi-
lege of exemption from rates, which is already enjoyed by
such societies as are truly devoted to the promotion of
"Science, Literature, and the Fine Arts," is sought to be
extended to societies instituted for the purposes of " .Edu-
cation and the Arts," which indicate an almost unlimited
range of objects. Second—Because th..e. question, What
is a building occupied for the purpose of " Science, Lite-
rature, Education, or the Arts?" is proposed by the bill to
be left to the decision of a barrister-at-law, which is to be
final and conclusive.

That under the statute which the said bill proposes to
repeal, a certificate that the institution seeking exemption
is entitled thereto, is in like manner required from the bar-
rister, but from that decision there is an appeal to the
judges of the land.
That in very many cases, the barrister's certificate has
been directly at variance with the subsequent decision of
the judges. Large and extensive buildings occupied, for
instance, as news rooms, resorted to by gentlemen for
political information, and other privileges which they
obtain there at a comparatively small cost, such institutions
were exempted from the local taxes by the barrister's cer-
tificate, but made to pay under the decision of the judges.
That while your petitioners yield to none in their desire
to facilitate for the benefit of the masses, the use of the
institutions which are really devoted to the promotion
amongst them of science, literature, and the fine arts, they
are equally desirous that the privilege should be efficiently
guarded, considering, as they do, that it is in the highest
degree unjust, that institutions which contribute to the
ease, convenience, and benefit of the wealthy, should be
exempted from rates which are drawn with difficulty from
the humblest and poorest occupiers.
Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that, for the
reasons above assigned, the said bill may not be permitted
to pass into law.
And your petitioners will ever pray, &a: