The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-01-10 00:00:00

POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY.

STEALING FROM A SHlP.—Michael Hernighan was
charged with stealing two pistols and a tape-line from the
cabin of the ship Eblana, now in the docks, on Saturday
last. The prisoner, who was known to have no business
on board the Eblana, was seen to be leaving her deck, his
breast being more bulky than natural. An officer fol-
lowed him, which the prisoner observing, suddenly threw
something from him, which he took from his breast,
into the river. He then ran off, and being pursued, took
a pistol from his breast, which he also threw away,
evidently intending it to go into the water. It was
picked up, and the prisoner was taken into custody. The
tape-line was found on him, and it and the pistol were
both identified as property belonging to the ship. The
prisoner, who made no defence, was committed for trial.
HOUSEBREAKING IN EVERTON.—Thomas Donelly, a
boy, and John Phillips, a young man, were brought upon
remand from last Monday, on a charge of having, on
Saturday, the 31st ult., broken into the house of George
Forster, residing in a court leading off from Back Salis-
bury-street, Everton, and having stolen the sum of 4e. 10d.
Phillips was now, in addition to the former accusation,
charged with having, some time in July last, broken into
the house of Mr. Evans, in Prince Albert-street, Everton,
and stolen several articles. From the evidence, it
appeared that on the evening of Saturday, the 31st ult.,
Mrs. Forster and her husband went out, leaving their
house locked up. The two prisoners were observed coming
over a back wall adjoining to Forster's house, when they
endeavoured to run away. A police-constable, who saw
them, succeeded in seizing Donelly, who threw from him
something, which, on being picked up, turned out
to be a pick-lock ; he had also two skeleton keys
in his possession. Phillips was likewise pursued
and taken into custody. On his person was found a
a purse cotaining Os. His lodgings, in Sawney Pope-
street, being searched, a variety of articles - was found,
among other things a Daguereotype portrait. A boy
named William Redfern proved, distinctly, that he saw
both the prisoners in Forster's house while Mr. and Mrs.
Forster were absent, and that they ran away on hearing
some one approach. Mr. Evans identified the portrait
found in Phillips' lodgings as one which had been stolen
from his house in July last, when it had been entered,
during the night, and several articles stolen, amongst
other things the waistcoat which Phillips now wore. In
defence, Phillips said he got the portrait alluded to as a
present from a friend a considerable time ago. The friend,
like other treacherous friends, had since gone abroad, and
prisoner knew not where. Both prisoners were committed
for trial.

ALLEGED ASSAULT ON THE POLICE.—James Parry, a
youth about 18, was charged by Police-constable 421 with
creating a disturbance in Cooper-street, about two o'clock

on Sunday morning, and also with assaulting him (the police-
man). It appeared the youth was going along the street
singing, and was challenged by the policeman withmaking
such a noise. On being called in question, he was said
to be very insolent, and also to have struck the policeman.
Mrs. Hince, wife of a respectable shopkeeper, gave another
version of the story, in so far as she proved distinctly that
the policeman struck the youth on the forehead with great
violence with his staf, cutting him deeply, although the
provocation was comparatively slight. The charge against
Parry was dismissed ; and the police-consta' le was cau-
tioned by the magistrate as to the danger and impropriety
of using his staff, especially against a slender and not very
powerful youth.
ASSAULT ON THE POLICE IN A LODGING-HOUSE.—
James M`Loughlin was charged by Alcock, an officer of
police, with having committed an aggravated assault on
him, under the following circumstances. Alcock, in the
discharge of his duty, went this morning, about half-past
one o'clock, to inspect a lodging-house in Leicester-street.
In doing so he was assaulted and kicked by the prisoner
and others. The case was clearly proved. Inspector
Ride reminded the magistrates that the regulations in
reference to the inspection of lodging-houses was now so
stringent as to lay the officers open to much ill-will in the
exercise of their duty ; and he hoped that in the present
case an exemplary punishment would be awarded. Sen-
tenced to pay a fine of 40s. and costs, or to suffer one
month's imprisonment.

THE AMENDED SANITARY BILL.

MEETING OF HOUSEOWNERS LAST NIGHT.

LAST NIGH", a meeting of the houseowners of the town was
held at the Clarendon Rooms, for the purpose of considering
how their interests might be effected by the new sanitary
bill. Mr. Jones, of the firm of Messrs. Williams and Jones,
house agents, was called to the chair, and amongst the gen-
tlemen present we observed Councillors Moss, Thomson,
Bradley. and Fleming ; Vestrymen Savage, Gardner, Kitchen,
and William Jones; Mr. Heyes, Mr. Roxburgh, and a num-
ber of other gentlemen. From the lateness of the hour we
can give but a brief abstract of the proeeedings.
The CHAIRMAN said, on reading in the local papers lately
the proceedings in Council, respecting the Amended Sanitary
Bill, he and another had called upon a gentleman who was
more largely interested in house property than any other, to
ask him his opinion on the clauses of the bill, and concerning
his intentions. He was the owner of 300 houses, all clear,
and he had promised in opposition his influence and assist-
ance, personal and pecuniary. (Applause.) That was Mr.
Joseph Brooks Yates. Then, on Saturday last, a few of the
householders met at the Brunswick hotel, and after long deli-
beration they had resolved on calling that meeting, The
object of the meeting was to ascertain the opinion, as far as it
was possible, that evening of the houseowners of Liverpool on
the Amended Sanitary Bill. As usual, it contained extraor-
dinary clauses, aiming at illimitable powers,—such powers
as he thought could not be enforced in a court of law
or equity, even if the bill were passed into an act. He quoted
one clause which he said no judge would put such a construc-
tion upon, as every plain man of business must put upon it,
and such a construction as even the Town-clerk had admitted
could not but he literally put upon it; he referred to the clause
prohibiting to be occupied as dwellings any buildings not in
conformity with the Sanitary Act of 1846. Now previous to
1R46. there were 40000 houses in Liverpool, not in conformity
with that act. Tie Chairman then showed that, in the
amended bill, words limiting the power of the Health Com-
mittee in the alteration of the levellingof streets were omitted
in this. There were nearly 500 streets .n the Parliamentary
boundary unadoptsd. They had been built upon, according
to the levels given by the former out-township surveyors, but
the bill proposed to give power to the borough engineer to cut
up the surface of those streets and alter them as he thought
fit, at the expellee, it should be borne in mind, of the owners
of the houses.

Mr. Moss stated to the meeting what he said they would
be glad to hear, that at a meeting of the Parliamentary sub.
committee that day, considerable modifications had been
made in the bill. He confessed, in looking over the bill, he
agreed with their Chairman that it combined so much
tyranny and arbitrary legislation, that they should be short-
sighted, and unmindful of their own interests, if they did
not oppose it. He believed that, with the exception of Mr.
Fleming and himself, the sub-committee had been
comparatively unanimous on the subject, but he thought
it arose from their comparative ignorance on the mat-
ter. (Laughter.) Amongst the modifications carried, was
that the range of the compulsory rating clause (making
house-owners pay the rates of their tenants), had been re-
duced from houses at £l3 to those of .elO and under Then
the 15th clause, the compulsory conversion of all obnoxious
privies into water-closets, at the dictum of the medical
officer, had been abandoned altogether. (Applause.)
Mr. FLEMING said he heard Mr. Moss had tried to get the
permissive clause applied to all property, btu they were told
by the Town Clerk that, for houses from £lO and below.
it was rendered compulsory on the owner to pay the rates
by the Public Health Act of )848.