The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-12-14 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

LOCAL MEETINGS. -

WEST DERBY BOARD OF GUARDIANS.—The usual.
weekly meeting of this board took place on Wednesday,
Mr. Sheppard filled the chair. From the weekly report
of the Fever Hospital, it appeared there were in the house
last week, 91; admitted daring the week, l 6; dismissed.
cured, 26 ; died, 7 ; remaining in the house, 77. It ap-
peared from the weekly reports, that in No. 3, or Crosby
district, the number of cases relieved were 71, at a cost of
£l3 115. 91. ; in No. 2, or West Derby, they were 557,
at a cost of £B2 9s. 4d. ; and in No. 1, or Toxteth-park,
1139, at a cost of £136 9s. 3d. The number of inmates
at present in the Workhouse was 489. A resolution was
carried, recommending a salary of £lOO to Mr. W.
Hodgson, as a collector of poor rates. The Poor Law
Commissioners thought the salary ought not to exceed
£6O. The conduct of Mr Whittle, one of the surgeons
for the township of West Derby, was investigated, relative
to a charge which had been made against him of giving
two patients what the board considered an extravagant
quantity of brandy. Mr. Whittle's explanation seemed
to be satisfactory to the board. The increase of Mr.
Whittle's salary next occupied the attention of the baud,
but it was ultimately postponed until the next meeting.
It was resolved that the inmates of the Workhouse should
be regaled with roast beef, plum pudding, &c., on
Christmas-day.

BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS. —At the usual monthly
meeting, on Tuesday, a motion was made for the addition
of Messrs. Hind, Potter, and Adamson to the Finance
Committee. This Mr. Hicklin said he regarded as a mo-
tion of want of confidence, and he moved an amendment,
but the original motion was carried by a majority of seven
to five. Mr. Greene (the chairman of that committee),
Mr. Fox, and Mr. Bentham, then resigned their seats at
the committee. Mr. Potter said he would not attend if
their resignations were accepted ; in fact it would be a
great inconvenience for him to attend for some months to
come. The receipts at the ferry from the 23d April to the
30th November last were £13,456, and for the same period
last year £14,989. The total expenditure was £9,842.
A good deal of conversation then took place about a deed
which bad been entered into with the railway company,
on the subject of baskets of fruit and barrels of herrings
being carried across the river to Monks' Ferry, and by
which it was alleged £2OOO a-year had been lost to the
township. The chairman said the matter was in the
hands of the law-clerk, and they could not interfere with
the- matter at present.—A motion was then made for the
discontinuance of the policemen on board the steam-boats,
but as it was thought those officers were very useful, the
motion was withdrawn.—The Incorporation Committee
recommended the overseers to call a public meeting op
that subject.—Mr. Laird moved that a special meeting-of
the board be called to take steps to lay rates to the utmost
limit allowed by law, for the purpose of paying the bonded
debt, and also to take measures for obtaining the sanction
of the iatepayers to the proceeding. The motion was se-
conded by Mr. Thompson, and carried.
SELECT VESTRY.—At the usual fortnightly meeting, on
Tuesday, Rector Campbell presided. Mr. Parkinson was
told by the chairman that by the act of parliament he
was disqualified from taking his seat at the board. Mr.
Parkinson withdrew, after an ineffectual attempt to explain
the reasons of his non-attendance. It appeared that there
were three candidates for the chaplaincy of the workhouse,
viz., the Rev. Drummond Anderson, curate o fSt. Jude's
Rev. J. E. Barrows, incumbent of St. Matthew's, Stock-
port, and the Rev. E. D. Green, of Bridgewater. The
latter gentieman was not proposed. On a division, Mr.
Anderson was elected by a majority of 12 to 7 ; the two
rectors voted for Mr. Green, because they considered his
previous connection with a similar post of duty rendered
him more suitable for the present situation.—Mr. Ur-
quhart was elected a vestryman in the place of Mr. Par-
kinson.—Mr. Hart read the following apportionment of
the money granted by the Lords of the Treasury, for the
relief of the widows and orphans of the medical and other
officers, who died of fever caught in the discharge of their
duties :—Thos. Smith £3O, C. S. Rowland £9O, Inspector
Forsyth £65, Surgeon Ashcroft £7O, George Young £4O,
Surgeon Griffith £7O, Norton £4O, Yeoman £4O, Simpson
£4O, Bright £4O, John Wilcox, master of the Akbar, £5O,
Matthew Walker, superintendent of the Akhar £7O;
John Hughes £2O, John Yates £3O, E. Rigby £45. For
the week ending the 4th December there were 5246 cases
relieved at the cost of £5Bl, and this, compared with the
same week in the previous year, showed an increase of
£lO6 in the:expense, and an increase of 485 in the num-
ber of cases relieved. The Finance Committee reported
that the integrity of Mr. James Sharpe, one of the re-
lieving-officers employed at the relieving-office in St.
Anne-street, was questionable, erasures having been made
in the books, and they suspended him, and recommended
his dismissal to the general board. It was reported that
there were 808 cases of sickness in the house, including
479 fever cases; this being a decrease of ten in the total
number of cases, and an increase of six in the fever cases.
The magistrates requested that the fever cases from the
borough gaol might be removed to the parochial fever
sheds, stating that policemen would be sent t 3 take charge
of the sick prisoners, thereby relieving the parish of all
responsibility as to their safe custody. The vestry com-
plied with the request, upon the understanding that the
compliance should not be taken as a precedent, it being
extremely objectionable that the parish hospital should be
used as receptacles for prisoners in custody. The numer-
ous women of ill fame who are inmates of the:workhouse
were ordered to be employed in grinding wheat. It was
reported that there were 5,239 cases of sickness, including
3,043 fever cases, under treatment in different parts of the
town, being an increase of 183 in the total number of
cases, and of 87 in the fever cases since the 26th ult.
DOCK COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.—From the minutes of
the last meeting, it appeared that the new 'dock bill was
then submitted, and the various clauses discussed and ap-
proved of. It was ordered to be printed, and copies laid
before the trustees as soon- as possible.—lt was ordered
that the residence on the Albert Do& pier-head should
be appropriated to the chief superintendent of the Albert
Dock warehouses, and the surveyor was instructed to re-
port as to a site for the residence of the dock master. In
reply to a question from Mr. Tobin, the Chairman said
the dock master was still unable to attend to his duties.--.
A letter was read from Messrs.:Hardman and Co., re-
questing an interview with the committee, relative to the
classification of sugars at the Albert Dock. It appeared
that the Ursula, from Calcutta, arrived with a. cargo of
sugar consigned to Messrs. Hardman and Co. These
gentlemen allege that a portion of the sugar which was
placed in the Albert Dock warehouses was damaged by
salt water, and wish to make a claim upon the under-
writers for the amount of the loss they are likely to sus-
tain. In order to substantiate their claim upon the under-
writers, it is necessary to get a certificate from the officers
of the dock trust that the sugars are damaged. The offi-
cers, however, maintain that the sugars are only damp.
not damaged. Upon this subject it appears a long cor-
respondence and inquiry have taken place. The opinions
of brokers and others have been taken on both sides, and
different decisions given. The sugars have even been
subjected to chemical analysis, and the chemists disagree.
The warehouse sub-committee considered they had gone
far enough into the question, and, placing confidence in
their own servants, backed as they bed been by others,
declined to call in the aid of a London chemist, as they,
were desired to do, to decide between the two chemists of
this town, Mr. Waldie, and Mr, Huson. Messrs. Hard-
man, Grey, Heap, and Crossfield were introduced, and
Mr. Hardman made a very long statement, during which
he commented on, and described as satisfactory Mr. Wal-
die's chemical analysis. He also stated that Messrs.
Crossfield and Heap had attended to state that the sugar
was damaged, and that they would not purchase it on the
classification of the officers of the Dock Committee. The
gentlemen having retired, the Chairman said there had
not been a single new feature advanced. Mr. Mann said
this was the only complaint which had been made against
the classification of sugar by the Albert Dock servants,
except some months ago, when they were blamed for
being rather particular. It was then unanimously resolved
by the committee to confirm the opinion of the sub-com-
mittee and not to re-open the question. The harbour
masters sub-committee recommended that the salary of
the master of the Queen's Dock should in future be £250.
This occasioned some discussion, and at length it was de-
cided that the salary should remain as heretofore, at £3OO.
The appointment of dock-master was, upon this decision.
postponed.

THE IRISH POOR.—Catharine Byrne, an Irish girl, in
a miserably destitute condition, was brought before Mr.
Rushton on Friday, charged with begging. The police-
man who preferred the charge stated that the girl's
father was dead, and her mother was then in a dying state,
surrounded by four of her wretched offspring. Mr. Rush-
ton gave directions for the investigation of the case by
the proper officers.—Many other Irish people, men and
women, were brought up on charges of petty thefts com-
mitted on the dock quays. In some cases the alternative
of being passed to their own country was accepted, but in
the majority rejected.
THE PRICE OF OBSTINACY.—On Wednesday, a man,
named Joseph Nelson was summoned before the magis-
trates, for keeping pigs in a confined locality at the north •
end of the town, by which they were a nuisance to the
neighbourhood. It appeared that he was fined for a
similar offence on the sth November, but the magistrate
said the penalty would not be levied if the pigs were re-
moved. The defendant promised compliance, but a few
days since the pigs were found still on the premises. Mr.
Rushton ordered the defendant to pay the former fine of
20s. and costs, and also a similar sum for a repetition of
the offence. The enraged defendant then began to im-
pugn the decision of the Bench, and conduct himself in
such a manner that Mr. Rushton ordered him: into cus-
tody, and inflicted a third penalty of 20s. for contempt of
Court. The vital sum the defendant had to pay was £3 9s.
REFUSAL TO MAINTAIN A WIFE.—On Tuesday, a
man of genteel appearance, named M'Allister, was brought
up, charged by Mr. Evans, of the parish office, with ne-
glecting to maintain his wife, Jane Ann M'Allister,
wherebY she had become chargeable to the parish. Mr.
Davenport, on behalf of the prisoner, endeavoured to show
that the wife hail imposed upon him by representing her-
self as a single woman, whereas she had been previously
married, and it was doubtful whether her first husbaed
was dead or not. The wife of the prisoner, in reply to the
magistrate, said that she did not conceal her forme- m ir-
riage from her second husband. She had not ' card of ler
husband's death when he first wished to pa! his adir,sses
to her, and she told him she was a married wo eau. It
was six or seven years since she had heard of her first
husband. Some evidence was then produced, showing
that the marriage was perfectly valid, and the prisoner re-
sponsible. Mr. Rushton said the case was a very bad one,
and the prisoner must comply with the demand made by
the overseers, and if he did not do so, he would commit
him to gaol as a rogue and a vagabond.
EXTENAIVE FORGERY.—On Thursday, a man of most
respectable appearance, named Edwd. Wilson, late cashier
in the service of Messrs. John M'Nicoll and Co., the pro-
prietors o* the Brunswick-street Saw Mills, was brought
up at the Police-court, charged with having embezzled
money to the amount of £250. Mr. Radcliffe appeared
for the defendant, and Mr. Robinson for the prosecutor,
Mr. M`Nicoll. The prosecutor. before the case was gone
into, substituted the charge of forgery for embezzlement.
Mr. M'Nicoll stated his complaint: he had given Wilson
a cheque on the Borough Bank, for a sum, something near
£156, which he was to pay in liquidation of an account to
another party. The cneque was not filled up, as Mr.
M'Nicoll was not aware of the exact amount of the ac-
count, and it was therefore left for Wilson, who had access
to the hooks, to fill up. Instead of adhering to his in-
structions, he filled the cheque up with the figures £250,
and received the money, which he appropriated. After
this, he sent a letter to Mr. M'Nicoll, acquainting him
with what he had done, and explaining the cause; namely,
the determination on his part to secure the payment of
arrears of salary due to him. He concluded the letter by
expressing a desire to continue in Mr. M'Nicoll's service.
A document was put in, purporting to be a copy of a
written agreement which was made on the part of Mr.
Anderson, sen., in the year 1844, who at that time was a
partner in the concern, by which Wilson was to be paid
£2OO per annum, with a gratuity of £lO or £2O exclusive.
Since that time Mr. Anderson had left the concern, and
Mr. M`Nicoll became the manager, between whom and
Mr. Anderson there existed an ill-feeling. It appeared,
the document referred to was written by Mr. Anderson
from memory, at the request of Wilson, subsequent to the
drawing of the cheque, and the original agreement, though
inquired for, was not forthcoming. The prisoner's salary,
as stated by Mr. M'Nicoll, was under half the amount
represented by Mr. Anderson. The case terminated in
Wilson being committed for trial.
A ROBBERY, COUPLED WITH STRANGE ADVENTURES.
—Under this head, one of the Liverpool papers says,—
" Some night last week, an imprudent machine-maker,
from Colne, of the name of Franklin, was robbed in Man-
chester of the large sum of £250, by a woman of ques-
tionable character, with whom he conversed and walked.
She handed the booty to a male acquaintance, and the
following morning herself and her male friend came over
to Liverpool with the money in their possession. The
same evening they resorted to a public-house, where they
became communicative on the subject of the robbery to
a parcel of Liverpool thieves, and before they parted com-
pany the Liverpool thieves succeeded in robbing them of
the whole of the £250, except what had been spent in
railway fare and drink. The female was then put into
Bridewell on a charge of drunkenness, and the following
day she was committed to the Borough Gaol. On the
night of the day she was committed, her male companion
was taken up on a charge of having assaulted one of the
Liverpool thieves who had robbed him of the £250, and
whom he accidentally met a second time in the street.
When the assault case came before Mr. Rushton, the
prisoner, who gave his name John Murphy, informed the
court of the reason why he had inflicted personal chastise-
ment on the complainant; and as the explanation threw
some light upon the recent robbery of the Colne machine-
maker, Mr, Rushton ordered the complainant to be taken
into immediate custody, and both to he remanded until
an officer from Manchester could attend. Yesterday the
Manchester officer was in court, but as there was no fur-
ther evidence, and no trace whatever of the £250 since
the notes had reached the hands of the Liverpool thieves,
both the prisoners were discharged from custody."—This
is the robbery for which a young woman, named Mary
Ann Vine, was apprehended, and was brought before Mr.
Townsend on Friday week, and remanded until Tuesday.
On that day she was discharged, the police being unpre-
pared to connect her with the above robbery, although
they are aware that she had been in possession of about
£3OO, supposed to be the produce of another robbery of
which the party robbed will neither give information, or
appear to prosecute.—Manchester Courier.
CHARGE OF FELONY AGAINST A TIDEWAITER, AND
ARREST OF THE ACCUSER FOR PERJURY.-011 Saturday
Mr. Fowler, a tide-surveyor, of this port, and two boat-
men, George Precious and James Carr, were placed in
the dock of the police-court, the first charged with having
robbed a tidewaiter, named Thomas Williams, of a .£3
note, and the others with being accessories. The case
excited much interest. Mr. Snowball appeared for the
prosecutor; and Mr. Hull attended at the instance of the
Custom-house authorities on behalf of the prisoners.
Thomas Williams being sworn, said that on the Bth Dec.
instant, he was on board of the Indian Queen, in the
Prince's Dock, at three o'clock in the morning of that
day. 'Mr. Fowler (he said) came on board. Witness
was then asleep in the cabin. Fowler then awoke him,
and asked for a blue-backed book, showing the watches
of the various tidewaiters, and in which a surveyor, on
making a visit, writes his initials. Witness said it was in
his hat, where he kept it, but the men said it was not there.
Fowler seized his (witness's) clothes, and rummaged his
pocket. He told Fowler he had money and property of his
own in a pocket-book in his coat pocket. He tried to get
his clothes from Fowler, and in a struggle that ensued,
the two boatmen held him (witness) while Fowler took out
the book, which contained a £5 note, and some building
society receipts, &c. Fowler opened the book, and took
out some papers, but witness being held could not see
what they were, but he observed the blue book among
them. Ile called on the second mate to prevent his being
robbed. That person said he did not like to interfere be-
tween officers. Fowler and the others then departed,
taking the pocket book with them. He followed calling
upon Fowler to give up his money. He looked for a
police officer, and whilst doing so they all slipped on board
of another vessel, the Mary Ann, and went into the cabin.
He called to them from the stage to deliver up his " hard
.earned money." A police officer came and he told him
they had robbed him. Fowler came up and said he had
left the book in the Indian Queen, and he refused to go
back and look for it, nor allow the boatmen. Witness
and the officer searched that vessel for it, but in vain.
He gave the prisoner into custody but the charge would
not be received, and the prisoners were then discharged. J
On examination he admitted that he ought to have
been on watch on deck at the time, and not asleep
below. When the book could not be found in his hat, he
said the rats must have taken it, (laughter,) and a
remark from witness to the effect that he had seen rats
eat a whole library on board of a ship. He had a
guinea a week .of wages, and £3O a year. He received
the £5 in payment, but could not tell when. The second
mate alluded to, said he saw the party take a blue covered
book out of witness's pocket. The surveyor had it, and
there were no other papers with it. Constable 484 said
the witness had complained to him of the robbery, and
after consulting his inspector he took the prisoners to ,
bridewell. Thomas Jones, a tide-waiter, who was sleep-
ing on board. the Mary nn on the night in question,
found in the morning the pooket-book that was missed,
on the cabin table. It contained some papers, but no
£5 note.—Mr. Fowler warmly rebutted the aspersions
cast upon him. He shewed that Williams had prevari-
cated when asked about the book, and behaved with vio-
lence and insolence. He had handed him his vest to take
the book out himself, but he would not. The boatmen
took the book out of his pocket, and it was left on the
table. He had explained the matter so clearly at bride..
well that the charge was not taken. The two other pri-
soners said the pocket-book was given to the prisoner,
who himself put it on the table. Mr. Rushton said he
did not believe Williams's story. It was a charge got
up to screen him from the effects of a neglect of duty.
Ile discharged the prisoners, and said the conduct of Wil-
liams was such that he should detain him, and he sug-
gested to Mr. Harding to communicate with the Board of
Customs, to see if they would take the matter up, as there
was too much reason to fear that the man had been guilty
applied frcim
of the most reprehensible perjury. Mr. 'larding said he
should i
tren izsbeonxt ttlote
prison.—Mr.
anmdr
.Williams
swtearsd senta y
the w
to Mr. Rushton requesting him to remand the prisoner,
as he believed he could bring forward evidence against
him if time were given. Mr: Rushton said he should re-
mand him until a reply was received from the Board of
Customs. Mr. Snowball afterwards appeared in court, and
said that he had had no notice of a remand to be applied
for, and he requested that the case might not be postponed,
as he could that day produce such evidence as would, he
believed, convince him (Mr. Rushton) that Williams had
not been guilty of perjury. Besides no witnesses had been
examined as to the offence for which he was detained, and
he thought that he ought to be allowed to cross-question:
any witnesses that might be brought against the prisoner.
Mr. Rushton said that in that view of the case, he should
grant a further hearing of the case that day, so soon as
the mass of the public business was disposed of. Mr.
Snowball having obtained leave to see, the prisoner in the
meantime, then left the -court. At one o'clock, Mr.
Hull, the solicitor for the Kosecution, and Mr, .Snow-

ball, the solicitor for Williams, came into court. Mr-
Hull said that he had given the case a good deal of atten-
tion, and had been occupied the whole morning in exa-
mining witnesses, and the result of this investigation was
his opinion that the charge of perjury could not be made
out, if he were right in his view of the case, the only fact
which bore out the charge was the statement of Williams
that he was held by two boatmen while Mr. Fowler rum-
maged his pockets. Mr. Rushton said there were two
ways of proceeding with the case—either for perjury or
false imprisonment, but if the customs' authorities were
not determined to prosecute the affair, he should discharge
the man, for although it was a villainous case, he was not
of opinion that it was one that warranted the expenditure
of the ratepayers' money. Mr. Hull, on behalf of the
customs, declined to prosecute, and Williams was accor-
dingly dismissed.