The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-07-18 00:00:00

LOCAL ,

TIEE77NGS,

WEST DERBY GUARDIANS.—On Wednesday the usual
weekly meeting was held. The chair was filled by Mr.
Roskell. From the report of the Fever Hospital it ap-
peared there were remaining in the house last week, 8 :
admitted during the week, 5 ; dismissed, cured, 1 ; died, 0;
remaining in the house, 12. It was agreed that, as the
number of patients had so considerably diminished, that
several of the nurses be dispensed with. Two letters from
the Poor-law Board were read, sanctioning the appoint-
ment of Mrs. Ross as matron of the Fever Hospital, and
the other enclosing three copies of the bills recently intro-
duced by the president of the Poor-law Board into the
House of Commons. Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Shaw ap-
peared, in accordance with the wishes of the board, re-
specting the defalcations of Mr. Griffiths, jun. Mr.
Edwards, one of the sureties, not being in attendance, at
the request of Mr. G. riffiths the matter was allowed to
stand over for a fortnight.

SELECT VESTRY.
On Tuesday the usual fortnightly meeting of the Select Ves
try w•as held. The Rev. Rector Brookspresided.

The Building Committee reported that, after having duly
taken into consideration the plans adopted by the Poor-law
Commissioners for enlarging and rebuilding the Workhouse at
Brownlow•hill, they had come to the conclusion of recom-
mending the Select Vestry to
.purchase a quantity of land be-
yond the boundary of the parliamentary borough, and to erect

buildings thereon suitable for all the purposes of a workhouse,
lunatic asylum, and receptacle for idiots and imbeciles, in
order that it might be available for the residence of all the
paupers belonging to the parish of Liverpool, and also that
they had come to the conclusion of recommending the vestry
to consider how far the recently erected wing of the Work-
house, situate opposite Mount-pleasant and the end of Hope-
street, might be converted from its present purpose, as a part
of the Workhouse, and rendered available for the parish-offices.
It appeared that, in committee, an amendment was moved to
proceed with the plans already sanctioned for enlarging and
rebuilding the Workhouse at Brownlow-hill, but that, upon a
division, there- were only three members who supported the
amendment, and that the foregoing recommendations were
accordingly adopted.
The startling nature of these recommendations seemed to
occasion considerable surprise in the minds of some of the
members of the vestry when they were read over by Mr. Hart,
the vestry-clerk.
Mr. URQUHART, in a lengthened speech, moved the adop-
tion of the recommendation.
Mr. RIDING pronounced the scheme to be wild and vision-
ary, and one that was worthy only of the " new lights" who
had been lately elected members of the board. (Hear, and
laughter.) People talked of the march of intellect, but he
thought that if the board adopted these recommendations,
they would be marching backwards. The plan of going out
of the town to erect the Liverpool Workhouse had been consi.,
dered heretofore, but it was abandoned for a variety of consi-
derations. He concluded by moving as an amendment, that
the plans already adopted by the board for enlarging the
workhouse at Brownlow-hill, and which had been approved of
by the Poor-law Commissioners, be polkeeded with forthwith.
The CHAIRMAN said he could not take Mr. Urquhart's mo-
tion, because, if adopted, it would completely rescind what the
board had previously done; and, in order to do that, notice of
such a motion must be given in due form, and it must be de-
bated at a subsequent meeting of the board.
Mr. POOLE said that they could get £50,000 for the land in
Brownlow-hill, and the buildings thereon; and that for £5,00
more they could erect a workhouse out of the town, with luna-
tic asylum and other offices, to stand on from 27 to 30 acres of
land.

Mr. EARLE said that the very utmost they could get for the
land in Brownlow-hill was £30,000, and they could not expect
to realise the other £20,000 from the buildings. The land was
not worth more than 15s. per yard, and one-third of it would
have to be laid out in streets.
A long discussion followed, at the close of which the board
divided, when there appeared—For Mr. Riding's amendment,
9; against it, 13. The amendment was consequently lost. The
following gentlemen voted in the division :—For the amend-
ment—Messrs. Riding, Bennett, Molyneux, Earle, Ferguson,
Wylie, Hand, Mellor, and the Chairman. Against it— Messrs.
Clarke, M‘Taggart, Watson, Hodgson, Cafferata, Seward.
Brown, Shakeshaft, Poole, Woodruff, Urquhart, Abraham,
and Hindley.

Mr. URQUHART said he had no doubt, after the decision to.
which the board had just arrived, that the recommendations
of the Building Committee would be adopted, and that on that
day fortnight he would submit a motion for their adoption
forthwith.

Upon the motion of Mr. WATSON, Mr. Joseph Gardner, of
Scotland-road, was elected a member of the vestry, in the
place of Mr. Haigh, resigned.

to
The vestry agree print, in a pamphlet form, the names
and residences of all persons at present on the books of the
parish, and receiving relief, with the amount of such relief,
and also the names and residences of all persons who, for the
last nine months, have been excused their rates, together with
the amount of the rate excused. They also agreed to notify
this resolution by public placards ox the walls, and to distri-
bute the pamphlets in the various wards of the town.

MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE WORRHOLT.E.
Messrs. Abraham, Watson, and Brown, being a sub-com-
mittee of the Workhouse Committee appointed to consider the
medical arrangements for the Workhouse, submitted a printed
report of their recommendations, of which the following is a
brief abstract :.--That the medical staff consist of a physician,
a surgeon, a house surgeon, and an apothecary, with a medical
qualification; and then at great length they set forth the du-
ties of these several officers. They recommended that the
physician and surgeon should be non-resident, and be allowed
to introduce pupils into the house, because on these conditions,
they say, men can be obtained of experience and standing,
superior to those who seek the position of house surgeons.
They believed that the following salaries would obtain the
services of suitable men : physician -t-'lOO, surgeon £lOO,
house surgeon -,*loo, apothecary .470 and rations, £370, say
with rations .410.

Mr. ABRAHAM gave notice that he would move the adoption
of this report at the next meeting of the board.

CHARGE AGAINST AN IN-DOOR MEDICAL SURGEON.
The Workhouse Sub-committee reported that they had in-
vestigated the case of Ellen Ashcroft, who "ad died in the lock
ward, and that after the examination of various witnesses, in-
cluding Drs. Gee and flingers, they were of opinion that the
administration of acetate for nitrate of mercury was improner
under the circumstances of the case, and that it had caused the
death of the patient; and they, therefore, recommended that
Mr. Steel be discontinued in his office of in-door medical sur-

The CHAIRMAN produced a letter on the subject, which he
had received from Mr. Steel, and it was read by Mr. Hart.
Mr. Steel, in this letter, distinctly declared that he was able
to show that his plan of treatment had been recognised by Dr.
Cooper, of London, and Dr. Parker, of Birmingham; and if
these high medical authorities were not deemed conclusive, he
would prove the excellency of his plan before any impartial
gentlemen of eminence. He suggested that the Poor-law Com
missioners should be called upon to send down an inspector
an(l a medical man to investigate the whole case.

Some conversation followed, in the course of which Mr.
HODGSON suggested that the investigation be conducted by
Drs. Bickersteth, Alton, and Bainbrigge.
Eventually, upon the motion of Mr. RIDING, seconded by
Mr. MELLOR, it was agreed to adopt Mr. Steel's suggestions,
and to request the l'oor-law Commissioners to send down an
inspector and a medical man to investigate.
It was next agreed to suspend the minute of the committee
relative to the whole case until after the official inquiry has
taken place.