The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-03-19 00:00:00

DURING THE YEARS

LOCAL NEWS.

STEALING LEAD FROM HOUSE TOPS.—Wm. Lewis,
a young man, was yesterday charged at the Police-court
with having stolen a quantity of lead from a house or
houses in Midgehall-street. Ile was detected by a police-
officer with some of the property in his possession, and
other pieces were found ready to be carried off. No fewer
than nine chimneys had been stripped of the lead attached
to them. lle stated, in his " defence," that he had found
the lead which he had, in a court ; that he had got a ladder
to look if anybody was on the roofs, and seeing no one,
was going away when he was apprehended ! He was sent
for trial to the sessions.

SMUGGLING Wnissay.—A woman named Mary Evans
was yesterday brought before Mr. Rushton on a charge of
having in her possession four brown bottles of whisky,
supposed to be smug led, and with which she had been
stopped by a police officer in the street. An ea cise officer
stated that the bottles contained a little short of a gallon
of raw spirit, and that the prisoner was in all probability
the distiller of it. The prisoner, on being asked what she
had to say, for some time affected to be unable to speak a
word of English, though she had spoken readily enough
in that language the same morning in the Bridewell. She
at length said, " A man gave it to me." She was fined
405., or, in default of payment, ordered to be imprisoned
for twenty-one days.
INTERESTING LECTURES ON ASTRONOMY.—The lec-
tures announced by Mr. Holden—acknowledged to be
one of the best astronomers of the age, and to whom is
also due the high award of having risen from humble life
through the force of his individual genius and aspirations
—commence to-morrow night. We can do iittle more in
his behalf than repeat cettervs paribus, the encomium we
have before bestowed. Mr. Holden is an unabtrusive
lecturer. lie deals with the faits of science, which he
perfectly understands in his department, rather than with
the flowers of rheteric in submitting them ; but his sin-
gleness of mind, and simplicity and honaliness of diction,
present charms to the hearer, which strongly approxi-
mate—as does his peculiar study—to the sublime. If it
may be said that " beauty unadorned 's adorned the most,"
so may we say that " truths" mathematically defined, are
equally irrespective of the meretricious trappings of decla-
mation. In a word, Mr. Holden is master of his sub-
ject—can convey it to the minds of all in a pleasing and
accessible manner—and has, moreover, beautiful and ac-
curate machinery for its illustration. We can confidently
recommend our friends, young and old, to hear and to
see him.
THEFT FROM AN EMPLOYER.—An elderly woman
was yesterday placed before Mr. Rushton, at the police-
court, on the following charge. Ann Hollis, who was em-
ployed in the shop of Hollis, Walford, and Co., Tea-
dealers and grocers, in Byrom-street, stated that on Sun-
day morning about 8 o'clock the prisoner, who was em-
ployed on the premises as charwoman, came to her and
said that the warehouse had been broken open. A porter
employed there said that he had let the prisoner in that
morning, and that she also stated to bins that the ware-
house had been entered. He found that the inside bar of
the warehouse door had been removed, and the door
opened ; that two mats of raw sugar had been pulled out,
and that portions of the article were strewed about near
the door. As it appeared the bar could not have been
removed from the outside. Inspector M'Gill, who ex-
amined the premises, went on Sunday to the house in
Circus-street where the prisoner lived, and after question-
nig her without ascertaining with any certainty that she
was the offender, left the place, but on looking back saw
the prisoner looking out after him. He consequently
returned, and his suspicions being further roused by ob-
serving that the prisoner's room was in darkness, he
searched about, and in the back yard under a stool, found
a bag containing 651 b of sugar. The prisoner on being
spoken to about it, said " I will go on my knees and ask
pardon", and intreated him to go to Hollis and Walford,
and ask them to forgive her. The sugar was spoken to
as being precisely similar to that remaining in the ware-
house. The bag was also identified as Messrs. Hollis's
property. The prisoner was committed for trial at the
pending assizes.
" EXCHANGE HOTEL AND EESTAURANT."—ThiS Es-
tablishment, until recently known and highly appreciated
as a " Restaurant" only, has, from the encouragement it
has received been splendidly fitted up as a regular" hotel,"
by the wcrthy. host, Mr. Harris. In celebration of its
opening in this higher grade of accomodation to the pub-
lic, a numerous party of gentlemen assembled on Wed-
nesday last in the large and elegant room in front, and sat
down to a„sumptuous dinner. Mr. W. M. Lomas was
called to the chair, and Mr. Barke to the vice chair. The
viands were abundant and of the choicest description,
and the wines of such a quality as to excite the astonish-
ment of some awnnoisseurs present that they should be
produced at a ptiblie dinner. The confectionary was most
splendid both in diversity and device; and the dessert,
both of home production and exotics, was as complete
and finished for the season as it could possibly be. After
the usual loyal toasts, and the health of the Mayor, and
of the Mernb.rs for the Borough, the Chairman proposed
"Success and prosperity to the Exchange Hotel,"—in
prefacing which he traced the establishment from its in-
fancy to its rapid maturity ; referred to the excellent
supply of viands for which it had been distinguished ; and
the great attention, kindness, and courtesy, of the host
and hostess, and through their immediate example of all
the servants of the establishment. He referred to the
elegance of the several apartments, and their perfect
adaptation, with the attention paid, to the comfort of
visiters. He adverted to the great value and merit of
well conducted establishments of the kind, as furnishing
the means of comfort, on terms the most reasonable, to
absent from " theirAawn fire-sides." He eulogised the
exertions and enterprise of all who thus sought to be fore-
most in the race in dispensing such comforts, and stated
that though a spirit of rivalry existed, there was here no
jealousy of the success of others, but a laudable attempt
only to secure success to themselves. In conclusion,
after a high compliment to Mr. Harris personally, he ex-
pressed his ardent aspirations—in which the company
would join him—for the health, happiness, and prosperity
of the worthy proprietor and his amiable helpmate. The
toast was received with great cheering, and Mr. Harris
feelingly returned thanks. Mr. Richmond after a very
pointed and appropriate address on the occasion which
they had met to celebrate, and on the eloquent manner in
which the last toast had been given, proposed the " health
of Mr. Lomas," which was enthusiastically received and
ably responded to. Several other gentlemen addressed
the meeting; a band of music played in an adj being
room several songs were sung, and sentiments given;
and the company were so much delighted with the enter-
tainment and the harmonious feeling that pervaded the
meeting throughout, that a resolution was come to that
the anniversary of the occasion should be kept up by all
present, and it was confidently anticipated by a very nu-
merous host of new friends.

NEW TENDER MERCIES OF THE NEW POOR LAW.—
Yesterday a haggard-looking man, to appearance about
30 years of age, and his wife, somewhat younger—the first
with his face all bloody from a blow on the nose, and the
latter with a black eye and swollen cheek—were brought
before Mr. Rushton on a charge of assaulting a parish
officer, and behaving otherwise in a disorderly manner.
Mr. Rowlands, of the Parish-office, stated, in effect, that
the prisoners (who had come from South Wales) had some
short time ago applied for relief, which was given them,
in the first instance, out of doors. They had again ap-
plied, representing themselves to be destitute, and were
sent to the Workhouse for immediate or night lodging,
from which they were turned out that (yesterday) morn-
ing. They afterwards came to the Parish-office, and
demanded relief. The Board of Guardians being then
sitting, he brought them before that body, and represented
in
structions
(or case, and they—in accordance with the
e
(or laws) of the Poor Law Commissioners—decided
remained,nothingntool h
isy he emshs
atohonuo
dideo
resisted
swei
thesadt3
dmna enadnf
hists for them.
attempts
theirpT. refusingAlr.
woman, and
however,
Rowlands
becoming
to eject her. The
man then came up, and violently assaulted him, and the
former in aiming a blow at him (Mr. R.) missed his aim
and hit his wife—producing the contusion on her face then
visible. A girl who was in the Parish-office at the time
corroborated Mr. Rowlands as to the blow. The male
prisoner denied that he had struck his wife at all, and ac-
cused Mr. Rowlands of assaulting and striking both. He
added that they were totally without food, or means to
obtain either food or to go elsewhere to obtain them, and
that they could not live on " wind." The woman also
said she had been struck by Mr. Rowlands. Mr. Rush-
ton said that the conduct of the prisoners, as regarded
their language and their assault on Mr. Rowlands, was
highly culpable, but at the same time, while it was right
to send them to the Workhouse for immediate shelter, it
was surely wrong to turn them out without food, or money
to procure it, or to go elsewhere. Mr. Rowlands said
that the Guardians had the power of prescribing a task in
work to casual poor, in return for the shelter and food
they might receive in the house, and that the turning of
them out in the morning to find work, (as we understood
him,) was to be that equivalent, It did not appear that
work had been offered to them in the house at all. There
was, said Mr. Rowlands, a regulation of the Poor Law
Commissioners authorising the practice stated, which pre-
vailed in most parishes. Mr. Rushton said he should like
to see such rule, and Mr. Rowlands stated he would
fetch it, and left the court for that purpose—the prisoners
being, in the meantime, put down. On Mr. Rowlands
return, he handed a paper to Mr. Rushton, which he
read—referring to certain clauses, one of which gave per-
mission to Guardians to impose task work on paupers
casually relieved. Mr. Ruslitan said that these clauses
. justified the overseers sending such persons to the
workhouse, and prescribing a task to them ; but not, he
thought, in turniug them out without food, and destitute.
They ought first be relieved and then sent to their parish.
Mr. Rowlands said that if they were not turned out, this
parish would incur all the expense of their keep ; for their
settlement would not, probably, be proved. He admitted
that he believed the prisoners were very poor, but what
were they (the Guardians) to do? They might easily find
another parish, even within a few miles,—so that (as we
understood him) Liverpool would be relieved from sup-
porting them. Mr. Rushton strongly objected to such a
course. They might, for instance, go to West Derby, in
which he himself lived ; but if they were driven there, he
and others would, perhaps, be induced to prosecute the
parish of Liverpool for not supporting their casual poor,
and afterwards charging it upon the proper parish.
Finally, Mr. Rowlands said that he would not press the
case against the prisoners ; he would rather relieve them
so that they might go to their own parish or elsewhere.
—[W make no comment on the above facts beyond the
expression of our own opinion, that if destitute persons
are to be turned out of Any workhouse without house,
food, work, or money, there is an end to the boasted
adage, that no t•ti mein being can perish in England for
want of kod ;,11(1 shelter it he altrly for it, and the humane
provisions or r cr ginal English poor law, are by the
dictum of the tltart great basnews of London, rendered a
dead letter, anti 1! e a -ertion foootied upon them, an un-
feelings.i3osult added to the sufferings of the destitute.