The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-02 00:00:00

WEST DERBY UNION.

The sixth anniversary dinner of the guardians and offi-
cers of the West Derby Union took place. on Tuesday. the
19th instant, at Horne's Mersey Hotel. About thirty
gentlemen sat down to a most sumptuous repast, which,
together with the wines and desert, reflected the highest
credit on the caterer. The chair was most ably filled by
John Sheppard, Esq., the chairman of the board of
guardians; and the vice-chair was occupied ,by Thomas
Roberts, Esq., the deputy vice-chairman of the union.
After the cloth was removed, the chairman introduced
with very appropriate remarks the following toasts :
" The Queen," " The Queen Dowager," " Prince Albert,
the Prince of Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family,"
" The Army and Navy," " The Bishop and Clergy of the
Diocese,"—(responded to in a very feeling and effective
speech by the Rev. W. Badnall, the newly-elected
guardian for Wavertree)—" England's pride and Eng.
land's glory, the hero of a hundred fights," " The Lieu-
tenant of the county and the Magistracy, particularly
John Formby, Esq., whose success as a magistrate and
an ex-officio guardian entitled him to the warmest thanks
of the public," " The Chairmen, Vice-chairmen, and
Board of Guardians throughout the kingdom," &c. &c.
Mr: ROBERTSON proposed the health of the chairman,
in which he passed a very high but just and well-merited
eulogium on the character of that gentleman, for the very
efficient and valuable services rendered to the union
during the two last years in which he had presided over
the board, and during which time he had united the ut-
most zeal and attention to the interest of the ratepayers
and the comforts of the poor with the most impartial,
kind, and gentlemanly conduct—by which he had gained
the esteem of all who had the honour of his acquaintance.
The toast was drank with the most rapturous applause,
and evidently with the most sincere feeling.
Mr. SHEPPARD replied in a long and eloquent speech,
in which he contrasted the satisfactory and pleasing man-
ner in which the business of the West Derby Union was
conducted with that of other unions throughout the
country—remarking on the unanimity and good feeling
which prevailed amongst the guardians themselves, the
character and conduct of their officers, the humane and
charitable feeling entertained by the guardians and officers
towards the poor objects of their care, controlled by a
proper and just economy in the distribution of the funds
entrusted to them—and noticing in a more especial man-
ner the satisfactory mode in which the Workhouse was
conducted. On this subject the chairman dwelt at con-
siderable length on the disgraceful and painful proceedings
which had been published to the world with respect to
some workhouses in the country, and quoted the remarks
lately made in the House of Lords by the Bishop of
Exeter relative to the spiritual destitution existing in
some institutions of that nature. He (the chairman)
was proud to boast that the Workhouse of this union was
equalled by few and excelled by none in its excellent ma-
nagement, and could defy the world to find any just cause
of complaint in the provision made either for the temporal
or spiritual welfare of its inmates. He alluded in very
complimentary terms not only to the kind and affectionate
treatment bestowed upon the inmates of that asylum by
the master and matron, but also to the zeal'and assiduity
with which the respected chaplain (the Rev. T. Dwyer)
and the schoolmaster and schoolmistresses performed
their respective duties—gratifying proofs of which were
given in overy inspection of the Workhouse, and more es-
pecially at the half-yearly examination of the children in
the Workhouse Schools—occasions fraught with the
most lively interest "to all' who cared for the welfare of
their poorer brethren. The chairman, after alluding to
several other topics of a local nature, concluded his most
eloquent andinteresting address amidst the greatest de-
monstrations orapproval and delight.
Mr. PARBEit next proposed the tealth of Mr. Ryan,
the vice-chairman and father of the oard, which was re-
sponded to with much feeling, and elicited from that re-
spected gentleman many excellent and appropriate senti-
ments in reply.

The health of Mr. Roberts, the deputy vice-chairman,
was next proposed, and drank with much enthusiasm, to
which that gentleman replied in a very humourous and
pleasing manner, saying in conclusion that he did not
think there waB such a union in the world as that of
West Derby. (Loud applause.)
The health of several members and officers'of the board
and other toasts were drunk during the evening, and
many excellent speeches made—and every one present
seemed highly gratified with the proceedings of the day.

OUR MARKETs.—The spring delicacies are beginning
to come to market abundantly, the convenience of rail-
way transit offering every convenience for obtaining
garden and hothouse produce from the, south, while
the steamers keep up an abundant supply of eggs,
Poultry, butter &c., from Ireland, the Isle of Man,
the North of 'England, &c., &c. The following were
the ruling prices for the delicacies of the early season,
on Saturday last :—Asparagus, one shilling and sixpence
.
per bundle, or quarter hundred ; kidney or French beans,
3s. per four bundles, each bundle containing forty-
five pods; rhubarb, Is. O. per bundle; new potatoes,
Is. per basket, of about 31bs. ; radishes, 2d. per bunch ;
, p
mushrooms, 3s. a bottle ; scented violets, 2d. per bunch ;
spring chickens 3s. to 3s. 6d. per air; ducklings,ss.per
pair; salmon (prime), Is. 4d. per lb. ; trout, Is. 4d. per
lb. Cauliflowers, brocoli &c of fine quality, were
abundant and cheap. ' "

CROWN COURT. Y- - E STEAD AY.

(Before Mr. Justice Coltman.)
PERJURY.—THE INCENDIARY FIRES IN WALES.
William Hardman, an ill-looking fellow under the or-
dinary size, pleaded guilty to a charge of perjury in hav-
ing sworn before the magistrates of Manchester, that
James Brown alias John Markwell was the individual
who set fire to 9 stacks of Wheat, Barley, Oats and Nay,
the property of Mr. Kerfoot, a tenant of Lord Dinorben,
at a place called Vaenol, in the parish of St, Asaph, Flint-
shire, on the 21st of September last.
The circumstances of the prisoner's ease have recently
appeared in our columns. Mr. Wilkins stated the case
for the prosecution.
His LORDSHIP passed sentence in the following terms.
He said :—You have been convicted, on your own con-
fession, of a crime certainly in point of enormity not in-
ferior to that of any prisoner brought to the bar at the
present assizes. Ido not, in passing sentence upon you,
look at all to the circumstance which has been stated by
the learned counsel—that you were concerned in any of
the fires to which he made allusion. That may or may not
be the fact. At all events, thongh such an imputation
has been cast upon you, I do not consider it as an ingre-
dient in your case. But what I look at is the indictment
to which you have pleaded guilty. It appears, from that
indictment, that you have, in a most deliberate manner,
imputed to another person the crime of setting fire to a
set of ricks in a farm-yard : and, by your pleading, you
admit you did that without any foundation for the charge.
A case more infamous than that of endeavouring to affix
a crime which may subject an innocent person to a punish-
ment so severe as attaches to that of incendiarism can
hardly be imagined. What your motive for such conduct
may have been does not appear : probably it was the mo-
tive suggested—namely, to obtain the reward which had
been offered for the apprehension of the offender. Under
these circumstances, it becomes my duty to pass upon you
the severest sentence the law allots, and I must say that
the punishment is by no means adequate to the nature of
your offence. The sentence is, that you be transported
beyond the seas to such place as her Majesty, by the ad-
vice of her Privy Council, may direct for the term of
seven years.

SENTENCES.
Richard Toothill (22), who had pleaded uilt to a
charge of highway robbery, at Elton, was sentenced to
six months' imprisonment and hard labour.
Henry Holden (22), who had pleaded guilty to a charge
of manslaughter, at Bolton, was sentenced to three
months' imprisonment.
Richard Johnson (20), who had pleaded guilty to a
charge of burglary, in Whitechapel, was sentenced to
twelve calendar months' imprisonment and hard labour.
Jonathan Thompson (24) who had been convicted of
stabbing, at Bedford, was sentenced to imprisonment and
hard labour for two years.