The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-11-07 00:00:00

KIRKDALE SESSIONS.

At these Sessions, which concluded on Saturday last,
there were 100 prisoners for trial, viz., 94 for felony, and
6 for misdemeanor, including 71 males, and 29 females,
of which number 41 could neither read nor write, 23
could read, 35 could read and write imperfectly, and 1
could read and write well. The class of crimes in the
calendar were of that description usually found at the
Sessions, and contained nothing of any importance. Of
the above number of prisoners 31 were under 21 years of
age, 46 under 30, 12 under 40, 9 under 50, and 2 under
60.
After the trials of the prisoners had been concluded
the appeals, of which there were eight, were called on;
and it was expected that the Sessions would not be closed
until late, even if then, but to the surprise of the Court
they went off in about half an hour. The following is
the result.
Spotland appellants, and Toxtelli-park respondents.—
Order confirmed, subject to a case.
Mold appellants, and West Derby respondents.—Order
quashed. Costs £2O, to be repaid by respondents.
Liverpool appellants, and West Derby respondents.—
Martha Loveladv's settlement.—Order confirmed without
costs : the appellants to have a case upon two points as to
the removability of the pauper in the absence of her hus-
band, and also as to the residence for more than 5 years
prior to the order of removal being granted.
Liverpool v. West Derby, Dickson's case ; Ditto v.
Ditto, Bradshaw's case ; Ditto v. Ditto, Johnson's case ;
Ditto v. Ditto, Liewen's case ; Ditto v. Ditto, Ellison's
case. In the above five cases the orders were all con-
firmed, with cots, Mr. Hart, the Vestry Clerk, having
given a consent on the behalf of the Churchwardens and
Overseers of Liverpool to that effect. From what tran-
spired in the Court, it appeared that the Overseers of
Liverpool and the Overseers of West Derby, previous to
the Sessions, he d had several meetings at the Parish-
office, in Lime-street, at which Mr. Cleaver attended, as
the legal adviser, on behalf of the West Derby Overseers,
but no solicitor appeared on behalf of the Parish of
Liverpool ; why, or wherefore, did not appear. The
result of these meetings was, that Mr. Cleaver out-
manoeuvered the Overseers of Liverpool, who seem to
have acted as their own lawyers, and succeeded by the
plausibility of his arguments, in overcoming all their ob-
jections. Three of the five cases given up were upon the
very identical points which arose in the case of Lovelady ;
but notwithstanding, these gentlemen, unlearned in the
law, thought fit to accept of the paupers, and maintain
them, and pay the costs, when by going to the Sessions
they would at all events have got rid of the burden of
maintaining them for the present, if not altogether, and
what is more, would not have had to pay the respondents
their costs, which in all probability will amount to little
short of £lOO ; all of which might have been saved, if,
instead of being their own lawyers, they had left the mat-
ter in the hands of the legal advisers, to whom they had
in the first instance entrusted it, thus certifying, as
was remarked by the counsel who was opposed to them,
the old adage, that " the man who is his own lawyer, has
, a fool for his client."