Glasgow Courier. — 1861-01-17 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

PAISLEY.  Through the kindness of Mrs Spiers of Elderslie, Miss Spiers, Burnbrae, and Messrs Malloch and Ronald, the Rev. David Reston has been enabled to distribute 33 tons of coals among upwards of 60 poor families in this village. On Thursday evening the annual general meeting of the subscribers of the Paisley Coffee Room was held in the news room—Mr James M•Naughton presided. The treasurer submitted the annual financial statement, from which it appeared that during the past year the income exceeded the expenditure by some £5. On Monday the twenty-third annual meeting of the trustees, managers, and other friends of the Paisley National Security Savings Bank was held in the Council Chambers. Hugh Macfarlane jun., Esq., presided, and a large number of influential gentlemen were present. Mr John M`Gown, the actuary, then read the annual report, from which it appeared that the number of open accounts on 20th November, 1859, was 2,749, while in 1860 there were 3,121. 1n11859 the amount due to depositors was £34,460 2s Id, while at the balance in 1860 it was £45,101 13s 4d, showing an increase of £10,641 us 3d. The following paragraph from the report will be interesting :—" The subject of penny bunks was before your committee last year, and it was considered of great importance that such institutions should be established in the community. With this view they conferred with the directors of the Paisley Sabbath School Union, who most cordially entered into the proposal, and agreed to do all in their power to assist in forming these banks, and in recommending them to the youth under their care ; and it is most gratifying to your committee to be able to state that there are now 9 eff these penny banks in operation in Paisley, conducted by Sabbath School teachers belonging to the various religious denominations in town, and under the charge of trustees appointed by themselves. The amount at the credit of these banks in your institution is £196 198 4d ; while the number of depositors is nearly 1,600." The report was adopted, aud the usual resolutions agreed to. Early this week Mr Superintendent Ingram received a communication from the Stirling police, to the effect that a young woman had given herself up at the office, who stated that she come from Paisley, and that she had been guilty of child murder. From the statement which she made to the Stirling police, it would appear that her name is Ellen Welsh, that she is a native of the county Galway, but has been resident in Paisley for about five years. About the beginning of November last she was delivered of a male child in a lodging-house in West Street, kept by a Mrs Lawson, and about a week after her confinement the father of the child (whom she alleges to be a labourer named Morrison, residing in Castle Street) called upon her, and induced by his entreaties she took the child to Glasgow, and threw it into the Clyde at or near Govan, about two miles west from Glasgow. On returning to Paisley she says she found the police were in pursuit of her, and she fled to Linlithgow. From Linlithgow she went to Dundee, butfailing to obtainany employment, she travelled on to Stirling, and gave herself up to the police. Such is the substance of Ellen 'Welsh's story to the Stirling police, and from anything that can be learned here, there is too much reason to think that it is but too true. About the birth of her child there can be no doubt; and when, shortly after her confinement, she took it away from the lodginghouse in a day or two, on returning without the infant, she is reported to have said that she had left it mutat the care of an aunt. A rumour got up, however, among the neighbours that the child had not got fair play, and Welsh taking the alarm, at once decamped, and nothing more was heard of her till now. As the crime, according to her own statement, has been committed in Lanarkshire, it remains with the authorities there to devil with the case.