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bust veas nurse of the convalescent ward. The the name of WILDE. It was a deceased was placed under his care, and every in exception against the thing calculated to nourish and strengthen him was given, but without effect. The deu ceased was perfectly rational, and told him (witness) that he was a ship painter, and 28 years of age, but, being unable to get little or nothing to do at his business, he was in a state of starvation, and had been so for three months. That he had applied to the parish officers of Sir George in the East, he having Fived in Lower Chapmau-street, in that parish, for relief, but they refused liimpand, in order to prevent his perishing in the streets, he in her to give them a sufficiency of food; tentionally broke a square of glass, that her that she had withheld that food from might be sent to prisonThis being the whole them that, therefore, they died in conof the evidence, the Coroner summed app and sequence of this unlawful act on her the Jury returned a verdicteatrohender

ceased died a natural death by the visitation part, and that, therefore, she was a murof God, broughton shy extrenie avut in derer. She was tried upon that indictconsequence of Arting been refused relief by ment, as a murderer; was hanged as a the parish of St. Gearge in the Easty in the murderer, and dissected as a murderer. county of Middiesan. 3ldiazoqui ad blow tibus The body of her who had reduced two This futɛ199ge sidstnsing THE dare say, composed poor children to skeletons either was of men of justice and humanity and I made a skeleton itself, or was flung dare say that they thought that there abroad to be devoured by the fowls of was sufficient reason for them to refrain from finding a Verdict of murder against Of all the things which our forefathers the parish officers. But let us see how provided against one was the unjust dethis would fit in other cases If a man struction of human life. To look at the run another through the body the man ancient laws of the country, des a death which is the natural effect think that no small part of the whole Would of the wound, and God wills that he time of the Legislature was taken up should die from this cause, but if he with providing the means of security die in consequence of the wound, is not for human life. "A horror of unjust the man who ficted the wound a mur- killing seems to have been the ruling ted the wou derer: If a man, be poisoned by ano- inherent feeling of the whole nation. ther, it is according to God's laws that The laws and regulations relating the poisoned man should die; but if he to the coroner and his juries seem de in consequence of poison adminis- to have made a very considerable tered by another, that other is a mur- part of the whole of the national derer. What was Mother BRowNRIGG code. If a man was killed by a mill, hanged for For burdering two chit by a well, by an wagon, by a horse, dren and how did she murder them? by a dog or by any-thing constituting By not 19ot giving them food wherewith to the property of another, the law proKeep themselves alive. The whole na vided, in certain cases, for a forfeiture tion with one acclaim called her en of the property, or for a fine to be insavage murderer: her name has come ficted instead, though the party owning down with traditionary execration upon the property might be perfectly innobe it accompanied with that of JONATHAN cent of the act, and might lament it as WILDE pod the name thas not been deeply as any of his neighbours. It is Sweetened in either case by the bright curious, that, while the laws for the star of valour, General BROWNRIGG, preservation of property have, of late the great favourite of the Duke of years, been constantly growing stricter YORK y nor has that of Witon yet been and stricter, those intended for the preobliterated from the execration handed servation of hunian life have been condown to us by our grandfathers, by the stantly growing more dmore lax. purity and humanity, however exempla Still, however, the coroner and his juries ty, of any other man that we know of remain, and to be seen they are, and

never were, in no other country but mistresses: the question we are discus this and the United States of America. sing is, whether parish officers shall, in But their mere existence is nothing, un-violation of their duty; in violation of less they produce their intended effects. the law of the land and of every precept The main object of them was, and is, of holy writ, cause Englishmen to die that no human being shall come to his of starvation and escape with imend without the cause of his death being punity: we are discussing the question, scrupulously and exactly ascertained, if in short, whether man's life may be possible; and if he come by his death in consequence of the illegal act of another, that that other shall be duly punished.

taken for resisting a gamekeeper, when that man is in pursuit of a hare; whether the life of a hare is to be protected by putting the life of a man in jeopardy, and whether the life of a man is to have, if he be indigent, no law at all to protect it-now for this WALKER's advice and the answer.

To the Guardians of the Poor of the different

step towards a better administration of the poor-laws. The end I aim at is the en couragement of habits of self-dependence.

I will say no more upon this subject, because the verdict of the Jury in this case may lead to further proceedings with the parish officers; but these principles I have thought it my duty to state; and in future inquests on persons starved to Parishes and Hamlets within the District death through the refusal of parish reof the Lambeth-street Police Office. lief, I hope that these principles will be GENTLEMEN,It is now three years since borne in mind. I shall now insert the been limited in their appeals to the bench to the paupers of the parish of Whitechapel have aforementioned advice given byWALKER, two days in each week, between the hours of the police magistrate, to these and other one and three, and for fifteen months the same parish officers. The Sunday Times ob-regulation has been extended to the whole of serves, that the man owed his death to this populous district. During the latter period the business of attending to the paupers the suggestions of this WALKER. This has been committed by my colleagues exclu is no justification of the parish officers, sively to me. My uniform practice has been to be sure; but it is proper for us to to give each applicant a patient hearing, but read this address, as we here have a most tion; and since much advantage without any in reality to leave every case to your discreawful instance of the effects of its prin- inconvenience has been the result, I think the ciples. When I have inserted this ad-time is arrived when we may advance another dress, I shall insert an answer to it from the churchwarden of Mile-end, who appears to be a very excellent man, and whose answer I recommend to the very particular attention of my readers, reserving to myself the occasion of adding a few observations of my own. WALKER published his address in the Times, which called for the Special Commis-riod the power of granting relief was vested sions. Mr. SINGLE published his answer solely in the overseers; but on account of in the Morning Advertiser, of a few days in the 3rd and 4th years of the reign of William their frequent extravagance an Act was passed later date. We are not talking here, and Mary, taking the power from the over to be sure, of Bank charters and East seers and placing it in the vestry; at the same India charters; we are not talking time allowing the overseers, in cases of emerof grand dinners or grand balls; wegency, to apply to a magistrate, residing in or near the parish, for authority to grant reare not talking of whether the sol-lief till the next meeting of the vestry. This diers shall wear whiskers or not; but was the origin of the interference of magis we are talking of something of ten trates in grauting relief not for the purpose thousand times more importance. We of protecting the poor from oppression, of which there was to complaint, but for the are not talking about projects for putting purpose of protecting parishes from extravaan end to the slavery of the blacks; we gance. This interference, it appears, howare not talking about whether their ever, was in time perverted by the magis well-fed bodies shall be protected from trates, and extravagance now proceeded froirs a new source; consequently, thirty years af the capricious anger of their masters and terwards, in the 9th year of George the First,

You will observe that by the Act of Parlia ment passed in the 43rd year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, to which Act all later laws respecting pauperism have reference, no order relief and so the law and the practice power whatever was given to magistrates to remained for ninety years. During that pe

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I shall always be ready to second your efforts, and I have only to add, that should you meet with any interference from without the district, I desire you will instantly apply to me. I am, Gentlenien, Your faithful servant

and sincere well-wisher, THOMAS WALKER.

12th July, 1831.

ANSWER.

SIR, Having read in the newspaper your address to us, whom you denominate the Guardians of the Poor, I beg, through the same channel, to convey to you my thanks for your advice and attention, and at the same lime to point out where I think there are some defects in your system, which I hope you will see, and will remedy.

tage?

a law was passed imposing restrictions on the magistrates; but, by a strange inattention to the purport of the Act of William and Mary, its language was changed and its intention defeated. Instead of the justice, as before, authorizing the overseers to grant relief, by the Act of George the First, he ordered them, and thus the spirit of the law was for the first time abandoned. In the year 1796, during Police-office, Lambeth-street, the French revolutionary war, when sound principles of legislation were made to give way to the extraordinary exigencies of the times, the power of ordering relief by magis trates was greatly extended; but in 1819, after the re-establishment of peace, and when the evils of the system: had become but too apu pareat, Mr. Sturges Bourne's Select Vestry| Act made a considerable advance towards the restoration of the original principle of the law, which is, that those who raise the fund shall, You state, "Much advantage has been the by their own officers or by themselves; have result of your system. Now, Sir, I should the sale control dfiit.Itisfor you, now, to like to know what you mean by advantage? put that principle completely in practice. By In our hamlet, which has a population of your local Acts you are well organized for the 34,000, we have an increase of pauperism, Perpose. I know your intelligence, respecta- have paid to our out-door poor 7001. more this bility, and practical knowledge. From seve-year than last. Do you call that an advanrat of your parishes there, is already seldom an applicant at the office; and in no case can I call to mind that, my interference has ever been really necessary indeed, all that I have done has been only to uphold and assist you. You will, I am sure, henceforth act with still more effect when you feel that you have the whole responsibility upon yourselves, and it will be better for the poor that they should know that they have only you to look to. It will be the surest means of repressing those unsettled pauper habits, which are inevitably productive of vice and misery, and which habits it was the especial object of the Act of Elizabeth effectually to cure. apsispred From the 1st of August, then, no application for relief will be received at the office under any pretence whatever, From you there will be no appeal. You will therefore be prepared (if you think any further preparation necessary), to give adequate attention to every case at the same time fearlessly keeping in view a steady enforcement of those habits of self-dependence, which are essential Again, you say, "from the 1st of August to the well-being of every individual, as well no application for relief will be received at the as to that of the community at large. I have office under any pretence whatever. From only one thing to recommend to you, and that the overseers there will be no appeal." This is, that you constantly impress upon your sub-is giving arbitrary power over the poor, leav ordinate officers, both by precept and example, the vast importance of temper and forbearance. The poorest, you know, are generally the proudest and most wayward, and aggravating language, as it is called, or unnecessary force, have peculiarly bad effects upon paupers, who are rendered far more clamorous and persevering from spite than by their wants. It has beep by due attention to this consideration £ all the predictions of unpleasant conse aces from my undeviating strictness have atterly untrue, and if you pursue the

mare course you cannot fail to go on smoothly

beseficially.3

If the other hamlets and parishes in your district have decreased in pauperism by your system, why is it that ours has not? I will tell you why it is. In these other places I find that the inhabitants select their own overseers; but in our place, you, the magistrates, select and appoint, those who we do not approve of; and here you may find the reason why pauperism increases. Do you call this an advantage? Surely you will see that such interference is injurious to our interest, and destroys your own system, For you next tell us, "That the law is, that those who raise the fund shall, by their own officers or by themselves, have the sole control of it. And it is for us now to put that principle completely in practice." How can we put this principle completely in practice, when you, in conjunction with another or two, prevent us from choosing our own officers? You tell us the "law says we shall," and you break the law; you recommend the principle, but you prevent the practice!

ing them without any means of redress of wrongs. A distressed man, or a distressed woman, may give some offence to an overseer

may be what is called saucy, or some dislike may arise from various causes; besides, the overseer may be passionate, one who will not hear reason he may be obstinate, haughty, or unfeeling; and from such a character (and there are many suci) there is to be no appeal-then what justice or what relief f could a poor creature get?

your . I don't even think you are right in

first practice; that is, in limiting their appeals to two days in each week." You will

399

THE BARINGS AEROT50 TEI

to live on for that is 8 Correc: again from the same places, and, fronds would commit them to the Fou o prison durge places, two or three petitions at a other so that times until we obtain security for ouris your system might lessen Paupers, but it bongistuupersons against Acts such as have been against these Hampshire magis strates, whom I have well known for fiveivad twenty years, and who shall know me, as I always told themei sbivs isto gubb373 10 9200 Mis 178 1897 With the greatest at-57616 05276097506, 94 of 201768.27229 M they should. Read, drugogoul MF. HARVEY'S Speech, sive 9200 THEelsBARINGSds to etusi Mi w torby 95us tentionsb He has hit the right nail, upon AND nols gained medgaid the headed He sees what ought to be the 59 MR.HAND MRS. DEACLET subject of inquiry and let those who 2356) olak noisegtasvoi n 1970 0 WELL, then, the Committee, after all are interested in preventing that inquiry the pretended wish to have it, has been hug themselves in the hope of smotherrefused. The subject was brought besing dit asdong as they please all ahe fore the House of Commons on Tuesday combined powers of hell frself will not that inggity, balssng night last. I shall here insert, from the be able to prevent that Inquiry." Morning Chronicle, the report of what quilos bas esmod vd teel auguA to LSS took place. 8t a quarter part, nor Butaithe reader dwill sobo vtiuisiv sdt im WM 10 loss (I serve that this is a tenth part, of what took place, that Mr. PAULETT MILOMNY said he hall a petition to preseire upon this subject, signed by a the debate lasted for four hours and a number of the most respectable persons in have put half. The in just Winellester and its neighbourhood. The pes what part pleased. Almost the tickets were word bound to Mr Bingham whole of what Mr. O'CONNELL said and Baring by any political ties, nor were alley at alf under his influence, many of them having of what Mr. HARVEY said is suppressed been opposed to him at the last election but there is enough of both left to stick petitioners prayed for an investigation into the to the parties de parties, for the rest of their lives: circumstances of this case, and they declared When I have inserted the report, I shall their belief that Mr Bingham Baringqwas guiltless of the things that had been laid sto make some observations upon it always his charge! The petition had been signed in considering it as a mere publication, the course of 48 hours (Sunday intervening) and not as any thing y thing which has been by holess than 360 persons, who expressed their said by any Member of the House of gratitude to the Magistrates whose decision 392duct had last winter relieved them from Commons. Inbeg the reader to the continuance of those dreadful disorder's through every part of it with greats at that were at that time committed. They extention; I shall not t have time to add pressed their earnest wish that one of these much to it in the way of remark at pre-Magistrates should be cleared from those ainsent; but about the same time that this founded calumnes that had beenq directed Register will be published, the Two-against him. People were now reddy enmigh to forget the feelings with which they shad penny Trash, for October, will be pub-once been agitated, and he knew that it was ia an lished, and in that I shall to the people of Hampshire in particular, enter into a complete analysis of this affair. I will there place the BARINGS in their true light before the

not very nattering to their pride totemind them of those feelings and of the fears that remind them of these things. He called on then agitated them, but he felt it his duty to them to remember the faunts that were then directed against the Magistracy for supinegaret manguid bue is 125M

4208

had called ther ness to remember that his Majesty had on them to display energy, decision, and re-active, judicious, and wearied exertions Magistrates of this county, to whoses solunum--and that his Majesty' Ministers your petitioners conceive they are, in a greate had appealed to them to perform their duty measure, indebted for the restoration of the andi threatened them that if they did not public peace in

they expect to incur his Majesty's dis- this county was goberlast, a period wheater

pleasure The Magistrates had done their citement and too well-grounded hatari audos of unparallelederumi duty. They had interfered effectually, but when, it should be remembered, it was th al thevices were now forgotten. The Judges most every instance found impracticable to whs eat on the Special Commission praised procure the due execlition of the Magistrates' them for their conduct, Even prayers were warrants without offered up, thanking providence for ference Which Had saved the people at that present at the time? He presented this petition because she wasankions, with the petitioners, to relieve sensitive, and manly mind from suspense which every home that State of feel to be most panfal man must modw 2916

Yithout the aid of mifitary 10 interThat several of your petitioners were oogial which took place in this city at the Past Assizes, and witnessed with unfeigned regret the situation in which the

Messrs. Baring were unavoidably placed, in consequence of the only individuals of whose have availed themselves

The petition was then readinThe following among the fendants, obviously, as

isedpybler ayswls I en 9m woud won appeared to your petitioners, for the sole pur"The the honourable the Commons of the pose of excluding their evidence, and exposing United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Messrs. Baring to the overcharged statereland in Parliament assembled VЯAments of the two inflividuals whose eviThe Humble petition of alle andersigned dence a verdict was returned against Mr sdt sdohabitanthimehalders of the city and Bingham Baring alone.

odw suburbs of Winchester, and of the "That should our Honourable House see

deepgegne the petitions, which have recently existed in Nove excitement that

he thought an equal been presented to your honourable House degree of indulgence ought to be shown to the from distant parts of the country on behalf of poor people who had engaged in these riots, the said Thomas and Caroline Deacle; not on account of the severe distress that drove secount of the intuiry which is sought by such then to commitles wished to peticiobs, but, because your petitioners, feel convinced that, they have been sent up to your honourable House under the erroneous impressions which the statements, contained in the petitions of the said Thomas and Caroline Dracle is era evidently, intended to produce in remote parts of the country where the real facts of the case are unknown, and where the characters of the several parties are not duly appreciated sad on bas botsins 1994 900 Laiff That your petitioners, take the earliest pportunity of recording their opinion, and expressing to your honourable House the very strong feelings which prevail in this city and neighbourhood as to the calumnies which have been this industrionsly propagated against agreed