The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-01-22 00:00:00

MEETING ON THE t:OTT.AGE QUESTION AT

ROSMEY.

Au influentiel meeting was held at the Townies''.
Housevy, sat Monday eftentoon, the 14th nisi, at three
u'else k, to take itito coneelerAtiota the formation of a
Company, meter the Limited Idebility Act. for the
tairptee of erecting tottag. s of an :Istproved description
let the labouring elaenen of that town. Luid Palmer-
ston presided. sod amongst those present were the lien.
W. F. Cowper, M. P., Sir George She, lion. It. it.
Dutton, M.P., Hon. and Rev. Preheudery Herrin, Mr.
G. E. Lyre, Rev. E. L. Berthou (*tear of Romney',
Rev. .1. It. Stewart (teeter of and otlitr
gentlemen.
In opening the proceedings, Lord Petal etterost, who
was loudly cheered, said :—We ere net hurt at the
suggestion of our worthy vicar, to take Into considera.
tem the state of the hebitAtions of the poor and labour-
log classes of thin tow!' of Rom.ey. The lubliwite of that
accomniteletion his. long been a subject of reinsrk, and
although I Mail know that we ale worse sid in that
respect then many other towns, still we should look
into any evil that enmity slues exist, and eiehatt our, if
lesesible, to find Wine elleviation or reset; fur it.
Some years sig.', when cholera graterslly lire•
valise', a very slintlnguislied notified usitit was
sittying at Ilrowilsubie, and at my request
lie made all nisi potion of the town of Romney. he
prepered a report, a copy of which Man sent to the
Mejor if the town, and I dare say it in still in the
pueseAtion ut the authorities. lie atate.l Host there was
many habitations which were retlly unfit for occsipdiset
- that they were deficient in all those aceouinvelations
which are requisite for decent hehitationg —and that
they Were alm unhealthy from want of ventilation, and
from want of a sellieieutt 'another of cubical feet of
spece for the persons who lived in Chain. I believe that
a gore' ,leaf Man Mole Upon that. Thera Was a eOlll-
- I think, for the re •al of nuisance., appointed,
who were very Actively oecupied, and who, by their
exertents, removed, in nonee degree thuee causes of ii.
nes.. which at that time pr.:wade:l But, of cow,
nothiug tutors could be done, betatuse within,: entered
into the futictiosin of (hit tanitillitt, s With reference to
env improvement in the habitations of the town.
Well, one worthy Vicar, who ulevut.s I.ia mind incbt I The town of Ilettleynon-Thamee ha* for several days
aweitiouely to the will .1f his parislininers,--and who been in a elate of excitement from relents whieh had
in not eontent enitply with their spiritual cii d•, tout been finely eirt•oleted (list a young woln•u who had
ales devotee voneithrAble attention tO their temples. lived 111 the service of a gentleluau ha I died from
condition —line been execedin ;ly s.d.eitons that 1.1.1111.1
steps should be t.ken if let-able, to ittileeee the st.it anthill
of thone iv lea) heletatmus, of which I feAr there aro Iwiniriee were set afloat, and the following !lattic'i.
st.ll a I oneelerable number ; and we •r, met here to. fare have leen gathered : Mr. Robot Durno Mitchell,
tile:Aloe, to Louie that 111.1tter iitii e10i...1.•/ Atom who is a retired naval surgeon, occupies a 110.414 ill the
particular prop4i-al 1114(C, Hit there are etiburban i.art Henley, calkd New TUWII. The site
tallest who will slotibtleas suggent means, eitd 1
is plewent, but an a tolerably high eurroutele the
5it...11.1 therefere be only too gia,l, as I sun mire you
wou'd be to hear their op 101111', first an to the exietu nee house, only the upper part of the balding can be seen
by which,, if bAyu,7p,t,i‘rte. walkingolnuesta yui u,
zalown.g.t.line
nrs.to.,l taub,utalutl of
,"taiiesultVlienust Clarke dial e,lc,lu,te
remedy. (Hear, lie' r.) Having (hue briefly status' age, wan lured as a domestic servaut to Mr.
the objects of the incentive, 1 will .ease it to any 'earn of
peraoli who hiss it ate lin Ilk Own mind tile con• Mitchell, and slip entered upon her mituation in the
—t .
sideeation of this important metier, to offer any sug• I s.ihhi in nlh. Mr. Misehell fits a wife au I cbilulren,
geet.ions on the subject which he may deem expetheitt. slid the habits of the Newly Appear to bt• Glow of seelu•
( (pplAune.) sion The gate (mut of the house Wan kept lucked,
'roe Hon. W. F. Compete M.P., staid having been ' •
I and the 'nemesia could tell be been. The young
called upoil to to the a few rental ke, he thought the owed ,
I woman Clarke W/UI taken very ill at the beginning of
not esty much upon the general .itiv..tion tlie IMF°, e•
ment of tie 1.1 the laleetriug cdousee throu;,h• the preomt year, lied sloe was subsequently removed to
out the country. Form rly there Was very ; the Henley Union Workhouse. der appearance satiu.
iota rent taken in that suoject by the public et large a
art. Lie itheirs of that esteblislintent that alit Was in a
but happily in more resent /llama, the onsuirien of
state
of •
etarvation • an.l thin opinion we. confirmed by
output, s, the inforilistion celleetel by the clergy, , •
he the ~,,abeal still by persoes generally eq.(' I the avi.iity with a hich she ate the food given to her.
took an interent In the condition of the work mg tlasnee, The medical officer of tli• union was caned in to see
together with the dinetinnions whten had taken piece in her, end he found her to present ell the appearances of
the in wnpapere had led tel ite being universally at- being in it *tate of stareatiou. In addition to that she
knowledge.' that stre of the ways in which we could bent was very dirty, and ex hilntell altogether signe of having
Aesiet ill prentoting the welter° of the lo.ver claeeee was been fearfully neglect...l. both with re"dard to (ooul and
by doing miniething to improve their dwelling I. (Hear, other comfort. of • domentic servant. Every attention
hear.) 'lle pro,2less iif SCienCe slid shill Cad AL last was iota to the 'we creature, but she tweatme delirious,
raised a standard of labitatiou which was pretty and, though she was nulisequently more rational, lir
generally recognised as one that ought to be attained ; system wan too far exhamded to be recovered, end 'she
and lie thought that in nothing was the progress of I flied sill the 9th inst. The medical officer, 11r. denten.
more apparent than itt the changes which i having stated that he believed death to have resulted
uken plate In the home* and the houses of the I from a long deficiency of food and nouns) •nt, the
I eople. (Hear, hear.) In the time of Queen Elizabeth, 1 authoritiee deemed it right for an investigation to be
when there were no csrpets, rueltee were atrewn upon mule into the ease. The fleets...a, though 24 years of
the 1:1001,1 of the weaPhient nou.sions ; •tid we had seen age, and shout flee feet in height, only weighed anb.
from contemporaneous letters Diet when the doors after deatli--suelt was the extreme emaciation if her
were being prepared for dancing, the rushee were swept bouly. It was reported in the town that not only was
away that. Such Was the effluvia arising front the the deceeeed kept short id food, but that the heti for her
decayed vegetable wetter thus collected, Diet the I to lie upon wee little more than strew, and it is feared
ioust ardent dancer had hardly courage to begin ! that there is moue truth in Obi statement, four of her
the dance. (Laughter ) In modern times, hoe • • toes having been found frostbitten, sod in a state of
ever, there luad been great improvemente in ell the gangrene.
smaller details of [timers. As regarded the dwellings if The itthebitants of the town were very indignant at
the jemr, we hail model buildiuga put forward let very the conduct of the sleceesed'a master, and nothing but
accessible eiteatione Charity, profusely bentuseeed, I the saris:test inquiry would scent to eslin (hunt. An
ilitiliCed working men tu rely too much npon I inquest was eccer.lingly opened on Tueesley before Mr.
that source, suet to relax their owu exertions in earning ! Mews, the mayor niol coroner of the town, and after
their livelihood. Hut se regard to their houses, the I taking voluminous depositions, in which three medical
matter was entirely beyond their reach. A labouritig I men expressed their decided °pint )))) Dist death was the
non haul no illealea of building 11011 sea. All lie could to I result of stervation, (hue juri returned a verdict of
WWI to choose the best eresenteil t,i him, but •A regerded "Men•l welder" agaitent Mr. Mitchell.
its erection lie meat be depeudent upon penente of A tei tg.sterial investigation into the case took place at
wealth mid capit .1. If the mother stf the family lisel the To.iihoi Teendstv. Mr. Clerles Laue was
not a proper plaue for wa•bing soul drying her clothes, chairtit un, end there was • full attendance uf magietraten
soul carried on thaw. ceeretions in the livingeoom. that from the neighbourhood.
room becasne untenentAble be the father and children, I After a number of witnesses", hail lwen examined. Mr.
who dentre.l to get out of it Its quickly as they could. 1 Griffiths said, as he underntood it was the inteution of
And he suppotwd the great cures of this country— the lanelt to semi the case before • jury for trial, he
drunkenneee—WaS as much promoted by that cbuse as should reseree his defence.
Any other. (Hear. hear.) 'the diecomfort of men's The Cheirman nabl, fr the evidence adduced they
homes siften induced thole to resort tat the public' 1111 l led no alternative but to send the case before a jury,
on account of its comfort and roomier..., end they were I and Mr. Mitchell Woula therefore he committed to
thus led, by an accidental circtimetance, into a habit of Oxford G.... 1 for trial st the ensuing Lent aenize.s.
dritikitig, from whirl, thy iinght, perhaps, abstain if Applii atioll Was Made ter hail, and the Bench tAteol
they had s more seimfortahle hi,uuuue. ( A pplatute.) The that they would accept bed. hi r. Mitchell in the seni of
hoot. gentleinan, after • long and interesting aseeelt, reth), and two euretiee at 1100 each.
cenclutled by urging the eubject upon the coneideratiou The 'equity 10,e.1 silt loons, and dorittg thus whole of
of the meeting. that thee Die Tewnhell wan dungely crowrea. The
The Hon. Raven Durrox, M.P., spoke next, and remains of the poor girl were interred in the afternoon
weed. tutu Mine iiitereeting celculetione regattling the of the sante dee in the ensued adjoining the pal inli
euhject. Other gentlemen followed, end a committee church, awl a large crowd followed the corpse and
being appuintsal tuu carry out the ottjectat of the Aaso• were preient at the funeral.
cietion, • vote of thanks was 111011 ell to Lord l'alinuraton,
and the meeting separated.