The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-17 00:00:00

[The inquest wee proceediog when our report left.]

SINGULAR DEATH FROM Figs IN • LUNATIC
ASTLIJM.--INQUEST.—(THIS DAY.)—This morning Mr. John
Humphreys, coroner for Middlesex, held an inquest at the
Manor Noose Tavern, Green Lance, Tottenham, respecting
the death of Mn. Candice Annette Marshal!, aged 4i
yeah, who was burnt to death under the following cir-
cumstances. The deceased was an inmate of Dr. Birkett's
Lunatic Asylum, Northumberland House, Greet. Lanes,
and she -ass suffering from a whitlow. On Wednesday
evening last she got out of bed to shake something iota
the fire grate, in which the light was kept for safety, and
the handkerchief which wrapped up her finer became
ignited. She was severely burnt, and though Dr. Allen,
the medical attendant, was at once on the spot, she expired
in a few hours. A verdict of "Accidental death from
burns^ was returned by the jury.
THE CONDEMNED CONVICTS AT MAIDSTONE,—The
death warrant wan received on Friday for the execution of
the two prisoners, Alfred Eldridge and Alfred Holden, the
tamer convicted of the murder of Richard Steel, and the
latter the murder of his own child. Thursday next is the
day fixed for the execution, and there is no doubt that in
the case of Eldridge the law will take its course ; bat as
regards Holden petitions have been presented for a com-
mutation of his sentence, on the ground of insanity. It
appears that be has always been considered es an imbecile
in his regiment, and his father died inner', and two of his
nodes committed suicide. No answer has yet been re.
turned to the petitions.
THE POWERS or THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF
Woage.—The Metropolitan Board was formed under the act
of 1851, for the ostensible and avowed purpose of giving •
consolidation of all the powers into the heeds of loml bonnie.
The interpretation put upon it by the Metropolitan Board
has been jest the reverse, and all their exertions have been
to consolidate the powers into their own hands at the
expense of the local bo irds, and the carious act. and
amended seta which have bee, passed sines that time have
all that object in view. Very arbitrary powers ban been
given them oy the Building Act—powers which properly and
constitutiomilly belong to local boards. For inetazies.
power is given to them of chaining the names of streets and
the cumbers of the house", without eoaaulting the wishes of
the inhabitants. A man may leave his house in the merit-
ing in the full eartaiety that he was • reddest in • street el
a certain name, and &hoof the number of his house, endow his
return be might find both narneof street and numbered house
pas, and another substitukd. This is not the way in which
local affairs should be interfered with, but it is only
use
instance, showing the despotic ramose in which entrel
hoards set towards the public, whenever they have the *ppm-
bratty. But what can be expected cis beard thatlievaiall its
business to its paid officials, without parsers! investigation?
It is of itself an anomaly. The wants of different localities
are neither understood nor cared for. What. for intim"
can the representative of Kensiegtea or Hanover-equer•
know or are for the weak of Elboreditch and Liasehosse?
—they are tautly dissimilar in every respect. The only
possible remedy will be to divide the metropolis into a
number of municipalities, and let sub send representativn
to a general board for main drainage works eel,. which is on
that ahoold of necassity he entrusted to it; all the other pos-
tmen will be better carried out by the recognised authorities
ef each district—City Prem.