The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-25 00:00:00

111114.1 W IN THR WORKROOM.

EXPRIBB FROM e4Wp.

THE OARS OP MARY ANN WALLLEY.
_...a.esouT.l
. ' ST. JAMES'S VESTRY.—(THIS DAY.)
PARIS, Wladresrar Evian/it A vestry meeting of the parish of St. James,
My first impulse on reading the important ' Westminster,
was held in the Vestry-room, to receive
ministerial changes and political modifications an- (amongst other business) the „owl, of Dr. /Amman, in
nounced in the Monifeur on thia 24th of June reference to the sanitary state of the Weet-end work rooms,
(which in all likelihood will become au historical especially in connexion with the recent death of Mary Ann
Lankester, being in attendance,
date) is not to say an ill-natured word about them. Walkley. Mr. Churchwarden Box presided ; and Dr.
Looking at the situation in a broad point of view, read the following report
it seems to me of secondary importance that the qu'es. Itahcoelli:tiutheacee of
the
se rePorttihnett my
of We
a an
in
names of Billanit, 'Wools., and Rouher offer but . who wee found de" on the °pun .of a y Madame the
small guarantees for liberty. The great point is dressmaker, 170, Regent-street. I felt it my duty to visit
that the Emperor, after long cogitation in the those premises. I went last Mondai-Morning, and the pro-
seclusion of Fontainebleau, has come to the conclu- prietor of the establishment gave me every facility for in-
sion that the elections of May, 1863, conveyed a *pectins the whole of his premises. The premises used for
the business of Madame Elise consist not only of the house
warning not to be disregarded, and that the into- iKottege.atott I visited the Suitsek aly
reet,bnt ofthehouses Nos.
.6.2 and 63,
reat
rests of his dynasty and the logic of that universal ina
suffrage upon which the empire is based required and went into the kitchen, she dining-room, the work-
the dismissal of those ministers who, while treat- room, and several of the bedrooms. The whole of the rooms
Mg all opposition candidates as traitors, and SS well as the passages, water-closeta, and stair windows,
were in good order. In all the bedroom@ provision was made
resorting to every sort of chicane and oppression
for ventilation,
ko
ilatioo, bLthy:were swe- sales of thel bedded doable windows coming down
against them, had after all been unable to prevent from
k
the large number of 35 from running the blockade and three-beddedi I understoodg the:a twoe bedded,
young
of the ballot-boxes, and, where not absolutely de- women slept in each bed. I visited especially the bedroom
feated, had been met by formidable minorities in io which the young woman died. It was a room which,
every large town—in every centre of intelligence. according to the measurements of the sanitary inspector,
MM. Billault and Earache, as government orators, contained I,36ocubic feet of air. It was a double-bedded
room, and four young persons slept in it, thus giving
have no doubt often used deplorable sophisms in
340 cubic feet of air to each individetel. There
support of tyranny ; but they are essentially sal- were two windows in the room which could be let down by
II Diable men, and I see nothing in their antecedents sashes, so as to secure the ventilation of the nom. I visited
Ito prevent them from becoming very good liberal the work-rooms and found sixty ladies working in two
ministers upon their receiving a new set of instruc- room', which I found afterwards contained 3,630 cubic feet
of air, which gives but little more than 60 cubic feet of air
tions. That M. de Persigny, the principal manager
of the late elections, should be turned out to each individual._..., Since my own inspection I have had
is the great feature of the present crisis. measureme
houses nts bey°. an thee °Finer
.memied in
nI
ascheheea the.
And in this regard I take leave to re- notated their cubical contents, and present them
mind you that, writing on May 31, and long in the tables annexed. From these tables it will
before there was the slightest rumour of ministerial be Seen that there are 10 bedrooms, in ell containing WORM'
changes, I ventured to prophecy, apropos of M. de ',iodation for 74 Persona The average cubic feet for each
person is This quantity ise not
which however
the , equally
l Persigny having seized the Daily News on account bated, ace
of some electoral intelligence, that I should pro- less than ri3 310.5 e there
lijfeet,B sad 11 theywlierete have
have more
bably before long have to record his dismissal as a than this quantity. In one room the quantity of air
direct consequence of the elections. I had then for each individual is but 120 feet. The room in
nothing whatever to guide me beyond what the which the young Wee= died contained above the
1
French call the " logic of the situation." In three average cubical contenta for each person in the bed-
ishort weeks this prophecy bas been fulfilled, and I rooms
kof th
skekeestablisfhtLent. I shall not MAtke an
has
y special
I cannot dissimulate my gratification at the result. rumar, .°a gated hefCiore a. at
legal yoorgy woman
titutedas tribunal, and been
1 Some of the changes in the organisation of the verdict delivered upon it by a jury after the hearing of evi-
-1 ministries are worthy of all praise. It was deuce. 1 would, however, remindyou that this case opened
1 ridiculous that the Minister of State, who up the whole question of the interior condition of the work-
takes precedence of all other ministers, and is the shops, workrooms, and sleeping rooms of our city copula-
medium of the Emperor's instructions to them, toifon•
holtrs alsothaotpens up the (mastic
nit,lhoe Jumcobero-
should have to do with the pots and pans of his student with bell in selma7en oeff
tary occupations in
Majesty's household, and be mixed up with ill-ventilated rooms. It is imooseible. for me here to go
1 intrigues about the engagement of an ac- re wtirolee oquestions,
unitybuftwitliefy. areveoftititeteitiiftemxt
fiinZ,Tisotfto.
1 trout. All that is altered. Henceforth the very large class of persons. There is no parish more into-
, Minister of State is relieved from all such duties, rtrird i.! pariati.,,,:p—tic-th-ere , eger St. dnaustrlrAcTtminstess,,,soorti.
and everything relating to the imperial patronage big in shops and Woo[loool3 than inpe
any other
of the tine arts and theatres is relegated to the parishi It
tn . theawkiinnEdjit in peo
sh tur:io: toof its port.
superintendence of a separate minister, the Minister dense. ly compulated and overcrowded -crowded districts to len Iln.ant-
of the Imperial Household. The direction of the don exists, and even in which the largest amount
Institute of France and other learned societies is °I diNar words,"sodthedeawintht ooratoria. over
reKard crowding iooeir,
t.inoche.
transferred from the Ministry of State to that of blishmente like those of Madame Elise it is almost impos.
the Ministry of Public Instruction, to whose attri- instances should ut profeass.:oalurovlifftfiletfhlthoevercrowolifil in BO: er
butione they properly belong. Another change of young persons in houses have sufficient intelligence to know
still greater importance is that the Ministry of how to ventilate zooms and apply the necusary mune
Public Worship is to be transferred from the Minis- wit:licit science
has suggested for
omr orerenheerailntgyh"ThaissalptlVineldc
ter of Public Instruction to the Minister of Justice. a question worthy the consideration health.
the legislature,
I indulge a hope that them may be much place
educated
whereofficerslarfe
Might ernot tee
libelist significance in this change. It seems to numbers of persons are domiciled sa in schools, shops, work-
say that religion is not to be regarded as a shops, andf workrooms. Thereto& be no doubt that the con
12, 14
branch of sectarian instruction, and that the andr ILourayoaunly mtunst a edeatructive of heoaltl,4@ad no
state will no further interfere with it than in the amount of sleeping- space can make up for the destructive
interests of "justice," which require that all Toot of. such moument. When
.we add to this that
i the winter many of these learns are lighted with gas and
religions should be equally free. that each gu burner destroys as much air as five persons, it
The change of ministry was favourably received rait- rha woade.raleate that owasiralltea Young Peru"'
at the Bourse—principally, as lam told, because it the destructive btt
influences the :at are tem routg4hta to..3besrmAunfooacuiets.
is thought to signify (amongst other things) that " Jenne 25." (dived) LDWU, LARRIBTRA.
there will be no war about Poland. Route rose 15c. muchTh obliged to D. r. Land tkthe ry forryhts[enable generally were
le"
for cash, and 10c. for account, closing at 68fr. 55c. which he trusted good would result. He wished to ask Dr.
and 68fr. 60c. Mobilier rose sfr. There was little Lankester whether he required additional powers to go into
workrooms and sleeping-rooms to inspect them, or whether
change in railway shares. he possessed sufficient powers to do so under the existing
law.
Dr. LAWKLEWER—We have no power to enter private
houses where workpeople are employed, unless we have
re/sociable grounds for supposing that there exists thank!'
anything that is injurious to life or health. If a
young person came and complained that he or she
was sleeping in a room that from over-crowding, bad
ventilation, or any other cause, was damaging to
health, I believe 1 should have the right to enter, but
that is no sufficient substitute for systematic inspection,
and we know how difficult it would be for a young
person to summon up courage enough to complain against
an employer's premises.
A itali/us was glad that Dr. Lankester had given
' his opinion as to the injurious effect of compelling young
persons to work enormously long hours, and had no doubt
the result of calling attention to the subject would have a
' good effect. He knew that sites working fourteen or six-
teen hours a day these young people became frequently so
exhausted that they could not take rest when the hour of
feat CAM.
The CHAILILAN hoped some practical good would follow
from this melancholy occurrence, which had arisen more
than came before their own eyes and in their own parish,
1 where they were told that more young people were employed
in these workrooms than in any other parish. But what he
would like to know was, whether the young people who
were worked these long hours invariably were allowed a
clear hour for their dinner, or whether they were
made to swallow down their food as rapidly as pos-
sible and resume their work immediately. The hush
labourer had his dinner time, and his half hoar at half-peat
four ; and it was certainly as necessary that these young
ple should have as much time for refreshment sod rest.
erwheers.) It was well known that in some of the
west-end houses every coosideratiou was given to the welfare,
moral and physical, of the young people employed ; but
in many others he was sorry to say neglect and overcrowding
took place to • lamentable extent
Dr. LANUS.= would like to know what the vestry
, thought of a system of registration in regard to houses in
which more than a certain number of persons were employed,
or in which more than a certain number slept. He thought
1 something of that kind might be done without unduly in-
terfering with the rights of proprietors of such homes.
1 The CAMBRIAN suggested that the subject should be re-
' tarred to the sanitary committee to take such action in the
matter as they might think fit. (Haul
A member of the vestry then moved a resolution to that
effect.
Mr. STALE seconded it, and in doing so called sateatlon
to the Health of Towns Act, one clause of which gave
power to the medical officers to inspect with the view of
ascertaining the existence of disease, especially epidemics ;
to point Out DUiRRACOS that injuriously affected health ; AM
to suggest more effectual modes of ventilating cham-
bers, schools, lodging. houses, and other places.
In the Nuisances Removal Act the word " promises" was
added, and the interpretation clause stated that this ex-
tended to all buildings, public or private; consequently, he
thought the law as it stood, if properly carried out afforded
sufficient powers of inspection. He did not believe that any
one in that parish would object to a system of inspection
such as had been suggested, certainly no member el the
vestry would raise a voice against it.
The motion was then agreed to, and the subject dropped.

MOII OM owl

Tan GUARDS' BALL.—WO are requested to ;Auto
that visitors to this ball, in honour of the Prince and
Prince's of Wales, to-morrow evening, are expected to be
in their places in the ballroom, to meet their royal high-
nesses, by 10 o'clock at latest.
ROYAL licrrauicax SociwrY.—The last exhibition
of plants, flowers, and fruit for the present season took
place yesterday, at the society's gardens, Regent's-park, and
being favoured with very fine weather, was honoured with •
brilliant attendance. Among the visitors were:—Their
Royal nightmare the Duchess of Cambridge and the
Princess Mary of Cambridge, the Duchess of Sutherland,
Visoountees Stormont, the Earls of Clare and Mansfield,
Feel and Countess of Bradford, Counter of Chesterfield,
Countess of Strafford, Baron and Baroness Rothschild, Lord
Henry Gordon Lennox, Lord Hervey, Lard and Lady Ens-
too, Lord and Lady Egmont, Lord Cough, the Persian Am-
berador, fie. The extra gold medals were awarded to:—
Mr. Whitbread, gardener to Colysr, Eaq., Barth:ad, for
16 stove and greenhouse plants ; and Mr. Baker, gardener
to Bassett, Esq., for 20 exotic orchids. The large gold
medals were carried off by Mr. Peed, gardener to Mrs.
Tredwell, Norwood, for 16 stove and greenhouse plants ;
and Mr. Millford, gardener to Faq., Haver-
stock-hill, for 20 orchids. The bands of the let and 2nd
Life Guards and of the Royal Horse Guards (Blue) played
a selection of marches, overture., and waltzes.