The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-09 00:00:00

THE CASUAL POOR.

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Viscount RAYNIIAM wtsbed to put a nitration to the
President of the Poor Law Board, and in order to enable
himself to make a short statement he would move the ad-
journment of the house. A few years ego he had had the
honour to move for a select committee to consider the

mismanagement of the London workhouses. Yesterday he
saw in Oxford-street a poor woman and four children in a
state of utter destitution. He told her that Si. Mary-
lebone workhouse was the nearest place of shelter,
and that he would follow her there in half an hour.
Accordingly he went and found her in the rain at the door.
He knocked, and asked why she was refused? He was
received in a moat insolent manner, and he was told by the
muter that if he did not leave be would be turmoil out
forthwith. He went a second time, and on passion his card
through thegrifie he was admitted, and treated rather more
civilly, but the master refused to take in the woman and her
children. He wished, therefore, to ask the right hon. gen •
Comae whether the authorities of any workhouse what-
ever had a right to deny admittance to any destitute person
so long aa the casual ward was not crowded to suffoca-
tion? At the same time he wished to say that the
carnal wards were places in which no gentleman
would like to place his dog ; and he begged to give
notice that he would to-morrow move for leave to bring in a
bill to improve the condition of t►e casual poor in the work-
houses of the metropolis.
Mr. VILLIERS could only say that as the noble lord had
given him no notice of it, be could give him no information
as to the case. He submitted to the noble lord, however,
that the proper quarter to apply to in the first instance
was the Poor-law Board. If be could not obtain redress
there, it might be very proper afterwards to call the at-
tention of the house to the matter.
Lord RAYNHAN had not yet applied to the Poor-law
Board, but he intended to do so.
• In answer to a question,
Sir R. PEEL said he proposed to take the second reading
of the Civil Bill Courts Ilrelend) Bill ; but after the speech
• of the Attorney-General ha should not object to a post-
ponement of the debate for ten days or a fortnight.
The motion for adjournment was then withdrawn.
OPENING OF THE EDINBURGH BOTANICAL
GARDENS ON SUNDAYS.

On the motion for going into committee of supply,
Mr. GREGORY moved that the Royal Botanical Gar-
dens of Edinburgh should be open to the public after the
hours of divine service on Sundays, •a is the case of other
botanical gardens supported by parliamentary grants. He
contended that the present system was an exclusion of the
working classes from an advantage which was enjoyed by
the richer orders ; a system which had been bonoftde
petitioned against by over 35,000 working men of Edinburgh,
while a petition against the opening of the gardens had
been signed principally by women and children in schools
by compulsion. He also stated that the drunkenness on
Sundays in Edinburgh exceeded that of any city, except
Glasgow, in the world, and urged that giving rational
recreation to the people would tend there, as it had done
elsewhere, to diminish that evil.
The LORD ADVOCATE pointed out that the gardens
in question were strictly botanical, attached to the profes-
sonhip of botany in the University of Edinburgh. They
were of small extent, ►nd could be of no particular advan-
tage to • population like that of Edinburgh, which was
surrounded by rural scenery and space for air and recta-
tan within a less distance of the city than the Botanical
Gardens, which were situated at • distance of two miles
from the dwellings of any of the working odyssey. He
regretted that in such • case, where no necessity was
shown. • question involving great diversity of opinion
should be revived in the house. _ _

Mr. STIRLING said be was sorry to hear that the
government opposed this reasonable proposition ; and laid
down that whet was right at Glasnevut and right at Kew,
was wrong at Edinburgh. He thought the Scotch member
were much indebted to the hoe. member for Galway for
bringing forward the motion. It was not very important
whether a few more acres were thrown open or not, but it
was important to consider whether a majority obtained as
this bad been was to lay down rules by which public men
wen to be guided. (Hear.) The hon. and leased Lord
Advocate had wisely abstained from criticising the two
petitions, but he (Mr. Stirling) could confirm the statement
of the hon. member (Mr. Gregory), that whilst the petition
is favour of the resolution was signed by 36,000 adult
males, that against it was signed by 63,000 persons, many of
whom were women and children. He (Mr. Stirling) bad
also received several letters on this subject, the authenti:
city of which he had been at some trouble to
test, a few of which be would read to the house.
The hon. member then rend extracts from letters which he
had received, and amongst others one from a gentleman who
stated that he was from home when the petition against
opening the gardens was presented for signature ; that his
sister, under the advice of her minister, not only signed her
own name but his also ;on this ground, that she koew her
minister was against the opening of the gardens, and that
the could not be wrong io eddies another name. (Laughter.)
It would really be ludicrous if it were not painful toeee the
means by which people, excellent in other relations of lire,
sought to bolster up their own interpretattoo of one of the
Divine oommandenente by the breech of all the rest.
(Laughter.) The way in which these peeitioee were got up
was really scandalous. The pushing forward of little chil-
dren is Sunday schools to sign them, as a means of main-
taining peculiar sabtatarian views, struck at the root of all
that it was professed to teach in three schools. (Hear,
hear.) The Lord Advocate informed them with great plau-
sibility that the public opinion of Edinburgh was opposed
to the opening of these gardens. In answer to that
assertion be could only my that be held in his band
four octavo pages filled with the names of men of posi-
tion, science, and eminence in Edinburgh in favour of the
opening of the gardens. Arnoapt the names were those
of Lord Dunfermline. Sir J. Professor Plnyfair,
besides • great number of the most respectable shop-
keepers. He challenged his right hon. (rived to produce a
list of equal length and containing toe names of roes of equal
.columns. He admitted, and he regretted, that the clergy of
Soot Led were opposed to the of his be.. friend.
Rut with regard to Vases • sad Joy snow el