The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-21 00:00:00

INCREASE OF PAUPERISM IN MARYLE-

BONE.-MEETING OF THE RATE-PAYERS.

Yesterday a large and influential meeting of the
parochial committee of St. Marylebone, which consists of
between 700 end 800 rate-payers, took place at the West-
moreland Rooms, George-street, Manchester-square, for the
purpose of receiving the report of a deputation appointed
to wait on the board of directors and guardians, relative to
the alarming increase of pauperism in the parish, and to
consider the best means to be adopted to teat the characters
and circumstances of the persona receiving eut-door relief,
u well as to improve the financial state of the parish.
Mr. FILA XPTON having been called to the chair, Mr.
Outturrr, as spokesman of the deputation, reported that
they had been most courteously received by the board, and,
in reply to their request that the directors and guardians
would furnish the parishioners with a complete statement of
the number of persons receiving out-door relief, and all the
particulars connected with their case, with a view to aid the
detection of imposition, the board unanimously agreed to
furnish them with the required information, and directed
that lista of all persons in the receipt of out-door relief should
be furnished to that committee. The deputation also offered
the assistance of the parishioners in investigating the case of
the poor at the present important crisis, and the board ex-
pressed their obligations to the committee for their offer of
such assistance.

Mr. H. C. Witsox said he had read in the pnblic papers
an account of the interview between the deputation and the
board of guardians, and he was truly happy to find that the
parochial committee were about to devote their attention to
this important subject On two previous occasions they bad
interested themselves in a similar manner, and with very
great success. The first was in 1832, when the great
change took place in the government of the affairs of the
parish. At that time a large number of the parishioners
undertook personally to scrutinise the claims of those receiving
out. door relief, and the result was that imposition was found to
exist to such an extent that the number was reduced one-half.
The other occasion to which he referred was when the mem-
bers of that committee exerted themselves with similar suc-
cess on the introduction of the Poor-law bill. It was well
known that the parishioners of Msrylebone gave a deter-
mined opposition to that bill, and foretold its failure. It was
a lamentable thing that, alter such an expenditure of money,
so much individual suffering and so many changes in that law,
so little progress had been made. The truth was, that there
was scarcely a principle enunciated by the promoters of tkat
important measure which had not broken down in practice.
He (Mr. Wilson) would at present only refer to the subject
of out-door relief. The peorlaw bill was to abolish or
greatly diminish out-door relief, but had it produced that
effect? (No, no.) Let the metropolitan parishes answer
the question. It appeared to him, after all that had
been written and said, that the real remedy for
the abuses of the poor-laws lay in a very nar-
row compass. It consisted chiefly of an uniform law
of settlement, and an efficient inspection of the
claimants for relief; and here he would express his opinion
that the creation of large country unions and the operation
of the Poor-Law Removal Act had greedy increased pau-
perism in cities and towns. The agricultural labourer, worn
out in his effort to obtain employment or relief in his native
place, was compelled to resort to some adjoining and popu-
lous town. The number of applicants had been so great,

that in Marylebone alone there were between 6,000 and
7,000 applicants for out-door relief. He believed the board
of guardians did all they could, but he tiered that this mis,
judged lenity had induced them to relieve persona who were
not strictly deserving of it. Eves, however it they per
formed their duties with the most equitable fairness bath to
the rate-payers and rate-receivers, there must be a limit to
their powers. The board of guardians nor hired inspection
could now, unaided, do justice to the subject. The rate.
payers must come to their assistance. There were upward, of
700 members in that committee,and if only 100 would properly
scrutinise the claims of persons receiving rekef who resided
in their immediate vicaoitiee, they would have the most
efficient check which could be devised. Mr. W dron con-
cluded by moving • resolution to the effect, " That tie
parishioners immediately form themselves into committees
in the various districts in which they reside, and, with the
lists supplied by the directors and guardians of the poor,
test every case of pauperism, with a view to detect and ex-
pose those who had no right to such relief."
Mr. GAUN Err, in seconding the resolution, observed that
he had no wish to east the slightest blame on the board of
guardians. although he must say he feared the present
alarming increase of 2,000 or 3,000 out-door poor within a
few mouths was attributable to the inefficiency of the work.
house staff of inspectors. When there were but 2,000 casual
poor, they bad nearly u many inspectors as now.
Mr. C. If texuaw was delighted to fled that the guardians
hod agreed to publish the lists of those receiving out-door
relief, as he believed there was a vast amount of imposition
practised, and that it would prove a cheek thereon. He was
a member of the board of auditors in 1843, and in their
report on that occasion they urged upon the vestry the ne-
cessity of ouch publication ; but out of feelings of delicacy
to the poor, he believed, they did not comply with that
re/etWatvests said, as a proof of the necessity for the step
about to be taken by the ratepayers for their own protection,
there was a woman in his own neighbourhood in the receipt
of parochial relief, who, together with her son, earned 15e,
per week. (Hear.) A few days ago he was riming tbe,
workhouse in the New-road, and as he passed, a woman
came out, laden with bread she had just received.
The woman, accosting another woman outside, and
handing the latter six or seven shillings, said, "I had
a good deal of trouble to get your money, but I got over hint
at last," meaning, be (Mr. Walters) supposed, the overseer,
the woman who received the money haring on a splendid
shawl, and being otherwise well dressed. Ile watched them,
and saw the well-dressed woman give a boy a shilling who
came up to her, and who appeared to belong to her. Hs
believed that such a person had no more right to relief than
he had; and as he succeeded in tracing the women to their
houses in the neighbourhood of the Yorkshire Stirlen, when
the lista came eat he should go and see whether they were
fit objects.
Mr. BAILEE related several similar MPS, and an extra-
ordinary one where a woman who was in the habit of quar-
relling with her husband on every such occasion left hint,
and cleverly managed to impose upon the authorities and get
with her three children into the workhouse. Sometimes she
persuaded them to give her a weekly allowance to keep
out, and this was done although the husband was in full
employment.
Pile. JOSEPH complained that the machinery at the work-
house was one of the principal causes of the increase of
pauperism. The fact was that the system of management
was very disjointed and uncertain, occasioned by the plan of
dividing the board of guardians into rota committees. Those
committees consisted of fire members of the board, and as
five new men ruled and reigned every month, new rain,
orders, and regulations for the management of the poor
were made as often, and it frequently happened that what
was done by one rota committee was entirely undone by the
next. Having been many years a member of the board of
guardians, he had had experience that such was the case.
Mr. MICHIB (a guardian) said be was gratified to see the
rate-payers bestirring themselves to check the monstrous
growth of pauperism. It had ever been his desire to raise
the minds of the working claret above pauperism, but he
must say the lax system of discipline adopted in Marylebone
tended to assist it. (Hear.) He agreed with Mr. Joseph
that the constitution of the rota committees was in some
measure the cause of that increase, hut the great cause was
in haying in the board of guardians too many of that elms
who were designated as humane men. There were too
many humanity men, or rather mock humanity men, and
that class of persons were the ruin of society, the promoters
of indolence, crime, and dissipation.
Dr. Ditty considered there was • vital defect in the rate
of inspection, and as a proof of it he stated that there was a
nurseryman in the neighbourhood of the Edgware-road who
was in the receipt of relief from Marylebone and Paddington
also.

Several other gentlemen spoke upon the matter, and urged
the immediate payment of the rates on the part of the pa-
rishioners.

The resolution was then put and carried unanimously, and
it haring been resolved to call a further meeting as soon u
the lists of persons receiving relief were printed, in order to
organise the mode of inspection, thanks were voted to the
chairman, and the meeting separated.

Me. BROOKE, OF SALM .1 K.—Sir Peter LIRA)
has given notice for the next Court of Common Council that
the freedom of the City in a gold box be presented to Mr.
Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak, in testimony of the admira-
tion of the court of the courage, seal, cliscretion, ability, and
disinterestedness displayed by him in the inland of Borneo,
in the Indian Archipelago, and in the peaceful establish-
ment of order and good gorernutent at Sarawak, in that
island.

SWANSEA DOCK COMPANY.— An extraordinary
general meeting of shareholder of this company was held
yesterday, at the Guildhall Coffee-house, for the purpose of
considering the report of the committee appointed by the
general meeting held in London the 31st of August lout, of
increasing or reducing the number of directors, and of con-
sidering certein hy-laws and regulations alleged to have
been passed by certain directors at Swansea on the 19th of
August last, and confirming or rescinding the same. The
report referred to, having been read, the secretary to the
company, Mr. Jenkins, the solicitor to the Swansea board,
and Mr. Carter, a holder of one shore, presented themselves,
io the capacity of shsreholders. as a deputation from the
Swansea board, to protest against the legality of the present
meeting, as in direct opposition to the by-laws made lout
August.—The deputy-chairman of the company, Colonel
Cameron, who presided on the occsaion, laid that he could
not attend to such a protest, because the by-laws in ques-
tion having been made by the Swansea directors, and not, u
required by the Bth Victoria, chap. IG, by the com-
pany, were illegal and invalid ; he therefore called upon
the solicitor to the London board to explain to
the shareholders present (about 15 in number) the dream.
stances under which the meeting had been convened.—Mr.
meerton (the solicitor) stated that the capital of the company
represented 5,000 sharer, of which 1,727 had been taken by
London shareholders; and by country shareholders, princi-
pally in Swansea, only 1,139; that seven directors had been
appointed for London, and 10 for Swansea, 17 being the
maximum number allowed by the act. He then proceeded
to allude to acts done by the Swansea board, which he co-
mired clearly proved that the London shareholders could
not confide in them. They had, for inetaace, appointed a
treasurer without consulting the London board. It also
happened (and be supposed with their authority) that the
word " shall " in the clause which enacted that meetings of
the directors should be held in London monthly, had been
changed when the bill went up to the House of Lords into
the word may ; " and as he perceived that the parliamen-
tary agent was present, he would ask him if he knew how
such an alteration came to be made ? (That gentleman re-
plied that he could not say without referring to papers in his
office, but it had been done by authority, which
authority did not emanate from the Landon heard.)
Then the first general meeting under the act was illegally
and informally convened by the Swansea directors, they at
the time not having changed the scrip for shares, and one of
their body had to come to London to apologise to the share-
holders for the mistake. Again, Captain Price, who had
been proposed by a Swansea director for the London board,
at a London meeting, and unanimously chosen, was now ab-
solutely objected to and protested agairist by the Swansea
board. More important than all that, they had undertaken
to pus a number of by-laws, to none of which could the
London board, in his opinion, lend their sanction. The 6th
enacted that all calls upon the !shareholders should be made
at meetings to be held at Swansea, se that no matter what
the state of the market the gentlemen at Swansea were
alone to decide the eirstiency of making calls. The 11th
was equally objections le. The act, which was sent beck to
the Commons, and altered as it originally stood, stated that
the London board should meet once a month, which meet-
ings they were by other acts empowered to adjourn ; but
according to this by-law 'the London directors, whatever
might be the importance of such monthly meeting, must, if
it be adjourned, hold the adjourned meeting in Swansea.
Such a law was a fearful absurdity. He would only refer to
these two, assuring the meeting that the remsinder were
likewise such as he thought no gentlemen of honour, cha-
racter, or spirit could submit to have imposed upon them.
(" Certainly not.") It was fortunate] in their power to
neutralise them as illegal, and he ho they would do so.
If the London board were not to be al owed to act, then he
thought it would be but honest and fair for the Swansea
hoard to pay back the money advanced at their solicitation
for assistance upon 1,700 shares. (The secretary for Swan-
sea observed that the number had been reduced to 1,300.)
Sat, if the Swansea board refused to do that, then was he
of opinion that the management should be left to the
London board, representing is it did more than one-half
the shareholders ; and, if it were so left, he thought
he could pledge himself that the directors would not make •
call until the monetary system of the country had recovered
from its present state. In fact he saw a way of capitalism'
the company without either making calls or borrowing.
(The learned gentleman was proceeding to make some re-
mark about " heavy liabilities," when advised by the chair-
man not to pursue that topic further.) A resolution (pro-
posed by Capt. Price), in conformity with the recommenda-
tion of the committee's report (already alluded to), reducing
the number of directors from 17 to 9, the minimum number,
was then unanimously agreed to ; but upoa the next resolu-
tion being proposed, declaring the proceedings of the Swan-
sea directors, In passing certain by-laws, &c.,on 19th Aural
lam to be irregular and illegal, and to have destroyed the
confidence of the London shareholder' ; and further, that
the affairs of the company could not, with safety to the inte-
rests of the shareholders, be longer confided to their
management, the members of the deputation for the
Swansea board voted against it, and tendered a number of
proxies on the same side. After a discussion upon the nib-
hect, in the course of which the secretary acknowledged that
e had not brought with him the book of registry, the chair-
man said that, guided by the opinion of the s inciter, he
could not, in the absence of that book, the only legal evidence
of those proxies being ahareholden, consent to receive them.
A formal tender of those proxies having been made and re-
fused, the resolution was pursed, u were also other resolu-
tions declaring that in pursuance of the powers conferred on
the meeting by the eat, the businem of the company should

be vs/Amsted by woe directors, that they alone should have
11-„ooree to do so, and ditty. all other directors were thereby
tbanteged from further The meeting then geparated.
PATENT GALVANISED ROM CAHlPANT.—Yeaterday
g general meeting of the shareholders took place at the Loo-
n. Teem The shareholders having some misgivings aa
to the management of the affairs of the company, appointed
on July Ise a committee to investigate the matter, who
now reported that there lad been an Improper and reckless
expenditure of capital, and that many persons had been an-
tooneosorily employed, simply because they happened to be
"i,,„tonoted with the directors. The report further stated
that a sum of 50,0001. must be ruined by preference shams
or some otter means, or that the affixes of the company
mat be wound up. It was also recommended that the
Otaiman (Mr. Matins) and the directors should retire, and
that other gentlemen should be appointed in their place.
Thee report gave rise to considerable iiiseussion, hut even-
t.% it ,one agreed that Mr. Kelly, Mr. Baker, Mr.
td& ewe, Mr. }Rid, and Mr. Carr, should be appointed
directors: and the meeting having agreed that 50,0001.
should be raised rather than allow their affairs to be wourd
up, several gentlemen put down their names for the pref.-
nyos shares, by means of which that sum is to be collected.
IHMRTSTION OP GOLD.—Sir,—I have heard, on
good authority, that Messrs Rothschild& have received
within the last fortnight from France, yid Folkston., twelve'
tom of wined gold, or 1.600,0001. sterling. This announce.
meet gives us the assurance that our commercial di
arising from a contraction of the currency, is on the eve of
pawing away. As soon as the public securities have touched
the lowest figure they are likely to reach, the Messrs. Roth/-
dais will begin to purchase them. As the gold finds its
way into the Bank; the directors will Woe their notes more
freely in discounts, confidence will be restored, and
in a month we may expect to see Consols advance
10 per cent.. and Meyers. Rothschilds will then
have made 150,0001. by the turn of the market.
But when all parties are satisfied, and none more so then
Sir Robert Peel, Lard John Russell, and Sir Charles Wood,
except the Meson. Rothschilds, the first instalment en the
French loan will require providing for. Then we shall see
the gold gradually withdrawn from the Bank mrsin, their
notes at the same time disappearing, and another panic or
distrusr, more severe than the present, will again spread
desolation and dismay one the country. This crisis may be
looked for in the month of December. The gloom will again
disperse at the magical /licking of the great Hebrew cap'.
talins—again to be renewed and again dispersed as opportu.
oily offers, till the country can no longer endure such afflic-
tion, and then will come the end. I wish you would open
the eyes of John Bull to this ptietice of "ringing the ex-
changes" at his cost, ere too late.—ACRRLICB.—Od. 19.
(We publish this, induced to do so by the respectability of
the source. But we very much doubt that such a large
quantity of gold can have been imported by the house id
question, without some symptoms of it appearing.]
Indy ENT, YESTERDAY.—UNFOUNDED CHARGE OP
PoisonNe..—At the Cape of Good Hope, Commercial-road
East, on the body of Mrs. Louisa Brown, aged 37. The de-
ceased was the wife of Mr. James Brown, who formerly
practised as a surgeon, though unqualified, but recently was
employed as an accountant. She died on Tuesday week,
sad since then rumours had been circulated in the neigh-
bourhood that her husband had given her some medicine to
procure abortion, that the child was killed, and that she
herself died from the effects of the mcdicine.—Dr. Letheby,
lecturer on chemistry at the London Hospital, yesterday
stated that on examining the contents of the stomach he
thought he perceived arsenic ; hut upon repeating the ana.
ltsis upon the stomach itself, he was not enabled to detect
the existence of any poison.—Mr. Cummings, surgeon, said
be attended the deceased, who was suddenly attacked with
inflammation of the stomach on Monday week, and died the
next day, after giving birth to a dead child. The jury, after
a long discussion, returned a verdict, " That the deceased
died a natural death from inflammation of the stomach, and
alter giving birth to a dead child." There was not the
slightest cause for suspicion against the husband of the de-
eralel.—ACCIDIST AT SIR JOHN RINNIE*A—At the
Crowe, George-street Blackfri.n, on the body of Henry
Lowman, aged 19. The deceased had for some time been in
the employ of Sir John Rennie, the engineer, in Holland-
street, Blackfriars. On Saturday night eight men were
raided by two cranes a piece of casting, weighing about ten
tons, in order that it should be turned over to be worked.
The foreman, just se it was being lifted front the ground,
called to the men at top, who had the handles of the crane,
and upon whom the great weight would rest when the cast-
ing was lifted from the ground, to " look out." The de-
ceased had hold of the lower handle, and bending down
upon it. The handles of the crane suddenly flew off,
knccked him to the ground, and he was killed on
the spot. The coroner cautioned the men as to the
future when such heavy weights were being raised,
and a verdict of " Accidental death" was returned.—
SINOULAR Cam.—At the Regent's Arms, Regent-street,
Westminster, on the body of Joseph Pyke, aged 22,wb0 was
found on Monday morning in his bed-room suspended from
a hook in the wall.--Henry Rogers,with whom the deceased
lodged, in Dorset-street, Vauxhall Bridge-road, said that
upon the discovery he immediately sent for Dr. Piers.—The
Coroner : But did not you cut him down first ?—Witness;
No, I did not ; and I am now thankful that I did not —The
Coroner: Why so ?—Witnesi Because his friends have
openly told me that he could not have hung himself.—Mr.
J. Leslie said that the deceased acted as agent for Mr. Ches-
terman, of Reading; he used to collect the rents. He
was surprised to find no money at deceased's lodgings. He was
always so very correct and honest. He had expected to find
91. or 101., but the only coin in the place was a bent four-
penny piece. A fortnight since he purchased a silver watch,
and even that was not to be found. The father of deceased

said that the conduct of his son lately had been different to
what it formerly was. He suffered Iran pans in his head.
—George Rodman, of 13, Wand-street, Lambeth, said thct
he had been with deceased nearly the whole of Sunday. He
left him about 10 o'clock, opposite the Westminster Hospital.
He then had a silver watch and guard, and a sovereign and
half sovereign, in his Mr. new, surgeon,
proved having been called in on the day in question, and
finding the deceased suspended. He inquired of three men,
who were present, the reason they had not cut him down,
when they answered that they were afraid to do so —Several
other witnesses were examined, and it was proved that de-
ceased had returned home on Sunday night at a late hour
and the probability appeared to be that he had been robbed
whilst out —The Coroner said duals was the case, it was for
the police to investigate, and the jury returned a verdict of
" Temporary insanity."—Suicing Or AN EXCIPENAN.—
At the Old Justice, Broadwall, Bermondsey, on the body of
Thomas Cook, aged 31, • surveying-officer in the Excise-
office.—The joint testimony of deceased's wi e and other
witnesses proved that the deceased had formerly been • man
every temperate habits, but during the last two rears bad
addicted himself to drink, and whoa in a state of intemper-
ance he became quite outrageous. On Friday night last, he
went home in a state of inebriation, not having been at busi-
ness all that day. On the following morning, his wife saw
deceased suspended by a hook in the wash-house. Assistance
was immediately procured, but life was extinct. The follow.
ing document in deceased's handwritiree was found in
his room : " Peace to all, Amen. Everybody I do revere,
but I am—l know not where. Oct. 16, 1847."—Verdict,
" Temporary insanity."