The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-12 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 12, 1853.

it is stated, to the enormous sum of 30,000 t. a year,
and yet the " per pensioners" have gained r °thing
like their share of its improved fortunes. Indeed,
instead of being better off, they are, perhaps, worse
off than their predecessors, and just the same in num-
b:r. There are still " sigh' y poor brothers," the exact
number contemplated by the foundation, and they
have just now been petitioning the Governors, the
trustees of the capital of this immense revenue, to
sweep them a few more of the crumbs that must fall
from the table where the produce of THOMAS
SUTTON'S vast estates is consumed. They repre-
sent that "the sum of 231. annually allotted to them
is wholly insufficient to provide sash comforts as are
essential to health, decency, and cleanliness, and
which are not supplied by the hospital, viz.,
clothing, linen, washing, boots and shoes,
groceries, &c., and is especially inadequate
when weighed with the greatly increased revenues
of the Hospital since the time of its munificent
founder." At the same time they respectfully state
that "they have been accustomed to something more
than the necessaries of life, and have been taught to
consider Charter House as an asylum for decayed
gentlemen." They admit also, "gratefully, that of
late years thoir lordships' nominations have been
more in aczordance with that honourable nomina-
tion."

The Governors, in reply to this appeal of the " poor
brothers," state that they cannot "consistently with
their duty" make any increase to the pension of the
brotherhood. hires HALE end his patrons and
leonfreres will not listen to Lazarus. But will
the Governors, then, tell the public in what
way "consistently with their duty" they manage to
get rid of the immense balance that exists after sup.
plying the needs of the poor ? The eighty "poor
brethren" divide amongst themselves about 2,0001. a
year of the hospital revenues, and the expenses of
their dinner and other items would easily be covered
by 2,000:. more—is it to be supposed for a moment
StrroN could have contemplated that the portion of I
his revenues applied to one of the objects of his
care should remain stationary, while an indefinite
increase should be allowed to all the other portions,
or perhaps only to one or two? Nay, is it not almost
certain that the stationary amount of income would
be that allowed to the great officers of the Hos-
pital, due regard being had to altered circumstances
of the time, and that any genuine increase should
be applied to augment the comforts or the
numGers of the poor members of the institution?
Luckily, what might naturally be inferred, is con-
firmed by documentary evidence. In the Charter of
Incorporation, granted the 22nd of July, 1011, it is
expressly stated that any "increase of the rents or
revenues should be employed to the maintenance of
more end other poor people to be placed at the Hos-
pital, or to the, further augmentation of the arowance
of those persons who should be there, and not be
converted to any private woe."
One of the Governors who received the appeal
was the Master, Archdeacon HALE, who enjoys a
very large salary out of the funds of the institution.
This office is not much better than a sinecure, for if
it were it would be difficult to understand how Arch-
deacon HALE, who has the Archdeaconry on his
shoulders, is a Canon of St. Paul* Rector of the
Living of Cripplegate, and has other onerous duties
to perform, could undertake it. Must it not
have struck some of the Governors that
SUTTON himself, had he been amongst them,
could never have for a moment doubted
the validity of the appeal? Do not the words of the
charter show sufficiently that he contemplated the
extension of his bounty to any number that might be
permitted by the increase of the funds? Is it likely
that he would have endured that a pluralist should be
at the head of the institution, while the especial ob-
jects of his bounty were complaining of the insuffi-
ciency of their pensions to supply them with decen-
cies and comforts? Even supposing, which
is probably the fee!, that the mosey pensions
of the brethren have been from time to time in-
creased, yet this has been done in deference to the
altered state of prices. And does such increase,
whatever it may be, bear any proportion to the tre-
mendous inct ease in the gross revenue?
11 These are questions, it is true, which can only be
answered by the Governors themselves, through in-
formation given to them by the Master, Registrar,
and Receiver' of the Hospital. We are told in ac-
counts of the building that on the north side
there is a door leading to a well staircase
that by giddy turns introduces us to the room now
used to keep the 'Archives of the Hospital, and that
access cannot be had to this place without the pre-
sence of the Master, the Registrar, and the Re-
ceiver, ►neither of whom can enter it without the
others. If we could transplant the Commission
which is now worrying a few secrets out of the City
Corporation into the mysterious chamber, and sub-
ject the " Master, Receiver, and Registrar" to
a tithe of the wholesome discipline which
their predecessors the monks of St. Bruno
administered to themselves for their souls' health,
what revelations we might have of what the Char-
ter House has been, ought to be, and might be. We
might have light thrown on the mysterious question,
whether a clergyman invested with a cure of souls,
in addition to other functions, had any right to hold
the post of Master. This and various mysteries
would be doubtless brought to light, and the public
would be in a better position to judge how far the
Governors have been justified in refusing to carry
out the evident intention of the founder.

LORD GUILFORD AND ST. CROSS HOSPITAL.

The gentlemen who have so resolutely taken up
this case have resolved to act on one of the three
courses we recently pointed out. An information,
raising the legality of Lord Guilford's title to the
mastership in the name of the Attorney-General, but
on their relation, is being prepared, and will shortly
be presented to Sir Alexander Cockburn for his fiat.
Should that be refused, tho whole case will be sub-
mitted to the consideration of the House of Com-
mons as soon after the assembling of parliamelit as
is possible.

LATEST FROM ABROAD.

TIIE OVERLAND MAIL.

INDII-CHINA-AUSTRALIA.

_ ~ ~.

(RV SI:MAILINR AND ZURUPEAN TRLIOItkPM.)
We have received the following despatch from our
Trieste correspondent.

TRIESTE, Du. 10.

The steamer Calcutta arrived here at 7.45 this
morning from Alexandria in 114 hours, having lett
that port on the sth inst.

The India mail arrived at Alexandria on the
2nd inet.

The following are the dates:—Calcutta, Nov. 0;
Madras, Nov. 10 ; Shanghai, Oct. 3 ; Amoy, Oct. 12 ;
Hong-Kong, Oct. 27; Singapore, Nov. 4; Penang,
Nov. 0; Galle and Bombay, Nov. 14; Burmah, Oct.
23 ; Sydney, Sept. 20 ; Melbourne, Sept. '26; Adelaide,
Oct. 1.

Pegu is still in an unsettled state, and the Dacoits
continue to give much trouble.
General Godwin died at Simla on the 26th Oct.

Major 11. Edwardes is appointed
Peshawnr.

Trade had improved. Exchange at Calcutta, 2s.
Chosen had appeared at Bombay.
At Shanghai and Amoy fighting was still going
on, and great disaffection had manifested itself at
Fuchchowfoo. Canton was quiet, but the inhabitants
were in much dread.

Trade in China was good. Exchange on London,
Sjd.

In New South Wales the Constitution Bill had
been read a second time by a majority of 34 to 8.
The Governor of Victoria had proposed to abolish
the gold license fee.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Bengal arrived at Ceylon on the let of November.

AUSTRALIA AND TIIE CAPE.

ARRIVAL OF THE VICTORIA.
PLYMOUTH, SUNDAY.

The Victoria mail steamer arrived at Falmouth
last evening, having run short of fuel and experi-
enced north easterly winds. She landed her mails,
in one hundred and forty-eight bags and cases ; they
were forwarded by mail coaches and two omnibuses,
but with the exception of six cases and three bags did
not arrive in time for the London mail train.

The Victoria left Sydney Sept. 17; Melbourne, 28;
King George's Sound, Oct. 7; arrived at Cape of
Good Hope, Nov. 4, and left Nov. 7.
In Victoria the daily yield of gold is estimated at
fifty thousand pounds. Gold to the value of five
million nine hundred and fifty five pounds had
already been shipped from that province this year.
The population was still increasing. In the third
week in September 375 persons arrived at Melbourne,
and only 274 left. The number of inhabitants in
the district is now 250,000. There was mach con-
fusion, and some disappointment, but the colony was
rapidly rising.

Three vessels had ascended the Murray, 1,200
miles from sea. The navigation proved safe, the
depth of water varying for immense distances from
18 to 36 feet. The river is reported to be navigable mach
further than the Darling, one of its tributaries, for
some 300 or 400 miles.

The markets for all sorts of articles fluctuated, bat
the averages are evidently highly remunerative to
the importers.
Some of the passengers who come home in the
Victoria represent the social state of Melbourne as
truly frightful, and say the new arrivals were expe-
riencing fearful mortality. They also state that
trade in that city was still greatly depressed.
The Cleopatra was to leave for England by same
route two days after Victoria. The Adelaide steamer
was at Sydney, waiting for orders. The Victoria has
183,000 ounces of gold on freight, and a large number
of passengers.

THE CAPE.

The Queen of the South arrived Oct. let, 14 days
after date, having been retarded by south-east gales.
The Hydaspea arrived on the 25th Oct. The Quetin
of the South left for India on the 3rd, and the Hy-
daspes on the 30th Oct.
The registration for the new parliament has been
completed. The elections will take place in March
or April.
General Cathcart was in Kaffir Land, where some
uneasiness is felt in consequence of the movement of
Ante, a minor chief.

Pretorius, the leader of the Dutch emigrant boors,
and President of the Transvaal Republic, is dead.
In the Sovereignty, the feeling was still strong
against the abandonment of the territory. Rich de-
posits of copper had been discovered on the western
coast of Cape Colony. There is a disease amongst
cattle, but the value of land still continues to rise.
Other portions of the mails have arrived, but up
to 10.30 the whole had not come to hand.
FALMOUTH, SUNDAY.
The Victoria steam-ship has arrived at this port,
and landed her mails, in weight 15 tons.

She left Sydney on the 17th, Melbourne on the
21th, and Adelaide on the 29th Sept.
The Victoria brings 183,000 ounces of gold.
She left the Cape on the 9th ultimo, and for the
last nine days has been hindered by contrary winds.