The Express.
London, England, 1865-11-29 00:00:00

OUR CONTFZIPORARIRS.

A FAIR illustration of the difficulties attendt,
an impartial investigation of the working of the
Hou.seless Poor Act is furnished by the state-
ments and counter-etatements of the officials
of the parishes of Bermondsey and St. Claus's.
A few days ago it was stated in this
journal, partly on the authority of the master of
the Bermondsey workhouse, who was fully cor-
roborated by the subordinate officer there whose
duty it is to receive casuals, that at the neighbour-
ing workhouse of St. Olive's the orders were, not to
admit male tramps. The official returns of the
lest-named parish showed that bat one man had
been admitted in a week, against some eighty men
wbo bad been sheltered at Bermondsey ; and the two
facia were put into juxtaposition, that those in-
terested might institute inquiries, and the public
be satisfied as to the present operation of the
parochial system with reference to the Act.
The Poor-law Board took prompt cognisance of
the matter, and the result was a formal denial
from the St. Olive's master that " male paupers are
illegally sent away from these doors." " Since Ber-
mondsey have discontinued," wrote this officer, "the
practice of sending those tramps to me who have
previously applied to them, I have had no occa-
sion to refuse admission to any ; the accommoda-
tion at the present time is sufficient for all appli-
cants as night lodgers." Without questioning the
accuracy of this statement, or criticising the terms
in which it is couched, it was felt that in common
fairness the two workhouse masters should be
examined, and that of St. Oboe's, if possible, put
right with the public. With this view we made
another visit to these parishes yesterday evening.
The Bermondsey master reirated his former state-
ment, and again called inert
e house-porter as a
witness. Scarcely a night passed, we were assured,
that casuals were not admitted who alleged that
they had been refused admission at St. Cleve's.
When pressed as to the unsatisfactory nature
of this testimony, it was admitted that
refusals had not bean actually witnessed,
though the constant repetition of the same story
from different tramps, and the fact of those who
were sent to try again invariably coming back
shelterless, were insisted on as justifying the belief
so strongly entertained. Nor was this all. The
statistics of last week were quoted, and it was asked
with some show of reason, why, if the
same rules applied in each case, 88 men
should have claimed admission at Ber-
mondsey, while only 7 had been taken into
fit. Olive's 1 Compelled to be satisfied with asser-
tions and figurea, which if not convincing were at
least suggestive, we next visited St.,Olave's work-
house, previously inspecting for a second time the
new casual accommodation at Bermondsey. We
may here mention that the large new room here is
now habitable, though its arrangements are not
fully completed, and that the Bermondsey guardians
have adopted a suggestion we made the other day,
and are substituting stuffed for wooden pillows. \
The first thing we saw last night was a speci-
men leather pillow well crammed with shavings,
which had been sent in for the approval of the
guardians, and which was so arranged tW hat
this its con-
tents could be regularly changed. ith im-
provement, we repeat—not without careful re-
examination and critical comparison--that the
casual accommodation at this house is now among
the best in the metropolitan district.
St. Olive's Workhouse is some three minutes'
walk from that of Bermondsey, and our first care
en reaching it was to assure the master of our be-
lief in his statement, and our willingness to give
his parish its full doe for its care for bonsai's,
wanderers, and its observance of the law. That
any paupers, male or female, had been refused
admission was again positively denied, but the dis-
crepancy between the numbers returned here aid
at Bermondsey was explained in such a fashion as
to cast some doubt on the denial. It was urged
that as the two houses were within • few hundred
yards of each other, the floating vagrant popula-
tion must necessarily be of the same class ; and then,
purely for information, it weal. asked whyßermondsey
hould be so much more pop of the two. The
answer was that St. Olive's, being a smaller parish,
had much fewer claims upon it, and that purely
casual poor there were none I "Every applicant
for shelter here," added this master,with the energy
of a man repeating a truism, "is as well known
to me as my own brother ; he lives close by, and
has had the pariah money, and, as for wanderers,
we never see none." Whatever awkward inferences '
we might still be inclined to draw from the pub- I,
lisbed statistics, it was of course impossible to par-
sue the subject further, and our visit terminated
with a request to look at the usual wards. This
was politely but firmly refused. To-morrow morn-
ing, if we thought proper to come, the master would
be delighted, but jut now the parson was in the.
louse, it was time for prayers, the inmates ware
getting ready, and really it was impossible that the
wards could be shown. In vain we urged
that a momentary glance would suffice for our
purpose, that in the course of a wide experience
we had never met with a like refusal, that as it was
within a short time of the hour when they IMO
empposed to be open for the houseless, it would be
better on all grounds to allow us to look at them
new. The answer to each suggestion was " It's
set convenient," " I'm too busy," or, " I want to
stake ready for prayers." After fruitlessly suggest-

gars DAY.)

Tat NEWS IriOlt JA11•101.
The West India mail reached London this morn-
ing at an hour too late to admit of muds amaninatices and
comment on the part of the morning journals. Indeed.
only three of them refer to it ell.
The Times alludes to the enema of Governor Eyre to the
Jansaka Legislature, which is brought by this mail, but
deals chiefly with the general question of judging the officials
on insufficient evidence. II runs over the career of the
governor, who, it is known, la the Australian explorer, and
• man, the Times thinks, the least likely to be driven wild
with fright at the insurrection in Jamaica, or to allow him.
mit to be made a tool of the planters to gratify their party
Ithimeeities. The meeting at Manchester wee a meet unfair
prooeediog, though with its object as stated in the strict
terms of the requisition to the Mayor—viz., to ask for an
inquiry—the Times fully sympathise& With respect to
Mr. Gordon, it is content to wait till it Nee the evidence
es which he was convicted.
Is the hasty examination that the Daily Heirs has made
of the principal newspapers which hive arrived from
Jamaica, it has looked in vain for evidence in support of
the etatemsots originally put forward to justify the indis-
criminate massacres perpetrated by Colonels Hobbs and
Fyfe, or for the taking of Mr. Gordoe's life. It is to be
hoped that there is no truth fa the astounding statement
in Mr. Reuter's telegram, that 2,000 persons have been
executed as rebels, and that whole villages have been rased.
The colonial newspapers show that the plenty' and Govereor
Eyre were in • state of mind to believesnything and do any-
thing, but it is impossible that they can have exceeded all
the horrors and atrocities ever recorded as the acts of a
civilised people. Europe stands aghast at the reported
execution of 200 persons to avenge what there is every
reason to believe was only a riot, and we trust that the
lower number may prove the correct one. The Daily Neses
else gives some worm% of the pro:wadings at the interview
between the deputation appointed at the Manctiester meet:.
ieg and Earl Russell yesterday. Instead of being instantly
ordered off the premises (as it is understood the various
reporters of the London papers were), the deputation was
received with courtesy. Earl Russell was not surprised at
the deep and widesprimd concern which the news from
Jamaica had awakened, or insensible to the urgent neces-
sity of inquiry into the circumstances under which so many
of our fellow subjects have been slaughtered. The result
of the interview was to impress the deputation with Earl
Russell's anxious desire that justice shall be vindicated.
nor* is still, however, a work for public opinion to do.
it is the disposition of all governments to endorse se far as
I prestige what has been done, and to defend their own ser-
vants. No objection can be made to this feeling ; but the
laws of the empire. and the lives of the Queen's subjects,
and the honour of England mat not be sacrificed to official

tendernewe
The Herald alts upon the country to denounce with
general voice the " wretched libellers" who complain of •
want of clemency in Governor Eyre, or we shall get neither
soldiers nor statesmen for the future to defend or to govern
our colooiel possessions.
The Advertiser says :—" The intelligence just received
• it is evident, got np for this country tinder the auspiess
of the deposits government. It is, therefore, in mine
of iM parts to be received with cantioo. Among other
statements made is ens of great importance, if true. It is
ofErreed in positive terms—it is, indeed, even said to be
• proved'—that the earning Christmas was fixed as the
time for a general rising of the blacks against the white and
coloured population. We are not in a position to contro-
vert this statement,bat this we OM say, that if the asserted
proof of a general insurrection of the negroes in Jamaica,
es having been resolved to take place at Christmas, be in
the possession of the Government authorities' in that
island, no portion of it has yet been given to the public.
Bat even should such proof be in existence, and
be hereafter forthcoming, the fact will not constitute any
justification of the execution of Yr. Gordon, who had not
been convicted of any mime worthy of death. Convicted,
indeed, he could not be, because he had not been formally
charged with, nor tried for, any offence which could render
him, if found guilty, amenable to the extreme penalty of
the law. The facts connected with the unfortunate affair
will, it is certain, be all brought clearly out on the meeting
of parliament, if not before ; and, in the meantime, the
proper course for the country to adopt is to suspend its
opinion until the whole case is tally and fairly before It."

SPAIN AND
If the substance of the circular note which has been ad.
dressed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs at Madrid to
the various representatives of the Spanish government at
foreign mode is accurately stated in the telegram which
we published yesterday, it would certainly seem, observes
the Post, that it wee precipitate to assume that the remora•
drums of the French and English governments would
here the effect of inducing Spain to reoonsider the policy
which she has thought proper to pursue towards the
republic of Chili. The Spanish government, by according
approbation to Admire' Persia, show that what they
wanted was purely sad simply war, and war it evidently
intends to prosecute with vigour; taking foe granted,
after the precedent of the despoiling of Dogteeth, that
English and French intervention will not exceed the limits
of quiet complaint.
The Telegraph pictures Spain as acting Don Quixote to
the life, beginning with a candid with Morocco, motioning
with Peru and the Chiochas, and now, decline Europe still
11 unimpressed by the geese of her greatness, and resolved
to have another homoeopathic globule of "glory," piekiog
a quarrel with the week and defenceless republic of Chili.
But, thanks to the Chilies trade with Europe, we are all
immensely indignant with Spain. Paris and London pap ;
and Chili is to be saved from wrong bemuse she is so good
• customer. Honesty is beginning to pay, sad justice is
defended for the sub of bee dividends.
The Spanish sot% the Btsr thinks, leaves scarcely any
hops of a pacific settlement. This being so, Spain ought to
irs made aware that It is impossible foe England to
admit the validity of the Vookado, six waists
Islookading 2,000 mike.

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