The Express.
London, England, 1848-10-24 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 24, 1848,

One most melancholy thoughts. The •eirea is filled with
men and women—many of them honest, and all unfortunate.
' No one here bat has a sad tabs to tell. The world has gone
wrong with all of them ; but hops has not leR their per.
turbated hauls. Their wives and sisters ppesrrhapseom,to
see them daily, and they go on In a daily dalliuee with hope
of deliverance which does nor fructify. Round the yard a
number of benches are placed : moo and women are seated
upon them. Though clearly husbands and wives, there is •
palatal mark of distinction about thug. The dear ermine
have evidently &seed themselves in their best and brightest
attire that they may look more cheerful than they are ;
to add no weight of sed refieetioa to that which already
preys upon their lords in duress. There are smiles—but
painfully sad ones—on their faces, and a forced sprightliness
of manner, which probably answers its considerate aim.
The men look for the most part stricken and woe begone ;
their dress is neglected; them' clothes ill put on and disor-
derly; some of the Menus are smoking Inc pipes with the
resigned and settled air of Orientals—they have app :sanely
ceased to struggle with their fate. They seem to be alone—
unvisited. Several of these persons have been locked up
here Ave, six, or seven years—and are no nearer their release
now than at their first crossing the threshold. Others of the
motley group are lounging jauntily about with a reckless
and deed-may-ewe manner; many are engaged in low and
earnest whisoen with their visiters, doubtless resolving various
pleas for effecting the one great object—liberation. Whether
meat to pity those wb• seem most dejected by their position
one knows not. For how much a person must have suffered
—how very dark must the wort I be to a man—before he can
cease to struggle to get tree, ere be can grow reconciled to
a living grove like this ! One had much better be trans-
ported than seat to this prison for seven or ten years. In
Australia, by indenty end good conduct, • convict may re-
deem himself, may recover a position, and amass wealth.
All that it quite impossible here. The poor debtor can do
nothing but waste his time—which, to an active nature, con-
sumes the brain as well. Looting on these polo and passion
less faces, where the brusque energy which can alone com-
bat sod conquer the obstacles which beset every man's path
in lite, seems lading away into utter supineness and idiom) ;
one can comprehend the siguificance of that strong phrase of
the relentless creditor—too often lightly spoken by those
who know not its terrible meaning—" Let him rot in gaol !"
Round this yard are the lofty walls of the prison, 'mild-
Inge several stories high. On one side is a large board, con-
taining a list of the benefactors of this portion of the prison.
There are similar benefactions to each ward. Am oigst
others, iNse from Nell Gwyune, whieh is still periodically
distributed in the shape of so many loaves of bread, attracts
attention. Them donations us now employed is hiring
some of the poorer of the prisoners to make the beds clean
the floors, and do other menial offices for the rest. Paining
through a door in the yard, we enter the day-room of this
ward. There an benches and tables down the sides, as in
some of Unclose, coffeehouses in London, and a large fire at
the end, at which each man cooks, or has cooked
for him, his victuals. On the well a number of
pigeon-holes, or small cupboards, are plated, tech
man having the key of one, and keeping therein his
bread and butter, tea and coffee, and so forth. These things
are all brought in. and no stint is placed upon the quantity
consumed. A man may Lye in the prison who has been ac-
customed to good living, though he cannot live well. All
kinds of luxuries are prohibited, se are also spirituous drinks.
R-ch man may have •pint of wine • day, but not more; and
elm, cards, and all other instruments for gaming are strictly
vetoed. Chess is, howeter, permitted, and to a chosen few
serves to relieve the tedium of • duresse which has no time-
' consuming occupation. This day-room—the best, perhaps,
in the whole establishment—is anything but agreeable.
Score-room, cooking-room, sitting room, dining-room, read-
ing-room, and smoking-room for about forty to sixty
persons : it is necomnly full of many scents, and is
a:11 but as foal as the streets of Cologne. Yet every man
who is sent hither, answering tone condition of the ward, is
compelled to take his share of the desapriments. There
are no private apertmeats—no means of getting either quiet
or privacy. The bedrooms are above, and arranged in long
chambers in like manner, sixteen or eighteen in a room.
8o that between the public dormitory, the public yard, and
the public dayroom, • man hat his choice ; in one or the
other he must find his retirement. And yet some of these
men are gentlemen,
The bedrooms are all badly ventilated. When the prison
is full it must be horrible to sleep in them. And the water-
closets are in a disgraceful condition. The sanitary com-
mission should instantly look to this particular. There is
abundance of water; yet, fir want of • little machinery,
there is only one flushing a day—sometimes not that. The
stench is exceeding disagreeable, and some of the drive's,
complain of it very much. The defect might be remedied
at an e x,.ense of ahw shillings, by adopting the apparatus
now in use at the Badmen and at several railway stations—
by which the opening and closing of the closet doer causes
a flush of water to fall into the pan.
The other we:dears in general character much like the Mid.
diem:, and the one description will therefore serve for all.
We will notice only the difference. The Poultry and Gilt-
spur-street ward is occupied by city debtors who arc not
freemen. The Ludgate ward by City debtors who an free.
men. There are very few in the latter ward—only seven at
present; and it is the wealthiest in donations. In the
dietary ward those persons an placed who are unable
to maintain theausleec Here is the saddest sight of
en. Most of thus persons are to for very small sums
indeed, and the het of their acc,pting the prise. diet is the
beet proof of their poverty. The county allowance, le, how.
ever liberal, coexisting (for males) of 10Ib. Bon. of wheaten
bread ; 11b. 0 tz. of cooked meat, without bone; 211,. of
potatoes, cooked ; 3 pints of soup; and 14 plots of oatmeal
gruel p. r week ; the total out of which is 4s. 3d. per head.
The females have rather less bread, end cocoa instead of
gruel, the cost being 4s. Id. per head. This ward is lull of
miserable objects, and the effluvia of tobacco, cooking, and
confined air in the day-room are almost overpowering. These
day-rooms ought to be improv. d. The cooking in them
should be done elsewhere, smoking in them ought to be pro-
, hibited (let the disciples of the fragrant weed enjoy it in
the open yard, where it would be less offensive to non-
smokers) ; and the floors and tables should be scoured more
frequently than they appear to be now.
The remand ward is the most strictly kept in the gaol,
The inmates are compelled to take the prison diet. Re-
mands, commitments for fixed periods for contempt of court,
and fraudulent debtors, are sect hither. The diet is the same
as that last described. The female ward is attended by a
matron—and the debtors therein have not permission to ree
ceive the visits of their male friends or relatives. They may,
however, speak with them through an iron grating.
There is nothing like order or discipline in this prim.
The inmates de much as they choose: No restraint, except
in extraordinary cases of insubordination, is placed uoon
their acts or conversation. The governor is responsible for
their personal safety, but nothing further, except—and he
has no authority to deal with them unless their
laf:trentepclacemesstalibearefruttr:l,:tod imperilled— as
patty u
when i
ab . f° i h
solitary s a a lda's
cinopnofiwe.xeer:
Mai, in a very cold, unpleasant, underground cell, for
forty-eight hours, giving him for nourishment only bread and
water. This is seldom necessary. The defense have eo
mush latitude allowed them, that they can have scarcely a
wish he sere. Letters are sent out for every post. Several
=the month* journals me taken in, and books are
el Mines. There is a workroom in the dietary
lward far enele es prefer to work at their trades. Very few do
ao. People be net like tli sead their week, tailoring, noe-
ta, lan a poi; mai Shoes who try to support
that smelly ha.

EPPING FOREST.—CURIOUS DISCLOSURES.
A verderer's court for the royal forests of Waltham,
Epping, and Hainault, otherwise the Essex Forests, was
held yesterday, at twelve o'clock, at the King's Head Inn,
at Chigwell. The court was one of attachment, not a swain.
mote the difference being, that at the former offences
against forest laws are presented, whi.st at the latter they
are heard and determined. The verderere present were,
Mr. Conysre, lir. Maitland, and Mr. Geo. Palmer, jun.,
the fourth verdicts, Mr. Lockwood, being absent. Mr.
Cutts, solicitor, attended as varderer's steward and clerk of
the court. This gentleman is also lord warden's steward,
y ab.virtue of appointment of the Earl of Monington, who
the hereditary rangership of the !brut; and he is
understood to have a considerable personal interest in the
estates nomically ipossemed by his lordship in Emmy and
elsewhere.
.

The circumstances under which this court was held were
somewhat peculiar. By forest law and siege the verderers
of a forest should hold an attachment court every 40 days,
three of such courts in each year being also swainmotes. In
msence, however, of remarkable circumstances con-
nected with Waltham Forest the courts there have been
=sally few and far between. Up to 1843 no courts wrat-
ever had boas holden there for 17 years. From that time
there were courts until the month of August, 1844, when
the last meeting was somewhat curiously and hastily brought
to a close. The commoners and freeholders have been ex-
tremely anxious for the renewal of the verderers' meetings,
but no step to assemble those officers was taken from
1841 until August in the present year, when they
were called together under some pressure, it is
understood,
-from ths Commimioners of Woods and Forests.

It soptan;howevar, that at that court the stewari m clerk
declined to act unless paid fur his attendance, and that no
one was prepared with Inn& either to meet such demand or
to defray other necessary and incidental charges. Under
them ciscamstances a good dell of talk ensued, but nothing
was done, until some days vim a communication was re-
ceived fro, the Commissioners of Woods to the effect, that

they would bay all the wets of holding the court, provided it
was held. These circumstances having given some ielat to
the mission, the room in which the meeting was held,
was yesterday tilled with gentlemen interested in the
(meet or in the property adjacent to it, among whom are
some of the moat influential persons in this division of Essex.
Then was Mao sleep attendance of forest officers and pu-
mas interested in the rights of pasturage and common. The
Commissioners of Woods and Forests were represented In
the court by one of the clerks from Messrs. Pemberton,
Crawley, and Gardiner's office, who took laborious notes for
the use of hie employers.
The court having been opened by the usual proclamation,
the clerk was called upon to reed the list of forest officers.
Tnis first proceeding showed the state into which the forest
affairs have fallen, for it appeared that the majority of
master keepers whose names are on the roll were deceased,
and that consequently the different walks have been for Pale
time under no respowible control.
The under-keepers were then severally called upon to
make their presentments. Most of these officers were aced—
in some instances they were decrepid—men. Few of them
were fitted for the duties of forest-rangers, and probably
one active poacher would have " the entire hody.
The first presentments were for encroachments and tem-
p.'s. They were all of an extremely trifling character.
Generally the complaints were of enermehments by reason
of h. dieing, tensing, or ditching, and there was not a single
represeetation of trespass by reason of erecting villa or cut-
ting down timber on crown property, practices welch ap-

pear by the n pert of Lord Duncan's committee, and by the
result of a recent legal investigation, to be very rife in this
royal demeans,
The second clam of present:nests was for poaching and
hamming the deer. The priecipal charge ender this bud
was against Mr. Forster, jun., a gentleman connected. we
believe, with the firm of Sir J. W. Lubbock and Co.,
baskerii, who was presented for sporting without notice given
on several days in August, September, and October. Mr.
Fonter, who was in court, denied the chair, which ori-
ginated, he mid, in the malice borne to him by certain
keepers whom he hadpressated to the Woods and Forests and
to the magistrates of the county on several different occa-
sions, for killing gams without mesas themselves, and per-
mitting their relatives and friends to sport over the tenet
without proper leave. For himself he had dose nothing
which his deputation from the chief commiselorier did not en-
title him to do, and he could prove by his gams-book
that he had not killed a bird on several of the
days presented by the keepers, and that he bad
never gone out without either sending a written notice
to the keeper of his intention overnight, or sending a verbal
message by his servant early in the morning. He admitted,
however, having killed rabbits without giving notice, and
sail he should do so again, for although, as he understood,
the keepers claimed the rabbits as their property, he denied
their title to them, and believed every one had a perfect
right to kill them who might meet with them. Mr. Forster
then produced a letter he had received from Mr. Gardiner,
the solicitor to the Woods and Forest., intimating to him
that if he would represent to the office any keeper who did
not do his duty, the salary of such keeper would be
stopped by the commiuionere and Mr. Forster stated
his intention of making several such represeatatione
forthwith. This announcement led to a scene of some con-
fusion—the keepers being apparently not a little surprhed.
The verderen next proceeded to all upon those gentle-
man who had deputations from the Woods and Forests to
shoot in the forest to produce the 'Arne for the purpose of
enrolment. Several gentlemen handed in such deputations,
among others Mr. W. Cotton, Mr. Vigne, Mr. Mills, Mr.
Forster, Mr. Palmer, and Mr. Howley, of the Mint —The
commissioners then retired to a private room to consider the
same, and on re-appearing their clerk announced, with some
formality, that they had directed all of them to be enrolled.
This enrolment we understood to take place upon the pay-
ment of a fee of some amount. It was cated in court that
the affectation of the verderers to decide upon the deputa-
tions was an assumption of • right which is not vesfed in
them, as such documents have been decided by the court to
have full force despite anyobjection by this body, although to
enforce their due recognition is, of course, a proceeding
attendee with expense.
The next proceeding was to call upon the forest-keepers to
give an account of the deer in their respective walks. Not
one of these, however, was able to give any account, except
by guess. A very rough estimate was made by one keeper
that there were 100 brace of deer in all the forest, and ano-
ther said ho thought he might have 70 or 80 brut in his
walk ; hut they all admitted that they knew very little of
the matter.

A verderer then inquired if any of the forest reeves (or re-
ganders, as they are elsewhere called) were present. The
verderer's steward said they ought to attend, but he could not
call them, for he did not know who they were. A copy-
holder remarked that it was of the highest importance to the
body be represented that these officers should attend to make
their reports. They were elected by the parish vestries to
guard the rights of commoners, and to see that no cattle
were improperly permitted en the forest.—A verderer asked
how they were appointed.—Tbs steward said after election
by the vestries.they were presented to that court, and then,
atter being sworn, received an appointment by warrant of
the lord-warden. It was here intimated that several of the
reeves were present, and they wee: requested to come forward.
The first who appeared said he had acted u reeve, but bad
never been presented to that court, and had never been
sworn —Steward : Then take hold of the book and I'll re-
move the difficalty.—The man was sworn accordingly, as
were some others in the ume predicament.
The reeves being ',lied if they had any presentments to
make, said they had none. A man here stood forward aad
said, in a loud voice. " The reeves are afraid to do their
duty. They are afraid to say anything. Why don't they
present Mr. Conym ? He has enclosed land opposite my
house, so as to narrow the way so much that I end my
children are afraid of our lives every time we go into the
road. My name is Ben. Jenkins."—Mr. Maitland: "If
you state the facts quietly, the reeves will protect von " '
Jenkins continued to attack Mr. Conyers on account of several
private as well as public grievances. At last, Mr. Conyers,
addressing him, said, " Why, my dear Jenkins— "Jenkins :
" Oh! don't dear me. But I say no more. I'm afraid
of you."

Thine sane concluding the routine business of the day, '
Mr. Davie, a county magistrate, residing at Leytonstone,
said that he wished, before the court broke up, to call atten-
tion to a matter which he considered of very serious import.
sane. Within the last few days a very extraordinary notice,
headed with the ral arms, and signed by the three Com-
mis•ioners of Wood. and Forests, had been extensively circa-
lated. He read it, u follows :
WkI.IILAX, HAINAITLT, Oa Erelllo POLlOM—Nolice is hereby even,
that the information of The Attorney-General e. Rafted_ ha
been inv. rt..(wad v.. ...•••• on the ard end 4th
ultimo, and a verdict found em the Crown-an ie.....
claiming encroachments on the add forest made prior to the itt day
of January, 1847, are hereby requited withbs one month front the
date hereof, to Inunotit to the Oommiesioners of her Y s Wood.,
Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings, at their amoa, No. 11,
Vebitalall.plice, Westminster, the full putionlare of such encroach-
MOMS, terms.. with an offer to purchase the rights of the crown, in
and over the same, at • fell and fair prim' and any person or persons
Wam or claiming enamebmente on thr said forest, who Mall refuse
or neglect to amply with this nodes will be tvict.d from the poems.
don thereof. And mace is hereby further given, that any person or
persona who Mall hereafter presume, under any pretence, to encroach
upon any portion of the waste of the said forest will be pre...muted, and
the knees of the encroachments so made, or attempted to be made,
together with any mellow thereof, will be prostrated.—Dated thin
30th day of dept., 11118.—Moarerw, A. Mims, amuse A. Goes,
Oommiseloners of her Majesty's Woods, Forests, Land Revenges,
Works and Buildlogs.- of Woods, Re., 2, Whitehall-piaor,
Wesuninster.

Now this notice, Mr. Davis said, wee to him very extraor-
dinary, the more so as he believed it to be entirely illegal.
He had been at scone pains to try and discover precisely what
were the powers of the Crown in the Forest, and how far
they possessed the fee simple of it. He had arrived at the
conclusion that they did possess what was called the vent,
bat that that was subject to the powers of the act 10Geo. IV.,
e. 66, by which the legislature bad directed that the proceeds
of forests were to be applied in a particular way, and had
expemaly determined how all easel of encroachment and
trespass were to be treated. Under the 100th sec ion of that
act it was declared that all encroachments were first of all to
be presented to the Attachment Courts, and that in case the
party proceeded against should dispute the boundary, tLen
that the verderers shall not proceed to conviction, but shall
certify the presentment to the Attorney-General. Now the
Woods and Forests, by their notice, threatened persons in
possession of land, which they might claim, with immediate
eviction, unless within one month they offered to purchase
the rights of the crown. But this was not all. The crown
could not tell its rights without also selling the rights of the
copyholders and commoners, and those rights the verderers
were especially elected to guard and protect. Mr. Com-
missioner Milne, in his evidence before the Hoare of Com-
mons, had admitted that the settlement of the question as
between the crown and the trespassers, would not settle the
question as between the crown and the oimmoners. He
concluded by calling on the verderers, whom he coquette
lated on again assembling, to protect the rights they were
elected by the freeholders to guard. (Cheers.)
Mr. Conyers said he did not see what they could do in
the matter. It did not come formady before them in any
shape.
Mr. Palmer, jun., said he had a letter from Mr. Commis-
sioner Milne regarding trespassers.
Mr. Conyers.—Well, that's a letter to you. No each
letter his bean sent to me. They think it's enough, I sup-
pose, to send it to you ; you're the great man.
Mr. Mills suggested that• it was probably cent to Mr.
Palmer to be lead berme the verderers.
Mr. Conyers—Well, there's a gentleman here from the
Woods and Forests—perhaps he can tell all about it.
The gentleman referred to said he knew nothing of the.
notice or the letter. He had not sees them before that morn-
ing, and they did not come from his dt partment " You
must be aware, sir," he remarked, " that many things are
done in the Woods and Forests that do not come under notice
in our department." (Great laughter.)
Mr Palmer, jun., remarked that he really thought the
eerdtrers might fairly be called on to prevent encroachments
as well by the crown aa by any ot" era. The crowe's light to
alienate the land at all was a great question.
Mr. Conyers.—The question is one for a judge. lam not
a judge. (Laughter.)
Mr. Archibald Watts urged that it wee the verderers' duty
to protect the rights of the commoners against the crown as
well as ageing others. The crown could not forego its rights
without injury to the commoners, and the commoners must
be proterted.
Mr. Mills said the rights of the lords of manors would be
equally infringed by the course now attempted to be pur-
sued by the crown.
A Commoner remarked that the lords cf manors them-
selves infringed the rights of commoners by eniranchising at
their Homage Courts.
Mr. H. Palmer, recurring to the question, again urged
the verderers to do their duty by protecting the commoners.
Mr. Maitland thought the application_ to the verderers
premature.
Mr. Conyers.--So I say ; it is pr?mature, certainly. Let
the Woods and Forests evict anybody, an i then come to us
if you like ; but at present any application i. premature.
Mr. Bingley.—But what arc the commoners to do in
the meantime ?
Mr. Conyers—Aye, that's a question I caeca answer.
(A laugh.)
Here the conversation dropped, and soon after the court
adjourned for forty days.