The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-21 00:00:00

OLOUCE.S7I:R.SIIIRF.

THE BEIM LLEY ''FA;tII.Y DIFFERENCE..—(From our
Bristol corretimmlent.)—The quarrel between Earl Fitz-
bardinge and his brothers continues to be a general topic
of cony:nation among all classes in this city, and different
rumour. arc current as to the cause in which it originated.
Considering the present character of the county constituen-
cies, and the influence which, under the tenant at will
system must be pc,ssessed by the landlords, it is not at all
unlikely that the proud Baron of Berkeley will accomplish
his threat of ousting his brother Grantley : but his threat-
ened withdrawal of his influence from the member for Bristol
is looked upon by all claws here as the most idle bit of
bombast possible. Lord Fitzhardinge could not at the utmost
intim nee ball-a-dozen sohy in the entire constituency of
Bristol. lle has neither been munificent nor courteous
enough to make friends, and the little respect he does possess
i of a 'secend-hlntled character, arising rather nut of his
being the brother of our member, who is really popular, than
from nny uteri!. of his own, Lord Fitzhardinge had better
not trouble himself about Bristol ; he will find any effort he
can make to ovetkule or influence the electors as futile as his
threat is paltry anti absurd.
_ NORFOLK.
. .

A MEV:TIN° orTrsa,T 17.titZ;itS was held in Norwich
on Saturday lest, to hear a deputation from the " Total Re-
peal Malt-tits Association," explaining the principle, and
ohjecta of that society. The attendance was numerous, and
after several speeches bad been delivered, the farmers pre-
sent agreed to a resolution condemnatory of the malt-tax,
and favourable to the agitation for its repeal.
SUFFOLK.

Tat' One. c \ n, ANI;;;;;IIPAUFER IN THE RISRO-
ROI:OH UNION.-11AVERIIILL, TrESDAY EVYNING.—This
day, at one o'clock, Sir John Welchem, Bait, the assistant
Poor-law commissioner for Suffolk and adjacent counties,
met a ',cry numerous meeting of the guardians attached to
Ace Hisicorough Union, at the Haverhill workhouse, for the
purpose of inatitutiug an official inquiry into the treatment
of the dereasod John Webb, late a pauper in the union,
whose ill-a age '4 a- the subject of much condemnation of the

• coroner's jury who recently investigated his death. After
some conversation on points of form, between the aasiatant-
eo:nrnissioner, the clerk to the board of guardians, and Mr.
Jackson, the solicitor for the family of IVebb, the deceased
pauper, Mr. S. S. 0. Eastcott, medical officer of the union,
was called. He deposed that Slater acted as nurse in the
union. There had been two females acting as nurses, but
they were discontinued. Slater possessed no peculiar quali-
fication for nurse; he had acted in that capacity for about
three years. As medical offiaer, he had had no occasion to
complain of Slater's conduct to the poet.. None of the poor
complained ever of being ill-treated by Slater ; at least be
never heard of such being the case. Such complaints were
not made to him. Upon two occasions he observed, in con-
sequence of what Slater said, that the paPient, John Webb,
had been injured. The old man (Webb) was childish
and imbecile. Witness did not believe hint to be a
lunatic in the sense of the term used in the act
recently passed with reference to such patients, and
he did not think ho was in such a state as to require him to
be removed to such an whim as those named in the act.
There are no such parties now in the house or infirmary, nor
have there been any removed within the last three months.
Elizabeth Grainger was removed, but that was before any
thing was said about Webb's case. He knew nothing of the
fact, as deposed to in the statement of Hirrcll, as to dragging
the man Webb up-stairs by • rope, as stated by that youth at
the inquest before the coroner.—The Assistant-Commissioner.
Were the medical books in your daughter's handwriting,
and not signed by yourself, acknowledged by you?—Mr.
Eastcott: Yes, for they are looked over by me daily, and
admitted as correct, before my daughter makes them up from
the memoranda I have of certain facts which come under my
notice during the day. They are always compared by me
before they are sent in to the Board of Guardians. Every
entry in the " Medical Return Book" is in my daughter's
handwriting, but they have all been examined by me. W.
Smith, of Birdbrook, an insane person, whose name appears
there, has left. We only had him here one week.—The
Rev. W. hicks, chaplain of the Risborough Union: Had no
reason to complain of Slater's conduct. Would not say
by any means that Slater might not have used such lan-
guage, or acted in the way sworn by parties at the late
inquest. I have encouraged Slater's kindness by many pre-
sents at different times, far his humanity to the poor sick
paupers confided to his charge.—J. P. S. Hall, Esq., one
of the guardians, was next examined : When Mr. Jack-
son informed him of the charges against Slater, he could
scarcely believe it. He then went and saw Webb in the
infirmary. There was a bruise on Ilia head at the back.
Slater was there at the time. Ile inquired of him what was
the matter with his head ; to which he made answer,
"Pooh ! Pooh!" Witness then inquired whether they
were all satisfied with the treatment they received in the
infirmary. They answered they were.—lt being here ne-
cessary to take the statement of some of the paupers in the
infirmary, Sir J. Waltham, and several of the guardians, and
the reporter, proceeded to the ward, where the following par-
ticularswere taken :—William Hammond, a pauper, lying in
the infirmary, said that he had been nine or ten years in the
union. Did not recollect " Punch Webb." A short time after
he broke his leg in the union, he was pushed down in the
garden. Slater did not do it. Did not know Slater, the
nurse. (The poor fellow exhibited the strongest symptoms
of imbecility.) Thomas Metcalf was asked a few questions,
but bring paralytic and otherwise infirm, he was unable to
give the slightest evidence. In fact, the whole of the inmates
appeared to be in a. in'erior a condition.—Abraham Big-
more, a pauper, who said that he had been eight years in the
workhouse, was desired to give evidence. On the commis-
sioner teneering him a bible, to swear to the truth of his
testimony, he observed, "I'ray don't let me take an oath."
This part of the proceeding was consequently dispensed with.
He then said that he had seen Slater slap Webb's face now
and then. He had heard Slater swear.—At this juncture of
the proceedings, in consequence of the lateness of the hour,
the report was despatched, so as to meet the train.—The in-
quiry is not likely to close until past midnight.

ANOTHER SHAMEFUL ATTEMPT TO THROW A TRAIN OFF
THE LINE w•ax made on Sunday evening last. On the train
which left Chelmsford at 8 in the evening nearing legate-
stone Station, a slight obstruction upon the rail was felt, and
upon examination it was found that an iron chair had been
wilfully placed across it, but was fortunately crushed by the
weight of the engine. A porter there happily took the pre
caution to examine the rails some little distance upwards,
when he found several other chairs similarly placed with the
like villainous intention.

....-.-- ....-....-...
lb:1.111AL OP INTERMENT AT BAREINO.—On Sunday
last an extraordinary degree of excitement was occasioned in
the above place, in consequence of the Rev. Mr. Denton,
curate of Barking, refusing to inter the body of the late
Mrs. Rushton. Due information had been given that the
funeral would be at the church at 3 o'clock; but, when the
proce,sion arrived at the churchyard gates ( which are
usually kept open on Sundays), they were found closed, and
after stopping same time in the road, the mourners were
obliged to retrace their steps. The deceased had been visited
during her illness by one of the Plymouth Brethren, which
circumstance, among others, it is supposed, gave offence to
the vicar and curate. The body of Mrs. Rushton remains
still uninterred.—/;lobe.