The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-14 00:00:00

THE FARNHAM WORKHOUSE INQUIRY.

At ten o'clock yesterday morning an investiga-
tion into the &bum alleged to have been existing in the
management of the Farnham workhouse was opened in
the board-room of the workhouse by Mr. Lambert, assisted
by Dr. Smith, the medical inspector of the Poor-law
Board. The guardians of the union assembled in full, and
were legally rep ted by Mr. Borrow ; and Mr. A. L.
Smith appeared in the support of the various allegations
on behalf of the proprietors of the Lancet newspaper. Dr.
Marti, and Dr. Stallard, the authors of the above report,
were in attendance, toer with Mr. Hawley, inspector
of the district; Dr. rnr, of Guildford ; Mr. Ernest
Hart ; Mr. Nicholson, chairman of the board, and a large
number of medical and other gentlemen residing in the
locality.
Mr. Lambert, in opening the proceedings, said be ap-
peared, in conjunction with Dr. Smith, for the purpose of
investigating a statement with reference to the manage-
ment and state of the Farnham workhouse which was
contained in the Lancet newspaper of the 19th ult., and
the object of the inquiry was to enable the Poor-law Board
to ascertain, by the examination of witnesses and an in-
spection of the workhouse by himself and Dr. Smith,
whether or not those allegations were true. The instruc-
tions from the Poor-law Board es to the mode of conduct-
ing the inquiry were read by the commissioner, who added
that in view of the inquiry not terminating that day, be
bad arranged for a sitting on each of the two following
days.
Mr. Smith said he appeared on behalf of the Lancet pro-
prietors for the purpose of substantiating some facts
which appeared in the columns of that paper on the 19th
of October. He did not intend going into the circuit..
danoes under which he was sent down, more than to state
exactly bow it was that the Lancet became 000nected with
the present inquiry. In 1865 two cases, in which the
pow -law administration was involved, those of Daly and
Gibson, appeared in the public papers, the result of which
was that Mr. Wakley, the then proprietor of the Lancet,
thought that workhouses in the metropolis were not what
they ought to be. A commission was accordingly issued,
comprising three doctors of eminence in their profession,
for the purpose of visiting the metropolitan infirmaries, to
I ascertain whether they were properly cared for and at,
tended to. Their circuit lasted for one year, and as from
lime to time those gentlemen visited the infirmaries, they
timed a report, which appeared in the columns of the
Lancet, and it was eventually found that the reports
effected much good, in stimulating the officers who had
control over workhouses, and others in charge of them.
It was therefore determined that the sphere should be
enlarged, and instead of confining the commissioner'. to the
metropolis, to extend their operations to all the country
workhouses in the kingdom. Under these circumstances
a oommission was sent out at the commencement of the

present year and in the course of their peregrinations
the oommiaiioners visited the workhouse at Farnham
on the 12th of October. Drs. Anstie and Stallard, the
gentlemen alluded to, were specially sent by Mr. Wakley
to ascertain whether certain rumours which had been in
circulation were true or false. Without going Into detail,
the commissioners would be able to show that the grossest
miamanagement existed in this workhouse. They found
that it was shamefully neglected, and that some of the
Official were incompetent to the duties they had to per-
form, especially as regarded the muter. The report writ-
ten by Dr. Anetie was fearlessly published, and its revela-
tions causedgreat sensation amongst the public. Mr. Smith
then referred to the salient parts of the Lancet e
which have already been before the public, and saidhe
proposed to call witnesses in eupportof the allegations con-
tained therein, adding that the case was not brought as •
charge against the guardians themselves, although they
must have had some knowledge of the facts from time to
time. Mr. Smith informed the commissioners, that in ad-
dition to the matters disclosed in the Lana( report, he
proposed to bring under their consideration the subject of
outdoor relief, • letter having been addressed by Mr. S.
Potter, by whom he was instructed, to request that the
commisaionen might deal with that subject during the pre-
sent inquiry.
Mr. Barrow objected, on the ground that he had received
no notice of this proposal, and Mr. Lambert expressed an
opinion that the matter was inconsistent with the present
inquiry. The subject was not therefore included in the
investigation.
Jane White, • paid nurse in the workhouse, was then
examined.

William Murphy deposed that he was 55 years of age,
and had been an inmate of the house for nearly four years.
He had from time to time been suffering from dropsy, and
when convalescent assisted the last witness in the per-
formance of her duties in the male apartments of the fever
and infirmary wards. The patients in the large wards
sometimes number ten, and three in the small wards, but
he had known 12 sick persons in the ward at one time. It is
full with ten patients. Only one round towel was formerly
allowed per week for the three wards. That was about three
years ago, but there are more now. Two years ago each
patient in the large ward had not a basin to wash in ; the
inmates washed themselves in the chamber utensil when
they were too unwell to go out into the yard. The house
was much cleaner since the present muter cams than
before.

Cross-examined—l am on the doctor's books now, and
ceased to be assistant nurse about a fortnight ago. I was
last "tapped" for dropsy about two years ago. When
complaint was made to Dr. Powell about the chamber
utensils being used for washing basins. an alteration was
made. Alter the utensils were used for the night they
were need for the purpose of webbing in, after being rinsed
in the yard, sometimes with cold water and sometimes
with hot. Witness did not complain, as be considered it
was not his place to do so. When Dr. Powell asked about
the basins Tithes' told him the particulars, and the alteration
was made immediately. Sometimes six or ten men were
seen washing themselves in the chamber utensils, which
were also used openly for carrying the water into the room.
The inquiry was then adjourned.