The Express.
London, England, 1866-03-09 00:00:00

ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT
INSTITUTION.
The ANNUAL USUAL WANTING of this Institution will
be held at the London Tavern. Blpepos on TUESDAY
neat, the 12th hat, at 2 o'clock . The t Hon. Earl
nacY. r.c.. in the Chair. BIC JAWIN. LWOW.
le, John-Wreak Adolph& March 7. -

25 OLD BOND-STREET We Call and I
9 Startles Bank).—.f. W. BINBON. Watch and Clink
Maker to B.LIT. Me Prime of Stales. tasting roomieltaillillt
the above mapitioest Premier, invites as Inapaallaft 410-
ARTISTIC WORKA 000idalfteht=a= ,and BRONZES from
the ateliers of Italy, hen" and Ragland. Watches of era?
construction, Diamond sad Ana Gold Rending, Silver sad
Ilectro-Plate.

riIIIRTLE, TURTLE, TURTLE.
A. Mar Thick. sad Invalid TURTLE SOOTS alma n ready,
as err. JAANS-NALL, UGLIFY-er_ ,ILKAT PIOOADILLY.
WY DONALD, ?former.

LONDON moat have a SUPPER and MUSIC
ROOM for Goollomen. -Romozobor, we wait tar yea at
"rags." dee tie TMoisos.

IlLt PrefiS.

TO 00/121iPONDINTS.
utprr
tottoOrd tor " The 7=1.4,
ionondon
art b4:4, aer
ie. 10. Numbs

s.nAua.

TEIIII A BOXANTIC ATTACHMENT.—Weins. W.
linen and Cos lU : MIN Ads Oavandlies-11.1011118 'SAIL
Maws WON= sad Rack nano ; Ana Naltr Naar& —92PHIIIB
U( TER HAY MABLIT.—And MT HIIIIIBANIYS GHOST.

Tom LODCG IM i .—Ati which IT DI
BMW/ TOO LUTE TO KIND. Yews. ow
V G. Kelvins,
I. Used, D. Monty b. Calhasm, F. Villiers, J. G. O. Mar,
fax cad It Owiltaut ; Moss I. Yaws sod L Dodgem

LYOUTII.

Tim InsimaTlll ILLUSTRIOUS STRANGE& Er. IL
WUnicomb.-7Tal SWIM OP RAVSMS'Oop: Mow&

looktoir-.7OidAii, Vain, b, Enna:
Nesdacies Tama. Elnraity. Liviesq, 0. lacturel.

Tins.mr. TEE CASUAL WAID.—Mr. J. O. 7ads.—
Yls KoreIW—CIND6LILIA.--11L and Marne
TWI MOLL

HIDE WATIZ AT LONDON -WWI.
Tin DAY Mariam db. SUL.— Monism, Ob. 58fa,
To4goaaoW—• IlLeastag. 76. Oa. —..Aftesobs. lb. avA.

LONDON, FRIDAY. MARCH 9.

MISLPPILEHINSION of duty and perversion of fact
were unpleasantly prominent at the meeting of
metropolitan guardians held yesterday at St.
James's-hall. From the tone of some of the prin-
cipal speeches, an uninformed listener might have
easily inferred that anarchy set in with the House-
less Poor Act, and that prior to the occurrence of
that national calamity London was a Utopia where
unrelieved destitution was unknown, and where
the virtuous pauper was made cordially welcome
at the workhouse gate. Quotations were offered to
show how steadily the Poor-law Board had coun-
selled guardians firmly to resist laxity of
relief ; to avoid confusing the profligate
with the deserving poor ; and to be heed-
less of any outcry having a tendency to
stimulate imposture. It was made matter of
formal complaint that the obnoxious Act under
consideration ran counter to• all these wise and
statesmanlike precautions ; and those present were
called upon to discuss in no captious or hostile
spirit, but as citizens anxious for the common
good, the grave questions relating to our casual
poor.

After this lofty exordium, it was rather startling
to be told by the next speaker that those present
would probably never have been assembled bad
not Mr. FARNALL, as chairman of a preceding
meeting, presumed to limit discussion to the
objects for which the meeting was called. Had
parochial grievances been substituted for the diet
of casuals as a topic for conversation at the disor-
derly gathering a few weeks since at St. Martin's-
ball, the conclave of yesterday would have been un-
necessary. That Mr. Fse.w.u.i, should have dared to
invite the guardians to meet him In his capacity of
Metropolitan Inspector and not as locum tereens for
Mr. ViLuxiis, was petulantly objected to, and
one wandering speech terminated in the truism
that discrimination and supervision were germane

to the proper dealing with vagrants. The statistics
as to the number of "sneaks," thieves, pick-
pockets, and prostitutes in London, given from
the chair, were altogether beside the question, and
by their ability to satisfy the public demand for
discrimination and supervision in the management
of their casual poor the aggressive speakers of
yesterday must be content to stand or fall.
The gist of the arguments put forth by the
speakers affecting to represent the London guar-
dians, appeared to be, that the Holmium Poor Act
had increased vagrancy, and that guardians felt
incompetent to carry out its provisions without
injury to the community. It was, demonstrated
to the complete satisfaction of several experienced
gentlemen that the present wielders of parochial
authority were incapsble of dealing with the desti-
tute wanderers thrust upon them ; and it is not
for us to gainsay conclusions so convincingly ex-
pressed. It is only when the remedy for existing
evils is spoken of that thinking people will be
likely to differ from these " citizens meeting for
" the common good." The precautions so tri-
umphantly referred to as having been given by the
Poor-law Board have been in the hands of parish
guardians to adopt or neglect; but as a member
of the board of St. James's remarked pertinently
enough, these counsels must be read by the light
of common sense. " Discrimination," for example,
does not mean keeping a board with the inscription
" these casual wards are full" permanently fastened
over the door of a workhouse in which no casual
wards are provided ; and "classification" cannot
properly be defined as finding house-room for a
tenth of the number of starving people who apply,
and leaving the rest to spend the night in the
streets. This was the genial reading given to
these phrases before the simplicity of the Bounden
Poor Act roused public opinion into declaring that
guardians must do their duty ; and now that on,
streets are cleared of the shivering figures formerly
found there, it is sought to prove, per contra, that
crime is fostered and parochial benevolence im-
posed upon.

When men are found to declare in the face of
such narratives 114 we have recently given to the
public—such narratives as we repeat to-day—
that the pariah treatment of destitute wanderers
would be humane and kind but for the measure
they denounce, it is perhaps idle to treat their
other statements seriously. But as it was en-
deavoured yesterday to throw unworthy asper-
sions upon a valuable public officer, it may
not be out of place to refer to the manner
in which Mr. H. B. FARNALL has discharged
a very delicate and onerous duty with credit
to himself and advantage to the State. If
It be remembered that there are forty-one
workhouses in the district over which he has
sole charge, and that the inspection of these esta-
blishments forma but a portion of his functions,
the impossibility of contending against persistent
obstructiveness, or of personally ascertaining that
all promises of amendment are kept, will be
clearly seen. The governing bodies with which his
duties have brought him in mutest proclaim their
failure, but instead of confessing incompetence
look eagerly for a scapegoat—the lack of large dis-
trict wards ea fostering homes for vagrancy ; the
want of police-organization ; the Houseless Poor

Act, or the Poor-law Inspector theory, establish-
ment, or person, it matters little which, oo long