The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-14 00:00:00

TWO DEATHS BY STARVATION.

An inquiry was held by Mr. John Humphreys,
NMken Coroner, at the Duke of Wellington Tavern,
North-street, Bethnal-green, last evening, touching the
death from want of Sarah Taylor, aged 49 years.
Joseph Taylor, 11, Mount-place, Bethnal-green, saidtbat
be was now a general dealer, but when he married the
deceased he had 1,700/. and she had 9001. They were
then prosperous tradespeople, but through losses in business
they fell into distress, and four years ago they came to
live in Pleasant-place. The earnings of himself, his wife,
her grown daughter, and two children (one of whom was
aged ten and the other two They
were 15a. a week, and
sometimes nothing at all. They paid 4s. 6d. a week rent.
They bad animal food once a for night or once in three
weeks, when a relative, a butcher, sent them a joint of
meat. They endured great privations and misery, but
never applied to the pariah. Deceased had a dread of the
workhouse, and said that she would do anything rather than
enter it. She got ill, but she would not have the parish
doctor. He got her what he could ; but her chief diet
was bread and a little tea. She could not eat latterly.
Last Tuesday morning alit got worse ; he sent for a doctor,
bet she died soon after.
Grace Bruce, daughter of the deceased, corroborated the
last witness, and said that her mother bad not enough of
nourishment ; but she would not go to the workhouse for
fear of breaking up " the home."
After other evidence the jury returned a verdict, " That
deceased died from natural causes, but that her death
was accelerated by want of proper food and by privations ;
and the jurors also say that the premises where the de-
ceased died are in a moat disgraceful state, and are unfit
for human habitation, and they request the Coroner to
communicate with the proper authorities on the subject."
Mr. Humphreys held an inquest at the Wellington
Tavern, Cannon-street-road, relative to the death of Mary
Donohue, aged 42 years. The deceased lived with her two
daughters at No. 2, New-court, St. George's-in-the-East,
andthey supported themselves by making shirts at 1 jd. and
2d. each (finding their own thread). By working all night
three nights in the week they sometimee " did well," and
earned lOa. a weekamongst them. A month ago the mother
fell ill, and the daughters could onlyesrn 3s. or 4s. • week in
all. On Thursday last the relieving-officer went to them
of his own accord, and Dr. Belcher was sent for. Food
and medicines were ordered for the deceased, and as there
was no bed for her to lie upon she was removed to the
workhouse. She was removed rather against her will,
however, as she said that she had not clothes to go there
in. She died directly she was planed on the workhouse
bed. She had got meat twice from the parish recently.
Dr. G. S. Belcher said that deceased was attacked with
, bronchitis. She died from syncope.

The Coroner having rammed np
The jury returned a verdict of " Death from syncope,
accelerated by privations and want of sufficient nourish•

malt."

Their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and
Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strata and • distinguished
party dined with the Earl and Countess Vane last evening
atHoldernesse House. The countess later in the evening
received a select party.

Earl Russell had a parliamentary dinner yester-
day evening, at his residence in Chesham-place. There
were present—Lord Eliot, Lord E. Howard, Sir Morton
Peto, Sir Jno. Johnstone, Sir W. Russell, Sir Edward
baring, Colonel Kingscote, Colonel Grenville, Mr. Graham,
Mr. Roberts,, Mr. Biddulph, Mr. Cogan, Mr. O'Reilly,
Mr. Fordyce, Mr. Forteseue, Mr. Robertson, Mr. C. Fors.
ter, Mr. Akroyd, and Mr. More. _ _

The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer and Mrs. Gladstone received the Duke of
Devonshire, the Earl of Morley, Viscount and Via.
countess Amberley, Viscount and Viscountess Fal-
mouth, Lord and Lady Wharneliffe, Lord and Lady Ed.
ward Cavendish, Lord Harris, Lord Richard Cavendish,
Lord Charles Scott, Count Strzeleeki, &c., at dinner last
evening, at their mansion on Carlton House-terrace
later in the evening Mn. Gladstone received a small and
early party.
_

_ . .
The Earl Cowley left town last evening by the
Emil train for Paris.

Last night Miss Burdett Coutts had a concert at
her house in Piccadilly. There was a very large number
of her friends present, as it waa supposed to be the last
party in town, but Miss Coutts will shortly give a series
of afternoon parties at Holly Lodge similar to those of last
year.

Viscount and Viscountess Sydney received at
dinner yesterday evening, at their residence in Cleveland-
square, his Excellency the Prussian Ambassador and
Countess Bernstorff, the Earl and Counter of Dalkeith,
the Earl and Countess Percy, Viscountess Stratford de
Reilcliffe, Viscouut and Viscountess Holmesdale, Lord
and Lady Rokeby, Count Pahlen, Lord Henry Gordon
Lennox, the Right Hon. \V. F. and Mrs. Cowper, Hon.
Robert Grosvenor, and Mr. Hayward.
To-morrow, Mr. Baillie Cochrane proposes to call
the attention of the House of Commons to the increasing
influence of the trades unions.

Mr. Hodgkinson, to-morrow, will ask the Presi-
dent of the Board of Trade whether, in order to mitigate
the inconvenience arising from the recent failures of bank-
ing and discount companies, her Majesty's government will
bring in a bill to enable the official liquidators of such com-
panies, when in the course of liquidation under the Joint
Stock Companies Act, to issue to depositors and other
creditors certificates of indebtedness, and to render such
tertificates, and the debts thereby certified, transferable by
indorsement.

Lord Dunkellin gave notice on Tuesday evening
of his intention to move that rateable, and not annual
letting, value be the ground of qualification for the borough
franchise. Mr. Bovill proposes the adoption of 8/. instead
of 7/. as the limit. Mr. Wulpole will recommend that the
direct payment of rates by the occupier shall be maintained
u • necessary condition of qualifying as • voter. Mr.
Sandford and Mr. Yorke are in favour of reducing the
franchise in the larger boroughs only, differing, however,
In their definition of • large borough. One member pro-
poses to reduce the qualification of the lodger fr.inchise
from 10!. to 71., and another liberal metropolitan represen•
ta tive would make the rental of 101. sufficient, whateve
items it covered. With regard to the dockyard mes, the
Ouurcellor of the Exchequer proposes to save the privileges
of those who are on the register, while Mr. Charles Bux-
ton is in favour of enfranchising all the officers of the
Customs and Inland Revenue Departments who have been
hitherto disqualified from becoming electors. On the other
hand, there is a suggestion on the notice book for putting
an end to the clans of freemen electors, saving the rights
of those who are now voters.