The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-11 00:00:00

THE MANSION-HOUSE BELIES' COMMITIME.

Yesterday at a meeting of this committee (the
Loan MATOB presiding), on the motion of the Rev. W.
Rogers, rector of Bishopegate, seconded by Sir M. Wells,
a resolution was unanimously adopted to the effect that in
the opinion of the oommittee the distribution of the
5,0001. v cued by them for the maintenance of orphans
would be materially facilitated if, as soon as the Bishop of
London's Relief Assoclation had matured their schemes,
and settled she amount they proposed to distribute, they
would kindly inform the Mansion-house Committee what
sum they meant to apply to that purpose, and what pro-
portion to each district.
The disease having now almost wholly abated, the com-
mittee are now principally engaged in the relief o: con-
valescents and orphans, through the agency of the local
committees, and it is their intention, as soon as circum-
stances shall permit, to wind up their affairs, and then,
the emergency passed, to withdraw from the position they
were called upon to assume on the occasion as almoners of
the public bounty to the extent of between 17,0001. and
18,0001., presenting, first of all, a rigid account of their
stewardship, as a duty they owe to the subscribers to the
fund, and applying any surplus that may remain to the
further support of the orphans.
Mr. R. B. WADE, addressing the meeting, said a letter
had been published on Saturday signed " Q.," of which
he thought it behoved them to take some notice. It was
to the effect that a statement had been made on authority
which admitted of no doubt, that the Mansion-house
Co.amittee had sent, or assisted in sending, a number of
convalescent cholera patients to the convalescent institu-
tion at Walton-on-Thames. These patients, the writer
said, took with them a certain amount of cholera in-
fection or poison, and as Walton-on-Thames was just
above the source whence the water companies took their
supplies for distribution to the me:ropolis, it required no
great amount of acumen to estimate, nor of susceptibility
to be alarmed, at the fearful consequences which must be
the result of that proceeding. It was hardly necessary
for him (Mr. Wade) to say, as a member of the Mansion-
house Committee, that no grant had been made by
them to the Walton Convalescent Institution, and
that none had been asked for or required. He might
state from his knowledge of that institution that
the whole of the patients admitted there invariably
underwent an examination by its own medical men at the
offices in flockville.street before going to Walton. There
were at present 230 ordinary convalescent patients in the
Home, all of whom bad been so examined before they
were permitted to go there. Patients recovering from any
infectimie disease in particular...aro epoeielly ......rood by
the medical officers of the institution, and the going to
Walton with respect to such of them as to whom the
slightest doubt existed in the minds of those officers was
always deferred for two or three weeks. He might also
remark that the institution was a considerable distance
from the Thames, and that the sewage from it did not
drain into the Thames. No danger, therefo-e, could have
arisen from drainage, even if cholera convalescents had been
sent there by that oo.nmittee. Since the outbreak of
cholera only 12 convalescent patients had been
received into the institution, and that on sub-
scribers' letters alone, and some of them had
left, greatly benefited by their residence there. No it -
convenience of any description had arisen from those pa-
tients going there. The general health of the inmates was
perfectly satisfactory, and he regretted very much that
the writer of the letter in question did not apply to some
of the authorities or medical officers of the institution
for information beforehand, because its publication had
caused a meat panic in the neighbourhood, and also
tended to reflect on the management of the Home, which
had never before been called in question.
The LORD MATO3 said the public had all along been
kept exceedingly well informed as to the proceedings of
the Mansion-house committee, and they knew that it
was quite opposed to the principle on which the com-
mittee had acted to glee grants to institutions of anykind.
They had invariably refused to dose. They had dispensed
the money placed at their disposal through the agency of
local committees composed of many of the principal in-
habitants of each district, and the arrangement had
worked extremely well. Those committees had done any-
thing but send convalescents to institutions. On the con-
trary, they had thought it desirable, and he held they
were right, to afford the poor people recovering from the
disease, the means of obtaining good food and fresh sir.
Ile thought it was a mistake when a man was stricken
down to talk to him about morality, religion, and other
humanizing agencies, for they all sank before an empty
stomach. The committee had to dead with masses, not
with individuals, and when the poor creatures who had
suffered from the epidemic began to show signed recovery,
he would say, as he had always said, give them nourish-
ing diet, change of air where that was practicable, and
a little assistance to take their clothes out of pawn, but
that whatever they did the committee should not assist
those poor people in such a way as in the least to paupe:*se
them, or to have to them the appearance of pauperizing
then..
Sir MORDAUNT Watts observed that bad the write' of
the letter in question taken the trouble to read the reports
of the proceedings of the committee so recently as Thurs-
day last, and especially the reports of the remarks ad-
dressed to them by the Lord Mayor in reference to the re-
lief of convalescents, he would have seen an express de-
claration from the committee that they did not take upon
themselves the responsibility to send such patients any-
where ; but that what they did was to vote a sum of
money for convalescents proportionate to the apparent
need in each district, leaving it to the local committee in
each case to dispense the money as they might think de-
sirable, from their local knowledge, acquired by house to
house visitations and in other ways.
In reply to Mr. Alderman CorroN.
Dr. A. CLARK said this committee bad expressly resolved
to give the money at their disposal only to local committees;
and that in reference to convalescents, they should proceed
in the same manner; but they warned the local com-
mittees of the special danger which was incident to the
removal of choleraic convalescents to other places, and
pointed out to them the manner in which that danger
might be averted, and advised them to have recourse to
medical men in carrying it out.
Mr. WADE said, up to the present time, neither directly
nor indirectly had the Mansion-Louse committee assisted
the Walton Institution with funds. The patients admitted
there were so admitted by letters of subscribers who were
donors of large sums. A donor of 101. 10s. could only
send one patient a year to the Home, and it was not
likely that any local committees would pay such a sum in
respect of one convalescent.
The subject then dropped ; and the committee before
separating made grants to St. Luke's, 11401 wall ; Lime-
house Philanthropic Society ; Sbadwell ; St. John's,
Stratford ; Mission Church, Bethnal-green ; Congrega-
tional Church, Bethnal-green ; St. Saviour's, Southwark,
Visiting Society ; and Miss Jolly 's Visiting Committee.
The committee then adjourned.

A Frenchman, who gave the name of Charles Dubois,
and described himself as a commission agent, was brought
up before Mr. Vaughan, in custody of Chief Inspector
Williamson and Sergeant Druscovitch, upon an extradition
warrant granted by the chief magistrate, Sir Thomas
Henry, charging him in the name of Paul Emile Charles
Coppia. late of Villeneuve, Notare, with forgeries to the
amount of 7,0001. and upwards.
The prisoner was defended by Mr. Abrams, and M.
SHOCKING ACCIDENT NEAR DUBLIN.—On Saturday Albert attended as interpreter.
five men lost their lives in a liquid manure tank on the Sergeant Druscovitch deposed to the particulars of the
farm of Mr. Cobbe, Newbridge, county of Dublin. They defendant's arriving on Saturday evening, and
were engaged in emptying the tank and carrying the The snoond clerk read over the warrant, which bad been
liquid manure to a dietance, and when they came to the issued under the act of the 29 and 30 Vict., c. 120.
mud lying at the bottom one man went down into the In cross-examination by Mr. Abrams, the witness Dena-
tank with a ladder to fill the buckets. The moment he covitell stated that the whole conversation took place in
stirred the mass he fell dead, and four others in sumo,. French. The prisoner told him, not upon that &session,
'ion, who descended to save their comrades, died instantly, but subsequently, " that he keel been tried and convicted
One man only escaped of the whole number. upon this charge in France in his &benne" (par eon-
Du BARRE'S DELIC7OI7B REVALENTA ARABICA inmam.).
FOOD cures dyspepsia, indigestion, cough, asthma, consumption, Mr. Abrams submitted that this was not a case coming
debility, constipation, damns% palpitation, nervous, ninon; within the act. The legislature never intended that the
liver, and stomach complMnts. Cure No. MAIL—. Rome July statute should apply to penpeas who had bees condemned,
El, leee—The health of the Holy Father is excellent, especially and especially to persons who had been condemned in
since, abandoning all other remedies, be has confined himself their oe.
entirely to Du Barry's Food, and his HOUMA" cannot praise ?4,. ymighaa said them was net the slighted eviam,
this excellent food too highly."—Gasettedu Midi. At Barry and "
Co., No. '77, Regeststreet, London, W. Is tins, st tit .of that. The prisoner had made some statement of the
la ed.; li4oa, Eta.; falba, 40a—(Advartimantat.) the kind, but lie did not know whether it was true or false.