The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-08 00:00:00

Elie ex )regfi•

TO CORRICSPOIi DENTS.
advertlaemente loteuded for "The &press " London terming
:=, must be at the Ofdoe, 10, hour:We-street, by Two
It on the dm of publication.

DRURY-LAMB

Tniq Emma, THE 17601 or 15:NIcE. Messrs. Phelps,
J. C. Cowper, H. Sinclair, IL Phelps, Barrett, Temple, kr. , tare
Her nano Venn, Miss Grattan, tc.—And FAINC URA KT NEVER
WON FAIR LADY. Mr. J. C. Cowper and Rim &saris shiricy.

IIAY3I ARK KT.

T'IIY ISTE3mIO, THE 11TNYIR1712:1:6D. Mr. Compton.—OUß
AMERICAN COUSIN. Mew*. Sothern, Cluppen.btle.
Maywood, Clack. tlortlon, de.: Mee limos Robertson. Dalton,
Burke. de.—And 1 luN. .vi r. Kendal ; Miss Burke.

LYCEUM.

Ten Eresnrs, A WONVEIVa WOMAN. Misr Bishop.—
THY ADY UV LYONS. Mr. Feebler, Siefert Jordau, Emery,
Mellon. Dalton. Mtuart, and names; Misses Els-
worthy and Carlotta Leclerc% Mrs. Marston.

ranwitmora
Tins Emma, A LITTLE FLlRTATlON.—Afterwhich ARRAN
RA POUUE. Mews. liouelcault, Vining, D. Murray, J. G. Shore.
0. Y. Neville. &c. ; Mize Dente. and Mrs. honciesult.—Aud 240
ONE,, ROUND THE OURNRIL

MANG.
7Mts IMMO. NEMIHROCR:4 Mr. Parsons & Mks Enghol.
—WILLIAM TELL WITHIA VENGEANCE. Mears. Thorne,
Junes, and Fenton , Mesdames Gortaue, Johnstone, Holt, and
Wodhenby.—And OCR UOMESTIC.t.

lIOLBoRN.
Two Emma, FOR LOVE. stews. H. J. Montague, Price,
Garden, Westland, and U. Wkl.licomb; Me.larcs stephom
(' +minders, kc.—And MAk ICRNLIt: OR, TUE
WICIOUS WLLLIN. lila Josephs.

RIUTAISTIIA.
'Fins Retain°, Fifth Act of RICHARD 111. Messrs. J. B.
HOW, and F. Chstrlton.—stumptlrator West and Miss B West
IlaFlllon Le Gralol Mks F. Phillips.—BßEAK, BUT NOT
BEAD. Mrs. S. Lane—Awl WILD CHARLIE.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON FRIDGE.
Tow DAT —Sl4na6ti, 110. 13m......Alternonn, lilt. 41w.
To-WOUWW—Hongolt. Ob. 0n..--Allorßoon, tilt. tim.

LONDON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8.

Is the Workhouse Infirmary Association de-
funct, or only dormant ? If the latter, we should
be glad to knew how much stimulus is needed to
restore its suspended animation. Sufferings,
oversight, neglect, and mismanagement are proved
to be as rife as when this Association started into
life and obtained subscriptions from the public
in order to tight the battle of the sick poor.
What is there in the nature of the revelation• now ,1
before us to make them less heartrending than
those to which the Association owed its origin t
The epileptic wretch who was choked in a cess-
pool a few months since stands out with GI/380N
and DALY as a representative case of criminal
neglect ; and the details of Farnham Workhouse,
which are taken quietly as proved, show horrors
as revolting as any quoted at the famous meeting
at Willis's Rooms. What then is the Workhouse In-
firmary Association about 1 We hear of proposals
to revive it, but the truth is no revival should be
necessary, and the self-complacency with which
its members congratulated each other upon the
passing of Mr. HARDY'• Metropolitan Poor Bill
and have folded their collective hand ever since,
forms almost as bitter • satire upon amateur
philanthropy as the discoveries made in our
workhouses do upon parochial guardians and
official safeguards. The fact of a government
measure being full of promise should not have
satisfied men resolute upon relieving us of a grave
national stigma ; and to throw down arms and
cheerily vaunt a victory directly an outpost is
secured, is not the way in which great battles
have been won. It is due to the public,
that the gentlemen forming the Association should
take action now ; if not afford an explanation of
the strange supineness which has made an appeal
of this kind necessnij. When peers and prelates,
philanthropists and statesmen unite tcgether and
publicly pledge themselves to compass a par-
ticular end, it is unseemly that they should
merely march up the hill and down again.
We shall of course be told that when the Metro-
politan Poor Bill became law the Association
had fulfilled its purpose, and that however strongly
present discoveries may call for its interference,
at the time of its last meeting, many months ago, all
seemed bright and fair, and congratulations to the
prime movers, and gratitude to the Poor-law Board
were only right and proper. The answer to this
is to be found in the serious allegations math)
against the working of Mr. HARDY'S Bill by men
who are warmly and independently interested in
our metropolitan poor ; and in the different read-
ings taken of its requirements by thorn whole
function is to expound it. The Association
would have done well to watch performance as
well as applaud promise ; and it is difficult to be-
lieve but that if the warm-hearted interest and
concer trated energy which marked its early pro-
ceedings had been continued, sufficient anomalies
and hardships would have been brought to light
and proved to justify more public meetings
and further deputations to Whitehall. For,
having once constituted itself and been re-
cognised as the embodiment of public opinion
upon Poor-law reform, the silence of the Associa-
tion is more than a passive wrong upon the pauper.
It implies approval rather than quiescence.
" Surely," men say, "it is all put right now.
" There mere a great many abuses of course,
" until those benevolent noblemen and gentlemen
" started upon their crusade ; but if they who
" have made the subject their study, and who
" have given time, labour, and means to it, are
" satisfied, there cannot be any very serious
" abuses left." This is the perfectly reasonable
view taken of the matter by those who are
anxious that paupers should be properly treated,
and who believe that men of leisure and influence
having devoted themselves to the Task and pro-
claimed their success, the end is secured.

THE Manchester trials for murder have come
suddenly to an end. On Wednesday the second
batch of prisoners, nix in number, were acquitted,
and yesterday the ArroasEv-OzwattaL withdrew
the charge against the remaining prisoners, and
returned to town. Al there is no reason
to regard this break down of the trials
an a frustration of justice—for the cause
of the prosecution did not fail upon any
technical point, but for want of evidence of guilt
--there in nothing in it to cause regret Four of
the priwmers were discharged yesterday. The
others remain in custody to be tried, not for
felony, for the ATTOKNICY4IttNIMA L has ahandoned
that charge also, but for misdemeanour and rioting.

THE

It appears that the jury on Wednesday did not
believe that the prisoners were present at the
murder, and yesterday the prosecuting counsel
gave as his reason for withdrawing from the charge
against the other prisoners that the ATI`ORNEY-
GENERAL, did not think the evidence of his wit-
nesses such as he ought to rely on. The course
taken was thus the only one proper under the cir-
cumstances. The remaining proceedings thus
lose all their importance for any but those imme-
diately concerned.

OUR CONTEMPORARI It.S.
(THIS DAY.)