The Express.
London, England, 1856-10-30 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

On Tuesday, two miserable•lookiog girl., named Hicks
and Lorna, were charged with breaking a window at the
workkonee of St. Margaret's and St. John's, Westminster,
York street. They had told the policeman on duty • few
=luau previously that they intended to do so, as they were
destitute, and had been refused a night's lodging. When
before Mr. Amid, the porter of the workhouse said it was
quite true that they had applied for admission and had been
refined, because the house was full, end the megistrete
adjourned the ease mail yesterday, u be was desirous of
emirs( the relieving aim.
Yesterday Mr. Collis agtemlod, when Mr. Arnold, eddy*a
ing him recapitulated tin imis of the ease, and said the
him in great sabonmemont to know what to do with
placed him
defecdante bad bass relieved, by which
their right to relief had bees , and although then
was no reams to doubt their on, they were refused
any moisten, and be was infanta that the relief office was
only open from sine till gems la the normal. Persona
were repeatedly brought beim for committing
petty thefts or bogging, who is nteaution of their
offence that they had bun yea to it by want, and a
magistrate ought to be in • condition to say to all such that
'either deatituthe nor poverty was an emus for crime, es
in this country so penes could be destitate, as they had the
moans of applying to the paroahial authorities for relief, but
his mouth was unfortunately shut, because of the great
catty of the destitute poor to know how to obtain relief, the
astounding and somewhat significant fact appearing to be
that after eleven o'clock in the morning the relieving officer
was nowhere to be found. Be (the magistrate) held that
eny person &lethal* in the pariah had a positive right
to have his or her case investigated, and the proper
person to do that was the relieving officer. The duty was
cut on him to do, and if he refired he wee liable to be
punished. Be must further add that a sort of Invitstion
wee held out to pintas to apply to the workhouse, upon
neither the roaster nor porter of whom did the law throw
any obligation to relieve. There were several complaints
made by the poor who were charged with different offences
last winter of being destitute, and fairing a repetition of
the same complaint, he had thought it his duty to call the
attention of the relieving officer to it, with a view of bringing
the matter before the board.

Mr. Collie addressed the magistrate at considerable
length, pointing oat the difileulties that members of both
Ileum of parliament, Poor-law Commissioners, and others
bad bad to contend against in dealing with the matter of
sightly lodgers, or vagrants and tramps. Considerably more
provision had been made in his parishes than in many
others for this class of paupers, and 830 bad received
mightly lodging and food danng the current month. It wu
not necessity that the relieving Officers should be in attend-
ance at the workhouse at night, as they had other chitin to
perform, and the master and porter had full power to re-
lieve sudden and urgent cease of 'inanity, and they did so,
bat the peepers set about until after the criers were given
for the principal workhouse of the parish at Kensington, be-
cause they would not go there, and then crowded the breech
workhouse in York-strut. Then were numbers waiting
about at that moment for the purpose, who might have
some to the relief Wilke that morning. Defendant
111011 J was a prostitute, and would have been
puck to her settlement, bat It was found the was carrying
on a connexion with a soldier, and it was feared she would
discharge herself before the necessary forms could be gone
through. Neither of the defendants belonged to the pariah,
and u tramps they should have walked towards their own
settlement. A vain attempt was often made to pus ouch
penis% but their statements generally turned out a tissue
of falsehoods.
Mr. Arnold wandered that although the matter might
be surrounded with diffieulties, it was :nisch( for the
master to admit parsons tadisensinately until the ward wu
full, beaus the undeserving might be taken 10, and the
deserving chat out. He thought it would be a good plan
to let an officer ecoompeny the late applicants to the Ken-
sington house. They would at any rate then be offend
relief, end would have no execs* for crime. Thou who
were unable by any canes to go that distance, might be ad-
mitted in York-street, and be wished hie suggestton to be
eommacicatird to the board, with his opinion that it would
be expedient to consider the policy of permitting the master
to admit isdiseriinicately in Yorkotreet. As the defen-
dants bad bad a day's imprisonment, he considered that
eiMeient, and discharged them.
LAMBETH. _ _ _

James Sinclair, whohsafleeiTi custody sines Friday
awning last, when be gave hhaself up to a policeman,
stating that he wished bobs brought to justice for stealing •
silver watch and a handkerchief from a boon in Ponies,
where he lodged, was placed at the bar for final esantinetien.
Wises last brought before Mr. Norton the prisoner was
reic-gnised, and then confessed that in 1649 he had been,
with another man, charged at this court with • highway
and garotte robbery, but for wait of sufficient evidence was
discharged. Soon after, bs was again charged here with a
robbery ct the shop of • watchmaker in the Kent-road, and
fur this offence he wee convicted and sentenced to ten years'
transportation. After four ears' servitude he was allowed
to go at lap on a ticket of leave, and soon after got into
the militia, where be served till they were disbanded. He
then got employment in the Portsmouth Dockyard, but
was obliged to leave in eoneequesce of threats on the part
of the coovicts there to declare the fact of his convi lion to
the dock otZionsi_unleas he supplied them with tobacco and
other shier. Me farther stated that on the Suede,' moro-
ns before, he f.,llnd an opportunit
hoof taking a watch and
• kildhatthief hoz: tt• house he ged and starting
ant the camp at Althsrshott, sold them to a soP.ier.
Yesterday, Jacob Laois:: attended, and deposed that he
resided ion the houto of his mother, in Haya , Portsea,
where the prisoner bad lodger: for :.`z wash., tod.firoui
with
.bint • tolvcr
where
he *Wooded on Sunday week, taktsi
wain and handkerchief belongiog to (*an.") Wll-
- hone.
nese was certainly not aware that prisoner w." a ;icket-of-
isave ma, or he would sot have kept bins in
Poisoner worked with witness in the docks.
Chief Clark (to the prisoner)—Do you with to mak.' the
nine statement to the magistrate preterit, that you made .
Friday to the then sitting magistrate ?
Prisoner—That will depend on Ciri
want to know when I will he tried ?
Chief Clerk—At the Surrey Sessions.
Prisoner—Then I think I have field quite enough already,
and therefore shall reserve anything else I have t t say to the
onetione.
The ter u ner:wu then fully committed for trial.
Bishop, a cab driver, who bed been remanded on
heill es &num of robbing Mr. John Kelly, • commercial
raeelire inni at New-moss, of 7s. 6d., while his fare
Nee aineon Mon% was then brought up.
lie. Mit thought it would be useless to send sun a ease
heron a Jury. for from the stets the prosecutor was described
Mho in, no reliance eeuld be placid on his teetimosy. One
Wei was gain clear, that the prisoner had driven the na-
pkins it beyond the Crown and Anchor public-Mace, and
it might be that he had taken him at far as the tarapike-
ggaapp
at New crone, fur • constable saw the cab drive hem
net direction, and pull up at the public-bow, and also
heard the driver ask the ostler if he knew anything about
the gentleman, yet the c•oplainant himself had no resale*.
ugs of that lad. Besides, the oceued bad resolved an ea-

I first

ealleat Aerostat', and, vadat all the circumstances, k.
shield diathaep
Bishop, ois [Gavial/ the dock, sada a Olds for big half.
groom fare, and Mr. Kelly, by dtractioa of tha tasaistrate,
paid it.