The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-07 00:00:00

THE SECRETARY OF THE PCOIL-LAW BOARD ON
THE FARNHAM INQUIRT.—At the annual dinner of the
North-east Hants Agricultural Association, held at Alton
es Monday evening, Mr. G. Selater-Routh, M.P., thus
referred to the Farnham workhouse inquiry in response to
the toast of the members for the northern division of
Hampshire :—Dr. Fell had alluded to his connection with
the Poor-law Hoard, and bad be not done so be could
scarcely in addressing them in that town have forborne to
allude to the circumstances which had been the subject
of discussion respecting the neighbouring union of Farn-
ham. Many of thole present, he dared say, either were or
had been guardians of the poor, and seeing that their turn
might possibly come next—for if an inquiry began at one
place it might be carried on to another—they would pro-
bably view the Lancet commissioner's inquiry with mixed
feelings. He had no wish to my a syllable in the shape of
peening an opinion as to what might be the condition of
the workhouse at Farnham or of similar establishments
elsewhere ; but he asked them to remember that the con-
dition of workhouses generally was a subject that was
receiving more and more attention at the hands of the
public, and that that feeling they must expect to see in-
crease. Wo-khousee, as they were aware, were built ori-
ginally for the reception of the able-bodied poor, hut now
they had become hospitals for the reception of the sick,
aged, and imbecile of their localities ; and be thought there
could be no doubt that public opinion would require that
the appliances, comforts, and attendance upon those sick,
aged, and infirm people should be more in accordance with
melern notions than was intended or expected 30 or 40
Tears ago. This was a subject which he could assure them
Was constantly and anxiously under the csnsitieration of
theTreeident of the Poomlaw Hoard, the Earl of Devon, and
bewould not fail to keep his mind directed to that subject.
On the other hand, they must all, he thought, have a
fellow feeling for those gentlemen who, at a very great
sacrifice of time and trouble, at the request of their neigh-
bours and felluw-ratepayere, undertake the onerous, and,
As it ;turns out, thankless office of guardians of the poor.
Leery consideration ought to be given to theta in the dis-
charge of their difficult duties—a consideration which, he
was sorry to say, they sometimes did not seem to receive.
A LUNATIC IN CHCRCH.—DiViRe service at the
Leeds parish church was interrupted on Sunday morning
by a man named Eastwood, a labourer, living in Worsted-
street. He interposed at the commencement of the service
hi a loud voice by declaring that he considered Ireland
was an oppressed nation ; that he was sent, like David to
the Israelites, to deliver them from the Philistines ; and
that he could take the field with 900 men against Major
Robinson's (on officer in the Leeds Rifle Corps) 1,000. He
was immediately removed from the church, and given into
custody. He was yesterday morning brought up before
the magistrates, and as it was then stated that be was suf-
fering from insanity, he was handed over to the Poor-law
authorities.