The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-26 00:00:00

[STAMPED, Id. ADDITIONAL]

THE LAMBETH GUARDIANS AND THE
CASUAL POOR.

The arrangements for the casual poor at Lambeth
are u shamfully inefficient as before the recent
exposure. We will go further, and say that the
disgraceful condition of the sleeping plues provided
for such male casuals as cannot be aecommodated

in the regular ward is as foul a blot upon parochial
management as has yet been hit. For the revels-
dons of the amateur casual are supposed to have
put the Lambeth guardians on their mettle—
an influential local meeting has been held, at
which the hasty judgments of the public have been
deprecated—the rector of the parish has vouched
for the admirable character of the arrangements
made—the Poor-law Board has given the fell
weight of its official authority to the enforcement
of alterations—and moat of us have fondly supposed
that the horrors described and hinted at as taking
place in the shed were no longer possible. Instead of
this, the chances of their existence have been aggra-
vated& thousandfold by the measure put forward and
accepted as a reform. The shed, with all its draw-
backs, was a palace oompared to the rooms which
now supplement the casual ward. The various
gentlemen who visit Lambeth Workhouse at this
time, and who inscribe in its visitors' book their
commendations of the comforts it provides for
casuals, should extend their researches to the lodg-
ing-house just chartered by the guardians. The
beautifully ordered "show" ward—the swept and
empty shed—the clean and burnished baths—the
cocoa matting, to preserve the bather's feet from
contact with the stairs—the cheerhil, fire, kept up
all night—the bright but carefully mode-
rated gas—the perfect ventilation—the symme-
trical order of the barrack beds—the ample
supply of pure drinking water—the clean,
well-aired blue night-gown provided for
each sleeper—combine to make the recognised
accommodation at Lambeth, for both male and
female casuals, resemble that of some favoured
boarding school, where the mistress is kind-hearted
and the master liberal. It is more luxurious
than any of the refuges. It would compare advan-
tageously—and this is a bold word—with the most
exquisite of model prisons. Who can wonder,
therefore, that guardians and their friends are
indignant at the allegations made against an estab-
lishment where the comforts are so obvious, and the
kind care taken of vagrants so palpable and marked?
On going over this male casual ward for the fourth
time last Wednesday night, its superiority to some
others seemed as great as ever'; and it was not
until the filthy horrors of the sleeping plains not
ordinarily seen by visitors were realised that the der
cription of the shed scenes came home with renewed
force.
Some quarter of a mile from the workhouse, and
near the river-aide, is the lodging-house to which
all male casuals are now sent who apply for shelter
after the casual ward is fulL At half-past ten on
the night in question in one of its upper rooms, a
cramped little place in which perhaps half a dozen
small bedsteads might be packed, more than twice
that number of men and youths lay huddled on
the floor. They were all perfectly naked, and had
clustered together for the sake of animal heat, just
as sleeping swine are seen to do. They rusted
upon what seemed to be hay mattresses but which
were ranged close together, without any division, so
that they made practically one huge floor-bed for
each side of the room. The naked sleepers had rugs
for covering, and on an adventurous visitor turn.
ing down one of these the brawny figures of
three muscular tramps—bare as when they came
into the world—were seen to be entwined together,
an indistinguishable mass of naked flesh. Youths
lay in the arms of meo, men were enfolded in each
other's embrace ; there was neither fire nor light
nor supervision, and the weak and feeble were at
the complete mercy of the strong and ruffianly.
The sir was laden with a pestilential stench, and
though the recumbent figures appeared too tired and
exhausted for any active or boisterous devilry,
the scene was as revolting as anything told
us of the prisons Howard shuddered at and
reformed. The only people in charge of these
wretched casuals were the son of the keeper
of the lodging. house and her old male servant.
On our asking for the certificate of registration
which should be kept in each room in accordance
with the provisions of the Common Lodging-house
Act, we were coolly told that since the place had
been taken by the Lambeth Workhouse it was no
longer a registered house. Thus, the parochial
authorities, instead of hiring beds in a lodging-
house, have hired a lodging-house to demoralise it,
and have thrust their casual paupers into a place
in comparison to which the condemned shed is a
sanitary elysium, and between which and the certi-
fied "show" ward there is as wide a discrepancy
as between the hold of a slave ship and the saloon
cabins of a passenger steamer.
The word of promise has been kept to the Poor-
law Board while its spirit has been shamefully
broken, and at the very moment guardians were
declaiming against unjust aspersions, and a clergy-
man denouncing "sentimental sympathy," naked
paupers were being packed away in a fashion im-
possible in the worst of gaols, and offering an invi-
tation and an encouragement to physical and moral
dim•

Nein
Abadan ;
Ufa
Ardzemes
Gremarma.
Yetesti' ....
Cape Clear..
Holyhead.—
Penzance ..
Brest
Rochefort
Plymouth
Weymouth
Portsmouth
Yarmouit;
asertoroeet
fielder

LTWOPENC

Malan&
ILATMILDAY. 01111101111/All
South-westerly. mode- °M AMA Westerly aud southerly,
rate to fresl fresh to strong, un-
settled.
As above. As above.
Variable, moderate, 000TIIIMIL Variable, moderate to
fine generally. Id. W , fresh. ,
N.W. to 3.W., mode- LUIVILII. As next above.
rate, fans.
- • "

Northern=arotland. Wastarn=lreland. Wales, and arils-
enema. douthern=ll.nglish Channel and Nay ad Biwa,.
Sesisrernleatward ZWand and North Sea.

THE CATTLE PLAGUE IN SUOTLAND.—SIowIy but
steadily and surely the pi:stiles°, hasspread in Ayrshire.
It has disappeared es Oarrick shore, but it has gem from
point to point in Cunninsbam, and has appeared in different
parts of Kyle. If so much evil has followed rte establish-
meet at Corsehill, what is to be the ousequence
when it unto as farms in Symington, Dregborn,
Kilumurs, btewartoo, Kilmarnock, and, we fear. Gelato°
sod Ochiltree ? With so many centres of contagion, Ayr-
shire may soon be in as bed • state as Forfarshire or
Cheshire, sad tire latter cousty is daily losing shoat five
hundred cattle. We believe that it is not even yet too
late for the adoption of vigorous measures, if the agri-
cultarel interest would unite and act with promptitude.
♦ small rate, levied as in Aberdeenshire, cue-half on
landlords sod one-half on tenants, would cover the es-
=of slaughteriag infected stacks. Renewed out-
would, doubtlem, have to be dealt with
infected neighbourhoods, but the loss would be
trifling in comparison with the devastation that
may soon be witoessed, if farmers go on with futile
attempts at curative treatment. The average of recoveries
in Scotland does not amount to three wasted animal. out
of twenty, and these are saved at the expense of infecting
other stocks. And let it be remembered that the danger is
unusually great in Ayrshire, OD account of the small sire of
the dairy farms, and the contiguity of stocks to each other.
—Ayr Advertiser.
ACCIDENT WITH AN AIR GCs.—An accident of
rather a serious nature occurred on Wednesday, at Peter-
borough, to Mr. B. Caches, son of Mr. W. D. Caches,
solicitor. The young gentleman was shooting spunk' in
the garden of Mr. Middleton, cabinet maker, Nevrooad,
with an air gun, and on stooping to pick up • bird touched
the trigger of the gnu, which was loaded : the gun wart off.
and the bullet went through the fleshy part of hi cheek,
sad, proceeding upwards, lodged near the eye. The sufferer
was at ooze assisted home, and Dr. Walker was cellol is.
who succeeded in extracting the bullet. At the time this
report was sent off the young gentleman was progressing
favourably, but could scarcely be said to be out of dagger.
—lftennford Mercury.
STRANGE TREATMENT or A DYING PAITNIE..—
The Sunderland Board of Guardians, yesterday, had before
them and discussed at great length the treatment which a
dying pauper bed received. The deceased, Jas. 'battens,
had bees en ismate of the workhouse, sod wee
pronouncedpronoun
by the deputy medical cfficer ill of fever; t
°Mom, Dr. Nathan. without seeing him, gave a certificate
to admit him to the fever wards of the Infirmary, brit on
his arrival there Dr. Dixon, the resident °Meer, said it was
not fever. Dr. Nathan spin gave an order for his removal
back to the workhouse, where the man was received at 5
o'clock, and phoned in • reception house, where he was
locked up from 8 o'clock until 7 next morning, without any
attendance during all that time, and without having been
cues sees by • medical mu. One of the warders, al old
pauper nearly 70 years of age, said the man moved his hand
to his head when he went in on that moruisg, but
soon afterwards, en taking him his breakfut, he
was toned to be dead. The matter was sokadttod
to • special committee by the board, who expressed
their regret that the medical officer did not see the mere.
whiets would have beets more satisfactory, and more in
auardeace with his duties. They also recommended
several changes in the reception of patients, and mom-
:Deeded the substitution elf paid warders for the old
peepers who had &area of the ward. In the discussion
on the report, Mr. Barnes, • guardiao, denounced the
shocking neglect which had been manifested, and said that
the deceased bad been ems at the window &trio'
the night. Mr. Foster. seethe, (nudism, oeeeured the
authorities for the neglect manifested, and recommended
the &minimal of all parties oosoersed, and as immediate
mimes of the promat artaasesamita. Mr. flothswarti ttus
chairman, of Use special committee. said the srestbess did
not believe the evidence that dammed was alive in the
morning t but as it had been ie accordance with the Vega-
Wilma of this /nordista that the chewed was locked up
all night. they felt that the warder bad only earned WOOD
eiders out, and therefore guild not censure him. The
SMOINDSIBIO sagemtort I. the report would peep a
rosaawara of such a ease, The riesorameadatisea of the
committee wore ultimately adopted.
COMMERCE 07 THE AMERICAN LAKES.—It is
ammated that lam someseree of the lakes sammaniat 'pre.
eget te at least 1,200,000,000 dole. mumally. sad that
2,000 vessels an employed is it. It seeds to the seaboard
1004000,000 of bushels of grain, 2,000,000 of boss, end a
Una nails of tattle saanaliy.—Jfero Tont pupa: