The Express.
London, England, 1866-03-22 00:00:00

LIFEBOAT SERVICES.—During the storms of
the past year the National lifeboat Institution, by its life-
boat and other means, contributed to the saving of 707 persons
from different wrecks on our coasts. The institution also ex-
pended it 1,374 to the same period on its lifeboat establishments,
itadditlon to granting FAA° fur rewards for saving life and
exeretaing the lifeboats.
The committee of the Institution earnestly APPEAL to the
Irwil; for A3II3TANWA to enable them to meet the continued
demands on the inetilleteion's 163 Lifeboat station.
Contribution ars received by the Loudon ant Country
Makers • eibil by the ffichard Eau., at the w-
allabies.% Johnktrest, AdalpY. London.

- -
mITRTLI, TURTLE, TURTLE.
ii -Clear, Tbsek. and Dnaltd IVRTLIL °OOPS ahrays ready,
as ST. JAILISMHALL, ZECIOST-STRAST PICCADILLY.
WY. DOSALD, Prapaieiae.

LONDON must have a SUPPIM and MUSIC
ZOOM for iimihmassi.—ilowasineors wit for yea ai
“19•118." alms 11. True

Me erpreois.

E/LnUI,L*IT,

nu swim, TEI OVERLAND 801/TL Neon. Back-
Compton, Chippendale, and W. Marren ;It Snowdon
end N&ly Moore.— itiallEll3 IN TAN EAYI!ARXET.
Mews. D. Asher and Tanen; Mame L. Keeley et Z. Woollier.

rtmcsart

TIM WIEN% A GliollT IN 811ili OF HINBILF.—AItire
whkA TEI *MATS OF LONDON. Nam. Vials& T. Mipd,
D. Norm or.. amid Vililin Mn. H. Manton. and Miami
Darsidt sad E. lofts&

LTCUUV.

Tltii BMW*, TEI lailiiißUS STRANGER. Yr. H.
Widdleamb.—And THI KAMA 01 ILAVINSWOOD. Meara
rookinr, jor46s, Vasin. Irmo. Widdloorab, Shan ;
Medina 'Noma. Ilsworay. Linea, C. Lads:eq.

.101ITANN4.

THR RTwmie, THZCAFTiWri: THE OHPHAFIS
HIGH-BORN HIISHAND.—CaIeset Statare the Basket Pest
end the Sphyns.-11W MOJA& Kertidge. THE CASUAL
WARD.

HIGH WATTS. AT LONDON:11111DM

TEI Doo: 61a. 6b.
To-Soupy—. Wrath/. Ob. SUL . Attoroooo. To. 100.

LONDON. THURSDAY. MARCH 22.

Ptrsuc discussion, say the guardians of Clerken-
well, is alone to blame for the heavy scandal which
has fallen on them. Having been formally charged
by a cabinet iclinister with defying properly consti-
tuted authority, this hardy band of obstructive.
declare their shameful treatment of the casual poor
to have been unavoidable, if not praiseworthy.
When a handful of local tradesmen deliberately
braves public strictures, and, in spite of exposure,
censure, and warning, continues in evil-doing ;
when, boo, this handful is credited by the highest
official authority with "defiance" instead of regret,
it becomes curious to see how such a wonderful body
is composed, and how it demeans itself when trans-
acting it. ordinary parish business. Resolute on
aaoertaining this we attended the last Clerkenwell
board meeting, beheld the guardians assemble,
heard their discussions and squabbles, and saw them
vote. A houseless pooroommittee had been appointed
at a previous meeting, with full authority to provide
casual wards, and to hear what those gentlemen had
done, it was necessary to sit through debates, having
unjust contracts for their burden, and derogatory
charges aa their keynote. Grave irregularities
were said to have occurred, and it was suggested
that the minutes of the last meeting should not be
confirmed. Samples of boots and shoes for pauper
wear had been shown and selected which bore no
resemblance to the goods supplied, and assertions'
that "one sample bad been hid under the
window sill ;" that the boots of a tradesman un-
named, "bad their soles staffed with brown
paper ;" that the tender bad been chosen tinder
mistake, and that "the contract accepted was of
such a quality as the board wouldn't have
had," were so plentiful as to become confus-
ing. Again, the tradesmen who had satiafaer
torily supplied the workhouse with certain condi
menta had no tenders sent them, and another
animated discussion took place on the favouritism
implied. After the charge of "childishness" had
been made and repudiated, and the board bad
divided upon the propriety of endorsing its own act,
or acknowledging itself to have been hoodwinked,
some improving conversation on the bread question
was held. " The best wheaten bread" is adver
tised for by the Clerkenwell workhouse authori-
ties, and the person accepting the contract was
accused of substituting "the best seconds" for that
which he had engaged to supply. The representa-
tive of this tradesman was in attendance, and ad_
witted the charge, which, after some discussion,
was held to reflect upon the terms of the
parochial advertisement rather than upon the
contractor. This subject did not pass without
some suggestively facetious allusions to previous
contract*, " where the board had been a good deal
worse treated, and that by parties who did not live
so very far off either."

These and cognate matters being disposed of,
the male and female paupers wishing to be
discharged from the house, and asking for some
alight help to begin the world anew with, were
ushered in. Entering at a door near the chairman,
they advanced singly to an iron framework like a
section of a police-dock, when their names, ages, and
other particulars were read out by tne master who
stood near. " Three shillings and a pair of trou-
sers ;" " Five shillings to buy laces and jewellery
to sell again ;" "Five shillings to start in my own
business, which is a wholesale batter, a 'buyin
old hats, and dressin"em up that is," are fair sam-
ples of the requests. An old man who asked for
7g. obtained a grant of ss. ; another who asked for
money and his discharge was sent back to the
house ; some girls were left in the hands of the
matron to have situations found them ; some were
sent to the parochial establishment at Highgate
for change of air ; and some women were
" remanded " for a specified number of
days until they became stronger. It was only
when any of the applicants had drifted into
the workhouse through having become ill in the
casual ward that unpleasant symptoms were per-
ceptible. For the bare mention of the word
" casual " seemed to rouse some guardians, just as
if it were a bit of scarlet, and they were so many
morbidly irritable bulls. Then it was that the
chairman's plaintive "kind attention, gentlemen
please, I can't hear Mr. Christie speak—pray, kind
attention, gentlemen," became more than usually
inoperative ; then, too, the meeting tossed its col-
lective head much as if casuals were to be gored ;
and then, too, the meeting's component face ex-
pressed mingled indignation and disgust. A pauper
who had applied for sixpence a week for attending
to the female casual wards had that stipend
cheerfully voted her ; but anything else relating to
the obnoxious class was grievously trying to the
parochial patience. This became more painfully
apparent when a guardian rose to ask whether the
horrible evils exposed in this journal bad been re-
medied. There were nearly 30 guardians present,
and, with two or three exceptions, the whole of
these protested against the speaker's bad taste.
When another gentleman seconded his neigh-
bour's proposal, the collective indignation be-
came vehement ; when he testified to the
truth of the horrid things he bad read,
and endeavoured to explain the frightful
scenes he bad himself beheld in the casual wards
below, be was peremptorily shouted down. "Don't,
don't, it's only a trick this is!" vied with loud
sneers and uncomplimentary personal allusions,
until it was insisted that if this subject must be
'Naked about, the board should resolve itself into a