The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-19 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 19, 1866.

Adriatic. No policy, whether of violence or of
conciliation, can prevent Venetia from gravitating
towards the Italian kingdom, of which, by the de-
cree of nature, it forms a part. Yet, if in our con-
science we believed that we were asking theAtunrian
Government to sacrifice to the peace and happi-
ness of Europe, to its own domestic welfare and
prosperity, and to the common interests of civiliza-
tion, a natural frontier, an indispensable strong-
hold, a valuable possession, or anything, in short,
but a false point of honour, we should certainly
shrink from a display of that vicarious generosity
which consists in recommending others to do as you
would not do yourself.

TIE Bethnal-green Inquiry has terminated in a
chorus of self-praise. One of the parish guardians,
speaking for himself and his colleagues, declared
the evidence taken to have proved how excellently
Bethnal-green Workhouse is managed, and "how
" baseless has been everything said in the papers
" to the contrary ;" and as it was no part of Mr.
FARNALL'a duty to argue the point, the statement
palmed without contradiction. Inasmuch as the
principal allegations made against the system were
proved by the evidence to be well founded ; and
as the public is unsatisfactorily kept in the dark
on one of the most important points in the inquiry,
because of the untrustworthiness of pauper wit-
nesses, impartial people will regard the local con-
gratulations as audaciously premature. These
remarks apply to the ease of the pauper FELLOW E.l,
or FLOWERS, the circumstances of whose death we
have already detailed ; but cruel mismanagement
and shameful inefficiency were quite as apparent
in the next day's inquiry.

ROBERT SCOLLY was admitted into the work-
house at seven o'clock in the evening, by a porter
who, following an established custom, dealt
with him illegally, on his own responsibility, and
without reference to the muter. The proper meal
of tea and bread and butter was improperly with-
held, and the meagre supply of bread and gruel
given to casuals was substituted. The poor wretch
was unable to eat this ; and the pauper wards-
man—whose evidence, contrary to the rule pre-
viously laid down, was accepted in this case—on
asking if he were ill, found that "he could not
" or would not answer," and left him to his fate.
At three the following morning, a change was seen
to have taken place. but no report was made, and no
assistance procured. SCOLLY was not looked at
again until seven o'clock,when he was found on his
back, with his mouth open, and dead.
We submit that every word which has been
written against a system under which such horrors
as these are possible is justified by the indifference
and neglect they prove. The insufficient stock of
pauper•clothing, resulting in sick men's garments
being dealt out to hale and well incomers—the
other risks of spreading contagious disorders,
properly condemned by Mr. lesmisu—and the
irregularities in the mode of preparing and admi-
nistering baths to the sick—all point to misma-
nagement ; and neither a clean, well-built, and
spacious workhouse, nor a reputation for main-
tairing strict discipline among its inmates, should
be allowed to condone this. But, apart from this
—the general—charge, the deaths of the paupers
FILLOWEB and SCOLLY present so many glaring
instances of the neglect which is cruelty, that
unless public opinion is valueless, and public in-
quiry a farce, the guardians of Bethnal-green will
find themselves condemned instead of exonerated,
while their daring bid for approbation will be held
to furnish another argument against the system they
represent.

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.
(THIS DAY.)

they could have lived, once launched, and, as the sea was
full of ships, they might have beenpicked up. A. second,
correspondent points to the obvious weakness of the hatches
of the engine-room, and demands th►t these shall be strong
enough in future to resist the blow and sweep of the roughest
water ; but it may be doubted if any reasonable strength
would have withstood the tremendous billows whioh stove
in the stern of a vessel like the London. A third declares,
from the evidence of many eye-witnesses, that the ship was
overloaded, and that even when off the Nora she laboured
so heavily as to attract the notice of passing vessels. In one
sense the loss of the London is not a loss, for it has enriched
the annals of our land with another tale of beautiful
behaviour in the presence of that last enemy who finds out
the hearts of all men.

The Star regards it as a proof of the arrogance of the age
that we should resent as au affront the supposition that
man can be foiled by the powers of n►ture. Its childish
to think that ocean steamers of our day can postpone their
passages because bad weather is apprehended. The case of
the London seems one in which no blame is attach-
able, unless, indeed, the decks did not sufficiently protect
the interior of the vessel, or the condition of the ship's
boats was not efficient. The London sank because the sea
conquered her. There were brave ships wrecked before the
London and will be after her.