The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-14 00:00:00

and muster roll could be complied with by the busy
colonists. The financial condition of the country
is not altogether satisfactory at present, but the
Governor promises measures which shall attain the
happy end of adjusting the happy end of income
and expenditure. Altogether England has good
good reason to feel proud of the growth and pro-
gress of her young &Tendency, and we earnestly
trust that no dark cloud of war or disaster may
shadow her rising fortunes.

The reply of Mr. VILLIERS to the question of
Lord R. CECIL, relating to the subject of the recent
case of starvation in Bethnal-green, is most unsatis-
factory. It is, indeed, difficult to follow the right
hon. gentleman in his remarks, or to form a very
accurate idea of what his object can be in thus
glossing over the affair. Lord CECIL very properly
asked whether any steps would be taken to investi-
gate the proceedings. It would seem to have been
the proper and natural course to have adopted
under the circumstances; but no, the President of
the Poor Law Board informs the House that the
result of the inquiries he had made was satisfactory.
This statement does not accord with the verdict of
the jury, who found gross mismanagement to have
taken place, and instructed the Coroner to send a
report of their ♦erdict to the Poor Law Board.
Nothing can excuse the neglect of not instituting
a special inquiry into the whole of the circumstances
connected with the case, or, above all, to note very
particularly the conduct of the relieving officer, and
to mark its bearings upon the fatal result which
ensued. The impression which was produced upon
the minds of those who perused the sad details is
not removed by the excuses alleged by those in
autho►ity. It is very significant that no attempt is
made to extenuate the non-admission of the poor
woman to the infirmary of the workhouse. That
fact is left alone altogether, and as it is the one im-
portant point in the whole transaction, such an
omission is very conspicuous, and it is incumbent
upon all who are at all in any way connected with

,he case either remotely or nearly, directly or

indirectly, to afford the most full and complete
rejiearsal of their proceedings. It is very
necessary that some notice should be taken of
this matter in another point of view, and that is to

interpose a veto upon the reprehensible practice that
prevails in some districts of insisting upon the whole
family coming into the house, if but one member of
it requires relief or assistance. The very notion of
such a thing is an absurdity, and the only probable
solution of the enigma is that these laws are laid
down so arbitrarily, for the sake of increasing
the number of applicants. It is a very frivolous
plea that is put forward in extenuation, that no
application was made for nutriment. if it had
been there is no valid reason to suppose that it
would have been of any avail. What grounds are
there for assuming that more attention would have
been paid to one more than another. Besides,
this is altogether begging the question, since
the poor sufferer required something more than
nutriment. It demands very little knowledge of
disease to comprehend that when persons have been
reduced by long continued want, food is not so
much what they require as other treatment, in the
shape of warmth, proper beds, and so on. If the
husband were in possession of a small sum weekly,
what might support himself and children would
not afford the comforts and luxuries indispensable
to one hovering on the verge of death. The evi-
dence of two medical men has certified that the
deceased died from starvation, and the expression
of opinion on the part of the jury stamps the affair
with an importance that deserves credence, and
1 demands care and attention. The husband being

An occasional labourer in the docks could not have
received money during all the winter, severe and in-
clement as it has been, and the fact of the poor man's
employment is made to read any way that is con-
venient. He is either well to do, and should sup-
port his wife at home, or else failing to do this when
her health fails from previous privation, he must
perforce become a pauper himself, and perhaps
throw away his own chance in life, and compro-
mise the future prospects of his children by sacri-
ficing his own independence. Until it has been
explained by what right, or whose authority, and
for what reason, the relieving officer refused to
allow the woman to come into the infirmary, the
subject ought not to b 3 allowed to drop, nor a stop
put to the inquiries on the question, It is too late
to do any good in this case, but harm may be pre-
vented from marring in many similar cases that
are sure to take place, and may even now be taking
place around us. There can be no more dangerous
precedent established than this of permitting re-
lieving officers to take upon themselves the power
to read the rules of the establishment according to
their own showing. The best way to arrive at the
truth is to clear the case of all complications, by
taking up the matter on the broad principle of
right and wrong. What are chiefs and subordi-
nates appointed for—why is public money spent if

the primary object is not attained, and a shelter
provided for the afflicted poor in their hour of

greatest need, and their time of dread extremity.
Human life is too fragile in its tenure to be trifled
with in such emergencies. While one is arguing
nd another expostulating about the propriety of
removing the sufferer to the infirmary, or thb de-
sirability of other modes of treatment, the precious
moments go by, and death removes the victim of
ceaseless bickering and debate to a sphere where
their cruel mockery of mercy can no more obtrude.
It is important that the whole system of admission
to workhouses in cases of distress and sickness
should be brought under careful consideration, and
until this is done effectually, there will be no end to
the voice of complaint, and the language of murmur-
ings. If the ends of succour arb not met by the
present mode of procedure, it is surely sufficient
proof that a change is required, and a heavy respon-

sibility will rest upon all those who have the power,
but from one reason and another lack the will to
introduce the necessary change, and effect the salu-
tary alterations that are imperatively called for.

MR. WYLD, of Charing-cross, has just published
a clear and distinct map of the environs of Fredericia,
which will be of service to every reader of the Dano-German
war.
NAPOLEON 111. AND MAXIMILIAN. Nothing
can surpass the attention of the Emperor to the
Archduke Maximilian since his arrival in Paris. The Arch-
duke takes every occasion to express his admiration of his
Majesty, whom he looks upon as the highest intellect in the
world; and the Emperor, on the other hand, thinks that,
with time, his Imperial Highness will come up to his own
standard.

THE NEXT ANNUAL DINNER OF THE ARTISTS'
GENERAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION will be held next
month, with the Bishop of Oxford in the chair.
THE SCHOOLMASTER ABROAD.— A. correspondent
of the Gazette de Terronne communicates the following
copy of a letter recently written by a soldier to the mayor
of a village near Ilam, in answer to a note informing him
of his father's death. The brave fellow has learnt to write,
certainly, and is a bit of philosopher in his way ; but what
most distinguishes him is his original style of spelling :
" Je remairei bocou mecieu le mer de la more demon per
see et un petit aquecidan qui arive dans le familie. Canta
moi je suit a lopital avec use jambro de moin avec la quelle
loneurro de vous salu6--S." Tho letter may be thus
translated :—" I heartily thank Mr. Mayor for my father's
death. It is a little accident which happens in families. As
for me, I am in the hospital minus one leg, with which 1
have the honour to salute you."
DEATH OF A CENTENARIAN.—A woman named
Flora Macleod, better known as Widow Macpherson, a
native of Inverness, died here on the 25th ult., at the ex-
traordinary age of 103 years and Eeven monthsi_invernos
?irk'',