The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-12 00:00:00

LORD PALMERSTON

FOR EVER.

An outrage like this ought certainly sever to have
been quietly tolerated by the police. It the pla-
cards so inscribed were posted up, on the sly, during
the night time, the police authorities ought at the
least to have had them torn down with indignation
in the morning,

Thera seems to be really no end to the lamentable
cases resulting from the mismangement of affairs by
the Bethnal-green officials. Mr. CHRISTY, the re-
lieving officer, has already earned a most unenviable
reputation for his harshness to the sick and desti-
tute, and he seems to be only carrying out the
wishes and expressing the sentiments of those
around him. There is no doubt that the charge for
the maintenance of the poor presses very heavily
on the inhabitants of a district like Bethnal-green,
where a great part of the ratepayers can barely
keep above pauperism themselves, and the anxious
desire of the guardians to keep the expenses of the
Union down to the mirimum is, of course, princi-
pally due to the real necessities of the district. A
striking proof is thus afforded of the evils arising
from the inequality of the poor rate, since St.
George's, Hanover-square, could certainly pay
treble the amount charged on St. George's-in-the-
East with less inconvenience, instead of being only
called upon to contribute a small proportion of the
sum demanded from the poorer parish. It is hard
and unjust that the chief burden of supporting the
absolutely destitute should fall upon the poor
instead of the rich, but that such is the case
the returns of the parish rates indisputably
show. Still, allowing for all natural reluctance
to increase an already exorbitant charge it is cer-
tainly difficult to exonerate the cfficials of Bethnal
Green from the charge of indifference to the lives
and sufferings of their fellow creatures, if nothing
worse. We can hardly set down the constant re-
petition of deaths from want and neglect, of coro-
ners' innuests, and mutual recrimination, to acci- '
dental or casual causes. They are rather the fruits
of a system regularly carried on, whose effects vary
in proportion to the degree of sickness and destitu-
tion it encounters. The one grand object seems to
be to give as little relief as possible, to disgust the
poor with parish aid and to saddle their assistance,
when at last reluctantly granted, with conditions
that render it so distasteful as sometimes to make
absolute starvation preferable in the minds of those
who have "seen better days." It seems at the
outset very strange that when there is an organized
and costly system of parish relief professedly avail-
able for every destitute person, such a thing as
death from want of the common necessaries of life
should be ever heard of amongst us. Yet the re•
cords of this winter alone reveal some startling
tragedies, and there is little security that another
season of equal severity will not witness their
repetition. One grand barrier which has
been found very effectual in deterring the
more respectable class of the very poor
from seeking parish aid is the condition that
if one member of a family is ill and wants care
and relief, the whole family must come into the
house before it is attainable. The recent case at
Bethnal-green was an instance of this sort. A
woman, aged 62, the wife of a weaver, died from
congestion of the lungs, her death, according to
the medical testimony, being accelerated by pri •
vation. The husband stated that Dr. MoonE had
attended his wife, and given a certificate for her
admission to the infirmary. The man, who pro-
bably could not read, thought it was an order, and
took his wife with it in a cab to the workhouse.
When there, 'the porter refused to admit the
woman, saying it was as much as his place was
worth to let her in without a regular order. She
could not stand,but had to be supported at the gate,
where she remained for nearly an hour. It was
raining fast, and the poor woman at length begged
to be taken back, or she "should die in the
street." The porter was asked for a chair, that
she might rest for a little while, but he refused
it. The next day the husband obtained an order
for nourishment from Dr. MOORE, which he took
to Mr. CHRISTY. According to the evidence, that
gentleman said, " I shall give no nourishment.
You must both come into the house." The man
replied—" It is very hard that the parish chould be
burthened with two when only one wants relief."
Mr. CHRISTY said he did not care, both should come
in, Ultimately—it is not said how long after—he