The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-06 00:00:00

TIM SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 6, 1864

employ their men and machinery. (Hear, hear.)
They rushed into this establishment with an almost bot-
tomless purse to go upon. Take the case of iron ord-
nance ; take the case of Armstrong guns. tip to the last
seven years the Government had never attempted to manu-
facture a gun at all. They had a sort of plaything for the
manufacture of guns of brass; but the victories of Nelson
and Wellington were all won br guns manufactured at pri-
vate establishments. But five or six years ago the Govern •
meat declared that the consummation of all inventions was
reached in this Armstrong gun. They organised an im-
mense establishment at Woolwich to manufacture the Arm-
strong gun. After some years a committee sat, and the
result of their investigations, as the hon. member for
Evesham said, was that £2,5C0,000 had been spent, exclu-
sive of ammunition; and the committee admitted that all
the guns except the 12-pounder field-piece, which was a
good gun before, hsd been failures. That should be a
warning to the house how they proceeded with that waste.
He attached no importance to the motion of the hon. mem-
ber for Evesham. He did not think it necessary to stop
there five minutes in order to vote with him for £6,000.
Having seen that for 23 years no vote had ever been refused
by that house, he thought a man might abandon the attempt
to reduce a vote without any imputation on his character.
He did not think any change need be made in our estimates
this Parliament, but he did think the subject of our manu-
facturing establishments ought to be entered upon and dis-
cussed in that house. He hoped the subject would be
brought forwa; d by some one more competent than himself.
If not, he would certainly venture to call the attention of
the house to the increase of our establishments, the way
they were carried on, and the great waste of the resources
of the country from them. (Hear, hear.)
Colonel DUNNE was glad to hear that the right hon.
gentleman would exercise his influence in reducing the
immense manufactures of the Government.

The Marquis of HARTINGrON could not deny that
within the last few years the manufacturing votes had
increased ; but while the manufacturing votes had in-
creased, the votes for stores had not increased with them.
By keeping the manufacturing establishments in an efficient
working state, the Government could dispense with that
which was the most expensive of all things—the keeping up
of an enormous collection of stores to be ready in case of
war. If they had no means of getting at a short notice a
large supply of warlike stores, they must have a large supply
of such stores in the storehouse ready for any emergency.
The amount of money required for keeping such stores was
considerable, and to that must be added the probability that
in this age of progress any warlike article they stored might
be superseded in a few years, and become obsolete. There-
fore they ought to have manufactories upon which they
could depend in time of war. With regard to the question
of waste, he was sure no hon. member whose mind was
unprejudiced on the subject could read the report of the
committee and say that any word in it tended to show that
the system of manufacture conducted in the arsenal was
more expensive than the private establishment at Elswick.
It was with considerable difficulty that Mr Rendell and Mr
Noble, partners in the Elswick factory, brought the com-
mittee to the conclusion that the prices were not very con-
siderably in excess of those at which the Government
manufactories and laboratory supplied the articles. Ho
could not see that the evidence given before the committee
tended to warrant the sweeping condemnation of all the
Armstrong guns except the 12 pounders, nor could he find
the paragraph to which the hon. member for Rochdale had
referred, as stating that the manufacture of these guns
should be suspended. With respect to the accounts, altera-
tions were going on at this moment, and he hoped in future
they would still further show the house what money was
spent in labour and material, and what was the cost of the
articles manufactured at the Government establishment.
After some further remarks from Captain Jervis and the
Marquis of HARTINGTON the committee divided
For the amendment 35
Against it
Majority .. —45

The vote was then agreed to.
A. sum of £572,519 was proposed for warlike stores, which
was agreed to after a short discussion.

Colonel BARTELOTT moved that the chairman should
report pi ogress.

The motion was agreed to, and the House resumed.
UNDER-SECRETARIES INDEMNITY BILL.

This bill was read a second time.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPLEMENTAL ACT.
This bill passed through committee.
UNION ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE ACT AMEND-

the year was 11,163,181 f. (S/146,727), which when
added to the expense previously made, brought
the entire amount to 68,910,681 f. (£2,756,427).
It was in order to encourage the expedition of
coals from the more distant loetlities that since
the Ist of September last, the company had lowered
the charge to 7f. 80c. per 1,060 tons, no matter
where from, in place of Bf. to 10f., the charge pre-
viously. In particular the Belgian coals had dimi-
nished from 463,000 tons in 1860 to 405,000 in
1861, and 379,000 in 1862. French coals had, on
the other hand, presented an increase for short dis-
tances, but the company was more anxious about
the longer distances, as infinitely more remunera-
tive. The company was now trying the experi-
ment of endeavouring to make up the loss by lower
tariffs by obtaining a larger quantity sent. Look-
ing at results of the working for the past year there
was an increase of 1,779,060 f. (X 71,160) in the re-
ceipts ; a diminution in the expenses of 816,000 f.
(£32,640), which with a balance left over from
1862 of 10,000 f. (£400), gave an augmentation of
2,605,000f.(£104,200) from which must be deducted
for increased interest on the new shares and other
charges a totalof 1,665,000 f. (£66,000), leaving anet
profit of 940,000 f. (£37,000). That sum would be
sufficient to pay the full dividend due in 1863 on
the last series of the new shares. The complete
assimilation of the old and new shares was thus
realised without any difference taking place in the
revenue of the whole of the company's shares. Since
the shares had been increased from 400,000 to
525,000, the board had to arrange so as to meet each
year the increased sum required for the dividend.
The total receipts on revenue account, after certain
deductions, amounted for the year 1863 to
67,468,677 f. (£2,698,747), and the expenses to
25,247,271 f. (£1,009,919), leaving a surplus of
42,220,706 f. (£1,688,828), which sum, after paying
the sinking sunk, interest, and other charges, gave
a dividend of 62f. per share, payable on and after
the Ist of July next.
The report was unanimously adopted, the divi-
dend declared, and the convention with the Mini-
ster of Public Works was agreed to. A credit of
12,500,000 f. was accorded for the new branch lines.

The outgoing directors, Barons James, Lionel,
and Anthony de Rothschild, M. Henri Barbet, and
31. Felix Vernes, were re.elected, and the proceed..
ings terminated.

would desire a change, and he gave what they wished. The
dietary was not a cost to witness, it was wholly paid for out
of the rates. The medicines he provided. Ho did not knew
whether the guardians paid for cod-liver oil. Witness was
not in the least restricted in giving wine, brandy, gin, or
porter, nor had be ever received any intimation from the
guardians that his mode of treating the sick poor was too
expensive. On the Saturday previous to the death of the
deceased there was nothing alarming in her illness, but she
got typhoid fever. He bad not given her stimulants, for it
was not a case fc,r such. Ho believed there had been a case
of fever in the ward before. On the following Sunday, when
he visited the Iv; trd, he was told she died that morning in
convulsions. He considered that the congestion of the lungs
arose from typh old fever and the convulsions.
William Smit h deposed that he was 68 years of age, and
had been en inn tate of Bethnal• green Workhouse for three
years. He attended regularly at the lobby gate of the
workhouse leading to the relieving officer's efilca. He re-
membered Mrs Arthdd coming to the workhouse on the
Monday before the 'Wednesday on which she was admitted.
She came in ac ab with her husband. They got out of the
cab and they w anted witness to allow Mrs ..A.nfiehl to sit
down in the lob_oy. He did not allow her because he was
not permitted to do so. It was a dry evening in the begin-
ning of March. Deceased stood leaning against the work-
house wall, and others were about her. Mr Airfield came
out, and said he could not get an order, and they should get
a cab and take her back. 'Witness did not report the affair
to Mr Meyrick or Mr Cardwell.

The Commissioner said that the witness saw the woman
in dreadful misery and sickness. But he (the Commissioner)
did not blame the witness. The guardians could not expect
anything better from a man to whom, they pail no salary,
and over whom they had no particular control.

Aaron Anficld said the witness had made a mistake as to
the day that was not rainy, The Monday deceased was
outside the gates was a very wet day. He came to the
workhouse on the Monday to get his wife into the infirmary.
Witness first stopped at Mr. Cardwell's gate, saw him, and
showed an order. Mr. Cardwell said, " That is an order to
see the Board." Witness had been given an order by Mr.
Christy to see the guardians at 2 o'clock, but witness had
not gone. Witness was now aware he ought to ha're gone.
Both Mr. Cardwell and the other man told him she could
not he admitted without an order.

The Commissioner said it was the bounden duty of the
porter, &c., to report a case of urgent necessity instantly to
the master, who should admit instanter, without an order.
Mr. Cardwell said he never saw the man that day at all.

The witness said that on the Tuesday he asked Dr. Moore
for an order for nourishment, and carried it to Mr. Christy.
The latter said, " I will give no nourishment." He also said
there was an order for them both to come into the workhouse
and in they should come. Witness said it was very hard
the parish should be encumbered with two, when only one
wanted to come in. Witness was refused nourishment, and
was leaving when a man was sent after him to say he might
come in. 'Witness did not, however, get an order, but he
was told his wife would be let in next day or that night.
On the Wednesday witness had some trouble to get her in,
as Mr. Cardwell said it was more than his place was worth
to admit her without an order ; but at last he said he re-
membered the case, and he let her in. Witness saw her
twice in the workhouse. The first time she did not com-
plain, and she said she had nothing to fret at. The next
time she complained that the meat was so hard and some-
times so raw that she could not eat it. She had no porter
or wine, &c. _ _ _

Mary Ann Anficid, daughter of the last witness, identified
Mr. Cardwell as the person whom they first spoke to at the
workhouse gates en the Monday, Witness saw deceased in
the workhouse infirmary a fortnight afterwards. The de-
ceased complained much of the food, and said that if wit-
ness had not got her food she should have had nothing.
She complained of having no nourishment. She asked to
be taken home. Witness took her some tea and sugar and
some biscuits. The nurse was present when she complained.
She had meat given to her, but she could not eat it, it was
so hard. No one searched witness, cr asked her what she
brought in.
Aaron Anfield said that he and deceased and his daugh-
ters earned altogether about 20s a week.
Mr. Cardwell, recalled, said that he had heard the evi-
dence of both the Anfields, and he still adhered to his depo-
sition that he had never seen them at all on Monday. He
would not say that he might not be mistaken, but on Board
days between 100 and 200 applicants came with tickets, and
the Anfields might have been among them.
At this stage the proceedings were adjc urned.