The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-25 00:00:00

(From the Times.)

Suddenly one of our greatest literary men has departed.
Never more shall the fine head of Mr. Thackeray, with its
mass of silvery hair, be seen towering among us. It was
but two days ago that ho might be seen at his club, radiant
and buoyant with glee. Yesterday morning he was found
dead in his bed. With all his high spirits he did not seem
well ; he complained of illness ; but he was often ill, and ke
laughed off his present attack. He said that he was about
to undergo some treatment which would work a perfe.ct
cure in his system, and so he made light of his malady. Ho
was suffering from two distinct complaints, one of which
has now wrought his death. Moro than a dozen years ago,
while he was writing " Pendennis," it will be remembered
that the publication of that work was stepped by his serious
illness. He was brought to death's door, and he was saved
from death by Dr. Elliotson, to whom, in gratitude, he
dedicated the novel when he lived to finish it. But ever
since that ailment he has been subject every month or tit
weeks to attacks of sickness, attended with violent
retching. He was congratulating himself the other day
on the failure of his old enemy to return, and then he
checked himself, as if he ought not to be too sure of a
release from his plague. On Wednesday morning the com-
plaint returned, and he was in great suffering all day. He
was no better in the evening, and his servant, about the time
of leaving him for the night, proposed to sit up with him.
This he declined. Ho was heard moving about midnight,
and ho must have died between 2 and 3 in the morning of
yesterday. His medical attendants attribute his death to
tffilsion on the brain. They add that he had,..ahovonepreyhs.a theuairge
o.
brain, weighing no less than 681 oz. He thus died of
complaint which seemed to trouble him least. He died tull
on
of strength and rejoicing, full of plans and
Monday last ho was congratulating
finished four numbers of a new novel—be thealikadhss
showedmanu.
script in his pocket, and with a boyish
the last pages to a friend, asking him to frireacl them and see
what he could make of them. When he had completed four
numbers more he said he would subject himself to the skill
of a very clever surgeon, and be no more
,an invalid. In
the fulness of his powers he has fallen before a complaint
which gave him no alarm.
The prominent incidents of a literary mans life are not
numerous, and there have been published so many memoirs
of Mr. Thackeray in biographical dictionaries and other
works that we need not go much into detail in recording
dates. He belonged to a Yorkshire family, and he was
descended from that Dr. Thackeray who was for some
time Head Master at Harrow, and who introduced there the
Eton system. His father was in the Civil Service of the
East India Company, and he was born at Calcutta in
ISII. Ho was educated at the Charterhouse, which he
loved to describe in his novels. Then he went to Cam-
bridge, but he left the University without taking a de-
gree, and went to the Continent with a view of s,udying
art. He might in those days be seen at Rome, at Weimar,
and at Paris, enjoying every kind of society, chiefly that
of the artists. He has described this sort of life abun-
&way in his tales. It was tome years after this that he

turned his attention to literature. He had begun life
with what might be considered a good fortune, but he
lost his money and had to work. He began as a writer
in Fraser's Magazine, in the days when Maginn was its
ruling spirit, and, under the name of Michael Angelo Tit-
marsh, wrote scores of essays, reviews, tales, sketches,
poems of very unequal merit, which brought him little
renown and not much emolument. He contributed to
other periodicals, wrote various books of travel, and
worked for the publishers, any that came to him, as a
barrister takes his brief from any respectable attor-
ney. The mass of work which he got through in this
way was very great, but much of it is interest-
ing only as the early practice of ono who before long
rose to be a master of English. On the whole, as we look
back upon these writings, we do not think that if his fame
at that time was unequal to his merits the public were
much to blame. The very high opinion which his friends
entertained of him must have been due more to personal in-
tercourse than to his published works. It was not until
1816 that Mr. Thackeray fairly showed to the world what
was in him. Then began to be published, in monthly num-
bers, the story of " Vanity Fair." It took London by sur-
prise—the picture was so true, the satire was so trenchant,
the style was so finished. It is difficult to say which of
these three works is the best--" Vanity Fair," " Henry
Esmond," or " The Newcomes." Men of letters may give
their preference to the second of these, which is indeed the
most finished of all his works. But there is vigour in the
first-mentioned, and a matured beauty in the last, which to
the throng of readers will be more attractive. At first read-
ing, vanity Fair" has given to many an impression that
the author is too cynical. There was no man less ill-natured
than Mr. Thackeray, and if anybody doubts this we refer
him to "The Newcomes," and ask whether that book could
be written by any but a most kind-hearted man. We be-
lieve that one of the greatest miseries which Mr. Thackeray
had to endure grow out of the sense that he, one of the
kindest of men, was regarded as an ill-natured cynic.
He produced many works besides those which we have
mentioned, and among them, perhaps, " Pendennis" ought
to be named as standing on a nearly equal level. Over and
above this, some of his minor works are perfect in their
way. There is a little tale of his—" Barry Lyndon "
which the more ardent lovers of Thackeray's writing regard
as his master-piece. We have mentioned enough, however,
to justify the opinion that, except Mr. Dickens, no modern
English novelist ranks higher than Wm. Makepeace Thac-
keray. As studies of human nature, and as specimens of
pure idiomatic English, perhaps nothing better has been
written than that which we have under Thackeray's name.
There is a rich humour, too, in his writing which is very
amusing. For humour and play of fancy what can be bet-
ter than his poems ? They are among the cleverest things
in the language. Highly polished as his style was, he
wrote, at least in his latter days, with great ease.
He wrote like print, and made very few corrections. What
he had to say came naturally to him ; he never made an
effort in his writing; and he rather despised writing which
is the result of effort. This naturalness he carried into his
daily life. He had in him the simplicity of the child with
the experience of the man. It was curious to see how
warmly his friends loved him, and how fervently his
enemies hated him. The hate which he excited among
those who but half knew him will soon be forgotten ;
the warmth of affection by which he was endeared
to many friends will long be remembered. He had
his foibles, and so have we all. Some of his foibles,
such as his sensitiveness to criticism, always excited
the good-humoured mirth of his friends. But these foibles
were as rothing beside the true greatness and good-
ness of the man. It was impossible to be long with him
without seeing his truthfulness, his gentleness, his humi-
lity, his sympathy with all suffering, his tender sense of
honour; and ono felt these moral qualities all the more when
one came to see how clear was his insight into human
nature, how wide was his experience of life, how large his
acquaintance with books, how well he had thought upon
all he had seen, and how clearly and gracefully he expressed
himself. A man in all the qualities of intellect, he was a
child in all the qualities of heart; and when his life comes
to be laid bare before the public in a biography we have no
doubt that, whatever intellectual rank may be assigned to
him, no man of letters with anything like the same powee
of mind, will be regretted as nobler, purer, better, kinder
than he.

Destitute Houseless Poor in the Metropolis.

The following minute of the Poor-law Board has
lust been issued :

The Poor-law Board have recently obtained from the
several metropolitan unions and parishes returns showing
the extent of accommodation provided for destitute vagrants
and wayfarers, and the numbers who either received, or who
were refused a night's lodging during the first week of each
of the months of January, March, May, and August, 1863.
It appears from those returns that, in the aggregate, ac •
commodation is provided in the several metropolitan work-
houses for 997 such persons.
But the accommodation is very unequally distributed.
In some unions and parishes the provision appears to be
sufficient; in others, however, it is manifestly inadequate ;
and the board have reason to suppose that in the latter case
a serious and unequal burden is in consequence cast upon
these neighbouring unions and parishes which have in-
curred the expense of providing the requisite wards.
The attention of the board, as the guardians are aware,
has on several previous occasions been directed to this im-
portant subject ; and some years ago the Legislature, by the
Act 7th and Bth Vict., cap. 101, sanctioned a scheme for
erecting district asylums for the reception of the wandering
and casual poor of the metropolis.
Owing to various causes, the chief of which was a want
of co-operation on the part of several of the Boards of Guar-
dians, that scheme, after an inquiry by a committee of the
House of Commons, was abandoned.

In 18.58 the Poor-law Board by a circular again referred
to the defects in the mode of administering relief to vagrants
and houseless poor in the metropolitan district, and endea-
voured to induce thaßoards of Guardians, by united action,
to exercise the powers conferred upon them by the statute
already referred to.

Since that time the guardians, in a few instances, have
provided additional accommodation, but throughout the
district generally the same defects prevail.
The Poor-law Board, therefore, consider it necessary
at this period, when the winter is rapidly approaching, to
remind those who are intrusted with the direction and ad-
ministration of relief of the nature and extent of the obliga-
tions which the law has imposed upon them.
It is a fundamental principle of the poor law that every
destitute person, without reference to the question of set-
tlement or residence, is primarily entitled to relief where he
is actually destitute ; and it is the duty cf the guardians to
see that all necessary and reasonable arrangements are
made for affording to every such person the requisite relief
whether in food, clothing, medical attendance, or lodging.
To meet these requirements the parochial authorities are
empowered to raise all necessary sums by local taxation.

With respect to the vagrant and houseless poor, it is
obvious that the kind of relief required, in the night at
least, is not so much food and clothing as lodging.
It is unnecessary to remark that to provide lodging for
every applicant indiscriminately in this vast metropolis
would encourage vagrancy and imposture of the worst de-
scription, and perpetuate all those evils which were pointed
out by the board in their minute of the 4th of August, 1848.
But the obligations upou the guardians and their officers
to afford the requisite relief to all really destitute applicants
is, nevertheless, imperative, and cannot be evaded.
~,_
The :next consideration, therefore, which arises is with
respect to the manner in which relief can be provided with
the least liability to abuse.
there
In every union, or parish not comprised in a union,
should be, either in the workhouse or elsewhere, propercuatan
and
ces of
sufficient wards, according to the speciacirm
wanderers,
and
the locality, for destitute wayfarers and Poor Law
means, such as the law contemplates and the
Board have frequently suggested,
i
condition of each applicant.
should be provided with
the view of testing the real cohndera
the existing wards and
In unions and parishes vi
workhouse accommodation
consider that it is the duty ofthebe insufficient the Board
Guardians
or temporary, to make such
further arrangements, whether permanent
for food andwayfarer sufficient
thereshelter,destitute, and applying
as will insure for every wanderer and actually
protection and relief for the night.
The general duties of those union officers who are respon-
sible the actual administration of relief may be briefly
explained.
Ti's waster of a workhouse, or, in case of his absence or
inability to act, the matron, is required to admit everyappli-
„nt who may appear to him or her to require relief through
any sudden or urgent necessity, although such applicant
not obtained an order of ad inissiQn eitherfromtheguardia
guardians
relieving officer, or overseer.

If the master and matron should be both absent from the
workhouse, or incapable of performing their duties at the
same time, it is the duty of the porter to admit and place in
the receiving ward any person who may apply at the work-
house for relief under similar circumstances.
The board have decided that the master of a workhouse
within the metropolitan district may properly admit, under
the above regulations,
any person who may be brought there
by a police constable, and described as having been found
abroad in a state of destitution, the presumption being that
the applicant has been guilty of no offence that would autho-
rise his detention in custody.
It is the duty of the relieving officer also, in every ease.°l:
sudden or urgent necessity, to relieve every destitute apprlo,.
cant, either by offering admission to the workhoussemorayp
viding, as far as practicable, all such necessaries; be
actually requisite, without reference to the time
t. n
or to the place where the pauper has lasrosarps•of
d The board are desirous of impressing P "
u °directions to the
guar-
dians the importance of giving
special,nd also to the porter,
master and matron of the workhouse,
vagrant wards are full,
that whenever the workhouse or
to
for admission of the residence 0 thecareful
inrfeolrienviianlgl applicants
order that the requisite relief may
be supplied by la.
Printed tickets with the the name and residence e.
re-
lieving officer should be provided and delivered in such
cases by the master, matron,
the applications :are orporter,to
be to every applicant.
t likely very numerous, and
to interfere with the ordinary duties of the relieving-officer,
or to require much attention trotot tara in the night, an

assistant relieving officer should be appointed to attend to
these cases exclusively.
In several parts of the country arrangements have been
made with the police to undertake the duties of assistant
relieving officers of vagrants, and the Board are assured
that the adoption of this plan has been attended with very
beneficial results.

It will be seen from what has been already stated that
under the existing law, it properly and judiciously applied,
sufficient arrangement may be made ler affording relief to
every destitute person without incurring the risk of encou-
raging vagrancy.
Th 3 Poor Law Board, having thus pointed out the re-
quirements of the existing law, and the best means of dis-
charging the obligations which it imposes, trust that they
may rely upon the Guardians and their officers to give prac-
tical effect to this Minute.

C. P. VILLIERS, President.
Poor Law Board, Whitehall, Dec. 23, 1863.

MERCY FOR SAMUEL WRIGHT,

Handbills with the above heading have been oh-
servable in various parts of the borough of Lam-
beth for some days past, inviting the working men
of the district to meet at the Lambeth Baths, to
agree upon a memorial to the Home Secretary pray-
ing for the commutation of the sentence of death
upon Samuel Wright, who now lies awaiting exe-
cution in Horsemonger-lane Gaol. We have been
informed that the meeting has resulted from a
wholly unsolicited movement amongst the working
classes themselves, who have felt somewhat indig-
nent at the apparent precipitancy of the proceed.,
ings in the case of Wright, with whose poverty
and friendlessness they are, of course, well able !to
sympathise. Last evening the large room forming
in summer the well known swimming bath, and
capable of holding from 2,000 to 3,000 persons, was
tolerably well filled with working men and their
wives. Mr. G. M. MURPHY, a gentleman well.
known in Lambeth for his philanthropic efforts
in the cause of temperance and other good works,
was called to the chair. The meeting throughout
was most earnest and enthusiastic.

The CHAIRMAN said that the meeting was not held
for the purpose of intimidation, but for the plirpose
f
of influencing the Secretary of State for the Home
Department mercifully in favour of Wright. The
tcoi r
tohuem s tances
unprecedentedof his c osnhvoirctt i
spacewereono peculiar, owing
time that had.
intervened between the commission of the crime
and the law being allowed to take its course. ge
did not think that Wright was innocent; indeed,
he had condemned himself, and declared he was
guilty ; but, considering the provocation it was pro-
bable that he had received, there was reason to be-.
Hove that mercy might be extended towards hire.
That meeting had been held in consequence of a
meeting of working men held in that building last
Saturday. Many of them had known Wright, and.
felt that a proper representation being made to the
Home Secretary might avert the extreme penalty
of the law. He then read the memorial as follows
" To the Right Hon. Sir George Grey, Bart., Chief
Secretary of State for the Home Department.
si The memorial of the undersigned working men
in the borough of Lambeth humbly showeth ,4 That a man named Samuel 'Wright, lately re-,
siding in the Waterloo-road, in. this borough, now
lies in Horsemonprlane Gaol awaiting execution,
he having been convicted at the late session of the
Central Criminal Court of the wilful murder of
Maria Green, in the Waterloo-road aforesaid on the
13th of the current month.

" That your memorialists have viewed with pain
the precipitancy with which conviction and sen-
tence of death have followed upon the said pri-
soner's crime.

" Your memorialists respectfully beg leave to re-
mind you that, although the crime was only com-
mitted on the morning of Sunday, the 13th instant,
the prisoner was committed for trial, by both ma-
gistrate and coroner, on Monday, 14th, and Tues-
day, 15th respectively, he was arraigned at the Cen-
tral Criminal Court on Wednesday, 16th, and, plead-
ing guilty, was then and there, by Mr. Justice
Blackburn, sentenced to death.
" Such haste in the conviction of an offender
charged with so serious a crime is, by your memo-
rialists, believed to be without parallel in the admi-
nistration of justice.
"Your memorialists being, like the prisoner,
possessed of very limited, pecuniary resources, can
well appreciate the difficulty Wright may have felt
as regards obtaining legal assistance.
" They entreat you to bear in mind that whilst
the prisoner would rightly acknowledge himself
guilty of killing the woman Green, yet that, being
ignorant of the law, he would be wholly incompe-
tent to take advantage of the many legal objections
counsel might interpose to reduce the crime to man-
slaughter, or by °ther means to avert the capital
sentence.

"Your memorialists therefore feel that the course
of the proceedings in this matter has not been cha-
racterised by that strict fairness which has usually
distinguished the administration of the law in this
country; and they are painfully conscious that, had
the prisoner possessed friends or means, the trial
would have been postponed, and a proper investi-
gation would have taken place, in the course of
which any point urged in the prisoner's favour
would have had due weight,
" Your memorialists are informed that no evidence
of premeditation on the part of the prisoner has been
discovered, and they are in a position to state, on
the authority of persons who have long known him,
that he has borne the character of an industrious
and inoffensive man.
" Your memorialists therefore
pray you to advise
her Majesty to avert any possible injustice towards
the aforesaid Samuel Wright by exercising the
Royal prerogative and commuting the extreme sen-
tence of the law,
" And your memorialists will ever pray, &e,
" December 24, 1863."
There was an omission in the memorial purposely
made and that was an allusion to the character of
1 the deceased, Maria Green. Life was dear to all,
protected
characters.
lifeN e Nevertheless tt hh ee le s s he might
Worst as well
aasn dthtehebelw satof
state that he held in his hand five v affidavits, all
bearing testimony to the violent temper of the
deceased.
He then read the affidavits, which
showed Maria Green to be of very bad temper. Ho
had also letters from those Who had employed
Wright, and also from his companions, all testifying
to his quiet, orderly behaviour. All
there
meditation proved, were sufficient to justify
them in adopting
ground was the probable provocation he received
which might have driven him beyond endurance;
and, lastly, on the ground of mercy. At a time
when all Were
rejoicing, he thought it was most
appropriate for them to adopt a memorial for
mercy.the memoriael. wthaoTssehnecoirenpuernixe:
stances added to the fact that
th t
(Cheers.) He then moved the adoption of
the memorial.
Mr. WILLIAM RHODE, a bricklayer, seconded the
motion.

Mr, CHARLES HANCOCK, ono of those who signed
a letter which has appeared in the newspapers,
bore testimony to the excellent character of Wright,
and to the great respect his shopmates entertained
for him,

Some other working men having borne similar
testimony, the memorial was adopted and ordered
to be signed by the meeting unanimously.
A cordial vote of thanks was then passed to Mr.
Murphy for his conduct in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN having
acknowledged the corn.
pliment, said some friends had drawn up a more
elaborate memorial to the Nome Secretary which
they intended to get signed by a class of inhabitants
of Lambeth whose social position and influence were
higher than those of the present meeting, thus show.
ing that the movement was not confined to a par.,
titular class. (Hear, hear.)
The meeting then terminated, and signatures to
the memorial were received.

Bank of England Return,--Last Evening.
An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and Bth Victoria,
oci Dec.,
32, for the week ending utt Wednesday, the 23d day
1863:

ISSUE DEP AantENT.
Notes Issued
Other Securities 3. 634,00
•
Gold Coin Si Bullion la ,503,10
."'"'"428.153,160 Government Debt .E11.,015,1C0
Silver Bullion ....

£28,153,160
DANKING D
► oprietors' Capi-
tal .............. £14.553.000
Rest
Public Deposits (in-
cluding Exche-
quer, Savings'
Banks, Commis-
missioners of Na-
tional Debt, and
Dividend AC-

X 28,153,180

:PARTMENT.

Government Seen-

rities (including
Dead Weight A-
nnuity) -E10,762,330
Other Securities .. 21.4100 56
Notes
Gold and Silver 713,907
Coin

counts) 10,266,546
Other Deposits 12,714,637
Seven Day and
other Bills 616,984

----:-
£41,353,538
,53S
m. MARSHALL, Chief Cashie r.

Dec. 24, 1863.