The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-10 00:00:00

TIM SUN. LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 10, 1863.

that for a long course of years the Legislature has
been occupied in remedying grievances, in removing
defects from our laws, in sweeping away those ob-
structions which the less enlightened policy of
former times had placed in the way of the produc-
tive industry of the nation. By all these means, I
am happy to say, I believe that the commercial and
material prosperity of the country has reached a
point which it never attained at any former period.
(Hear.) Those who know the course of the com-
merce of the world will tell you that year by year
this great city of London is growing more and
more to be the centre of all the commercial trans-
actions of other States, that bills are drawn upon
London to pay debts all over the world, that com-
modities destined for other countries are sent in
deposit here—a tribute paid by the people of other
nations to the industry, good management, integrity
and high honour of our own commercial commu-
nity. (Hear, hear.) I congratulate you, my Lord
Mayor and gentlemen, on this happy state of things,
and I trust that they are greatly indebted for it to
the reign of that beneficent Sovereign under whose
mild and enlightened rule they have the good for-
tune to live. (Hear.) My Lord Mayor, I beg again

to thank you on my own part and that of my col-
leagues, and to assure you that we derive the
highest gratification from being allowed to join this
festive board. (Loud cheers.)
After a brief interval Lord PALMERSTON again
rose to propose the health of the new Lord Mayor.
He said—There are two aspects of human affairs—
the past and the future. You have done honour to
the past by drinking the health of the late Lord
Mayor. I now request you to anticipate the future
by drinking the health of "The Lord Mayor Elect,"
confident that at this time next year he will have
as well earned your approbation and thanks as you
have shown to-night that his immediate predecessor
has done. (Cheers.)
The toast having been duly honoured,

The LORD MAYOR briefly responded, expressing
his anxiety to discharge his duties to the best of his
abilities, and to maintain in their integrity the
rights and privileges of his fellow-citizens. He then
proposed " the House of Lords," which, he said, en-
joyed the respect and goodwill of the country, coup-
ling with the toast the name of Earl Granville.

(Cheers.)
Earl GRANVILLE believed that the Lord Mayor
had spoken truly in stating that the House of Lords
enjoyed the goodwill of the people of this country.
It was, perhaps, remarkable that the name of an
old institution, founded on hereditary right, should
be so cordially received among a people improving
in intelligence and public spirit, and which had the
freest expression of thought of any country in the
world: But, no doubt, the circumstance was partly
due to the House of Lords representing, though in a
different way from the House of Commons, the feel-
ings of a large portion of the community. Its ranks
were, moreover, recruited from all the various classes
of the country. To use a commerciarterm, the House
of Lords sometimes made loans of Peers. (A laugh.)
It had made a loan of the noble viscount who now
presided over the House of Commons in a manner
which they knew was acceptable to that body. They
had also lent Lord J. Russell to the city of London,
but now they claimed him for their own at last ;
and they did not find that he had lost any of his
zeal :for the honour and welfare of the coun-
try at large through his connexion with that
commercial constituency. On the other hand, the
House of Lords borrowed in tarn from the city
men whom the city especially claimed as its own.

Among these last were the late Lord Ashburton
and Lord Overstone, who were certainly found
to be very good bargains. (A laugh.) If the
Upper House remembered that it had its duties
as well as its rights, and really attended to those
duties, he believed it would always be appreciated
by the intelligent country which in a certain sense
it might be said to represent. (Cheers.)
The LORD MAYOR then gave "Her Majesty's
Judges," which was briefly acknowledged by Lord
Chief Justice ERLE. The next toast was " The
House of Commons," with which the name of Mr.
Cardwell was associated.
Mr. CARDWELL, in acknowledging the conipli-

ment, said he was not surprised that in an assem-
bly of the citizens of London the toast of " The
House of Commons" should be received in a cordial
manner, for many of its most valued and able
members were connected with that mercantile com-
munity. They had been told that the English
House of Commons was powerful abroad, and the
secret of that power was that its voice was in har-
mony with that of the nation. The House of Com-
mons was the natural capital and crown of our other
representative institutions—those municipal bodies
which conducted the business and influenced the
mind of England, and of which that corporation
was the chief. It was the business of the House of
Commons—he would not say to promote their com-
merce, because that courted no patronage from any-
body and sought only a fair field and no favour--
but to remove obstructions which fettered the enter-
prise and industry of the people.
The LORD MAYOR then proposed " the Bar of
En gland,'',to which the Attorney-General responded.
The remaining toasts were—" the Sheriffs of Lon-
don and Middlesex," 4, the Lady Mayoress," " Sir
J. Duke and the City Members," " the Aldermen
and the City Judges."
An admirable selection of vocal music was per-
formed during the evening by Madame Radersdorff,
Miss Lascelles, Miss A. Cos, Miss Messent ; and
Messrs. Wilbye Cooper, Cozens, Burgess, Young,
Henry, Percival, and Winn. The arrangements
were under the direction of Mr. Edwin Gray, Herr
Lutz acting as conductor,
The proceedings terminated at a late hour.

M. Louts VEUILLOT is preparing a refutation of
Itenan's "Life of Jesus."
11IE MIDDLE LEVEL.—Some interesting infor-
mation may be afforded with regard to this district
of the fens, which excited so much attention last year in
consequence of the disastrous inundation near Lynn. It ap-
pears from the accounts for the financial year ending April
6, 1863, that £86,651 was disbursed during that period, of
which £57,744 was in reference to works consequent on the
failure of the out-fall sluice. The further sum of £1,996
was paid on account of law expenses, arising principally
out of the same calamity. About £B,OOO has since been paid
on account of the defensive works, and from £2,000 to £3,000
still remains to be paid, exclusive of the engineers' charges,
which have not yet been received. It was estimated a year
since that there would be a deficiency of £20,000, or there-
abouts, in the funds of the commissioners to provide for the
works contemplated by the engineers. The result has con-
firmed the estimate, but the commissioners do not propose
to take up formally any further sum or loan, but to provide
for their current wants through a temporary advance from
their bankers. Further argument in reference to the ques-
tions of law reserved for the opinion of the Court of Queen's
Bench with regard to the compensation claims preferred
during the great flood will take place during the present
term. A leakage and some disturbances at:the syphon dam
and works have lately occurred, and Mr. T. E, Harrison,
C.E., came down last week for the purpose of making an
examination with Mr. Lunn, the resident engineer. Mr.
Lunn has given directions to have some puddle prepared,
and the men employed will open out as far as they can the
course of the water, and will then fill the excavated space in
with puddle. The defective point is supposed to be close to
the syphons furthest from the engine-house, and the next
spring tides will prove whether this is or is not the case,
Mr. Harrison considers that no bad result is likely to arise
from the leak, but he will meet Mr. Hawkshaw, C.E., to-
morrow or Wednesday for the purpose of consulting with
that gentleman, and of ascertaining from Mr. Lunn the re-
sult of the work now being carried on. It will then be
practicable to decide whether any further steps are neces-
sary. The amount of rain which has fallen has been so un-
usually small that no opportunity has been afforded for
judging by actual experiment as to the probable efficiency
of the syphons; but, acting under the advice of the engi-
neers, the commissioners propose to give them a further
trial before disturbing them. It appears from the accounts
that in the commissioners' last financial year the amount
.[AlivErerisE
taken on loan was £71,000, the bonded debt of the com-
mission being thus increased to £161,000. The amount
Friend.—soTeohiosi
paidvv for interest was £16,693, and the sum received in taxes
£24,691, while the other ordinary accessory receipts of
thea
„ac)teeder Were
£.lB4:oL.:liteomiipoowraayry,sloclanintoraf
e12t0.—,001.00,
uctohn,s•
action, that it
in 1862-3, has been paid off.
Otter, tooth rash,
cooling Ointment is so innocent in its
nature,
rashes and eruptions is In its properties, and :so healing in its
invaluable in skin diseases, scald head,
diseases nursery ; trivial maladies may and deeply dreaded in the
and the many varieties of
at their outset, end all future bY
has gained hold upon the constitution and endangered
it be met and conquered
mischief overcome betore it
future health. Full directioni
of Ointment. Holloway's ungaureenr
tmeaPaP;
at which the sufferer
upped
e round
appl
ied eachwpaoht
the best results in many
inseatig4tiug thew
wsilztalyb:buobtlitasabewectausanecithaeelictaatakei

THE MURDER IN A CAB,

Up to a late hour last night no information had been re-
ceived by the police that could give the slightest duo to the
discovery of the man supposed to be concerned in this hor-
rible affair, or lead to the identification of the bodies of the
murdered persons. The case is in the charge of Mr. Supe-
rintendent Tiddy, of the D division, assisted by a number of
detectives under Sergeant Tanner. The description of the
women and children was extensively circulated throughout
the country districts yesterday, and will, it is supposed, lead
at least to the identification of the bodies. During Sunday
and yesterday the cabman, James Parker, was taken to
various parts of the metropolitan police districts to identify
bodies supposed to include that of the missing man, but
without any successful result.
Yesterday evening Dr. Lankester held an inquest on the
bodies of the poisoned woman and children in the Board-
room of St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington.
The first witness called was. Edward Wynne, a coachman,
living in Mornington-street, Marylebone, who stated that
while standing in front of the Royal Oak Tavern, West-
bourne-grove, about half-past 9 o'clock on Saturday night
last, a Great Eastern Railway cab drove up. Thinking he
knew the driver, he walked up to it and opened the door.
While doing so the cabman stepped down off his box, say-
ing, "I have got a queer job here, I fancy." On opening
the door witness found a woman crouched down in the bot-
tom of the cab, apparently dead drunk. On lifting her up
they found there were two little girls in the cab, also insen-
sible. Witness lifted the woman up, and gave the cabman
one of the children to hold. He then went round the corner
to look for a policeman, but not finding one he returned to
the cab door, and found a policeman and a medical gentle-
man examining the bodies. He thought the woman was
drunk, and told the cabman so. He noticed a good deal of
vomit about the woman's clothes. He saw nothing in the
cab but a hatbox. No bottle was found while he was there.
By the Jury—The cabman was in the act of getting down.
off the box when he used the expression, "I have got a
queer job here, I fancy." The younger child was on the seat
of the cab, the elder underneath the woman. Witness was
mistaken in supposing that he knew the cabman, who was
a perfect stranger to him. It was before the cab door was
opened that the cabman made the remark he did.
James Parker, badge 220, was then called, He said he was
a eabdriver, plying for hire at the Great Eastern Railway
Terminus. He was on his stand at the station between 8
and 9 o'clock on Saturday evening last, and was waiting for
the arrival of the 9 o'clock up train, when he was called by
a gentleman, who had with him a lady and two children.
They came from the departure platform. The gentleman
told him to drive to the Royal Oak, Westbourne-grove, and
got into the cab accompanied by the lady and the two little
girls. Witness heard no conversation between any of the
party. When they got as far as the Green Dragon Tavern,
in Bishopsgate-street, the gentleman stopped the cab, gave
him a shilling, and asked him to get down and bring him a
pint of half-and-half, telling him that he might have any-
thing he liked for himself. He did as he was requested, and
gave the gentleman the change out of the shilling and the
pint of half-and-half at the same tme. Heard no conversa-
tion in the cab at the time, nor did he see who partook of the
half-and-half, as he was standing at his horse's head. The
gentleman gave him the pot to take back to the publichouse,
emptying what remained in it on to the pavement before
doing so. From the sound of the liquid falling on the stones
he should not think that any solid substance had been added
to the beer. He then drove on through Cornhill, as he had
been directed, until they came to Furnivar s-inn, Holborn,
when the gentleman put his head out of the window and
called out, "Hold hard, cabby; I'll get out here." He
opened the door himself, and was out on the pavement just
as witness pulled up. He asked witness his fare, and he
told him 45., whereupon he gave him 4s. 6d., remarking
that the extra sixpence was for himself, and telling him to
drive the others to the Royal Oaks Westbourne-grove.
Witness did not hear him say 64 Good bye" to the persons
in the cab. He was a dark, gentlemanly .looking man, about
5 feet 5 inches high, not very stout, with small black
whiskers, bushy moustache, and short black beard. Ho
had a foreign appearance, but spoke like an Englishman.
He had on a black coat and trousers and a black hat, and
walked away:slowly in the direction of Holborn-hill. Wit-
ness then continued his journey to the Royal Oak, when he
pulled up and got dowd. As he opened the door he re-
marked to the last witness, who was standing near, " Look
here I here is something very queer I" and pointed out the
woman lying at the bottom of his cab. She was on her face,
and the elder child was in her arms underneath. He tried
to get the child out of the mother's arms, and begged of
Wynne to fetch a policeman and a surgeon. A doctor who
was passing at the time came up, examined the woman and
children, and pronounced them to be dead. The policeman
then got into the cab, and by his direction witness drove to
St. Mary's Hospital as fast as possible.
By the Coroner—lt was certainly not till after he got
down that he said to Wynne " Here's a queer job 1" He
could not see into the cab from his box. Wynne did not
open the door.
Policeman Thomas Jones, 274 D, stated that he was on

duty opposite the Royal Oak on Saturday evening, between
eight and nine, when a man crossed over and said, "I
think you are wanted on the other side of the
road." He crossed over and saw 15 or 20 people standing
round a cab, among whom was a medical man, who was
examining a woman and two children, who were lying ap-
parently dead in the cab. He got in and supported the
woman's head with his knees, and took the children in his
arms. He directed the driver to drive to St. Mary's Hospi-
tal with all speed. When they arrived there the surgeon
in attendance pronounced the woman and children to be dead.
Inside the cab was found a leather hatbox, containing a few
figs and cakes, arid a piece of newspaper. Oa the seat of
the cab was a bundle containing a lilac cotton skirt, two
pinafores, and a white pocket handkerchief tied up in a
black wrapper. Besides these articles were found a man's
new cap, a shilling, and a portmonnaie, containing a half
crown, a shilling, a sixpence, sd. in halfpence, and two
postage stamps. After bringing the things into the hospi-
tal he found a cork, which might either have been among
them or on the table before they were brought in. There
was a good deal of vomit about the cushions of the cab,
which had, unfortunately, been washed away.
Mr. H, W. Kiallmark, M.R.C.S., was next called. He

was passing the Royal Oak on Saturday evening between
8 and 9 o'clock, when he saw a crowd round a cab door.
He pushed his way through to see if he could be of any as-
sistance. The first thing that struck him was a very strong
smell of prussic acid. He then saw the body of a child lying
on the front seat of the cab, and a woman and another child
huddled together at the bottom. On proceeding to examine
the bodies he found th3m all to be dead, the youngest child
being nearly cold, the others still warm. There was no pulse
or any sign of life whatever, and the bodies were quite
flaccid. Tho child that lay at the bottom of the cab had
vomited.

Mr. Coombe, M.R.C.S., one of the house surgeons who
received the bodies'at the hospital, said that at about half-
past 8 o'clock on Saturday evening a cab came to the hos-
pital with three dead persons—a woman of about 35 and two
female children, apparently of the ages of seven and four.
They were quite dead, and all smelt of prussic acid ; tha
smell, however, was more particularly strong in the case of
the mother and the younger child. The bodies were quite
flaccid, and the fluid which exuded from the woman's mouth
smelt very strongly of prussic acid and porter. The eyes of
all three presented the ordinary appearance. On again exa-
mining the bodies at daylight he found a slight bruise on
the arm of the mother and one of the children. There was
also a sore on the mother's foot, upon which was a portion
of ointment, evidently taken from a box found on her per-
son. Mr. Coombe then described the appearances presented
by the different organs at the post mortem examination. In,
all three cases the brains were congested and smelt of prus-
sic acid. In the case of the woman half an ounce of fluid was
found in the pericardium. In all three the right auricles of
the heart were distended, the right ventricles flaccid, the
left auricles and ventricles being empty. The other organs
were health. The stomachs were tied up, sealed, and will be
delivered to Dr. Matthiessen for the analysis of their con-
tents to-day. The woman bore marks of having borne chil-
dren. There was no wedding-ring on her finger, but a dis-
tinct mark of one. From the likeness between the woman
and the children he should say they were mother and
daughters.
Mr. George Mahon, M.R.C.S., another of the surgeons,
stated that he had found a box of ointment, with lint and
strapping, inside the bosom of the woman's dress. It bore
a printed label, " William Hunt, chemist, Camberwell,"
and the words 0 Zinc Ointment" were written upon it.
Henry Beard, a detective, said he had taken the box of
ointment to Mr. Hunt, who identified it as having been
purchased at his shop within the last few days, but he could
throw no further light upon the matter.
The landlord of the Green Dragon was then called, who
fully corroborated the evidence of the cabdriver touching
the beer called for by him, and delivered to the man in the
cab. He noticed the man in the cab, and thought he should
be able to identify him if necessary.
Sergeant Mackrill, of the D division, then gave a minute
account of the'clothes found on the bodies of the unfortu-
nate victims, a description of which was given in The Sun
of yesterday.
The inquest was then adjourned until Monday, the 16th

instant,
The bodies will be kept at the hospital deadhGuse as long
as they remain in a state to be identified.
Her Majesty's Government has offered a reward of
£lOO for the apprehension of the man who hired and left
the cab in which the dead bodies of the woman and two girls
were found.

KILLED BY AN EXPRESS TRAIN.--Shortly before
10 o'clock on Sunday night a shacking accident took
place at the Catford-bridge station of the Mid Kent Railway.
It appears that a young man, 19 years of age, named Fred.
Charles Drake, had taken a ticket to proceed to the Lady-
well station, Lewisham, where he resided. and had to cross
the line of rails to await the arrival of the train. At this
time, the express train, which was some minutes overdue,
came up, and before the unfortunate young man had time
to escape the engine struck him and threw him with great
violence to a considerable distance. When picked up, one
of his legs was found to have been severed, and his body
otherwise presented such a mangled appearance as to leave
no doubt that death had been instantaneous. The deceased
was the aou 0 the sexton of Lewisham Cemetery,

BETHNAL-GREEN GUARDIANS.

At the usual weekly meeting of the Bethnal-green Board
of Guardians, held at the workhouse yesterday, Mrs. Nor-
ton, midwife, attended to complain that Dr. Moore, one of
the medical officers, had refused to pay her half-a-crown in
respect to each of four midwifery cases she had attended on
his behalf. She said she understood that Dr. Moore was
paid a fee of 10s. in each case, and she felt it very hard that
she should not be paid by him when she attended and did
the duty. In reply to the chairman, Mr. Collins, she said
she could name the cases in which he had refused to pay
her. There was that of Mrs. Hill in East-street, Mrs.
Langton in Digby. street, Mrs. Bingley in Smart-street,
and Mrs. Marsh in James-street. The case of Marsh was a
difficult one. Dr. Moore was there, and he went away for
his instruments, but the child was born before he returned.
The clerk referred to the book and found that the certificates
of Dr. Moore had been pail. Mrs. Norton said, in continua-
tion, that she had been in the habit of attending midwifery
cases for Dr. Moore for eight years. Dr. Moore called after-
wards, perhaps the next day, but she always put the woman
to bed, and attended the child for a week afterwards. When
Dr. Moore paid her the last money he kept ls. off. He paid
her 4s. for two cases when he ought to have paid her ss.
She was dissatisfied, but she would not have complained if
he had paid her in the last four eases. She had attended
nearly all the cases at the Folly for Dr. Moore. The chair-
man said they had had suspicion that something of this
kind had been going on for a long time, and that they were
obliged to her for coming forward and giving them infor-
mation. There was no doubt the physician had used her
very badly. The Board would probably require his attend-
ance in another place. Mrs. Norton then retired, and the
clerk read the report of the committee of the whole Board
on the case of Caroline James and the conduct of Mr,
Christy, the relieving officer. The committee after carefully
considering the evidence recommended that the following
opinion be forwarded to the Poor-law Board :—" That Mr.
Christy, after receiving the certificates of Dr. Moore, should
have admitted Caroline James into the infirmary, but on
visiting the deceased and seeing the van of goods belonging
to her being removed he did not consider it a case of desti-
tution. The guardians are of opinion that this is a great ex-
tenuation in the case." Mr. Faith moved that the report be
adopted, which was seconded by Mr. Englebert, and unani-
mously carried. The clerk was instructed to forward the re-
solution to the Poor-law Board. The clerk then read the
letter received from the Poor-law Board last week relative to
the resolution of the guardians asking the Board to sanction
the disniissal of Dr. Moore. As the Board had asked for parti-
culars respecting the various charges against Dr. Moore, it
was proposed by Mr. Goodwin that the clerk be instructed

to forward the information required. Mr. Englebert thought
the matter should be entrusted to a committee of the whole
Board, and not left with the clerk alone. The chairman
said he had got quite enough evidence before him to sub-
stantiate the whole of the charges against Dr. Moore, but
he thought it would be most desirable to refer the matter to
a committee. Mr. Faith said, after what they had heard that
day, the case of Dr. Moore assumed a very grave aspect.
He moved that a committee of the whole Board meet on
Thursday next to take the matter into further consideration.
This motion having bean seconded, was put and carried, and
the clerk was instructed to summons such witnesses as
might be required. The Board then adjourned,

Unhealthy Homes in Norwich.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORFOLK NEWS.

beg space in your journal to make public a matter
that I feel requires the utmost consideration.
In my vocation as sanitary officer it is not unfrequent
that I have to witness most appalling scenes of filth and
poverty, some brought on by neglect and folly, whilst in
others the parties are blameless for their forlorn state ; and
I feel that I should be wanting in humanity were I to allow
such cases to pass unnoticed.
I have always been greatly assisted by the magistrates in
matters of this description, when 'I have brought them
under their notice ; but I regret that cases arise which they
do not consider come legally within their jurisdiction.
I would particularly draw attention to the following
cases, which I brought under the notice of the bench on the
17th instant, by direction of the Sanitary Committee. The
annexed is an extract from the report --
" I beg to bring under the notice of the committee the
state of a cottage situated in Chapel street, Penfield, occu-
pied by a man named Trett, his wife, and four children.
The stench of the place is exceedingly bad. One of the
children, a little girl, is an imbecile and subject to fits, and
presents a most lamentable appearance ; dirty, without
shoes or stockings, and appears to have sores about her.
The imbecile daughter lay on dirty rags on the floor, inside
the frame of an old bedstead, and two smaller children sleep
on the same lot of rags. The man is a jobbing gardener,
and the woman is of dirty habits, The state of the children
requires attention."
" My attention was also called to the state of a family
consisting of a wan named John Culley and his four children,
living in the Queen of Hungary-yard, St. Benedict's-street.
This is the same family that a few months back I found at
Heigham, all suffering from itch. They are now living in
part of an old tenement, in a dirty state, and the children
are neglected and appear half-starved. They all lay on rags
on the floor in the same room where the father works. The
stench of this place is very bad. The man is a shoemaker,
but can earn but little. I found all the house refuse and
filth deposited in an attic over their living room."
In alluding to the first case I stated that I was informed
that the man earned sufficient to keep his family in a much
better state. In the other case the man is a widower, who
left London in search of employment in his native county,
and his four children were passed home to him. This so-
called home was devoid of furniture, and they laying on
rags were all suffering with itch. The man left London
with only fit& in his pocket, and slept two nights in a hay-
stack. His earnings are 10s. a week, out of Which ls. 6d.
per week is paid for rent, and ls. for shoemakers' grindery,
leaving 7s. 6d. for the maintenance of himself and four
children. The man's master corroborated the statement.
I also stated that I had written to the relieving officer
asking him to be present to hear my statement, but he was
not there.

The bench decided that there was nothing in the case as
brought before them in which they could interfere, and that
it was for the Sanitary Committee to take proceedings in a
legal form; so the children slept again in rags and dirt,
convalescent and sick together.
I would now allude to the following cases amongst a
considerable number of others that have come under my
notice :

My attention was called by Miss B. to a case of great
poverty and wretchedness. The family consisted of a man
named Wilson, his wife, and six children, residing in an
old tenement in a yard in Rosemary-lane. I inspected the
place, and found that the whole family lay on the floor on
a quantity of loose shavings, without any bedding what-
ever, and the rags they wore in the day-time formed their
covering at night. One of the children slept in a cup-
board on a few shavings, like a deg in a kennel, This child
was ill, and the husband had been under medical treatment.
I reported the case to the magistrates, and was referred by
them to the guardians. They appealed to the guardians
for some bedding, but an order was given for the work-
house, which the family would not accept, as the woman
disliked being parted from her little ones. In this state
they remained for months. In the meantime I obtained a
few shillings for them, till at last I lost sight of them. The
man is a labourer with unblemished reputation.
Typhus fever reigns at tho present time in a yard noted
for dirt, poverty, and disease—St John's Head Yard, St.
Michael, at Coslany. There the old tenements are fur-
nished with a few articles of broken furniture, and let at 2s
and is 61 per week as " Ready-furnished Lodgings." To
these, for the want of better and cheaper accommodition,
the poor of all classes resort, and when disease makes its
appearance there, it is no small difficulty to check its
spread. On Monday last I found in a small, low, damp
room with a small casement, an Irish family, consist-
ing of a widow, her daughter nineteen, son nine, and
daughter five, the size of the room being only 12 feet
by 10 feet, The medical officer had scarcely
called my attention to it ere the eldest daughter
died of malignant typhus, 'and the son lay ill with fever
also, on shavings and rags on two chairs near his dead sis-
ter—the dead, the sick, and the well lying together in *his
wretched abode. This family is reported as sober and in-
dustrious.
At another part of the town I found in a room of about
the same dimensions a man, his sick wife, and daughter of
15, all sleeping in one bed, the woman being afflicted with
a loathsome disease of which she is dying, and the bed and
old clothing were a filthy mass, making the room sickening
to enter. The man frequently came home drunk, and left
his wife neglected.
In the two latter cases slight relief was given by the
guardians, but not sufficient, as the mother had to pawn the
gown and stays of her dead daughter.
I might go on describing very many painful cases, In
making this statement I do not intentionally find fault with
the guardians or their officers, as they are legally relieved
of all responsibility by offering the workhouse to those who
apply for relief and lam not aware whether it is their
duty or not to prosecute in any case of neglect.
I would respectfully ask who is to administer immediate
relief pending inquiry, with a view to ulterior proceedings,
and by what means are children to be cared for under simi-
lar circumstances as I have detailed above.
I can only say, in conclusion, that for many years past
I have taken some trouble in cases of this description, and
I feel that I am now doing my duty in placing before the
public the difficulty in which I now find myself, in the
hope that some steps may be taken to ensure speedy relief
under similar circumstances,—l am, sir, your very obedient
servant,

_
SAMUEL CLARKE, Sanitary Inspector.
Inspector's Office, 24, Castle Meadow, Norwich,
October 29, 1863.

A well-known scientific man, some years since,
found himself annoyed by boys who rang his door •
bell and ran away. So the doctor made ready a heavy
charge of electricity, placed a wire to the door-bell knob,
and sat down to wait. Shortly afterwards there was a hor-
rible howl, a bumping, and a falling backward down the
front steps. The boy was half murdered by the shock, and
the doctor's troubles from that source were definitely
ended.