The Sun.
London, England, 1838-12-07 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.
THE ALLEGED ILL-TREATMENT OF PAUPERS.—In the
Bow-street report of some of the papers yesterday, the case
of a poor old paralytic pauper, named Hickey, was published ;
and it was stated that he had been sent along with an
officer to St. Martin's workhouse. It appears he was re-
fused admittance ; but the sympathy of the gentleman in
attendance being awakened by the tale of misery related by
the old man and his wife, they had the good fortune to ob-
tain an order for temporary relief, which, with a shilling
from the officer who accompanied them from Bow-street,
enabled them to pass the night in comparative comfort.
Yesterday Mr. Le Breton, the clerk to the Board of
Guardians of St. Martin's parish, called upon the Magis-
trates in consequence of these reports appearing in the
Newspapers, and desired to correct some of the statements
made, which tended to produce a prejudice against the
Poor-laws, and the dietary system of the workhouse of the
parish of St. Martin's. The pauper and his wife had
been regularly sent from St. Martin's parish to Ireland,
the country to which the man belonged, and they ought
not to have returned again.
The course pursued by the parish was to find out the
place from whence the pauper had originally come, and to
send him back to that place. if he returned to the parish
again it was considered an act of vagrancy, and the pauper
might be punished for the offence. It was no fault of
the English law that this pauper had been refused assist-
ance in Ireland.
Mr. Mussuum.—But why is a poor creature to starve
when sent back again ?
Mr. Le Breton said that the Mayor of Cork could not
have acted as they represented.
Mr. TWYFORD observed that the very object of the new
Poor-law was to prevent people from starving, and when he
saw the applicant in a state of destitution he conceived it his
duty to send them to the workhouse.
Mr. Le Breton said that the parish had always acted upon
that principle, and no one claiming relief would be allowed
to starve. He contended that the paupers in the workhouse
of St. Martin's were well fed, and produced the dietary
table of the workhouse.
Mr. MiNstiuLL—Will you take them into the workhouse
until you communicate with the Mayor of Cork.
Mr. Le Breton—l am afraid it will come to this at last
—they will be sent back to Ireland again.
Mr. MINSHULL—But I will not consent to send them
back until I know whether they will be received at Cork.
Mr. TWYFORD observed, that the Mayor told them that
they were poor enough already in Ireland ; but that was
no reason forsending them back to the parish of St. Martin's.
After some further conversation it was agreed that the
old man and his wife should be taken into the workhouse
until an answer was received from the Mayor of Cork.
The parties then left the office.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
MUSICAL LODGERS !—Mr. Godfree, Conduit-street,
Bond-street, applied to Mr. DYER for advice in the follow-
ing annoying matter :
A short time ago his furnished apartments were taken at
four guineas and a half per week, by a person who gave him
to understand they were intended for the use of a gentleman
and his servant. To his great surprise, when hi- new
tenants came in, he found they were a company of jug-
glers, similar to those who occasionally exhibit in the
public streets. These people were accompanied by a band
of music, consisting of a barrel-organ, drum, clarionet, and
the usual kinds of instrumentation attached to penny
shows. When he remonstrated with the head juggler he
was told that the company would remove upon the payment
of fifteen guineas. Conceiving that his apartments had been
obtained 'with the view of extorting money, he wished to
know if he could not take immediate proceedings and sum-
marily eject the parties.
Mr. DYER intimated his readiness to have afforded as-
sistance had it been in his power, but, as he was not au-
thorised to interfere in a matter between landlord and
tenant, he could do nothing which would prove of service
to the applicant.
Mr. Godfree then retired.
THE DUMB SPEAKING.—The infant supposed to have
been stolen by a woman, who was said to have counterfeited
dumbness, was yesterday claimed by its mother, Mrs. Coggin.
The mother said that the supposed dumb woman was
her sister, and she could vouch for her being dumb from
her birth.
Mr. DYER said a respectable-looking women had on her
oath declared that the woman answered her when she spoke
about the child. Nothing could have been stronger than
the testimony of that witness, with regard to the woman
possessing the faculty of speech.
Mrs. Coggin said her sister was 43 years of age, had
never lived a day from home, and in all that time she (Mrs.
Coggin) had never heard her utter an articulate sound.
Mr. DYER remarked on the singularity of the matter,
and added that as the mother had got her child, there was,
of course, an end of the affair.