The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-11 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—On the 23d of May last there appear©d a letter in
the True Sun paper, from a Guardian of the Poor of the
parish of St. Luke, to the Committee for conducting the
affairs of the Houseless Poor in Play-house Yard, on the
subject of that establishment ; and as that paper is now in-
corporated with The Sun (which I trust will be conducted
on similar principles), I beg the favour of the insertion of
this letter in The Sun.

TO THE COMMITTEE FOR CONDUCTING THE
AFFAIRS OF THE HOUSELESS POOR IN
PLAYHOUSE-YARD.
GYNTLEMEN,—In May last there appeared a letter in
the True Sun, as above stated, pointing Gut what the
writer considered omissions in that benevolent institution.
As the inclement weather is now fast approaching, if not
actually set in, and not hearing that any alteration is likely
to take place in the management of that establishment, I
beg leave respectfully to call your attention again to the
distressing facts occasioned by the Houseless Asylum. You
well know that this asylum invites the most distressed hu-
man beings from all parts of the metropolis and vicinity ;
and it is the most unfortunate of human beings, with loss
of character, who are the principal inmates of the asylum ;
but it is much to be feared that, in addition to those, there
will be very many applicants—the rejected of Unions—in
consequence of that cruel and barbarous new Poor Law
Act. I have no doubt but hundreds died last winter in
this great metropolis from actual want, and from disease
brought on by want. I have no hesitation in saying that
many died in the parish of Saint Luke from that cause,
who were refused admission into the Houseless Asylum ;
but were supplied with a few pence from the asylum to get
a night's lodging where they could ; many of them gave
their pence to be admitted into cold empty rooms in the
neighbourhood, without fire or food ; and there some
perished before their situation was known to the
parish officers. Others wandered about the streets until
quite exhausted, and then picked up by the police, and
taken to St. Luke's workhouse ; although every attention
was paid them by the parochial authorities, many were
past recovery, and died shortly after their admittaace.
What I complained of in my former letter, and I now re-
peat it, is, that a surgeon attends the asylum at the time
the poor are admitted, and if they are in good health, but
in distress, they are admitted (so far so good) ; but if any of
those unfortunate beings arc in an ill state of health, they
are refused admittance, who, of all the most unfortunate
beings in the world, stand the most in need of assistance
and protection against the inclement weather. The act of
refusing those sick poor mars the whole concern, as it is
cruel in the extreme to the poor creatures, at which hu-
manity must shudder ; and it is also unjust to the perish of
.St. Luke, as it is throwing a very heavy burden on
the parish, and odium on the parochial authorities which
(they do not merit. The rate-payers of the parish are
uite sufficiently punished by the great influx of poor
raven by this asylum, who were last winter discharged
very morning to the number of 300 or 400, who wandered
nil begged about the parish, until the time to return to the
asylum in the evening. The rate-payers of St. Luke's
parish are quite willing to support their own poor respect-
ably, as ti ey have hitherto done, without the interference
of any new law, or to be burdened with an influx of poor
from all parts of London and vicinity, drawn by the House-
less Asylum. That if justice and humanity is the object of
your establishment, why not establish a temporary infir-
mary to the concern for the sick poor, until they can be
otherwise provided for ? If your funds are not sufficient,
make it known, and you would soon be provided with
funds ; if not, remove your establishment near to Somerset
House, or St. Stephen's Chapel, that the supporters of the
barbarous Poor Law Act may see what cruelty and op-
pression it produces. But, if the parish of St. Luke's is to
ho the scene of misery and wretchedness with this asylum,
surely the wealthy, and those who are spending their
time in luxury and idleness, and who are hidden
from these scenes of misery, will contribute liberally to
this establishment to prevent as much as possible its be-
coming a burden too an already overburdened poor parish ;
therefore once more, I beg you will take the subject into
your serious consideration ; and in justice and humanity
hope you will without delay provide en asylum for the un-
fortunate tick poor. 'Then, end not till then, will the esta-
blishment do much credit to the Directors, as the rej-c-
-tion of the sick poor mars filo concern.
A GUARDIAN OF THE POOR OF THE
PARISH OF ST. LUKE, MIDDLESEX.
No. 27, Banner-street, Jan. 9, 1833.

On Saturday last, a dinner was given to the Members for
the borough of Cambridge, the Right Hon. Thomas Sprint
Rice and George Parme, 'Esq., by a very numerous body of
their constituents. -In the course of his address, on returning
thanks fur the healths of her Majesty'. Ministers, the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer declared himself s stsady adherent of
the old English Whig party, and said that his colleagues in
the Government professed—and professed because they enter-
tained—the same principles. In speaking of the constituency
of England, he observed :—" I say, if there is one thing which
more strongly marks that middle class than another, it is the
moderation and firmness of their opinions. It is that they are
against both extremes. It is that they are resolved to maintain
their liberty against old Tory principles—it is that they are
cot anxious for uaprepa:cd and undigested alterations at the
bidding of another party. I bcliare that to be the opinion of
the middle class of England; end if that be so, it will consti-
tute a source of strength to our party which will support us on
all occasions." We believe that this is the true state of the
c..se; we believe that the bulk of the middle classes in Egg_
land—that is, the bulk of the constituent body—are not at all
inclined to extensive and rapid political changes; and, conse-
quently, have very little sympathy, and are altogether indis-
posed to co-operation, with the more active, loud-speaking
Radicals. We have at various periods heretofore brought
forward particular facts which have struck us in corroboration
of this opinion ; and it seems to us, that another confirmation
may be supplied .by the recent fate of the True Sun news_
paper. That journal has unquestionably been edited, since it
has been in the hands of Mr. Whittle Harvey, with great
talent ; yet the principles it advocated !ound so little favour with
the public, that, after every costly, though not very lengthened
experiment, is nroprietor, as the only means of escaping a
further loss, has bean compellid to dispose of the copyright,
and let the paper merge in The Sun. Nor is this a solitary
case. Some time ago, the Radicals, Ling desirous to possess
a morning organ of their opinions, acquired possession of the
old Public Ledger, and changedits name to the Constitutional.
This paper kept up a sickly existence for a few menths ; nct
once, however, we believe, exhibiting the slightest premise of
success; and at length came to an end. The result is, that
Radicalism does not possess, because it cannot support, a sin-
gle daily newspaper devoted to its opinions. Nor can this
fact be explained away by any representation, that the per-
sons, by whom the daily papers are chiefly taken in, are es-
sentially of an aristocratic class. Out of the metropolis the
portion of private individuals, in the middle rank of life, who
allow themselves the luxury of taking in any daily paper, is
comparatively very small. Most persons read the Lon-
don journals at some public news-room, where papers of dif-
ferent politics are alike accessible ; and the numbers of the
several papers respectively taken at these news-rooms are
generally a sort of test of the cast of opinions most prevalent
amongst the subscribers to them. Hence it follows, that, if
the majority of the frequenters of news-rooms had been per-
sons holding the opinions advocated in the True Sun, that
paper would have had the greatest circulation ; but such no-
toriously was not the case. We believe, indeed, that its sale
was less than that of any other London evening paper. It
may, to be sure, be alleged, that its failure as a commercial
speculation was owing to the lowness of its price-4d. instead
of 3d., the price of the other daily papers ; and, no doubt, this
may have had an unfavourable effect on the concern, as a
commercial speculation. But the circumstance tells two ways;
for if an advantage of twenty per cent in price was not found
sufficiently great to command a very extensive sale for &news-
paper edited with unquestionable talent, it is only a stronger
proof how great must be the public dictate to the principles
and opinions which it upheld. Yet in the face of these con-
clusions, we are quite prepared to find the Radicals again
as coolly maintaining, that the people of England are of their
way of thinking in politics, as they have done anytime these
five years I--Manchester Guardian.

Sir Robert Peel has built a very elegant structure,
in the Gothic style of architecture, for a school for the educa-
tion of the poor children in the neighbourhood of Tamworth.
The school was opened last weak, when the Hon. Founder
addresssed the children, and awarded Bibles to several of the
moat proficient of the young scholars. Afterwards the youth-
ful compeers for scholastic distinction were regaled with old
English fare.
It is understood that the quarrel about Church pa-
tronage between the bishops and the canons rasidentiary of
cathedrals is now transferred from the former to the latter
with the minor canons. These latter bodies have already held
meetings to protest against the suggestions contained in the
amended Bill on the subject of presentation to livings in the
gift of the chapters. Those of St. Paul's held a meeting on
the subject last Saturday.
M. Rebier, the postmaster at Boulogne, who, as
our readers will remember, in August last detected his wife in
the arms of an individual named Geneau, and fired pistols at
them both, wounding his wife as well as her paramour, was
arraigned at the late assizes at St. Omer upon an indictment
for an attempt to commit murder; but, the circumstances in
provocation being proved, the Jury, without retiring, deli-
vered a verdict of acquittal.
A most awful calamity occurred last Friday se'nnight
in the family of a respectable farmer, named Gibson, in the
parish of Killinkere, county Cavan. One of his children ac-
cidentally ignited a quantity of flax which had been stored in
the house, and before discovery the whole premises were in
flames. In endeavouring to rescue her infant child Mrs. Gib-
son got dreadfully scorched, and, overwhelmed with the loss
of family and property, seemed to have resigned herself to
death in despair, for she thenceforth made no effort to secure
her escape. She would, consequently, have lost her life on
the spot, had it not been for the exertions of her husband ; and
he thus became a bodily sufferer in the distressing calamity
which consumed two of his children, together with his house,
offices, and everything contained therein. Mr. and Mrs. Gib-
son were conveyed to the county infirmary, where she expired
on the following day. The unfortunate man has since died.—
Fermanagh Reporter.