The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-29 00:00:00

THE FOOD QUESTION-IRISH

A SCHOOLMASTER CHARGED
WITH CRUEL CHA6TISEMENT. -
The following case was heard at Er'ght.in on Sattir-
day, before. Major Willard, T. J. Bellamy, E q., and
C. Carpenter, Esq., magistrates. We have abridged the
report of the proceedings from the BrigAion. Guardian.
PICKFORD V. WIIAKTON.—This was a charge brought
by Wiliam Henry Pickford, son of Mr; Pickford, of
Cavendish-place, surgeon, against Mr. Wharton; a
schoolmaster, residing in Adelaide-crescent.
Mr. Verrall (the clerk) having read the charge,
Defendant said he pleaded Justification."
Mr. Verrall—That is, not guilty. •
Mr. Belltsgham, solicitor, who appeared in supßort ,cf
the charge addressed the Bench, and called
The ce m?iatnant, who took off his trousera and ex-
hibited two or three marks on the thigh, which were.
much swollen and black. He was then sworn, and
stated as follows:—I am 12 years of age. Igo to-school
at Mr. Wharton's, the defendant, at 10, Adelaide-cres-
cent. I have gone to school there 18 months. Yestcr
day, as soon as we bad dined, a gentleman came to Mr
Wharton's anti they went into an adjoining room. He
then sent a servant into the schoolroom to say he
wished to speak to one of the boys. The boy went anti
came back, and said Mr. Wharton wished him to turn
out those Si. OI3S in the school-roam. About ten minutes
atter that, Mr. Wharton came into the school--room an.
asked to speak to Mr. Hamm end, the teacher, in the
other room. Alter the teacher had been out with him.
Mr. Wharton returned and asked one of the buys if he
was not ashamed of these vere meat age he had tent him.
The boy made no reply. He then turned round to me
violently, and took my chair away. He then, to the
best of my recollectiote called me an idle brute and went
out of the room and letchtel in a cane or stick.—l thihk
a cane,—and thrashed me with it he broke it about
my back. lle then asked Cowley, one of the boys, to
lend him his riding- whip ; and Cowley replied, " I
would ratht r not get it. Mr. Wharton then asked the
boy where it was, and he replied that it was up stairs in
his drawer. Mr. Wharton then ran out of the room and
returned with the whip in his hand and thrashed me
with it.

Major Willard—What kind of a whip wes it ?
Mr. Wharton produced the whip. (It was a (o±llX.On
riding whip.)
Complainant—That is the whip. Ido not know how
many times Mr. Wharton struck me. He was thrash
ing me about five minutes altogether. (He then exhi-
bited a cut in his trousers which he stated was caused
by the beating.)
Major Willard—Was Mr. Wharton aware of where he
struck ycu ?
Complainant—He did not seem to be. He struck me
once across the head, and once across the eye.
Mr. Bellingham—lf the bench wish it, I have a medi-
cal man here who will speak as to the marks.
Major Willard—lt is not necessary.
Mr. Bellingham—l bad thought it necessary to have
one or more of the pupils here to be examined. I have
asked Mr. Wharton it they. are here, and he says, " cer
tautly not." I complain to you that 1 e prevents the
witaes,es coming.
Maj r Willard—You can call the witness after he has
cross examined the complainant.
Complainant cross-examined by Mr. -Wharton—We
dine at half- past one and generally _finish about two.
You celled us into the room immediately after dinner.
I can't recollect that it was on the table end the gentle.
m waiting to see ) ou. Ido not recollect that you
came into the room to require silence before you sent in.
When ynu came into the room you ordered me to stand
up to learn Euclid. There had been no fault found with
me that day of the manner in which 'I learned Euclid ;
there had been previously, several times. At twelve
o'clock that day you said I had not done my translation
properly.
Itee xaMintd by Mr. Bellinghasn—Thrra was a
teacher in the room when Mr. Wharton sent in the mes-
sage. He had not complained of our misconduct. When
be heard the message he said he nought we were not
making more noise than usual.
Previous to his inflicting this punishment upon you,
did he charge you with any misconduct ?—No, sir.
Did you refuse to stand up when you were desired to
do so P—No,
Were you impertinent at all to Mr. Wharton said
cothing.
Major Willard—Did he complain in the morning ?--
Yes, -lie said I did not do my work properly, and that I
could do it better if I liked.
Mr. Wharton—ilad I done so previously ?
Complainant—Yes.
Many limes ?—Several times. •
Mr. Bellingham then requested that one of the pupils
whom he had caused to be summoned as a witness should
be called.
Defendant—l appeal to the bench whether it is de-
sirable for a schoolboy to be summoned to a court of
justice. What evi:ience could be glven by a litt!e boy ?
How would you like your own boy to be called as a
witness ?
Major Willard—That does rot matter, if it is ab:o-
lutely necessary for the proceeding in a court of justice.
Mr. Verrall—There was a summons Mr. Wharton,
and it was your duty to let the boys come. It was for
other persons to judge whether they should be examined.
Major Willard—Certainly : and it was very disre-
spectful to the bench. You are not ,to form an opinion
whether they should be examined.
Defendant then addressed the court. lle had received
the father's instructions, and only a few days past, that
if the boy would not learn, he was to make him. And
Mr. Pickfurd also knew that he only consented to take
his buys on condition that he should be at liberty to
punish them if they required it, that was, to flog them.
He only Punished him till he said he would learn his
lesson, and he felt that he was doing his duty properly
to the father and to the child. He had treated this boy
with great care and caution ; and after a great deal of
forberance he thought he must either punish him to
make him learn, or dismiss him. He regretted that he
did not do the latter.
Major Willard said they had gone quite sufficiently
into this case to be satisfied, without the examination of
any other party, that the offence was clearly proved.
The bench was also of opinion that-the child had been
chastised without any necessity. There was no call at all
for the severe punishment that the defendant gave him.
Supposing that the boy had been forgetful, and that the
defendant being out of temper, bad a weapon in bis
hand, he might have struck him with it ' • but that was
not all, for he asked a boy to fetch a stick or a cane to
beat the lad with, and with that weapon he laid about
the child till he broke it ; and he was not satisfied with
that, but he asked a boy for his whip, and when the boy
refused to go for it, he went up stairs for it himself.
One might have imagined that in that interval he might
have softened down in his temper ; but they found that
with that weapon he punished the,boy must severely,
much more than the occasion called for, and much
more than a schoolmaster had a right to do. Under
these circumstances they felt it necessary. for the pro-
tection of children who were under a master that could
not command his temper, to impose the full amount of
the fine that the law required. He was fined 51.
Defendant—May I be allowed to say the bench has
misunderstood the evidence.
Major Willard—The case is closed.
Defendant then paid the money,

„
SUPPOSED MURDER OF A I OUIS6 WOMAN.-=-Fri-
day afternoon, whilst Mr. Baker, the coroner, was hold-
ing an inquest in Bath-street, City-road, inrnmatich was
communicated to him of such a character a:; to justify the
supposition that a young woman bad been most savagely
murdered. It appears that between twelve and one o'clock
that morning (Friday) a couple of men were engaged
emptying a cesspool in a narrow court running from
Golden-lane to Whitecross-street, and known by the name
of Broad-yard. Shortly after they had commenced opera-
tions they came in contact with what they at first imagined
to be. the body of a newly •burr child, but which upon fur-
ther search turned out to be a full-grown woman. The men
imtnediately gave information of the discovery, and after
considerable trouble the body was got out. Life was totally
extinct. The deceased, who had the whole of her clothing
on, even her bonnet, was removed to the workhouse of St.
Luke; in the City-toad, where the • master of the house
ordered the body to be stripped and washed. The deceased
was at once identified by t be.inaster as being a poor creature
who had occasionally obtained relief of the parish. She had
been living a dissipated life, and had been for some time
cohabiting with a man whose name at present it would not
be prudent to give. The unfortunate deceased was 29 years
of age, and her name Elizabeth Robinson. She is the
daughter of a respectable family living at Hoxton. As soon ,
as vile body was washed, marks about the head and face
were visible, which led to the belief that foul play had been
enacted by another person towards her. On the left side of
the forehead was perceived a slight extravasation of blood,
and en making a more minute examination it was found that
that side of the forehead and also a portion of the cheek was
extensively bruised, as if the poor creature had been violently
struck whilst alive with some heavy bludgeon. Upon re-
moving the hair on the head a little, a severe wound was dis-
covered upon the crown, but it is quite possible that this in-
jury might have been occasioned by striking her head against
the wall in her descent, but from the fact. of the bruises on
the forehead bleeding after the bcdy was washed. it is quite
certain that they must have been inflicted during life. The
Coroner gave orders to have the body opened, and a jury to
be summoned.

„WATERFALL.—There has been a waterfall dis-
covered in the St. Louis river. It empties into the western
part of Lake Superior and has never been discovered by,
geographers. It is said to be an immensa volume of water,
second only to Niagara.
WESLEYAN CONFERENCE FOR 1847.—The Wesleyan
Methodist Conference will be held in Liverpool this year, in
June or July. The meetings will take place, as on former
occasions of a similar kind, at the Brunswick Chapel; Moss-
street, and will be attended by Wesleyan ministers from all
parts of the kingdom. To some of the Conference meetings
the ministers belonging to that denomination only .are ad
mitted; to others the public generally are admissible.
ST. PAUL, COYENT.GARDEN.—METROPOLITAN IM.
PiOVEMENTS.--A meeting of the inhabitants of the parish of
St. Paul, Covent-garden, was held, on Thursday, the Rev. G.
H. Bowers, the rector, in the chair, for the purpose of hearing
a communication from the Secretary to her Majesty's Com-
missioners for Metropolitan Improvements read, as also a
resolution of the Commissioners on the subject of two reso-
lutions passed at a vestry meeting on the 27th of November
last, relating to the proposed new street from Long-acre;
and to de:ermine what steps should be taken with reference
to the communication. Mr. Mosely, the vestiy-clerk, having
read the letter as well as the resolution of the Commissioners,
which stated that they, the Commissioners; could not under-
take to recommend to the Commissioners of Woods and
Forests to continue any measures for carrying into effect the
contemplated improvement in the neighbourhood of Covent-
garden until the parish of St. Paul shall have given a gua-
rantee to the Commissioners of Woods and Forests that the
sum of 1,0001. by private subscription, and 2,0001. by paro-
chial rates, be raised and paid over to the said Commissioners,
a long discussion took place, in the course of which it was
elicited that the Metropolitan Commissioners required this
'sum, in addition to 10,0001. given by the Duke of Bedford, to-
wards forming this street. It was at first suggested that a
memorial should be presented to his Grace, asking him to
subscribe the additional three thousand, but eventually it
was agreed that a circular should be sent to every inhabitant
asking how much he would subscribe towards the amount
wasted by the Commissioners.

11.0 ten rrimi quufi th,)
with a tendency upwards. Abney was iv increased demand
at n to 4 per cent.

Iliac this combination of the nutritive principles con-
tained in the ceieals with those-in the leguminous tribes,
and in the animal kingdom is absolutely necessary, not
merely for health and strAigth, but for life, is proved by
the experience of all nations.
I have not time to adduce many examples, and it may
not be necessary to do so, but I may re.er ou to the diet
of the Hindoos; this consists as its basis of .rice, but in
addition, clarified butter (ghee), peas, or pulse are always
added. In Norfolk and Suffolk I find butcher's meat is
never eaten by the peasantry, who live almost exclu-
sively on wheaten bread and potatoes, but a pound of
cheese is said to be the regular weekly supply of each
family. In Dorsetslure and Devonshire, wheaten hruad,
watoes, with a little cheese, butter, or bacon; in Yuri.-
shire a•id Northumberland, oatmeal porridge, bread made
~f.barley and pea meal mixed, potatoes, and cheese or
Lacer,.

These facts afford sufficient evidence that the poor in
this country find that they cannot live without. either
cheese, butter, or peas, where they oinnot afford meat.

A poor woman lately died at Liverpool, chiefly
through neglect in childbirth, the surgeons who were applied
to to attend her refusing to do so because she had not the
means of paying the fee.
THE MARQUIS OF LANSDOANE.—We are happy
to learn that the Lord President of the Council passed a swm-
fortable night on Thursday, and was considered to be rapidly
recovering. It is doubtful whether his Lordship will be able
or not to resume his duties before the holidays.
The late Member for Cirencester, Joseph Cripps,
Esq., banker, Gloucester, has bequeathed to his twelve
children specific pecuniary legacies to the amount of upwards
of 80,000/, and the residue amongst five of them. He
directed that his freeholds should be sold, and added to
his personalty, which was valued at 40,0001. His eldest
son takes nearly a fourth of the property.— Worcester Chro-
nicle.

THE LATE FATAL STEAM• BOAT COLLISION.—An
inquest was held at Gravesend, pursuant to adjournment, on
Friday, to inquire into the cause of death of two men, late
of the schooner Rose, which was run down by the Royal
Victoria Leith steam-ship, in the Thames, off Uole Haven,
on the-morning of the 28th ult. It was fully proved that the
place in which the unfortunate schooner was at anchor is one
in which shipping ordinarily resort, 'as being sheltered from
the wind, and out of the ordinary tract: of the navigation,
and the circumstances of the accident were detailed in almost
the same terms as when first noticed in our columns. It was
endeavoured to Le proved that the collision was produced
only by the steam-ship not answering her helm as readily as
might have been expected, but this evidence did cot seem
to satisfy the jury, who returned a verdict of Manslaughter
against David Micklereid, the commander, and appended a
recommendation that vessels should be navigated at less
speed during the night.
Loss or TILE AMERICAN BARQUE KENNER ECK,
AND FORTUNATE ESCAPE Op THE CREIV..—On Tuesday the
American ship Yumchi, R. Canfield, master, arrived with a
cargo of Indian corn and meal for the Victualling-office at
this,port The TtiniClll le Norfolk, Virginia, on the 22d of
February last;.aintiOs experienced a succession of bad wea-
ther. She brought to this port Captain H. B. Davis and the
crew of the barque Kenneb.ck, of New York, who were com-
pelled to abandon their ship and cargo at sea. The barque
had experienced most severe weather, and sprung a danger-
ous leak. On the 27th of February she was thrown on her
beam ends, and the cargo became shifted, when, in order te
right her, the fore and mainsail were both cut away, and
part of the cargo thrown overboard. In this perilous situa-
tion they remained until Sunday, the 7th inst., when the
Yumchi hove in sight, and seeing a signal of distress,
bore down upon the wreck, and nobly took all hands on
board ; but owing to the strong gale and high sea then run-
ning, the crew were unable to save anything but a few
clothes. The poor men must have endured great hardship,
and when fallen in with they were much exhaustect from
their incessant labour at the pumps. It is supposed ehat the
barque must shortly afterwards have sw.k.-711.9mouth
Jours2l.
EXPORTATION OF GRAIN.—The high -vices of
grain on the Continent are causing no little bustle in the
grain-trade in Leith. Another ship was chartered on 'Wednes-
day by a mercantile house, to load wheat for Antwerp with
all dispatch ; and so anxious are merchants to take advantage
of the start in the prices on the continent, that a vessel
which arrived on Thursday in the roads, with about 1,800
quarters of wheat from Pomerania, received orders on Thurs-
day night to proceed to Belgium with her, cargo. Another,
and rather an important feature in the present stele of the
grain trade is, that many of the parties who entered into
winter contracts for the shipment of grain at first open water
to Leith, have been giving orders to their foreign friends,
through factors here, to resell their purchases at the better
prices obtainable for other markets, such as France, Holland,
and Belgium ; and this has already been done to some extent.
—Edinburgh Evening Post.
DROITWICIL—THE SALT TRADE.—fie are glad
to say that the salt trade of the borough is just now satis-
factory, and that the works generally are in full operation.
The recent partial success with the East India Company has
emboldened the Cheshire and Worcestershire salt owners to
persevere in their endeavours to"procure tie removal of the
unrighteous thousand per cent, duty levied on all salt in our
Indian dominions; arid that these efforts, may be crowned
with success, we should think, must be the desire of every
humane and considerate human being.— Worcester Herald.
Sunderland is over-run with wretched Irish, who
are in a most miserable condition, and herding, twenty and
thirty together, in a single room at the low end of the town.
The scenes of misery-'and want among them are indescribable,
but, happily, disease has not yet appeared among them.
Every cellar and room that can be procured is filled, and they
subsist in common, on whatever they can get by begging
and occasional work. but many of them are unable to rind
employment. —Durham Chronicle.
THE ‘VEA.THER.-7.NEW ROMNEY, MAUCH 23.—The
late mildness of -the season has proved most favourable for
the graziers in this neighbourhood. The fall of lambs is
unusually gool, and, at present, unattended with loss.—
Kentish 04 ferver.

KENDAL—Within the last few days a letter has
been received by Mr. R. Wilson, from Mr. Warburton, the
Member fear Kendal, announcing his intention to resign his
trust at the dissolution of the present Parliament, and retire
altogether from public life.—Manchester paper.
PE DESTRIAN ISM.—H AINSWORTH AND MOUNTJOY.
—These men wailied their B-mile match on Thursday, at Bed-
dington-corner. The sum contended tor waslo toys. aside. The
veteran pedestrian. whose performances in years gone by were
remarkable, hail here the long odds of youth against him. He,
however, looked extremely well ; and, indeed,, went so
strongly to work, that we were not surprised, when six miles

_ . .
had been covered, in something like fitty-six minutes, to see
his opponent not only considerably in the rear, but with,
little chance of fetching up his lee way, he being, though so
much younger, the ntore distressed man of the two. The
contest, which was up and clown a (short?) mile, ended in
favour of the veteran by a couple of hundred yards.
A few days ago, the wife of the Rev. J. Ryder,
Vicar of Yn-waton. near Coventry, was safely delivered of
/ •r • • '; , . •• ;- A!),:alt

Ct• 41, ii LiTal, Wilt) i:ao
Worcuier Chronicle.

.DISTRESS.
The following are extracts from a letter contained in
the second s'ries of the correspondence relative to the
mksnres adopted for tire relief of distress in Ireland.
(Just issued by order of Parliament) :

• MR. T. ERICESEN TO MR. TItEVELYAN.
Welbeck-street, March 9.
There are two point's in connexion with the food ques-
tion to which I wish briefly to dile:et your attention.
The first is the relative nutritive value of different corn •
eien articles of food ; the second the kind of diet that
should be furnished to the starving Irish.
It is necessarily the objeet of r&ief committees and
other charitable assticiations that provide food during
the present scarcity, to furnish such food as will afferd
the greatest amount of nutrition, at the smallest p
expense. Now, it does not billow that the lowest priced
fot4 is in the end the most economical, as it may con-
tain proporthnablY less nutritive matter than a higher
priced article of diet. 'Thus, for instance, it has been
ascertained by Liebeg, Bou,singau-lt, and others, that
107 parts of
,wheat are equal in nutritive power to 11l
o' rye, 117 :if oats, 130 oe barley, 138 of It:lien-corn,
177- of Tice. 894 of potatoes, and 1,335 of turnips.
Thus a quarter of wheat at 80s. should, according to
their relative nutritive. power, represent barley at 64i.,
.•.nd Indian corn at 625. per quarter ; and it wool,' be as
,'cerainical to buy the a heat at 80s. as the Indiatt corn
at 625. 'When we compare vegetable with aninial mat-
t rs, we shall find ‘hat the nutritive power Of the animal
food (I mean the cheaper sorts) exceeds that of the ve:
getab!e 'food in a greater ratio than the diff recce in
price ; thus, for instance, a pound of wheaten flour and
pound of common Dutch cheese are about the same in
price, say ed. ; but the amount of nutritive material
eentaineti in the cheese, more particularly of that kind of
nutritive matter that goes directly to the formation of
bloom, bone, and muscle, and that is especially essential
'to the maintenance of the physical powers of the bedy,
has been ascertained to be at least sevenfold that
which is contained in the wheat; and, although either
the wheat or the cheese are, separaely, highly nutritious,
we shall find that the power of affording nourishment
possessed by these substances will be greatly increased
by their combination in proper proportions. This leads
me to the second point ; the necessity of variation in
diet, or rather the comination of different alimentary
substances for the preservation of health and life.
The body. is made up of many principles, differing
from one another in composition and chemical proper-
ties. Now we might, a priori, suppose that textures
which are chemically different require different alimen-
tary substances for their nourishment. The living body
has no power to create any of these principles ; it must,
therefore, be supplied with food containing all the ele-
ments that enter into its composition ; ene of the most
important of these elements is a principle called nitrogen,
and this the cereals contain in very small quantities
intleed ; whilst, on the other hand the leguminous plants,
pea=, beans, and the pulse tribe, together with all arti •
n'ee. of diet-derived from the animal kingdom, 4uteeieenee
cially cheese, contain it in very laree qaantiti6. /Now,
nitrogen is absolutely necessary te" the-proper nutriment
of the body, and must be eupplied in some :hape. and in
' larger qUateeities. than exist in the cereals, wheat, oats,
barley, rye, Indian corn, or in the potatoe. If the sys-
tem has to depend solely upon the amount of nitroge
rued inatterteat can be obtained from this kind of fool,
an immense mass must be taken into the stomach to pro-
vide the requisite supply of nitrogen to the system. An
Irish .149ourer, though eating eight or nine pounds of
potatoes daily, about the average quantity, barely obtains
enough nitrogen for_ the nutrition-of his system : this
quantity of potatoes not containing more of that prin-
ciple than, and being about equal in nutritive power
to, three-quertees of. a pound of butcher'e meat.
or half a pound of cheeset I would, therefore; most
strongly advise the relief committees, if they wish to do
something more than fill the stomach of the people, to •
substitute for a portion of' the cery alto .d a certain quer-
tity of the leguminous food, and especially cheese. In- •
stead of pure Indian corn, it would be better to furnish
ten ounces of the corn, with three or four ounces of,
peas, or beans (the commonest horse-beans-would be
highly nutritious and wholesome), and one ounce of
cheese. Otte pound of food of this kind would go as
far as at least a pound and a half or two pounds co In•
dian corn, in the amount of nutrition it would supply to
the body. In this way the consumption of cereal food
might be much diminished, the supplies in the kingdom
husbanded, and a greater amount of nutritive matter,
and pro tunto of health and strength furnished to the:i
pc r)!... in the distressed districts, without an increase of
expenditure. _

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF BAAKRUPTCY, March 27.
(Before Mr. Commissioner FANS.)
IN RE COX.

This bankrupt had carrfedonlusiness extensively as
a barge-builder at Lambeth, and he now applied for his
certificate.

The ease had been under the notice of the Court on
several cecasions, in consequence of altegeel misconduct
of the broker of the Court in making hi; valuation, and
some strong remarks were made on the bankrupt's
conduct, and a strong opposition made to his passing his
last examination.

Tip, solicitor to the as‘ignees nrw said that, after the
examination or the bal,krup, they did not tie! it their
duty to msk,, any opposition to his having his cer-
tificate, as, in their opinion, he had explained the
doubtful plrts of his conduct..

HIS HONOUR said, that he had anticipated an opposi-
tion; hur 7:8 there was none be did nut feel
,justified in
g.iving adecisi .n on the p-int at the moment, but must
cons:der the differet:t facts which had betn cliched in
the course ot the proettdings.
Mr. Cux tto..n •sent a 1 of the bankrup',
qffairs, sitowftg that JoA,es were the result ot ur.-
fore,et,t anti u...avoidahl,..itrieulles.
.•
The decisi •n •Va., regerved.