The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-27 00:00:00

-`j ~1~l ~~ ~~i~~~

EVENING EDITION.

proposal by the Government would take the public
mind very much by surprise ; that the Loni Lieute-
nant was willing to admit the ingenuity an ability
contained in the mode of presenting the scheme., but
he apprehended that it did not induce any solution of
a practical character in the present state of circOm-
stances ; that his acknowledgment of the ingenuity ai.'d
ability displayed .in stating the scheme should not be'
construed into any approbation of the matter proposed,
and that his Excellency ,distinctly withheld his appro-
val from the further agitation of the subject.
In this course I must say that I think the Govern-
ment are perfectly justified. Because the active inter-
ference of a popular Government must, of necessity,
flow from, and not anticipate, the popular adoption and
agitation of any particular proposition for further reform..
Now, therefore, it is for the English, Scotch, and
Irish Reformers themselves to act with becoming con-
stitutional energy, spirit, and concert. It only remains
for me now to close my own very feeble performance by
the expression of my unfeigned gratitude for the patient
and favourable opportunities afforded to me in the tar-
famed columns of The Sun, of presenting my scheme
of an extension of the franchise, by means of an exten-
sion of Parliamentary federal representation, for the ap-
probation of a discriminative public.
I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your faithful and obedient bumble servant,
VALENTINE BLAKE.

UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE..

CAMBRIDGE, FRB. 24.—At a Congregation held this
day, tllc followiag Degrees were conferred:—
HONOURABLE MASTERS OF ARTS.—Hon. Henry Lyttel-
ton, Trinity College ; Arthur Seville, Trinity College.
MASTERS OF ARTS.—John Busher Duncan. St. Peter
College; Edward Henry Johnson, Magdalen College.
BACHELORS OF ARTS.—John Pearson, Caius College;
Henry Deek, Corpus College; Richard Edwardes, Sr. .
Peter's College ; Frederick Martin, St. Peter's College;
Warner Westirid, Walsh, St.' Peter's College ; Theophslus
Wit iam Law, Trinity College; Alexander James Beres-
ford Hope, Trinity College; William Alexander Ayton,
Trinity College.
- _
POLICE INTEL.LIGENCE•

MANSION-HOUSE.
THE POOR-LAW IN THE CITY OF LoNeori.--Yesterday
Mr. Pontifcx appeared before Alderman Hooper, upon the
ptrt of the Guardiankof the West London Uaitut,,in eon
sequence of a statement which appeared in the newspapers='
on Wednesday, tending to reflect upon the conduct of the
gentlemen who act for the poor throughout that extersivo
district.

Sir Edmund Head, the Assistant Poor-law Commis-
sioner, ettended upon the part of the Commissioners of the
Poor-laws, and t-:e City Commissioner, and several other
gentlemen who felt an interest in the subject to which the
statement referred, were also present.
The statement was to the effect that a policeman had
taken three utterly destitute persons to the West London
UeLn, and requested the porter to admit and relieve them ;
that the porter bluntly refused, and told the policeman to
take them to the Straw-yard (the Refuge for the House-
less Poor), or where they pleased, and slammed the door
in his face. There were some minor circumstances de-
tailed which were calculated to show that there was a
very rigorous mode of carrying the law into effect adopted
in that Union, and that there was a sort of conflict between
the West London Union and the City of London Union,
by which the ends of justice were in many instances de.-
feated.
Mr. Pontifex said that the report having occasioned such
excitement, and subjected the Guardians to most unjust
suspicions, lee came forward to deny, in the most unqua-
lified manner, that these gentlemen had ever acted negli-
gently or injurioucly to any of the numerous applicants for
relict. In consequence of an arrangement euteted into
betee.ni the Guardians of the West London Union and the
City Commissioner, the gate-keeper was ordered not to
admit any destitute person who should apply for admie ion
after eleven o'clock at right, without a note from the In-
spector, and the Guardians believed that the man was
justified in the COUISC he had pursued, iu conformity with
that revulation. Now, the difficulties which the West
London Union officers had to encounter, were not few nor
light, for as many as 257 applicants had been received
last week after the hour of eleven at night, and between
that liner and six hi the morning, and the conduct of the
class of persons who applied, was generally as bad as could
be imagined, in as tenets as within a month, sevetemen
comuleints had been male against those wild were received
for having wantonly broken the windows of the house, and
the delinquents mentioned as a reason that they wished to
go eeprison, as they were better treated in gaol than in the
Union. As to the charge made against the gate-keeper,
he (Mr. Pontifex) did not know how far it was founded in
truth, but the Guardians believed that if the man erred, it
was from misapprehension, not intention, and they by no
means wished to screen him.
The Commissinner of the City Police said, he most rea-
dily exonerated the Guardians of the West London Union
from inteetiorial error. He admitted that, for the most
part, they were prompt and exemplar.), in their conduct
at the same time, the defence of their officer, set up upon
this occasion, was altogelser untenable. The three des-
Out: persons, whose case was before the Court, bad ap-
plied for relief five minutes after ten at night, whereas
the res lotion alluded to only referred to Applications
made after the hour of eleven. That reaclution had been
suggested by himself and adopted by the guardians tc: meet
tee objects.; first, that by taking the applicant to the
then-house, it might bti ascertained whether he was si.a
habitual vagrant; and next, that the parish in which.bd
had been found might be known, so that the guarshausea
the union might be able to remove him thither. The fact-
was, the resolution was never attended to by the officer,
tor it appeared in evidence that he refused to receive the
wretched individuals, and told the policeman he might take
them to the Straw-yard, or anywhere else. The inquiry at the
present moment was of the greater importance, inasmuch as
tee continuance of the Poor-law Act was now before Parlia-
meat, and he would venture to suggest that the state of
the law, in reference to the peculiar circumstances of the
City of London, we!l merited the attention of ail the paro-
chial authorities. It could not be denied that a very un-
desirable conflict was going on between the parishes within
and the perishes without t',e walls of the city : and that,
in the strife, the condith n of the poor was made a very
subordinate object; and lie was the more anxious to press
this subject on the notice of his Lordship, because he con-
sidered the eeisiing grievances, as concerned 'the poor,
might be easily remcdico.
Sir Edmund Head said that he attended, by direction
of the Poor-law Commissioners, whose usual course, under
circumstances of complaint, it was to institute imrneeliwo
inquiry into the conduct of the officers accused. The case
before the Miigistrate had been heard cf by the Commis-
sioners, and he begged to state that if it appeared that
the conduct of the officer, against whom the charge had
been brought, deserved animadversion, an investigation
should be commenced. He agreed with the Commissioner
of the City Police that the most marked distinction should
be drawn between the destitute and the designing, and
some of the officers of unions, who had acted without pay-
ing due regard to that distinction, bad been dismissed.
It could not be for a moment said that a destitute person
was not to be received. With respect to the suggestions
which had been just submitted by the Poor-law Commis-
sioners, he considered them to be very valuable.
Mr. Pontifex begged to be allowed to correct an
omission he had made in his statement. It bad been said
that the Union-house bell had been muffled. The reason
was that last summer crowds of sturdy beggars used to pull
for hours at the bell, to the annoyance of the whole neigh-
bourhood ; and he assured the Alderman that so anxious
wire the Guardians to do everything humanity could
suggest that they appointed an additional porter for the
night work.
After some further conversation the Alderman men •
tinned to Mr. Edmund Head that the City Police Com-
missioner did not wish to proceed further against the gate-
keeper of the West London Union, whose refusal to ad-
mit the destitute, from whatever cause it originated, had
been very properly brought before the public.

A CASE FOR TIIE BENEVOLENT.—AII who
have dcl,ghted in Robinscn Crusoe—and who has not /
will feel interested in learning that there is at present _
re-
siding at Canonmills, near Edinburgh. a grand-nephew 0?.(
the veritable Alexander Selkirk or Selcraig, the_Teignineaeld
it h supposed, of that remarkable character.. W
rk resided
not remind our readers that Alexander
four years and four months in the unikSpihesalkblaitglenistluarneds
of Juan Fernandez, and that it is upon k
of De Foe
durirg that period the immortal. w
to whom we have alluded, is Malin with adverse
is alleged t 3 be founded. Selkirk'iorkgnrand
aged and respectable man, Se 1 C nephew,ra ig, an
6tolijiginistances, we have
f,riune. Knowing his indigent the relics of his grand-
suggested that he might leave
to this possession, at our
uncle, which have fallen
.11, t m
be the means of at-
office, and that they MTh
nfuormhkietur, saomweallkititnlge-cstoinctkriabnua..
ttrioancsti.ngTnhoetiyceareenodnolybttawinc
in number,
thus alluded to in Howell's
a flip-ear. The latter
far the most interesting relic is
'
Life of Selkirk • üßy
the possession of his great grand-nephew,
It" holds about a Scottish pint, and is
jthoehnflig
stoneware, glazed: it resembles a common
present day. 0 it •
as used at the n is the.fol.
porter.j.ug, .
don and posy, as, in former times, lowing inscription every-
thingbelonging to a sailor that would admit of it had its
made gip-can,
cabrrniiwgi in
rhyme:—

Alexander
em full
u akwl
take
tuohr
on bond
n thisch o
ofi
rs
ship;
py o. ne .
l
vemod
andhoei
after
rt
s hadlie Thatan d
no
soFWPtt
ahuor
yehal
phyepoflanonfiimpryl -ohu' cmuena
ini t
sy al
act
noc
do
gm, e plt a
hi nt
aiall
cohnilset of: aaffinEdracmgr-ag..
hind upon his last cruise, and that it was manufactured at
his own request, the inscription evidently shows. That he
would get it made upon his return, is not probable, as he
came to Largo soon after, where he would have no use for
it ; besides, ever since he went away from thence,
been generally locked up, and, at one time, by a niece,
during
patch of pitch it has
y y
uponears it, together.
to
strengthen l tbeing n
de rparcekveedn,tthere c
crack
scka
from extending. This must have been put on while at sea
by Alexander himself." This jug, and the staff which also
belonged t) Selkirk, may be seen at our office, where any
trill, test for their present owner will be the means of alle-
viating the distress of an aged and indigent man, whose
life has latterly been spent 10 unrewarded labours as a
teacher of the young. —Scotsman.
ROWLAND'S ODONTO.—This discovery, for
effectually cleaning the teeth and purifying the breath,may
be considered without a rival. Disease of the teeth and
Gums generally arise from neglect, or the use of delete-
rious acids; the former allows concretions to form, while
the latter corrodes the enamel, and so produces a quick
decay. Rowland's Odonto, from its disinfecting and sti.
mulative properties, whitens the teeth, stimulates the gums,
and purifies the breath ; thus effecting all that human
„gem:), can in continuing the existence of those highly
prized organs to the latest periods of human life.