The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-21 00:00:00

Joseph M'Dougal does not deny the facts thus deposed
to, nor has he brought any witnesses to disprove them,
although furnished by my instruction, on the 16th of
July, with a statement of the charges about to be
brouJlt against him.
Joseph M'D,,ugal, therefore, has been clearly proved
guilty of an infraction of articles 47. 48, 49, and 51, of
the w,a•khou,e rules, in the cas,s of Charles Muspratt,
Austin, William Taylor, and James Taylor,
althouzh'it does not appear that the statement made by
Sarah Muspratt is literally correct.
It further appears that upon other occasions and
recently Joseph M•Dougal has been in the habit of strik-
ing the boys fir trifling faults, without reporting the
same to the master of the workhouse, as prescribed by
article 51 of the workhouse regulations.
On the other hand, it does not appear that in other
respects the children have been ill-treated or nee,lectt.d
as regards their instruction.. Their progress in writing
and arithmetic has been considerable under Joseph
M'Dougal, and is above the average attainment, in these
respects, of children even of a higher class. I inquired
of the children, out of his presence, whether any of
them desired to complain of any ill-treatment on his part;
but none were disposed to do so, although the question
was put repeatedly. lam inclined to attribute the con-
duct of Joseph M'Dougal rather to youth and want of
proper control, than to a harsh or tyrannical disposition.
The next charge brought against Joseph M'Dougal was,
That provisions bad been sold by Joseph M'Dougal,
and that the sister of Jane Grace had bought bread from
him.

It appears on the oath of Jane Grace, that about four
years ago she saw her sister, then fourteen years of age,
and an inmate of the workhouse, in the girl's class, a
short time before her supper, give Joseph Nl'Dougal,
who was not at the time in the office of schoolmaster, one
penny for a square piece of bread, which she supposes
to have been one of the women's supper rations.
Joseph 111'llougal denies the fact, but it does not ap-
pear probable that Jane Grace, against whose character
there is no reproach, would deliberately perjure herself
by making such a statement falsely. She adds, more-
over, that she never knew or heard of another case in
which Joseph M'Dougal had sold provisions of any kind.
I am of opinion, therefore, that Joseph MiDougal did
about four years ago, holding no official situation at the
time, sell to Jane Grace's sister a certain piece of bread
of about six ounces weight, for one penny, whether be-
longing to the provisions of the house or not does not ap-
pear ; and that there is no proof whatever of his having
sold provisions the property of the guardians on this or
any other occasion.

It appears, lastly, that about the same time, viz., be-
fore he was appointed to the office of schoolmaster, and
holding at the time no office of any kind under the Pool-
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William Waldron ; but as I have no authority to in-
quire into offences committed by persons not employed
in the administration cf ;the poor-laws, I did not feel
justified in making further inquiries into these cases,
nor indeed was it necessary to do so, to carry out the
instructions received by me from the Commissioners.
The evidence given in support of the first charge ap-
pears to me sufficient to show that Joseph WDougal
has forfeited all claim to one of the most essential qua-
lifications of a workhouse schoolmaster, namely, a com-
mand of temper ; but the evidence of his zeal given by
the progress of the children under his charge, and the
testimony of the master of the workhouse as to his ge-
neral good conduct, to which may be added the consi-
deration of his youth, will probably induce the Com-
missioners to be satisfied with accepting his resignation
without inflicting on him the serious stigma and conse-
quences of a dismissal.
I wish to call the attention of the Commissioners to
the fact that neither the schoolmaster nor schoolmis-
tress of the Andover workhouse reside in the work-
house ; a circtunstance which I consider as very disad.
vantugeous to the children.

I have, &e.,
(Signed) G. PIGOTT,
Assistant Poor-law Commissioner.
The Poor•law Commissioners. London.

RAILWAY SH AILE MARKETS.
MANCHESTER, SEPTKMBEE 19.
STOCK EXCHANGE. —The sales are—East Lancashire (late Black-
-514 p.—Edinburgh and Glasgow, Quarters, 17%
—Exetn
er
to r
aPnrdesE.n),
mouth, 13s. dis. —lludders
field, Halifitx, and Brad-
ford, 2% p.-11tolThirsk , dersfleld and Manchester Railway and Canal, 1%
p.—Leeds and 4% tbs.— Leeds, Dewsbury, and Manchester,
2% p.—London and Windsor, 1 dis.—Manchester, Midland, and
Grimsby, 17s
. 3.b—North Wales, 2% dis.—Oldham Districts, % P---
Sheilleld and Manchester, Quarters, No. 3, 3-16 dis.—Shropshire
Union Railway and Canal, 9-16 dis.—South-Eastern and Dover,
No. 4, % p.—Trent Valley Midlands, &c., 11-16 p. —West Riding
Union, 2% p.

E, 19. STOCK EXCHANGE.— LE
TheDS ShareSEPTEMBEZ
Market remained very inactive
during the week, and lower prices have prevailed, which the absence
of any material demand does not tend to improve. Brightons, Mid-
lands, Eastern Counties, Manchester and Leeds, Chester and Holy-
heads, East Lancashires, Orimsbys, and Huddersfield and Manches-
ters, have all declined in value; and the same may be said of nearly
all local stocks. Manchester and Birmingham C Quarters have ad-
vanced to about the same price as the A and B Quarters, and have
been largely purchaser". Leeds and Bradfonls are steady. There is
rather more business doing in Foreign Shares, but prices do not vary
much. The sales are—Huddersfield and Sleflield, 6p. - Leeds and
Bradford, 4114 p.—Leeds and Dewsbury, 2% c. p.—Ditto, Branches,
21s. p.'—Leeds and Thirsk, 4% c. dis.—Ditto, New, 3% dis.—Man-
cheater and Leeds Extensions. 1% p.—North British, Carlisle Branch,
p.—Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole, 10 p.—Boston, Stamford,
and Birmtingham, 11 s dis. —Gram( Union, I ss. Ws. s. Lancashire and
North Yorkshire, 15s. dis. B.—Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston, 4 p.
—Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and Midland, 275. p.—Midland and
Thirsk Junction, 16s. dia.—North Staffordshire, 3% p.—North West-
ern, 4s. s. p.—Shropshire Union, 78. 6d. dis.—West Riding Union,
4/. Os.

NULL, STEMBEIL 19.
STOCK EXCHANar.—The salesEP are - North British, Carlisle, 81s.
—Leicester and Taimyorth, 41s. 6d.— North Western, 3s. 6d. 1).—
North Staffordshire, 31. 9s, 6d. p,—West Riding Union, 41. 85.
Chelmsford and Bury, 128. 6d.—Leicester and Bedford, Ils. 9d.
Leeds and Car Isle, 245. 6d:

SEFFIELD, SEPTMBER 19.
Sroes Excnanon.H The sales are - GE eat Grimsby and She Melt,
3% dis.—Ditto, Extensions, 20s. 6d. clis.-L-Ditto, Quarter Shares, 12s.
dia.—lluddersfield and Sheffield, 57i p.—Oxford, Worcester, and
Wolverhampton, 4% (113.-14046, Wlttetkadt 4161 =mud. 1U
North Western, as. p.

ANDOVER UNION.
A copy of the depositions taken before Mr. Pigott,
the Assistant Poor-liw Commissioner, at the late inves•-
ti;ation into the conduct of Mr. 11PDougal, junior, the
schoolmaster•of the Andover Union, ha.; just been laid
before Parliament, pursuant to an order of the House of
Commons, date d 28th ult. The evidence given by the
several witnesses has already, in effect, been published
in the journals at the time of the investigation. The
following letter, however, will be read with interest, as
it contains the remarks of Mr. Pigott upon the entire
case :---
INQUIRY INTO THE CASE OF JOSEPH AVDOUGAL, SCHOOL-•
MASTER OF THE ANDOVER UNION.

" Southampton, July 25.
" Gentlemen,--I have the honour to report, that in
pursuance of the instructions conveyed to me in your
letter of the 29th of June last, to inquire into the truth
of certain alhgations which had been made relating to
the conduct of Joseph M'Dougal, the schoolmaster of
the workhouse of the Andover Union, towards the
pauper children therein, and to the sale of provisions by
him, and conformably to the information conveyed to me
in your letter of the Bth of July, that the allegations in
question were made by Jane Grace, formerly an irmate
of the Andover workhouse, and by Sarah Muspratt, re-
cently an inmate of the same workhouse, and that two
persons of the name of Matilda Coleman and Elizabeth
Saunders could give evidence on the former point, I ap-
pointed, with your sanction, the 23d of July for com-
mencing the inquiry, that being the earliest day which
pres•ing official engagements kft open to me, and it
being-uncertain also wh,,ther the presence of Jane Grace
and Sarah Muspratt could be obtained previously to that
time.

Accordingly, on the 23d of July, in the presence of a
board of the guardians of the Andover Union, specially
summoned, I proceeded to the investigation of the fol-
lowing charge against Joseph M'Dougal, viz.:—
That the brother of Sarah Muspratt had been severely
beaten and bruised by Joseph M•Dougal, with a leather
strap with a buckle at the end of it, and that he was
struck with the buckle-end of the strap ; and that two
other boys, named Harry and Isaac White, were also
beaten at the same time, and that blood flowed from the
nose of Harry White.
At the outset of the inquiry, an objection was taken
by one of the guardians, that Joseph M'Dougal was not
the schoolmaster of the Andover workhouse ; that he
had never been regularly appointed by the guardians,
nor his appointment, such as it is, sanctioned by the
Commissioners. It appeared that the minute-book of
the guardians was with the Committee of the House of
Commons. The clerk, Mr. Lamb, was not present at
the meeting ; neither were the chairman, vice-chair-
man, nor any. guardian, prepared to give evidence on
the subject. On searching the books containing the
rough minutes of the board, from which they are fairly
copied into the minute-book, an entry was found, of
which I inclose a copy.
It appears that Joseph M'Dougal, who is now only
twenty years of age, has been continued in his situation
during nearly three years, under this provisional ap-
pointment, which it was stated had .never received the
sanction of the Commissioners.
As, however, the appointment, whether provisional
or per :lament, entailed, as regarded the care and treat-
ment of the children entrusted to the charge of the indi-
vidual accepting the appointment, the same duties and
respusibilities, I did not consider the objection of a
nature to affect or stay my proceedings.
I inclose the depositions, taken upon oath, of Sarah
Muspratt, of Thomas Charles Westlake, Esq., of Charles
Muspratt, of Robert Thomaj Latham, Esq., of William
Austin, of Charles Pilgrim, and of Mr. James Blythe,
the present governor of the workhouse; from which it
clearly appears that towards the end of October, a short
time before Mr. Price, the lato governor, was succeeded
in his office by Mr. Blythe, on a Saturday, the day of
meeting of the board of guardians, the two boys, Charles
Muspratt and William Austin, being then both more
than 14 years of age, were violently beaten by Joseph
M'Dougal, the former with a cane, the latter with a
cane and a strap having a buckle at the end of it ; that
Harry White, an older lad, having interfered to prevent
Joseph M'Dougal from continuing the castigation, a
scuffle ensued, (luring which Harry White and Isaac
White, his brother, received blows on the nose and
mouth from Joseph M'Dougal, and that Charles Muspratt
was thrown with his head on the stone floor; that the
noise and clamour brought to the school-room various
persons, viz., Sarah Muspratt, Elizabeth Morrison, the
nurse, Mrs. Price, the matron, and Mr. Price the
master; that about this time the board of guardians had
atsembled; that Sarah Muspratt applied to Mr. Price to
be allowed to go before the board, to state what had hap-
pened to her brother; that Mr. Price promised that he
would call for her at the proper time, but that he did
not do so, and that she did not subsequently make any
complaint to the visiting Committee, or to any one else,
on the subject, until she appeared before the Committee of
the Ilous, of Commons. It appears also that the reason
why Joseph M'Dougal chastised Charles Muspratt and
William Austin was, that they had not learned by rote
a certain task set to them as a punishment on the pre-
et dine day. Lastly (on the statement of Mr. Westlake
and Mr. Latham), that the blows inflicted on the back
and head were seeere blows, although not of a nature to
require medical treatment.