The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-12 00:00:00

ASYLUMS FOR THE POOR.

Alderman FAREBROTHER called the attention of the
Court to a subject which he believed to be of the highest
importance, considered relatively to humanity and
morals. The Court would give him credit for what he
said when he stated his object to be " that a committee
of the whole Court of Aldermen should be appointed
to take into consideration the proper means to be
adopted, whether by application to Parliament or other-
wise, to compel the Guardians of the City of London
Unions to provide sufficient asylums within the juris-
diction of the Magistrates of the City of London." His
attention was drawn to the subject by the melancholy
exhibition of unfortunate destitute creatures, who, upon
application at the City of London Unions, instead of
being received into some place at once in which there
might be some little relief or abatement of their wretch-
edness, were doomed to trudge off hungry and almost
naked in the midst of inclement weather to Peckham,
were stood the only refuge for them, and that a refuge
in which the City Magistrates had no sort of control.—
(Hear, hear.) What followed ? Next day saw the
object return to London, harassed and wretched by the
fatigue and privations to which they were exposed, and
breaking windows and lamps for the purpose of being
sent to a preferable abode of a prison for criminals.
What was to be inferred from the deplorable preference
of the prison ? That the guardians argued that it was
better to have the gaol supplied with the poor than
afford to their unhappy fellow creatures the attention of
a workhouse, with the ordinary comforts never refused
to abandoned criminals.—(Hear, hear.) He was happy
to find that the notice of his intention to bring forward
the subject of the want of asylums in the public papers
had already accomplished some good, for the following
paper had been lately put into his hands:—
" CITY OF LONDON.—NOTICE.

" At the next meeting of the Board of Guardians, on
Tuesday, the 10th of February, the Vice-Chairman and
Mr. Conder will call the attention of the board to the
subject of the asylum districts for the houseless poor."
He confidently hoped that an asylum would be raised,
which would not only be adapted as a temporary ac-
commodation, but would be a model for all the places
of the description built upon the principles of humanity.
The delay which had taken place would be an excuse
for taking more troublo in providing for the afflicting
exigencies which daily appeared.—(Hear, hear.) It
was part of the cruel operation of the poor-law, that
the poor, who were condemned to the neglect and scorn
to which he had adverted, had no person to whom they
could make any appeal. They are growled at, and
told to walk off to Peckham, and it was in vain they
looked to a magistrate to abate the harshness of the
judgment. It was disgraceful that they could not ap-
peal to the humanity of a magistrate. If a miscreant
committed three or four murders, the language ready
for him was that he had been instigated by the devil,
and he becomes at once an object of compassion ; but
here were hundreds of individuals who had no crime
but that of poverty, which society (judging from the
present position of the law) appeared to look upon as
the most unpardonable of all offences.—(Hear.)
Alderman COPELAND most willingly seconded the
motion. For a series of years, since the poor-law had
been enacted, poverty had been considered, and perse-
cuted, as a crime. His opinion of the treatment which
the poor received at the hands of the authorities obliged
him to say that the law was very harshly administered ;
and he trusted that the day had arrived when complaints
of inhumanity and insensibility to the sufferings of the
destitute would be made upon all sides. constantly and
loudly.—(Hear.) As the law of settlement is under
discussion in the House of Commons, he hoped an op-
portunity would be taken to make such alterations as
would ameliorate the condition to which the crowds of
poor, who had nothing to look to but the poor-law, were
reduced. He was quite aware of the difficulties which
presented themselves, but it was impossible to allow
things to remain as they are.—(Bear.)
Sir P. LAURIE approved of the motion.
Alderman WILSON said that whatever might be the
result of the labours of the Committee, he was sure ttie
discussion which hadt taken place would do infinite good.
—(Hear.) He was sorry that the City of London
Union was so late with its benevolence, but he hoped it
would make amends for the long delay. He had wit-
nessed cruelties to the poor in many different shapes,
and he had recently seen it exercised in the collection
of rates, and the refusal to assist the family which paid
those rates for numbers of years, because the house was
not rated at 101. a-year.--(Hear.)
The motion was unanimously carried.
EXPORTS from JAMAICA.

The following interesting statistics relative to the exports
from Jamaica have come to hand :
We beg to present our readers with a calculation of the
estimated value of Jamaica exports for the year ending Oc-
tober 10, 1845, amounting to nearly one and a quarter million
sterling. This, it may be remarked, is of course considerably
higher than the export productions of last year exhibited,
bet scarcely equal to those of 1843 ; for although the crop
of sugar has improved both in quantity and value, that of
coffee has more than proportionately fallen off.
JAMAICA EXPORTS FOR THE YEARRNDING OCTOBER 10, 1845.

Sugar ...... 43,466 hhds., at 18/. £782,388
5,789 tierces, at 12/.
4.797 barrels, at. 3/. .....
Rum
152 hbds., at 61. 912
265 casks, at 5/ 1,325
Molasses ... 15 casks, at 51.
Ginger...•.. 3,516 casks, at 90s.
1,129 bags, at 40s. 2,258
Pimento ... 233 casks, at 3os.
59,494 bags, at 20s.
Coffee

£1,223,530

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT BOTTISHAM AND APPRE-
HENSION OF THE SUPPOSED INCENDIAIty.—About twelve
o'clock on Friday night last, a fire was discovered raging on
the premises of Mr. Free, a farmer at this village, which it
entirely destroyed (except the house), together with about
130 coombs of wheat, and the like quantity of barley, with
other agricultural produce, and various implements, a va-
luable cart-horse, and some fat swine. The fire, in conse-
quence of a brisk wind blowing at the time, speedily spread
to an adjoining farm, belonging to Mr. John King, which
soon shared the same fate as Mr. Free's, the house only
being saved. Here also corn, hay, implements, were
destroyed to a large extent. Some outbuildings, occupied by
Mr. King, glazier, were also speedily consumed; norwas this
all ; for unhappily, the wind was very high at this time, and
conveyed the sparks to some cottages on the opposite side of
the road contiguous to the church, belonging to Mr. Parker,
which soon ignited, and instantly were fifteen cottages in
one blazing mass. Thus has this dreadful and wretched act
deprived twenty-four poor families for a time of a home;
and it was truly heart-rending to see the poor creatures, with
merely their night clothes on, running with their little
families they knew not whither, to gain a place of refuge,
whilet others were endeavouring to save their goods. No
doubt existed from the very first, that the fire originated
from the hand of an incendiary, and there is, we rejoice to
say, every hope in this case;that the miscreant will be
brought to justice. A person named Webb, but commonly
" Squirrell," a rat-catcher, was taken into custody at
the fire, and examined at five o'clock on Saturday morning
before George Jenyns, Esq., at the Swan, Bottisham. He
WAS brought to the county gaol on the same day, and re-
manded until this day, when he will be re- examined at Bot-
tisham ; and, from what we can learn, we believe there is
little doubt but the charge will be proved against him; but
during the pending of the examination w e refrain from
waking any other remarks thereon.—Cambridge Advertiser.
FOUR-MILE FOOTRACE BETWEEN GEORGE FROST (OF
HOLLOWAY) AND J. MILLS (OF WANDSWORTII).—This trial of speed
and endurance, which excited no small degree of interest in the me-
tropolitan circles, was brought to IsAte yesterday on Wandsworth-
common, Surrey. At starting, Mills went off a trifle In advance,
but was soon collared and passed by Trost, who came on AN ith un-
seasonable sharpness, and, giving his man the go-by, cleared his first
two miles in ten minutes forty-five seconds; touching the silken
turning point eleven seconds in advance of the Wandsworth hero,
whose time, therefore, according to Cocker, was 10 minutes 56
seconds. Tills lead Frost improved, running In first by upwartil cif
sieoriAdk The winner's tirac Was 21 01111114 S 57 lieC4ll4l.