The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-21 00:00:00

POOR-LAW ATAKINISTRATION.

Two inquiries are being carried on by. the Poor-
Law Board into the conduct of guardians and relieving
officers. An inquiry at Kensington was insti-
tuted at the special request of influential rate-
payers, two of whom were themselves guar-
dians. There were three grounds of com-
plaint. One was that the quantities of provisions
supplied were excessive, and that meat had been
delivered of inferior quality and bad condition, also
that the superior meat contracted for for the use of
the °Moos and the sick was greatly in excess of the
necessary quantity. In support of.thie charge It was
stated that inferior parts of meat were sent and ac-
cepted in place of the whole carcases of sheep contracted
for. It was also contended that the quantity of spirits
for the three months ending August 27th was twenty
gallons in excess of the demands of the medical
officers. The second charge was that there had been
culpable irregularities in the books ; and the third,
that the superior officers were culpably lax in
their attention to their duties. The evidence
was extremely diffuse, and the examination
of the books proportionately tedious, as they
are kept on a very complex system. The several
charges were denied, but the officers on many
points could only explain the customs of the work-
house by saying that they found matters so when
they entered on their duties. The other inquiry,
which is held at Shoreditch, refers to alleged irre-
gularities operating to the hardship of the out-door
poor. Both inquiries are expected to last some
time.

OUR CRIMINAL CLASSES.

According to the report of Mr. Wetherell, the
Chief-Constable, there hai been a comparative de-
crease in indictable offences in Leeds during last year.
It is believed that the Habitual Criminals Act has
been the cause of this improvement. The worst
thieves have left Leeds in consequence of the firm
manner in which the administration of justice has
been carried on, and through the application of the
law which relates to the harbouring of thieves those
houses which were formerly notorious as centres of
criminals can no longer afford them shelter. The re-
port cites these examples as some of the good
results of recent legislation with respect to
criminals ; but although much evil has been
removed, there, unfortunately, remains a very large
class to deal with, and this class is constantly
augmented by discharged prisoners, who have been
repeatedly convicted. As these require different
treatment it has been suggested that penal servitude
will be the only thing to meet their cases. In Leeds
this year the proportion of apprehensions to crimes
committed is 70• G per cent. against 59 per cent. last
year. There is an increase in the number of offences
summarily determined, and those charged with
drunkenness contribute a great proportion of this
increase. The report adds that it is difficult to say why
this should be so, as general crime has diminished, but
the Chief-Constable thinks the cause is attributable
to the deleterious quality of the liquor drunk, which
" creates in some a stupor so complete es to render
them incapable of the least action." He has seen
men after going a tow yards fall as if poisoned.