The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-13 00:00:00

MARYLEBONE THEATRE.

Mr. James Anderson, the tragedian, and Miss
Elsworthy (the most rising actress of the day, as
she is justly called), having recently played with
great success to the lovers of the " legitimate
drama" at the far East, are about to commence an
engagement at this theatre, where they will per-
form a succession of Shaksperian characters, with
every advantage of scenic effects, such as the deni-
zens of this locality have not witnessed of late
years.

THE WOMAN-FLOGGING IN MARYLEBONE

WORKHOUSE.

DECISION OF THE POOR-LAW BOARD.
Yesterday, at the weekly sitting of the directors and
guardians of the poor of St. Marylebone, held at the
workhouse, New-road ; Mr. Robert Cole in the chair,
Mr. T. B. Rae, the secretary, read a communication
from the Poor-law Board, founded on the report of Mr.
Cane, the poor-law inspector, who conducted the recent
investigation as to the alleged flogging of female inmates
of St. Marylebone Workhouse :
"Poor Law Board, Whitehall, Sept. 11, 1856.
" Sir,—The Poor-law Board have received the report
of their inspector, Mr. Cane, upon the evidence taken
by him on the 25th, 26th, and 27th ult., at his inquiry
into the charge that certain of the female inmates of
arylebone Workhouse had been beaten by officers of
that establishment. The board have carefully con-
sidered that report and the evidence upon which it was
founded. The officers accused were Mr. Richard Ryan,
the master of the workhouse, Charles Brown and
Matthew Green, two porters of the establishment."
After recapitulating some of the principal points of
the evidence given before the inspector, as to the
flogging of the women, the Poor Law Board proceed :
" The board cannot but observe with very great re-
gret the amount of disorder and turbulence which the
evidence taken by their inspector discloses as existed in
the Marylebone Workhouse. They are quite prepared
to admit that it is a task of no little difficulty to main-
tain discipline, good order, and subordination amongst a
number of persons of the unhappy class to which these
inmates belong. To do so with any success requires not
only great temper, firmness, and judgment on the part
of the officers, particularly of the chief one to whose con-
trol they are subjected, but also such well-devised ar-
rangements of the building in which they are retained,
and such regulations for the classification, discipline, and
treatment of the inmates themselves, that every impedi-
ment is presented to the outbreak of disorder, and every
facility at hand for its immediate suppression. The board
lament to find that in an establishment of the extent and
importance of the Marylebone Workhouse there appears
to be an entire absence of those conditions of its success-
ful management. They are not, therefore, surprised at
the occurrences which have formed the subject of in-
quiry, or to find a state of things existing in the work-
house such as is described in their inspector's report.
The board cannot but believe that the directors and
guardians will be as anxious as themselves to find a re-
medy to the evils which have been disclosed. As the
two porters have already resigned their situations, the
board have only to remark with respect to them that they
quite concur with the directors and guardians in Ow
propriety of their accepting such resignations. With re-
spect to the master, the board, after giving the' fullest
consideration to all that can be urged in his favour, are
yet of opinion that the inquiry shows him to be not equal
to the discharge of the very responsible duties entrusted
to him. While there is good ground to believe that he
himself took an active part in the beating of the women,
as was alleged against him, still there is no room
for doubt that it was done by his subordinate officers in
his ipresence and by his sanction. It is not necessary
for the board to enter into a nice inquiry as to the ex-
tent to which a workhouse officer may be justified in
using force when assaulted in enforcing the neces-
sary discipline of a workhouse ; it is sufficient in the
present instance that it is proved that a severe and
vindictive beating was inflicted by the officers ac-
cused on at least three of the female inmates of the
workhouse. Under these circumstances the board
request the directors and guardians to call upon the
master to resign his situation. While the board
have thought themselves unable to relieve the master
from the responsibility for what has taken place
in the workhouse, they are so firmly convinced that no
mere change of the officers of the house will enable the
directors and guardians to successfully cope with the
evils which exist in it, that they propose to issue to the
parish of Marylebone, forthwith, similar rules and
regulations for the management of the workhouses in
England and Wales. These regulations the board be-
lieve will assist materially in promoting the comfort of
the inmates of the workhouse, and strengthen the hands
of the officers in their efforts to preserve order and
discipline, and will tend effectually to prevent the r -
currence of the scenes which have lcd to the recent in-
quiry.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
(Signed) " R. W. GREY, Secretary.
"T. B. RAE, Esq., Secretary, Directors and
Guardians, St. Marylebone."
Dr. BACIVIOFFNER moved that the communication
from the Poor-law Board be simply received and acknow-
ledged.
Mr. BRAESS seconded the motion.
Mr. RIDDING moved the following amendment :
" That the Poor-law Commissioners be informed that this
board have fully inquired into the subject of their com-
munication of the 11th instant, and having already de-
cided upon admonishing the master and the porters,
respectfully decline to open the case."
Mr. BoTTING seconded the amendment, and said they
were not there as servants or nominees of the Poor-law
Board ; they were elected by the ratepayers, and to
whom alone they were responsible. (Rear.)
Mr. W. CARR considered that the Poor-law board had
a right to come in there—(No, no !)—any person who
had heard the evidence must be of opinion that the Poor-
law Board bad come to a most lenient conclusion. (No,
no I and hear, hear.) Mr. Ridding's amendment would
bring them in direct antagonism with the Poor-law
Board, and it would then be seen which was the
strongest.
Mr. ANDERSON denounced the pretext of the Poor-law
Board in coming in to issue regtilations for the manage-
ment of that workhouse as a shills and frivolous.
Dr. BAeHOFFNER would rather have avoided discus
Rion at present, as they were aware the battle was being
fought with the Poor-law Board by St. Pancras, and it
was worthy of consideration whether Marylebene should
wait the issue of the battle with St. Pancras, or whether
they should enter the lists and fight with them.
The amendment was carried on a divi-ion by a ma
jority of 12 to 4, and the proceedings terminated.

The King of the Sandwich Islands was married at
Honolulu on the 19th of June to Miss Emma Roohed.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the Governor of New South Wales. De-
spatches were also sent to the Governors of the North
American provinces.

Large quantities of English Agricultural machinery
of every description are now being exported from South-
ampton to France, by way of Havre.
The Mayor of Southampton will give a banquet to
the directors of the European and Australian Royal
Mail Company, previous to the departure of their first
mail steam-ship to Melbourne, in Victoria.
SILK AND TEA FROM CHINA.—The clipper ship Prin-
cess, Capt. Trernearne, arrived off Falmouth on the
9th inst. from Shanghai, With 1,401 bales of silk and
361,9001bs of tea on freight. '
Cabs are about to be introduced into Malta. Mr.
Andrew; the coachmaker, and mayor of Southampton,
has received an order for a number of them,..to be sent as
soon as possible.
THE WENSLEYDALE AND FERBIOY PEERAGES.—
According to a document printed by order of the House
of Lords, it was recommended by the Lords' Committee
that the Clerks of the Fee Fund to Mr. James Napier,
Q.C., Mr. Fleming, and to the record agents, who made
the necessary searches, such fees as seem proper for
the service rendered to the House, under its orders, by
those gentlemen in the cases of the Wensleydale and
Fermoy Peerages.
ARCTIC WINTER WHALE FISHERY.—ABERDEEN, Fri•
day Evening.—The Lady Franklin has arrived here from
the winter whale fishing in Cumberland Straits with 100
tuns of oil and six tons of bone. Capt. Penny was all last
winter in the Arctic regions, and left the Sophia, but did
not see the Alibi at the fishing ground ; he reports the
Traveller of Peterhead with 100 tons of blubber.