The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-26 00:00:00

THE GREAT SOCIAL EVIL QUESTION AGAIN.

On Saturday, at the meeting of the Marylehone Re-
presentative Council, held at the Court-house—Mr.
Cnnrch warden Soden in the chair,
The Rev. Mr. WirearoT, the rector of All Soule, pre-
sented a memorial, signed by 123 inhabitants of Port-
land place and its vicinity, stating that inasmuch as the
vestry had not taken any steps for ridding the neighbour-
hood of refemous houses, they feared that the parties who
had previously refested tne neighbourlood of Charlottt-
street and Norton-street sere returning back to their
old haunts, and that unless some energetic steps were
taken the evil would soon be as great as ever. The
• inemorial, therefore, urged the vestry to energy in the
prosecution of the ja ties, in which the association
formed for the purpu e of checking street prostitution
was prepared to assist them.
Tee Rev. Mr. WILMOT moved that the memorial I.e
received and entered upon tee minutes.
Mr. NICEiOLAY seconded the motion.
Mr. TAVENER contended that it was perfectly useless
for the parish to be wasiieg its money upon a question-
which was one for Gsvernmental or Parliamentary legie.
lat,on. It was a peifeot act of cruelty to keep persecut-
ing these women by driving them from place to place.
The legislation upon this subject as at present was like
a revolving whe. I ; as soon as these persons were moved
from one place they went round to another. If the
Marylebone portion of the wheel threw them off they got
into St. Pancras, and as the St. Paucras wheel went
round they came back again to St. Marl I,bone, to St.
James's, and other places.
Mr. MALTBY complained of the narrow view Mr.
Tavener took of this question, and contended that it
was the legal duty a the vestry, when these things were
brought under their notice, to put a stop to them as tar
as practicable.
Professor MARRS also thought the subject was one
which ought to be dealt with in a more comprehensive
spirit than eves parochial legislation.
Mr. M•EveLY contended that it was the duty of that
vestry to find the funds to proseoute in such case', and
it the aggrieved parties did so themselves they could re•
sever the tunes cf :he vestry.
Dr. BACHIIOFFNER, Mr. VEREY, and other gentlemen
having offered some °beer% atione .
Mr RODGER said the memorial wasindefinite, as it said
the memorialists "had reason to fear that the parties
complained of were returning to the houses." He hal
understood from Mr. Stewart it was a fact, and, there-
fore, why not state it as fact ? He moved as an amend-
ment, or rather addition, " That the memorial be re-
ferred to a committee, to confer with the genrt tlemeto
tn
heof
the Portland-place Association, and to repo as
kind of assistance the latter were likely to afford the
vestry.
Mr. VEREY •econded this addition.
Dr. GOURLEY said he had several times written to Sir
Re Mayne on this suejeot, and be bad replied to him that
he received quite as many complaints from gentlemen of
the impertinent interference of the police with the street
females es he did of the solicitations of the females them.
selves. He thought the best thing for the Portland•place
Association to do was to engage twenty policemen
themselves, and let them be continually dodging thee'
people about. (Laughter.)
The motion, with Mr. Hodge's addition, was thea

carried.
The report ‘, as then brought up for consideration.
The Rev. T. GARNIER, rector of Trinity, said he bad
great pleasure in moving the adoption of the recort, and
also that a copy be forwarded to the Secretary of S
fur the Home llspartment. The public press had very
properly denominated this our greatest social evil. It
was, indeed, a disgrace and scandal to the country, and
way sapping its foundation.
Mr. I'AVENER seconded the adoption of the report.
Professor MARKS was for going much further than his
col!eagues in this matter. At the same time he would not
go the length of a certain yes ry, which de-ired that
these unfortunates shou.d not be treated as it they were
human flesh and blond. . _

Mr. blesoN said the main cause of this misfortune
was the disgraceful emolument given to female labour.
There was an estabLshment in that parish, facing a
church, where from 40 to 50 young women were em-
ployed in cloak-making, and they were paid at the rate
of 2i{l. per cloak, and it was impossible for theta to earn
more than 7A. each per day, and find their needles and
silk, 3G0., oui of it. (Shame, shame.) What could they
expect when female labour was remunerated at such an
abominable rate ? (Hear, hear )
Mr. SMART moved an amendment that this report
be referred with the memorial to the committee. He
could not agree that there should be such restrictions
put upon these poor women or upon the houses called
disorderly houses. It was a great questi,n how to de-
fine a disorderly house.
Mr. VEREY complained that it was the gentry who
supported these dens of infamy. Only a short time back
an elderly man came up to his house, whieb, as they knew,
war a public-house, in his carriage, with his livery ser-
vant behind, and actually had the audacity to come and
ask him to inform where he could find a notorious house
of the description in the neighbourhood. This was in
broad day. (Hear, hear.)
Af er some further remarks the report was adopted,
and a copy directed to be forwarded to the Secretary of
State.
The board, after other important business, adjourned.

It appears from an advertisement for the sale of the
late Mademoiselle Rachel's mansion, in the Ru
Trudon, posted on all the walls of Paris on Saturday,
that Count Walewski, the Minister for Foreign Affairs,
has, in the forms admitted by French law, acknowledged
Licoself to be the father of one of her children, who, with
his Excellency's sanction, bears the name of Alexandre.
Antoine Walewski.
MADAME TUSSAUD'S EXHIBITION.—The female cos-
tumes have undergone a complete change here in the
Imperial groupe, being entirely new and of the most
splendid description.. Her Imperial Majesty the Em-
press of the Trench is in a dress partly of gold tissue
and lilac moire antique. Her Imperial Majesty the
Empress of Austria in light green brocade, ornamented
with numerous small bunches of red feathers. Thl!
Dowager Ernpre,s of Russia in blas6 and Imperial pur
ple of moire antique with white lace. The Queen of
Spain is in a light blue moire antique and white lace.
The whole of the costumes have been under the imme-
di 4te inspection of Mr. J, Tuseaud,