The Sun.
London, England, 1835-02-09 00:00:00

THE POOR LAWS.

BATH, FEB. 6.—For some days past, considerable ex-
citement has prevailed in Bath and its neighbourhood, in
consequence of the conduct of the paid overseer of the
parish of Freshford, and some proceedings which have been
had upon the subject at the instance of Colonel Napier
(the author of the " History of the Peninsular war"), Ad-
miral Trollope, Captain Burt, and several other gentle-
men. Colonel Napier appealed to the magistrates of the
district to interpose to put a stop to a system of cruel treat-
ment pursued by the overseer, as it appears, for more than
a year and a half past. The magistrates stated that they
did not feel themselves competent to interfere effectually.
Upon this answer Colonel Napier and the other gentlemen
forwarded a memorial to the Poor Law Commissioners,
praying their immediate interference. The Commissioners
replied that the engagements of their Assistant Commis-
sioners were at that time (the 14th ult.) so urgent, to
meet the demands for their services in other parts of the
country, that no one of them could then be detached
to investigate the case ; but, in the meantime, the Com-
missioners sent a copy of the charges of misconduct to
the parish officers, and required they would answer
them. The answer returned was not satisfactory to the
Commissioners ; and on Friday last Charles Mott, Esq.,
arrived at Freshford, forthwith summoned the parties
before him, and examined Colonel Napier and other
witnesses on oath, as to the conduct of the parish officers.
At the commencement of the proceediogs, the Assistant-
Commissioner stated that his instructions from the Board
upon this case were—to enquire whether there existed any
foundation for the charge of past misconduct on the part of
the assistant (overseer, so as that it might be necessary, for
the future safe management of the paupers, that he should
be dismissed from his office by the Board. He was also to
inquire whether the case was one that required a public
prosecution of the assistant overseer, or of the officers who
might be inculpated with him ; and lastly, what steps might
be required for the tromveuient of the existing administra-
Owl gf relief to the paupers.
Two of the paupers had died shortly before the arrival
of the Assistant-Commissioner, The Juries found '
cases, the following verdict z—Verdief • . ir! two
" That she came by her do- " on riamett Minns .
fled that to"- by natural causes ; but we
was culpable negligence on the part of the

parish officers in the first part of her illness, during her re-
sidence in the workhouse of the parish. 7
Verdict on Thomas Hill, the idiot :—" By the visitation
of God came by his death ; but the Jurors are of opinion
that if proper nutriment had been supplied to the said
Thomas Hill, he might have existed longer ; and they,
therefore, pass a censure on the parish officers."
The following are some of the facts deposed to by the
witnesses :

Colonel Napier visited the workhouse, and saw a Woman
named Harriet Minns, who appeared to be in a most mi-
serable and destitute state. She complained of cold and
hunger, and having no clothes to cover her except a share
of Anne Freeman's coverlid and quilt. There was no fire
in the room. The weather was cold, and the window,
which was only two feet from the bed, was patched up with
rags and paper. The old woman Freeman made use of the
following complaint : " They do not wish to kill us outright,
but. as we can't go before we are called we do bide and
suffer." There was a horrible stench in the room. The
Colonel relieved them with food and money, and after con-
sultinc, with some gentlemen of the parish it was deemed
advisable to call a vestry to inquire into their wretched con-
dition ; but no vestry was called, nor was any reason as-
signed for not holding it. Anne Freeman was lying on the
same bed with Minns, but in consequence of the constant
coughing and general state of Minns she could never get any
sleep. She had no bedclothes but her own. They were
each allowed only Is. 6d. a week to subsist on, and they re-
ceived no medicine or other attendance, or relief whatever,
from any of the overseers. Another pauper, Esther Sher
herd, was on the floor, with no covering but a cotton co"
vering of her on n, and she, too, had but Is. 6d. allowed her.
Altogether, the poorhouse was so filthy as to be ellculated
to produce a pestilence. The Gallant Colonel added that
on appealing- to the Clerk of the Magistrates of the district
he was told that the Magistrates did not feel competent to
interfere under the new Bill, and that an application must
therefore be made to the Poor Law Commissioners.
Mr. Edwards and Captain Burt fully corroborated every
part of Colonel Napier's statement. The latter gentle Man
added, that he asked the paupers whether they were ever
visited by the overseers of the parish ? Their answer was
No," He likewise asked whether the Clergyman ever
visited the poor-house ? Their answer was "No ; that be
had not visited them' since he had been a non-resident,
neither did he visit the poor-house when he did reside at
Freshford."

Captain Burt further deposed that upon inquiring of the
assistant-overseer, Thomas Dike, whether he ever visited
the workhouse, his (the overseer's) answer was " No ; and
I be - if ever I will."

Arthur Joyce, Esq., who also corroborated the foregoing
statement, added, that upon a former occasion Dike told
him that whenever paupers complained to the Magistrates,
he invariably made their fare the worse for it, otherwise he
should be summoned three or four times a-week by paupers.
Ann Coombs, who assisted in laying out the body of Su'
sannah Hill, who died in the workhouse, deposed that the
deceased was lying across the bed. There was no bedstead,
and the head was lying on some rags on the floor. The bed
was like a dung heap, in consequence of the filth that had
run frorh the sores and other matter of the deceased. She
had nothing but an old black gown tied over her shoulders
by her garters.

The Rev. T. Spencer, in the absence of the Rev. Mr'
Bythsea, the Rector, who was called on to perform the
funeral service over the bodies of Hill and Minns, had never
witnessed such neglect as tint evinced by the parish officers,
whose duty it was to attend to such matters.
After examining the witnesses, and personally inspecting,
the workhouse, the Commissioner came to the resolution et
recommending that the assistant overseer, Thomas Dike,
should be immediately dismissed from his office ; that the
severe censure of the Board should be passed on George
Watts, churchwarden of Freshford, for his gross neglect
and cruelty to the poor of that parish ; and, finally, the
Commissioner has, we understand, recommended that Fresh•
ford, with some of the surrounding parishes, be united to
Bath or Bradford, for the purpose of procuring for the de'
serving poor those comforts, and that improve parochial
management, which it is the object of the Poor Law Coo'
missioners to obtain for them.
It is but justice to the other parochial officers to state,
that no complaint whatever was alleged against theme-
Observer.