The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-26 00:00:00

HAY.

SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs ; clover,
£5 5s to £6 15s Od ; and straw, £2 Os to £2 6s per load.
Supply moderate.
CUMBERLAND.-Meadow hay, £4 4s to .£5 12s Od; clover,
£5 5s to £6 lOs Od ; and straw, £2 Os to £2 6s per load.
A steady demand.

WHITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs ; clover,
£5.5s to £6 15s Od ; and straw, £2 Os to £2 6s per load.
Trade heavy.

Meeting of Middlesex Magistrates.

On Thursday a meeting of the magistrates of the
county of Middlesex was held at the Guildhall,
Westminster, for the transaction of the ordinary
county business ; Mr. H. Pownall in the chair.
There was a numerous attendance of magistrates.
TIIE CORONERS AND THE MEDICAL WITNESSES.
Mr. Nicholson, clerk of the peace, read the report
of the Committee of Accounts and General Pur-
poses, which amongst other items contained the
coroners' accounts for inquests held since the last
county-day. The accounts were from Mr. J.
Humphreys, Mr. B. Lankester, Mr. Bird, and Mr.
C. St. Clare Bedford, and the report recommended
that such accounts should be paid.
Mr. KE➢iSIIEAD, chairman of the Committee of
Accounts and General Purposes, in moving the
adoption of the report, took occasion to advert to
the manner in which medical witnesses were treated
by the coroners, and said that there was one case
that he wished particularly to refer to, and that was
that of Dr. Sansome, who had given evidence be-
fore Dr. Lankester. After repeated applications,
when all other means had failed, Dr. Sansome
brought an action in the County Court for £2 2s.
for making a post-mortem examination and
giving evidence, when judgment was given
against Dr. Lankester, who was ordered to pay
the amount and the costs of the suit. A constable
who was examined on oath admitted that the coro-
ner had not been in the habit at the time of paying
the medical witnesses. Now, as the coroners did
not have to wait long for their money, it was not
too much to expect them to make advances to the
medical witnesses, so that they might be paid as
soon as they had given their evidence. In this case
Dr. Lancaster had received the amount from the
Court, and it had not been paid. It was also ascer-
tained that the beadles were in the habit of deduct-
ing 2s. from the fees of the medical witnesses, a sum
which they had no right whatever to deduct ; and if
the beadles were to have an interest in post-mortem
examinations, they would soon find their bills would
run up enormously. - This was a subject which re-
quired further investigation, and especially so when
he found that Dr. Lankester had held in six weeks
192 inquests at a cost of £484 14s.Gd.,which appeared
to him (Mr. Kemshead) to be an enormous sum, and
particularly so as Mr. Humphreys had held as many
inquests within nine of those of Dr. Lankester, at
a cost of only £354 6s. He wished to tell the
Court a little more in reference to this subject,
for he found that this coroner enforced a receipt
from the medical witness before he got his money,
which was presented to Mr. Wright, the clerk of
the committee, and this led to the making up such
large sums of money. Here a receipt had been given
for money which was disputed when the demand for
it was made. The court, however, decided in this
case that Dr. Sansome was entitled to his fee. All
these things were very gross and they ought to be
inquired into.

The CHAIRMAN said before he put the question ho
wished to state that on several occasions he had re-
ceived letters and verbal communications from
medical witnesses complaining that they could not
get their fees from the coroners for some months
after they had given the receipts to the beadle for
them. He held in his hand a letter he had received,
and which, without giving the name, he would read.
The letter was as follows :

" March 13, 1866.
"Dear Sir,—Some 18 months since I ventured to trouble
you with a little grievance of mine—the non-payment of a
fee which had been owing to me some six months for giv-
ing evidence in the coroner's court. Soon afterwards that
fee was paid. To-day I have given evidence before Mr.
Humphreys' deputy at the Perseverance Tavern, South-
gate-road, signed the usual receipt for it, and the post-
mortem, and am told by the summoning officer that I must
wait for it, as he has not been settled with since October
last. Now this seems to me a monstrous proceeding ; and
as chairman of the Middlesex magistrates, I beg to ask if
such a practice meets with the approval of your honourable
Court, and if not, whether an intimation from you will not
prevent such seemingly irregular practices. I never have
any trouble in Dr. Lankester's district, where I very fre-
quently appear as a witness, the fee there always being
paid at the time. As a mere matter of business, having
given a receipt, one naturally looks for the money, espe-
cially considering that the death of the beadle would in the
face of my receipt shut me out from all claim. I have
hardly liked trespassing upon your attention in this matter,
but I feel assured that your high-minded sense of what is
right and proper will at once perceive that such, to say the
least, loose method of conducting an important county
office ought not to be tolerated."

In answer to a question from the Assistant-Judge,
Mr. KEMSIIEAD said that medical witnesses did
not insist upon being paid their fees at the time, for
if they did so it was probable they would not be
called in on another occasion.

Mr. Sergeant PAYNE said he thought that this
charge ought only to be made by the complainant
upon affidavit, and then a difficulty would be
obviated.

Captain MORLEY thought that this was clearly a
case that ought to be forwarded to the Home Secre-
tary, and he submitted an amendment to that
effect.

Mr. HEALEY seconded the amendment.
It was then suggested that it would be better if
in the first instance it was referred back to the
Committee of accounts to make a further investi-
gation.
This was acceded to, and

Captain MORLEY withdrew the amendment, but
with the understanding that when the report came
they should then go the Home Office, if such a
course should be deemed necessary.
Mr. B. J. ARMSTRONG said it was not the first
time such complaints had been brought before the
Court.

TheAssisTANT-JUDGE was in favour of the ques-
tion being referred back to the committee, who
would have all the facts before them.

The CHAIRMAN then put the question, and the
subject was referred back to committee.
THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION, COLDBATH-FIELDS.
The report of the visiting justices of this prison
showed that there were in custody in the prison
1,606, consisting of felons 1,02,5, inizdemeanants