The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-19 00:00:00

THE SON, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 19, 1866.

living child for dead in the ward of the St. Pancras
Workhouse has shown what care the most helpless

class of sufferers receive at the hands of the official
attendants, and we are glad to find that the general
feelings of horror and indignation excited by that

case have just found adequate expression.
Miss BURDETT COUTTS, as a ratepayer of St.
Pancras, has addressed a letter to the guardians, in
which she dwells, simply but forcibly, on the evils of
the present system. She is aware, she says, that their
pcsition between the ratepayers on the one hand
and the recipients of relief on the other is a difficult
one, but it appears to her (and to most unprejudiced
observers) that they have unduly favoured the
former class. With sound sense, as well as kindly
feeling, she points out to them that, putting
aside all considerations of duty and humanity,
" a sick pauper is a costly burden on the rates, and
that a more liberal workhouse management would
prevent the crowding of infirmary wards, while a
wise administration of out-door relief would save
many poor persons in temporary need from sinking
down to confirmed, and therefore burdensome,
pauperism." The truth of this is indisputable,
and yet when the father or mother of a family
is temporarily disabled, the answer to any appli-
cation for assistance is constantly " Come into the
house." In nine cases out of ten the alternative of
going without help is chosen, the family preferring
to depend on charity or " rough it" until better
times. But supposing they do go in, breaking up
their little home and losing their connexion, if they
have one, what chance is there that they will all
come out again ? If they postpone the evil day
until the sick person is past all chance of recovery
the case is still worse, and if our old Poor-law
system was wasteful and demoralising, the new one
is not entirely free from those vices, for by its
short-sighted parsimony it pauperises many who
might keep themselves, and, by Withholding its
help at the crisis, leaves many a family to break
down and come upon the rates for life.
With respect to the management of the sick
wards Miss Covrrs says that, before addressing the
Guardians, she has watched for some public state-
ment of the measures which they propose to adopt
to cure the evils complained of, but has seen none.
As a ratepayer she feels the position very strongly.
" The law compels me to pay a rate for the benefit
of the poor, but in its administration the law not
merely fails to secure the object of the rate,
but exposes the recipient of parochial re-
lief, according to the evidence before the
coroner, to being " laid out" before death, when-
ever the nurses or matron may choose to think the
victim of their neglect cannot " last long," or is
" nearly gone." In another place, she says re-
ferring to the same case, " Such a hideous instance
of callousness makes those shudder who feel that
they are forced by law to pay a rate which places

t'ne sick in similar hands." Against such a system
of administration, which actually exposes paupers
to the danger of being buried alive, she feels bound
to enter a protest not only on her" own behalf, but
on account of that large body of struggling rate-
payers on whom the rates press heavily, andwho are
unjustly treated when their hard-earned money is

not strictly applied to the paupers for whom they
pay ; " and if, through misfortune, they or their
families are obliged to seek shelter within the work-
house they have previously been rated to support,.
they should not, at lea2t, find within its walls a
living grave."
It is to be hoped that this just and indignant
protest may induce the Guardians to believe that
all their ratepayers are not satisfied with the mere
fact of paying the rates demanded of
them, but that they are sensible that
there is a serious responsibility attaching
to the charge of such an army of sufferers, although
the Guardians are troubled with no such feelings.
The whole system must be remodelled ; and it can,
in fact, not find one defender. The management
of the sick must be entirely removed from the
local authorities, and a gyneral sick rate levied over
the metropolis, which would lighten by equalising
the burden, and tend to relieve the miseries, while
it diminished the lengthened sufferings of many
thousands of our afflicted fellow -creatures.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Wednesday Evening.

The papers are more than usually barren to-day,
but the following appreciation of the position of
affairs in Germany by the Siecle will be read with
interest :

" The Gazette d'Augsburg is of opinion that
Federal Reform in Germany cannot be established
unless all the Powers interfere. It therefore, con-
siders a Congress to assemble immediately to be
absolutely necessary. Upon this the Siecle says it
can hardly consider that such a course will be
adopted. At all events affairs do not assume a
very pacific aspect. The military preparations con-
tinue both in Austria and Prussia, and later accounts
confirm the news we have already given of a con-
centration of Russian troops on the Prussian fron-
tier."

The following is the programme of the extra
steeplechases which are to take place to-morrow at
La Marche :—Prix de Ville d Avray (handicap),
1,500 f., for all horses ; Prix de Garches (gentlemen
riders), 1,000 f., added to a sweepstakes of 50f.
each ; Prix h Reclamer, 1,000 f., for all horses. The
winner to be claimed for 600 f. Match between the
Duke of Hamilton and Count Evry. 49 horses
entered.

Some interesting facts respecting the commerce
of France have been elicited during the discussion
in the Legislative Body relative to the merchant
nary. M. Emile Pereire said that the subject of
the mercantile marine was essentially a question of
external commerce. The traffic, which represented
7 milliards, was thus divided :—By sea, 5 milliards
135 millions ; by land, 2 milliards 193 millions.
Yes or no, was it important to free from absurd
imposts 5 milliards of our traffic ? Was
it important to furnish, at a low price,
means of transport for the foreign commerce
of France ? England was not like France, a con-
tinental Power. What formed its strength in the
past might well be the cause of its weakness in
the future. M. Forcade de la Roquette had elo-
quently said that France was admirably situated
for commerce ; yes, but it was on the condition that
she should not have her hands tied, and that she
should be able to send anywhere her intelligence,
her industry, and her capital. Freedom of trade
had not led to an inundation of products into France,
and French commerce had not been crushed by it.
A great king of former times wished that the people
every Sunday should have a fowl in the pot. Modern
civilisation and universal suffrage had higher ambi-
tions. They desired that the people both of the
towns and country, not only on a Sunday but
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denied that free trade had produced the depression
in some branches to which allusion had been made.
The number of foreign vessels trading with French
ports had increased. In referring to exports, the
speaker said, that in 1859 the value of ostrich fea-
thers exported was no less than 6,800,000 f. The
principle adopted at the Custom House was, that all
merchandise which had paid duty by that fact be-
came naturalised, and became part of the general

commerce.
Another frightful case of murder and mutilation
'has occurred. The body of a young man has been
found in the canal of La Villette which has been
almost cut to pieces. The skull has been cut in
two with a chopper, and a large incision has also
been made in the stomach. The arms have been