The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-30 00:00:00

LIABILITIES.

Capital . • . f. 67,900,000 0
Ditto of the Branch Banks ... ' ... 23,350,000 0
Reserve fund ... 10,000,000 0
Ditto of the branch banks ... 2,980,730 14
Reserve-immobiliere 4,000,000 0
Notes to bearer, in circulation ... ... 410,802,300 0
Ditto of the branch banks ... ... 85,372,925 0
Ditto to order (post-bills) 6,217,305 28
Account-current with Treasury creditor 79,080,163 52
Various accounts currrint ••• ... 81,220,669 64
Ditto in branches 23,729,135 0
Bills payable at sight ... 3,940,000 0
Ditto at branches ..• ... 2,643,287 0
Dividends payable ..• • • ... 255,423 75
Liquidation of the Algiers Bank ... 8,730 0
Discounts, interest, and expenses ... 4,762,622 12
Expenses anticipated ... 424,388 73
Re-discounts of the last six months ... 155,054 53
Ditto in branch banks .. 287,620 0
Miscellaneous 1,419,840 98

• f. 808,550,215 69
Certified by the Governor of the Bank of France,
D'ARGOUT.

DEATH FROM STARVATION.
Last Saturday evening Mr. Wakley, M.P., held
an inquiry of several hours' duration at the Three
Johns, White Lion-street, Pentonville, touching the
death of John Becknell, aged sixty, who was starysd
to death. The jury were horrified at the awful
spectacle which the body presented. In a room at
48. White Lion-street, there lay the body, shrivelled,
reduced to a skeleton, and cramped up on a heap of
sacks, without a particle of food or furniture, or even
a cinder in the grate. The awful spectacle not only
horrified but actually ~ickened the jury.
Sarah Dehank, who was helf-sterved is appearance,
and was in a state of semi-nudity, stated that the de-
ceased, who had teen in the employ of Mr. Blake,
was, through illness, out of work fur the last fort-
nignt. Sate saw him last alive at midnight of Christ-
mas-day, and found him dead the following morning,
when she brought him some warm milk. He was al-
lowed by the kindness of the landlord to occupy the
empty room where he died, and his master gave him
some coal sacks to sleep upon. He would sleep in carts,
cellars, or wherever he could. When she found him
dead she sent fur Drs. Mann and Bayliss, who in-
stantly attended. When she saw him on the midnight
of Christmas-day he was very weak, and suffered
from a cough. He complained of hunger. For the
last fortnight he had only one meal a day, which con-
sisted of tea or weak gruel. He belonged to Barnet
parish, but was too weak to go to it. She did not
kno a- what his wages were.—(Several persons, " Six-
pence a day.") On Monday night deceased, who
was then weakiand faint, went to her roam and asked
her for a piece of bread, which she gave, and made him
sit before the fire. Four weeks ago he was very ill,
and applied to Ihe workhouse for relief, which he did
not get.
Mr. Mann, parish surgeon, examined—He was
called to see deceased at three o'clock on Christmas-
day, on a parish order. He found deceased lying in
au exhausted state in a room completely denuded of
every earthly comfort. Witness soon telt the deceased
required food and not medicine. Deceased could
scarcely speak. Witness recommended hie reception
into the workhouse, and on the bask of his medical
order wrote the following certificate :—" I hereby
certify that John Becknell is a fit object for admit-
tance into the house, or the overseers should make
such arrangements a, they thought proper. Urgent."
Deceased died from exhaustion produced by the want
of the necessaries of life. Witness wrote on the beck
of the certificate, that deceased wanted food, and not
medicine. He found deceased lying on a heap of sacks.
Mr. Crowder (overseer)--I was in the workhouse
when the order arrived, but it was so illegibly written
I could not read it.
Mr. Mann—l wrote it the best way I could in
deceased's room.
C3RONER—As a medical man, you have the power
to order nourishment. Instead of writing so politely
you should have given the order.
Mr. Mann—l stand corrected on that point. I
was wrong. But being only a few months in office, I
was not aware I had that power.
CORONER—TaiI will be a lesson in future to you.
It was your duty to order deceased every nourish-
ment. Were I the overseer your order would have
puzzled me.
Mr. Crowder—l sent deceased a shilling and a loaf.
CORONER—What the deuce use was the shilling,
when he had no nurse, clothes, or food ?—(Hear.)
Mr. Fetch (overseer)—Deceased had been twice
sent back to his pariah, and perhaps was, therefore,
afraid to apply for relief lest he might be punished.
CORONER—If a sick pauper enters your parish, and
you give him a medical order, you instantly acknow-
ledge him as your own pauper, and he is therefore en-
titled to relief.
A Juror—l understand that he applied for relief,
which was refused, and that he was threatened with a
prosecution if he again applied.
CORONER—The doctor's request should have been
complied with, and the deceased admitted to the work -
house, as he was in a dying state.
Mr. Mann—l am of opinion that a bath and
nourishment would have done him good. When I
saw him he was rapidly sinking.
CORONER—It is lamentable to see the poor dying
in this way. In future do you (addressing the medical
officer), when you meet a similar case, order wine,
stout, meat, baths, and everything it requires.
.I%.ir. Mann—l shall do so.
Mr. Fetch assured the Court that such orders were
always obeyed.
Mary Victory, a most destitute-locking creature,
said that she was the mother of four children, and that
her husband, a plastererehad been 11 weeks out of work.
She knew deceased, and on last Tuesday applied to
the workhouse on his behalf. Tee, porter at the
gate seil that there were rio gentlemen there, and
that therefore she was too late. As she had to go
out to wash, and had to give the children their
dinner, she could not go back to the workhouse. On
Wednesday morning she went io search of Mr.
Titmouse, the churclewarden' but could not find him.
At one o'clock the same day she told Mr. Fetch, at the
workhouse, that deceased was dying, and that she
could not attend him, as she had to earn bread for her
own family. He gave her a medical order, which she
/NI 1., Wmtektra If., Mann, who soon attended. When she
the es erring to her home she found in de-
_
'to the medical order, which stated that the
av,:...,,,,, •e 4 " ,
,ep ed fooi, and not physic. She took the
„.„,
_zisl,Wtr% 9, workbouee, and begged the deceased
irgy.,:44:r. ' 4.- • ,•'-„,x,,:
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AL ii.