The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-28 00:00:00

THE NEW POOR-LAW.

The case of John Shaw, and the conduct of the
officers of the union at Slough, have come before a
jury, and the jury have decided that the rule of treat-
ment in that workhouse is inhuman and scandalous.
"They are unanimously of opinion that the refusal
of the matron and governor of the Eton Union work-
house to allow any conversation to pass between the.
afflicted man and his wife, sister, and mother-in-law,
except in the presence of a listener and spy upon their
conduct, is a part only of a moral treatment adopted
towards the poor man which is a disgrace and scandal
to a Christian country." Details more shocking, more
revolting, more sickening than those which accom-
panied the dying bed of this poor man, and which
this coroner's inquest has brought out, we cannot
imagine. The scene and the animus which it deve-
lopes are equally horrible ; and we seem transported
into a lower and viler atmosphere than the daylight
could tolerate. A poor man is on his death-bed--a
death-bed more wretched and loathsome than we can
describe : the details are unrepeatable. His wife,
sister, and mother come at twelve o'clock at night to
see him. They want to see him before he dies: they
have been brought for that purpose by a servant of
the workhouse out of pure compassion. At twelve
o'clock at night they are refused admission within
the walls, and have to find a lodging for
the night elsewhere, while their relation is hour by
hour approaching his end. In "a strange place"
(as the verdict of the jury states), " many miles from
their homes," the walls which contain the dying hus-
band are closed upon the wife. " Are they come
down at this time ?" is the truly humane speech of
the governor of the union, which expresses the sole
view which he takes of the matter. And pray, if
they were not to come down at that time when were
they to come ? Are people only to see one
another when they are alive and well, when nature is
vigorous and can support herself; has resources of
her own, and is independent ? Is not the comfort of
a familiar face, a kind look, a sympathising eye, and
the accent of tenderness required a thousand-fold in
the despondency of a fatal illness? " Are they come
down at this time?" indeed. This is the New Poor-
law humanity, this is straight from the moral code of
Somerset-house. The governor of the Slough poor-
house is a worthy, faithful servant of the department.
He represents it well. It does not appear to disadvan-
tage in his hands. Dead indifference, coldness and
tltickheartedness, which lowers the objects of charity
to an incubus and identifies the poor man with the
animal, are the attributes of the system. The go-
vernor of Slough Union ought to have promotion.
Ile has obviously imbibed the principles of his pro-
fession. But let us suppose the relations at last ad-
mitted. The night is over, and the next morning
come. The wife goes t) the bedside of the husband.
She cannot speak to him, except in the presence of
some servant of the establishment.
" Mr. Wakley—l want to know by whom the order
has been issued that a person is to be present to listen at
the interviews between inmates and their relations?
" Witness (opening a small book he had in his hand)—
I will show you the rule. He then opened the book, and
having examined it a minute or two, closed it, and, hold-
ing it with his hand behind him, said—' It is a rule that
en officer of the establishment shill be present at all the
visits of persons to inmates, be:they sick or well.'
" Mr. Wakley—That is a rule of the I oor-law Com-
missioners ?

" Witness—lt is."
This, then, is a rule of the Poor-law Commission-
ers ; and a more cruel and shameless interference
with the right of human privacy—the right that
every one in society who has not forfeitedit by crime,
has of talking about his own affairs and of talking to
those whom he wants to hear about them, and those
only—we cannot conceive. We should really call it
gross impertinence, were not the impertinence ab-
sorbed in the cruelty of the thing. The idea of
espionage comes in to complete the prison tactics of
the poor-law system. It is most remarkable how,
every way it turns, this systemdevelopes in the iden-
tification of poverty with crime. There is a fate
about it. That stamp is seen everywhere, and shows
like a plague-spot.
The jury in the present instance then have done
boldly and honourably. They have confronted the
Poor-law Commissioners manfully,
.and have told
them to their faces, that their system is a scandal and
disgrace to the country. That a jury have done this
is an important thing to notice. " This (referring to
the espionage) is part of a moral treatment towards
the poor man, which is a scandal and a disgrace to
a Christian country." We repeat the words, for they
deserve repeating. That a jury tell the Poor-law
Commissioners this, is a strong evidence of that
power coming at last into collision with the national
character and nature. A jury represents the popular
mind; it is
is expressed.
of representation by which the
national feeling expressed. Juries are as old as
parliaments; they speak on such a subject as the pre.
sent, in which ordinary human feeling is alone con-
cerned, with a voice of authority. And we seem now
to have a regular formal constitutional representatiem
of public feeling against a cruel and unnatural sys.
tem. Juries have power, Their influence catches.
Their example is followed. This is a legal judicial
manifestation against the New Poor-law, and it will,
, have its effect as such.—Times

The Insolvent Court resumed its sittings on Thursday.'
after the long vacation. Sr. commissioner -Volk%
presided.