The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-05 00:00:00

ENLISTMENT OF PAUPER
CHILDREN.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

RESPECTED FRlEND,—Shortlz after the publica-
tion of my first letter on the "Enlistment of Pauper
Children,' a conversation was reported in the Morn-
ing Chronicle, as having taken place in a meeting of
the directors and guardians of the parish of Mary le-
bone on that subject, and to have resulted in an
order that inquiry should be made whether their
children had been enlisted for life, or for a term of
years.
. .

- I shall not now stop to remark on the conduct of
" guardians" who could thus promote the " un-
limited enlistment" of their children, without first
making themselves acquainted with the duration of
the engagement into which, by solemn oath, the boys
were about to enter; but I wish to invite attention to
the following petition, presented to the House of
Lords by the Marquis of Normanby, relating to one
of these Marylebone cases. Two weeks previously to
its presentation it was read to the directors and guar-
dians, in order to give them the fullest opportunity of
denying any of its allegations.
John Jackson called on me again yesterday, hav-
ing made a fourth journey to Chatham barracks
(where his son still remains) ; he repeats his own
and his wife's urgent request that every means may
be used to secure the restoration of the boy to his
family.—l am, &c., respectfully,
FREDERIC WHEELER.
Rochester, 28th of 9th month, 1844.

To the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and
Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled ;
The petition of the undersigned Louisa Jackson and
John Jackson, the mother and step-father of
Frederick Jackson, a boy now in the dop6t of the
31st Regiment of Foot, in Chatham barracks,
Humbly showeth,—
That your petitioners, being in very straitened cir-
cumstances, the aforesaid Frederick Jackson, their
son, was permitted by the parochial authorities of St.
Marylebone, after due inquiry into the case, to re-
main an inmate of their workhouse, and was allowed
the privilege of visiting your petitioners at certain
times.

That the said youth was, on or about the 16th of
December last, enlisted, with six other lads, and
sworn to unlimited service of the Queen as a soldier
in the 31st Regiment of Foot, without the knowledge
or consent of the petitioners, who consider themselves
greatly aggrieved thereby; and that the youth was at
that time only thirteen years and about eleven days
old, as Nvi 11 appear from the memoranda attached
to this petition.

That during several weeks after the day of enlist-
ment the customary visits of the mother to the work-
house, or (Pf the child to his parents, were interrupted
by her confinement and subsequent illness, the
father being, at the same time, employed in a
brewery, where his services were required every day
of the week.

That on the earliest suitable opportunity th• nurse
wis sent to the workhouse to ask permission for the
lad to come home for a few hours, which application
was refused, without any explanation of what had
occurred; and that on several subsequent Sundays
this application was repeated, both verbally and by
letter, with a similar result.

That the mother, being at length partially restored
to health, applied in person to be allowed to see her
boy, and then discovered, to her great astonishment
and distress, that he had been for several weeks e
soldier in Chatham barracks

That the mother then, by letter, addressed to,
Major Spence, and the father, by a journey to Chat-
ham, endeavoured to obtain the restoration of the lad
to his family, but without success. On the contrary,
that officer has intimated, in his letter addressed to
the Secretary of the Marylebone Guardians, bearing
date 15th of March, that "the enlistment is conclu-
sive," and that a sum of twenty pounds will be re•
quired to purchase his discharge.
That your petitioners are in very humble circum-
stances, and have three other children dependent on
them for support, and that the parochial authorities
of St. Marylebone have declined to render them the
redress they now seek.
Your petitioners, therefore, implore your Lord-
ships to interpose on behalf of an injured family, and
to take such measures as may be best calculated to
effect the restoration of this child to his anxious
parents.—Signed, April 12, 1844.
LOUISA JACKSON.
JOHN JACKSON.
27, Brown-street, Bryanstone-square.

THE FATAL EXPLOSION AT THE
HAS.WELL COLLIERY.

The adjourned inquest on the bodies of the sufferers
was resumed on Wednesday. The whole day was oc-
cupied in taking the evidence of Robert Thompson, the
master wasteman of the pit, whose evidence corres-
ponded with that given on the previous day. He said—
The ventilation of the mine could not have been im-
proved, neither, in his opinion, could anything more
have been done to prevent accident. And Thomas
Emerson Foster, the viewer of the colliery, having given
similar testimony, he said—" I have no objection to any
other viewer in the coal trade. Am not aware that Mr.
Mathias Dunn was ever in any way connected with this
pit."
Mr. Marshall said he might recal to the notice of the
Coroner that he had stated the owners had no objection
to any one the Coroner and jury might appoint.
Mr. Foster resumed—My reason for objecting to Mr.
Dunn is an apprehension--not from a private pique he
has to me—he might do an injury to the owners. Thinks
Mr. Dunn could do me no injury by examining the pit,
as proposed, if he told the truth. Mr. Dunn has been a
viewer. He is a practical viewer. If I might observe,
he has unfortunately had too many serious accidents in
the mines under his charge.
Mr. Roberts said, " a burnt child dreads the lire," on
which the Coroner remarked that he should allow of no
such observations. Mr. Roberts repeated the expression,
and persisted in making other improper remarks, on
which the Coroner ordered him out of court, hut, on
promising to conduct himself properly, ho was allowet
to continue the cross-examination.
Mr. Foster—Thinks it would be more satisfactory to
the living, and the friends of the dead, if persons chosen
by themselves, without reference to any,pique of mine,
were allowed to examine every part of the pit. It is in
the hands of the coroner and jury whether they think it
necessary for Mr. Mathias Dunn to examine the pit or
not. If they say he should, I have no objection. Should
the Government determine to appoint inspectors of mines
as of factories, I should have no objection myself, but I
do not consider it desirable.

By Mr. Marshall—Am not of opinion that the in-
spectors appointed by Government could have done any-
thing to secure the safety of this mine that I have nut
done. Have no reason to believe that there was any
neglect on the part of Will!amson, the deputy, who was
killed, to cause this explosion ; on the contrary, I be-
lieve him to have been a very careful man.
At the conclusion of this evidence the room was cleared,
and the jury having censulted together, agreed to ad-
journ till 'Wednesday, next week ; and it was deter-
mined that the coroner should request Mr. Nicholas
Wood and Mr. George Hunter to examine the mine in
the interval, and report to the jury at their next meeting.
Mr. Roberts applied for Mr. Mathias Dunn to be ap-
pointed, but the jury did not consider it necessary to in-
clude him. Mr. Roberts put it to the coroner several
times, who at last gave a positive refusal ; he intimated
at the same time that Mr. Dunn might, if he thought
proper, accompany the gentlemen appointed by the jury.
The inquest was then adjourned.

JUST JUDGMENT of CONFUCIUS.
The affairs of government did not occupy him to
such a degree as to induce him to dispense with his
attention to the affairs of private individuals. He
had appointed certain days in the course of the month
to examine personally the causes of various kinds
brought before his tribunal. On one of these days of
public audience a person of the middle class came be-
fore him, accused his own son of having failed towards
him in an essential point of duty, and begged him to
visit the culprit with all the vengeance and severity
of the law.
Confucius listened quietly to all that the afflicted
father had to say to him, and promised to examine his
complaint at leisure, and to do him justice by punish-
ing his son severely, if he was found to deserve it.
" However," added he, in conclusion, "as it may
be that some part of the fault is yours, and that you
yourself are blameable for not having instructed him
in his duties, go to prison till I call you to judgment.
I shall arrest your son, andimake a prisoner of him
as well as yourself. Do not be uneasy about the
sentence I shall pass; it will be all in your favour."
The accuser and the accused were three entire
months in prison without the judge giving the least
symptom of his thinking about them. This, how-
ever, was far from being the case, and he was secretly
as much interested about their dispute as if it had
personally interested him.
After the three months had expired, he summoned
them both before him.
"Of what crime," asked he of the father, "has
your son been guilty towards you ?"
" Of none," replied the old man.
" Of what, then, do you complain ?"
"Of a trifle, of nothing," answered the father. "I
was angry when I came to complain of him, and I
knew not what I was doing or what I was saying. I
implore you very humbly to take no more notice of
what I then said against my son."
" I expected as much," said Confucius, good-na-
turedly, "and it was to leave your passion the time
to exhale that I detained you three months in prison ;
return home with your son, and live in peace. You,
oyboltiign
agt
omna nw, h
innehv enr f
at
liorregieint
pt ho
sa
et
sfiol ins pietyn i s
. And
e you,rs
my good man, instruct your son in his duties; this is
what you engaged to do in giving him existence."—
From the "Memoirs of the Life of Confucius," in
Captain Fidding's Chinese Olio and Tea Talli,No. 22.

FACTORIES.—It may not be amiss to just notice
that the recent factory law came into operation on the
Ist instant.