The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-30 00:00:00

L-411IBETH WORKHOUSE.

An inquiry has just terminated at Lambeth Workhouse,
of which it would be useful to know more. Dr. Mark-
ham has, it appears, been engaged for four days in con-
ducting an investigation into the alleged misconduct
of the master and taskmaster of the workhouse ;
and the decision he arrived at has been com-
municated to the guardians by the Poor-law Board.
A refractory pauper girl had been placed in solitary con-
finement in Lambeth Workhouse by order of the master;
had been seized with fits, and when supposed to be dying
had made certain depositions out of which Dr. Markham's
inquiry rose. That the taskmaster bad dragged her on
her knees, and by the hair of her head, before the work-
house master, and that he had violently knocked her head
against the wars of the refractory ward when in a faint-
ing condition, were among the allegations made, and
which the Poor-law Board, acting on the advice of Dr.
Markman, pronounced unproved. The official letter
adds, however, that the master was justified in punishing
by confinement, but condemns the use of dark cells as im-
proper. It further appears that the Board, in reference to
Jane Short, the superintendent of the imbecile ward, express
an opinion that she was guilty of neglect in not sending
for the resident medical officer as soon as Garnham was
seized with the fit, and they request that this opinion may
be communicated to her, and that she may be cautioned
against administering any medicine in future-except under
the special direction of the medical officer. After
again referring to the officers against whom the charges
had been made, the Board reiterate their opinion as to
the credibility of Pascall, the taskmaster, and observe that
as they had "come to the conclusion that the principal
charge against him has not in their opinion been esta-
blished, it is not necessary on this occasion to take the
extreme step of requiring his resignation ; but they re-
quest that the guardians will convey to the taskmaster
their opinion of his conduct, and that they will not only
caution him on that subject, but will also warn him that
any harsh or violent treatment of the paupers under his
charge, or other serious misconduct in future, will lead to
his immediate dismissal." Public protest was made at the
time of Mr. Catch's appointment to Lambeth on the
ground of his past career ; and the Poor-law Board was
gravely censured for pandering to what was held to be the
guardians' hankering after a man known to be a severe
disciplinarian.

Mr. Gladstone has returned to Hawarden
Castle.

Lord Stanley bas written to Principal Barclay to
accept the Lord Rectorship of the University of Glasgow.
Compressed bay from Bombay is now being landed
at Liverpool. The quality and condition are excellent.

Sir Richard Mayne has withdrawn his order mains'
the dogs of the metropolis.

Her Majesty has been pleased to appoint Mr.
John Scott, who formerly served in Labuan and Natal, to
the Governorship of British Guiana.

The Very Rev. Dean Goodwin, of Ely, has
refused to preach the Latin sermon at the opening of
Convocation.

MR. TENNYSON.—AIfred Tennyson, it is cur-
rently reported, is about to transfer the publication of
his works from Moxon, of Dover-street, to Mr. Strahan,
of Ludgate-hill, London. Should this be the case, it will
be found that the latter gentleman, in Good Words for
January, has angled to some purpose.—Edinburgh Daily
Review.

CABINET COUNCIL.—The first Cabinet Council
since the commencement of the general election was held
on Saturday. The whole of the Ministers were present
with the exception of Sir Stafford Northcute, who, since
his re-election for North Devon, has been working
vigorously in the eastern and southern divisions of that
county on behalf of the Conservative candidates.

We hope one minor result of this election will
be to expose the position of the Saturday Review. No papsr
has more bitterly attacked tho Conservative party at this
great crisis, or more vigorously supported its opponents.
Mr. Hope is registered, we understand, as its sole proprietor.
He is a man of irnmens ) fortune, and could perfectly well
bear a lrss, if the expulsion of his present editor and staff
were to cause it, which wo do not believe. He has refused
to do so. His whole weight has, therefore, been thrown
into the cause of the Radicals ! And yet ho is M.P. for Con-
servative Cambridge !—Englida Churchman.

CONFLICTING DUTIES. —A correspondent writes :
" Our rector," naming a Manchester clergyman, " was so
busy electioneering yesterday afternoon, that he left a
corpse in church from four o'clock till seven. While
the bereaved friends were mourning, he was rejoicing
at the expense of their lacerated feelings." This
ast sentence is obscure. We can only explain
t by sup;osing that the " bereaved friends " were
not on the rector's side in politics. In that case his
conduct was certainly adding "insult to injury."--211an-
chester Paper.

A DISPUTED CLAnr.—The SiLle has the follow-
ing :—" Here is an unexpected claim l All the bio-
graphies state that 11,>ssini was born at Pesaro on the
29th February, 1702 ; and often has the author of
Guillaume Tell' and of the ' been called the
S wan of I'esaro. A letter we receive from the Syndic of
Lugo, province of Ravenna, claims for that small town
the honour of having given birth to the maestro. The
municipal council, in its sitting of the 20th November,
appointed a committee to collect and publish the positive
acts and documents which prove that Lugo is the birth-
place of Rossini. The council at the same time resolved
by acclamation that a message of condolence should be
addressed to the widow of the great composer; that a
statue to him should be erected on one of the principal
places of the town ; and that the paternal house shouLl
be purchased by the commune and preserved as
precious monument tr) the glory of Lugo, What yvi:
Pesaro say ?