The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-15 00:00:00

the ). ioard had been constituted through the instru-
raim bait)* of that gentleman fqr the purpose of car-
ryii4 ; out the main drainage scheme, yet the course
he w,s.s pursuing had virtually for its object the
taking' it out of the hands of the board. it was a
conr se not authorised by Parliament, not justified
by a .fight and just discrimination, but was one dic-
tated ,V an overbearing will, and carried out by
overbearing conduct, such as every right-minded
man mu. st condemn. He was a second Nana Sahib.
(Laughter.) The question before the board was
somewhat difficult to deal with. The best course
they could pursue was to retrace their steps, and
endeavour to do their duty in that way which Par-
liament had enjoined upon them, and which no
other body had the privilege to do—namely, by
plan, for at pi esent they had no plan
Upon the whole, thinking it prefer-
itneiftoiaretiuthgeara.
able to have the opinion of three eminent engineers
upon all the plans, he should vote;in favour of the
original motion.
Mr. WILKINSON supported the amendment. He
did not approve the strong language which had
been used in reference to the conduct of the First
Commissioner who, as it appeared to him, had
simply done his duty.

Mr: DOULTON had failed to discover anything
induce him to assent to the course which Mr.
Carpmael had suggested. If the reports were re-
ferred to three engineers, it was reasonable to
expect that they would not make their report be-
fore eight or nine months had expired. The labours
of Parliament would be then just about drawing to
a close ; and if they found this great question ne-
glected the probability was that Parliament would
not separate without first separating that Board.
This was a time when they had an opportunity of
merging small matters of difference in of a
great principle. He accepted the amendment of Mr.
Wright because it was the first step for bringing
about a decision which it was most desirab'o to ar-
rive at. He was opposed to uhe motion of Mr. Carp-
mel because it would occasion great delay.
Col. KENNEDY was anxious to support the amend-
ment for one very distinct reason—viz., that he be-
lieved they had received from their own engineer
all the advise that could be obtained upon the sub-
ject. Professional opinion was essentially critical ;
if, therefore, they were to consult three other pro-
fessional gentlemen, it would only be adding to
their present difficulties. From much experience on
boards he was of opinion that if any number of per-
sons' ware made referees, the instruction to them
should be to examine the subject matter together,
but Paoli to make a separate report. He never knew
a collective report which contained the entire opi-
nions of any one of the parties making it. There
were givings and takings by which the whole effi-
cacy of every individual opinion was destroyed.
The Board had the ablest men to assist them, and
they did not require any other assistance. He gave
Sir B. Hall great credit for the course he had taken.
If he had intended absolutely to reject your plan,
what was his object in referring it to three engineers?
It was a project of enormous magnitude, and it re-
quired to be scrutinised. Every engineer ought to
work in conformity with the laws of•nature as far as
it was posale to go ; and he traced in Mr. Bazal-
gotta's plan those principles, but he traced in the
suggestions sent back by the referees the greatest
hostility to the laws of nature.
Mr. Wa nEsupported the amendment, and thought
ii would be perfectly competent for the Board to
come to an arrangement with the First Commissioner
without any previous reference of the plans to other
engineers. He denied that in so great a work as that
with which the Board had to deal no unnecessary
or undue delay had taken place in their proceedinge.
Mr. D'IMLNGER rose to correct what he consi-
dered an error. It had been said by one or two
gentlemen that the Board had no scheme before
them. How could that with any accuracy be said
when the plan which had been sent by Sir B. Hall
to the Board was the very plan, with certain modi-
fications, which was prepared by Mr. Bazilgette,
their own engineer ? He thought it was the duty
of the Board to have an interview with Sir B. Hall,
to ascertain what modifications he would be willing
to agree to in the plan prepared by the Govern-
ment engineers, and to consult with him generally
as to the best means of carrying out this great work.
Tnat would not in any degree compromise the
dignity of the Board, the primary duty of which it
was to consult the best interests of the public.
After a few observations by Mr. CARPMIEL in
reply, the motion was put, when there were on a
division 8 for, and 20 against it.
The amendment was then put as an original
motion, when there were on a division 18 for, and
9 against it.
Mr. Alderman CuBITT said the idea of open
sewers was one that never could be tolerated, pub-
lic feeling would revolt against it, and public
opinion would emphatically pronounce against it,
and he was satisfied that Parliament would never
1 permit it to be done. He therefore begged to move,—

" That this Board considers that the open sewers pro-
posed by the plau of the refereed of the First Commis-
sioner are altogether inadmissible, and is of opinion that
it would not be justified in carrying out any scheme of
which such open sewers formed a parr, but that the
other points of diffdre❑ce appear to be fair subjects
for discussion and arrangement."

Mr. BRIST•W seconded the motion, which was
agreed to unanimously.
Mr. BRISTOW then moved

" The appointment of a committee for the purpose of
drawing up a written communication to be made to the
First Commissioner, based upon the preceding resolu-
dims, preparatory to a conference with him on th•
subject."

The motion having been seconded, was strongly
opposed by Mr. HAWSES, Mr. LESLIE, and Mr. H.
L. TAYLOR ; but on the question being put the
motion was carried without a division.
The following gentlemen were named as the com-
mittee :—Mr. Bristow, Mr. Wright, Mr. Alderman
Cubitt, Mr. Doulton, Mr. Turner, Mr. Offor, Mr.
Dennis, Colonel Kennedy, and Mr. D'lffanger.
The Board, after sitting 5 hours, adjourned.

REFUSAL OF SIIELTER TO THE HOME-
LESS POOR-DISTRES3ING CASE.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. Wakley, coroner for
West Middlesex, held at the Elephant and Castle,
King's-road, Camden-town, an inquiry touching the
death of Elizabeth Hughes, aged 47, who it was
alleged had died from cholera, it was further stated
that the poor creature, after "tramping" all the way
from Birmingham, had been refused admission a few
hours before her death for a night's shelter at Is-
lington Workhouse, notwithstanding the weather
was exceedingly tempestuous at the time.
The evidence of the deceased's husband, a miser-
able-looking being, went to prove that he and the
deceased, after walking all the way from Birming-
ham, on the night before her death, as it was rain-
ing very fast at the time, applied for a night's lodg-
ing at the Islington orkhouse. They were re-
fused admission, and sent on to St. Pancras Work-
house, the Islington officials telling them that the
latter place was only 10 minutes' walk, whereas it
was more than an hour's walk. After walkiug
through the drenching rain they arrived at Sc. Pan-
cras Workhouse at 8 o'clock p.m., and were admitted
at 9 o'clock. They were then separated, and he heard
nothing more of his wife until 'lie was informed of
her death the next morning, she having died about
2 o'olock a.m. After his admission he had nothing
given him to eat until breakfast time the next morn-
ing, when ho was supplied with some " ski!ly,"
which was a kind of gruel given them for breaktas'.
Mr. Coster, the workhouse surgeon, said that
supper was invariably supplied to all tramps on ad-
mission.

The witness reiterated his statement that he had
nothing until breakfast time the next morning.
Mr. Coster, upon this, observed 'that he must
have been admitted after supper hour.
. The witness further said that it was put to him
whether he would remain in the workhouse a month
breaking stones and picking oakum, or be discharged.
He of course adopted the offer of remaining in the
house, for he belonged to that parish.
The corner considered, from the wretched man's
debilitated and worn appearance, that he was flat
fitted for such work as stone breaking.
The workhouse task master replied that the wit-
ness had not been put to stone bre eking. It was
not likely they would send such a man to the stone
yard.
The witness, in answer to the coroner, said it was
true lie was not put to stone breaking, but he had
been picking oakum.
Mr. W. T. Costar, on being sworn, deposed that
shortly after the deceased's adinisdon on the night
preceding her death, she was seiz:d
vomiting, cramps, and all the appearance of cho-
lera. -She was removed to the Infirmary, where
everything was immedi itely resell tea to save life,
but she died shortly after 2 o'clock the next mo: it
lug. Upon making a post mortem examination, he
found extensive disease of the heart, liver, lungs,
and other organs, which, with a severe attack of
diarrhoea, had proved fatal, and the deceased hid
not died from cholera, as was at first suspected.
The Coroner said it was satisfactory that they
had arrived at the "precise cause of death, but he
took occasion to comment upon the treatment of
the vagrant poor, who it seemed were bandied ahout
from one workhouse to another without their ob-
taining proper relief.
Mr:Coster explained that in St. Pancras there
were reception wards fur such case, and the conse-
quence was that the adjoining parishes got rid of
this particular class by lending them there, as they
had no such accommodation for the poor creatures
themselves.
The Coroner considered the system should be al-
tered, and it was then further stated that the co-
operation of other parishes were being sought by