The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-14 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1850.

The investigation into the case of Mr. GEORGE
SLOANE for the alleged ill• treatment of the unfortu-
nate girl JANE WILBRED, which had, on its first
bearing on Saturday last, excited so great a sensation
in the public mind, was yesterday resumed before
Mr. Alderman HumenEar, at the Guildhall. Al-
' though a summons had been issued requiring the at-
tendance of Mrs. SLOANE, she did not make her ap-
pearance. Further evidence was taken, and the case
was eventually remanded until Mrs. SLOANE could
ba brought up, the worthy Alderman expressing his
intention, as soon as the depositions were com-
pleted, of sending both the parties for trial
to the Central Criminal Court at the January sessions.
The same bail given for Mr. SLOANE last week, viz.,
himself in 2001. and two sureties of 1001. each, was
continued for his further aprearance.
But one side of the case has, as yet, been heard,
and the Learned Counsel for the defendant expressed
his confident opinion that " a different complexion
would be put upon the case when it came fur trial,"
and declared that Mr. SLOANE was " as eager to court
the strictest investigation as the public were to re-
quire it, and that his friends were equally sanguine
with himself that by so doing he would be able entirely
to exonerate himself in the eyes of the world from all
blame in the affair, and ultimately to regain his for-
mer position." We hope most sincerely that such
may be the case. It is indeed melancholy to find an
educated gentleman, who has hitherto occupied a re-
spectable position in society, called upon to answer a
charge of so horrible and disgusting a character
but we confess that, in the face of such evidence
as has already been elicited, we cannot par
ticipate in Mr. CLARKSON' feeling of confidence,
nor can we anticipate that the public will
altogether "suspend their opinion" until in possession
of some rebutting testimony. The attenuated ap.
pearance of the poor girl, the complete prostration of
her strength, afforded too painful a corroboration of
the truth of her statement, and of the absence of the
nutritious food required by a growing girl of her
age. That there has been guilt somewhere appears
to be too palpable. But on whom does it rest
that is the question. On husband, or on wife, or on
both, or on any and what other person ? A prima
facie case has been made out, and the ogee lies
on the defendant of removing it from his
own shoulders. If Mr. SLOANE was anxious for
the immediate vindication of his own character he
should have entered into some explanations to remove
the heavy load of odium he has already incurred.
He has not thought proper to do so, being doubtless,
influenced by sufficient reasons. He cannot, there-
fore, hope to be restored to the good opinion of the
public until he has done so. Audi alteram partem
is, however, a golden rule, and, although we cannot
extenuate the conduct of Mr. SLOANE, we shall abstain I
from increasing the prejudice existing against him

our only desire is that there should be a full
and searching inquiry into all the facts and
circumstances of the case, that full and complete
justice should ba rendered in the premises. And all
we require, and we believe that the public will not
be satisfied with less, is that the attendance of the
accused parties should be secured, so as to avoid the
possibility of their non-attendance at the appointed
time.

Now, we must confess that we are by no means
satisfied on this point. The case at present assumes
a very serious aspect. The very life of the un-
fortunate girl has been exposed to the most
imminent peril, and she is not yet entirely out
of danger. A medical gentleman of high
character (Dr. MARSDEN) declared, on oath, that " if
it had not been for the interference of Mr. I'neeer-
MORE and Mr. FRY she must have died. She could
not have existed in that state many days longer," and
that "it was entirely owing to want of food and warmth.
There were marks of violence on many parts of her
body, particularly about her neck and shoulders."
The Learned Gentleman added "I have been in the
constant habit of seeing cases of extreme distress, in
many of which the persons have died in a few hours
after their admission into the hospital, but I never
saw a case at all approaching the appearance pre-
sented by that girl. I could not have believed
a person could be so reduced and live. She was cer-
tainly the most perfect living skeleton I had ever
seen in the course of my life." If then there should be
a conviction, and that no mitigating circumstances are
brought to light, it is clear that there must be a se-
vere punishment, which the forfeiture of 2001. would
be by no means an equivalent for., It may, therefore,
be considered that the suggestion of Mr. Poerrerex,
thrt " the former bail was not sufficient to insure the
re-appearance of the defendant," was well worthy of
notice. We have had repeated instances of the
amount of bail being considerably increased at a sub •
sequent examination, and if ever such a departure
from the original rule were justifiable, the ease under
notice would appear a fitting instance for the exercise
of a precaution so salutary.
It may be said that Mr. SLOANE'S profession, from
the exercise of which he realises a handsome income,
affords a better guarantee for his appearance than
any amount of bail that could be required. If he
became a fugitive he would for ever relinquish his
prac'ice. There is certainly some weight in
the argument, and we are quite willing
that some allowance should be made so far as the
male defendant is concerned. But nothing of
the kind can be alleged on behalf of Mrs. SLOANE--
she treated the summons with contempt. It is true
that it was stated that she was unwell, that she had
received an injury to her leg by slipping into an area
accidentally ; hut this was a mere suggestion, there
was no evidence whatsoever to sustain it, no affidavit
or certificate from a practising surgeon as to the nature
of the injury. We confess that we have never known
a case in which so easy a credence was yielded to an
uncorroborated assertion, not even professing to be
made on personal knowledge. Mrs. SLOANE has
no professional standing to forfeit, no income
to relinquish, should she thiek proper to take
a trip to the continent—she has given no bail whatso-
ever for her appearance. There is nothing to show that
she will be forthcoming on the appointed day. Every
circumstance indicates that she is even more deeply
compromised than her husband. The care of a female
domestic, the adequate supply of food, falls more
within the province of the mistress than of the master
of an establishment, and the direct evidence proved
that personal violence had been much oftener resorted
to by Mrs. than by Mr. SLOANE. It was Mrs. SLOANE
who hired the girl, who picked her out as the healthiest
looking of the lot submitted to her inspection, and
whose choice was confirmed when she heard that the
wretched victim " had no friends to come to bother
her." It was Mrs. SLOANE who took away her blan._
ket, who refused to allow her even a draught of water
with her bread and mustard, and who beat her because
she was suspected of drinking a portion of the cat's

meat broth ; it was Mrs. SLOANE who superintended
her diet (! ! !) and beat her most frequently, accord-
ing to her own testimony, and it was Mrs. SLOANE
who was seen by Mrs. HILL violently beat-

ing the girl, and " dragging her by the,
hair of her head out of the room.'

Mr. CLA.RIESON repeatedly objected to any statement
respecting Mrs. SLOANE'S conduct, alleging that it
could not be evidence against Mr. SLOANE. We can
easily perceive how desirable it would be that that
gentleman should take his trial alone. How large a
portion of the evidence would be inadmissible if Mrs.

SLOANE were not present in court ; and yet there is
no security whatsoever for her appearance. The war-
rant that was issued is not to be put in force until

" she is in a fit state to leave her bed."
But who is to tell when that time may
arrive, or that she, when able to move, will

await the visit of the officer, whose duty it will be to
take her into custody. We cannot forget that she
sent a message to Mr. PHILLIMORE (whose disin-
terested philanthropy in the melancholy transaction is
deserving of the highest praise), that "ill as she was
she would get up to take the girl out of his care to
the workhouse." Why could she not make a similar
exertion to attend the inquiry at the police-office ?

We must confess that we have never known a ma.

gistrate so easily contented, and that we are by no
means satisfied with this part of the case. It appears
to us absolutely essential to the ends of justice either
that the warrant should be forthwith put into execu-
tion, or that ample security should be given for the
appearance of Mrs. SLOANE to abide the issue of the
inquiry.

The Bi shop of LoNDox bath at length " screwed
his courage to the sticking place," and the Rev. W.
J. E. BENNETT has ceased to be stage-manager of the
theatres clerical S!.. Paul's, Knightsbridge, and St.
Barnabas, Pimlico. The episcopal courage, how-
ever, bears a marvellous resemblance to that of the
raw recruit who is placed in the front of the battle,
and given distinctly to understand that his comrades
will fire upon him at the first symptom of an attempt
to retreat. The recruit, finding it rather less dange-
rous to advanco than to recede, boldly steps forward,
and becomes a hero on compulsion. So is it with the
Bishop of LONDON ; and if we wish to see hini ad-
vance in the good path on which he has entered,
we must keep up the pressure upon him, or
our Ecclesiastical WHARTON, who has all his life
tong been consistent only in being inconsistent, will
fall back upon his old habits, and be as heretofore,
" Everything by turns, and nothing long."

On the 9JI of December the Bishop of LONDON ac•
cepted the resignation of Mr. BENNETT. Why was
it not accepted on the Ist of July ? 03 that day his
Lordship received a long communication from Mr.
BEN NETT, setting forth his reasons for the manner in
which he conducted himself as an officiating minis-
ter of the Church as by law established, in which we
find the folios ing passage :

" I look at this moment around me—l look at that
fearful heresy which will very soon, it is to be feared,
so tar prevail tigainst the Church, that it will compel
the institution of a priest to the cure of souls who has
been judged by tl,e Church herself unsound and unfit
fur that cure. I look at the popular will of this Church,
which determines to have it so."
Now this passage, if it means anything, means that
the laity are not members of the Church; that they
are the mere slaVes of the priest, who is
their master instead of being their minister,
I servant, as all Protestants hold that he is ; it means
that the priesthood are superior to the State, and
such being his opinions, Mr. BENNETT is perfectly
igh tin the conclusion at which be arrives. " The
end," he says, " is a growing conviction that I am
not rightly, ca-,not be rightly, according to the inter-
pretation of the Church by the present bishops, and
as it is willed to be by the State, a true member of its
priesthood." It is abundantly clear that no gentleman
hokliog the opinions of Mr. BENNETT-Can be a true
number of any Establishment in connexion with the
State; and as if to avoid the possibility of mistake
about the matter, Mr. BENNETT in a subsequent part
of his letter designates the State " as the kingdom of
this world as against the kingdom of CHRIST ;" and
having laid down those principles, he tells the Bishop,
" I hope it will be clearly understcod that, conscien-
tiously, I cannot forego any of the Principles which in
this letter I set forth and advocate ; and if I remain
in the cure of souls by those principles I must be per-
mitted to abide."
This letter was dated on the 15th of July, and
in the October following—so that there was ample
time Afforded to the Itight itev. Prelate to weigh sad •