The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-13 00:00:00

VOTE OF CENSURE UPON A PARISH SURGEON.

An adjourned meeting of the Board of Guardians of the parish
of Newington, Mr. Pugh in the chair, took place on Tuesday
evening, at six o'clock, at the workhouse in the Camberwell-
road, to investigate the charges brought against Mr. Boddy,
the parish surgeon, for alleged neglect in a fatal case of mid-
wifery. Twenty-three guardians were present, and a very
large number of medical gentlemen. The evidence taken at
the inquest of the deceased, a Mrs. Hayes, together with a con-
demnatory verdict of the jury, had been ordered to be printed,
and was in the possession of each of the Guardians. Mr.
Boddy was exonerated from the charge of being the cause of
the death of the deceased, and a motion for his dismissal from
the parochial office was negatived by the votes of 18 guardians
against 5. A vote of censure was, however, carried against
:11r. Boddy ; and Mrs. Fox, the midwife, who has been hi-
therto employed by Mr. Boddy, was declared to be no longer
worthy of trust. Mr. Boddy has been 18 years parish sur-
geon, and this, it would appear, is the first charge involving
his professional reputation. During the course of the investi-
gation, which lasted until midnight, Mr. Boddy produced an
engrossed vote of thanks from the same parish, which had,
together with 40/., been presented to him in the year 1841.
THE SUICIDE AT CHALK FARM.—On Thursday Mr.
Wakley, M.P., held an inquest at the Elephant and Castle,
Old St. Pancras-road, on the body of Joseph Taylor, aged 20,
a bookbinder: A lad, named Jones, said that he was at work
in the Chalk Farm-fields at half-past eight o'clock on Toes-
slay morning, when he saw deceased near a hedge loading a
pistol, to fire at some starlings, witness thought. Immediately
after he heard a report, but could not see deceased. Ile went
soon after to the spot, and found deceased lying there, with his
face and head blown away, and two large pistols on the ground
beside him. One of the pistols had been recently discharged,
The police soon came and took the body to the St. Pancras
workhouse. Joseph Taylor, bookbinder, of No. 38, Marshall-
street, Golden-square, said deceased was his sun, and left home
on Tuesday morning, about seven o'clock, witness thought, to
go to his work, in Apollo-court, Temple-bar, where he was an
apprentice. Deceased complained lately of head-ache and
general languor, and laboured under mental delusions, and
about a month since spoke of destroying himself. Witness did
not think he spoke seriously. Deceased got the pistols from the
kitchen of the house in which they lived ; they belonged to the
landlord of the house, and witness believed that deceased do-
stroyed himself. The Coroner remarked that he did not think
the death accidental. He thought the pistol had been placed
in deceased's mouth, from the fact that nothing remained of the
head and face but the point of the chin. Verdict, that " De-
ceased destroyed himself, but in what state of mind there was
no evidence to show."

THE ASHBURTON TREATY.—The good effects of
the Ashburton Treaty are manifesting themselves every day,
in the bringing to justice offenders who flee to the United
States, or from the United States to Great Britain and her
colonies. The Kingston (Canada) Chronicle last received
furnishes a fresh instance. A murderer (says that paper) has
been at large for eighteen months in the vicinity of this town,
who under the:treaty has been arrested, and is at last likely
to meet the punishment due to his crime. It appears that some
three weeks ago the American Government applied, through
the British Minister at Washington, for the arrest of a man
named Denniston Rogers, who murdered his wife about 18
months ago, at Cooperstown, New York. His Excellency the
Governor-General caused immediate instructions to be given
to our energetic Sheriff, who lost no time in seeking out the
accused. He was found on Saturday, about 23 miles from
town, and in five hours afterwards was safely lodged in Kingston
gaol. On .tlonday morning the Sheriff communicated the fact
to the Government, and received orders the same day to hand
him over to the American authorities, which was done accord-
ingly. It is worthy of remark, that this man's arrest is en-
tirely owing to the activity displayed by the Sheriff, as the
accused's brother arrived here on the day of his arrest for the
purpose of putting him on the alert. —Naui Ark Courier and
Inquirer

CHARACTER OF HANNIBAL.—If the characters of
men be estimated according to the steadiness with which they
have followed the true principle of action, we cannot assign a
high place to Hannibal. But if patriotism were indeed the
greatest of virtues, and a resolute devotion 'o the interests of
his country were all the duty that a public man can b's expected
to fulfil, he would then deserve the most lavish praise. Nothing
can be more unjust than the ridicule with which Juvenal has
treated his motives, as if he had been actuated merely by
romantic desire of glory. On the contrary his whole conduct
displays the loftiest genius, and the boldest spirit of enterprise,
happily subdued, and directed by a cool judgment, to the fur-
therance of the honour and interests of his country ; and his
sacrifice of selfish pride and passion, when after the battle of
Zama he urged the acceptance of peace, and lived to support
the disgrace of Carthage with the patient hope of one day re-
pairing it, affords a strong contrast to the cowardly despair
with which some of the best of the Romans deprived their
country of their services by suicide. Of the extent of his
abilities, the history of his life is the best evidence : as a
general, his conduct remains uncharged with a single error.
His knowledge of human nature, and his ascendancy over
men's minds, are shown by the uninterrupted authority which
he exercised alike in his prosperity and adversity over an army
composed of so many various and discordant materials, and
which had no other bond than the personal character of their
leader. As a statesman, he was at once manly, disinterested,
and sensible ; a real reformer of abuses in his domestic policy,
and in his measures, with respect to foreign enemies, keeping
the just limit between weakness and blind obstinacy. He
stands reproached, however, with covetousness by the Cartha-
ginians, and with cruelty by the Romans. The first charge is
sustained by no fasts that have been transmitted to us ; and it
is a curious circumstance, that the very same vice was long
imputed by party violence to the great Duke of Marlborough,
and that the imputation has been lately proved by his biogra-
pher to have been utterly calumnious. Of cruelty, according
to modern principles, be cannot be acquitted.—Arnold's Rome,
Vol. 111.