The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-11 00:00:00

ntarlibtl = nit

LONDON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1845.

The " New Poor-law" is one of those melancholy
efforts of human legislation to compensate for the de-
ficiencies of our social system upon which it is painful
to expatiate, owing to the intensity of the admitted evil
and the palpable though, perhaps, unavoidable defi-
ciency
of the remedy. Entertaining this conviction of
the inherent difficulties which invest one of the most
perplexing problems that the science of government has
to deal with, we feel at all times reluctant to pro-
nounce a prompt opinion on cases of alleged abuse
in the administration of this law, even when the cit cum-
stances appear to warrant us in drawing the most dis-
tinct conclusions upon their general bearing. We are—
or desire to be—slow to listen to the impulses of our own
feelings, where these are likely to be arrayed, a priori,
against the more laborious, but more dispassionate
influences of reflection and judgment. On this account
we had determined not to interpose any opinion
of ours on the merits of the remarkable charges of
cruelty, vicious indulgence, and criminal mismanagement
which have been brought against the executive autho-
rities of the. Andover Union, until the investigations that
have been instituted into them, and are still in progress,
should have been completed. And to this detertninati,r.
we continue to adhere, so far as the merits of the cs,,t
are concerned. But we do not feel ourselves by
any means precluded from animadverting, in
the meantime, on the misconduct of any of the
parties to the pending inquiry, where it hey
a direct tendency to prejudice the result
at which, if it were left to its own development, that
inquiry would naturally arrive. Now, such an inter-
ferrnee has taken place, and is, in our opinion, calcu-
lated to produce (if public reprobation be not stre-
nuously directed against it in its incipient stages) not
simply a denial, but a corruption, of justice. If we in-
dignantly protest that this sort of proceeding is oppos( d
to the whole sprit of our judicial institutions, and the
singular equity with which the law provides fur the equal
hearing (,f both parties in every case which may be
brought for its adjudication, we are so far from desir-
ing to anticipate or to bias the finding of. the sort of
Commission of Inquiry now sitting, that our sole object
is to prevent others from doing so, whose conduct seems
hut too well calculated, and too evidently intend, d, to
produce that effect. Besides, we must always recollect
that the inherent difficulties we have adverted to as at•
taching to the administration of an invidious but au in-
dispensable law, will only he allowed for and duly esti-
mated by the public in proportion as it shall perceive it,
those who are charged with its execution an honest
intention to act fairly and justly on the spirit of its
enactments. The instant that the public jealousy of
acts performed in that execution considers that such
acts are of a nature to justify its suspicions, all the in-
trinsic difficulties will be magnified tenfold ; and from
the external pressure of the unpopularity that will
then deservedly attach to a law, thus susceptible of abuse
and perversion, it will be found imp-ssible to enforce it
throughout the country, except in direct and dangerous
opp,sition to the feeling: and opinions of the people.
But if there be one law, in the administration of which it
is more important than in another to enlist these opis
nions and these feelings, it is that which secures a provi-
sion, and the distribution thereof, for the subsistence of
tin, destitute and helpless poor—a community always
the most costly, and, in the ratio of its numbers, the
must dangerous, to the state within which it exists.
It will be recollected that the pending inquiry
has heed instituted to probe the truth or falsehood of
certain extraortivary complaints which had been made
public of the mismanagement and neglect of the pauper of

...., .--

that t.ave prevailA in the Andover-Union Poor-hOuse
Their food had been described as being at once so it
ferior and so scantily furnished, that ou the bone cru•
h.
ing mill, on wh oh they were sent to labour, the,' se.
tually quarrelled and fought for the putrid relics of
tality which they were committing to the machinery, s°
often as some remaining fragment of cartillage or wer.
row still adhering to them made them desirable to
the
cravings of their famished appetites. Into these indolb
statements, incredible in an opulent and Christian GOet
°.
try like this, and in the nineteenth century, the F°1.1111:
Commission, at Somerset House, have deputed 5, A:1-;
PARKER, one of their Assistant-Commissioners, Ole"'
to inquire. Rigidly observing our purpose not to e 0111.;
ment on the evidence adduced at this inquiry on
le
shall have been completed, we will merely add to
tiles
facts, that in the course of the examinations taken hell
the Assistant-Commissioner the most serious theehurg
were made against one M‘DoucaLL, the master of
h,r
union-house by some female paupers. Among tli
things he has been accused of soliciting their chastitY
various occasions, and attempting to see' .d,.
his object by the coarsest arts of i"tilne,no
tion. We pass over, for the present, the iaput;„
on both the master and the mistress of the union-Wee
of ungovernable violence of temper—of their connion_d
at a general condition of immorality, degradation, oua
personal abandonment to the last degree dizlracefel end
inexcusable—of the harshness and inhumanity ex in,
towards some of the most helpless and feeble of the "he
mates. Our present business is with the conduct of
Assistant-Commissioner at the examination of the
eiwii
nesses who deposed to these matters. It ronnties,t ce;
strange ignorance of the principles and law of e1i0,4,
as well as a want of that decorum, impartiality, Ow l-0
tience with which only evidence ought to be recviveani
such a court. The Assistant-Commissioner askedTk,
permitted to be asked—questions, from which, sse,..th:i
a rightly-constituted mind would have recoiled,1";11;16
the evidence of a female complainant and theug;
received from such a party a rebuke, we fear -bof
he remains still uninformed or unconseieusi
the illegal* of putting questions to witnesses es; 0,
Med to elicit answers that must criminate them.
are well satisfied that the Andover Union ease!„ltlti-
now receive, however, a thorough sifting ; and ths`- o,
mately, a far higher tribunal than the Poor-10'1°1v
rnissioners (namely, that of public opinion) Frll
boll
nounce its judgment on the facts, whatever, th'ie,ls, '6'
turn out to be. Our only desire, in the Bieansyll'lAs.
to indicate in what manner the misconduct of then t
sistant-Commissioner, if not checked by the Pr,,lelj
authority, may interfere with the elimination of '11"
and the course of justice.

The Madrid journals of the 2d inst. contain Ir pe
se, l'
Some transactions had at last taken place on the9t),ere
and the Funds were firm. The Three per CeM6',,lne
quoted at 32i- at 60 days ; 7,000,000 reals done. "
of the other stocks were quoted.

The Paris papers announce that the visit of the Qutfs
Of ENGLAND to the Royal Family at the Chateau cirs
was known in the capital on Saturday, and that ,o;,
numbers had left fur Ti eport. " All the English,'" red
the Constitutionnei, " who have any title to benull'irool
into the presence of their Sovereign are hastening
Paris to the royal residence. The departures for E
a of
rday (Sunday) were numerous. The precise nl3/bul
her arrival at Ti6port with her flotilla is not 100/3'oo
she is to take her departure on Wednesday for tbe
of Wight." f
Another journal says—" The performers;
°° bee
Opera Comique are gone by royal order to Eu. 01,0
hey are to perform before the KING and Roy lio 0
the Nouveau Seigneur, Richard Coeur de
Jean de Paris, Marie, and Le Deserteur; CO
quently the theatre will be closed from this eveainv
Monday next"
Thr

al of lII°

Aese papers also announce the arrive pule
Duke and Duchess DE NEMOURS, and the 004
D'AUMALE at Tolosa on the 4th instant, the,
they were received with great enthusiasta;ces;
people shouting " Long live the French re.loitile
Long live LOUIS PHILIPPE." The adjudiatilace
leases for the Great Northern Railway tool' Poor 0'
Tuesday, when Messrs. ROTHSCHILD, llolthe
LAFFITTE, and Co., were declared lessee.; ches fray
from Paris to the Belgian frontier, with 101'' iva
Lisle to Calais and Dunkirk. The verioti, ortg)ll'
fixed at 41 years, bad been reduced to 38: yetos.
O'NEILL was declared lessee of the branch line t 0 off
poux and Hazebruck, the lease also to be for 38 id
The France thus adverts to the report of the retire
of Marshal SOULT 1

" A journal announces that tl,e -Marquis de Morolijc6,
repaired to Soultberg, on 3 pt essiug invitation of the 1% ?
of War. The old Marshal, it appears, is again 131'11/11!
resigning the War Department. This intelligence'oool
reached Paris at the moment when M. Guizot
fin. En, to be present at the visit of the Queen 0,, bille4d
filled him with joy. M. Guizot, the soul of the u,,Ap titleg
desirous to become its nominal chief ; 1:e covetsl";tbst"l
President of the Council. But we have been tes,,,r„ebue Otto
would experience obstacles totally unexpected. I ' uro,
replacimi. the Duke de Broglie at the head of affi,irB 8 092,
of late entertained in a quarter where Ministers be \
tiered as mere instruments, and the retirement 0(400 I
shah would greatly facilitate its realisation. Never' t surfy
can hardly believe that Marshal Soult would ad°l3L4l,
resolution in presence of the pretensions of M. Bus Al
would not certainly resign his title of Governor 0'.,01110
unless he was assured of obtaining the direction 01 'lit tad
Department. Now, the old Marshal will never cousebeiL
succeeded by a man who made it a point to dis(?„,ictilr
orders, and peremptorily refused to execute the inst'
of his superior." e
The Three per Cents. closed at 841. 40c. ;
per Cents. 119 f. 15c., ex div. ; the Orleans 91
Shares, 1,308 f. 75c. ; Rouen, 1,12 f. 50c. ,• 11ayre;
50c. ; Avignon, 1,072 f. 50c. ; Vierzon, 807 f. „,",'."135;,,
deaux, 721 f. 25c ; Troyes and Montereau,
288 f. 75c.. Spanish Actives, 3614 ; ditto Three Pet
39 ; ditto Domestic Debt, 31i ; ditto Passives,
The following are the quotations for the nevi
Paris and Lyons Railroad (Laffitte), 35f. pretni,lll3,tsitif)
(Calon), 15f. ; ditto (Ganueron), 15f. ; ditto
sonniere), 10f ; Northern Line (Laffitte), 85„f; (1.„I
(Rosamel), 45f. ; ditto (Pepin Lehalleur), 3„,"nljefr,:tio
(Decan, Lebeuf), 35f. ; Paris and Strasburg (‘-;‘,3i; ;
161. ; ditto (Hinguerlot), 151. ; ditto (Bechet)
(Isot), Bf. 50c. ; Tours and Nantes (Mackenzie), 16 it
ditto (Drouillard), 6f. 50c. ; ditto (O'Neill), I„a",_' did
~
(Lefevre), 10f. ; Lyons and Avignon (Talabot), u`s.,l7i ;i)
(Lecointe). 25f. ; ditto (Compagnie )STeridionale),,","oeler4
deaux and Cette (Mackenzie), 6f. 50c ; ditto (r`
17f. 50c. ; Creil and St. Quentin (Kysaens), 7'
(Carette), Bf. 50c.; ditto (Colbert), 4f. ; Charlerold:ti,
saens), 50f. ; Maubeuge (Kysaens), par; Dijon sapient
hausen (O'Neill), 21. 50c. ; ditto (Allegry), 2f.
(Sellieres), 50f.; Caen ( Delamarre), 81.
LYONS, SEPT. 5.-Marseilles and Avignon, 1, Pyrts
of September • Paris and Orleans, 1,3091., ditto:
Rouen, 1,117'f. ditto; Orleans and Vierzon, 811 b To'
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, SETT. 9' f
Anglo-Belgian 514 Namur and Liege ...... Pat
Boulogne and Amiens ll Orleans and Vierzon 11'
Bordeaux &Mediterran - Orleans and Bordeaw'
Bordeaux and 'l'oulouse 2% Over Yssel .....•..•;•"•
Do. & Cette (Espelete) - Paris& Lyons (LatitlV
Central of Spain .. - Ditto (Ganneron's)' 7
Dendre Valley ...... - Ditto (Calon's)•••• :10

Dutch Rhenish ...... 9
Dieppe & Paris Junct.
Dijon and Mulhouse ... 2%
East Indian

Paris and Orleans...
Paris and Rouen • ••••';
Paris and Strasbarb
(Ganneron's). .....

(Jo Northern of France
(Latlitte's)
Ditto (Rosainers) 3'/
Do. Peppin le lialleur 4T4
great Paris and Lyons 2%
T4inaica Junction
Do. North Midland —
Jersey ...
J 51/

(Compte del, -
Paris and St. Quentol*
Rouen and Havre...."
Royal North of solo'
Sambre and Meuse Iv,
Strasbourg and Basle: d
Tours and Nante"
( APK enzie's) .....••''
Do. (Lefebvre's) .....

.ouvain an, ~erneppk.
,eons and Avignon—. 23A
Luxembourg 3

Veron; and Ancorla.." w'
\Ve-t Flanders .........

WHITE KNIGHTS ESTATE.—We are eXce`t of?
glad to find that active measeres for the improvemli
beautiful property are in operation. It is proposed. as wnsiot
by advertisement, to form a company, and thus at once r Del vl
an amount of capital as will suffice to render the esta,t'gse;.•
by drainage, new roads, &c., so that buildings of a nhiavtOrdif
may instantly be commenced with every inducement t'Ver
ral advantages and scientific improvements can offer. „1
th,,t, some influential capitalists have already subacrt:nlo4,o
large proportion, and there are strong rea,ons for ied
tat the remainder will find eager and respectable alVd Wig
ft cannot be doubted that this town is deeply intereteborkat
success of the plan. The formation of an additional 0001
be inhabited only by persons of adequate means an d Old
must cause a large amount of money to be ex
own, besides conferring an additional attraction t'° focio
from a distance. Nor will the expenditure necesssekel
erection of a series of villas, cottages, &c., be unattenod
some benefit to the trade of Reading, both directly 019
rectly. To persons desirous of building a " home 01001,
.pot where the advantages of both town and countrie •
combined, we may in the words of sober tru'h
/wade foto
parison of White Knights with any other spot witnilit trAO
even a hundred miles of London. That houses, if " pier•o
would let with unexampled rapidity, no one can for arlol
doubt; in tact nothing is wanted but a vigorous and "a rt, 0
effort, by which all the charms of this delig' tful an sres)
nroperty may be fairly developed. And when theitoic;;•l
they %cid be, by the resources of a company, the P esuf,
only wonder how it is that that which might hale
years ago could have been overlooked until this tirne,:arrietnig4
w.ll then be " a rage" for White Knights just in Wr
the neglect which has hitherto left it in obscurity."'" ,d 0
Chronicle.
111
PRICE. OF GoLn.—The premium on ,
is 131, per mille, which, at the English Mint price ;1005100
1001 d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an eoiiort 000;
25 49 ; and the exchange at Paris on London at sip lA.c.
15 60, it follows that gold is 0.43 per cent. dearer ,e V?,
than in Paris. By advices from Hamburgh, pfllg
,Id is 434- per mark, which, at the English Dinlegch,A,
3/. 17, lOW. per ounce for standard gold, gives Ovid',
of 13 94 ; and the exchange at Hamburgh 011,„per
short being 13 it follows that gold is o.&ufbf
dearer in London than in Hamburgh. noring4l)./1
J HE WEATHER AND THE HARVEST.---mhosbdr);l
week the weather has neer) superb—the sun has sl,een_,:oe
and powerfully, and about the middle of the day.boue
as in some old fashioned summers it used to be in t" co fic $
August. Most of the crops in the neighbourhocamarroaVo
stacked. and the fields are now dotted over with nn Iso/
.4 all sires and sh.pes, sqtr,re, round. and oblong theis of tolerable quality, though smail in the ear. and to
altogether more propitiou thau %a had dared
Cambridge Adaerasar.