The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1844-04-23 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

DEPAUPERIZING THE POOR.—For the information of the public as to the meaning of this clap-trap phrase, so much in use of late by our " philosopher s, we give the outline of a most painful case, which has just been tried before the Central Criminal Court. The accused, a woman of 40 years of age, was arraigned for the murder of her infant child by drowning under the following circumstances, which, as in the main facts, it agrees with the evidence for the prosecution, we give in the words of her own defence. The wretched woman, on being called upon at the conclusion of the evidence, said, that " while she and ber children were in the Whitechapfl workhouse, they were well treated, but on going to the Bethnal-green workhouse the eldest child became ill from some affection of the head. It was removed to the infirmary, and sent down again to her, and its head became a second time so bad that it was ordered to be shaved. The barber who performed this operation Was drunk, and in consequence he cut pieces of flesh from the head of the child. The wounds became very bad, and continued so for some time. An eruption and on their being cured the child's eyes became sore. also appeared all over its body, which she attributed solely to the fact of the child being fed at the workhouse on hard beef. She requested that it might be changed for mutton, but this was refused. She then came to the determination of leaving the house, and after having obtained a loan of 6s. from the guardians, she went about amongst her friends, and by small contributions from them she got a few shillings. She obtained employment at shirt-making, but as they only allowed lid. for a shirt, and by working hard she could only make three shirts a day, she was compelled to relinquish it and seek some more profitable employment. She then determined to lay out the small stock of money she had in the purchase of a few ribands, &c., to make up dress caps and sell them, to try and eke out a slight subsistence for her infant. She accordingly set out to do so, but, on arriving at the shop, she found that a little green silk purse, containing her money, had been lost or stolen from her pocket. This occurrence increased, if possible, her distress of mind, as she had then no friend in the world who could assist her, and no other prospect before her than to reenter the workhouse, to which she entertained such an aversion, that she preferred death to herself and her child. (.0 (The prisoner faltered at this part of her statement, and spoke in so low a tone, that nothing but the words, I fell off the plank at the wharf," were heard.) She then sat down, much affected." Here, then, is the process of " depauperizing l" Here is the process by which workhouses are to be depopulated and parish rates reduced. The lives of the wretched inmates are rendered FO insufferably miserable that they grasp eagerly at any opportunity, however hopeless its prospects, of throwing themselves once more upon society ; and, in the event of failure to earn a livelihood, prefer death, or a felon's lot, to a further experience of workhouse tyranny. The result of the case of this poor woman has been a verdict of guilty, and a sentence to undergo the last penalty of the law; and Set great as undoubtedly is her crime, we much question whether morally she is one-half so guilty as the harsh ae ! ! and unchristian system which has impelled her to