Nantwich, Sandbach & Crewe Star — 1890-07-12 ()

UNRIGHTEOUS LAW.  TI, is only too true that when a man is down iu the woral his brethren try to send him still further into he depths of misery. On Monday, at the Crewe Police Court, a poor tramp unemployed, no money, and probably without the least prospect of ever being in better circumstances, was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment for begging in Mill-street, on Sunday. Of course, there was the option of a fine, but to a begger it was a case of Hobson's choice. If ever there was anything calculated to bring law and justice into well-merited contempt, it is this palpably gross inequality of penalty. Where wad theThegger to get the half-crown and costa, if he had the desire to resume his , journey without delay? He had no money. and, therefore, had no alternative but to submit to imprisonment. Another man with a full purse goes a-begging for the mere fun of the thing, and he comes across Sergeant Burgess, or same other vigilant member of the force, and gets " run in." He hates a dark cell and pays the fine. The poor beggar has no more liking for the interior of a prison than his counterfeit brother, but he has no money, and must endure seven days' confinement. Where is the equality of the law of which we hear so much at banquets of turtle-fed aldermen? But great as was the injustice of a fine the sentence was infinitely more to be condemned. We are not sure whether the magistrate was Mr Pedley or Mr McNeill, and we do not care which it was for it is not a question of man, but certainly, unless it was compulsory, the sentence was out of all proportion to the offence. In these days, when the rights of man are well understood and beginning to be fully appreciated by those who have most reason to maintain them it is an audacious thing for a magistrate, especially for one supposed to be an enlightened politician, to send a man to gaol because he won't go into the Workhouse to increase the poor rate and suffer humiliation and degradation. That poor fellow who was on Monday sent to durance vile has as much a right to an existence as any magistrate in England. It is high time that the Act of Parliament which sanctions such an interference with one of mens' elementary rights should be erased from the Statute Book. Begging is an art the practice of which is not confined to the school of tramps. It is well known and constantly practiced in spheres of society where the presence of that type of traveller would be hateful to more than one of their faculties. We will not speak for Crewe, though we should doubt if it were an exception, but we know many placed where priests and parsons and pastors are only too familiar with the art. Of course, many a pious reader would be shocked at the very thought of such a comparison. To many of that class of persons to beg from the pulpit for funds to build a church, to assist to maintain a Sunday school, or to purchase a new organ, is a very different thing than to beg for bread on the streets when one feels hungry. They may rest content with their nice distinctions, but the British democracy will not be satisfied with the difference. They will come to wonder why the policeman does not exercise his authority in church or chapel as well as on the street, if the Act of Parliament under which the sentence of Monday was given is to be impartially administered. But we trust that the time is not far distant when Acts of Parliament with a tendency to drive a man to suicide or the Workhouse, will be for ever unknown to the Parliament and the people. he times are changing for the better. Every 'lay we have some potent manifestation of the determination of the people to shake off unjust and burdensome laws. In order to improve the social condition of the commonwealth we must have a great devolution of legislative work. We require more legiglatares, and there is every reason to believe that our political necessities will be early provided for. We are glad to see that in spite of the cool attitude of the Liberal leaders at this moment in regard to every question except Rome Rule, the bulk of the rank and file of the party are turning their attention to the social needs of the time. This argues well for a good onslaught against such inhuman. caste laws as that which resulted in sending a poor miserable wretch to gaol for endeavouring to find the wherewithal to buy bread.