The Sun. — 1846-09-18 (London, England)

TREATMENT OF THE POOR IN ST. PANCRAS WORKHOUSE.-MEETING OF THE VESTRY.  A meeting of the vestry of St. Pancras took place on Wednesday, at the Vestry-rooms, Gordon-square, at which a long and stormy discussion ensued concerning the recent charges made before a coroner's jury (in the case of Mary Ann Jones, the pauper, who committed suicide) against the authorities of St. Pancras Workhouse, and as to the general treatment of the poor therein. Mr. Churchwarden Wagstaff was u s the chair, and the foreman of the jury referred to cad several ratepayers were present to watch the proceedings. The first business was to levy a rate for the relief of the poor for the ensuing half-year, and an eh venpenny rate having been proposed, and the various estimates read, Mr. LEWIS called the attention of the vestry to the recent charges made in the public press with reference to the treatment of the poor in their workhouse— charges which, if true, reflected not only discredit upon those who had the management of the workhouse, but upon the vestry, and indeed the entire parish. He learned that the board of directors were instituting an investigation into the treatment of the poor in the women's " shed."—(Cries of " There is no shed.") He thought the men's oakum room equally demanded investigation.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") One case would suffice—it was that of John Mackenzie. This poor young man was of weak intellect. He was a pianoforte maker by trade, and had been occasionally an inmate of the workhouse for the last three years ; he was out the last time for three or four months, but whenever he returned to the workhouse, although he had never committed the slightest offence, he was consigned to the oakum room, and made the companion of vagabond. Mackenzie's master and other gentlemen were at that moment present in the vestry-room, and could speak to the excellence of his character. The poor fellow's mind had become so affected by the position in which he was placed, that he had written to Mr. Elsart, his master, to say that unless removed from the oakum shed he would destroy himself. Was this, he would ask, proper treatment in such a case? He (Mr. Lewis) also understood they put the poor in a dirty cellar or black hole. Mr. GooDwIN (a director)--The black hole is as clean as this room. Lis a clean whitewashed kitchen.  Mr. DOUGLAS said he would be boundiCo—say that there was some strong reason for Mackenzie being sent to the oakum room.  Mr. LEWIS moved a resolution calling upon the directors to make an inquiry into the case of John Mackenzie. Under what circumstances he came into the oakum shed, how long and why he is still detained there. The motion having been seconded, Mr. MANN said he considered the inquiry should be made general, and that an individual case should not be selected. A full and fair explanation to the ratepayers and the public was demanded. The CHAIRMAN said the board of directors were at the present time pursuing an inquiry into the whole management of the house.  Mr. HOWELL considered the inquiry going on by the beard of directors a partial one. They were themselves inculpated in the matter, and had constituted themselves the judges in their own case. He considered the only satisfactory mode to be pursued was:to have a committee appointed on the part of the vestry, and another on the part of the rate-payers, to go into the whole matter.—(Hear, hear.) The CHAIRMAN considered the board of directors could not be charged with conducting their inquiry unfairly. The doors of the board room were open to vestrymen and rate-payers, and there were three reporters for the press present taking notes of their proceedings. _ _ _  - Mr. BRIGHTON considered the more rigid and general the inquiry was made, the more satisfactory it would prove to the rate-payers. It would also be more satisfactory if the vestry, who were the representatives of the rate-payers, made the investigation. He would move, as an amendment, " that ten members of the vestry be selected to carry out the necessary inquiry, with the directors of the poor." Mr. MANN seconded the amendment. Mr. Churchwarden HOWARTH denied that the board of directors were in any way implicated themselves in the charges made. Many of the regulations had existed for thirty years, and the board was a perfectly competent tribunal to inquire into the general discipline of the workhouse and the conduct of their officers. With respect to the appointment of vestrymen, the board were an independent body, and could not legally act with them.—(Oh, oh.) The vestry, if they thought proper, could appoint a committee of their own, but if they did so it would imply a wunt of confidence in the directors.  Mr. GOODWIN admitted that the guardians, as also the vestry, were remotely mixed up in the charges made, but at the same time he thought the interference of the vestry premature.  Mr. T. H. SMITH, as a director, was desirous of every pubbcity, and if the amendment was withdrawn, he should call upon the vestry clerk to issue a summons calling upon the whole of the vestry to attend the next investigation by the board of directors.---(Hear, hear.) Mr. HOWARTH hardly saw the necessity, as the board had determined, at the conclusion of their evidence on Tuesday, merely to meet on the next occasion to consider their report. The amendment having been withdrawn, the original resolution was put and carried. Mr. SMITH said, after the statements about the report, he would now move that a committee be appointed to inquire into the conduct of the directors, the rules and regulations, and general management of St. Pancras workhouse.  The CHAIRMAN announced that it was ten minutes past four o'clock, and notice not having been given of the motion, he could not receive it.  The vestry then broke up.