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THE GARDENERS 
CHRONICLE. 
293 
left the room, and that it would be impossible to maintain 
order in an establishment where there were 1200 or 1400 
people, if misconduct were not punished. The beadle 
confirmed this statement, and deposed that the pep eins 
of-hand, to pass money from the mouth to the ear, and 
vice-versa, when Mr. Brunel, placing a half-sovereign in 
his mouth, it unfortunately slipped into the trachea, 
where it stuck, and every effort to remove it proving 
BN Cia 
so much excited, that danger was to be apprehended from 
his violence. The Commissioner said he should adjourn 
the inquiry in order to make an inspection of the oakum 
room, the black hole, and other portions of the workhouse, 
and to examine the director of the poor, and some of the 
inmates of the establishment. ‘The investigation was then 
adjourned till Wednesday, when the examination of wit- 
nesses was concluded. The commissioner will report on 
the evidence in a few days. # 
Taking the Veil.—On Wednesday, two young ladies, 
Miss Cuddon and Miss Baxter, the latter the daughter of 
agentleman residing at Bungay, “took the veil’’ at the 
convent of the Sisters of Mercy, in Bermondsey. The 
former took the name of Sister Mary Theresa, and the 
latter that of Sister Mary. A great number of Catholic 
clergy and others were present on the occasion. 
Labourers’ Friend Society.— On Wednesday, this 
society, established to ameliorate the condition of 
labourers, by encouraging the cultivation of allotments of 
land by the spade in their leisure hours, held its twelfth 
annual meeting in Exeter-hall, Mr. Thomas Hartley, of 
Peckham, in the chair. The report for the past year 
was very voluminous, and stated that in Kent and the 
southern counties the Society’s agent had lately visited 
3,000 allotments, cultivated by 3,000 families, among 
whom there was not one commitment to prison during the 
two past years. In the midland counties 700 acres were 
similarly laid out. In Derbyshire, Leicestershire, North- 
amptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, and Somer- 
setshire, the allotments of land, varying from a rood to 
two acres, were attended with the most beneficial results 
to the labouring classes. In Hereford, 12 acres were 
divided into 48 allotments, and the branch society granted 
in loans to the cultivators of those patches of land, 2,5502,, 
upon which the borrowers paid 937. 16s. 5d. interest. To 
the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Lord Grosvenor, Colonel 
Langton, of Breslington, the Rev. G. Rees, rector of West 
Narington, the Rev. B. Whitehead of Chard, and Captain 
Scobell, the society were greatly indebted for assistance 
and information. In West Kent there were 200 allot- 
ments under cultivation; and in every county where the 
system was adopted crime disappeared, and the people 
were mentally, morally, and physically improved. The 
receipts, including subscriptions and donations, amounted 
to 7112. 11s. 6d., and the expenditure left a balance of 
292. ds. 11d. The report having been adopted, several 
gentlemen spoke in the highest terms of the allotment 
system. 
Mortality of the Metropolis.—The following is the 
number of Deaths registered in the week ending Saturday, 
April 15 :—West districts, 136; North districts, 175 ; 
Central districts, 163; Hast districts, 166; South dis- 
tricts, 176. Total, 816—(424 males, 392 females.) 
‘Weekly average for the last five years, 903—(461 males, 
442 females,) and for the last five winters, 1,004, 
Rrobinctal Wems. 
Bedford.—The inquiry into the case of poisoning at 
Wrestlingworth, which we noticed in our last, Was tres 
sumed and concluded on Friday. In the case of the hus- 
band, the surgeons deposed that the body had been eX. 
humed and examined, but they had not discovered an 
trace of poison. The jury then returned a verdict that 
“there was no evidence to show whether his death was 
caused by natural causes or otherwise.” The case of the 
child, Jonas Mead, was next proceeded with, and several 
witnesses were examined. It appeared that it was about 
a year old when it died, and was always neglected by the 
mother. The surgeon stated that he had eitencen the 
exhumation of the body, and had since analysed it. He 
should consider there must have been from two to three 
grains of arsenic in the body, judging from the quantit 
obtained by the tests employed ; and he was of opiaiod 
that that would be sufficient to cause the child’s “Feat 
He ascribed the preservation of the deceased?s stomach to 
the effect of arsenic. The surgeon of the Bedford Infir- 
mary said he took part in the analyzation, and concurred 
entirely in this opinion. The jury, after an absence of 
about three quarters of an hour, returned the followin, 
Verdict :—‘ That the deceased, Jonas Mead, died frott 
the effects of arsenic, administered to him 
knowledge, by his mother, Sarah Dazely.” "The 
ment of the verdict was received with evi 
tee by the crowds assembled in front of th 
ne Inquest was held, a very strong and enera ; 
evidently existing against the Bicone eee eaubg 
Bradford—Mr. John N Il known in this 
County by the title of the ‘ Airedale Poet,” left B a 
in the act of going over th eppi 
Y g over the stepping- 
seeds and he fell into the water, but succee, 
8 the opposite side, where, on Friday mornin ' 
found dead. Dr. Steel, of Baildon, examined re 
and gave his Opinion that the deceased died of ny 
ded in gain- 
68 
5 
@ 
a 
cs 
8 
e 
in his 534 year. 
Se, describing 
from the Bristol Gazette :—«* I, + Pened to Mr, Brvnel, 
fep regret we 
well-known 
Y an accident 
Bikers hildren of a 
pretended, by sleight- 
arising out of an amiable wish 
The father and Mr, 
» Sir B. Brodie has been called in, and an 
operation, by making an incision in the thorax, deter- 
mined upon, to be performed yesterday: the result had 
not to the great regret of his numerous friends in this 
anes been received when we went to press.” We regret 
to State that the surgeons have not yet succeeded in extract- 
ing the coin, and that Mr. Brunel is in great danger. 
Gloucester.—At the quarterly court of magistrates, held 
on Tuesday at the Shire-hall, the question of prison dis- 
cipline was entered upon. The chairman stated that he 
had received from the Secretary of State copies of the 
reports of the commissioners appointed by Government to 
inquire into the causes which led to the death of the pri- 
soner Beale, to investigate the charges made by other pri- 
soners as to the treatment they had received, and to inquire 
generally into the management of the Northleach and the 
other houses of correction in the county. These reports 
were five in number, but as interest is chiefly attached to 
the opinions and recommendations of the commissioners 
in reference to Northleach, we will limit our notice to the 
report which relates to it. After enumerating the mea- 
sures which the commissioners had adopted in order to 
procure evidence, they proceed to state the results. In 
regard to Beale, the commissioners censure the surgeon 
for not allowing him extra diet, and for not putting the 
governor on his guard against employing him on the tread- 
wheel. “It is doubtful,” they say, “whether Beale’s indis- 
position on his commitment, and in the early part of his 
imprisonment, was sufliciently apparent to justify our 
passing any direct censure on the governor for continuing 
to subject Beale to the labour of the treadmill for a period 
of more than two months without. intermission ; but we 
consider the surgeon to have been remiss in not haying 
put Beale on an improved diet, and in not having paid 
attention to his clothing and the temperature of his cell 
during the early stage of the disease.’ The chairman 
said that a case of negligence had been made out against 
Mr. Bedwell, the surgeon, not only in the case of. Beale, 
but in other cases brought forward by the governor in his 
journal, and he would, therefore, move that he be dis- 
missed. On a division, four voted for dismissal, and a 
very considerable number for retention. Mr. Bedwell was 
therefore continued, but with an admonition as to his 
future conduct. The case of the governor was next taken 
into consideration, when it was resolved to reprove him 
and admonish him for the future. In regard to the 
visiting magistrates, the report stated :—‘* We are of opi- 
nion that the evils which we have described to exist in 
this prison may be traced to the absence of a salutary 
and perspicuous code of regulations; to the negligence 
of some of its officers; and, we feel bound to add, to the 
want of vigilant superintendence on the part of the visit- 
Ing magistrates.’’ After some discussion it was resolved, 
“That the Court were of opinion that the entries in the 
journal of the visiting justices apparently supported such a 
charge as that made against them by the commissioners, 
but that it was a ground of just complaint that they had 
been excluded from that part of the inquiry which em- 
braced their conduct. Had they been present they would 
have shown that certain inspections had taken place of 
which no entry had been made.’’ It was also resolved to 
substitute the dietary recommended by Sir J. Graham in 
his general circular to the magistrates of England and 
Wales, and some minor reforms recommended by the 
commissioners, such as the abolition of the practice of 
confining persons subjected to solitary confinement to a 
dark cell every fifth day, were ordered to be carried into 
effect. In connexion with certain opinions expressed by 
the issi as to abandoni me of the county 
houses of correction, as being small and ill-adapted for 
carrying out improved systems of discipline, the chair- 
man said, that to carry into effect such a scheme would 
entail an enormous expense upon the county ; he would, 
therefore, move that a committee be appointed to consider 
the propriety of adopting the following arrangement :— 
«The appropriation of all the houses of correction in the 
county to the accommodation of prisoners awaiting their 
trial at quarter sessions and assizes, and who are sen- 
tenced to periods of not more than three months’ hard 
labour, and the reserving the County Gaol and Peniten- 
tiary at Gloucester for those who are sentenced to periods 
of imprisonment of more than three months. _ This sug- 
gestion was adopted, and a report by the visiting magis- 
trates of Northleach was read in reference to the case of 
Richard Jones, who died the other week, shortly after he 
had left the house of correction, and whose death the 
coroner’s jury attributed to overwork and ill-usage. It 
contained the evidence of one of his fellow-prisoners and 
of the officers of the establishment. The substance was 
that Jones when seized with illness attributed it to over~ 
work, but that after he had been taken from the wheel he 
expressed himself pleased with the treatment he received. 
It is ‘a. curious fact that | it was frequently referred to in 
the course of the discussion, that this Richard Jones was 
the only person in the infirmary at the time the commis- 
sioners visited Northleach, and that the entry they made 
of his case was, HY Suffering from a catarrhal affection of 
rifling nature.” os 
ee Und eat an adjourned Quarter Sessions held last 
week, before Mr. Trafford and the Cheshire Magistrates, 
the Court proceeded to the consideration of the discipline 
of Knutsford gaol, and adopted a course which has created 
reat sensation throughout the county. It will be recol- 
lected that, at the late Sessions at Chester, the considera- 
tion of the report of the visiting justices of Knutsford 
was adjourned to these Sessions. Since then the visiting 
justices made another report, embodying evidence on the 
dietary and discipline of the gaol, and adhering to the 
recommendation to dismiss the chaplain. A letter had 
also been received from Sir J. Graham, reflecting in the 
strongest terms upon the misconduct of the governor of 
the gaol, and putting it to the justices whether, after the 
instances stated in the evidence of the reports, particularly 
as to the continuance of corporal punishment to a youth, 
when it had been expressly stopped by the surgeon in 
attendance, they could with confidence and safety continue 
him in his situation ; and also containing an opinion that 
if death had ensued in consequence of such conduct, the 
governor would have been guilty of hor nici le. The 
charges against the chaplain made by the visiting justices 
were the most prominent part of the proceedings. The 
first and main one was, that during the inquiry his con- 
duct had been most unsatisfactory. It appeared that the 
inspector, who had been sent down by Government to re- 
port on the case after Mr. Duncombe had made his 
charges against the governor in the House of Commons, 
examined the chaplain privately at Knutsford ; and that 
the latter refused, when required, to state to the visiting 
justices what he had communicated to the inspector, be- 
cause, as he alleged, he i d that u 
to be confidential. This was held by the justices to be a 
ground of accusation against him. He was further 
charged with having kept a journal, which he declined to 
produce for the inspection of the justices, although an 
order had been made that he should report to them what- 
ever he saw wrong before entering it in his journal, in 
order that the same might be investigated ; and he was 
also charged with not having exclusively devoted his time 
to his spiritual duties, and with not having administered 
the sacrament to some of the felons. At the conclusion 
of the reading of the documents, which were of some 
length, Mr. Townsend moved that the chaplain be dis- 
missed. Lord de Tabley seconded the motion, which was 
opposed by Mr. Wilbraham, Mr. Davenport, and the Right 
Hon. E. J. Stanley. After much discussion, the motion 
was adopted—the numbers, on a division, being—for it, 
34; against it, 5. It was then arranged that the chap« 
lain should leave forthwith, and be paid his salary up to 
the July quarter. The Court then proceeded to consider 
the charges contained in Sir J. Graham’ 
the gaoler, going through them seriatim. c 
them the magistrates exonerated the gaoler, though in 
others it was admitted that he had been in some degree 
blameable, but not to such an extent as to warrant them 
in withdrawing their confidence from him. 
Leicester.—We learn from the Mark Lane Express 
that considerable excitement prevailed in this place on 
Monday and Tuesday week, caused by the election of de- 
puties for each parish within the borough, to manage the 
‘« Freeman’s Piece ”’—a space of ground occupying’ about 
gaol, which recommended the dismissal of the chaplain, 
135 acres, divided among the resident freemen, born in 
the borough, or serving their apprenticeship therein. An 
unusual interest was excited in consequence of the candi- 
dates being divided into two parties ; one body advocating 
the old system of grazing the land, and thus debarring the 
poor freeman from any benefit; the other side proposing 
the division of the land into allotments, and cultivating it 
for gardening purposes, by. which each person would have 
between 500 and 600 square yards apportioned, and this 
he might either let, sell, or cultivate himself, as he pleased ; 
by calculations made, it appeared that the latter scheme 
would raise about 2,0002. or 30007. per annum, supposing 
potatoes alone were produced and sold at ls. er 
strike ; whilst the former will not only be limited and 
partial, but would also produce not more than 2002. or 
3002. in the same period; each person holding land under 
the proposed allotment system is to pay ls. per hundred, 
which is to be set aside as a fund for purchasing addi- 
tional land. The result of the elections was as follows :— 
For the allotment system—St. Margaret’s parish, 4-; St. 
Mary’s, 2; St. Leonard’s, 1; St. Nicholas, 2; All Saints, 
2; Total, 11.—For grazing the land—St. Martin’s parish, 
2.—Mr. Phillips, a member of the council, but not a 
freeman, warmly supporting the cause of the poor free- 
men, went to Birmingham on the 12th, and entered into 
a contract with a person to supply him with 500 spades, 
for the purpose of enabling the allotment party to break 
up the land next week ; but application has been made, 
by the trustees appointed under the will of the testator, 
for an injunction to _Yestrain the body, should they 
attempt any such invasion, and the result of the struggle 
is looked forward to with much anxiety.—On Saturda 
morning, the bank of Messrs. Clarke, Mitchell, Phillips, 
and Smith, of this city, stopped payment. The fact was 
communicated to the public in the following announce- 
ment :—‘ Suspension of Payment.—In consequence of a 
sudden pressure, caused by the malicious rumours which 
have been so industriously circulated, it has become ne- 
cessary that a temporary suspension of the business of 
this bank should take place. The public may rest satis- 
fied that no individual can sustain any loss, and that 
arrangements will be made for rendering the inconyeni- 
ence resulting from the present step of as short duration 
as possible,—Saturday, April 22, 1843.7" It is generally 
believed that the suspension is temporary, and the allu- 
sion to malicious rumours is supposed in the city to refer 
to the state of party polities on the spot, as there seems 
to be a high opinion of the wealth and respectability of 
the members of the firm. Their London agents refused 
payment of their notes on Saturday, and the suspension 
at Leicester tock place on the same day. Another failure 
of a banking-house, that of Messrs. Inkersole and God- 
dard, of Market Harborough, has been announced. This 
is a house of comparatively small importance, but from 
its proximity to the other, it will probably much increase 
