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learned oftea contained only comparisons between Shorthorns , Herefords , and Devo n * ( hvugJUtr ); and carried , perhaps , a specimen of wools , long and short . ( Lavghttr . ) Harvnv the country , and happy the times where diplomatists Tci . _ cmnloved !" The proceedings closed with t » i » o K «« itix of " The President Elect , " Earl Ducie , -who , unhappily , was absent from indisposition .
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A PRUDISH LORD . In the dismal district of Spitalfields , a society of benevolent gentlemen have erected a large pile of buildings , intended for the use of the working-classes , and known as " Metropolitan Chambers . The -whole thing is founded on the principle of concert , and is in most respects an admirable institution . There is a large and handsome hall used as a coffeeroom beside other accommodations ; and the tenants , amounting to 130 , are single men paying each three shillings a week . The other day , Lord Ebrington , one of the directors of the institution , called in ; and we may judge of his terror and disgust when we learn that he actually discovered two or three females sitting publicly in the coffee-room . This was not to be endured . " Women were not to be trusted in a hall frequented by single working-men . Full of holy horror of the possibilities of this contiguity of the sexes , he is understood first to have forbad it on his own authority , andtohave brought the momentous question before the board , who , after full deliberation doubtless , issued a ukase forbidding the admission of women within the walls of Metropolitan Chambers , or what would be more properly called Lord Ebrington's Metropolitan Abbey .
It was not to be expected that this order would be silently endured . The " single men" boldly protested and met the arguments of the directors with a moderate but manly reply . The authorities urged that , if females were admitted to visit any lodger , they must be admitted to visit all , should such a contingency arise ; and as there were above a hundred forlorn young men the thing was impossible . To this it was sensibly replied , that the contingency neveT would arise ; that there never had been above three or four female visitors at one time in the building , and that the consequence of excluding them would be , that the young men and their friends or relatives must resort to a public-house . Further , they said , in the fourth section of their protest : —
" The exclusion of female visitors under such circumstances is inconvenient , offensive , and absurd , inasmuch as , by invading the proper freedom of social intercourse , it subjects the tenants to a prison-like treatment of a degrading character , while , at the same time , it treats their female relatives and friends , not as Englishwomen living in a free country , but after the manner and according to the barbarous customs of Eastern nations . " The protest was signed by eighty-four inmates . The directors had very prominently put forward the argument of inconvenience , from lack of accommodation ; but at the end they stealthily inserted half a sentence , containing the real grounds upon which they had decided to prohibit female visitors . In their resolution , after reciting the above argument as to lack of accommodation , the following admirably illogical conclusion is slipped in : —
" They think they need- say no more to demonstrate the impossibility of allowing tenants to introduce female visitors into the chambers , without the certainty of the character of the establishment being traduced , and great danger of irregularities actually occurring . " The inmates reply in this energetic fashion : — " The increasing numbers of the tenants , instead of creating apprehensions as to female visits leading to irregularities , is , in fact , a security against them . It ia erroneous to say , that the presence of female visitors
under such circumstances cannot be permitted , ' without the certainty of the character of the establishment being traduced , and great danger of irregularities actually occurring . ' Men are guilty of ' irregularities' with women chiefly in hiding-places , and not in public meetings of portions mostly of some age and experience , and many of them fathers of families . ' No fem » les admitted here , ' if inscribed over the doors of the chambers , far from being deemed creditable in the neighbourhood , would siamp n disreputable name upon the establishment , and would direct fingers of scorn to be pointed at the inmates .
" Without pursuing the subject further , the tenants desire to say , that the new rule will be chiefly inconvenient to miiny of their number who are separated for a time from their families ; and that it will exclude mothers , wives , daughters , und sweethearts . More than that , it is an insult to Englishwomen ; and further it says , in so many plain words to the tenuntH themselves , ' You English working-men , wiio belong to that class which created the wondern of the Crystal Palace , are not . fit to sit in the society of virtuous English women . "
It is obvious that this absurd order will BeriouBly Cornpromino the success of an eHtahliuhrncnt in which all who have the welfare of the working-cIuhsvb at heart take a deep interest . Iiibteud of meeting the wishes of the working-men , tho directors have taken it into their hends to be " offended " at the " bold language " of the inmates ! No doubt tho directora have a right to make what regulations they please ; but-surely they wo responsible ibr tho wisdom of those regulation * , nd , rouat not expect to esoappfcQiu the « iticj * m either of the inmates or tho public .
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ORANGE mo ? «* wvmxoQL . The 12 th of July , the anniversary of the battle of the Boyne , a a saered festival , religiously kept by the extreme Orange party . As rs well known , it is but too often tfie oeeaeidn of desperate conflicts , attended with fatal results . The Orangemen of Liverpool met as usual on Monday , in the large space in the London-toad , where stfj&ds the statue of George HJ . The aggregate number eetdd not be leas than 2000 , and were probably nearer . 8000 , The banners were fixed in " lorries , " * species of taag low cart , that , being readily turned , can be formed into an impassable barricade , at a cross-street ,
without a moment a delay . Thebfiieers of each ledge had an orange and blue scarf , and each member was de * Gorated with the same colours in festoons and rosettes . Eight bands 4 & Music were engaged . The *< tylers " of the various lodges had each a drawn sword , and as these altogether amounted to upwards of a hundred , and many of the Orangemen had halberds , and others truncheons , while some carried pistols in their pockets . The profession was met on its way by a body of Irishmen , armed only with stones , and assaulted the Orangemen , who repelled the attack with their fatal weapons . The conflict was fatal to some . A great many were
wounded ; but , strange to say , there is a mystery and confusion about the accounts . Riot reigned in many places ; people wearing orange colours were insulted and beaten . It is said that the pistols of the Orangemen were loaded , but there is much doubt about it , The swords were certainly used , as one of the wounded , an Irishman , was carried to the hospital with a desperate sabre cut in bis head . After the first conflict the Orangemen again formed and marched off , the bands playing triumphantly " Boyne Water , " and a bo 4 y of 300 police following . The authorities did not interfere to stay the procession * It was anticipated that a serious riot would eommence when the dock labourers returned from work ; but happily those anticipations were disappointed .
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TRAVELLERS' TROUBLES . That ingenious contrivance of the Continental authorities for trying the temper , wasting the time , and getting hold of the money of travellers—the passport system—is , every now and then , subjected to a fierce or a humorous attack from some indignant or spoliated Briton . Thus " Scotua" sends the following lively letter to the Times ;—" I shall give you a small bit of my travels as now fresh in my memory . On leaving Florence , a few mornings ago , en route for Home , by sea , I observe in my hotel-bill a charge of 10 pauls ( about 4 s . 6 d . ) , as being paid to the police for vitling my passport . I reached Leghorn the same day at two p . m . ( having stayed three hours at Pisa ) . Here I had to go to the British Consul and Papal Nuncio to get my passport vis 4 < $ . The former oharged 6 paula , the latter 6 pauls , for this work . I embarked at Leghorn for Civitst Vecohia at five P . M . the same day , and arrived in Civita Vecohia harbour at six o ' clock next morning ; detained on board for two hours , i . e ., till eight o ' clock , till the police could examine our passports . At eight o ' clock a polite authority came on board , and gave a printed paper to each passenger in lieu of his passport . We now landed , and were conducted to the ( Justorn-house to have our luggage examined , i . e ., when it should be the pleasure of this department to perform that duty , which was not soon . In the mean time
I sent a messenger with the printed paper received on . board to the police-office for rny passport . He returned some time afterwards , informing me that a mistake had been committed by the police in the said paper in designaling me aa proceeding to Naples instead of Rome , and that I ramit myself go to the poHce-offiea and get it rectified . I went accordingly , under a very hot sun , to the police-office which was at some distance , and was there told that I must first go to the British Consul for his signature , and that then tho police would sign it . Accordingly , conducted by a guide , I proceeded to the oflBoe of the English Consul , where ( it being now nine o ' clock ) I found nobody , and so proceeded to the Consul ' s house
, as the diligence »«¦ shortly to start for Rome , t aeked the Consul to sign it in hw house ; but he could not do » o irregular a thing ; and , though I told him I had already been at his offioe and found nobody , he requested me to return again to his office . 1 did so , and flow found the clerk , who viaJd the passport , demanding 8 paula for this ceremony . The passport was again taken to the police-office , where it was vUdd , and a further payment made . At eleven a . m . the diligence started for Rome , atone of tho gates of which we arrived at eight r . M . the same day . VV « were there detained for more thun an hour by the Quitom * ' officers , ostensibly « xar » in ' ing ttye luggage to sea whother \ % had hem opened dmj » K $$ day ' s journey , but obviousta Wjth the obi « aia ( f « tt » u § Money from us ; tor , finding ! novoay onWed any , they cam * to each of us and demanded some . "
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PBIVATE LUNATIC ASYLUM . In the beginning of the present year the visiting magistrates in Gloucestershire discovered sornesu * . pieious appearances in some entries in the oiMciai book of a lunatic asylum kept by Dr . Howry Uawes Fox , at Northwoods . Patients were dwchared on the day previous to their visit , and readmitted on the day after that visit . On being asked for explanations , Dr . Fox merely replied that he had been advised to have the process ejected . Upon this the visitor * requested to see the original orders and certificates of admission , which was
refused on the ground that the papers were all correct except some ' trivial inaccuracies , " . «• such as the t ' s not tailed nor the i ' s dotted . " Ultimately the documents were produced ; and as they did not accord with the description Dr . Fox had given of thorn , the visitors determined on further inquiry . The result of this inquiry was that " as regarded the six cases first investigated , in two there Were originally no orders ; that in three the orders were illegal j that at least four of the certificates were so ; as Was the admission of at least three-of the patients upon * the authority of one , instead of two certificates , without cause assigned in the orders . "
This led io an inquiry into the whole of the documents connected with the admission of patients . The visitors made a detailed entry of their search in the book kept at the asylum for that purpose , and arrived at results of which we present the following : — " Of orders and their statements filled by Dr . H . H . Fort , there are not legal 48 ; of those filled by Mrs . Hawke there are not legal 4 ; total , 47 . Of orders and statements there are altogether not-legal 80 . Of the medical certificates there are filled by Dr . H . H . Fox , and not by the certitters . 77 ; partly filled by him , 20 ; and by Mrs . Hawke , 3 ; total so filled , 100 . Of medical certificates there are not legal , 50 . Of order * and of medical
certificates , there are altogether not legal , ' 130 . " Of patients illegally received by Dr . H . H . Fox , upon the authority of one certificate only , without due cause assigned for the same by the person making the order , there are 54 . Altogether of patients illegally received there are 105 . A wife has been admitted Into the asylum upon the order of her husband , and upon the authority of one certificate only , and that certificate signed by her husband . A letter from Dr . H . H . Fox to a person making an order states— ' If there be any inoonvenience in getting a second certificate , it can be dispensed with until after admission . ' And to another' The second ( certificate ) can , be procured at my house if more convenient . '
" Of notices of the admission of patients which the act directs should be sent to the clerk of the visitors , Dr . Fox had only signed 10 himself . Of such notices filled in and signed Henry Hawes Fox , proprietor , Northwoods , by Mrs . Hawke , there are 125 . Of such notices purporting to be signed by Dr . H . H . Fox , but so signed by Mrs . Hawke and others of his establishment , there are 144 . [ Dr . Fox had authorized Mrs . Hawke to sign for him . ] " There were not altogether 112 true copies of orders and statements . There were 25 medical statements of the health of the patients on admission , made by Mrs . Hawke , and signed by her ' Henry Hawes Fox . Irregularities abounded on every side , and the forms prescribed by law had been almost entirely ignored or violated in the admission , " discharge , and death of patients . The entry of the visitors sums up thus : —
" The visitors have heard Dr . H . H . Fox , since the Epiphany Quarter Sessions , refer to past laxity in his attention to the forms of the act , in extenuation of what they have found to be illegal . But they cannot but remark , that they consider the term laxity to be inapplicable to the system which has been pursued by him . A system in which all the barriers created by the law against illegal ^ and improper orders and certificates , and against the illegal reception and detention of patients , have been broken through and utterly disregarded . A system in which what he should sedulously have avoided , has been principally performed by Dr . H . H . Fox ; what by law he should himself have done , has been principally performed by others ; a system in which patients have been received and detained for various periods upon illegal and invalid documents , but
a system in which the forms of the act have been fully complied with in the copies of such documents transmitted by him to the visitors , in which all the illegalities of the originals have been carefully made good , Inducing the inferenoe that such originals , which were never referred to , were in all respects perfect and according to law . A system , then , which they feel compelled to designate as one having in it less of laxity than of deception , and one which they regretted to observe continued since hi * last licence in the examinations on March 1 , though not subsequently . By his acts , Dr . H . H . Fox has rendered himself amenable to prosecution for misdemeanours , especially created by ttte act . to tho number of above 280 . It seems astonishing that suoh a system should not have been long sinoe exposed , but that app earances disarmed suspicion , prevented inquiry , and induced a mere superficial inspection at the hurried visitations of pant times . " The whole case was heard at the last Gloucestershire Trinity Sessions , before sevonty magistrates , upon the application of Dr . Vox for a renewal of his licence . lie defended himself chiefly on the ground that the legal informalities wera such an would not subject him to a penal prosecution ; that h « had practised bo < f wilful deception ; " thai the doou * moat * had been aitamifted and passed by the Lranaoy CommiBsionera and the visiting justices ) : that the
irregularities and utfermel&es h * d « # m « 4 t and that it was well known how highly his establishment * . «! been spoken of . Ultimatery the Court granted a licence to Dr . Fo *» ** proprietor of Northwood * , far the reception of insane patients , and bjt son Dr . William Fox , and D * . Green , aa auperint « nd «» w and medical attendants thereof { they alone to oarry « ut the provisions of the act of Parliament in regard t « tho funds aed book * io the house ) . Thia -was ob , viousiy a compromise , fcad so tit * matter reatt .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 19, 1851, page 676, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1892/page/8/
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