  The overland route to India — The Government and Lieutenant Waghorn — Police magistrate and the press — Cobbett and the British Museum — Prevalence of influenza — "National Convention" riot — Policeman killed — The coroner and the jury — Adulteration of tea. We saw how, in 1832, the East India Company refused to accelerate communication with India by means of steam vessels. I have now to record the earliest efforts of Lieutenant Waghorn, in his famed overland route to India, which, however, did not become an accomplished fact until October, 1845. The Times, February 6th, thus comments on the conduct of Earl Grey's ministry in this matter— "It will hardly be credited that Mr. Waghorn, who is on the point of leaving England, to carry personally into effect one of the most important enterprises in which any man has ever yet engaged—namely, the shortening by one half the time of our communications with India—has been refused, by Sir James Graham, a commission as Lieutenant in the Navy, a rank to which he is fairly entitled from his period of service, and which is most material to his success. The Board of Control, the Admiralty, nay, the whole of the Government, profess the desire to have this great project fully brought to bear; they admit Mr. Waghorn's qualifications, attested by nearly the whole mercantile community of India, for the undertaking; they are relieved, through his and their means, of all expense or thought or trouble about the success of it; the only thing asked is a Lieutenant's commission, simply Another little instance of prejudice, which broader thinking has rendered impossible, nowadays, is given in the Times, March 21st— "Marylebone Office. "Yesterday morning, just as the business had commenced, a case of trivial importance was called on, when at the moment the writer came into the Justice Room, and was approaching the desk usually appropriated for reporters, which had been previously occupied by two policemen, who, knowing the arduous duties which those connected with the press had to perform, immediately gave way, when the following colloquy ensued— "Mr. Rawlinson (to the policeman): Why do you give way to that man—you have a better right to be here than he has? Then, extending his voice, he said to the reporter, I wish you would not come here so often, sir. "Reporter: 'I believe, sir, that police offices are, or at least ought to be, open to the public; and, as I am employed by the Times newspaper to report the proceedings at this office, I humbly submit that I have as much right to stand here for the information of the public in general as any policeman who may be a witness in the case before you.' "Mr. Rawlinson: The office is too full of reporters; I beg, sir, that you will give way to the witness. "Reporter: Most certainly, sir; but, with all due deference, I beg to submit that in a public office reporters are entitled to admission. "Mr. Rawlinson (angrily): Perhaps I may let you know to the contrary. "Here the conversation dropped." Yet one more case of ignorance and prejudice—which "Mr. Cobbett rose to object to the resolution. He saw no reason why the sum of £16,000 should be paid out of the general taxes of the country for the sake of supporting the British Museum. In former times, when Mr. Bankes superintended the expenditure of the British Museum, the grant to it did not exceed £10,000. Then he thought the grant unjust, and now he could not imagine why, in the present distressed condition of the country, it should be raised to £16,000: for when was the British Museum of the slightest use to the country at large? Last year there was £1000 paid for a collection of insects; what use could that collection be of to the weavers of Lancashire, or to the farmers and tradesmen of distant parts of the country? The plain fact was that the British Museum was of no use at all! It was a place to which curious persons went to entertain themselves, by gratifying their curiosity, and in which the rich were accustomed to lounge away their time at the expense of their poorer countrymen. For his own part, he did not know where the British Museum was (much laughter), and was not acquainted with its contents. He thought that this sum of £16,000, granted by the Committee, was just £16,000 thrown away for the gratification of a set of loungers, who had first taken care to get enough out of the taxes to enable them to lounge away the rest of their lives in complete idleness. He also objected to this grant because there was £10,000 of it, and more, paid away in salaries, and to whom? If a list of the parties to whom those salaries were paid were laid upon the table of the House—and he would undertake to say that it should shortly be laid there—it would be found that they were paid away to the aristocracy and their dependents. He would move for a list of those who received them." (Several voices: Of course no one was on his side, and the grant was passed. From April to July this year influenza was very prevalent, sparing neither rank, age, nor sex. It was not a new disease, for it was known in 1580, when it preceded the plague; in 1658, it was followed by a fatal epidemic fever; in 1743 by the plague; in 1762 by violent dysentery; in 1813, by ophthalmia and dysentery, and in 1831 by the cholera. The Medical Gazette, of May 5th, says— "As to the rest, so far as regards the metropolis, the influenza has been plague enough, without looking for another. It has been a hundred-fold more prevalent than cholera was, and we are inclined to believe has proved fatal, within the last fortnight, to a greater number of persons than that disease carried off in London within an equal period. Certainly this holds good with respect to the upper and middle classes of society, among whom a large number of aged persons have fallen victims to it. The increased mortality of the metropolis during the present epidemic, is strikingly exemplified by the weekly account of burials. That ending April 16th exhibits an increase over the preceding of 266; that ending April 23rd, another increase upon the above of 209; that of May 1st, a further increase of 165; making the entire increase in the number of funerals last week equal to 640; and this, too, within the limits of the Bills of Mortality. The epidemic is now, however, rapidly on the decline, though a considerable number of relapses have occurred, and many continue to linger under its effects." On April 30th, an attempt to repeal the House and Window Tax was made, but was not successful. The window tax was especially obnoxious, as it led to keeping out light and fresh air from rooms that sadly needed both, and it lingered on until July 24, 1851, when it was repealed by Act 14 & 15 Vict. c. 36, and a duty upon inhabited houses was levied in its place. In this reign there could scarcely be political agitation without violence, and we find on May 13th, there was even murder committed. The following account is taken from the Annual Register, as being more condensed than the newspaper reports:— "Political Meeting and Murder. "For some days placards had been posted up, addressed to the members of the political unions, calling a public meeting, to be held in Calthorpe Street, Coldbath Fields, preparatory to forming a National Convention. A proclamation had been issued from the Home Office, prohibiting the meeting as being illegal. It was held, nevertheless, on the 13th. The hour appointed for the meeting was two o'clock, but the populace had been assembling for three hours previously. Shortly after twelve o'clock strong detachments of the metropolitan police marched into the neighbourhood, and took up their quarters in the riding school of the London Volunteers, and the several livery stables in the vicinity. Colonel Rowan and Mr. Mayne, the two Commissioners, had previously arrived, and were accommodated at a house in the neighbourhood, attended by two clerks. A magistrate of Hatton Garden office was stationed in the House of Correction, as were also other magistrates, and a strong body of the police force. Two officers of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards were on the spot, "Matters remained in this state till near two o'clock, by which time the number of people had greatly increased, and there were between three thousand and four thousand present. During this time the committee, consisting of six individuals, were holding their council at the Union public-house, Bagnigge Wells, and some discussion arose between them, as to which of them should ascend the hustings first. A young man named James Lee undertook to open the proceedings by proposing a person to fill the chair. Shortly before three o'clock a caravan, which had been engaged for the purpose, took its station. Lee jumped into it, followed by a person named Mee, and several others. Lee waved his hat several times, which was answered by the shouts of the assembly. The owner of the van, however, did not like the appearance of things, and instantly drove off, the committee jumping out of the caravan. Lee was then carried on the shoulders of some of the mob, to the railings, and proposed that Mr. Mee should take the chair, which, being seconded, Mr. Mee stood up and addressed the meeting, calling upon those present to beware of those hirelings of the Government who were paid to induce them to commit a breach of the peace. The Union, who had been anxiously expected all the morning, at this moment made their appearance, and the acclamations of the populace were deafening. The Union consisted of about a hundred and fifty persons, and the banners carried were, 'Liberty or death,' with a skull and cross-bones on a black ground, with a red border; 'Holy Alliance of the Working Classes;' 'Equal Rights and Equal Justice;' a Tricoloured flag; the republican flag of America; and a pole with the cap of Liberty. "They had scarcely got upon the ground, before a detachment of the A division (supported by some other divisions) marched into Calthorpe Street with the greatest order and precision. Their promptitude and formidable appearance seemed to make a momentary impression on the mob, but a person, pointing to the banner of 'Liberty or death,' shouted, 'Men, be firm!' This was sufficient to rouse their feelings; they called out, 'Down with them; Liberty or death!' and appeared determined to resist to "The division of police had halted in the middle of the street, and received renewed orders to act calmly and with forbearance. They then walked forward, with their staves in their hands, clearing their way through the observers who had been attracted to the spot, and pressed forward directly to the man who still continued to address the mob. The police were instantly attacked by the mob. The conflict was but of a minute's duration, and the sound of the blows, and the shrieks of the women who had obtruded themselves into danger were loud. When a clearance was effected, at least twenty men were prostrate on the ground, with blood streaming from their heads. Sergeant Harrison, of the D division, was the first who seized a banner, but received a violent blow on the arm. Robert Cully, C 95, and his brother, made up to another, when Cully received a wound in the abdomen from a stilletto, and instantly expired. Sergeant Brooks was also wounded, besides several others who received blows. The people rallied in the open space by the prison, and made a vigorous attack on the police, which was instantly and effectually repelled, though not till they had attempted to rescue the banner of 'Liberty or death.' The police were therefore formed into lines, extending across the different streets, for a quarter of a mile round the place, and every party of three or four persons was instantly ordered to 'Move on.' In Gray's Inn Lane, on the N division clearing the place, one man took a stone to fling at the policeman who was ordering him off, but his arm was arrested by another policeman. A united shout of 'Stone the —— ——!' arose, and there was an immediate rush of the populace into the middle of the road, where there were fresh laid granite stones; but a movement of the whole division, and the capture of the ringleaders, arrested the further progress of the mob. By four o'clock, everything was tranquil, and a number of prisoners had been arrested. "An inquest was held on the body of Cully, the policeman who had been stabbed. From the state of political feeling, the jury seemed determined to justify murder on the ground that the meeting was legal, or, if illegal, had not been legally dispersed. The inquest was continued for several days, and finally the jury, "Coroner: Your verdict only traduces the police and the Government. You are not borne out by the evidence in justifying the murder of this man. Were the people innocent who used the murderous weapons, stilettos, bludgeons, and lances, such as you have seen? "Foreman: We state in our verdict on what grounds we justify the homicide. We do not traduce the police, nor the Government. We trust that our verdict will prevent the negligence and misconduct that has caused the arms and heads of his Majesty's peaceable subjects to be broken. "Coroner: Do you call them peaceable subjects? "Foreman: It has been proved that they are peaceable. We will say no more, sir; record our verdict or dismiss us. We have told you, sir, we will not alter a letter. In regard to our oath, and our duty to our God, our country, and our King, we can give no other verdict. "After a consultation of some length, the coroner directed the verdict, as originally put in, to be entered on the record. The depositions, inquisition, and record were then completed and signed. "The coroner said, 'Gentlemen, I consider your verdict disgraceful to you; but I thank you for your great attention to the case.' "The foreman, bowing, said, 'We thank you, sir.' "Hereupon, a number of persons in the room, which was crowded to excess, exclaimed, 'Bravo, jurors; you have done your duty nobly, the country is indebted to you;' which was followed by vociferous cheering in the room, re-echoed with prodigious vehemence by the crowd outside. As the jury withdrew, numbers "On May 29th, the Solicitor-General moved the Court of King's Bench for a writ of Certiorari to remove the inquisition into that court, for the purpose of having the verdict quashed. The verdict, he said, was bad in point of law. The conclusion at which the jury had arrived was not only unwarranted by the facts given in evidence, but directly contrary to those facts." The verdict was quashed, and a man named George Nursey was charged with the policeman's murder, but the prosecution failed in getting a conviction. Here is a somewhat curious police report treating of an extinct industry. Indeed, I doubt whether it would have obtained in 1833, had not tea been so dear. Times, May 14th— "Union Hall. "Yesterday, in the course of examination of two boys, who were brought from Camberwell, before Mr. Chambers, for gambling on Sunday, some disclosures of importance respecting the extent to which the suspected adulteration of tea is carried on in this metropolis were made. "In the possession of one of the juvenile defendants a policeman found two shillings upon taking him into custody, and when the boy was asked by the magistrate where he got that money, he immediately replied, 'Not by gambling, your Worship, but by picking tea leaves.' "Mr. Chambers (smiling): The tea plant does not happen to grow in this country, my lad; therefore you are adding a falsehood to the offence for which you were brought here, and that offence is always sure to lead to crimes of more magnitude. "The defendant still persisted in the truth of his assertion, relative to the picking of tea leaves; and when asked to explain the manner in which he did it, he replied, 'Why, your Worship, "Mr. Chambers inquired what the cowkeeper wanted with sloe and black and white thorn leaves; it could not be for the use of his cows. "Inspector Walters, of the P division, stated that he should be enabled to throw some light upon the subject of what the boy termed 'picking tea leaves.' The inspector then said that for the last month a number of poor persons, of both sexes, were observed in the fields adjacent to Camberwell, picking leaves out of the hedges. To such an extent, in fact, had this picking system lately been carried, in and about that neighbourhood, that many of the hedgerows were completely divested of their foliage. He had questioned some of the people as to the purposes for which the leaves were intended, and he had the same reply from all, namely, that they were employed by a cowkeeper, who gave them a penny a pound for sloe and black thorn leaves, and half that sum for white thorn leaves. One man told him that he picked between 50 and 60 lbs. a day, and always had a sure market for selling them to the cowkeeper. On a recent occasion a gentleman resident in Camberwell complained that the hedge surrounding one of his fields had been entirely stripped of its leaves, but he objected to give any person into custody for the damage committed on his property, but warned them not to be seen there again. The inspector added that the circumstance had created some surprise at Camberwell, and he had instituted an inquiry into the matter, in the course of which he ascertained that the statement made to him by the persons found picking the leaves was perfectly correct as to the party whom they supplied. The next step was to discover how the cowkeeper disposed of the leaves, and this was accomplished by placing persons to watch his premises, when it was found that they underwent no process while in his possession, but were sent in bags to extensive tea dealers in the city, to whose warehouses they were traced from the cowkeeper's yard in Camberwell. "Mr. Chambers inquired what steps had been taken after tracing leaves of that description to the house of a tea dealer. It "The inspector said that information of the fact of such leaves as those he had described having been received at a tea warehouse was given to the Excise, and he had no doubt but they intended to act forthwith upon it." |
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