The Press. — London, England, 1854-10-07 00:00:00

958 COLLECTIONS ON THE DAY OF HUMILIATION. Thousands upon thousands of her hinjesty's loyal subjects joyfully followed her most gracious example on this day, and poured in of their abundance for the support of an Association which their beloved Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert had honoured with their joint patronage from its first commencement. Had it not been for the noble contributions made on the Day of Humiliation, this Assooiatiou would have been totally unable to grapple effectually with the dire distress and destitution brought to light by its operations. All the great religious communities in the kingdom, except the Roman Catholic, unanimously joined on that day to help the soldier's wife and child. To the Church of England especially this Association is in debted for considerably snore than two-thirds of the total amount collected. The Wesleyan body also contributed largely and generously; the Jews, too, joined munificently in this national effort by having collections in their synagogues. The Com mittee remark with much pleasure that these astonishing col lections were quite voluntary. No Queen's letter was issued, and never was any public subscription so heartily assisted by the poor man's penny. In numberless congregational collec tions more than one pound's worth of halfpencewas given. Even the prisoners in a large Government prison put their names down for a subscription of more than twenty pounds. The total amount collected on that day would have been even greater had not many of the collections been made for the sailor's as well as the soldier's wife. Of these collections the Committee had the pleasure of paying over one-third to the Association fur the Widows of Sailors and Marines. The Committee would point out most emphatically that, not withstanding the remarkable exception in the Fast Day Collec tions, no religious distinction whatever is made in the distribu tion of this noble charity : the recipients are not even asked to what religion they belong. OTHER COLLECTIONS. At the head of these stands the county of York. The York shire Association (with his Grace the Archbishop and all the nobility and gentry of the county as patrons and liberal sub scribers) has remitted to the Central Association the large sum of 5,0001. The Press has very considerately and effectually aided the cause of the soldier's family ; but no paper, either of daily or weekly circulation, has so practically assisted these poor people as the London Journal. The Editor of that paper, by the weekly issue of twelve supplements, at ono halfpenny each, has realised the surprising sum of 1,4241., which has been paid in weekly instalments of 1201. Nothing proves so un answerably as this does the sympathy of the poor, as the pur chase of the supplement was not compulsory on the subscribers to the paper. Subscriptions have been received from all parts of the world; from Panama, !Bahia, Bombay, Quebec, Ncva Scotia, St. John's, New Brunswick, Brussels, Pau, Lausanne, Bonn, Paris, Calais, Calcutta, Ceylon, Montreal, Boulogne, the Black Sea fleet, Ber muda, Fredericton, New Brunswick, ekc. &c. The generous sympathy of the navy for the wives of the army has been very gratifying; indeed, the first person who, by an able letter in the Times, roused the public to a sense of their neglect of the soldier's wife was "A Naval Officer." But of all the subscriptions perhaps the most touching was that of the Chelsea Pensioners. One old veteran in paying his penny was heard to remark, " Had there been such an Asso ciation in my day, when I was away at the wars, my poor old woman would not have died in the workhouse." Several bodies of men of the working classes have agreed to send in weekly penny contributions ; the men of Price's Patent Candle Factory, and the men of the Crewe Locomotive Department, have already paid in considerable sums collected in this way. From several large towns considerable amounts have been re mitted, from Walsall, Cheltenham, &c. &c.; but the town of Bath has exceeded them all by several hundred pounds. THE RAILWAY COMPANIES—LYING-IN HOSPITALS. So universal has been the sympathy displayed towards the poor people whom this Association has taken by the hand that all the great lines of railway have been made free to the soldier's child. Particularly the London and North-Western and the Portsmouth line, where not only have the children been carried free of expense, but the extra weight of baggage of their poor mothers has not been charged for, an example which the Com mittee earnestly trust all the railway companies will universally follow. Two lying-in hospitals in London—the British Hospital in Endell.street, and the Queen Charlotte's—most generously opened their doors to the soldier's wife. Many a poor woman has had deep cause for thankfulness for the care taken of her at the British Lying-in Hospital in Endell-street. Music, poetry, and the fine arts have all been enlisted in this good cause. One simple poem by a child realised nearly 201. for the Asociation; and the admirable sketch by George Thomas, Esq., of the soldier's " Separation from his Family, presented by that gentleman to the Committee of the Bath Fancy Fair, has done good service to the cause—representing so truthfully a 4 it does the reality of the distress which this Association is so effectually mitigating. LOCAL COMMITTEES. The assistance and practical working of the seventy-eight Local Committees all over the kingdom hiss been moot invaluable. To the Clergy of the Church of England, the Staff Officers of l'ensiouers, the Garrison Chaplains, the Local Magistrates, and other benevolent persons. the Committee desire most cordially to tender their hearty thanks. Had it not been for the inde fatigable exertions of the Senior Garrison Chaplain of Dublin, the Rev. Charles Hort, upwards of four hundred women and eight hundred children would now have been the inmates of the workhouse, for in Ireland no ont-door relief is granted. The Staff Sergeants in the several districts have proved themselves worthy of the profession to which they are an honour. One fine fellow, on being offered remuneration for the great trouble he had taken in relieving the poor soldiers' wives in his district, exclaimed, " God forbid that I should take any payment for help ing my comrades' wives and families in their distress!" A per fectly-organised system is now established by means of the Local Committees throughout the kingdom ; quarterly statements are regularly transmitted. showing the number of women and chil dren, and the expenditure; and regiments that began regimen tally to distribute their men funds have cordially handed over the balance of their fnnds to the Association, being satisfied with its working, and perfectly content to abide by its rules and regu lations. It is necessary to state, however, that the Association has not been permitted to relieve any but the widows and orphans of the Foot Guards, the Officers commanding those regiments having funds of their own for the relief of the wives and families of their men, and not wishing to burden the Association. Extract from the Report of the Limerick Local Committee : " Limerick, 24th August, 1854. "We have seventeen women married with leave on our list. It appears that the women married with leave have the heavier families. " It Is incontestable that the major part of the women relieved by this Committee would, ere this, have been in the workhouse if they had nut been aided. 'We can safely declare our conscientious belief that the wo men on our list, eighty three in number, have shown themselves deserving of the relief administered to them. We have never received a single complaint against one of them. They have universally manifested a desire to obtain work. Several of them THE PRESS. have obtained situations u wet-nurses, a great fact In proof of the decent, healthy, and well•conditioued state of these indivi- duals. Many are working at the shirt business for a mere trifle, to earn which they must labour all day; and several are learning the trade of shirtmakiug without wages, in hopes of being able to assist themselves. Upon a fair review of their conduct and their general appearance, we can safely say that the women relieved by our Committee are creditable to the army. Eveu with the relief they receive their position is far too trying a one to be anything but a warning, instead of an attraction, to other females to enter into the same state; and we advisedly give it as our opinion that the operations of this Committee W are not calculated to create the mischief which some imagine is likely to result from the charity and sympathy which has been evinced by the British public for this most unhappy class of women, suddenly deprived of the help of their husbands. "R. P. DOUGLAS, "Colonel, Assist. Ackit.-Gen., " Chairman of Committee." Extract from the Manchester and Salford Local Committee:— "Salford Barracks, 29th August. "I send you a statement of a few cases which strike me as being unusually distressing. There are many nearly as bad, 140 in number. Very few of the women who have young children (and the children are nearly all too young to work) can earn any thing worth noticing, 2e. or 3s. a week at the most. Of course those who enjoyed the privileges of living in barracks, Sm., as being married with leave, are in the worst circumstances, and they suffer severely. They lose their lodging and advantages of fuel, company's and officers' washing, say be. or 6s. a week, and the assistance of their husbands' pay. Lodging here of a very in different sort coats them 2s. and 3s. a week, and they will be far worse lodged than when in barracks. I send you the cases of four women all mart ied with leave, one with six children, another five, another four, another three. There are many others mar ried with leave, having two or three children nearly as destitute. There is no employment that they are capable of, hampered as they are with young ohildren, for whose care they must pay If they leave them at home and seek employment elsewhere. "A. F. BOND, "Major and Staff Officer." E.:tract from the Report of the Woolwich Local Committee:— " Woolwich Rectory, 4th September, 1854. " The women were left in very many cases, I am sure I may say in almost all, without any menus for themselves and their children. Many were on the eve of confinement. Their only resource would have been to become paupers on the parish, and their only asylum would have been the workhouse. A generous provisiou on the part of a grateful country for the wives and families of those on whom they depended, under God, for a sue. cessful issue of the war in which we have been compelled to engage has prevented this. But suppose this had not been the case, how hardly would the maintenance of so many have pressed upon the poor-rate payers ! and in many instances how unfairly ! Take Woolwich for instance, and the case w‘,uld be similar with respect to all garrison towns. We have upwards of 200 women, besides their children, to be maintained somehow. I think it quite possible that the burden would have been felt so heavily that a memorial might have been sent to the Govern ment. But however this might be, the expense would have been unfairly thrown upon parishes such as our own; but this is a trifling matter when compared with the pauperisation of respectable wives of soldiers of our army. "HENRY BROWN, " Rector of Woolwich." Extract from the Report of the Dublin Local Committee; — "September 4th, 1854. "I find that since the let July to the 2nd instant I have made about 3,400 payments (in small sums, varying from one shilling to one pound live shillings) to about4oo women, soldiers' wives. We have granted several women free passages to their friends and relatives, released clothes from pawn-offices for women going into situations, set up numbers in a small way of business, defrayed the funeral expenses of a few children, and in numberless other ways have been the means of conferring substantial benefits upon these poor people, tkc. Had it not been for the small weekly payments, the majority would have been in the poorhouse. -Many women, although they only received Is. Bd. a week, were thus kept going, and encouraged to work for themselves and children, &c. " CHARLES HORT, "Senior Garrison Chaplain, and Honorary Secretary to Committee:' Extract from the Report of another Local Committee . " We have hardly relieved any that were not married with leave and on the strength. By the timely aid rendered by your Society much distress was of course prevented, as, as soon as they were left, your excellent Society took them by the hand. But timely as this aid was offered, it was not before, in many cases, the poor creatures had parted with nearly everything, even in two cases to their wedding-rings. What would have been the condition of these poor creatures if no such Society as yours had existed? Many of them, far too high-spirited to have become the inmates of a workhouse, would have been plunged into a state of misery fearful to contemplate. But even as it is, much misery is to be found. A poor delicate creature with two childen, married with leave, to whom your Society grants a weekly allowance, has been compelled to part with her furniture. So distressing is this woman's case, and so respectable a charac ter does she appear to be, that some of the other women have helped her out of their own small pittance, 6:,c. Every day I feel more thankful for the good your Society is doing; upwards of thirty are receiving help from you at this place. I only wish those who have contributed large sums to your Society could witness the gratitude of these poor women for the help they receive ; they would indeed feel more than repaid for all they have done." SOLDIERS' WIVES AT VARNA. Mr. Ray, formerly the active and intelligent Inspecting Officer of this Association, writes from Varna to the following effect " Varna, August 4th, ]Bt4. " Sir,—l beg to draw your attention to the condition of the poor women here. Many of them have died, and others are dying; others who are in a state of convalescence are not able to proceed further with their regiments, and the men are ex pected to leave this in about fourteen days; and these poor creatures, emaciated and dried with the sun, will be left in a foreign land without any protection or home whatever. What I thought of was. to provide a house and food for such as have none; moat of them have blankets, but to those who have not I would propose lending them some, and to encourage those who are able to get about to wait on the sick, cook, and wash. If your Committee is pleased to approve of this plan, I shall be most happy to superintend the whole matter, and I an quite sure it would relieve many a poor man of intense anxiety. The cold weather will be soon setting in, then what will these poor women do? If the ladies in England would send us a little flannel, a few blankets, and left-off gannents, they would be rendering us a great service, &e. The great work that is going on for the wives and families of the soldiers by means of the Association in which you take so prominent and energetic a part causes abundant joy to the husbands and fathers here; and when I remind them of what is doing they seem overjoyed, and many thanks are expressed both to yourself and the Committee and benevolent friends for the sympathy shown them. Numerous aro the deaths from cholera and fevers, and doubtless many who are cared for by your Association are really widows, but news of the fact may not have reached them. They have not yet entered the field, but every day the order for embarkation for the SATURDAY, Crimea is expected, where doubtless many will fall, and these poor fellows have their eyes upon your Association to protect their wives and children. I am happy to say I have been well received by the men generally; to point them to the ' Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world; is my ostensible work, and to tell them of the great work going on in England for the good of those they have left behind is in perfect keeping: it is indeed good news. The poor women who have followed their husbands to this place are in a moat pitiable condition. and when the expedition sails for the Crimea they will be lett here. Would that we had an Association here for these poor objects! Varna is in perfect confusion; how could it be otherwise with such a congregation of nations. fierce, wild, desperate-looking fellows, armed to the teeth, ar.xiously waiting for the signal to summon them to the tight? May you long be spared in your glorious work, of all works the most enviable, to care for the poor, &c. &c." Immediately on the receipt of these letters the Committee met, and decided that a donation of blankets, shawls, &c. &c., should immediately be sent to Varna, and the sum of 1 001. should be granted for the use of these women. On the Ist September goods to the amount of 341. were sent by steam to Constantinople, addressed to the care of the Consul• General, who was requested to use his discretion in forwarding them to Varna. A bill of exchange for 1001. was also sent to the same authority, with instructions and authority to Mr. Ray to act as the almoner of the Association. . _ Private letters received by the Committee fully corroborate the fact of the distress of these poor women, fur, though they receive what are called rations, no other female comforts can be provided for them. " Camp near Varna, August 24th, 1R64. " Dearest,—Yours dated August 3rd came to band on the 16th. I have received all your letters except one. You did tell me, my dear, that seven shillings a week was what you received from the Association ; and although that is a mere trifle in a place like London, yet we ought to be very thankful for it. You say you deeply regret you did not go with me; indeed, my dear wife, much as I desire to be whit you, I think it one of the most pro vidential things ever happened for you to be where you are, instead of being here; badly off as you are now, you would be utterly miserable here. We have lost already two married men of cholera. 1 sleep in the staff tent ever siuce I got better of the cholera. Everything is enormously high here; a meuthful of white bread and cheese for supper costs bd. One thing lately we can always get, a pint of ale fur 2d. or porter lid.; in fact, it is the only thing we relish; for the bread is very bad, and we get nothing but the nasty beef, which we cannot eat, ►ut boil down and make soup of. I get, as 1 said before, Is. Ind. a day pay. Out of this, iici. is stopped for rations, and 2d. a day for mess. money ; so that by the time I pay for something tit to eat there is not much left; still I shall, please God. send you all I can, kc. The women here have no way of making money by washing, the water is too far off, &c. " I am sorry to say I have been very ill, and, as it Is far the best for me to let you know the whole truth, I must inform you that I have had the cholera; I was very bad while it lasted, but thank the God of all goodness for his great mercy, He has restored me. The doctors have been very kind indeed to me; everything I could wish for was got for me ; almost all the officers and the colonel came to me and inquired about me constantly. Poor L. M., J. M., and E., and Mrs. L., have all died since my last; also J. R. and S. F. Indeed, my dearest wife, I rely in perfect confidence in my Redeemer, and feel myself quite un worthy of His mercy ; and during the worst of my illness I felt humbled before Hiram whom alone my salvation is sure. Your ever-loving husband, " E. R." The wife of the writer of this letter (a most excellent non commissioned officer) was left nearly destitute with five young children. She bears a most irreproachable character, and is most anxious to exert herself to obtain her own livelihood; but what can she do with five young children? Her two eldest girls are entirely provided for by the Association, and she receives a weekly allowance of seven shillings. The Committee perceive with pleasure that the authorities are gradually sending them home from the East. Three arrivals of soldiers' families have already been brought before the Com mittee, for no sooner do they land than they apply to the Asso ciation, and it is needless to add how readily their application is always responded to. WIDOWS AND ORPHANS. The first efforts of this Association were limited to the imme diate relief of the Wives of Soldiers ordered on active service, who, in consequence of their having families, were left behind, utterly destitute of all means of existence save the temporary out door parish relief. Since that time the sword and the pestilence have too fatally done their sad work, and many of these poor people have become more hopelessly destitute by the death of their husbands. The Committee, however, encouraged by the magnificent con tributions received from all parts of the world, have found them selves in a position to make the following scale of donations for Widows, which is the same that was adopted by the administra tors of the Waterloo Fund, in 1815 : Unanimously resolved,—" That relief in the shape of a dona tion not exceeding the undermentioned sums, being the same as agreed to by the Waterloo Committee on the 28th of June, 1815, be adopted as a scale for the Widows of non-commissionee. Offi cers and Soldiers now serving against Russia. " A Pension may be granted, in the place of the whole or part of such Donation, should it appear expedient to the Committee." SCALE OF DONATION FOR WIDOWS WITH CHILDREN DEPENDENT FOR SUPPORT. --- ------- - --- --- - ---- .. T e 6 • W 4. 6 • 0 . al 4 Rank. f-.. 3 ,f, A . ... iz t; I. i u E., re• ce Si ASS ASC.& Sergeant-Major Sergeant Corporal 45 GO 70 75 80 90 100 110 120 Drummer Private Of Widows the Association has already sixtytour in their boo ks, and of Orphans 108. The following letter shows that for the Widows of those brave men who perished with their Colonel in the Europa transport ample provision was made, and that the measures adopted for their relief have fully satisfied the Officer commanding the deptit of the Inniskillings " Canterbury Barracks, July 13th, 104. " Sir,—l have the honour to acknowledge, with many thanks, the receipt of your memorandum, detailing the amount of the donations granted by the Association of which you are the ho norary Secretary to the widows and orphans of the five noncom missioned officers and men of the Inniskilling Dragoons who were lost in the Europa transport. " The ready and liberal aid thus sent to their relief will, I trust, be effectual to alleviate in some degree their distress; and it marks, too, in a way for which I am most grateful, how deeply the Committee of your admirable Association appreciate the bra very and noble conduct of those who stood by their Colonel to the last. '• Sure I am, from private accounts which I have received, that had all on board done their duty as manfully as those who pe rished, there would not have been a life lost in the Europa.