Star. — London, England, 1816-11-27 00:00:00

Allettnetossi 2 g l2ll2 = === " l—- liuous, at long• ago we 'shot& have negotiated a taion between , our poverty and your wealth; but one word exclude's its from this—this conjunction is restricted to parishes within the same county, and London is a county 'within itself. Now, this is very unfortunate, as it has been estimated that. much more than' one half of our population work for masters who reside in the City. Now, observe, my Lord, how unequal a division takes place. You have the man. and the labours of the mail, when he can work, and we have him and his family when he cannot — you have his strength, and we his infirmity—you his health, and we his sickness—you his youth, and we his age; intshort, you have the labourer, and we the pauper—ryou have the profits of his labour, and we the charges of his maintenance. But let not any Gentleman imagine that we now ask for aid to our parochial funds—no such misapplication will take place. Whether this subscription be large or small, it will still he the duty of the overseers to exact from the househOlders every shilling that can be obtained. But ! shall be asked, why do we not increase our rates, and thus raise sufficient for the support of the poor ? Because we cannot—because the majority of those who pay the rates are themselies poor; and perhaps there is no class More distressed, more the objects of pity, than these householders. Great cons rniseration is due to those who have seen better times—who, struggling against the waves that three: ten 'tn overwhelm him, can hardly resist them.—, ,Great pity is also due to those who are obliged to , support a respectable appearance, and to do so, are obliged to curtail their food. These are our house holders, and experience has convinced vs, that with these we have arrived at the maximorn of parochial assessment that if we increase the rates, we lessen ' the amount tliey produce—that the only consequence of such attempted advance is, that we are obliged to strike their names rat: of the list of those Who pay the'rates, and insert it in that of those who received them. Observe, then, the hardship of our case—our proximity to the City, which, being in another coun ty, deprives us of the benefit of the Poor Laws, while that very proximity overloads us with poor—the dearness of house-rent in the City, its cheapness in the Fields, sends to us all that are too miserable to reside amongst sou, and renders Spitalfields what in deed it is, a grand drain for the distresses of the Ca pital—a kind ot Metropolitan Workhouse, to which all that is wretched resorts. Other causes also ope rate. The depression throughout the country de prives us of our in•st considerable market for the:ilk manufacture. The exclusion fro:3 foreign markets, but as this is a consequence of the peace, we do not repine—we rej..ice to think that this, which causes Our distress, causes also the ha ;pines; of others, and subserves the general interests of humanity. But there is one consequence of the peace which we can not survey with the same complacency—and I men tion it the more freely, because we are so highly ho. flouted in one part ot our attendance this day (the I Ladies) —tae introduction of silks of foreign manu facture. lam persuaded that the efforts and the in fluence of the exarnFle of this Meeting may check this cruel practice; and I am also persuaded that no female of our country would array herself in silks of foreign manufacture, if she knew the groans and the tears it occasioned in the deplorable recesses of our district.—( Lord applause:.) These are the causes w:tich produce a degree, an expanse of distress ut terly beyond eaupowees-t® describe. I could detain you till midnight reading scenes of distress that we have witnessed, but 1 hasten to a larger topic. We all have been educaed in a belief that the necessity of gcing to the workhouse is the last of human mis fortunes to the poor , and truly to resign their home, even with its few endearments, their liberty, their every hope of future independence and prosperity-.- to separate child from parent, the wife from the hus band—to sep trate those branches from the same stem, which have only entwined the more closely under the wintry blast of misfortune (misfortune often rivets more nearly the ties of natural and con jugal affection) —and to exchange for these the con straint and the fare of a workhouse, is truly heart.. rending'; yet such is the aggravated distress, that to get into the workhouse is an object of great desire with the poor—that we are actually canvassed for our interest—and that the candidates for this Is bad emi nence," for the enviable distinction of residing in the midst of rags and ruin, are most earnest in their intrea ties, that success in it is an object of congratulation.— But let me not mislead you; you may imagine, from this eagerness of the poor that our workhouse is pe culiar in its kind. Ido not deny that it is conducted with every attention to cleanliness and comfort; but to prove to you that it is not an abode of luxurious entertainment or sumptuous accommodation, I must tell you that at a late visit to it I found that three persons slept in each bed, and that it is now necessary to increase that number to four. My Lord, I feel more and more that,- I cannot do justice to the ties*. I wish i could prevail upon you to see it with your own eyes. Come when you please, select al most your own street, almost your own house in that street, your own room in that house, and I under take that in that room you will find a proof that our picture is faint and feeble. Every where are to' be seen scenes of ruin, hunger, and even death... Thee., sicians well acquainted with the district assure us that our people are peculiarly subjected to disorders ori ginating in deficiency of food, and that at this time multitudes ut children- are swept into an untimely grave by disorders, of -.hick abstinence was the only' cause, and for which loud would be the only titre., But this is not all, there ate scenes of deeper misery, Hof darker Horror, scenes so sad, so dismal, so revolt ing, that did -not imperious duty demand the sacri fice of our feelings, I sbould gladly bury them in eternal oblivion— scenes of actual starvation. On Friday last I saw a man who was lately found among some willows ,in our district. There were some re mains of life in him, but (I hardly know how to convey so loathsome an image) the vermin of all kinds had already seised upon him as their prey.— He was found on a Saturday, and his own story was that the last he recollected was sinking down p r eceding Wednesday, overcome with there on the witeeiness and hattger. I asked him if he had a wife? Sir,". said he, is thank GOD, I can suffer better site wis py others, because I suffer alone." I could tral you another instance, but I must throw a veil aerie - them acmes. too sad even for description; and, indeed, oar anacchedacs% does not consist so mach in Ineivoiuil instance, as sr the aggregate, the humus. sity. It is not that ennestsirve, but that so many are on the verge of atarveitle*----Itrhsnot dint a fsersaftr,' hut that so.few one of those: .distre . Jers that are deadly in osse swot,. and unknoteit the next ; it rather 'partakes of • the nature of those more g eoeral visitations of pestilence, which spread their disastrous contagion a lt iround, and desolate a district, and in which the general contagion envenoms the individual taint. Ein it is with ue—the general distress deepens the private calamity. In ordinary times the poor are the best friends of the poor. There ,is (and happy is it) a sympathy in affliction (we find .it as a ray of light amid the gloom), a fellow feeling in distress, a kind of benefit society( to which all the wretched are free, a society not indeed enrolled and registered . by Act of Parliament, but by higher au thority, and with more awful sanction, by the instincts which PROVIDENCE has implanted in the human heart, but this is a virtue that is for better times. The poor man can hardly support himself, and therefore can hardly assist others. Ido not mean to say that he does not. We have met with instances, which have exalted our' respect for human nature—instances which recal the Widow recorded in the New Testa giant, whose whole possession was a handful of meal in a barrel, and a drop of oil in a cruse," , yet she Was willing to share them with the afflicted stranger. But if.this proves that the poor are not be reft of every ordinary hope, is it not a lesson to us ? If the poor man who is obliged to deny his ensaris. fied appetite, and having divided sulscient horn his only loaf to' hide the remainder for the next day's meal, if lie yet find some place for mercy in his seal, .and miserable himself, is yet impelled to share his re maining crust with the more miserable ; if the strong impulse of humanity urges hies to so dear a sacrifice, does it not teach the man who is clothed in soft rai ment and fares sumptuously every day, to give some• thing more than the crumbs that fall from his table to the wretchedness that surrounds his gate?--( Great Aftftlause. ) But why this superior mercy in the poor ? Because be has learned it in the school of affliction. He knows what it is to want bread, and this has opened his heart, and enlivened his affections for those who are exposed to the rigour of the season, and the craving importunities of hunger—but the rich man caneot feel this. He can experimentally know nothing of what it is, when the poor man willing to strain every nerve in labour, is denied the employment which might staunch the tears of his wile, and appease the cries of his children—alien jike the wretch I have mentioned, he is willing to suffer, if he might suffer alone, firm against his own afflictions, but when be looks around him, sunk to the effeminacy of kers— (Loud An/itause.) In ordinary times, too, indivi dual charity may meet individual distress—it may dis cover cases of peculiar hardship and relieve them, but in this mass of misery selection is almost cruelty—you relieve one case, but then you must deny a thousand with equal claims to your compassion. Private charity found itself perplexed, confused, and baffled by the variety of applicants, and hardly kilo , / which was right, the partiality which would select some, to the exclusion of ethers—or that impartiality which could give but a crumb to each. A general effort was necessary, a division of labour, a division of districts, a combination of energy, of activity, of bounty was necessary—and this was the origin of our institution. A survey of the whole mass was taken—it was divi ded into thirty-eight districts — and 120 Gentlemen volunteered their services Thus every street and every alley of this wide district is regularly visited, and would be regularly relieved, did odr funds allow it. Believe me, my Lord, this system of visitation has its advantages—the poor are seen at their own houses, the truth of their tale is ascertained—we are not so much exposed to deception—besides where charity gives without personal inquiry, importunity often gains that which modest and unobtrusive merit cannot obtain. Widows, for instance, who having disposed of almost all their clothing to procure bread, are ashamed to appear in the streets.— Those who have seen better times—we met a soldier, a man who had fought the battles of his country with some humble distinction, but is now oppressed by a very large family—he was one ef those 46 Who ask wit\ painful shyness; and refused, Because deserving, silently retire." (Hear, hear).—There was something in his breast, be it pride, or blUcling, but something forbade him to mingle in ds of importunate beggary. This general visitation is part of our plan ; but besides this, we sell, or rather have sold, rice at 2d. per lb. salt fish—fish, my Lord, that would not disgrace your hospitable mansion, at Id. per lb. Now observe the chain of good—we employ a very distressed class, the sailors—in this time of dearth we introduce food into the country ; and, lastly, we distribute that tood exactly where it is wanted most. This is our plan, if it proceed it must do great good—if it fail, and fail it must, if this day does not give it vital vigour— the hopes of the poor fail with it. Remember then, that the distress is urgent beyond all former occa. sions—that thousands, and tens of thousands hang upon your decision this day. Remember that you sit in judgment upon the fate of the widow and the orphan. If unfavourable, you steep , the orphan in' ten-fold misery—if favourable, you will indeed make • the widow's bean to sing with yoy."—[This speech, the interest of which was considerably heightened by the forcible and pathetic manner in which it was de livered, was received with the loudest applause]. • Mr. HANKSY next addressed the Meeting. He described the poor at Spitalfields not merely entitled to public commiseration, as sufferers, but as innocent `oneS. The groans of a distressed and patient popn ' laiion had reached the ears of the public, and he hoped that the public would give them that attention which they merited. In this hope be was the more confident when he found them advocated by the hu manity and eloquence of the Gentleman who prece ded him, and those Mends who acted with him— (Loud olaute.)—The poormanufacturen and others, in whose cause the meeting was assembled, had this additional claim en public bounty—That in the midst of their sufferings and privations, they had ever con ducted themselves with the greatest attention to pub lic order—(Hear, hear.)—The only appeal which they had made was of that kind which be trusted would ever meet with attention—an appeal to public hunianity (Hear, hear.)—This he trusted would meet its jest *sward ; and the present Meeting would set an eitastrve to the whole country, and thew that the breasts of the well disposed were much more suseep uble of humanity than, of fear—(Loorl4fivi4asissi)—, If his voice , could reach those poor wining mssw• • • • (sewers and. labeuters he would say to thems... os e eermee hi your integrity and peaceable candor. ift&anastAis Goo and the hinnitnity of your fellow. lobjeeta for relief,. and yon wiliest* be disappointed" --(Loud eippiasuir.)-keThe Address which was before read, was then put and unanimously adopted. Mr. HAse therecame forward, and observed, that at no *period before' the present was such distress known as now existed. The instances of distress which had been cited were comparatively light to those thousand other eases whim might be ..nume rated. The instances • were many where wretched mothers might be seen endeavouring to suckle their pour infants, while they themselves were actually wasted, and their constitutions nearly destroyed through the want of food. Many ,plsns of relief had been suggested, but until some one of them could be carried into effect, until a wise Government should provide some remedy for the genet al distress, some temporary assistence should be afforded. -As that was•the immediate object of the Meeting, he should move—" That a Su!iacription he immediately en tered into, for the perpese of Relieving the Distress ed Pair of Srtal-fields arid its vicinity." The Rev. M-. PRATT said, that as a Minister of Religion in the district to whose distress the Meeting referred, and as the Member of an Association form ed to alleviate that distress, he felt linnsell called upon to submit a few observations. The Ladies and{ Gentlemen of the benevolent Society with which he had the honour to be connected (as President), had within the last year made no less than 15,000 visits, in order to *,certain the nature and eitent of the misting distress, and to make a just distribution OEI the funds entrusted to the Society, which funds amounted to about £2OOO. In the course of this in. quiry, such cases of distress bad been found as he thought it unnecessary to detail, after what the Meet ing had already heard ; but he assured the Meeting that some of these cases were still more afflicting.— Yet the sufferings of the distressed were patiently ,borne, each sufferer being reconciled to the endurance of what PaovmeNce decreed—being willing to sub. mit to the diffi ulties of his situation with Christian like fortitude. Upon this occasion he felt the pro. priety of complying with the recommendation of the Chairman, to abstain from any point not im mediately connected with charity ; and therefore he should not enter into any consideration of the causes which produced our present distress.— But whatever might have been that cause—whether the sheathing of the sword throughout Europe had not produced the wants of our own people, it was the duty of those who had the means to apply their means to the relief of these wants. For to whatever quarter blame might attach, no part of that blame was at tributable to those sufferers, whose claim to pity was quite irresistible. These sufferers were unfortunately very nunezrous. From the visits of the Society with which he was connected, it appeared that no less than 8000 persons were out of employment in the district of Spitalfields; and considering the number of those dependent upon these persons, there was reason to believe that 45,000 individuals were actually in want of food. To relieve that want was the great object of the Benevolent Society. Hitherto it had been often observed, that the spirit of the lower order of the people of England WAS so depressed, that they were not unwilling to avail themselves of parochial aid, in order to avoid the labours of industry, but at present no such observation (if at any time just) could at all be applicable. Fir Sow the most indus trious sought in vain for employment, and the highest spirit was borne down by the k severity of want. Thus the industrious poor were compelled to appeal to I charity. or rativr to look for some portion of that ' fund which was virtually their own, in order to miti gate their necessities. Yet the holiest poor who were willing to labour, were often found to turn their manly faces from the ministered charity (applause:). Into the causes of our present calamity he did not, he repeated, propose to enter. but whatever those causes were, it must be admitted that as the difference of seasons was the cause of a provident disposition among men, so that vicissitude which must have oc `curred with the permission of Noviniece, should dispose those who suffered on the present occasion to meet their fate with resignation. That resignation was. he was happy to say, evinced by the poor of Spitalfields. For those poor chewed a quiet submis sion to their fate, and he could ascribe such submis sion only to the diffusion of Christian knowledge among his neighbours, through the highly laudable industry of the Bible Societies. Here the Reverend Gentleman stated, that the Rev. Mr. Yates had just pot into his hands the contribution of £lOO towards the object of the Meeting, from Mrs. Price, of Chelsea. (Laud 41isidarmer:) The Reverend Gentleman con cluded with observing, that domestic servants should be urged to contribute towards the raid of the ppor,. l For those servants were known to be secure of food,' while their wages accumulated, and therefore they should be called upon to assist the poor, perhaps their own relations, in a season of unpgralleled calamity. Mr. HAMMETT (the Banker) then proposed a Com-. mittee to apportion the said subscription to the sup port of the Spitalfields Association, the Bpitalllelds Soup Society, and the Bpitalfields Benevolent Sq.l ciety • it consisted of the following Gentlemen : Samuel Hoare, Ida. T. F. Buxton. Edward Meyriek, Jobb Daughtree, John Cooper, Wm. Fry, John Arch, Thos. Richard son, Samuel Woods, Wm. Hale, Robert Barclay, John Honyinan, Edward Lawson, J. J. Lister, Peter Bedford, John Sanderson, and Win. PWilipt;Estirs. Mr. HASImETT observed; that having personally visited Spitalfields, he could bear testimony. to the statements which the Meeting had already.heard. To chose statements he did not mean to offer any addi. tion, nor. could be think it necessary, for the hearts of all Englishmen must be interested by. such state. menu. Of the several societies iastituted at Spital fields for the relief of the poor, he felt himself able from personal observation, to speak in unqualified terms of praise, and especially of the Soup Society. The object of this Meeting would, he hoped and trusted, he fully attained, for it was a Meeting which met his entire approbation. Therefore he should have been glad tp see among the Meeting those im portant persons the Directors of the sank of England, with the principal nserchanteofLondon, and also the Members of that. Body of which be was a Member, in order to cooperate with .the truly worthy Magis trate who occupied the chair in support of such a laudable objects He should have been more happy to witness such an assemblage because be disapproved .of what had.been done in other Meetings, with a view 10-0 1 dint-under abbliderationiand be disapproved oarless:arty of the Meeting at the City h e. Cavern, which of course he dictn a sh tt rui nl ut , not attend that Meeting because h e felt propose that the tueirovlis a lo ne relieve the country at lar ge . The id ea preposterous. li•it hurt! and. trust e d Meeting would. verve as +n exaruol e to the 'h c i o t u s n e t o r t y l l , darn d oc( t ) h o 1 .4 t ;? every individ ua l ;:I {-,:c kcal :se s ,. c i at i ous ' t tl to whom he hoedhoed ailud-d, as w e ll at ev ery heard would en.l..avo ut t o ;wane , scf he tt tions. It was indeed not less the duty than of every rational man to promote the fatten an example. All rational mess were loom' thick differences of political opinion, aro round the country when it was menaced b) sion of an external enemy, but no such enema be• so dangerous as those who were now themselves of public distress to excite to malt ; who without the disposition or the relieving the poor, were struggling to t • r. passions to a ;:ne ci conduct calculated gravate their misfortune. He biped, howev er the result of this Meeting would serve as - to such poisonous machinations. If the and cold of the winter should be satire:al.. distress which the poor were already condemn e d endure, there was too much reason to Ap r • - the complaints of the people would be heito a way, that if they did not shake the sem' Establishments, might endanger the hap? country. Op those grounds, as well as considtrattrins of benevolence which he fad influencedthe Meeting, he exhorted every who heard him to subscribe on this occat proMotegeueral assuciatiotis far the relief o which associations must serve to convince were their real friends and best benetactr Mr. Sheriffßeetx;es seconded the Moti Mr. WooDs, in seconding the mr tion, character and conduct of the Soup Soci 'fields. This Society had, he said, been 1797, and after an experience of twer: been found extremely beneficial to the pm' the first year of its institution it gave 75,000 quarts of soup, at one penny eati years of 1800 and 181'2; when public ei severe, no less than 4175,0(A)quarts had of, at an expense of about kW per d. ciety. But the distress at present war dented, that upon this morning the Sea l ing at nine o'clock, it was found necess::: the supply by ten, and by half after el soup could be served out, S,COO quarts then disposed of, and it was the mortifil Committee to see, that after the stifft no less than 250 applicants, orebabty tho lives of so many families, were sent any soup at all. Mr. Bur TeRWORTII, in moving the Lord Mayor and the persons concerned this Meeting, and establishing the A: ged to bear testimony to the admirable and praise worthy attention to the poor, Society to which allusion had just been was the best managed Establishment the kingdom, and was an exception to that- 4, too many cooks spoiled the 1 here, though be believed the management trusted to seventy Gentlemen, vet no better ever made than they manufactured. Hr mit to the decision on this point of the derman near the Chair (Sir William was no bad judge of such matters. (Loud This soup was so excellent, that the poor • Ito dilute it. Many persons of benevolent were now daily engaged in administerii the poor, not only in temporal matters, soothing and consoling their minds, enable them to hear their adversity Such persons were entitled to every gratis Plante.) —They went silently from the garret, to seek out suffering poverty, misery. The Honourable Gentletnai tenting the Association for the Reli and other humane and Chatitable In served, that the Gentleman in the most creditably stepped tor ward wide and subscribed £l5OO for the reli4of men.—(4/i/1/aere. ) Sir Wm. CURTIS, in second;nl that the detail of distress which th, heard was such, that he could not ad . ( the jocular allusion of his worthy just sat down. The Motion was agreed to. Mr. MARRYATT then proposed, thanks of this Meeting be given to the able the Lord tlayor, for the zeal hr is the cause of the poor, the prompti ;be granted the Egyptian Hall for t qu it . and for his able conduct in the 1 Mr. Alderman ATKINS seconded congratulated the Lord Mayor on tit , 'able situation whi c h h e occu pi e d as such ap assembly. The object of deed, having in tr::sv the insmediate furnished a sulking contrast to airy or that field, convened only to deer: ment—(ifitser, and crier of 46 no politics noural)e Alderman expressed a hope t ing would serve to convince the suffer' sympathy felt by their affluent swig! served, that this was the first. right taken for the benefit of our distressed Therefore the Meeting had his Limits tion.—The motion was adopted with The. Loeu MAYOR, in returning th, sion to communicate the t eqitest of Soup Comnsittce, that old clothes . it for the accommodation of the pour Magistrate at ated, that he had imicle in his own establishment, which generally•adopted—natne;y, that / the loaf were reduced to a shillint pies and puddings should be prohite Every iodividthol thould submit, at day privation likely to piumute the) The worthy Magistrate concluded every person in the community to trates in making proper provision 1, preserving the Police of the caurar; A Gentleman enquired, wht:ti,, meant to confine itself ent:rtly to N One . of the Commitoce.repe,- their Wallkill, 14 that District etubodwd r of • 14 • He , itabs>vatten uld I ° l I a ' in.h- te. 111 4 ' •"'" the eolti:4te '• • is , , ke. 't those ou ''' era' min tech a ~ • i t , tl 111 the i,. 1* uente o t ache and to f ern , 7145 • and t o , lon a d by t k e i t enemy c ROW aea i • • - to public pl . , the m ein , .T, inflame der . .t .7'' !d on l y to , how ever , ien as an art; of I ee in t t ext ; c ; :added to t h e C o n d emned to . Ore ipprehe ro l th at 4111 1 : 1 heard it, etc h ~ a s e —i iecur ity e gr „ r • aPpineis t h e P . as f rom e m et tel e had no &ilk •' • • err/ Gratin** tcasi. n 1 LA ti lid of diaper, e , I ince thee atio. 0 " 1411 CtOrt. 01 COS lotion. • ▪ aescrib t a t i e ' icily of Spat en institateda • —1 enty y eata h id . but t poor. Wita a * r I tve to the fate !ach ; but late distress was ,d been slit* day to the Ss. ere °I eras is or ,p reet . medi cup.sh: , p ecm JOll l :dessert to list the elever. ^o ma • ' its having ba t . °v .. ; tification of d t e u tply had cad ..The y the teptetere. -1 t away elk y thanks to the titer led in coat* Issociaties, Int 11 ' Ile manageaat • oor, of the So! eala been made it of the kind la . • to the roes% • he broth ;" for , 'gement was iep better soapt4 He would Wt., the Worthy Al. , In Cattiq, acc a (Loud (alike.) mai poor wearers to am rolent dispodixa Mi r o tittering relief a tiers, but also a ds, the belles a gi with firmness.- gratitude.—(# the cellar to tit .y, and relieve i nan atter cos: elief of the Pa, • Institution% r , • Silk rratic 01 • thin the last wi* of the pout wait 'L fi the titian, tat, id the Meettng atio:d a guile j<. y isi.ud who htl that the ea. the !tight Hun' he !:as manif tilt highly hero 1 f tiiis assembly e relief of the •; sly meeting at leery the Gor.- lope that this offering rat' of eighboars, :Ist and direct iaed countrynaria uqualified or vith acclarsatioa ✓ thanks, toot '. of the SI itsl ' • s h,pui.l he sot! i P • out The wool at ode an arringe Ise wished to t until the pica nig, the MAking iihtted—(4B/il • at such a v ista,. he relict of the ed wit h CAllit l g art aciif.t the Pfla t for v uipers, I try. eitt.sitiusitiel;l,rebo