The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-04-01 00:00:00

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
UNEMPLOYLD OF LONDON.

On Monday afternoon, a deputation on behalf of the
unemployed workmen who have lately held meetings
In Cow-cross waited upon Mr. Stanefeld at the Poor
Law Board, with the object of soliciting the Govern-
ment to impose an emigration rate on the metropolis
for the purpose of assisting unemployed persons to
emigrate. Mr. Stanafelei was attended by Mr.
'fibbed, M.P., and Mr. Fleming ; and the deputa-
tion was introduced by Mr. Itivington, a gentleman
cortected with the district from which the men came.
The introducer had briefly stated the purpose
of the deputation, when Mr. Stansfeld, said he
could not wait to hear any of the men's addresses,
for he had been summoned to a Cabinet Council,
and, as the summons had only reached him the
day before, he had been unable to ask the deputa-
tion to make another appointment The object of the
deputation was not one which could be dealt with by
the department, and being a subject concerning which,
if he listened to tuem, he must consult the Govern-
ment, he should be unable to answer them off-hand.
Under these circumstances he thought the deputation
'night make their statements to Mr. Hihbert, the
Parliaweotary Secretary, and Mr. Fleming, the
Permanent Secretary, who would report the result of
the meeting to him, and this course he thought
would be better than asking them to come at
another time. The deputation consented to this
courae and Mr. Stansfeld having retired, Mr.
Catlin: the miaaionary of Cow-cross, addressing Mr.
El ibbert and Mr. Fleming, stated that the want of
work among men who were really willing to work had
been rapidly increasing, and few people, he said, could
be aware of the extent this evil had reached. He said
the last resource was an appeol to the G ivernment to
raise an emigration rite of a penny, or the Govern-
ment might help by giving assistance from the Con-
solidated Fund, or by lending a Goveounent ship, one
of the nanny said to be rotting in the ror.dstrusla of
England. He read a letter, the rample, lie declared,
of a pocketful, which sold the writer had pawned every
article, even to his tools and bedclothes, to buy fetal.
This was a carp-store ietter, and to it was added the
obseervati en that the building trade was an I had been
very bad La London.
Mr. Osborne, who explained that he was the manager
of house property, and had come out of sympathy with
the unemployed, stated that he had lately employed
plasterers who had been out of work for five months
"at a stretch." He declared that these were an "fanny
working men," but men who were thorough good
workmen, who would have beea assisted out by the
emigration societies, only there societies now had no
hind., the BrLiah Colonial itself being £l,OOO in debt.
Ile urged teat to wlopt the plan of an emigration
rate would be in the end a great raving to the metro-
polis, and that the rate of a penny in the pound wonld
be staple. The men did not want to be assisted out
as paupers, be said, arid it was not fair to throw
the burden upon the parishes of sending out emi.
grants, for such pariehes were flocked to from all parts
of Great Britain. Instead of limiting the plan to a
parieh, he even thought it would be advisable to have
a national rate. The men, he further said, were out of
work through no fault of their own, for they were not
trade unionists or drunkards. It was a matter of
regret, he added, that the men were not in a trade
union, for such men were the beet off, and always got
help. Three men then addressed the secretaries, and
these speakers said they had a little work now, after
being out a long time, and they were still desirous of
emigrating, as they were badly paid, and their "jobs"
would naad.

ifibber-i and Mr. Fleming asked many queen.
tions ex to the class of men who desired to emigrate,
and drew attention to the objections whih had been
rsited by the Canadian and United States' Gowrn-
ments ta any of the pauper cligses being sent jut)
the=e countrieg, as they bad caused much trouble.
Mr. Osborne said the pauper damseß, as a rule, liked
to live in the courtx and alleys where they were born,
and did not care to seek for work.
_

The Rev. Mr. Styleman Herring, Mr. Standish
Haly, Mr. Rowland, and Mr. Cave also addressed the
secretaries and those connected with the emigrati
societies (which had aslisted out pereons who had
saved some part of the cost themselve.), and stated
that since the existence of the funds for helping the
French hardly any subscriptions came in for this home
purpose, and, moreover, the shipowners had added to
the cost of passage.
. . . .

Mr. Ilibbert, in reply, pointed out what Mr. Stens-
feld had said, that as the deputation did not seek for
emigration at the hands of the Guardians, the Depart-
ment had only to do with the subject, as part of the
Government, and as he should take care to report the
subject to the
_proper quarter, be had no doubt the
views of the d,Tutation would receive full considers-
tion. The deputation then retired.