The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-19 00:00:00

HA YIfAILF2Tt

THIS EVINDIG, AN TII:II.UCICY MORTAL )I Barris.
—FINNS& Marrs. A Wigan. Howe, Bricknone, Gordon,
and Marren Min A. Wigan. Mrs. Wilkins, Miss L. Angel.—
EASY SHAVING.—And MY HUSBAND'S GHOST.

PRINCIPME.
Tim Emma% COI7AIN TOM —cousr AND CAMP.
Mews. 0. Vtutag, Verner, H. blandoa, Daimon.
and Waite: Mama A Dedovick. J. talJlavr, sad Lydia
illempon.—And A I7ABMIMO PAIR.

LYCEUM.
TEE, EVIEUE. A SUDDEN ATTACK. Mom. filsore and
111ddlcomb fkrarade and Mrs Lee.—And THE DUKES
MOTTO. Wawa IrenOkr, Share. Brazgham, and Eyed:
Wawa C. latlereq E. Terry, and Elmorthy.

BRITANNIA.
THIS MIMIC, THL WIDOW AND OITHANS.—IPAITTI,
HONE AND CPJALITY, with Preffemor ra da a an el
THE GREAT oast loNented by H. DeraZaja—Tbe
Brothers Cobra as - And TILE DAIIJONTILL OF NIGHT.

I(S WASIK AT WNWII BIIDUL
ire DAT —Wraps. Sh. „Waves. AL 71a.
1,-Roaao fp.mandas. 4., ..Aneasesei. Oa

LO NDON, FRIDAY, JUNE 19.

IT is dalLcult to see on what grounds any serious
oppositi ,on could be offered to the Public Works
Bill for •the Manufacturing Districts, which was
read t second time Mat night. Mr. Ihuirms.
detail, el statement places the whole question of
the p 1 wooed works in a perfectly clear and intel-
ligibl a kght, and sufficiently justifies on public
groin ids both the necessity and expediency of the
message. The Bill does not, of course, propose to
ineei; on any adequate scale, or effectually redress,
the terrible evils which the cotton famine has in-
flicted on the manufacturing districts. That must in
any case be a work of time, and can only be effected
through the operation of many corrective agencies,
the chief and most hopeful of which is the revival
• of the trade itself. Nor does the Bill attempt in
any way to interfere with the legal responsibility
of the localities affected to maintain their own
poor, or with their effective authority in
relation both to the choice and superinten-
denoe of the works they may be under-
taking. Neither, of course, is there the least inten-
tion to reduce, much less to supersede, the existing
demands for labour, or the existing means of
relief. It is proposed simply as a precautionary
and prudential measure, and must be regarded as
one amongst other conditions of amelioration, such
as esnigratioe, the revival of trade, and the gradual
absorption of some at least of the unemployed
labour in other fields of remunerative industry.
The main object, as Mr. VILLIERS pointed out, is
to eelieve in some degree the suffering and humilia-
tion of the destitute workpeople, who now live as
paupers, and are dependent upon charity for their
daily bread. The principle of the measure, that
of providing labour for the unemployed hands, is
a thoroughly sound and satisfactory one. The
moral effects of compulsory idleness and
pecuniary relief are in the long run
more serious and more to be dreaded
than the immediate physical results of hardship:
and privation, however painful for the moment
these may be. Almost any kind of labour is
better than total inactivity, while some kind of
occupation is absolutely essential to the mainte-
nance of the industrial character and spirit of this
large and valuable class of workmen. Thus
was so generally recognised six months ago, that
the great problem of the hour even then was hos
to find occupation for the operatives—by emigra-
tion, or by creating new fields of labour near their
own homes. Mr. Vuxures' Bill, as directly facili-
tating the latter object, is undoubtedly a measure
of most seasonable and effective relief.
No one pretend& to deny the urgent necessity of
such a measure. The cotton manufacture is, in-
deed, happily beginning to revive, and the compa-
rative number of persons receiving parochial relief
has steadily diminished every week for mont'm
past. But it would be a serious, and in its prac-
tical effect a dangerous, delusion to imagine for a
moment that any revival of the trade wb:ch has
taken place, or is likely to take place for some
months to come, will reduce to insignificance
the number of workpeople dependent on legal
and charitable relief. A contemporary, in its
anxiety to look* on the bright side—or still
more, perhaps, in its eager desire to convict the
Lancashire people of inconsistency, groundless
alarm, and an inordinate craving for public help—
has fallen into a serious mistake on this head.
The Times represents the diminution in the wieldy
returns of those receiving relief to be so rapid
that the number is now reduced to little more
than a half of what it was six months ago. Only
167,000, we are told, are now receiving relief ;
and Mr. FARNALL is smiled at for sug-
gesting that in the coming winter we shall
probably have 400,000 people to provide for.
The real fact, however, appears to be that nearly
double the number stated by our contemporary
are at this moment living on charity. Mr. VIL-
LIER3 stated to the House last night that aocoil-
ing to the last return "there are upwards of
" 300,000 people now living on charity, of which
" number ,one-half appear to be receiving relief
" from committees, and ore-half from Poor-law
" guardians." Mr. Commissioner Faarram.'s esti-
mate for next winter is, therefore, by no means so
irrational or extravagant. It is estimated that
under the provisions of the new Act occupation
will be provided for a considerable proportion of
the large number at present out of employment.
The only fear about the measure, and almost the
only ground on which it has been objected to by
friends or foes, is that it will most probably prove
wholly insufficient to meet the difficulty. The
manufacturers and their sworn enemy, Mr. Fee-
RAND, agree in this anticipation of its probable
results, and there is no doubt much to be urged in
support of such an unfavourable view. Only a third
of the proposed loan, for example, is likely to be
paid as wages for unskilled labour, and this amount
would hardly support a third of those who are
without employment. But it must be remem-
bered that while only a portion of the loan is paid
as wages, the whole of it will be spent in the dis-
tressed districts, and thus help directly to improve
trade generally, and promote the welfare of all
classes. Taking all this into account, however,
the prospect for the winter is, as Mr. COBDEN
pointed out, sufficiently serious. Many sources of
relief which during last winter availed so largely
to mitigate the prevailing distress, will then have
passed away. The savings of the workpeople, and the
slender means of the small shopkeepers which en-
abled them for a time to give credit, are exhausted.
The noble supply afforded by the Relief Fund
is gradually ebbing away, and before the winter is
over will probably he gone. Under these circum-