The Express.
London, England, 1862-06-25 00:00:00

HIGH WAThR AT LOWDOR IMMIX

DaZitonihig.oß 4&;..::.-AtiogTioofa7 1L 1510.
TC.Xol.ll,oW—Mormkg, 111 Aftersoos. lh. 48m.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25.

Ir is possible that for some little time yet the
distress in the manufacturing districts may in-
crease rather than diminish. Already it is spread
over a larger area, and includes a far greater mass
of the artisan population than people at a distance
at all understand or realise. In the smaller
centres of manufacturing industry, such as Wigan

and Stockport, the latest returns—those of last
week--show that destitution is gradually but
steadily reaching a larger number of those who
are directly or indirectly dependent on the cotton
mills for support. At Wigan, for example, five
per cent. of the population are wholly without
employment, and thus altogether dependent on
Union relief or private charity for the means of
subsistence. The number requiring out-door
relief is increasing by upwards of a hundred
every week. At Stockport, out of 17,000
hands usually employed at the mills, 7,000 are
altogether out of work, and about the same
number working at short time. Of these
upwards of four thousand are receiving paro-
chial relief, while three thousand families,
representing more than ten thousand individuals, are
receiving weekly assistance from the local Relief
Committees. This is only an illustration of what
is going on throughout the whole of the manufac-
turing districts. Of course in the larger towns,
where the number of bands dependent on the
cotton industry is far greater, the distress and
destitution are multiplied in the same proportion.
At Blackburn, for example, the number depentling
on Union relief has during the last few weeks in-
creased at the alarming rate of a thousand and
upwards weekly.

The behaviour of the sufferers in this season of
severe trial is a fact in our social history as new
and surprising as it is noble and significant. They
have borne this accumulated burden of distress
not only in silence and without a trace of
sullen recklessness and desperation, but with
• patient courage, cheerfulness, and reflec-
tive intelligence altogether unexampled. Of
course they cannot hold on without assist-
ance, and assistance on • large and liberal
scale. Nor is this wanting. Hitherto official
help, combined with charitable assistance of a
strictly local kind, has been sufficient to meet
the emergency. But as the distress gradually
widens its area it is manifest that a more tho-
roughly organized and extended system of charit-
able effort will be necessary to mei; the increased
demand. The enormous burden cannot be thrown
upon the poor rate. In the smaller towns it would
be quite impossible to levy • rate equal to re-
lieve the pressure of local distress. And if it were
possible it would be most unjust. As Mr. FAlL-
lieu. clearly pointed out, in his speeches at Wigan
and Stockport, there are inequalities in the inci-
dences of a heavy rate in these district', which can
only be effectually redressed by voluntary effort.
Some classes of ratepayers suffer far less from the
prevalent distress than others, and they may fairly
be appealed to for such charitable help as they may
be able to give. The experience of the last year
sufficiently proves that such an appeal will not
be made in vain. We are glad, therefore, to see
that • Committee has been formed at Manchester
for the relief of the whole of the districts affected.
At a meeting held a few days ago, under the presi-
dency of the Mayor, • Committee was formed for
receiving contributions and directing the adminis-
tration of a fund for "the Relief of Distress in
" the Manufacturing Districts." The object of the
Committee, as stated in the first resolution of the
meeting, " shall be the receiving of contributions
" towards the relief of the present distress in the
" manufacturing districts of Lancashire, Yorkshire,
" Cheshire, and Derbyshire, and the distributing
" the same through systematic organizations."
Nothing could be more reasonable that the forma-
tion of a central organization of this kind, and we
may anticipate from the action of the committee
the most beneficial results.

IT is impossible ! is the exclamation which has
risen to the lips of evory one who has heard the
story of the Thames Embankment and the Duke
of BUOCLIIIGH. London has been waiting many
years for the embankment of its river, and not
long since it seemed as if ita desire was about to be
satisfied. But, when the situation was more closely
examined, it was found that the difficulties of
carrying out the project in its completeness were
too great to be surmounted with success, and we
were left to sequin'se in a scheme shorn of its fair
proportions ; the embankment, with its car-
riage road, could only be carried out from
Westminster-bridge to Blackfriara. We are now
required to believe that even this is an extravagant
expectation. The great work, we are told, is to be
broken off short at Sootland-yard, beyond which,
in the direction of Westminster, only a footway is
to be constructed. Why I Because °thew* a
carriage road would come between the Duke of
Buoci,zums's garden and the river. We esti all
understand the first feelings of this nobleman as be
perceived that the execution of a plan on which
the public had set its mind must impair the value
of his property. And no one would complain if,

THE E.

under the circumstances, he required a reasonable
compensation for the material damage involved in
the work. But this is not the Duke's attitude :
he does not want compensation ; he would rather
compensate the public, if that were the alternative.
But in any case he insists that his private interests
shall outweigh the interests of the public. For
this purpose he endeavours to establish, on the
basis of his rights as a Crown lessee, claims
which would appear ridiculous if put forward
by a tradesman for • wharf which had existed
usefully for centuries, but which, asserted by his
Grace in respect of his pleasure grounds, are con-
sidered so strong that they have been admitted
by the Thames Embankment Committee. The
proposed road would be one of the great highways
of London, and the Duke proposes to stop it, be-
cause traffic is disagreeable. We should be in-
clined to wonder where this great personage
' had lived, and upon whose talk he
had formed his notions of our days, if
we did not find that, extravagant and absurd as
his claim ia, he has been encouraged in it by people
who have not the ducal character as an excuse for
their folly. The question must now, however, come
before the House of Commons, which will have to
decide whether the private interests of the
Dooor.•s-Soorrs are to be dealt with when they
come into competition with public interests,
according to the rule which holds good when the
Smrrn-Jorrxams are in question, or are to be
treated as entitled to special privilege.

XPRESS, WEDNESDA
LATEST TINELLIGENCE.

FRENCH REINFORCEMENTS HOE MEXICO.
The following "Latest News" is published by
the Prase :
" The contingents now embarking will not go di- I
rent to Mexico. They will stay at Martinique and
Guadeloupe, and make arrangements to arrive at
Vera Cruz not sooner than the end of September,
when the great heats will be over. The latest
despatches from General de Lorenoez permit this •
delay. Our little army is encamped at Amazon in
an excellent situation, and there is little probability
indeed of any attempt of the Mexicans to turn
them out of it. In consequence of this news the
departure of General Forey is understood to be
postponed ; in all probability he will not go out till
M. Dubois de Saliguy comes home. Admiral
Jurien de la Graviire will, as already an-
nounced, put to sea immediately. He
will command one of the finest squadrons in the
world, consisting of three divisions—those of
Mexico, the Antilles, and the American coast. It
is reported that Captain Roof, who will be raised
to the rank of rear-admiral, will continue to com-
mand the Mexican naval division."
The Patrie, with lees detail, gives the same news
as the Prease, and therefore it is to be presumed
that General de Lorencez's despatches, which the
Moniteur said on Sunday were not expected before
the end of the month, must have arrived.