The Express.
London, England, 1863-02-13 00:00:00

THE DISTRESS IN THE COTTON DISTRICTS.

Mr. VILLIERS moved foe leave to bring in • bill to ex-
teed fora further period the provisions of the Union Relief
Aid Act of the last session. That act was introduced, he
observed, under an idea that adequate means were not
provided under the poor law to relieve the distress which
was likely to occur in tha cotton districts, and its
object was to mitigate the pressure upon the
ratio (which, if it became extreme, wank aggra-
vate the distress) by devising some maim to enable
the guardians to relieve the ratepayers This was done
by aatbosising an examine of the area of liability to a rate
in aid and the borrowing of maaey upon the socatity of the
rates. The act was viewed by boards of guardians as •
valid& aid, which ought to be matinee& If It had not
bon met in operation to the extent it might tsars been it
was owing to the munificent voluntary oontrilentiose received
frees all pperrtf.s of tie inspire. He stated the meant which
bdbewtioemwnd hitherto under the act, and tin amount of
paaperine still existing, and added that there was no union
fa Lancashire or Cheshire which desired that the sat should
not be mewed. He bad not the Ina ream to summer
that the powers given by the sot would be abased, and he
had the authority of Mr. Fanelli is saying that there was
• moat anxious desire on the past of the boards of guar-
dians and of the relief conueittees to find independent em-
ployment for the operatives. He proposed to continue the
act till Lad-day, 1864.
Colonel W. PATEN said ha had received suggestion
from weed of the outlyieg unions to call attention; to
one or two alteration which were necessary to he made in
the NIL He showed bow in some districts the severity
of the rate had upon the small tradesmen, shop-
kospen, and cot a holders. After stating the enormous
' seine engird from all sorter and expended for the relief
of the poor in the maaufacturing districts, he took a view
of the future, observing that it was the opinion of WON
that the distress had not yet reached its fulll extent ; and
he was bound to say that, from all he could make out, it
was possible that they would still have to rely upon the
benevolence of the public.
The LORD MAYOR said he could unite his testimony to
that of the boa. and gallant member who had just spoken
as to the magnificent subscriptions that bad been received
from all parts of the world for the relief of the distressed
operatives. He felt, however, bound to warn the house that
the time was coming when voluntary subscriptions could no
longer be expected, and it was the more incumbent on them
to make the machinery for affording relief under the
poor-law system as effective es possible, as it might very
moo have to be brought more fully than heretofore into
operation. While he exnemed his apprehension that the
flow of voluntary °attribution might be interrupted he
could assure the house that the liberal support afforded by
the benevolent to Lancashire had seriously prejudiced local
charities. (Hear, hear.) He mentioned this more readily
as nearly half a million of money had been collected for the
distressed diarists nano the medium if the dice which
he had the honour to hold. He feared that the supplies
which bad poured in so liberally might fall, and it wss im-
portant that the house should have ready a machieery
calculated to meet the greatness of the emergeoey.
Mr. HIBBERT bowleg adduced some static tical informa-
tion in relation to the manufaeturing distress,
Sir B. LEIGHTON urged that the principle which was
embodied I. the bill was applicable to many unions in other
puts of the country, and especially in London ; end be
asked if Mr. Villiers was prepared to carry out the prin-
ciple universally. If not, he did not think this bill should
be passed without further consideration so early in the
1111101100. - _ _

..—Lord STANLEY suggested the continuance of the act for
six months imteed of a year, and the =Ned, might be con-
Mend with the benefit of experience in July next.
Mt. Alderman SIDNEY urged a revision of the pp0000r•law
ma/rally, and contended that the distress in Lanmes was
not quite exceptional in the country.
Mr. POTTER also suggested a dealing with the question
by a more comprehensive measure.
Mr. COBDEN mid it was not his intention to go into
the meitioa at large, but he felt struck by the suggestion
of the noble lord the member for King's Lyan, and probably
a word or two might be added to his reagens in favour of
his proposition for limiting the bill to a shorter period than
twelve mouths. They must consider on the Poem-
sloe that it was a greet difficulty to apprehend what would
arias towards next winter, mammies that the peasant wet
in America went oa. All depended whether er naivetes
would some to them from America, became all other
hopes of alleviating this great trouble were futile,
for the neat two years, at all meets. Amisming
that the American war went ca, ha thought that
the condition of the oaten districts would be much more
serious tied difficult than it was during the pent Mater.

In the first place, be was afraid that they would not have
the munificent private benevolence in the shape of sub. 1
scriptions which they bad had !during the last year. He
was glad that the hon. member for Southampton (the Lord
Mayor of London), who was an authority on the subject, bad
fins them a timely warning. He did not think that
in the whole history of the world there had ever been
such a magnificent ontburet of generosity as that which
they had witnessed during the last six months for
the same object. Considering the many other claims of
similar character which were always arising, he thought
that next winter would find them without those resources
from the benevolent fund, and therefore entailing upon them
the necessity of relying entirely on the poor rates, and that
eta time when it was shown that a large majority of the
ratepayers had become insolvent, so that they would have
a larger claim on the rates at •period when the
benevolent fund would have ceased, and a large
portion of the rateable property had fallen out
of assessment. This view of the matter became
apparent when they called to mind how much had been
done, not only in the way of charitable relief, but by the
rates and by individuals in the manufacturing districts
themselves. He would not say • word to derogation of those
tributes of world-wide benevolence which had been poured
into Manchester, but it was not generally known that, after
all, the largest onion of this great fund had come from
the cotton district. themselves. (Hear, hem.) In the
detailed statement of the hon. sectary of the Central
Belief Committee in Manchester, Mr. Madura it ap-
peared that the amount raise weekly to be dis-
pensed by local committees, and net remitted to the
entral fund but kept as a separate fund, was 245,0001
The amount raised in the cotton districts and remitted to
the central fund, was 350,0001. He would now give an esti-
mate, the result of inquiries made by himself, which he
believed to be very much under the mark, of amounts
which did not appear in Mr. Maclure's table or any sub-
scription list, and which were given by millowners, manu-
facturers, and landowners, at their own doom, to working
people. There were individual radiomen who were giving
their workpeople from 20,000/ to 30,001. • veer. (Hear.)
Taking the whole cotton district, he estimated that the
amount so contributed in the twelve months at 250,0001.
That would give for the year ending Midsummer next, a
total of 845,0001. ea the amount of contributions for the re-
lief of the distress from the cotton districts exclusively.
/meaning, then, that the entire voluntary sidiscriptioes
from the whole world amounted to 1,600,0001., thee, coo-
adorably more than one-half of that had come from the
cotton districts themselves. (Hear, hear.) It was quite
evident therefore that they oould not look to the larger por-
tion of those cortributors again for relief, because they
would be considerably weakesed by the progress of the dia-
tom. He found from the same table that the poor rates
levied in the twenty-seven distressed unions in excess of the
average of former years were at the rate of 600,0001. for
the year ending at Midsummer next, or in round numbers
12,0001 • week in excess of the average of former years.
That was but • small share, indeed, of the premiere that was
borne in those diataiets. Those competent to judge said that
no doubt the operatives in Lancashire were losing in wages
at the rate of about 8,000,0001. or 9,000,0001. per annum,
but he would estimate it at 6,000,0001 up to Midsummer.
But that was not all. There was also an enormous loss
going on in the capital employed in Lancashire. He estimated
that the loss of the capitalist, arising from the
loss of interest, the depreciation of fixed capital,
and the nonpayment of the rents of cottages,
not including the lass of profit, amounted to 5,000,0001. for
the year ending Midsummer next. Aocordiag to his esti-
mate the facts would stand thus:—Amount of loss en wages
and capital, 11,000,0001. • subscriptions, 845,0004 ; increase
of poor rates, 600,000 e. ; making altogether, 12,445,0004
Now, the whole amount of the voluntary subscriptions, great
and ahuoirt unprecedented as the benevolence had been from
outside the cotton districts, would hardly amount to 51 per
seat, of what was contributed aad lost by the manufacturers
and operatives in Lancashire. These facto showed how cumu-
lative that pressure and distress would be next winter provided
the cause continued from which they were now suffering.
It was evident that the prostration of those districts, how-
, ever great at present, most be comaderably greater. The
I wisest heads in Lancashire, as stated by the lion. and gal-
-1 lint colceal le (Colonel Wilson Patten), who so ably
and honourably distinguished himself in endeavouring to
alleviate the sufferings of the people of Lancashire—(hear,
hear)—had taken the gloomiest view of the prospect& in
that part of the kingdom during the Mai 12 months. All
this might to • large extent be mitigated if the war cams to
en mid in the room of the spring, but would
it sot be Mee to take the suggestion of the noble
lord the member for King's Lyon into consideration
before this ball passed 'second reading? He should himself
suggest tome alterations in the measure with the view of
glzA increased facilities to the people most deeply 000-
oto meet from time to time this great difficulty, bat
he submitted to the right hon. gentleman whether he should
not pm the measure only for six months, sod come age=
to parliament in June or July, when they would be better
able to judge of the prospects of the ensuing year. (Hear.)
Mr. PIILLMe. said that though any suggestion of the
noble lord the member for King's Lynn carried with it
great weight, he thought the government had acted wisely
in extending the operation of the bill to one year.
This substitution of six months for twelve months had this
evil—the people did not apply their energies to find a
remedy with the same vigour that they would if the time
were longer. Then they should remember that • bill
brought in at the end of the session could not have the
same attention bestowed upon it as one brought in at the
beginning. He thought that the bill was capable of im-
provement, and he would mention one point, thecleuse which
, gave the boards of guardians power either to ;borrow the
money, or when the expense had reached • certain point,
to throw it upon the county. He thought it better
that the guardians should not have that option.
Mr. MUNDY observed that the parish of Glossop,
which was in Derbyshire but oo the confines of Lancashire,
was manufacturing in all its pursuits, and the agricultural
perished in Derbyshire, some of which were 40 or 60 miles
distant, thought themselves hardly dealt with in having
to contribute to its support, while other parishes which
were contiguous were exempt, because they were not within
the boundary of the county, but were in another couuty.tHe
thought they should extend the liability to contiguous
unions and counties.

Yr. J. B BYITII agreed with the !suggestion of the noble
lord that the bill should be costumed for iris months instead
of twelve, and made a further suggestion that in the
meanwhile there should be a royal commission or a com-
mittee to inquire into the distress in the cotton manufac-
turing districts.
Mr. VILLIEBB said be bad listened to the observations
which had been made by the various members who bad
addressed the house, arid they should have his most *aims
consideration, but he thought it better to postpone hi
decision. (Rear.)
Leave was then gives to bring in the bill, which was
bought in and read kfirst time, and the second reading dud
f,roaday next,