The Express.
London, England, 1863-05-07 00:00:00

WORK POE UNEMPLOYED MEN IN

LANCASHIRE.

The Home-othoe has just issued to the various
local authorities two cianders upon this 'abject. One is
addressed to those plains which ham adopted the Load
Government Act, and is as follows :
" Home-office, Whitehall, S.W., 4th May, 1863.
" Sir,—l am directed by Secretary Sir Geome Grey to
inform you that as the of is includedin the
list of places suffering under the present stagnation of
trade in the cotton manufacturing districts, which hes
thrown so large a number of operatives out of employ.
moot, he thinks it important, after consultation with the
President of the Poor-law Board, that the &Monti= of
your board should be called to the powers conferred by the
Local Government Act for works of local improvement, and
for raising the motley required for suchw
torb oa the sontrity
of lutes under the act, to be repaid in erms varying from
• maximum of 30 years, in ordinary owes, to one of 50
yen udder special eirounistanom.
The works, for which powers are given, include :-
1. Sewerage and drainage works. 2. Works of water sup-
ply. 3. The making of new streets and rode. 4. The
widening, levelling, paving, and improving of existing
_streets.
5. Providing sod laying out recreation grounds, walks, and
pafles. And, 6. Providing markets.
Works of land drainage, now in progress is some parte
of Lancashire, show that many of the able-bodied men
lately employed in the cotton mills are competent to use
the spade and execute earthwork operations in an efficient
manner ; and it is for the local board to consider whether,
by employing this description of labour at fair w.gee, they
might not, while carryleg out improvements neded in their
district, lighten the pressure on the ratepayers and avert
from the unemployed the evil eonsecpienoes iumparable
from long depeodenee on alms er parochial relief.
" All applications to the Secretary of State for his sanction
to borrow the money required for such improvements as
I have enumerated, will receive his immediate attention.
"An inspector from the Local Governmeat Act aim,
viz. Rawlinson, C. E., has already been sent into Lan-
cashire, for the purpose of advising with the authorities in
some of the ZOOM distressed towns as to the works which
are required there, and which are best adapted for affording
employment for the operatives now out of work ; and he
will be prepared to visit your town or district with that
view, if it should be considered necessary or expedient that
he should do so.—l hay he."
The other circular is ddressed to the authorities in those
towns which have not yet adopted the act. The following
is • copy of the circular :
" Home-office, Whitehall, S.W. May 4, 1863.
" Sir,—l em directed by Secretary Sir George Grey to
inform you that, having been in communication with the
President of the Poor-law Board on the present state of
the cotton manufactaring districts, and on the importaoce
of employment being provided for the able bodied popnla•
tion now thrown out of work there, be thinks it expo.
disci to direct the attention the authorities of those
placesin whit& the Local Government Act, 1858, has not yet
torso the large powers oonferred by it for effect-
Mg :dal to
public improvement, and for rising the
money required for such works on the security of lasi
under the act.

summary of the act is appended to this letter. From
this summary it will be seen that the act can be adopted is
a very simple and inexpensive muster : —ln boroughs by •
vote of the town council ; is towns under im meet
commissioners by a resolution of that body ; and in ether
populous places by a moieties at • public meeting of the
majority of owners and ratepayer*. . . . . . The
sum that may be mimed for these purposes (stated in fest
circular) is, in ordinary eases, ow year's ammable value
of the rateable property of the district ; bat under special
eirennastesoes it may be inseam& to doable that amount.
In the former class of oases its repaymeat is distributable
over a period of .10 years ; the latter over one of 10
years. It in proper to Mate that, although the nineties
of the Secretary of State for the Home Department
necessary before any money m be borrowed under the
act, the direction sod control of the works rest entirely
with the toad authority. . have, do."