The Express.
London, England, 1862-09-16 00:00:00

THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY ON THE DISTRESS

IN LANCASHIRE.

A public meeting was held in the council-
Amber on Friday for the purpose of taking into considera-
tion the best measures to be adopted in Salisbury for the
relief of the distressed operatives in Lancashire. There
was a small but highly respectable attendance.
The MAYOR (who presided) in opening the business of the
meeting, observed that many gentlemen thought the relief
of the distressed workmen ought to come from the manu-
facturers themselves, who had made enormous fortunes
from their labour. Many of the manufacturers bad in point
of fact subscribed largely, and done all in their power to re-
lieve the distress. If they bad not subscribed liberally more
&motor them ; but that was no reason why others should hold
Lack, for while they were debating the people were starving.
(Hear, hear.) He looked upon it as a national question.
It seemed obvious that if our government had adopted a
different policy—if, instead of preserving a stricroeutrslity
between the Northern and Southern States, they had sent
a fleet, broken the blockade, and opened the cotton porta,
cotton would have flowed into England, and we should hear
nothing of the distress If that policy was right, these men
were suffering for the iodividnal good of every Englishman ;
for if the blockade had been broken we should now be in-
' volved in a war with America, and surely it was far better
that every man should now come forward and voluntarily
' subscribe that which he would have had to give to pay for
war taxes. (Hear, hear.)

The BiaboP of ALISBURY must first, in justice to the
Mayor, say that the meeting entirely originated with him.
His woothip bad, in the most considerate manner, called
upon him last week, and said that be thought the time had
now arrived for giving their fellow citizens an opportunity of
testifying their sympathy with the noble people in the manu-
facturing districts. He (the bishop) replied that he had only
been determining in his own mind how to stir up the hearts
of the clergy and laity. His worship then told him that he
bad pot a notice in the paper a few weeks ago to the effect
that he would thankfully receive contributions from the
people of Salisbury for the distressed operatives ; but he (the
Mabee) bad not noticed it, and he ass sure many more were
like him ; for though one gentleman, well known in this
neighbourhood for good actions, bad sent 100/. in answer to
it, but M. came in from other sources ; sod as they were
unwilling for it to go forth that that was all Salisbury could
give to their poor brethren in the north, it had been decided
to hold that meeting. He wag now prepared to make a few
statements with respect to the facts of the case. He bad
with him the report of the Birmingham Relief Committee,
who went up to the distressed districts tome for themselves.
It was most interesting, and if they had not read it he would
advise them to do so at once, for it would satisfy them of the
amount of the distress, and the best meets of relieving it.
Be believed that at the present moment there were MOOO
operatives receiving relief from the Poor-law Board, and
another 80,000 were receiving relief from the voluntary
funds, a mere pittance of two shillings per week each, thus
making 160,000 depending upon the country for support ;
and it was believed that before loos that number
would he doubled. It took 30,0001. per week to
relieve the distrus, sod it was calculated that the
amount required, when the distress is at its height, will
be no lass 'nloo,oool. per week. He seed may make that
statement to show the claims that those people had upon us