The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-13 00:00:00

the subject of inquiry.
_ _ WARWICKSHIRE.

MODEL LODGING-lioUsEd Pun BIRMIKGITAM.—An
influential meeting, convened by circular, was held in the
committee-room ot the Town-hall, at Fridi”, for the pur-
pose of considering the pr pri. ty ot establishing modal
lodging-housi* tor the poor in this town—the Mayor in the
chair —Mr. Colquhoun addressed the meeting, Ina ing that
the Metropolitan Association for improving the Condition of
the Working Classes w.4e incorp rated uy royal charter,
the property to be raised in *bares et 2.51. each,
which were nut to realise the boiler more than

five per cent. intereet. The op trati me of the society were
nit confined to lodging-home-, bus they hid improved
the owellings of poor families ; they had tried two expert-
meott, which were highly eatisfectory. The first WU
with an old house which they purchased in the n, ighbaur-
hood of Covent-garden, and upon widt h they expended
1,1501. They paid 451. a year noir, and, by proper ar-
rant( ;runts, thy were now enabled to .uppq bads
nightly to eighty-two persons for two aid/legs per week,
tura by giving the Sunday free to the ledgers, and
making the cost to them fourpenee per er, ek lees than
they would base to pay in the wont of else mermen lodging-
houses. The result of that experimesit, in a bestial point of
view had heel, most anti-factory, and the net receipts, atter
paying all charges, lett 18 per cent intt re it for the m„.ney.
The next experiment was tried in the eft...troll 01 a new
house at 81 Giles',, which cost 6 315/ , but which had net u
yet realised 6 per cent although the advaneere s con erred
upon the poor were inceicalable. The two lodging-houses were
paying good in•erest, sod so tar •xp riser,.,. sad sic is mint
satisfactory. The ituociation was in s :pi ctstion that when the
new sanitary measure should come in...opera-i.m they would
be able to purchase a great number of aid hoes., which
they could erase available fur the use of toe poor, as the
present , ccupiers would not comply with the intended
regulations, lie and his friends heel met to Birmingham
for the purpose of laying the results of their experience
before theist.—Mr. N spter said I.e was glad that the
ministers of religion had taken up the subj. et. It was one
befitting their calling. Their first gr, at or ject should be to
obtain accurate bilormation respecting the actual condition
of the poor, and none were better qualified to supply those
teens than the ministers of the Gospel, who visited the
poor, and who had daily opportunities of witn.uieg their
condition. The first thing to be dune wall to set about
fully and clearly ascertaining the real condition of the
poor of Birmingham. They mutt find out the extent of
crime in trie borough, and ascertain how tar it was in-
crewed by the low and wretched state in which the
people were living—how far the degradation obstructed the
progress of ri lig on and morale—and then apply a reniedy.
On enouiry Is ey wculd hod that the degredetiou of the
people debited their morale, and operated invoriobly in pro-
uucing that re-ult. They wood find thee, in pro ortitin to
the physic .1 degradation of the pro. le, en wee t' eir physics'
darkness, and the Christian and the philaathi opts% would see
the imperative necessity or attendina to toe tempt ral condi-
tion of the people it they desired to practice a opiritual and
moral improvement. They muse begin with getting rid of
all übstrictions to virtue and morality, and by so doing
they would be adding to the comhert ct their f. Bow-
creatures tree and increasing their nappinees hi-reader.—
Joseph Iledgeon, Eq., said the PLAN, et heal occupied his
' attention far a loose time, in connexnm with other gentle-
, m a weo deeply lamented the state of the lower closets
' of this teem. In a report on the sanstor• sate of the
town, he and carters stated very fully the condi-
' titel of the lashing houses. It was not merely the con-
! dirion of the to:ging brut, s olden was very bed,
as stated in the report, but the condition of an
im-
mense number of larniltts in the town as. most deplorable.
The lodging-houses were indeed truly hid, and to his know-
ledge had been the came of disease end deluoraliestion. He
t had seen crowns of persons in thre w.rtehed pieces with
chronic diseases and coutegioue diaripter- +hitt it was impos-
sible to get rid of. It was only three week- ago, as one of the
sanitary its peetors, he had occasion to visit a lodging heave.
and in a hack room at the rear of the pit micas, almost
in entire darkness, at two o'clock in the day, he found
nine men playiiig at triode. The place wee an a mat
' beastly sate, sod the pereens there wire am king and
drinking, arid every kind of aboffilirothm we. going on.
' —The Rtv. Meters. Yorke, Jite2te, Hutton, Bache' and
Meore.l.ylot, Raphael, and Cutler tu.Ving addressed the
meeting, ree,eutions in furtherance of the objects of the
meeting were adopted.