The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-15 00:00:00

THE DISTRESS AT THE EAST END.

Mr. T. Loud, hon. secretary of the committee for
the relief of the unemplo3 od in Poplar, dates that there
are upwards of 9,000 persons receiving relief from the
parish of Poplar alone. Many who had saved up con-
siderable sums out of their earnings in the Post-office and
other savings banks have been living upon those bard
earnings, and have not yet applied to the pariah for
relief, but are now becoming destitute.
Altogether there cannot be much less than 16,000 men
and their families who are at the present moment suffering
from the present depression of trade. Most of the men
win are now receiving relief from the parish are skilled
workmen, capable of earning good wages—say from 20a.
to 50s. per week, all the different classes of workmen en-
gaged in iron and wooden shipbuilding trades being sub-
rated to the same dire necessity. During the past week
1,500 men have been working in the stone-yard at the
workhouse. " I have visited (says Mr. Loud) many of
the homes of these suffering and destitute mechanics, and
the state if utter wretchedness is truly heartrending ; the
rooms are completely bare of furniture ; no chairs, bedding,
or tables. In many of the houses there was no
fire in the grate, and the children were crouching
I together like sheep in a pen, for the sake of warming
each other. In two ca-es the wives were going blind, and
in two others the children were suffering from inflamed
eyes, and in 12 of the families the smallpox had made its
appearance." Contributions in aid of the fund will be
thankfully received by Dr. Bowkett, treasurer, at the
Limehouse branch of the Loudon and County Bank ; or
by Mr. T. Lond, hon. secretary, at the committee-rooms,
to, High-street, Poplar.
The chairman of the Limehouse Special Relief Fund
states that the committee, including the rector, clergy,
and parochial officers, the resident dissenting ministers,
and a large number of respectable inhabitants, before ap-
pealing to the public for assistance, took steps to ascertain
the actual condition of the people. Having visited
they
found of 3,000 families at their own homes they
found that there were upwards of 1,100 artisans
and labourers out of work, and that the means
of subsistence of 3,500 women and children de-
pendent on them were thereby cut off. In addition to
this there area vast number of widows with families re-
ceiving parochial relief in aid of their own email earnings
by needlework or @haring, and who are now suffering the
greatest privations. The committee have net up two soup
kitchens, and are now distributing 1,600 quarts of good
soup weekly. They have also issued large numbers of
tickets for bread, coal, &c., but their funds are rapidly
dwindling away, and, unless they are speedily recruited,
the committee will have to curtail their operations.
Subscriptions will be received by Messrs. Barclay, Bevan,
Tritton, and Co., bankers, Lombard-street ; the London
and County Bank ;or by the treasurer, Mr. Blundell, West
India Dock-road ; or Messrs. Peachey and Horne, church.
wardens, Town-hall, Limehouse.

THE RIGHT HoN. SEYMOUR FrrzotuaLD. —A
large number of the friends of Mr. Seymour Fitzgerald,
who is about to proceed to Bombay as governor, assembled
yesterday afternoon at the King's Head Hotel, Horsham,
for the purpose of witnessing the presentation to the
right hon. gentleman of a portrait executed in the highest
style of art by Mr. Lucas. The chair was taken by Mr. C.
S. Dickens; and amongst the company were Lady Elizabeth
Dickens, Sir C.C. Pocock, Bart., Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Sey-
mour Fitzgerald, Captain and Mrs. Filgat,', Major and
Mrs. John Aldridge, Captain and Mrs. Dulaney, Major
Wood, Mr. and Mrs. Sanctuary, the Vicar of Horsham
and Mrs. Hodgson, the Revs. J. Martin, E. J. Drury, and
J. 111`Carogher ; Messrs. Rawlison, Rostock, Mathews,
Lintott, Thorpe, Moon, Lc.

REFORM SOIREE AT HANLEY.—We learn, by tele-
graph, that the Ices] members of the Reform League held
• soiree list night in the Lecture-hall of the Mechanics•
Institution, Hanley. Resolutions in favour of the pro-
gramme of the Reform League—registered residential
manhood suffrage and vote by ballot—were carried with
acclamation, and an address was delivered. At the same
time • soiree was held at the Town-ball at Stoke, under
the auspices of the National Reform Union. The resolu-
tions pasted at this meeting were in favour of the Man-
chester programme.