The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-11 00:00:00

THE FOREIGN MAILS.

[STAMPED id. ADDITIONAL.]

EQUALISATIOR 01 THE METROPOLITAN POOR
RATES

Led nairgghts crowded meeting of the inhabitants
of the morehera and eastern perishes of London was held
in the Shoreditch Town-ball, Old Street-road, to
the equalisation of the poor rates of the The
Rev. T. S. Brass, view of Shareditah, took the chair; and
among the gentlemen cement were Mr. A. S. Ayrion,
ILP. ; Mr. J. A. Samu 11. P. • • Meson Reed, Holmes,
and Homer, candidates or the Hackney division of the
Tower Hamlets; the Rev. S. Hansard; the Rev. G. H.
31'081, and others.
The Cumulate, in opening the prcesedhega, referred to
the distrees which had prinalled in the perk& of Shore-
ditch throughout the winter—the worse that he had ever
known aad to the number of warrants that kailheen issued
for the neapetyment of poor rates, sad airapated that one
remedy for- this hate of thinp would belhe equalisation
of rates throughout the metropolis.
Letters expensing approval of the object of the meeting,
and regret that the writers could set be prewant, had been
received from Mr. C. 8. Butler, H.P., the Rev. Mr. Duf-
field, rector of Bow • Alderman Leak. M.P., Lord Enfield,
M.P., and Mr. 011b;rt, Kensingtan.
Mr. T. TIMIS moved the first resolution :—" That this
meeting considers that the burden of the support of the
poor is one that ought to be borne equally by all show of
the people in proportion to their mesas, and that the
preset system, which an undue share of the burden is
east, with crushing effect, upon the poorest parishes burden
ratepayers, is impolitic and unjust ; and, therefore, dr
ices that, at Lest as far am the meheee is
as equalisation of the whole charge of the maintenanceof
Os poor is an ingest naceseity and a just demand." He
deelated that what they asked by this and the other rein-
, ludas' that would be proposed was not a favour but a
right. Taxation ought to be proportioned to means, bet
in regard to the metropolitan poor-rates this was not the
case. In the City they had the greatest difficulty to spend
2d. in the pound per quarter upon the poor, while in
Bethnal-green the rate was ls. ed. a quarter. Either the
City and West-end parishes ought to keep their own poor,
or they ought to main to relieve those who, by the ar-
rangement of buildings in the.. p • hes, were driven to
congregate at the marend of London. In many instances
rates were collected from persons who were in receipt of
parochial relief. They ought to tell the government that
the ratepayers of the eastern parishes could not bear the
burden that was cast upon them, and they ought besides to
tell them that they would not Mamas their rates. (Ap.

IT iiitev. G. H. IVGIth, incumbent of Christ Church,
St. George's-in-the-Eiset, in seconding the resolution, stated
that Kensingloa paid for the relief of the poor only 7d. ;
Paddington, sd. ; St. George's, Hanoversquare, b jd. ;
Hampstead, 7d. ; Isliegton, 9d. ; the City of
London, ;id.; and Lewisham, Sid. in the pound
per annum. The value of the rateable property
in these 'oven parishes was 4,941,1671., while the
total rateable value of the property in the metropolis
was 14,968,090 h , and the amorist which they contributed
to the relief of the poor was but 150,613/.; or one-sixth of
the whole sum expended for the relief of the poor of Lon-
don. Seven other parishes were treated in a very different
manner. In East London the rate wee 2s. gild. ; Shore-
ditch, 21. 74d. ; Betbnal-green, 95. 9d. ; St. George's in
the last, 3s. 2d. ; Stepney, 2s. up. ; St. Saviour, :oath-
wick, 2s. 7d. ; St. George's, Southwark, 34. (lid. The
value of the rateable property in therm perishes amounted
toooly 1,371.0001., and yet they paid in poor rates no less
than 195,215(. per annum. In fast, while one-third of the
rateable value paid only anesixth of the rates,
one-sixth of the rateable value was called upon
to pay one-third of the rates, and while in the rich
parishes the rates were gradually diminishing, in the poor
ones they were steadily increaumr. The whole amount
contributed for the relief of distress at the east-end of
London this winter did not amount to 26,0001., while •
halfpenny rate over the metropolis would have produced
30,000/. As he was about to leave Loudon, be felt it due
to the poor people of the east-end of London; to state that
he did not believe that there was any troth, in the stories
that had been told of persons obtaining relief from half-a-
dozen almoners in the same day. He did not my that
the poor were all deserving, he knew that many of them
had had their chances and bad failed—indeed, the failures
[of all London cams to the Eastond— (hear, hear)—but
' they were as truthful as railway directors—(load applause)
—and as honest as committee-men ; and he did not believe
that there were a dozes well-authenticated cases of frauds
upon almoners in the whole of the east-end of Loudon.
Mr. EAMVO.I. M.P., supported the resolution. The
alteration which had takes plum In the cirounisteaces of
Being is the metropolis during the last thirty or forty
years had led to this state of things, that the wealthy
West-end parishes paid only 4 per out. for police
and poor rates, and the poorer parishes at the East-end
paid 8 per cent. This was • state of thinp which impera-
tivel eked • remedy ; but while he desired to see an
epaalisatton of the rate, be was equally in favour of main-
taining the local board, and local authorities for the ad-
ministration of relief. (Applause.)
Mr. C. Been dwelt at some length upon the inequality
of the pressure of the poor rate at the East and West-end
of the metropolis, and contended that nothing but the
equalisation of the rates all over London would meet the
evil and redress the injustice which at present existed. At
this moment they were manufacturing paupers at the
East-end ; they were steadily dragging down them who
were just above the line of pauperism, and the only means
by which that could be prevented was the establishment
of a fair basis of amusement and the equalisation of the
rates. (Applause.)
The resolution was carried unanimously.
The Rev. S. HArremui, rector of Bethnal-green, moved:
—" That while acknowledging the large concession which
the act of 18IR made towards the &topiarian of the priu-
ciple of equalisation, this meeting regrets that the prac-
tical relief it affords will be more than neutralised by the
heavy charges for buildings and other purposes imposed
upon the poorer parishes under the act.,' He repudiated
on the part of the guardians of the East-end parishes any
desire to use the difficulty of relieving the poor as a
stalking home to promote the equalisation of the
poor rates, end denounced as • bass calumny
' the statement that they were fightiag the battle of
equalisation over the dead bodies of the paupers. What
was called Mr. Gathorne Haul 's act conferred a great
boon upon parishes which could comply with its peel-
, 'Sons, but there were some parishes which could not pos-
sibly carry out the act. In Betbnal-green, for in-
stance, the poor rate now amounted to Gs. in the pound—
the whole rate being 9s.—and, at the same time, they
found themselves deprived of 160001. ppeerr &spurn by those
clauses of the Reform Act which •kdished opeeporition.
Under these circumstances, it was utterly imposable that
they should, as required before they could obtain the
benefit of the act, expend 80,00111. for the creation of an
'infirmary and schools. (Applause.)
Mr. ENOCH WALIUM, in seconding the resolution, indi-
cated some anomalies which were created by Mr. Hardy's
set, and ridiculed the ides that the equalisation of the
rates would render necessary the abolition of the powers
of beards of guardians and the creation of a central author
:Hy for the relief of the poor in the metropolis.
Mr. House& contended that there was no division of the
re:dirottltis ttetloasre boundne;y th " interest is
withb jthedeti
showing any one to fail so low as to be unable to provide
for the relief of its poor. He resommesided the holding of
meglimp at the West-end, to inform the public of that
pet of the metropolis upon this queseine.
11r. W. P. Tnoursos, as an inhabitaat of the West end
of la den, supported this recommendation, but said that
it seemed to him something like a reflection upon the
oq com-
mon sense of the meeting that argument or eluence
should be required to show that ea unequal rate was aa
unjust one.
Mr. Arms, ILP., who was reoeived with loud applause,
after referring to the rejection by the House of Commons
el his motion for a select committee upon this subject, and
bkbtß fortheequalicationoftMpexratseMille metropolis,
mid that sines the date of these commences be and other
lestropolitaa gumbos had Minn lest eight el thisquedirm,
sad had, as time and opportunity served. pressed it apse
the atrenika of parliament. Nor had their efforts at re-
farm been salfr without suce ely sse, because various mea-
sures legbistioo had been carried which mad* same ad.
ryes %Davin ga equalisation of rates. hedged, the pro-
gress whisk they bad made had deprived them of some
of the shies wire originally supported their efforts. He
hoped Sat, not discouraged byare, but eagortreged by
the eneeem that had been achieved, the inbalitants of the
By* end would renew their gelation, mad would ulti-
mately *Wu from perhament tie rein= to vibe they
wort entilied, At the same time, he waned them that
they avast set expect to obtain redraw in this matter and
at the same time maintain and cuddle up their patsy,
petty parochial system. Squaligatioa of the poor
rates would involve the improved atheielskrattem of
tie poor law, and the supsevlsiem _ by • eentad
sotierit of the distribution of the tens that were
from all quarters of the sastropelle. (App u)
The eppetrigaent of • matted board fur the whets metre-
pelf,. maw Mr. Hardy's bill, wasa peat skip is she dim*
Vas Thigh they desired to puma. and imed • fogad*.
Ilea upon whist they might lisps to Nur • yam el opal
malespelitea valley The only mode is col they sonli
adman was te adman alma the brie of the yesal Ira
egeska. It Inv well end neenegary the* posr pier.
dims gad yetrymen skald bo broeght under ems re.
stralat—fspoloase)--emi the scathe' of • gentral beard
far the while melespelle
_mold ailed lie beet gam*
for the sound tilluAlen al tholowlev. (Aprbegvh)
Mr. Huogox, • member of the Molar? beard of gur-
dime, hiatus ales the masildieut It was put to
the mooting sad sifted Ift
Upea lie needy ee Ms. s, • gun& a B•eurti-
seemeisi Iltinmer of IN. Cheerpe'whi-the.
Be" it wag sentimii—'fiwie • be
te
hem deis moher be Ill& Ipso Pogr.law
up*. possesp.d leamo mesa I. the natty ;
that the swreenl born isaime be Waited to Nag
regionals**, to gelli ; Ind /it • isditica to

[TWOPENI

in the spirit of the resolutions already pared,
Crliapne=ed from this meeting ;" and the proeeeditis ter-
minated with the tonal vote of thanks to the rev. chair.
saan.

THE DISTRESS IN THE EdST OP LONDON.

Yesterday afternoon a second meeting of the
trailed Y.:endive Committee for the Relief of the Distress
in the last of Leedom Ins held in the Venetian parlour of
the Mansion-bones ; Mr. SAMUDi in the chair.
The Hos. Smarraar reported that the fund in the
km& of the momoittesavailable for distribution amounted

to 1,11001.
In accordeace with • resolution adopted at the last
meeting, several of the local committees now seat in state-
meats regarding their operation and the condition of their
finances.
The 11ut Central Relief Committee for the parishes of
Poplar, Bow, and Limehouie, reported. that the area over
which their oparatioas extended ecuspneei a population of
130,000. Since the ornomeneement of the winter they had
reeeived 2,536/., and the estimated available balance now
in band was 191/. The average weekly payments for relief
were about 3201., aad the total number of visitors and
almoners was 172. . . _

The Rev. Yr. Howszti., referring to the amount in the
hands of the united committee, inquired how much work
t►ere was to do, se the present state of the weather was
spinet their appeal to the public for funds. If any gen.
tfeman could state whether work was Increasing in the
Rest of London that was the real gang* whether three was
a dimiantion or Monroe in the amount of distress. If
thin wee no more work, then the distress wee as great as
MT. _ . .

Mr. Counter, Poor-law inspector stated that in Poplar
there had been a reduction of 1,000 in the number of per-
il/MU receiving parochial relief during the past fortnight.
This applied principally to dock labourers. The numbers
went up from the first week in October to the lst of
January, and then they commenced to decrease, there
being at present under 9,000 receiving aid from the pariah.
Tbe Ray. Strrinue HANSARD did nut think this was an
answer to Mr. Rowsell's question, which was whether the
disking generally was leas than before.
The CHAIRMAN thought it was a perfect answer, as in-
dicating a decrease of poverty in the district. The com-
mittee acted where the Porn-law did not reach, and the re-
cipient* were not handed over to them.
Mr. Conserr said in Stepney the numbers had decreased
270 a weak.
Mr. Scaurrox, secretary of the East Central Relief Com-
mittee, elated that the committee were at present reliev-
ing 1,400, bat the state of their funds only enabled them
to disburse :CO/. per week. They could vote twice that
sum U they had the means.
Mr. HOWNRAL asked it there was anything like sinking
or starvation io consequence of the small amount distri-
buted.

Mr. Semipro:: said he could not say the people were
actually starving, but they were in great distress, and
were pawning the very last things they had.
The CHAIRMAN said he did not see how soul and body
could be kept together at this rate ; it was only sixpence
per head.
In reply to a question at to whether the number of those
relieved bad increased or decreased,
Mr. Scsurrox said his impression was that for the mud
few weeks they were much about the same. They relieved
ironworkers and others, and left dock labourers as much
as possible to the parish.
Mr. itOWNRIA —The weather relieves the labourers, but
not the shipbuilders.
A grant of 51.107. having been voted to the East Central
Committee,
Mr. Smyrna; inquired what position they were to
assume in regent to the Isle of Dogs, which received 301.
out of every Z3OI. which they distributed.
The CHAIRMAN—We shall expect you to relieve it in the
mum proportion as heretofore.
Mr. Seeireote remarked that Mr. Owen, the secretary of
the Isle of Dogs committee, in reply toe question addressed
to him, stated that as the pittance granted by the parish
was so small they supplemented it.
The CHAIRMAN said that was entirely in opposition to
the principle ou which the united committee tweed their
action.
Mr. &RUTIN .PN said the fact was that between the parish,
the local committee, and the east central committee, the
people in the Isle of Dogs lived in clover. (A laugh.)
The Rey. Mr. CAPARN, chairmen of the Isle of Dogs
committee, said the local committee did not intend to
apply for anything this week.
The CHAIKMAN expressed his dissatisfaction with the
mode in which the east central committee distributed
their funds. It was not what the united committee in-
tended to give only sixpenos per head. Their intention
was to let alone such as would ordinarily fall on the poor
rate, and only relieve such persons as were respectable
and would he extremely loth to apply to the parish for
sid. He did not think an indiecrimuiate giving of six.
pence per head to 14,000 individuals was a proper mode of
distribution ,• and the majority of them he thought ought
to be allowed to go to the pariah ; the remainder, such as
were most respectable, lobe relieved in a suitable wanner.
They could not too strongly enforce on the etteution of the
local committees that their object was mainly to relieve
special distress.
After some conversation, it WAS agreed that the secre-
tary should write a letter to the East l mind Committee,
calling their attention to this subject.
The next report was from the Mile-end Relief Com-
mittee, who stated that their area comprised a population
of 84,000, the poorer inbaintanta being principally un-
skilled labourers, of whom there were a large number
out of employ, se also clerks, tailors, eug.ir-iiaters, and
others, owing to the depression in trade. The average
outlay was Id V. per week. The district was divided into
Ave wards, them again being subdivided fur the purposes
of violist/co. There were now (e 2 visitors and almooere.
The receipts from all sources had been 771/., awl the
available Wanes left was tilt.
A grant of 200/. was voted to this committee.
Returns were also received from Bethnal-green Employ-
ment and Relief Aasociation (to which Alias Burdett
Coutts has given a first donation of AWL), from the isle of
Dogs and Shadwell committees. The Shadwell commit-
tee exploded about 201. per week. Their receipts had
been 2'221. les., and they had still a balance of 1101.
The Rev. Mr. atweiris made a eel Ind report in refer-
ence to Hackney, stating that there was one general eon.
• mittee fur the whole district, but that there were sans-
' roue small committees belonging to different denomina-
lions besides who had manifested no willingness to unite.
Mr. Coarsen' said he was sorry to state that Hackney
had gone up in the male of pisuperieni next to Poplar sled

S Mr.itepey.
HAwgrem believed this to arise from the fact that
there were so many well-to-do people in Hackney that
were worth begging from), mid the relief given by the
parish was also very high-9a. Gd. to a man with font
children, and lt.. when there were tire or more children.
Mr. Conan said that this state of matters was being
remedied and additioeal stoneyards were being provided.
The committee shortly afterwards adjourned.