The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-07 00:00:00

THE MISERIES OF THE UNEMPLOYED.

At the Mansion-house, on Wednesday. three unem -
ployed workmen, who described themselves respectively
as a grainier, a house decorator, and a bricklayer, waited
upon the Lord Mayor, to Make applieatiOn on the pert
of themselves and a great number of others similarly
situated, ,who were waiting outside the court, for tempo
rary relief, repreeeeeing that they were suffering severe
distress from want of work, which. there seemed no
present prospect of obtaining. The Lord Mayor said he
was very sorry fot their tinfortunate position, as it was
a shocking thing to see so many thousands out of work
as there were at the present time, and who with their
families must neees;arily suffer great p-ivations ; and he
was still more sorry that he could give them no relief,'
as the meney in the poor box was only to a limited
amount; and. he 110 given £lO only a few days ago to a
body of men similarly situated. It appeared to him that
the best thing they could do was to go to the relieving;
officers of their parishes, as they and their families could
not be allowed to starve. The bricklayer said he had nut
been to the parish, and did not want to go, if there was
a possibility of getting work, or keeping away at all.
.The Lord'Mayor told him he hail better go at once; and
the bricklayer q iitted the court with the avowed inten.
tion of fellowieg his lordship's. advice. The house
decorator said he had a wife and child, and having
been out of work for four months, had only been able'
to maintein them by pledging and selling everything;-
b2longing to hiui except the clothes on their backs. Yes-
terday, being at the last pus'.;, he went, with about 150
others, to the workhouse, where they Were set to beak
stones, and at the end of the deer he got is and a
quartern loaf, but most of the men who were single got
only 4d or 6d and a halt-quartern loaf, after being all day
with nothing to eat. That was a very little, and the stone
breaking had se•blisfered his hands that he could not go
tit again, for it •he did, hie hands would be .in such a
state as to Make it impossible for him to do any work at
his own business for three weeks or a month, even if he
got any. The poor fellow here held Out his hands, the
palms of which, as he had said, were blistered all over.
The Lori Mayor said it was a great pity such man could
not be relieved without having to do work which spoiled
their hands for their own trades. The grainer said he
did not appear so much for himself as for the others, many-
of whom, who had been twelve or twenty four hours
withous focei, were growing very noisy. He had done
all he could to keep them quiet, brit they were grow-
ing desperate, and threatened to have food by
_fait
means or foul, unless something was done for th,m•
and that quickly. A good many of them were anxious
to emigrate to Australia it they could get a free passage,
and land to cultiVate , when they got there. The Lord
Mayor said, it was a great pity they could not be sent by
government to Australia or Canada, where, and more
especially in Canada, so Many mechanics , were now
wanted. Their object in this respect was a very good
one, and he would do all he could to promote it, but, for
the present, the best thing they conld do was to go,tee
the different workhouses in the East London, West
London, and City iof London Unions. The deputation
then than' ed his lordship and withdrew, intimating
their intention of communicating his lordship's advice
to their companions outside the court, and the crowd in
front of the Mansion house, which had been growing
rather demonstrative and noi'y, shortly after retired.