The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-04-21 00:00:00

10REIGN piflutetirr.
Whiff-PA PERS.

ABATEMENT OF PAUPERISM IN TILE CITY OP
LONDON.

'Telleaswaraduerl:P:NlDe:ted
of the Yesterday a numerous Meeting of the:Ciauhleu.
Yesterday we received a file of Clew Journals. The potations from the several parishes of the City of London, met at
Ash lan Miserrt r contains
carntioTweentepArepiiho,ils.ftmathictdh.:eluitipti,,uica,rpo#:iirtorihse:.Hhie.recbitpictydinurth,othatetkßheVutii::, retcon.
French elections :
" VIENNA. APRIL 7. IN THE C At*
the petition of the several
them without any adequate aim.
The Ananias Observer of this date has the following article,
which it mates to have been " sent for insertion t"—
the heavy burdens impatod upon
A Parisian correspondent of the Aggemeter Z.Sisaser (No. lid, of
tage, the demand for further aid on account of the London W. k
March 24th) endeavours to explain the brilliant rt suit of the late',
house might be ado ed- nr '
cease, or Mlllelleee pt to reader the moire-
elections for the Chamber of Deputies, by the boldness with which .ou.
the Ministry disregarded the political consciences of these elates more efficient mid beneficial to the pibhe—that a I 'ontnifttee
I Pir the lamination was ',pointed to investigave die subject, ens
who at the same tune held offices under Government, and to whom
, reported so had been stated previously on the subject, in aratedamm
no alternative was left but either to declare in favour of the Royalist
~ I with the views of the extensive population of the city of .
candidates, or to lose their places. ll'hile an Ali i
- --a at" that I That the Sub-tammittoe from the conviction that the man
should act otherwise, and really allow the tender political con. i
f the London Workhouse, and the purposes to which it had hem
science of a servant of the King, to decide in favour of Messrs. I a .
__, ~
• the I
Manuel, La Fayette, and Co. must be accused, to speak in .
appr7noteo tor • great lonrmtiof stime, had not bent such staves
• wen ed by the Act of the use, under which it mwarigi.
gentlest terms, of a treasonable negligence ; this Correspondent of ra..
ii and ions in laws did
the Allirso-in- Zeilidsg endeavoure to represent this cooduet of the
' others rcumconstituted, stances, •that, from
call had beenalterat accustomed toshe be made on the
Minicry as 'skilfully executed manteuvre of the predominant ,
i parishes for pccuniasy support to an useless arid unneco. ex-
cor-
ruptionfoolish
and even to put into the mouth of a French Minister the • tent . the committee
therefore
...redo f
the
foolish words—" When the business is but accomplished, suet sr I '.
1 reduce the expenses of the setabLilanont ; that after defraying
nrxtrnntetMat
makes everything forgotten." Ito
resen outmoding Minis by one further rate only, sad .h a
We should have paid no attention to these expressions of a single ! amounting to no more than one half of the usual rate or
discontented straggler in the train of the Revolution, were it sw
ot .
menu on the parishes, a plan be carried into execution for •
worth while, on this occasion, to call to mind that, with the other
political disorders in Euope, the difference has ceased which had , the workhouse useful by means of itsown f
independent uniii,
without any further claim upon the parishes ; that upon this'll.,
crept in betreen the service of the State and that of the Sovereign, ,
ce•ful result. to be justly attributed to the interference and exam,
by which it was allowed to serve the King with the hand, and st sion of the gamma voice of the parishes, the dub.( °Junin.* -
the sane time the King's bitterest enemies with heart and lips ; and ,
eel it unnecessary to make any further comment than stonily that,/
that, presidesthe religions conscience, there is henceforth no distinct congratulation, although, in resigning their trust, they could a,
tender political conscience, the freedom of which governments have
• but tier the expediency of a steady 00-operasion amongst the pa.
to respect in their SCITJUNA. Even the British Ministers them- .
Ashes to any future plan for rendering the workhouse useful to the
y
selves, however free they ma be in the exercise of their functions,
community, and improving the systems adopted with tepid to the
must male innumerable sacrifices and concessions of their private poor, da. Ss.opiniotis before they enter oo their office; how, then, should an ,
A Alember of the deputation observed, that the Institution of
unconditional liberty of political opinion be admissible in the !
the
London workhouse could be adapted to admirable uses and
monarchically constituted States of she Continent ?
I supported by its own independent funds. He was conviomi due
In times when moral and honourable sentiments predominate • •
eery extensive contributions Would be voluntarily made if it awe
man who had taken an oath to Mve his master, would think it an to its
original imentiou
upon
more comprehensive
i.
insult to his honour if a second were required of him, by which he applied
es. The parishes were indelus to their chairman fee an on.
should bind himself to serve, ise to pay any imaginary beings wearied effort to effect this object. It had occurred to him that a
whether it were called state, saws pahlkw, or public opinion, rather mineral d permanent good could not be accomplished without et.
than his master. But we were so dishonoured and deluded by the .. termngthe advantages of a plan for the relief of the poor so in.
equivocation of the revolutionary doctrinist, that the dignity of the dividuals who had no resource whatever, either if charterer, 01
public servant appeared precisely to consist in that
,de detain&
money, or friends. It was Mr. Bathe object to have a refuge for
No reproach can be made to the French Ministry except that
persons who had no work; for those who were released front .
did not by a Rcyal Ordonrance at once proclaim, as of general are where they were confined fur offences of no magnitude, and ale
)picadors, the important principle on which it partially acted in t 1
I might be brought back to a seised duty and of shame. (Applause.)
elections that have just terminated. I In acting with the view of doing away an unnecessary expose,
AUSTRIAN FUNDS, Aram 5--Metldliques 97 7-16 ; Bank
those who thus employed these Gee were likely abe the boulders
Shares 1051 0-10. of a plan of the greatest public utility. At the present moment, it
- -- -------- - would not be prudent to state the merits of that plan, but the tithe
would soon arrive when it would be submitted to the consideration
of the citizens of London. The object of getting rid of the expense
attending the London workhouse had been completely accomplish.
ed, and It was togillr. Hick the universal thanks of the City were
, due. (Loud applause.). The power over the Institution was now
in the hands of a Committee of the Corporation, the Governors bay.
tog resigned their trust for the geneses good.
Mr. finesnEst moved that the Report should be received, and
highly complimented the effbrts of those who had exerted them.
selves on an occasion SO highly beneficial to the public and to the
poor.
Mr. Eeelorte seconded the motion, and expressed a firm hope
that an asylum would spring out of their exertions. humanity
had long celled for as institution of the description alluded to.
The CHAIRMAN said, that the plan alluded to lay upon the
Committee of the Corporation, and would be submitted to the pub-
., lie when It was properly matured. Measures, he doubted not,
would be proposed, which would probably meet the views of all
parties. Not one parish should be at the least expense. The
house stood now at the rate of 1201. a year, besides taxes. The in-
come was 2001. a year, so that a new plan could be adopted and
acted upon, without the slightest demand upon the pockets of the
parishioners.
A Member of the Deputation stated, that fifty-seven out of the
me hundred and live parishes had subscribed IL each, to defray
any expense that might arise from the effort to get rid d the iii.
Seventeen pounds, two shillings, and nine-pen, esly had
tit n. expended : the balance nine-pence,
remaiaieg in band was of come
nearly forty pounds.
Mr. BLEADEN said, the Meeting could set apply the balance
to a better purpose than that of purchasing a piece of plate, to be
presented to Mr. Hick, in temisuony of the gratitude of the several
parishes, for his exertions on the ocmsioo. ( Loud applause.)
A conversation took place upon the propriety of increasing the
amount of this piece of plate to 1001.; and the meeting seemed to
be unanimous upon the subject, when
The CHAIRMAN interfered, and declared that be would not have
taken the chair if he had supposed it possible that any proposition
of this kind bad been contemplated. He had merely done his duty.
There was one thing of which he could not lose sighs. Out of 103
parishes no more than 57 had come forward to subscribe the IL in
defence of their own rights ; and he could not think of allowing
those persons who were backward as to their own interests to sub.
scribe for any other purpose.
The proposition of Mr. Blandon was then put into Am, and
unanimously agreed to.
Mr. Bice, in returning thanks, impressed upon the filming the
nesseesky of paying their poor on a stated day and hour, by which
plan he expected the numerous impositions practised by their
weekly applicants would be in a great measure frustrated. As it
was at present, the poor were enabled to ',pear in different pavishos
in time to receive money to which they were not entitled. It was
their practice to apply in different names. Some time ago a fellow
Howard, who had been in his (the Chairman's) parish, told him he
would go and get a better parish. He went away, and
in ac;=
fixed himself St. Georges, Hanmensquare, which
kept the man, while his wife was maintained in OM City.
A fellow named Paterkin, who was a notorioas imposer, was
convicted the imposture, had constantly meereed the sum of a
guinea per week from parishes. Such parttime would certainly be
much diminished, by obliging the poor to be present at a stated
hour. The truth of excuses for obsesse would be easily ascertain.
able. Ile believed that every man who undertook the office of
churchwarden determined to do what be could for the poor; but
the moment he began his duties, he was so overwhelmed with cases
if imposition, that he became insensible to the applications of the
molly distressed. The most cruel difficulties were then to be con-
Seeded against. Bert the Chairman mentioned, amongst others,
lbe case of a poor woman, whose husband was transported; one
mu h would not have herself, and the parish that would have her-
d'( would not have her child. In this emergency she walked the
Meets, bat being in a starving condition, she applied to him (the
Chairman), and asked him whether she might get to Neergate.
under the ears of Airs. Fry, by stealing a little something. One
of the posies evils of the present system was, the bargain made
between tbe t= Mficen and many of the paupers, that as soon
Mt a pauper les an inmate, he is allowed Is. or 2s. a week.
with liberty to go out and return to sleep in the house. From lab
10 30110 beggars were thus thrown upon the streets.
The thanks of the Meeting were then voted to the ffatte-Com.
• emitter, and to Mr. Attwood, the Honorary Secretary, to whom it
WAS resolved the paper expressing their thanks should be inclosed
in a gold box. The Meeting then separated.

VAUXHALL GARDENS.

Notwithstanding the large sums of money expended by
the present proprietors of these gardens, preparatory to
their opening for the last season, workmen have been
busily employed during the winter in preparing new fasci-
nations for the frequenters of this popular place of amuse-
ment. A new painting by Thome, representing in the
centre the Cave of Fingal, 84 feet by 2.5, is nearly com-
pleted; which is to be put up where the representation of
Mount Vesuvius was placed last year. Two new galleries
are erected for the better accommodation of the company ;

one of which is opposite the theatre, and the other opposite
the fire tower. The orchestra has been entirely repainted.
The colours are red and white, relieved by very well ex-
ecuted gilding. A new sounding-board, in the fora) of a
shell, has been placed over that part of the orchestra where
the vocal performers stand when they are singing, We
understand, should the weather permit, that it is the in-
tention of the proprietors to open the gardens about the
middle of May. We had ahnost forgotten to entice a great
improvement that has been effected in the Pavilion. The
partition that separated the rooms in that building has
been removed ; a new staircase has been erected, and a
new gallery or supper-room hat been added at that end of
it, towards the Kennington-lane gate.

ON TIIR ORIGIN OF TRET.

Tt is well known amongst merchants and wholesale deal.
ers, who buy their imported articles by weight, that, by
the custom of London, there is a deduction rustle in the
weight of some of them, under the same of tret, of 41b. in
every lotlb. of the commodity, after the allowance• for the
weight of the package, called tare ; that for the deteriora-
tion of the commodity lying next the package, called elof ;
and that for the turn of the scale in re-seWag it in smaller
moods, called draught, have been respectively taken a&
The nature and origin of this deduction, called tret, has
either not been considered by authors, a has been =-
founded by unwary writers on arithmetic, mostly school.
masters by profession and unverawl an real blaiolll4l4 with
' tare, cloff, and draught. In a weft which Waif fell into
my hands, containing, amongst ether dsisrge, a yeas deal
of curious Information on the subject of the wetgb and
measures of Eaglmid ; namely, Gray's Eleaseats °friar-
' marl, I find the author has coatitiered this subject of net.
He gives an historical account of the various kinds of
weights which have been added to. our own original aveir.
dupois, either by the political pre-eminence of foreigt ers,
as the Tower or Saxon, and the Troy or Norman weights ;
er the influence of commerce, as the foil or Venetian
went: all of which are in actual use at present; although
twa of them, the Tower and the foil, are not mentioned in
modem works on arithmetic, which also omit the smaller
divisions of the avoirdupois.
The origin of tret he assigns to the difference between
the Tower and the avoirdupois weight; and says, with
much show of truth, that when this decrement was first
allowed, it is probable that the Tower a Saxon weight, of
13 ores to the pound, was used at the custom-het:se ; and
as 1041 b. of that weight are equal to 1001 b. avoirdupois, of
16 ounces to the pound, the merchants were in the habit of
thus reducing the weight as taken at the King's beam used
by the revenue officers, into the avoirdupois or commtreial
weight, without the trouble of weighing the articles over
again—an operation for which, it is probable, many were
not provided with the necessary tackle. Since the disuse
of the Tower weight, the same reduction has been conti-
nued by habit, and confounded the eloff and draught.—
.ifeckanic'r Weekly • 1710 nu/.

-
It appears from a work just published on the cotton
works in the west of Scotland, that in two of the prin-
cipal establishments, Saw Lanark and Catrine, the num-
ber of illegitimate children is as nearly eqnal as possible.
The amount in both, from a comparison of three year..
does n-t amount iu the year to one in a hundred of the
females liable to such a misfortunc.—Scotsman.