The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-22 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

We have to record the death of Lieut.-General
Richard Jones, of the Royal Artillery, which oc-
curred at Cheshnnt on the 18th inst. The deceased,
who was in his 85th year, entered the Royal Regis
went of Artillery as Second Lieut. May 12, 1797,
and became First Lieut. July 16, 1799. He served
in Holland in 1799, and was made Capt. December

PRICE..... -..4d.
STAMPED ....sd.

~
5, 1804, and Brevet Major June 4, 1814. He was
also present at the capture of Paris, and he remained
with the army of occupation until December 2,1818.
He became Lieut.-Col. December 31, 1828 ; Colonel,
November 23, 1841 ; Col.-Commandant, January
12, 1854; Major-Gen., June 20,1854; and Lieut.-
Gen., Nov. 28, 1854.

_ -
Employment of the Operatives on Public
Works.

The followicg report has been presented to the
Right lion. C. P. Villiers, M.P., President of the.
Poor-Am Board :
" Manchester, May 16, 1863.

" Sir,—You are aware that I accompanied Mr. Rawlin-
son in the cltton manufacturing districts with a view to
ascertain what public works of utility could be advan-
tageously carried out is these districts, and upon which the
unemployed able-bodied male operatives could be set to
work by corporations or other local authorities. I have now
to report that we visited together the Loroughs of Ashton-
under-Lyne, Blackburn, Oldbam, Rochdale, and Stockprt;
and to inform you that we were well received at each of
those places by the authorities to whom I have alluded.
Mr. Rawlinson will report to you the result of his mission ;
but it aears to me that I can furnish you with some facts
in connectionp with the five boroughs we have visited,
which will, I hope, be of some service to you.
"BOROUGH OF ASILTON-tiNDER-LYNE.—Tho population
of this borough is 35,000, and its net rateable value is £76,093.
During the year ended Lady-day, 1863, the ratepayers paid
9s. 7d in the pound on the net rateable value, which
wagesoc pay-
.5a er ppopulationwe ablee
ment included every description of rate for which their pro-
perty was liable. There are 11,616 operatives here : of
whom 1,987 are working full time, 1,176 are working four
or five days ; 1,017 are working three days ; ;369 are work-
o now
u
work-
ing two days or under; and 7,137 are wholly out of work.
menl'
It
o i s f esti-
matedhr ei hthis
I"BOROUGH
Bo estimatedthatßu G thereuOF loss
are
B f
i,wx 28,0 tr is
on C
unemployed
.6,l
borough is 63,125, and its net rateablo value is £144,418.
During the year ended La ly-day, 1863, the ratepayers
paid 9s. 11d. in the pound on the net rateable value, which
payment included every description of rate for which their
property was liable. There are 27,840 operatives here, of
whom 13,393 are working full time, 1,749 are working four
or five days, and 12,698 are wholly out of work. The esti-
mated loss of wages is £10,700 per week. It is estimated
that there are now 3,000 unemployed able men here, or in
the immediate neighbourhood.
" Bono troll op OLDHAM.—The population of this
borough is 72,334, and its net rateable value is £163,446.
During th 9 year ended Lady-day, 1863, the ratepayers paid
6s. 2d. in the pound on the net rateable value, which pay-
ment included every description of rate for which their pro.
perty was liable. There are 24,680 operatives here, of
whom 9,504 are working full time, 6,448 are working four
or five days, 3,412 are working three days, 91 are working
two days, and 5,225 are wholly out of work. The estimated
loss of wages is £6,375 per week. It is estimated that there
are now 1,500 unemployed able men here.
" BOROTJGH OF ROCHDALE —The population of this
borough is 38.164, and its net rateable value (as nearly as
I can ascertain) is £147,000. During the year ended Lady-
day, 1863, the ratepayers paid Os. 9d. in the pound on the
net rateablo value, which payment included every descrip-
tion of rate for which their property was liable. There are
13,269 operatives here, of whops 3,260 are working full time,
552 are working four or five days, 906 are working three
days, 376 are working two days or under, and 8,175 are
wholly out of work. The estimated loss of wages is £4,768
per week. It is estimated there are now 2,000 unemployed
able men here.

"BOROUGH OF STOCKPORT.—The population of this
borough is 54,682, and its net rateable value is £143,227.
During the year ended Lady-day, 1863, the ratepayers paid
Bs. Gd. in the pound on the net rateable value, which pay-
ment included every description of rate for which their pro-
perty was liable. There are 20,037 operatives here; of whom
6,58 are working full time; 3,566 are working four or fivo
days; 1,154 are working three days; 499 are working two
days or under; and 8,220 are wholly out of work. The
estimated loss of wages is £6,100 per week. It is estimated
that there are now 2,000 unemployed men here.
" Amongst the unemployed men in the above-named
boroughs there are many who are carpenters, masons, car •
ters, and others, who are dependent on the cotton trade. I
have to report that we shall next week inspect the bo-
roughs of Wigan, Staleybridge, Bolton, and Salford ; and
on Saturday wo shall report the result of our work to you.
—I have the honour to be, &c.
"H. D. FARNALL, Special Commissioner."

in - -
Mr. Rawlinson, his report, deals with the sanitary
wants of these and other towns, their resources, and the
debts they have already incurred or are empowered to incur
fur general improvements. He sums up with the following
general observations :
" So far as I have yet visited and inspected the diet reseed
towns in Lancashire and Cheshire, I find work requiring to
be done, able-bodied men out of work, and the local autho-
rities willing to consider the proposition of devising work
for wages' for the willing workers amongst the distressed
cotton operatives. Legal power and money are, however,
required in many instances. The Local Government Act
offers legal power at no cost; but there has been and now is
a prejudice against this act. Deputations from Oldham and
some other places have, however, visited Preston and Wigan
to inquire as to the working of the act. and the replies being
satisfactory some of this prejudice has been removed. Many
of the public have entertained the notion that Government
intended to set out large works and execute the same inde-
pendently of the local authorities. I have, in all cases, ex-
plained that all works undertaken must be devised, super-
intended, executed, and paid for by the several local autho-
rities. Objections have been taken to the proposed scheme
of works, viz. That a time of general distress is not fa-
vourable to large expenditure on loeal works not directly
productive. That the cotton operatives out of work cannot,
with advantage, execute the proposed works. That neces-
sarily a large proportion of the money required must be
paid to skilled labour other than distressed cotton opera.
fives and for materials.' The reply is :—The able-bodied
men, now out of work, must either bo maintained out of
the poor rates, or by work in the towns. The present
system will ruin the men, if persevered in over another
year. Relief to able men is ever demoralising. The best
of the distressed cotton operatives both can and will do a
fair day's work for a fair day's wage. This I know by
past and by present experience. I have questioned many
of the men, and they are willing and anxious to work,
Much of the money required will necessarily be expended
on skilled labour and on materials. But within one month
after commencing fairly to work, the best of the distressed
cotton operatives will have become, in a degree, skilled
labourers,' in excavating, in trenching, and in street and
road forming. There are difficulties to be overcome, but
most of these difficulties rest with the local authorities.
But a vast amount of useful work may be beneficially un-
dertaken and be executed by the best of the distressed men
out of employment. Largo numbers of cotton operatives
ought not to be massed. The labour should be divided, and
there should be practical men to lead and superintend.
Wages should be paid in money and at short intervals. Any
loss in the work in the first instance will be more than made
up to the locality in a saving of the poor rate. have made
arrangements for obtaining more detailed estimates of works
which may be undertaken in the several towns. and have
offered my services to (as far as possible) advise the local
surveyor, in each case, as to works. I will report further as
soon so practicable.—l have the honour to be, &c..
" ROBERT RAWLINSON."

Noire, in
secluded village of the Montague
efrom
their bode one
A GHOST IN A BELFRY.—The inhabitantthseodfea.
partment of the Aude,
the pompous phrase used bythe small pariah church. The
ringing of the single bell of
itself to the minds of the '4l-
- last week by the ‘'wsoeurendrlootitter:toecrsinto,"dfaosrersibuecphthies
idea of a fire first suggested
to be seen they flocked to the
lagers, but as no
whatfi I.:, 7,4:h e
church
dmatter.oar wasT o their
locked
; greatn o vasotioce-
to their loud shouts of inquiry—
nchisuhrtachentto,
• dto ring loudlyand
hurriedly,
the bell continue
hearts the crowd fol-
lowed yet
lied upon and brought the church key.
The cure was ca
sheoewever, the.
and beating
responded
trembling
swteipthsin
With trem
their pastor into the sacred building. They pene.
ltorwateded into the belfry, and—oh I horror of horrors I the
bell-rope was violently agitated and pulling the hell by
itself. The good priest himself was scared at this fearful
phenomenon, and his followers, pale with terror, dropped
down upon their knees and crossed themselves, It wa midnight, the hour when spirits walk abroad. The priest,s armed with his youpillon, proceeded to exorcise the demon
but all the holy water in the church was soon exhausted.
and yet the dreadful bell continued to sound. At length a
peasant, more intrepid than the rest, volunteered to climb
into the steeple, and look at the bell itself. As he mounted
the dark:narrow winding ladder which led to the abode of
mystery, the tertilled parishioners below muttered their
paternosters with increased rapidity. In a few moments an
unearthly shriek from the devoted messenger left no doubt
on the minds of the people below that he had met with nlet
devil himself. As the unhappy man approached the bell. .
did indeed cease to sound, but by the flickering pale light
of of his lantern he saw crouching down close to the clapper
black monstrous hideous form, with two yellow eyes which
in the church.
for some minntes an awful silence reigned.ulse several men
glared lull upon him. The poor man fainted. away, "
Then by a sudden and simultaneous
the ladder tee;
parting courage to each other, h
bell they
resolved to see what had become of
lecat,
who
had
feetentangled in the rope, anc.l '
had got one of his fore
thee. On nearing the
had been the cause of this ter-
nedd
au-rpPlcaornagerapode, and im-
parting
his endeavours to escape, e
Noire.
rible commotion in the Montagu

The adjourned Wharneliffe meeting of this com-
pany was held yesterday at the Waterloo Station—
Captain Mangles in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN moved a formal resolution ap-
proving a bill for incorporating a company to make
a railway from the Sidmouth Railway, near Tipton,
to Budlaigh Sllterton, and for other purposes. The
bill contained clauses and provisions by which
powers were proposed to be conferred on the Lon-
don and South-Western Company for leasing and
working the line.
The motion was seconded and carried unani-
mously.