The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-23 00:00:00

SUMS PAID FOR THE RELIEF OF THE POOR.

The first point to which we direct the attention of
our readers is, of course, the amount paid by the
churchwardens of Manchester, for the relief of the
poor, during the year 1829, as compared with that
paid during several preceding years. The account
stands thus:—

Amount paid during the year 1825 £20,864 0 8
Ditto 1826 31,218 18
Ditto 1827 31,390 13 7
Ditto 1823 24,935 0 3

Ditto

1829 34,547 1 111

Taking this account without any explanation, it
would certainly appear that the amount paid in the
year 1829, had been considerably above the average
of the four preceding years, an 1 greater even than
that of the disastrous year 1826; but the amount
for 1829 will be found to be liable to a considerable
deduction, and that for 1826 to a more considerable
augmentation, which will materially alter the results.
During the year 1829 there was a turn-out of the
fine-spinners, which continued for six months, and
which caused a very great increase in the payments
for the relief of the poor. Although little or no re-
lief was given to the spinners themselves, yet the
hands depending upon them, having been deprived
of employment without any fault of their own, were
of necessity supported in great part out of the poor-
rates. As these persons amounted, according to all
the cAlculations we have seen, to at least 7,000 or
8,000, and as they continued out of employment for
six months, they caused a considerable pressure
upon the poor-rate—a pressure which was not
chargeable in any way to the state of trade. The
payments on this account are estimated by one of
the overseers, who is well qualified to form an
opinion on the subject, to have been from 6,0001. to
7,0001., which amount ought to be deducted from
the gross payments. In the year 1826, in addition
to the payments by the churchwardens, a public
subscription, amounting to upwards of 19,0001.,
was distributed amongst the poor by a committee
appointed for that purpose, and ought to be added
to the sum paid by the churchwardens. The state-
ment, then, taking the sum paid on account of the
turn-out to have been 6,000/., will stand thus :-
1825 £20,864 0 8
1826 53,218 IS 1
1927 31,399 13 7
18!8 24,93.5 0 3
1829 29,417 1 111
So that the amount for 1829 will be below, instead
of being above, the average. The increase of po-
pulation which has taken place since 1825 ought
also to be considered ; but as we have no means ofl
estimating its extent, we shall not make any deduc-
tion on account of it. It is necessary to observe,
that so very large an increise took place in the po-
pulation in and just before the year 1825, as to ren-
der any comparison with preceding years perfectly
useless. We may however state, that the sums
paid for the relief of the poor in 1816 and 1817,
when the population was so much smaller, were con-
siderably larger than those paid in the last year,
being, in 1816, 39,767/. 17s. Bd., arid in 1817,
49,824/. 2s. 91d., in addition to a subscription of
several thousand pounds raised in the latter year,
and distributed amongst the distressed poor. In-
deed, the average annual amount paid from the year
1816 to the year 1828, including the subscription
raised in 1826 (but exclusive of the subscription
raised in 1817, the amount of which we have not.
been able to ascertain), is no less than 29,861/.
109. 2id.,—upwards of 1,0001. higher than the
amount paid in 1829, when the payment on ac-
count of the turn-out in that year is deducted.