The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-15 00:00:00

DISIBESS IN LANCASHIRE.

ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE.--The usual weekly meet-
ing of the Ashton-under-Lyne guardians was held
on Thursday. 'fetal relieved, 4,246, at a cost of
£194 Bs. Bd. ; corresponding week last year, 1.530,
at a cost of £B3 14s. 6d.; increase in the number
relieved, 2,716; in cost, £llO 14s. 2d. Number of
inmates in the workhouse—males, 187 ; females,
175 ; children, 107; total, 469. Corresponding week
last year, 317. Vagrants relieved during the week,
43. Balance in band, £1,161 14s. 2d. A deputation,
headed by the Mayor of Stalybridge, waited upon
the guardians to urge upon them the necessity of
still further remonstrating with the Poor-law Board
on the subject of the abolition of the labour test.
The Chairman stated that their labour test was all
in-door work, as they always thought out-door labour
would quite unfit a factory operative for resumption
of his employment, and therefore they had only
asked them to pick oakum, and that. too, only for
four hours, for which they were paid ls. The Mayor
said it would be a satisfaction for the operatives to
hear the guardians had that regard for them. Their
object was to get the labour test abolished through-
out the whole district.
OLDHAM—The number of persons relieved dur-
ing the past week by the Oldham guardians was
2,444, at a cost of £l2l 16s, 4d., against 2,412 per-
sous relieved at a cost of £l2l lls. 11d. in the
week previous. This increase in the number of per-
sons relieved appears to be at about the regular rate
in which the numbers have been augmenting for
some weeks past. At the meeting of guardians on
Wednesday, a letter was read from the Poor-law
Board with reference to the labour test. A letter
had been forwarded to the Poor law Board, setting
forth the views of the guardians on the test, and in-
forming them of their decision not to apply it within
the Oldham union during the present distress, The
communication from the Poor-law Board, in reply
to this letter, stated that they cannot, consistently
with their public duty, continuo to sanction
the general administration of out door relief to the
able-bcdied, in violation of all the existing safe-
guards prescribed by the law. A brief discussion
took place on the question, and it was ultimately
resolved that the guardians should continue to ad-
minister relief to the able-bodied upon the same
principle which had hitherto guided them. It may
be stated that the decision previously arrived at by
the guardians on this point has given great satis-
faction to all classes of the ratepayers.
MACCLESPIELD.—OrIers for spring and summer
goods have had the effect of opening out employ-
ment to hands that long and patiently waited for
it. Mills that have been working two and three
days a week are now on fall time; and several fac-
tories that were closed altogether • have recom-
menced work. The soup kitchen daily becomes less
needed.
LIVERPOOL —For a long time past the cotton
porters have been reduced to great straits by the
greatly diminished import of cotton, but this evil
was in some measure counteracted by a large influx
of grain-laden vessels which afforded more than
the usual amount of employment in that line.
Within the last few weeks, however, the prevalence
of easterly winds and other causes had occasioned a
great falling off in the number of ships arriving,
which had the effect of throwing many hands idle,
and to a large extent augmenting the amount of
destitution in the town. To meet this soup kit-.
ehens were opened in different parts of the town,
by means of which a large amount of relief was
afforded.: A change of wind, and a general im-
provement of the weather, has had the effect of
bringing in ships, and of affording employment to
those who are willing to work. The number of
applications for relief have gradually diminished.