The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-09 00:00:00

THE DISTRESS IN LANCASHIRE.

Yesterday, at half-past 1 o'clock, a deputation
from the provisional committee recently formed in
the City of London to raise money towards the re-
lief of the distressed operatives in Lancashire and
Cheshire, had an interview by appointment with
the Lord Mayor on the subject at the Mansion
House. The gentlemen present were—Mr W. Mor-
ley, Mr. Howes, Mr. Lycett, Mr. J. Armitage, Mr.
Cotton, and Mr. Barber, all of them partners in City
firms of long standing and repute, and more or less
identified with the cotton manufacture.

The LORD MAYOR stated that in consequence of
the recent public announcement he made after a
previous interview with the committee, from the
bench in the justice room, he had received £1,500
or £1,600 from benevolent persons towards the re-
lief of the distressed operatives; and the time had
arrived for them to consider how he was to dispose

of it and of other contributions which, he had no
doubt, would continue to flow in. It would be recol-
lected he stated that while he was willing to be the
medium of receiving and transmitting the bounty of
the public, he could not take part in its distribution,
but would hand it over for that purpose to some
central organisation. So far no such central organi-
sation existed, but there were local relief commit.
tees in Preston, Blackburn, and Wigan, where the
distress was known prevail, and he asked the depu-
tation if they thought he would be justified in send
ing a proportionate part of the sums in his hands to
the committees in those different towns in the hope
that there would be a fair distribution of it. It was
not desirable, he thought, that he should keep the
money in his hands.

IMr. LYCETT concurring that it was not, and ap-
pearing in that respect to speak the sentiments of
the deputation, read a letter by Mr. Richard Lea,
the honorary secretary to the Wigan relief commit-
tee, stating that the number of hands entirely out
of work in that town was not less, on the 30th of
April, than 4,620, and that during the next fort-
night 2,400 more, who were then working three
days a week, would be added to the list of the un-
employed. Besides those there were 300 hands
working three days a week, and 400 six days. Those
700 were employed at three mills, which he was
informed would cease working in about a month.
On the day mentioned the Wigan Relief Fund
amounted to £3,399 odd, of which £2,600 had been
expended. The relief was distributed by six ward
committees. The number of cases then on the books
was over 1,800, representing at least 5,400 persons,
and the number must increase in the next few
weeks in consequence of the closing of mills. They
had a great many handloom weavers on their books,
who were suffering equally with the factory ope-
ratives. The amount they paid weekly in relief
was about £250, and therefore the funds in hand,
even at the present rate of distribution, could only
last about three weeks longer. The distress was
much greater than anybody who did not visit the
people as he and others did had any idea of. Every
day discovered to them cases of the most touching
and distressing character, and nothing that had
been either heard or read in London coloured too
highly the real circumstances of the town of Wigan.
Another correspondent said he had lived in Wigan
3') years, and he had never known so much distress
among the working elat,sul. lie knew oc-ycratrcbu-
lar and consistent members of the Wesleyan society
and teachers in Sunday schools who had no work
for months, and who had sold nearly all their cloth-
ing for food rather than make application for relief
to the poor-law guardians. Mr. Lycett suggested
that £5OO each of the money in the hands of the
Lord Mayor should be sent to Blackburn, Preston,
and Wigan, for distribution by the local relief
committees.

Mr. COTTON read a resolution which had been
passed by the provisional committee in London on
Wednesday. It was to the effect that opinions
having been held that the appeal to the public was
not only premature but scarcely warranted by
of actual distress in the manufacturing
Lancashire and Cheshire, the commit-
dthisetiaimetcsuonft
tee, unwilling that the generous sympathy of the
public should be prematurely taxed, and had
taken careful means to ascertain, not only the ac-
tual but also the prospective state of suffering
and want in the more popular districts of the cotton
manufacture, the result of which investigation was
that their former convictions were day by day
strengthened by fresh disclosures of privation and
want actually existing, and they felt that they
could no longer withhold their contributions, nor
refrain from an earnest appeal on behalf of those
whose present need was likely to be intensified in
proportion as the struggle in America should be
unhappily protracted. He added that in the Black-
burn district, 23 mills, employing 8,459 operatives,
had stopped working altogether, and in that of
Preston 27 mills, employing 8,108 people, had also
entirely stopped. . _ _

The Lord Mayor asked if he might understand
that he would be justified by the opinions of the
deputation as to the expediency and propriety of
his transmitting to each of these three towns named
a certain sum for distribution.

There was a unanimous response in the affirm-