The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-05 00:00:00

The Late Distress in the Cotton Districts.

Yesterday after a meeting of the General Com-
mittee of the Fund for Relief of Distress in the
Manufacturing Districts was held in the Mayor's
Parlour, at the Manchester Town-hall, and was very
numerously attended. The Mayor of Manchester
(Mr. Bowker) took the chair, ex officio. There were
also present the Earl of Derby (chairman of the
Central Executive Committee), Lord Egerton of
Tatton, the Earl of Sefton, Mr. Watkin, M.p., the
lion. A. Egerton, M.P., Mr. G. L. Ashworth, Mr.
Platt, M.P., Colonel Patten, M.P., and a number
of the most influential members of the General
Committee.

A report of the Central Executive Committee was
received and adopted.
Mr. M. Ross, president of the Manchester Cham-
ber of Commerce, read the minutes of a special
meeting of the Central Executive Committee, at
which it was unanimously resolved that a testimonial
from which that committee should form primarily
a recognition of the invaluable services of Mr. J. W.
Maclure, the hon. secretary of the relief funds ; and
that the resolution be communicated to the General
Committee that it might take such steps as it deemed
proper in support of a testimonial to that gentleman.
Lord Derby was requested to make the communi-
cation. The members of the Central Executive
Committee had each contributed towards the object,
and had raised £1,096, which would remain a sum
entirely distinct from any additional subscription
on the part of others.
At the request of the Mayor of Manchester, Mr.
Alderman Bennett, the ex-mayor here, took the
chair, the Mayor having to wait upon the judges
of assize on their arrival to open the commission at
Manchester.
The Earl of DERBY then rose and said—By the
direction of the Central Executive Committee I have
to bring before you the resolution which was passed
unanimously by that body with reference to the re-
cognition of the services of Mr. Maclure. But be-
fore I say a word upon that subject allow me to
congratulate you and the county, which I think I
may do most conscientiously, upon the satisfactory
character of the report which you have just heard
read. Not only has there been a reduction of the
amount of pauperism, after the severe struggle
through which the county has gone, to a figure not
exceeding, or very little exceeding, that of 1861,
which was in the highest and most flourishing state
of the cotton manufacture, but there is a consider-
able sum still left in hand; and, what I consider is
of infinitely more importance than either the one
or the other, there has been an infinitely less amount
of demoralisation and deterioration in the indepen-
dent
character of the working men of the county
than could have been possibly expected when so
large a sum was to be distributed in gratuitous re-
lief. (Applause.) I think those who were most
favourable to the expenditure of money for chari-
table purposes on which we have been employed
had forebodings—and I confess that I had myself
forebodings—that such a large sum of money could
not by possibility be expended without a very in-
jurious effect upon the character of the working
classes, who had to receive that amount of relief.
And it is most satisfactory to perceive7and the
surest test of it is that there is no increase in the
demand for parochial relief—that though to a cer-
tain extent that result may have followed, the re-
sult has been in a very infinitesimally small propor-
tion to the amount of relief which has been afforded,
and the risk which I don't hesitate to say was in-
curred. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, in bringing
before you the immediate subject of the resolution, I
wish to state in the first place that I hope no discus-
sion will take place now with regard to the propriety
of considering the final disposal of the surplus still
remaining on hand ; still more do I hope that no dis-
cussion will take place with regard to the best mode of
dealing with that surplus, supposing we had it in our
power. But I think it may be convenient to say
that in the course of the spring the Bridgewater-
house Committee, contemplating the possibility of a
surplus being finally left, thought themselves called
upon to take the opinion of counsel as to what
powers they had of diverting the sum to any pur-
pose other than the strict purpose for which it was
subscribed. We had the opinion of counsel that we
had no power to divert it to any other purpose ex-
cept upon application to the Court of Chancery ;
but that the Court of Chancery probably, taking
into consideration all the circumstances of the case,
would be disposed to look favourably upon any
scheme which might be proposed by the committee
for the permanent disposal of the surplus still in
hand. Now it is quite obvious that any scheme like
that requires very deliberate consideration before it
is submitted to the Court of Chancery. On the
other hand, I think I may say, as the unanimous
opinion of the Executive Committee, that it is not
desirable to keep on hand a very large balance be-
yond the time at which we may feel tolerably secure
against any recurrence of the cotton famine. (Hear,
hear.) I think that it will not be thought desirable
that that fund should remain in hand, and be looked
upon as available for meeting any casual and tem-
porary fluctuation of employment. I think that
there would be very serious injury done if that
principle were acted upon, and that we ought to
dispose finally of our surplus as soon as we are
satisfied • that there is no probability or reason-
able expectation of distress anything like approach-
ing to that which we have gone through recur-
ring again. But the state of the cotton trade is so
uncertain, and must be so uncertain for the next
few months, that I hope there will be a unanimous
concurrence in the opinion that it is more advis-
able to keep this fund on hand for the course of
a few months, and in the meantime to abstain from
expressing any opinion as to the mode in which
it should be ultimately disposed of. (Hear, hear.)
Now, gentlemen, in looking back to the period which
we have gone through, of three years of intense dis-
tress, there is one other most gratifying circum-
stance to which I must advert, which is the man-
ner in which throughout the whole of the country all
classes and all ranks have each in their several lo-
calities exerted themselves towards the diminution
of distress, and not only by their pecuniary contri-
butions, but by their personal labours and their per-
sonal superintendence. To the local committees the
report does no more than justice in speaking of the
judgment and discretion and the ability and zeal with
which they have discharged the duties which were
imposed upon them--duties very often very painful,
very invidious—the duty of keeping a strict watch
over the funds intrusted to their charge, and the
duty, on the other hand, of those who represented
them before the Central Committee, of bring-
ing the case of those whom they represented fairly
before us, and at the same time not putting any un-
due pressure on the Central Executive Committee,
or arguing too strongly in favour of their own per-
sonal and local interests. With regard to all these
matters, we cannot but be most grateful for the ser-
vices which have been rendered both by the local
Executive Committees generally and by those gen-
tlemen who have represented them on the part of the
Central Executive Committee. Members of that com-
mittee also, each in their own districts, laboured with
a zeal and diligence and industry which I trust will,
in every case, meet with their reward in the increased
Tespect and affection which may be borne to them by
their poorer neighbours. (Hear.) But among all
those who have laboured, and laboured diligently and
e
rnestly,for the promotion of the great objectwe had
in view, I think I may venture to say, without fear of
contradiction, that there has been no person whose
services have been so unflagging, so valuable, and so
unceasing, as those of the honorary secretary, Mr.
Maclure. (Applause.) For three years he-has gra-
tuitously performed the duties of that office, and
has in my own knowledge for weeks, I believe I
might say for months together,devoted, certainly
very much to his own inconvenience and loss, a pe
rind of not -
less than 12 hours out of every four-
and-twenty to the vast amount of business which
f
in reference to this relief pressed upon himie commit-
tee. That the accounts have been kept with the fide-
lity and care and accuracy with which they have
been kept, that the money has not been Wastefully
squandered, that a strict watch has been kept over
its application, and finally that, as compared with
the total amount expended, the percentage required
for superintendence and for expenses has been pro-
bably infinitely lower than ever was known with re-