The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-06 00:00:00

sympathy which have been evinced by the British public for this
most unhappy class of women, suddenly deprived of the help of their
husbands.

"R. P. DOUGT, AS, Colonel, Assist. Adjt. Gen.,
"Chairman of Committee."

Extract from the Manchester and Salford Local Committee :
"Salford Barracks, 29th August.
" I scud you a statement of a few cases, which strike me as being
unusually distressing. There are many nearly as bad, 140 in num-
ber. Very few of the women who have young children (and the
children are nearly all too young to work) can earn anything worth
noticing, 2s. or 3s. a week at the most. Of course those who enjoyed
the privileges of livirg in the barracks, 8E4., as being married with
leave, are in th, worst circumstances, and they suffer severely.
They lose the lodging and advantages of fuel, company's and officers'
washing, say ss. or Gs. a week, and the assistance of their husbands'
pay. Lodging here of a very indifferent sort costs them 2s. and 3s.
a week, and they will be far worse lodged than when in barracks. I
send you the cases of four women all married with leave, one with
six children, another five, ano.ber four, another three ; there are
many others married with leave having two or three children nearly
as destitute. There is no employment that they are capable of,
hampered.a3 they are with young children for whose care they must
pay if they leave them at home and seek employment elsewhere.
"A. F. BOND, Major and Staff Officer."
Extract from the Report of the Woolwich Local Committee :
°' Woolwich Rectory. 4th September, 1854.

.
"The women were left in very many cases, I am sure I may say
in almost all, without any means for themselves and their children.
Many were on the eve of confinement. Their only resource would
have been to become paupers on the parish, and their only asylum
would have been the workhouse. A generous provision on the part
of a grateful country for the wives and families of those on whom
they depended, under God, for a successful issue of the war in which
we have been compelled to engage has prevented this. But suppose
this had not been the case—how hardly would the maintenance of so
many have pressed upon the poor-rate payers; and in many in-
stance; how unfairly. Take Woolwich, for instance, and the case
would be similar with respect to all garrison towns. We have up-
wards of 200 women, besides their chilrren, to be maintained some-
how. I think it quite possible that the burden would have been felt
so heavily, that a memorial might have been sent to the Government ;
but however this might be, the expense would have been unfairly
thrown upon parishes such as our own ; but this is a trifling matter
when compared with the pauperization of respectable wives of sol-
diers of our army.
" gENRY BROWN, Rector of Woolwich."

Extract from the Report of the Dublin Local Committee :
"September, 4, 1854,

"I find tkat since the Ist of July to the 2d inst:l have made about
3,400 payments (in small sums varying from is. to it. 55.), to about
400 women (soldiers' wives). We have granted several women free
passages to their friends and relatives, released clothes from pawn
offices for women going into situations, set up numbers in a small way
of business, defrayed the funeral expenses of a few children, • and in
numberless other ways have been the means• of conferring substan-
tial benefits upon these poor people, &c. had it not been for the
small weekly payments the majority would have been iu the poor-
hosse. Many women, although they only received 3s. 6d. a-week,
were thus kept going, and encouraged to work far themselves and
children, &c.

"CHARLES HORT, Senior Garrison Chaplain, and
Honorary Secretary to Committee."
"Extract from the Report of another Local Committee :

"We have hardly relieved any that were not married with leave
and on •the strength. By the timely aid rendered by your Society,
much distress was of course prevented, as, as soon as they were left,
your excellent Society took them by the hand. Brt timely as this aid
was offered, it was not before, in many cases, the poor creatures had
parted with nearly everything, even in two cases to their wedding-
•rings. What would have been the condition of these poor creatures
if no such society as yours had existed ? Many of them, far too high-
spirited to have become the inmates of a workhouse,would have been
plunged into a s ate of misery fearful to contemplate. But even as it
is, much misery is to be found. A poor delicate creature, with two
children, married with leave, to whom your society grants a weekly
allowance, has been compelled to part with her furniture. So distres-
sing is this woman's case, and so respectable a character does she
appear to be, that some of the other women have helped her out of
their small pittance, &c. Every day I feel more thankful for the
good your society is doing; upwards of 30 are receiving help from you
at this place. I only wish those who have contributed large sums to
your society could witness the gratitude of these poor women for the
help they receive; they would, indeed, feel more than repaid for all
they have done."