The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-27 00:00:00

cultivation. The potatoes consumed by the family
cost him 4s. a bag of eight score, and they cost him from
15d. to 16d. per week. During the week he had some-
times from id. to I,id. worth of skim milk consumed.
Frequently he also bought a dozen of salt fish—by salt
fish he meant herrings. He used generally half a dozen
in the week. Sometimes he had a pound of bacon
with the salt fish, and they would last a fortnight ;
when they had meat they had no bacon for a fortnight.
They never used tea ; sometimes they drank cocoa.
They were obliged to make a quarter of a pound last
a fortnight ; if it ran out sooner his wife was obliged
to burn a piece of bread, and make it a substitute for
the cocoa. The quarter of a pound cost ad. They
I never made use of any sugar, for they had no money to
buy it. They generally used a pound of salt per week,
a quarter of a pound of candles, and a quarter of a
pound of soap—the soap lasted because he never used
it himself ; he was obliged to do without it, and washed
himself in the brook. Never had any cheese—he
would take it if he could get it, and be very glad, but
he had no money to purchase it. Had sometimes a
little butter, but it was very seldom—not one pound,
he would say, in two months. Goals he never
bought. A gentleman in his neighbourhood was good
enough to give away coals, and he (witness) got 5 cwt.,
and when it was used up, his little girls were obliged
to go out, and pick up whatever tiny got, but fre-
quently he was without any fire for a considerable time.
The broth he bad spoken of was made of water, with a
few leeks in it. Sometimes he had a dropfor skim milk
in it, and occasionally a bit of bread. Never had any
oatmeal, because he could not get it. His rent was
two shillings per week, but he had a lodger who paid
him one shilling per week. It was inconvenient for him
to have the lodger, but he was necessitated to do so, or
ho would not be able to pay his rent at all. He owed
nothing but for rent—he was seven weeks in arrear.
He paid no taxes, since he had the house, but one
highway rate of Vld. His cottage had only one room
over another, and in his own room there were two beds,
one of which was occupied by his children, and the other
by himself and his wife. He had not bought any
clothes for the last five years. He could not do it,
and was clothed almost entirely by gentlemen in his
neighbourhood, who kindly gave him their cast-off
clothing. The smock-frock he had then on he had
had for upwards of six years, and the trousers he wore
had been in wear for three years, and were given him
by a woman whose husband died. His boots cost lls.,
and he was obliged to pay for them at 6d., is., or such
sum as he happened to be able to spare during the
week. They generally lasted about two years, but
during that time they had to be mended seven or eight
times. His wife had not bought any clothing for her-
self for a long time, and was obliged to wear any old
thing that was given her. He had not been able to
buy for the last four or five years any new shoes. His
children were obliged to beg for all their clothing from
families in the neighbourhood. He had not been en-
abled to buy them anything for several years but a pin-
afore, something about 2d. a yard or so—they were al-
most entirely barefoot, they had only one frock each,
and when they wanted washing his wife was obliged to
send them to bed until they were dried. Ho was not
enabled to send his children to school now—be had one
of them at school at one time, for which he paid 2d. a
week, but could not now afford it. There was no free
day-school in the neighbourhood of Taunton, but he
sent some of his children to a Sunday school, which was
free. There was a plot of ground attached to his cot-
tage, but it was small and unfit to grow anything but a
few vegetables. He could not grow any potatoes.
Bread was cheaper, much cheaper, three or four years
ago than it was now, so also were potatoes, still at that ;
time he got his 7s. wages, and his allowance of
cyder, and although bread was now much dearer
lie merely got his Bs. in a week without cyder. His
wages had not increased in any degree with the increase
in the price of bread and potatoes. At the time that
bread and potatoes were so cheap, he was eaabled to
buy clothing for himself and family, but now he could
not, ner could he so long as they remained at the pre-
sent prices. His furniture generally was very scanty.
He had two beds, one a feather bed, and the other a
flock—they were very old, and the bed clothes were
much worn : they bad been pieced so often, that they
would not be able to piece them much longer. He had
kept a pig about four or five years ago, at the time that
bread and potatoes were cheaper than now. He could
not now afford it. He did not now receive parish re-
bel. Before the alteration in the Poor-laws he had an
allowance of :s. 6d. a-week ; that was now withdrawn,
and the only assistance he obtained from the parish was
in a case of sickness, when he applied to the parish
doctor. About Taunton there were several allotments
of ground let out, eoch of which was a quarter of an
acre. The rent paid was ss. a quarter, or IL a-year.
CHAIRMAN—You said you got 18d. a week from the
parish—was that before the new Law ? Yes.— What
wages had you then ? Seven shillings a week.—Had
you any cider ? Yes.--In your parish did they give
higher wages to married men than single ? No ; all
were nearly alike.—W hat do you call yourself? I can
do any thing in tqe farming line. I can plough, reap,
niow, or drive a cart.—You say you kept a pig ; how
long was that ago ? I can't tell exactly ; but it was
three or four years.—Did you get your bread from your
master? No ;of the baker.—Are there any thrash-
ing machines in your parish? Mr. Waterman thrashed all
by flail ; but there are thrashing machines in the parish.
When bread was cheap what was the price of pota-
toes ? About 2s. 6d. or Ss.
A DELEGATE then seggested. that as Mr.. Baines
had an important communication to inAke, and this man
would be kept several days, he thought his further ex_
amination had better be postponed. The evidence he I