The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-03 00:00:00

LABOUR.

Experience has now amply proved that streets can be
better, cheaper, more efficiently, and more conveniently
cleansed by machine than by labour. In Manchester,
the contractors sweep the streets three times as often by
machine as they used to be swept by hand for the same
cost, and everybody must be convinced that the work is
incomparably better performed. Besides the greater
cleanliness, the greater inconvenience is most remark-
able; there is now no splashing while throwing the mud
into the carts, no obstruction by carts standing to be
loaded, and no heaps of dirt, or collections of mud swept
to the road sides to await removal. These advantages
alone should secure the universal adoption of machine
cleansing. Experience in the adjoining borough of
Salford establishes the same points. There the streets
are cleansed by the servants of the corporation, and
there, as here, it is funnd that the streets may
be cleansed three times as often by machine as
by hand sweeping, though paupers are employed,
some of them par ially supported by the poor's-rate.
It seems strange that in the face of such experience
hand sweeper, should still be retained at all, except,
indeed, for sweeping
footpaths and courts inaccessible
to the machine, and yet they are employed in competi-
tion with the machine,
and the expediency of employing
them is strongly asserted.
One argument principally relied upon by those who
oppose street sweeping by machinery is, that its intro.
duction would throw men out of work. This is an old
stock argument against all new machinery. In the pre-
sent instance, if the existing degree of cleanliness is to
be preserved, (and to diminish that would be any-
thing but economical.), we must spend three times
as much if the: machines are to be discontinued ; and
that, it is asserted, would increase the demand for
h
labour. Instead of; say 6,000/. for machines, we
must spend 18,0001. for hand-sweepers ;
and, there-
fore, say our " labourers' friends," 12,0001. more
will be spent in paying for labour. But what
would be the real effect cf the change? Why, first,
12,0001. a-year more would be spent on scavenging ex-
penses, and 12,0001. less would be
spent by the ratepayers.
The demand fur labour in supplying the private wants
of individual ratepayers would be diminished exactly as
much as the demand for labour was increased by the in-
crease of scavenging expenses. The same amount would
be expended, as at
present, but 18.0001. would be spent
in doing that which is better and more conveni-
ently done for 6,0001, ard the ratepayers would be im-
poverished by the amount of the article of comfort or
convenience which they might have obtained for the
12,0001. of which they would be uselessly deprived. With
respect to the working classes, as receivers of wages,
they would be in precisely their present condition, the
increase of wages for scavenging being balanced by,
an equal decrease of wages paid for other em-
ployments ; as ratepayers, they would be injured by the
bad economy of paying three times its value for the
article street cleansing. Any one will at once see the
absurdity it' a more familiar instance be taken; for
example, weaving. No one, we presume, is now so
simple as to suppose that the working classes would be
benefited were we to employ three men to weave three
pieces of cloth with hand-looms, instead of one man to
weave three pieces with a power-loom. If the hand-
woven cloth were sold at the same price as power-
woven, only the same sum could be afforded for weaving
which would have to be divided amongst three weavers
instead of given to one; if the price were enhanced by
suppressing the cheaper process, the consumer is de-
prived of the power of employing other labour by the
amount of the artificial enhancement of price. The effect
of suppressing the cheaper mode of street cleansing is
just the same.

But it will Ee said the sweepers employed are paupers,
and if they have not this employment, •they must be
maintained in idleness. We answer that, by asking, is
there no other employment as suitable, the loss attend-
ing which does tot exceed, as the loss attending street
sweeping does, sixty-six per cent. ? It would not be
ouifld not be paupers.
easy to select any likely employment for paupers in
which the proportion of loss would btehegremateenr,eaanrndeidt
wpleoryemneontt,mloorses
rounds. A large pro-
portiondinould object to it
is not to be expected that, in
yawnheyasnhe
exposes_ them to wet and cold, and
as
sill
muchbe aasltmoagientthaeirneadvtobiedmed,
ttbefyorw,
oyment for any not in strong health.
awsaßutswt wasteful
frueklov ffet ohnt
rha these si' e° streetti
paupersier unfortunates uponeep
mi other
sweeping;
employments,bg
are aged or weakly;
men or weakly men, accustomed
scavenging
rheumatic
epeculiarlym plold
to in-door occupation, to such work, is positively
by temporary din
cruel, as it cannot fail to be a source of pain and
danger. A still stronger objection to thus employing
them to th
culty, is, that by exposing . e public gaze, it
both lessens their self-respect, and degrades them in the
object to the
eyes of others. This is evidently impolitic, as it weakens
the feeling inducing them to stuuggle to
paupers, especially those reduced
employment of
escape from the
pauper class, and there is a great chance of their be-
for which the
coming paupers for life.
We should strongly
pmaaucpheirnseeivseinnafpoprltichaabtlepfutiao.mn eolfY,eltehlenfsoinogtpaths and nar-
row courts. These, we contend, ought to be cleansed
much mere efficiently than they now are, but by able-
bodied labourers. Such men, though they are of course
paid more, do more than a proportionately greater
quantity of work, besides performing it better ; and
there is nothing disgraceful in this sort of work, except
what attaches to it by association. Let free labourers be
alone employed, and the degradation vanishes. The
true economy with respect to street cleansing, which so
closely affects our comfort, is to do it well. It is a great
fallacy to suppose that low priced and cheap labour are
synonymous. The dearest of all service is bad service.—
Manchester Guardian.

Brodie,. conveyed, per electric tele-
graph, to Sir Benjamin
INDISPOSITION OF THE DUKE OF PORTLAND.—On
Sunday evening a servant arrived at the Chesterfield
station with a message, to be
in London, requiring
that gentleman's immediate attendance on his Grace in
consequence of sudden and serious indisposition. Sir
Benjamin arrived at Chesterfield in consequence the fol-
lowing morning about eleven, proceeded to Welbeck,
and departed again for London yesterday, the Noble
Duke being much better.—Derbyyhtre Courier of yes-
terday.

NG, APRIL 3, 1847.

IRELAND.
CULTIVATION OF THE LAND.

DUBLIN, APRIL 1.-It will be learned with gratifica-
tion that there is contideraVe improvement in the re-
ports respecting the progress of spring work. Many of
the landlords are bestirring themselves, and taking
active measures to procure supplies of the necessary
seeds for their tenants; and if the conduct of Lords
Kilmaine and Ormonde be but generally imitated, much
of the danger which now menaces the country, in the
shape of a deficient harvest, will undoubtedly be averted.
Of the first-named nobleman the Castkbar Telegraph
says--

"It affords us much gratification to be enabled to state,
on the authority of the Rev. Thomas Costello, that Lord
Kilmaine has ordered to be suppled to his tenantry suffi-
cient potato, and white Holland oats and barley, to crop
all the lands capable of tillage en his extensive pro-
Forty ; and has also ordered to be employed competent
rersons to assist in the tillage and shaking of the seed ;
and his Lordship has further directed, that his te-
nantry, while employed in the tillage of their own land,
shall be supplied with sufficient oatmeal to support them."
With respect to the Marquis of ()monde and sum.
otht r landlords of Kilkenny, the Moderator observes:—
" We had an opportuoity of seeing Mr. Bradley's re-
p,r; to the Board of Works r the week. ending tto
27th of March, by which it appears that several of the
landlords in this neighbourhood have procured seed oat,
for such of their te.-.ants as deserve:l encouragement.
Lord Ormonde supplied 500 barrels of oats, and 33Glbs
of parsnip seed, together with a large qusntity of peas
and beans, to his numerous tenantry. His uncle, th.
lion. Mr Wandesforde, has nefel in a similar manner.
The report further states, that the farmers here wer.
generally very busy, and much of that apathy which
heretofore existed was removed, and that potatoes were
in many instances planted, and that food of all kind,
had fallen in price fully twenty per cent. This is cheer-
ing news indeed."

GOOD FRIDAY IN THE SIERRA.
Good Friday is solemnized in a manner the effect of
which, to the unprejudiced foreigner, is partly burlesque
and partly seriously impressive. From the early dawn
of morning the church is thronged with Indians, who
spend the day in fasting and prayer. At two in the
afternoon a large image of the Saviour is brought from
the sacristy and laid down in front of the altar. lime.
diately all the persons in the church rush forward with
pieces of cotton to touch the wounds. This gives rise to
a struggle, in which angry words and blows are inter-
changed ; in short, there ensues a disgraceful scene of
uproar, which is only checked by the interposition of
one of the priests. Order being restored, the sacred
image is fixed on the cross by throe very large silver
nails, and the head is encircled by a rich silver crown.
On each side are the crosses of the two thieves. Having
gaped at this spectacle to their hearts' content, the
cholos retire from the church. At eight in the even-
ing they re assemble to witness the solemn ceremony of
taking down the Saviour from the cross. The church is
then brilliantly lighted up. At the foot of the cross
stand four white-robed priests, called " Los Sautot.
Varones" (the holy men), whose office it is to take
down the image. At a little distance from them, on
sort of stage or platform, stands a figure representing
the Virgin Mary. This figure is dressed in black,
with a white cap on its head. A priest, in a long dis-
course, explains the scene to the assembled people, and
at the close of the address, turning to the Santos Varones,
he says, "Ye holy men, ascend the ladders of the
cross, and bring down the body of the Redeemer !"
Two of the Santos Varones mount with hammers in
their hands, and the priest then says, " Ye holy man,
on the right of the Saviour, strike the first blow on the
nail of the hand, and take it out l" The command is
obeyed, and no sooner is the stroke of the hammer
heard, than deep groans and sounds of anguish sound
through the church ; whilst the cry of " Misericordia
misericordia !" repeated by a thousand imploring voices,
produces an indescribable sensation of awe and melan-
choly. The nail is handed to one of the priests stand-
ing at the foot of the altar, who transfers it to another,
and this one in his turn presents it to the figure of the
Virgin. To that figure the priest then turns and ad-
dresses himself, saying :—" Thou afflicted mother, ap-
proach and receive the nail which pierced the right hand
of thy holy Son !" The priest steps forward a few paces,
and the figure by some concealed mechanism, advances
to meet him, receives the nail with both hands, lays it on
a silver plate, dries its eyes, and then returns to its
place in the middle of the platform. The same cere-
mony is repeated when the two other nails are taken
out. Throughout the whole performance, of these so-
lemnities, an uninterupted groaning and howling is kept
up by the Indians, who at every stroke of the hammer
raise their cries of Misericordia I These sounds reach
their climax when the priest consigns the body of the
Saviour to the charge of the Virgin. The image is laid
in a coffin tastefully adorned with flowers, which, together
with the figure of the Virgin Mary, is paraded through
the streets. While this nocturnal procession, ligh ed by
thousands of wax tapers, is making the circuit of the
town, a party of Indians busy themselves in erecting be-
fore the church door twelve arches decorated with
flowers. Between every two of the arches they lay
ffiwers on the ground, arranging them in various figures
and designs. These flower-carpets are singularly inge-
nious and pretty. Each one is the work of two chubs.
neither of whom seem to bestow any attention to what
his comrade is doing, and yet, with a wonderful harmony.
of operation, they create the most tasteful designs—ara-
besques, animals and landscapes, which grow as it were
by magic, under their hands.—Travels in Peru.

Inrtt lEbitton

INTERFERENCE witlt PORTUGAL.

(BY EXPRESS.)

PORTSMOUTH, SATURDAY. - Orders arrived this
morning at Portsmouth and Woolwich for the
immediate embarkation of a battalion of marines
for Lisbon, and we believe the same order has
been forwarded to Plymouth and Chatham.
The Woolwich and Portsmouth detachments em-
barked this afternoon in the Sidon steam-frigate,
and left instanter for their destination.

The Sidon is ordered to return to England
immediately after the disembarkation of the troops.
From the above orders and movement, it is plainly
stated that English interference has been solicited
by the Queen of Portugal to bring to a speedy
close the long pending and dangerous differences
which have torn her kingdom.