The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-05 00:00:00

NATIONAL ANTI-POOR-LAW

PROVIDENT AND BENEVOLENT UNION.
(THIS DAY.)

A public meeting, convened to promote the objects of
this institution, was held this afternoon, in the large
room of the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, the
Right Hon. the Lord Mayor in the chair.
Mr. B. B. CABBELL, M.P., one of the chief founders
of the institution, detailed the proposed plan to alleviate
if not to remove the distress and sufferings which pre-
vail amongst the working classes of the country. In
the early part of the last session it was admitted by
many public men, nay, even by the Queen herself in the
speech from the throne, that the new poor-law had been
found to be not only defective, but in some respects
cruel and oppressive, and yet the session closed without
any decisive steps being taken to remedy the evil. It
was mainly to this fact that they were indebted for the
formation: of a society whose chief object was to devise
means for betterinc, the condition of the working classes
of the country, and he was happy to inform the meeting
that since its foundation at St. Alban's, only a month
ago, communications had been made to the heads of the
church and leaders of the clergy, the majority of whom
approved of the objects of the society, and promised to
use their influence in its attainment. It was not then
intended to seek to abolish the Poor-law, but to induce
the rich to come forward and assist the poor, who were
anxious to do the best to relieve themselves to steer clear
of the Poor-law. The Right Hon. Gentlemen in the
chair had, throughout the past year, entertained
princes and nobles, men of learning and science,
at his table, but before quitting the office
he had so faithfully and honourably filled,
he felt there was a duty which he owed to the poor, and
that duty he was now discharging.—(Hear, hear.) His
Lordship felt that as poverty and wretchedness increased
in this country in the same ratio as wealth and riches,
there must be something wrong in the system, and
therefore it was that he called upen his fellow-citizens to
come forward and assist in promoting an institution esta •
blished for removing that anomoly.—(Cheers.) It would
not be so much against the poor-law that their efforts
would be directed, as to procuring a better administra-
tion of it. He might ment:on that 75 young ladies,
who had been brought up in the lap of luxury,
and who had till the evening of their lives filled the
office of governesses in the highest families of the
kingdom, had applied to the society for relief. They
could only afford it to three ; and what, let him
ask, was to become of the other seventy-two ? They
could not go to one of the existing union workhouses.
Well, then, the present institution was to meet such
cases as these, and he hoped the City of London would
not be backward in supporting it.—(Hear, hear.) He
The proposed union would consist of three classes—
friendly societies, building societies, and insurance so-
cieties. It was proposed now only to approve of the
principle of the plan, and a future meeting would be
called for sanctioning and carrying out the details.
A resolution approving of the principle was, on the
motion of Mr. L. HANSARD seconded by Mr. WIRE,
unanimously agreed to, and the meeting was subse-
quently addressed by several gentlemen who have fre-
quently distinguished themselves in advocating the
cause of the poor.
A vote of thanks was afterwards carried by acclama-
tion to the chairman, and the meeting, which was
numerously attended, broke up.

TUE LORD MAYOR'S PROCESSION.—It appears that
the route given yesterday has been altered to the following,
which will be found substantially correct:—The proces-
sion will start down Gresham-street, and proceed along
Princes-street, King William-street, and take water at
London-bridge.