The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-09 00:00:00

97 1851.

amount. It was to provide a partial remedy for this state
of things that he had ventured to introduce the present
Bill, which was founded on the same principle recog-
nised in the Baths and Washhouses Bill, which had
already produced such beneficial effects. The Bill be-
fore their Lordships was permissive, not compulsory.
The principle on which the Bill was founded was that
these lodging-houses would be remunerative—that they
would sufficiently repay principal and interest. The Bill
had no eleemosynary character; parties were to pay full
rent, sufficient to replace the outlay, whether made by
the parish or by others. He would give an illustration
ofits assumed working. The Society for Improving the
Dwellings of the Labouring Classes, whose object was
to improve the domiciliary condition of the people, pro-
ceeded on this principle—that it would do no good to
improve those dwellings unlasa it could be shown that
the scheme was remunerative, and at the same time
to exclude every condition of charity. The society had
expended in buildings about 23,0001., the return upon
which, deducting all expenses, was an average of 6 per
cent.; on new buildings about 51 per cent., and on old
buildings improved twelve per cent. The labouring man
paid no more nor no less rent than he would have paid;
but, in place of a dirty disgusting room, tenanted
perhaps by several families, he had every comfort and
accommodation provided for him. It was stated at the
time when the Bill was under consideration that the
rent would be so high that the working classes could
not pay it; but the rent for all the comforts provided
in the new and old buildings was actually less than
would have been paid for bad accommodation. In addi-
tion to the saving and the comforts, the health of the
inmates was greatly improved, and he was particularly
struck with the remark of one of the female occupants,
who said to him it was a blessed thing to live in the
place, for now she could live on the wages she earned.
When the common lodging-house was erected in Church-
lane not a single case of cholera occurred in it, although,
within a few yards of Church-lane the cholera was
raging and carrying off ten or twelve persons a day.
That result was not only exhibited in this common
lodging-house, but in all the other lodging-houses in
which sanitary precautions prescribed by the Bill were
attended to. He had shown that in the case of the
Common Lodging-house Bill the results had been of a
remunerative character. The same result was expected
from this Bill. The Bill would not be subject to abuses
—as its operation was confined to parishes not having
less than 10,000 persbns. The Noble Lord here went
into a description of the machinery of the Bill, and con-
cluded his details by stating that the Bill was guarded in
all respects against the probability of jobbing or elee-
mosynary acts. Such things would utterly destroy the
object and the utility of the Bill. Provisions were also
introduced against carrying the Bill into effect too
rapidly. The Bill, in short, was merely to supply the
working man with all that he could not provide himself.
There were two reasons why this business ought not to
be left to private speculators, first, because they would
require a great deal of superintendence; there must be
some authority either parochial or municipal to superin-
tend their operations, and on this ground ho shrank
from leaving the matter to private speculators. Then
the second reason was, that private speculators had a
tendency to run up small, narrow, and ill-built houses,
because they yielded larger profits than houses con-
structed on the plan the Bill proposed, and which was
considered to be absolutely necessary for comfort, health,
and decency. He would show the large rents which
small houses yielded to speculators. One of these houses
the society which he had referred to kept on their
hands as a curiosity, in order to prove the amount of
profit gained by the small speculator. This house
provides the lodgers with every comfort they re-
quired, and the net profit was thirty per cent.
If tho society could make thirty per cent. by affording
every comfort, how much would a person make who let
his house without providing comforts or even necessa-
ries for the lodgers? There was a vast number of
schemes afloat for the benefit of the working classes, all
of which he expected would do good, on the principle
that if you improved the domiciliary condition of the
people you would also improve their moral and their
sanitary condition. They had the concurrent testimony
of City missionaries, of visitors, and others conversant
with the habits cf the working classes, that if you im-
proved the condition of the dwellings they would present
precisely the reverse of the picture which they now ex-
hibited. The subject had excited much interest among
foreign nations. The society was in correspondence with
Germany, France, Italy, Prussia, and the United States,
who were desirous of being informed of the society's plan
and system, and he could assure their Lordships many
foreigners who came over to visit this country came to
him to be taken round to the establishmenes for the
benefit of the labouring classes, and they expres said them-
selves perfectly satisfied with the results, and appeared
to think the system full of promise for the future.
The present Bill would give the working man a
full and fair opportunity of making the beet use of
his time and powers. Many a working man who came to
the metropolis was obliged to live in a tainted I o eality to
be near his work. They would not unfrequently see a
young man in the prime and vigour of life eare.ing his
255. or 30s. a week, in eight or ten months, from being
forced to live in some unhealthy, comfortless locality,
pine away in health, or else carried to a premati ire grave.
This was no imaginary picture; he had witnessed it
himself, and the Noble Lord opposite could, from his
own personal knowledge, corroborate the tru th of his
statement. All these, however, were preventi pie cases,
and there was no reason whatever why the phy, deal con-
dition of the workpeople of this country might not sur-
pass even that of the population of the United States.
Mr. Porter, a gentleman well known to the put had
lately given to the world a small pamphlet, entitled
" Self-imposed Taxation," in which he showed that the
working people of this country expended yearly in beer,
gin, and tobacco, the sum of 57,000,0001. sterlir ,g. Only
conceive that sum, which was now voluntarily wasted,
expended on the promotion of education—upon the so-
cial and moral well-being—upon objects which dignified
the human heart! But a great portion of this ;slim was
capable of being diverted into these channels if tl le poor
had places to dwell in which they could feel, were a
home. The Bill before the House had been well re-
ceived in the other branch of the Legislature; b a, hoped
their Lordships would extend to it an equal d agree of
favour. At all events he was quite sure they wot ild show
the poor of this country that as they were part a of the
same common humanity, so were they actuate& by the
principles of the same common Christianity.
The Marquis of NORMANBY expressed Hs great
satisfaction that this subject, to which he had i 'ormerly
devoted much attention, was now in the hand a of the
Noble Earl There was a point, however, to v ahich he
wished to call the attention of the Noble Earl and the
House—namely, the limitation of the Bill to certain
places in the country. The evils it was sought to remedy
existed in localities not included in the Bill, and he
wished therefore that the limitation to towns of 10,000
souls were not laid down in it. He hoped, b .owever,
the measure would be considered as an instalme int, and
that next year the Noble Earl would apply for a :further
extension of the principle to less populous places..
Lord KINNAIRD hoped if the Bill was four d'. to be
successful it would be extended to Scotland also, with a
suitable machinery. He bore witness to the good, effects
of the efforts that had been made by the society; among
others in forcing the proprietors of the poorer classes of
lodging- houses to shut several of them up.
The Earl of HARROWBY said the measure would
do much good; but there was another measure which
should be adopted along with it. Parliament wa s con-
stantly asked to sanction the construction of new. streets
upon the sites of old houses, and Parliament foil got
in
all these cases to make a stipulation with the atm ehcants
for providing other suitable dwellings for the poor a con-
dition of its sanction. This, he thought, should be the
rule in all cases, and the speculator should be obl i ged to
provide a similar class of house to those destr eiyed—
whether it was the Dean and Chapter of Westr tipster,
or whether it was a private individual. The o‘ r-1. was
one every day growing greater instead of dimn nshing,
and it would continue so to do unless it was checked by
legislative interference.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said every or le must
feel that the Bill needed no support; but he rose to
point out one circumstance in coenexion—name] ly, that
all the efforts made to educate the children of t lie poor
were permanently neutralised by the effects of the
dwellings in which they were now obliged to live.
From all he could collect, there was a perpeti ad ten-
dency on the part of these children to relapse i tato the
condition from which they were redeemed by day
through the examples which they found placed before
them in their wretched homes at night. TlLearefore
the constant attempt at reformation on the o r.o side
was met by a constant resisting process ,on the
other, in consequence of the immorality comma 'heated
to them under the miserable roofs of their parents.
There could not be a more effective auxiliary to tib e edu-
cation of the people, consequently, than the promotion
of social comforts among them, especially the on eation
of a decent home. The Noble Lord was wise, as sin ex-
periment, in limiting the operation of his Bill ; and he
(the Marquis of Lansdowne) hoped the example set in
the large towns would have the effect of inducing a vo-
luntary adoption of its principles in smaller localities.
The House was,indebted to the Noble Earl who had
just spoken for his valuable suggestions, and he agreed
with him that no public or private speculation :should
be sanctioned by the Legislature without an inquiry
being first made and answered as to what b id be-
come of the displaced population. It was a subje et well
worthy of consideration to endeavour, in as far a a pos-
sible, to effect a beneficial change in the condition of the
poor as regarded dwellings.
The Bill was then read a second time.
The Bills on the table were advanced a stage, and
the House adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS. July 8.
THE SOUND DUES.
Mr. JAMES CLAY asked th© Secretary of
which
State
for Foreign Affairs—this being the y during
(under the agreement of 1841 with Denmark regulating
the dues levied by that country on goods passing e
Sound), notice can be given of terminating such agree-
ment—whether it is the intention of her Majesty's
Government so to give notice; also, whether any and
what negotiations have been entered upon between this
country and Russia, or Prussia, having for their object
the commutation of these dues for an immediate money
payment to Denmark, or other compensation?
Lord PALMERSTON said that at present there was
no intention on the part of her Majesty's Govern-
ment to give notice to the Danish Govern-
ment to dissolve the existing agreement
with Denmark, nor had any negotiations passed
between the two Governments on the subject. He thought
the House would agree with him that whatever might
take place, this was not the exact moment to press
hardly on a country which like Denmark had just passed
through a season of great trial.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME begged to ask the Noble Lord whether
they ought not to consider our own shipping?
MESSAGE FROM HER MAJESTY.
Lord PALMERSTON, at the bar of the House,
commuilioted her Majesty's reply to two addresses

which had been presented to her by the House of Com-
mons, one praying that two laymen be added to the
Chancery Commission, and the other, that steps might
be taken to relieve the spiritual destitution of the peop;e.
Her Majesty was graciously ploased to signify her gra-
cious ascent to the prayer of both atkire:i.-s.
ATTORNEYS AND SOLICITORS' CERTIFICATE