The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-23 00:00:00

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LONDON, Z UESDAY, FEB. 23, 1869.

The public looks with interest on all that regards
the PEABODY gifts, and the statement of the Trustees
for the year 1868 will be regarded with interest. It
will be remembered that in the year 1866 Mr. PEA-
BODY desired the trustees to communicate to the pub-
lic an account of the expenditure of his donation, and
this excellent suggestion has been carried out. The
original fund of £150,000 has been increased by the
rents and interest on unexpended capital to the ex-
tent of £23,313, making the total at the end of
December £173,313 in land, building, and cash
in hand. It is satisfactory to find that during
the year just ended a fourth range of buildings was
erected in Victoria-street, %Vestminster, and this,
called Peabody-square, contains 235 rooms, now
occupied by 389 individuals. The total population
of all the buildings that have been completed by the
trustees is 1,931. These are working men's fami-
lies, of whom a long list is subjoined. The highest
figure belongs to labourers, who number 132. The
average wages earned by these men are under 21s.
a week, so that we arrive at the satisfactory conclu-
sion that the class of operatives most de-
serving of support really come under the work-
ing of this munificent donation, and derive
benefits therefrom. One paragraph in this state-
ment is well worthy of attention, as it disposes of
a serious objection that has been made to these
buildings in some quarters. It is distinctly said
that no restriction is imposed by the trustees on the
entire freedom of action of any tenant, so far as
consistent with the comfort and convenience of all,
and that all have uninterrupted ingress and egress
at all hours, and are, in fact, as i• fully masters of
their houses as if dwelling in any other building in
the adjacent streets." This is important to dwell
upon, because excuses have been made to
the effect that these buildings would never
become popular on account of the vexatious inter-
ference that prevailed, and the supervision which
destroyed the privacy of domestic life. A most re-
assuring remark is that which informs us of the sani-
tary condition of these buildings. They are entirely
free from those complaints incident to low and
crowded localities. Good ventilation and cleanliness
are the characteristics of the dwellings, and the good
supply of water and enclosed playground for the
children have already pranced the best effects in
The trustees are not idle
young and old.
in their vocation, and we find that they
have poszesFed t h emsel yes of two other
sites at Chelsea and Bloomsbury, and are devi_ing
plans for the erection of buildings thereon. Mr.
PEABODY'S gifts have been increased of late to such
an extent that the Trustees are enabled to carry out
the benevolent intentions of the donor to the best
advantage on a more extended scale. It is vexatious to
notice, in conclusion, the Trustees complain of the large
outgoings demanded for local and parochial taxes,
amounting to £744 per annum, a " charge which, they
regret to say, is still increasing, and which injuriously I