The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-11 00:00:00

STATE

!OPLE.

(From the Derbyshire Courier.)
When an improved state of the money market
is raising the hopes of commercial man, and im.

parting increased confidence to trade in general,
there is a large portion of the community who have,
as yet, derived little advantage from tha antici-
pated improvement of affairs.

- The pernicious effects of a monetary crisis, as they
do not immediately reach the operative and la-
bourer, continue longer to exercise a depressing in-
fluence on his condition.

The iron trade, which six months ago was in so
firm and satisfactory a condition, is suffering greatly
from the failures of many manufacturers, and the
suspension of orders. The Times report from Bir-
mingham states that " in the vicinity of Oldbury,
Bilston, and other country neighbourhoods, the
roads are crowded with colliers and furnace-men
out of work, or only partially employed."
Of Birmingham itself, where the paper money
system has been supposed to have met with so much
encouragement, we are told that " after all the dis-
asters which within these few weeks have occurred
in the neighbourhood and throughout the country,
it may congratulate itself on having weathered the
storm without any material damage to commercial
credit." The banks are said to "have exercised
great liberality and forbearance" throughout the
late crisis, and in no instance, it is understood,
" has their confidence been abused." The state of
Nottingham is most lamentable. The number of
inmates of the workhouse has increased since the
last week in 1856, by 257 ; the numbers being in
1856 553, and in the last week in 1857, 810. The
total number of persons depending on the Union iu
1847 was, 4,950. The number now being relieved
amounts to 5,786, being an increase of 836 persons.
In Leicester, great numbers of the operatives are
out of employment. I❑ Bradford, " the stoppage
of machinery and working short time are telling
with increased severity upon the labouring classes.
The number of persons receiving parochial relief
was at the close of 1856, 3,177, it is now 5,072—
being au increase of 1895.

AiHalifax,and Kidderminster a little improve-
ment. At Norwich, "not half so many opera-
tives at work as last year at this time."
The state of Spitalfields is most wretched.
Worse it is said than in 1847, though food was
then so dear, and indeed worse than it has been
at any time during the past 30 years.
It is evidently the intention of Government to
leave things to "come round" as they may. Tha
pour man may pawn or sell his tools of his loom, or
he may break up his home and come into the work-
house. There are many operatives in England at
this moment, who have not for many weeks had
any other food than bread with a little tea or
coffee. Now these are the things which naturally
result from a rapid and violent depreciation of
prices caused by the working of Peel's monetary

system. These are parts of the operation of the
Bank Charter Act, which Lord Overstone tells us
he " never took into consideration."

But these are exactly things which, first and
above all, a Government and a legislature is bound
to take into consideration. The way in which
every law will affect the working classes, the great
body of the English people, should in every enact-
ment be the primary object of regard.
If by any unexpected and extraordinary depres-
sion of trade the great mass of the people are de-
prived of employment, and therefore of the proper
means of subsistence, it is the duty of a Government,
by extraordinary means, to meet the emergency.
We warn the Government that the let alone
policy cannot be carried out with safety to the na-
tional institutions.
Our own opinion is clear enough that the exist-
ing distress is the creation of. panic-mongers and
usurers. But whatever the cause, liberal and im-
mediate assistance should be extended to the poor
man, who, without any fault of his own, is reduced
to a state of suffering and destitution.