The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-20 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA.

THE BISHOP OF LONDON'S FUND AND THE
MANSION-HOUSE COMMITTEE.

Yesterday afternoon an important conference
took place between the representatives of the Metro-
politan Visiting Relief Association, of which the
Bishop of London is president, and the Mansion-
house Committee, for the purpose of considering the
best means of uniting the two funds, so as to enable
the administrators of both to work satisfactorily
together in providing for the relief, permanent and
otherwise, of the large number of young persons
who have been made orphans by the cholera. The
meeting took place at the rooms of the Metropolitan
Visiting Relief Association, which was represented
by Lord Ebury (who presided), Mr. Thomson
Hankey, M.P., the Rev. J. V. Povah, Mr. Thomas
'Filson, and Mr. John Hassard. The deputation
from the Mansion-house Committee consisted of the
Rev. F. G. Blomfield, M.A., the Rev. William
Rogers, M.A., and Sir Mordaunt Wells. Mr.
William Calvert Shone attended as honorary secre-
tary pro tem.

Lord EBURY having briefly mentioned the object
of the conference,

Sir M. WELLS said the Mansion-house Committee
had had the names of 1,096 orphans sent to them,
and, at the request of the Committee, he had at-
tempted some classification of them. He had, in
the first instance, struck out the names of all whose
fathers were alive and in good health, all whose
parents had received parochial relief before the out-
break of the cholera, all whose relatives were in a
position to support them, and all boys above 14,
and all girls above 15 years of age. When he had
done that he found that the number was reduced
to 810. The Committee had adopted his principle,
and acknowledged 810 to be the number of orphans
they had at the present time to deal with. It was
thought by the Committee that a comparison of the
number of applicants to the two societies should be
compared, in order that the two Committees might
act together. Certain questions, he apprehended,
would in that case have to be considered : for ex-
ample, the amount to be awarded when there were
more than two or three orphans in one family ; the
amount to be given in cases where the father only
was alive ; whether there should be uniformity in the
distribution of the grants ; the manner in which, by
joint action, the clergy and local Committees might
be intrusted with the grants for their several dis-
tricts; the manner of maintaining the orphans and
investing the revenues. The administrators of these
charities were giving away large sums as trustees far
the public, and he thought they were bound to have
some proper returns. Then a question would arise
as to the advisability of making grants to institutions
or to individuals--that was, to other persons main-
taining cholera orphans irrespective of the clergy
and local committees. He might mention that on
the previous day the Mansion-house Committee had
received a deputation on behalf of an institution iu
which he was interested, and that the committee de-
clined to give any pledge on the subject. They would
like to know what were the intentions of the Com-
mittee of the Metropolitan Relief Association—
whether they intended giving relief to institutions, or
whether they intended to confine it to individuals.

Mr. T. TILsoN said that at present there were
616 orphans claimants upon the Metropolitan Asso-
ciation entirely through the clergy, but all the lists
had not yet been made up.
The Rev. W. ROGERS said that included in the
1,096 claimants upon the Mansion-house Committee
were Dissenters, Jews, Roman Catholics, Germans,
and others. He thought that as soon as the two
societies could settle the lists of orphans a decision
should be come to in reference to the amount to be
given to each orphan.

Sir M. WELLS thought very little difference ought
to be made between those children who had lost
their fathers ard those who had lost both father
and mother, for when a mother was left with five
or six children the family was for all practical pur-
poses at an end. It was impossible that a woman
with the charge of such a family could maintain them
by her own exertions. He had made himself ac-
quainted with the little history of every family on
behalf of which application had been made at the
Mansion-house, and he was convinced that when a
woman in the class of life to which these people be-
longed was left with several children, her case, if left
unassisted, was hopeless. He conversed with many
of them on the subject, and found that the most
any of them could do was to earn 2s. or 3s. a week
by shirt-making or washing.

The Rev. W. ROGERS strongly urged that relief
should be afforded to poor women in such unhappy
positions. He had found that these women had a
great objection to send their children to orphanages,
and if they could get ss. or 6s. a week to help them
on some of their difficulties would be removed.
That was the course which the Mansion-house Com-
mittee intended to adopt to enable women to keep
their children.

The Rev. F. G. BLOMFIELD thought that in con-
sidering the question of joint action they should
confine themselves to general principles.
reference
struck
him that the simplest course to adopt in
to the administration of the money was not to have
a joint Committee, which would prove a great la-
bour, and would tend to the postponement of their
grants, but that they should make this rule—that no
orphan should receive assistance from both funds.
The Rev. W. _ROGERS said that with a joint Com-
mittee he saw no reason why they should not work
off all the business in a single afternoon.
Sir M. WELLS was also of opinion that when the

lists of both societies were properly made up and
compared they might all be disposed of at a single
sitting.
Lord EBURY said the Metropolitan Association
could not at present tell with certainty what cases
they would have to deal with. When the lists were
completed and classified their business would be very
nearly finished. No doubt some exceptional cases
would remain to be dealt with.

It was suggested that by some of the plans which
had been recommended all discretion would be taken
away from the local committees in the distribution
of the grants.

Mr. TILSON said the local committees were going