The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-21 00:00:00

_RELIEF OF THE POOR AT THE THAMES

POLICE COURT.

On Saturday immense numbers of poor and hun-
gry people thronged to the Thames police-court to
obtain relief from the poor-box fund, and, owing to
the munificent contributions forwarded to the
magistrates from all parts of the met: opolis and
from mart' in the country, nearly 3,000 persons
were assisted in the course of the day. Many
urgent cases were relieved in the morning.
At four o'clock the gates of the large yard
between the court and station-house were
thrown open, and a tremendous rush took
place. About 1,500 were admitted into the yard
and as many remained outside. The people gener-
ally were very orderly, but the eagerness of others
Was manifested by their occasionally rushing
towards the doors of the court, only to be driven
back by the police, whose duties were of the most li
arduous description, and executed with firmness
combined with forbearance and good humour. Mr.
Howie, superintendent, and Messrs. Hayes, Griffin,
and Allison, inspectors of the R division, imposed
some excellent regulations for the admission of the
numerous applicants into the court. Those pro-
vided with the printed forms issued by the Court
and filled up by gentlemen, lay and clerical, in the
district, were admitted into the court, where Mr.
Selfe presided, all the officers having deserted him
to attend on Mr. Livingston, the chief usher of the
court.
Mr. George Gowland, of the firm of Walton and
Gowland, Ratcliff-cross, volunteered his services,
watch were readily accepted, and he ably assisted
the magistrate in dispensing relief until nearly mid-
night. Inquiries were made relating to the family,
cause of distress, and other circumstances, of every
one, and the money awarded by the magistrate was
handed to each person by Mr. Gowland. About
500 persons were presented with small sums, the
lowest being as., and the highest, where the case was
a peculiarly distressing one, 10s. One woman, with
a sickly baby in her arms, said it was five months
old, that her husband was very ill at home, was 83
years of age, and she had four other little ones to
maintain. Another woman, with en infant in
her arms, said it was her second child, and that
her husband, who was ill and out of work,
was only 18 years of age. In answer to the inquiry
addressed by the magistrate to many women,
" What is the matter with your husband and child-
ren ?" " They are ill for want of food," was the reply
in numerous instances; and Mr. Gowland vouched
for the fact that in many houses containing families,
which he had visited in Ratcliff, neither food,
household furniture, or fuel were to be seen. Mr.
Livingston relieved upwards of 2,000 starving men
and lads. No working man received less than 25.,
many 33., others 45., and about 100 ss. each. The
&lief lusher and brother officers, Denny, Taplin,
Kent, Martin, and Smith, only discontinued their
work of charity when all the silver they could
obtain was exhausted, and about 250 collected in
the street were necessarily sent away empty
handed.
A vast amount of goods has been effected by Mr.
Yardley and Mr. Selfe during the past week. The
two gentlemen differ as to the mode of dispensing
the funds of the benevolent—both, however, are
actuated by the most humane and honourable feel-
ings, and have not been sparing of their time or
their attention to the really deserving poor in the
course of the winter. Mr. Selfe was repeatedly
interrupted in the discharge of his magisterial
duties by applications from clergymen of the Church
of England, dissenting ministers, Roman Catholic
priests, and deputations from district committees,
for assistance out of the ample funds sent to the
court by the benevolent, and which continued to
flow in the whole of Saturday from eight o'clock in
the morning until midnight. Mr. Selfe was com-
pelled at last to state that tae regular business of
the court had been so often interrupted that in
future he should not hear any applications which
had refezence to the poor-box fund, whether the
applicants were clerical gentlemen or not, until
after three o'clock in the afternoon. The magistrate
awarded £4O to the Rev. Mr. M‘Giil of Christ
Church, Watney-strcet, and better known as the
East-end incumbent for the poor in his district,
where the sufferings of the people for want of food
and fuel have been very great ; £3O to Father Kelly,
a Roman Catholic priest of the church of St. Mary
and St. Michael, in the Commercial-rord, in addi-
tion to £3O on Friday; £lO to Father Iltiresnip,
of Poplar, in addition to a like sum on Friday ; £lO
to the Rev. Mr. S-nicox Lea, of Trinity Church,
Stepney, who came very early to the court, in addi-
tion to £lO on Friday; £25 to the Rev. Mr. Cay,
the minister now in charge of the parish church of
St. George-in-the-East; £lO to the Rev. Mr.
Athertor, of St. James's Church, Ratcliff, and £5
to the Rev. J. Brown, Presbyterian minister. The
magistrate has altogether awarded to the clergy of
different sects in the district about £5OO, and inti-
mated that he should expect an account from each
as to how and in what manner the money was
expended.
Mr. Edward Coleman and Mr. R. houghton
Thomas, a deputation from the parish of All Saints,
Pop'ar, waited on Mr. Selfe, and spid a meeting
was held at the Town Hall on Friday, a committee
appointed, and subscriptions collected for the relief
of the destitute. The distress is the parish, owing
to the severity of the weather and want of employ-
ment, was quite overwhelming. The parish con-
tained 33,000 souls, and comprised Millwail, Black-
wall, the Isle of Dogs and Poplar proper, and it
had been divided by the committee into ten districts
for the purposes of a house to house visitation, and
inquirirg into every case of distress. The com-
mittee were now distributing the funds already
collected.

Mr. Selfe said this was the sort of organisation
for the rclief of the poor which ought to exist in
every parish. If organisations had existed
similar to this before the winter commenced the
public would no doubt avail themselves of them,
instead of sending such large sums to the police-
courts. Local knowledge and local committees of
respectable inhabitaffts were infinitely preferable to
what police •courts and magistrates could effect.
The funds placed at his disposal by the benevolent
were so large that he should most willingly give
£5O to the Poplar Relief Committee, and he be-
lieved in doing so he should fulfil the substantial
wishes of the donors, who could not expect magis-
trates to do what was physically impossible. He
did his best to carry out the wishes of his charita-
ble correspondents, but ho had more money than
he and his colleague and all the staff of the court
could distribute satisfactorily.
Mr. Coleman—Poplar is well provided with
philanthropic societies, but the poverty of the dis-
trict is so fearful that they cannot meet it.
Mr. Selfe—l have not been able to take stock
yet, but if, upon investigation, I can spare you some
more money, you shall have it. I should like to
retain this amount of cognisance over the amount
I give you, as to give an account of the quantity of
cases relieved and a fair balance-sheet.
Mr. Coleman—Mr. Green, the shipowner, has
kindly consented to give away soup to the poor four
days in the week.
Mr. Selfe hoped the public would stay their cha-
ritable hands as far as the Thames Police-court is
concerned. The benevolent must see that it is bet-
ter to send their contributions to such committees As

the one formed at the Poplar Town-hall, than to
magistrates at police-courts, or to any lay or clerical
gentleman. I hope the public will not send me
any more money, for I am forced to delegate the
powers entrusted to me to others.
The deputation then withdrew.
Mr. Preece, an influential member of the Mile-
end vestry, applied to Mr. Selfe for a grant from
the poor-box fund. There had been a meeting in
the westward of the hamlet. It contained 16,000
inhabitants, nearly all poor, and a committee had
been formed to collect subscriptions and relieve the
poor. Mr. Baddeley, a respectable solicitor, was
the treasurer, and tne Rev. Mr. Hill, of St. Phil-
lip's, Stepney, was on the committee. In the dis-
tribution of the funds there would be no distinction
made as regards colour, country, or creed.
Mr. Selfe--That is as it should be. lam sure
that any funds with which I entrust you and
your committee, Mr. Preece, will be most effectually
and justly administered. I will give you £2O. Has
onything been done for the poor in the other four
wards of the hamlet ?

Mr. Preece—Nothing collectively by the vestry-
men or ratepayers. There have been no meetings
and no committees formed.
The St. Katherine Dock Company forwarded £4O
by a messenger, with a request that it should be
given away in small sums by the magistrate, with
especial reference to the men in the emp!oy of the
company.
Mr. Selfe said he did not like to be churlish and
send brck any money, - but he thought the Dock
Compary could distribute the money among their
own d'stressed labourers by their own officers.
He sent back the money. wi;ich, however, Mr.
Collet, the secretary of the Dock Company brought
back to the magistrate, and inducod him to accept
it, on the ground that if it was distributed by the
company's own officers they would be suspected of
partiality.