The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-08 00:00:00

GOOD ADVICE TO THE WORKING CLASSES.

His Worship the Mayor of Liverpool presided
over the Saturday evening concert last week, and,
in doing so, took the opportunity of making a few
remarks, in the course of which he said—lt was
now some 12 months since he last stood on that
platform; he recollected, for the want of something
better to say, he addressed them, he was sure not
for the first time, on the advantages of music. He
had since that had 12 months' .experience; he had
come in contact with the darker side of life iu this
great town; he had been in contact with suffering
humanity in one shape or other; and he could not
resist taking advantage of that opportunity of ad-
dressing not only to those within the hall, but to
those outside, a few warning words, the last which
he would be able to offer to them in the capacity in
which he then addressed them. Winter at all
times brought severe trials, but in addition to the
ordinary and natural laws there were unmistakable
indications—not looming in the distance, but close
at hand—that the coming winter would be one of
unparalleled severity. He did not speak of severity
in reference to climate, but he spoke of severity as
regarded the interruption of employment. It was
impossible that that great branch of trade, the
cotton trade, which gave employment to so many,
and which was the mainspring of our prosperity,
could be interrupted without thousands in this
town feeling the results. In driving down to the
hall it occurred to him to make some calculation
of the probable money loss that the working
men would sustain. It was universally admitted
that there would be a deficiency of a million
bales of cotton in the imports between now and
next June, and considering that five bales of cotton
were equal to the daily employment of one man in
discharging from the ship, on the quays in ware-
housing, or delivering, in round numbers there
would be a positive deficiency of £30,000; which
those men who lived by the cotton trade in Liver-
pool would have to suffer within the next eight
months. He was in the hope that by putting this
matter before the town the people, while it was yet
time, might begin to practise and exercise frugality;
that they might begin in their families to insist
upon economy, and might themselves, out of their
daily and weekly wages, bring home every farthing
which they could possibly scrape together. If that
was acted upon, then he hoped, with God's blessing,
they would be able to tide over the severe winter
which he saw before them. It would not only be
requisite to exercise this frugality and temperance,
but it would be equally necessary to exercise kindly
qualities towards one another, for, after all, the spirit
of sympathy materially mitigated suffering, Those
who had means must exercise forbearance and sym-
pathy towards those who bad not ; those who had
to suffer would, he hoped, suffer submissively. And
in point of fact, there would be a determination to
labour when they could get it, and to wait when
they could not get it; and that they would all fol-
low the beautiful words of Longfellow—

" Let us, then, be up and doing,
• With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labour and to wait."
(Loud applause.)—Liverpool