The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-12 00:00:00

their attempts to save the poor-rates to the country. But he
would now call their attention to the frightful increase of crime
which had taken place under the operation of this Act. He
held in his hand a report extracted from the " British
Almanack for 1845," published by the " Society for
the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge," of which Henry
Lord Brougham was chairman. It was compiled by Mr. Red-
grade, from the " Home-office Records," and the Right Hon.
Baronet might study them to-morrow at his leisure. The
amount of crime, as evidenced by this document, was in round
numbers—in 1836, 20,000: in 1837, 23,000; in 1839,
24,000; in 1841, 27,000; and in 1842,31,000; thus showing
an increase of crime in 1842, over 1836, of 10,000. The poor-
law increased crime in the country. This was a remarkable
fact. But be also took from this book a further extract of the
sentences of death, and of the transportations for life for various
classes of crime; and he found that crime was frightfully on
the increase. He would, if the hour were not so late,
read them to the House—(Hear)—but it might
suffice to say that the capital punishments in 1832
' were 1,444, and in 1843 the numbers were 1,73.5, showing an
increase in this latter year, through the operation of the poor-
law, of 291. But in 1838 they had repealed capital punish-
ments for minor offences—the very period when this law was
first introduced into the manufacturing districts. He would
I take the average of the three preceding years, 1835, 1836, and
1837, and he found that the average amount of those capital
punishments was 807, while in 1843 capital punishments had
increased to 1,696, showing an increase of 889 over the ave-
rage of 1835, 1836, and 1837, or more than double. But
that was not all. They were obliged to have a winter's assize
in order to sweep off this mass of crime from the face of the
people of England. At one of those assizes—that held in
York in the winter of 1844—Judge Coleridge, in charging the
grand jury, had stated that another cause for the winter assizes
was the startling increase of crime throughout the country ;
and in Yorkshire he stated that crimes of a petty
kind had not increased in the same proportion with
those of a more serious character. Crime, he stated,
had doubled, and though the population had increased, yet he
did not think that that could possibly satisfy or explain away
the great incubus which hung over them. During the last
six years ! Why, that was the exact time when this obnoxious
law was introduced into Yorkshire. What would the Right
Hon. Baronet say to-night to justify this law ? Had he one
word to say in its favour. That report, the prisons, the re-
bellion in Wales, evinced the operation of the law ; and how
the Right Hon. Baronet could justify himself to the inhabitants
of Rochdale was more than he could say. Would they adopt
the same plan of thrusting this law upon the people that they
slid at Bradford when the bayonet was drawn, and when the
cry was, " Cut down the populace !" The feeling of
England would be raised, and the people of Rochdale
would be justified in the sight of their countrymen. The Right
Hon. Baronet, the other night, had stated that a million and
a half of the population were dependent on the poor-rates.
The best feelings of the British peasant now shrunk from the
workhouse, and he cried, " The workhouse ! a gaol rather—
the gaol for me." That was the result of their infamous law ;
and he had told them a short time ago that that law had wrapped
the south of England in flames. The Right Hen. Baronet had
admitted that it had produced the rebellion in Wales ; and the
Hon. Member for Finsbury, were he in his place, could say
that he held inquests every day on persons who would rather
starve than enter the workhouse. Treat them with mercy as
our forefather did. Give them the protection of the old poor-
law, and they would forget and forgive, for they were a loyal
and peaceable people. But the worm itself would turn when
you trampled on it. With pleasure he seconded the motion.
Sir J. GRAHAM had frequently been called on to address
the House on this subject, in consequence of motions brought
forward by the Hon. Member for Rochdale, and on all occa-
sions he had acknowledged the candid spirit and the excellent
intentions of the Hon. Gentleman. But at this time he
might be allowed to remark on the conduct of his Hon. Friend.
—( Hear, hear.) He trusted, therefore, the Hon. Member
would bring forward his motion at the earliest possible period,
and then the question of misgovernment would be finally dis-
posed of. When he (Sir J. Graham) came down to the
House this day he was prepared for a motion to hear Counsel
at the bar, and he found that the motion was altered to a de-
mand for a select Committee. The Honourable Gentle-
man (Mr. Crawford) had bestowed great industry upon
this subject ; but he would permit him (Sir J. Graham) to
say that he had not heard one new argument in the Hon.
Gentleman's speech. He must be permitted, also, to observe
that the speech itself was an accusation against the whole of
the existing poor-law, and was well adapted to preface a mo-
tion for the repeal of that law. The Honourable Gentleman
said, himself, that the question was not a local question, but
the Honourable Gentleman would pardon him for observing
that his 'notion was altogether of a local nature. The Hon.
Gentleman, although he had bestowed much attention on the
subject, still laboured under this disadvantage, that he had no
practical acquaintance with the subject which he studied. The
Honourable Gentleman spoke of the destitution of the people
of this country, and he said that they had a right to claim re-
lief. But the Honourable Gentleman was not aware of the
circumstances of the people of this country, or of the
operation of the law. In the country which the Hon.
Gentleman himself inhabited, there was very great destitution,
but the people had no claim for the smallest dole of relief from
the wealth of the land. Here it was quite true they lived
under a different law, with the effects of which the Hon. Gen-
tleman had no practical acquaintance. It was true, that after
the present poor-law was passed, a considerable time was al-
lowed to elapse before it was introduced into the manufactur-
ing districts. But in 1837 it was introduced into Rochdale,
and officers were appointed under it. At present the case of
Rochdale was under consideration is the courts of law, and
the Court of Queen's Bench had issued a mandamus calling on
the poor-law guardians to carry the law into operation. They
had refused to comply with it. They had made a return to
that mandamus which the Crown had since traversed, and the
case now stood for trial at the ensuing Liverpool assizes.
Under these circumstances the House, no doubt, would agree
with him, that no practical good could result from the inquiry
which the Hon. Member sought.
Mr. BRIGHT merely rose for the purpose of offering one
or two observations with respect to the motion which had been
brought forward, because he was a rate-payer of Rochdale, and
acquainted with the circumstances under which that memorial
had been raised. He could bear the fullest testimony to the
truth of a statement made by his Hon. Friend, that the
people of Rochdale were averse to the introduction of the new
poor-law into that town. He believed there was a general
feeling amongst those who paid the rates that the interest of
the poor, and the interest of the rate-payers had been very
well and wisely attended to by the local vestry under whose
direction the old law was carried into effect.—( Hear.) He
said this with perfect impartiality, for he believed he was one
of the fourteen or nineteen rate-payers of Rochdale who did
not sign the petition which had been presented to the House
a few days ago. He must, however, admit, that among all
classes of the people there was but one opinion upon the new
poor-law. They were attached to the local government,
and entertained great disinclination to be placed
under the control of the poor-law Commissioners.
—(Hear, hear.) And he could not help thinking that they
had some reason to be afraid of the Commissioners, for although
they might have been extremely useful in some instances, in
the generality of cases they had administered the law in any-
thing but a wise and temperate spirit.—(Hear, hear. )
Captain PECHELL hoped the testimony which had been
borne that night of the feeling the people entertained against
the New Poor-law would convince the Government of the
existing necessity for a change being made in the law. The
people of Rochdale, seeing what had taken place in the Ken-
sington union, the Cirencester union, and the Lambeth union,
would rather go to jail than submit to be placed under the
Poor-law Commissioners. The Right Hon. Baronet had not
given any reasons for resisting the motion except that the Hon.
Gentleman who moved it was not acquainted with the law in
this country, and that he had better remain in his own country
and assist in carrying out the poor-law there. All the people of
Rochdale wanted was inquiry. Let them get an inquiry and
they would not fear the result.
Colonel SIBTHORP would vote for the motion because he
thought the poor-law was oppressive, and the commission use-
less and expensive. He could not agree with the Hon. Member
for Knaresborough with regard to the feelings of the people of
the country. He thought the people would remain loyal under
all their trials, though he admitted that their feelings would be I
changed if the law was continued.—( Hear. )
General JOHNSON would vote for the motion. He would
not go so far as the Hon. Member for Knaresborough with re-
gard
to the feelings of the people, but he was as certain as he
was of his existence that they were much changed in conse-
quence of the law.
Mr. BORTHWICK supported the motion of the Hon.
Member for Rochdale.

Mr. ENTWISLE also supported the motion of the Hon.
Member for Rochdale. _ _

Mr. S. CRAW FORD shortly replied, and the House
divided, when there appeared—
_

For the motion l6
Against it
Majority against the motion
Sir J. Y. BULLER obtained leave to bring in a Bill to
amend the law affecting the collection of county-rates.
The Consolidated Fund Bill was read a third time and passed.
The House then adjourned, at One o'clock.