The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-07 00:00:00

TIIE DISTRESSED PRINTERS,

A numerous meeting of the letter-press printers was
held last night at the London Mechanics' Institution,
Chancery-lane,- to receive the report of the Compositors'
Committee, appointed in the October of list year to re-
ceive subscriptions for the relief of the numerous mem-
bers of the trade thrown out of employment. The re-
port of the Committee was accordingly read by Mr.
Parker, the Secretary, from which it appeared that the
receipts had been as follows :

X. s. d.
Balance in hand from last Committee 24 0 0
Country subscriptions
Donations from master printers and others
connected with the trade
Other donations .
Subscriptions from the London printers in
employment 3OB 18 7i
Total 1,042 7 9i
Out of these receipts 4411. 3s. 6d. had been spent in the
relief of applicants, which together with the share of do-
nations to the press committee (246/. ls. 10d.) and sun-
dry necessary expenses, made a sum expended of 7561.
14s. 11d., leaving a balance in the hands of the Compo-
sitors' Committee of 285/. 12s. lOid. It further ap-
peared from the report that the rate of relief per week
had been ss. per head for the unemployed single men,
and 6s. per head for the unemployed married men, with
6d. additional in the case of the latter for each child
they had. The Report congratulated the trade upon the
fact that several of the great houses, which had been
empty of hands some time back, were now full, which
had had a beneficial effect ; and the Committee taking
into consideration that the temporary pressure which
they had been appointed to relieve, would determine on
the meeting of Parliament, recommended that their
(the Committee's) labour should come to a conclusion in
the first week after the meeting of Parliament, and that
meanwhile no further subscriptions should be received,
considering the balance which was in hand. The Re-
port concluded by expressing the thanks that were due
to the proprietors of many of the London papers not
only for their donations, but for having most kindly al-
lowed the insertion of advertisements free from all
charge except the duty, as well as to many private indi-
viduals, amongst whom were particularly noticed the
Rev. Mr. Fiske (who had sent in a donation of 30/.),
Lord Panfnure, the Archbishop of York, and the clergy
of his diocese. The Report, which was most copious
and interesting, was heard with marks of general appro-
bation, and universally adopted. Some discussion
ensued upon the causes which had occasioned so much
distress at different periods of late among the trade, and
an understanding was come to that the Committee should
state in their printed balance-sheet, as fully as possible,
the nature of those causes.

Auditors having been appointed to look over the ac-
counts, and thanks having been voted to the Committee
for their zealous exertions, the meeting separated.

THEDISTRESSED SPITALFIELDS WEAVERS.
—On Wednesday night, at seven o'clock, a very nume-
rous meeting of the unemployed and. distressed Spital-
fields weavers was held, by adjournment from the Satur-
day previous, at the Crown and Anchor, Waterloo-town,
Bethnal-green, for the purpose of obtaining information
from the acting Committee, when the funds in the hands
of the Lord Mayor would be distributed. Mr. Britten
in the chair. The Report of the Committee was given by
Mr. Claisse, the Secretary, from which it appeared
that he had that day seen Mr. Miller, the Honourary
Secretary to the Committee formed for the purpose of
distributing the funds in the hands of the Lord Mayor,
and by whom he was informed that probably the distri-
bution would commence on Saturday, and be in full
operation on the Monday following. Several weavers
then addressed the chair, lamenting the delay, and alluded
to their resignation under the trying circumstances in
which they had been placed. They observed that they
knew of many families who had no coals at this season,
and who were without food, and where, if relief were
delayed beyond the Saturday, fatal consequences might
arise. It was then moved, seconded, and unanimously
resolved, " That in consequence of the number of indi-
viduals who have not been visited, a deputation be ap-
pointed to wait on Mr. Hanbury, at the brewery in
Brick-lane, to solicit that the labours of the acting Com-
mittees be continued in the visiting department, and that
the immediate distribution of the funds to those who have
been visited take place." Upon the resolution being
adopted, Mr. Hornsby appealed to the meeting to know
who had not been visited, when nearly half the meeting
held up their hands. He then suggested that when the
deputation was formed, it should be a recommendation to
them to impress, in their interview with Mr. Hanbury,
the necessity of appointing some locality where a box
might be placed, into which applications from those
weavers who had not been visited might be placed, stat-
ing their circumstances. A deputation of six was then
formed, who were directed to request that, if possible,
the funds at the latest might be distributed on the ensu-
ing Saturday. The meeting then, after having voted
thanks to the Chairman, who replied in a few words,
broke up at a late hour.
TUE INCREASE IN THE TAXES has been procured
by means no less expressive of the necessities of the State
than the decrease in the Excise department indicates
the distress of the people. The ordinary course has
been this : the moiety of the yearly land-tax and as-
sessed taxes due on the 29th of September, was not paid
until after the sth of January following ; but in the
year which has just closed, a new and much more rigo-
rous system has been introduced, and generally applied,
for the purpose of obtaining payment. A circular, of
which it is said that no less than 70,000 were issued
from the Office of Stamps and Taxes for the metropo-
litan districts alone, threatened Exchequer process
against defaulters on the half year terminating the 29th
of September. This excited fears, which naturally led
to early payment, and thus produced the amount upon
the taxes to which the balance-sheet is indebted for the
increase it exhibits. But this is a positive anticipation
of the ordinary receipts, which will be felt at the close
of the current quarter ; when a deficiency will neces-
sarily appear equal to the amount obtained by. the applt-
cation of the screw in the quarter which has just closed.
--Evening paper.
POLITICS ARE MORALS.—Politics are mo-
rals all the world over; that is, politics universally im-
plicate the duty and happiness of man, Every branch of
morals is, and ought to be considered, a universal concern.
Under despotic Governments there is a pretension, more or
less sincere, on the part of the rulers, to moral regards; but
from these the bulk of the people are, by common con-
sent, cut off. If the bulk of the people saw the truth,
that the principles of politics affect them—are the mes-
sage of their Maker (as principles are)
to them, as well
as to their rulers, they would became moral agents in re-
gard to politics, and despotism would be at an end. As
it is, they pay their taxes, and go out to war when they
are bid, are thankful when they are left unmolested by
their Government, and sorry or angry when they feel
themselves oppressed ; and there they end. It is owing
of
ang.
to their ignorance of politics being morals, i.e., maters
equal concern to all—that this truth is not made mani-
fest in the action in every country on the globe that has
any government • The same is the thecaseofes
unrepre-
senteddpOtic. under Governments, which are not called
—H. Martineau.
A PRACTICAL IRISH GRIEVANCE.—One of
the most useful men in Ireland is Charles Bianconi.
He is useful as indicating the results of continued in-
dustry—useful that his love of his adopted land chides
the more sluggish affections of those born upon her
soil ; he is eminently useful as a carrier. Nothing
can be better than the appointment of his convey-
ances, and nothing more convenient than the fa-
cilities of internal communication which they
afford. Yet the Trustees of the turnpike-road be-
tween Cork and Fermoy have made an attempt
against Charles Bianconi which, if successful,
will prevent him from plying between those towns.
The roads having passed from the hands of the
late contractor to the trustees, these latter propose
to charge Mr. Bianconi with a toll of 245. per diem for
running his car over 20 miles of their trust road. Of
course that amounts to a total prohibition of his vehi-
cles upon those roads, and Mr. Bianconi has given
orders to stop his cars if it shall be levied. And this
is the way the trustees of a public road accommodate
the public, while they permit gentlemen's carriages to
travel the same length of way for one-sixth the sum I
Dublin paper.
EVERY STATION HAS ITS DUTY.—The
situation that has not its duty, its ideal, was never yet
occupied by man. Yes, here, in this poor, miserable,
hampered, despicable actual, wherein thou even now,
standest, here or nowhere, is the ideal ; work it out

therefrom, and working, believe, live, be free.—Thomas
Cadge.