The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-27 00:00:00

PAISLEY.

Since the month of July in last year the labouring
population of Paisley has been suffering from distress,
caused by the stagnation of trade, and the consequent
failure of a large number of firms in that borough.
This distress continued with great severity through-
out the winter, and the spring has not brought that
increased demand for goods which might have been
expected.
Some of the more skilful weavers have indeed pro-
cured employment, but a large portion of the popula-
tion still remain dependent on charity.
' As many as 12,000 persons have been maintained
for several months from the contributions collected in
England and Scotland, and even in India.
The poor-law of Scotland, as now administered,
confers no effectual right to relief upon men who
are able to work, or upon their families ; at present,
therefore, the legal provision for the relief of the
destitute in Scotland Is not applicable to this class of
persons, and even if it had been so applicable, the
pressure of so large a number of men without work
must soon have absorbed a considerable proportion of
the property in the borough.
The subscriptions raised in this county, in the
county of Renfrew, the city of Edinburgh, and
parts of Scotland, are all expended.
Thus no legal mode of effectually relieving this
mass of destitution exists, and the charitable feelings of
those connected with the place have be en taxed to the
utmost.

It may be added that these sufferings have for the
most part fallen on a class of workmen whose general
earnings, even in prosperous times, are insufficient to
allow of any provision for future difficulties, and that
they have been borne with patience and fortitude.
May, ,1842.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the
Bishops of London, Chester, and Ripon, Lords Stanley
and Russell, Sir R. H. Inglis, &c., are members of
the Manufacturers' Relief Committee. We are also
happy to announce that the following contribu-
tions have been already received : Her Majesty
the Queen, 500/. ; the Queen Dowager, 300/. ; Sir
Robert Peel. Bart., 2001. ; Sir James Graham, 100/. ;
the Duke of Buccleuch, 2001. ; Sir Edward Knatch-
bull, 100/. ; the Earl of Aberdeen, 100/. ; Lord Stan-
ley; 100/. ; the Right Hon. Henry Goulburn, 50/. ;
Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci, 1001.; Earl of Hadding-
ton, 100/. ; Lord Lyndhurst, 100/. ; the Earl of
Ripon, 100/. ; Sir Henry Hardinge, 50/. ; Earl
Howe, 1001.; Lord John Russell, 501.; Sir T. D.
Acland, Bart., M.P., 1;01. ; Rear-Admiral Bowles
C. 8., 20/. ' • Alderman Lucas, 261. ss. ; Benjamin
B. Cabbell, Esq., 501.

Bell's Life in London, of May 29, will give the
most copious particulars of the four days of Epsom Races, with
a portrait of the Winner of the Derby. The price of Bell's
Life is Fivepence, pub:ished in time for the Saturday afternoon
railways. Bell's Lift of Sunday, May 22, (copies of which
.can yet be had), contained four of their long folio columns of
the latest preliminary matters, movements, programme, and
names of horses connected with the Epsom races.
HOSTILE MEETING.—At an early hour on Tuesday
morninz ahostile meeting took place near Hounslow, between
L—l, Esq., and Esq., in consequence of a dispute in
which the name of a lady was concerned. At the first fife Mr.
L— received his adversary's fire in the wrist, in consequence
of which the affair terminated without a reconciliation having
been effected.

A letter from Lubeck, 13th inst., in the Commerce,
states that the flakes from the fire at Hamburgh were carriedby
the wind as far as the Baltic, and that some of them, falling
upon a Danish steamer, exposed it for some minutes to great
danger of being burnt. The circumstance appears to us to be
rather improbable.,