Star.
London, England, 1816-11-27 00:00:00

sity. It is not that ennestsirve, but that so many are
on the verge of atarveitle*----Itrhsnot dint a fsersaftr,'
hut that so.few one of those: .distre.
Jers that are deadly in osse swot,. and unknoteit
the next ; it rather 'partakes of • the nature of those
more geoeral visitations of pestilence, which spread
their disastrous contagion alt iround, and desolate a
district, and in which the general contagion envenoms
the individual taint. Ein it is with ue—the general
distress deepens the private calamity. In ordinary
times the poor are the best friends of the poor. There
,is (and happy is it) a sympathy in affliction (we find
.it as a ray of light amid the gloom), a fellow feeling
in distress, a kind of benefit society( to which all the
wretched are free, a society not indeed enrolled and
registered. by Act of Parliament, but by higher au-
thority, and with more awful sanction, by the instincts
which PROVIDENCE has implanted in the human heart,
but this is a virtue that is for better times. The poor
man can hardly support himself, and therefore can
hardly assist others. Ido not mean to say that he
does not. We have met with instances, which have
exalted our' respect for human nature—instances
which recal the Widow recorded in the New Testa-
giant, whose whole possession was a handful of
meal in a barrel, and a drop of oil in a cruse,", yet
she Was willing to share them with the afflicted
stranger. But if.this proves that the poor are not be-
reft of every ordinary hope, is it not a lesson to us ?
If the poor man who is obliged to deny his ensaris.
fied appetite, and having divided sulscient horn his
only loaf to' hide the remainder for the next day's
meal, if lie yet find some place for mercy in his seal,
.and miserable himself, is yet impelled to share his re-
maining crust with the more miserable ; if the strong
impulse of humanity urges hies to so dear a sacrifice,
does it not teach the man who is clothed in soft rai-
ment and fares sumptuously every day, to give some•
thing more than the crumbs that fall from his table
to the wretchedness that surrounds his gate?--(Great
Aftftlause. ) But why this superior mercy in the poor ?
Because be has learned it in the school of affliction.
He knows what it is to want bread, and this has
opened his heart, and enlivened his affections for those
who are exposed to the rigour of the season, and the
craving importunities of hunger—but the rich man
caneot feel this. He can experimentally know nothing
of what it is, when the poor man willing to strain
every nerve in labour, is denied the employment which
might staunch the tears of his wile, and appease the
cries of his children—alien jike the wretch I have
mentioned, he is willing to suffer, if he might suffer
alone, firm against his own afflictions, but when be
looks around him, sunk to the effeminacy of kers—
(Loud An/itause.) In ordinary times, too, indivi-
dual charity may meet individual distress—it may dis-
cover cases of peculiar hardship and relieve them, but
in this mass of misery selection is almost cruelty—you
relieve one case, but then you must deny a thousand
with equal claims to your compassion. Private charity
found itself perplexed, confused, and baffled by the
variety of applicants, and hardly kilo,/ which was
right, the partiality which would select some, to the
exclusion of ethers—or that impartiality which could
give but a crumb to each. A general effort was
necessary, a division of labour, a division of districts,
a combination of energy, of activity, of bounty was
necessary—and this was the origin of our institution.
A survey of the whole mass was taken—it was divi-
ded into thirty-eight districts—and 120 Gentlemen
volunteered their services Thus every street and
every alley of this wide district is regularly visited,
and would be regularly relieved, did odr funds allow
it. Believe me, my Lord, this system of visitation
has its advantages—the poor are seen at their own
houses, the truth of their tale is ascertained—we are
not so much exposed to deception—besides where
charity gives without personal inquiry, importunity
often gains that which modest and unobtrusive merit
cannot obtain. Widows, for instance, who having
disposed of almost all their clothing to procure
bread, are ashamed to appear in the streets.—
Those who have seen better times—we met a soldier,
a man who had fought the battles of his country with
some humble distinction, but is now oppressed by a
very large family—he was one ef those
46 Who ask wit\ painful shyness; and refused,
Because deserving, silently retire."
(Hear, hear).—There was something in his breast, be
it pride, or blUcling, but something forbade him
to mingle in ds of importunate beggary. This
general visitation is part of our plan ; but besides this,
we sell, or rather have sold, rice at 2d. per lb. salt
fish—fish, my Lord, that would not disgrace your
hospitable mansion, at Id. per lb. Now observe the
chain of good—we employ a very distressed class, the
sailors—in this time of dearth we introduce food into
the country ; and, lastly, we distribute that tood
exactly where it is wanted most. This is our plan,
if it proceed it must do great good—if it fail, and
fail it must, if this day does not give it vital vigour—
the hopes of the poor fail with it. Remember then,
that the distress is urgent beyond all former occa.
sions—that thousands, and tens of thousands hang
upon your decision this day. Remember that you
sit in judgment upon the fate of the widow and the
orphan. If unfavourable, you steep, the orphan in'
ten-fold misery—if favourable, you will indeed make
• the widow's bean to sing with yoy."—[This speech,
the interest of which was considerably heightened by
the forcible and pathetic manner in which it was de-
livered, was received with the loudest applause].
• Mr. HANKSY next addressed the Meeting. He
described the poor at Spitalfields not merely entitled
to public commiseration, as sufferers, but as innocent
`oneS. The groans of a distressed and patient popn-
' laiion had reached the ears of the public, and he
hoped that the public would give them that attention
which they merited. In this hope be was the more
confident when he found them advocated by the hu-
manity and eloquence of the Gentleman who prece-
ded him, and those Mends who acted with him—
(Loud olaute.)—The poormanufacturen and others,
in whose cause the meeting was assembled, had this
additional claim en public bounty—That in the midst
of their sufferings and privations, they had ever con-
ducted themselves with the greatest attention to pub-
lic order—(Hear, hear.)—The only appeal which
they had made was of that kind which be trusted
would ever meet with attention—an appeal to public
hunianity (Hear, hear.)—This he trusted would meet
its jest *sward ; and the present Meeting would set
an eitastrve to the whole country, and thew that the
breasts of the well disposed were much more suseep-
uble of humanity than, of fear—(Loorl4fivi4asissi)—,
If his voice, could reach those poor wining mssw•
• • •