The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-11-27 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL LODGING-HOUSES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
id att old, but true saying, that " one half the world
knows not ho c the other exists"; and would it be uncharitable
to soy, many da not care? Large towns present such continual
scenes of filth, wretchedness, and vice, that the philanthropist
often turns aside, feeli that to remove so great a mass of
misery id impossible', and is tempted to give it tip in despair.
The many eftats that have been made, the noble charities de-
voted to such a purpose, and the strenuous and indefatigable
exertions by individuals, have all been unavailing; and instead
of decreasing, the evil every day becomea more intolerable, and
should we go on at the same ratio for another twenty years, the
land will so swarm with mendicants, that private charity will
br. out of the question, and this generation will bear (and in a
great degree justly) the odium of not striving to stop s' demo-
. ralising a system. The-every-day experience of ',iverpool citi-
zens requires no proof as to the existence of as foul a blot on
the national character, nor of the annoyance occasioned to
them by petitions setting forth every ill humanity is heir to.
It *needless to say ninety. nineout of a hundred are impositions.
The streets cannot be walked in comfort, nor, to many ladies
in delicate health and unprotected. without feelings painfully
hurt by dirt and wilful deformity and sores. It is too well
known that to extort charity many will submit to the most
painful ordeals. At a very early age they cohabit together, and
a large family is brought into the world with no other prospect
or hope than bemoit, their way through it. Children, as soon
as they lisp, begin to lie; and the more precocious a child is in
mendacity, the more valuable to its parent,, or to those with
whom it may chance to be. You will ask, can I apply any re-
medy for a case so hopeless ? Ido not say I can ; for even had
we a law more stringent, it would be nugatory, so long as com-
mon lodging-houses have the liberty they now have. Much
has been written, and more said, with respect to these hotbeds
of every abomination. Many well-meaning persons have visited
them, and given their experience to the world; they have seen,
conversed, and of course know all about them. Alas! their
knowledge is perfect ignorance. They have seen the interior
of the vagrant's home, scanned his food, been told his secrets,
his varying modes of imposition, the price of babbles, the fall
in some walks, the rise in others, who is of use and who is
gummy, what house to call at, and what to avoid. The lodging-
house keeper, too, no doubt was equally communicative, told
the price of sown. or how much meal he would take for his bed,
where the police were quiet, and where it would be impolitic to
g); in short, the whole "secrets of the prison house" were laid
bare. Miserab'e delusion ! As well might you expect the thief
to tell the officer whose pocket he next should try, or the
poacher to give information to the keeper where his snares or
pets were placed, as these persons to divulge their secrets to a
flatly. Why, they are known intuitively. and many a hearty
laugh and brutal joke cracked after their departure. To very
many who have been compelled to sleep in such houses, not
one-half is known, unless he is well versed in the slang vocabu-
lary. Believe me. Mr. Editor,—for I write from painful and
agonising experience —that of all banes to a neighbourhood,

firmed beggar, it would be bad enough ; but it does not. These
houses are generally in densely-populated streets, and very

often, when work is scarce—(l am speaking more particularly
of manufacturing towns, though they apply to all)- -young
girls, who see the plenty and mirth that reign, often league
themselves with them, and thus multiply the evil. A common
lodging-house is a curse to the neighbourhood, let it be ever so
bad ; and eventually the government must take it no. As such

- . •
Inmate; his mode of life (for they well know it); how long
these; and how he subsisted. This to be presented to some
officer appointed, and who should be well acquainted with the
frauds of s'ich characters. Were this adopted, it would at all
events be beginning at the fountain head, and, by degrees, with
• II -a .•

constant and vigilant inspection, and punishment of conceal-
ment or imposition, such a check would be given, that a ficti-
tious petition, cases of imaginary distress, shamming the be-
r.lavernent of faculties. would he discovered. The keepers of
these houses sl- 'he same position as the receivers

lould stand in t
of stolen goods, and " Ot!lel
gone. Were you, sir, to take this mat „
publicity, and by every means begin at the laeginning, what a
debt of gratitude would be yours by this generation and pos-
terity.-1 remain, truly yours, N bAIO.

up, by giving it every

GRAND PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION OF
LOYAL ORANGEMEN.

This loyal, numerous, and increasing body have just
transmitted, through the M. W. Grand Master, the Right
Hon. the Earl of Enniskillen, to the Earl of Rod

address expressive of their admiration of his lordship's
consistent public career, and their unqualified approbation
of his late conduct under most trying and peculiar circurn-
stancc,s. The address contained, amongst others, the fol-
lowing heart-stirring paragraphs :

" We respectfully direct to you the expression of our congra-
tulation that your public life has concluded in a way altogether
consistent with its whole course: that it has been breathed out
on the battle-field for our Protestant Constitution— tl

at you at e

the most acceptable victim which a cowardly and unprii►cipled
ministry can offer to the idol of Popery and treason,—and that
in trying to make you an example of their power, they have
raised in you a monument of ther weakness. They have un-
maoe the magistrate, h►rt they cannot unmake the Orangeman!
"Let our rulers know that they are recruling our ranks.
Let them preceet as they are doing, and ere►;y Protestant in
Ireland, worthy of the name, will become an Orangeman; let
them know, th t the Orange cause in England has not only sur-
vived a dark and disgraceful conspiracy, but that now, daily,
good men and true pledged to the Bible—the Church—and the
Crown, are pressing into its ranks. We wish not to speak of

ourselves ; from the mouth of an enemy we will give our cha-
racter. We remind our persecutors of the words of the convict
Mitchell, whose fellow-traitors they are now abetting "Con-
ciliate the Orangemen if you can ; if not, at least conciliate their
neutrality,. you know that the people would be more intimi-
dated by the approach of 5,C00 Orangemen than by the approach
of 50,000 soldiers.' "
His Lordship returned the following gracious and flat-