The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-01-31 00:00:00

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TRRStRD R4MEN.I

DISPOSAL or rmt-DIS
Yesterdays very numerous Meeting of the Gentle.
men who have been actively engaged in diepensing
relief to the distressed seam., with wham the Me-
tropolis was a few day:ogee/0140d, to 4 piste at the
King's Heed, in the Poultry, for the purpose of dia.,
cu,sit,g the question of the ultimate disposal of those
claimants upon the Public hoop'', and of celeberat-
ing upon other matter connected *kb the 'Verb of
the Committee.
The Lotto Maims, on taking the Chair, and hear-
ing the statement of the advantages which have al.
steady resulted from the plans adopted by the Com-
mittee, dielOnd that his most sanguine expectations
bad been exceeded, and that he and his brother Ma.
gistrates felt is the cirtumstante of the great quantity
of disagreeable rt.ily employment that had been since
its commehenotent taken off thek hands, the utmost
confidence of success. He rejoiced to have this op-
portunity ni declaring what .he knew would go forth',
to the Public, to whom the intelligence was doe,
that the Committee bad the highest claims upon their
'gratitude, and Oyu w Willi a very short time numbers
of the alliictin4 objects is the streets of London
would be disposed of beyond the probability of a re.
lapse into that unhappy condition.
Captain FRAN/LLANO, previously to thecommence-
meat of the discussion upon the epetifin object of the
t.eting, mentioned that some seamen, who had pen-
sion' of 111. and 161. a year, were found begging in
die streets • those certainly were not entitled to par-
ticipate In ;hat which was intended for the relief of
the distressed ; on the contrary, they merited
punishment, which he trusted the Lord Mayor was
authorised to indict.
The LOLID MAYOU repeated the 1111141f111100 he bad
made before of a determination to render all the as-
sistsnce in his power, by the apprehension of such
mencl:cants, and the disposal of them according
to law.
Captain FItANICLAND said, it was supposed by
tante that the cause of his complaint originated in the
want of vigilance upon the part of the Police Of.
fiesta, and perhaps in the want Of integrity massi-
f-steel in taking bribes to permit the soliciting of
chatty.
ThP LORD MAYOR Did, he had suspected that an
understanding dist kind existed between some of
the Police Officers and the begglngseamen. He had
told the former that be would instantly suspend any
person guilty of such base conduit ; and he assured
the Committee that nothing should change that in-
tention.

The object of the Meeting was then brought for.
word.

Mr. LYALL objected to the principle upon which
applications were made to the Committee for a sup-
ply of men, upon the ground that an opportunity was
thus Riven to substitute seamen who were beggars,
and had no characters, in the room of those whose
conduct Wag irreproachable. This was evidently the
case, if it appeared that there was a redundancy of
seamen. Tnere was, besides, another very important
objection, namely, that of making the candidates for
emplolusent pa-a through pauperient and splendidly
before they were supplied with an occasion for in-
dustry. This system would have the effect of-counter-
acting the polijsi.t of the Register Office, which was
bow la progress, and which was established for the
Investigation of the characters of applicants; fur it
needed no argument to prove that the practice of
giving employment to those who had no character
was inconsistent with that of requiring an indis-
putable reference.
The „nepieral sentiment was against the observations
of M.
The SECUETAUT observed, that there did not ap-
pear to him to be ground either for suspecting the
Integrity of those poor fellows, or for giving them
the name of beggars. The Committee had done no-
thing to confirm that imputation, Which bad, he
thought, been erroneous!), applied. Their wants
proceeded, it was pretty generally known, from unit-
veidsble circumstances. They were not vagrants;
the Committee were called upon to prevent them
from be-m• made an, and it was a fact that they were
generally men of gond character. The present pro.
spect was certainly a pleasing one, for it presented
the means of restoring those who were qualified to
act, to the former comfort and independence of their
condition. He did not think there was a redundancy
of seamen : but if there were, it would Ise unjust
that those upon whose interests the Committee was
employed should suffer for the general body.—(4-
pionse,)
The statement laid before the Meeting compre-
hended-the following important facts :
There are now in the River six ships for the use
of the healthy seamen and one hospital ship. They
are capable of receiving 1400 men.
One thousand and forty -one have been already re-
ceived on board.
One beatified and ninety-seven of thole have been
disposed of effectually, some is merchants' service
and others In the navy.
• There are its attendance upon the slckra Physician,
a Surgeon, and two Assistant-Surgeons) paid by the
Committee.
One Physician, Dr. Rankin, of the East India
Company's service, attends gratuitously.
There are now on board 859, all of whom, with
tfie esception of about ten, have been serving io the
Navy. . .
The men certainly fit for service do not amount to
less than 600.
But four deaths hive taken place since the ships
were fitted out for the reception of the men.
About 120 have been cured of the itch. Those
applicants for relief whom it was impossible to ac-
commodate at the commencement and during the
prodigious influx of seamen inithe ships, the work.
boon, and other places, were :supplied with three.
pence each and a fourth of a quarters loaf every day..
Orders have been given for several days past to the
officer of the Abundance receiving-ship to take all
WRNS who apply on board for examination.
Theis i>s a regulation which eraisrlopted.very pro-
dentlx when the Plan was proposed, that no person
who ,had en isefectilus disease shoold be admitted
amongst those poor fellows, whole poverty subjected
,theee to trials eppeogh. The conduct adppted by the
Committee, upon finding that there were grounds
for apprehensions of elackiud, is to give su ode.
quote provision to cite aliseeied, and elcilde him

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