Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-12-13
DISTRESS OF THE POOR IN ENGLA

DISTRESS OF THE POOR IN ENGLAND.
What we owe to God for the blessings of free
institutions, cannot be better seen, than when we
contrast condition with that OF other countries.
In England, one of the richest and ireest coun-
tries under monarchy large portion OF the
people are literally starving, III me tidst OIL pen
iy. Vicious Legislation, in which the peoples
voice cannot be heard avOrs ancient monopolies
10 the grinding of the face OF The poor.
The London Patriot contains an article from
Rev. J. w. Massie of Manchester, setting torih
The distresses OF the poor; from WHICH "e ihaho
the following extracts:
"There is but too painful evidence in this vlcn-
ty that thereare thousands OF unemployed mechan-
les whose resources are exhausted ana whose iah-
lilies are furnished not knowing whence The hour-
ishment Of to-day is 10 come ana many Oh 'hem
tasting food for twenty -four hours, or u'i ihey
| have begged il from their trembling relShpors.-
| have been assured from the personal Inspection
of parties worthy Of credit, that IN The towns OF
| Manchester and Stafford there are len Wousahu
who though the able bodied among them he EN-
ployed, have not more than sXpehce na',peh"y
per week for the susenance, rent ana cio'hihs oi
each person; while the streets aud lanes n'e
haunted by the wretched aud gaunt hgures-'nes
unemployed, paupershed, and squaid ior''s Vi
fellow subjects begging for bread"
This greve to say, is not all-but we daily aP-
prehend the reduction of Others, heretofore ~
comfort as small traders, shopkeepers, &C, W 'no
poverty. We hear of like misery and woe rom
surrounding towns-lrom Bolton, Ashton, Stock
port, Rochdale, aud many other districts. NOR
is this suffering confined TO Lancashire, orksh'e,
Stafforlshre, Wales. But the cry OF uespa"
resounds throughout The country. FROM oco'
land we hear of mothers mixing tie dust oil woou
with the food of their children, or attempting "
silence the cravings OF hunger with the h'isera-
! BILE shadow of aliment instead OF the sups,a"oe'
by which The craving appetite OF their ohsP''ne
Knocked rather than saated; while IN one 'o"n
paisley with a population OF sixty 'houSauo'
eight hundred families have been for weeks SUP
ssting on the eleemosynary assistance oi ",o"
impoverished neighbors. Thus besides the Drum
AIRY helpless poor, one family in every seventeen
is deriving pauper support from the casuai SUI
scrption of benevolence. Is It strange II dea'I
find an easy prey among such populafioh' ana
produce fearful havoc soon? but what can stop
his rayages during winter amidst such deslitu'loh,
should the furnished victims remain IN quesceht
I helplessness and tame submission I'LL then Inc
| unemployed who are pinng in utter destituiiop'
r and have appealed 10 the benevolence oil Inc III
! fluent and of government for the means 10 expa-
triae themselves and their families to the iar'hes!
4 foreign shores, where they may obtain labor ana
reward for their industry, have repeatedly assured
q me that has heen with difficulty they have re-
@ strained THEN younger companions from pi'aghg
: the provision warehouses around them. ana tney
q have broken up bands of young men associated 10
y AXE by force rather than die by starvation, over
whom they bad parental control. IL hye tu'l
T. grown millions of such break loose nom the ter
rors of the law in the darkness OF WINTER where
D, will BIO the rights and restraints OF properly