Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1842-04-30
TIE POOR OF ENGLAND.
BY C. T.. lie sTER

tho following VIVID and just picture of the deg
radiation aud suffering OF Tho oppressed foor q
that country:
Show me the man who, in the decline Of Ifc
falls upon his parish for support III the workhonsc
and viii show y"u man who has been com
PEELED 10 labor half his days TO sustain the gov
eminent which has made him a pauper at last
n man who, with the Same labor and economy
would have accumulated IN America an indepen
dent estate, and reared up beautiful and well ed
uca;ed family to smnoth the down hill steps o
nge comfort hun III sickness, and close hts eye
in dc ath's peaceful, sleep. There can be no doub
that II costs The poor man five tunes as much Il
be a subject of Great Britain, # he lives on this
island. ms II would if he citizen OF iht
United States.
Is there any bcnovolcnce in giving shelter tt
the broken down operative to como and die IN a
workhousc, when his ovcrsirancd muscles n,
length give way? or in answering his cry Tor
brc ad by telling him 10 omigrate to America =
Is there even JUSTICE IN 1t?
The English warehouses are often the scenes
of great cruelty, priva,ion and suffering. The
description which that master painter of human
wo Charles Dickens, has given of the workhousc,
will not do all know for the ma nrIty of them
but il will do for many. You have read Parlia
mentary reports, book pamphlets, &c, on the
subject; convcrsed with those who are familiar
with il; perhaps witnessed tho workhonse system
in England with our own eyes. You arc aware
that IN many instances the keepers speculate on
the st0machs Of parish paupers; keeping them up
on short or damaged food; denying them many of
the most common ncccssarics of life, md al! is
comforts.
Instances are no, n few in which the inmates
of these houses die IN lonely, filthy chambers by
ninh,, W ithoui medical aid; without attendant !;
wilhou, even a rush light to flicker over their pill
lows while they are passing through death strug-
plcs The self n avarice of the keeper combines
with iha interest of The parish To shorten tho
pauper's days, and rid themselves Of tho thank
less burden quickly possible. 10 accom-.
piish this, the cords Of life gre cot asunder by
cold neglect aud harbarous treaimcnt
All tina, Is known about such cases is, that the
PRAYER of the dying pauper is often denied, when
he asks that tho physician may como to hun, or
some one watch by his bed or the minister Of re-
!iglon be chilled To breathe out prayer Tor his
soul: or # he is to he left entirely alone while
the soul is breaking away from is shattered house
that they will have mercy and bring Ighi, that
the darkness Of night may not mngic with the
death-shades of the grave as they settle over his
bed of rags.
In the morning they 90 10 his chamber, md
find that he is dead. 1t causes grief; no friend
was with him when he died-hu, God. a rough
coffin is ordcred-prce IS 6i-ihe body is taken
away, and that is the end OF the PauPer; his dy.
ing groan heard only by the ear OF a merclful
God; over his grave no tear OF affection Is shed;
no monument ever rises; and in lIttle while
but lie whosa all-seeing eye notices the fall
ling sparrow. can tell whose grave II is where the
panper sleeps.
The workhouso is gloomy place for the poor
10 o. to; IS Of the most dismal places ! ev
or entered. I'm the best of them England does
rot paw back to The pauper half the law has taken
from his former earnings. 1t would be a difficult
mltter, | apprehend o find many persons in the
parish workhouse who have not paid far more 10
support the government which has impoverished
them, Than the parish pays Tor heir support when
they can work no longer.
have visited some of tbs principal manufic-
turing towns the kingdom; and by spending
two weeks IN Manchester and It's immediate neigh
horhned | have had opportunity of somewhat
caretulv examining tho Factory System, and
the condition # the operatives.
need not speak of the excellence Of the
chncrv or Of the work, II is well known that the
English manufacturers have reduced almost eve
~ department Of mechanism to what seems To be
absolute perfection. But one cares little for the
beauty of machinery or lis creation when he
the human frame in ruins. Ii cannot be forgot
ten. that MS manufacturers have gone up. the op
era'ives have gone down.
This general principle may be applied 10 the
whole system Of British manufactures; and il Is
truth no candid man. who has investigated the
subject. viii question that trhilst the rork is made
perfect. the trorkmcn is destroyed
As we contemplate the manufacturing system
from side Of The Atlantic, i, seems be the
glory OF England ministerInC not only
own luxury, we'll the wealth OF the pro.
prietors, but To the comfort OF vast multi,udes
who are bv IL furnished with labor and the reward
which industry brings Bu. the deep poverty
and The tears Of the operatives we know nothing
o.
Not day in the year passes that the sails OF
commerce are not unfurlcd TO bear the manufac.
tred goods of England to foreign countries. OF
his England boasts. And well she might. If
NOSE astonishing creations Of human skill! were /
not the price Of blood. The Lauca shire manu-
facturers told US. with air Of exul'ation wor-
my OF better cause, There Is no ijleness a. !.
mong US here; YOU see the d,scipline. the ma. |
chinery, the division Of labor; We are proud of