Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-09-29


on velvets AMI 6gared patterns earn from Ia to ~
per week; but IL was given in svderee before th
conmssioners, that this species OF weavtns require
more light, and consequently subjected the viewer
TO higher rents; that their melt earnings were
more than those Of weavets employed on DINER Ia
tries. Maze wcavers IN the United Kingdom ear
on an aversgo not more than IS and females irof
20 20 30 per cent less.
The following statements and facts, taken fror
the reports Of the commissioners, will show tn
d plorab le state TO which the weavers and the
famiacs arc reduced. In relation to the county c
Somerset the commits soner has given various tabu
tr statements, showing with great miuuteness III
pecuniary condition Of this class OF laborers
One table presents the condition OF ii9 families
containing 7sl persons, and shows that after de
ducing tho paid Tor rent, fuel, soap, and can
dies, there would remain al their earnings, for FOO
and clothing, only Is SID per week 10 each person
Another table Of families consisting of IS person.
shows that the entire income 10 each family amount
On average TO only So sd per week; TO each per
son, Is Gid per week; and that OF this sum- n''e,
paying for rent. fuel, Sc there rema'os Tor isod ahu
clothing only II Id per head per week. aho'hei
table of 81 families of los persons shows thai, alter
dedueiing the sums paid for lights soap, iue' rent
and rates there left for food and clothing Tor each
person Is 81 per week. Another table SHOWS thai
&c families. Of 1871 persons have after deductng the
sun,s paid for rents rates. lights, soap, and tue only
~ per bend per week leit TO supply them with
every thing they have TO cat, drink, and wear
Another table OF % families, consisting OF l76 per-
lef Tor the food and clothing OF each person. An
oher of 36 families, of2l7 PERSONS, leaves Is I'd per
week TO supply each person with food and elo'h
ing. ,.s-,
These tables are all taken ftom the different par
ishcs villages of single county. and u does not
appear that wages arc materially lower here than IN
other parts OF Great Britain. .
Let American labor be thus degraded-let families
oi OF persons he brought down IN their pecunia'
~ resources to rs or IS per week-let each person
he reduced to the necessity OF supplying his only
food and clothing from the miserable plttnnee OF
lI3i, or even Is Id a week, while -four, as IN En-
gland. is selling for ss GO per barrel-and what
would be the sentiment OF every working man IN
the and1 Let them be brought 10 this deplorable
condition. by the blindness obstinacy Of their own
Government, and that Government would be oil short
duration.
One witness, called before the commissioner,
snys:
Children OF years oil besn TO turn tho wheel to
spln ~ which Is very hard work and they arc ker at
se hn S ~ AMI legged children town
an evR which Is Attributable to this SOFT OF work"
a manufacturer testihes that
Their dwellings their clothing and that OF their chill
iron oyinoc misery There Often great distress
Slnons them. They ate generally sober, Industrious
wsees they cannot &c, living Many weavcrs are obliged
10 apply TO the parish for assistance"
Mr. Otway, the commissioner who examined into
the condition of the in Ireland, gives us
gloomy picture OF their condition. de says:
'The cabins that the live and work In fear
l spccmens OF what habit will enable human beings to
hSse eus as thcy onsbt 10 ret comfortable cabins for
The landlords charge per annum or any Sahin having
lor Two looms only two small rooms, and
sometimes only one"
Again, he says:
Nothing equal the distress Of the poor cotton wea-
Ners. l Witnessed greaer misery than IN their |
cabins aud mode Of living Few, however, remain al the
trade, except old and nhrin persons and lev young
order TO prevent absolute dcsiuiinn. The houses Of
OF the lower classes OF weavcrs arc in the most
anon In The ncisbbor5ooJ Of BuEInston &c the usual
condition a number Of journeyhand families Is that OF
the dirt and misery sometimes with no bedselds
linen iothem Sometimes The beds consist merely OF
chat held together with bricks and covered with wrap
bread and butter potatoes, and little tea with occasion
ally few poor scrap, OF es9on Knden n ana misery
and many Of the uadertksis I've in the greatest
Erasmus Charlton, police sergeant, tes,fes that, |
OF his own personal knowledge,
The wsavers arc much distressed They wretcaed.
lyon bedding Has seen many cases where the man aud
ais wife and many as children have slept on straw
lad on te noor with only torn qnh 70 cover them-
Sometimes he has iad occasion 10 search the houses OF
Witnessed very distressing eases-chdTen crying for food
and the parents having neither food nor money 10 the
family often, the children adults attend church.
,onnei ~ a. mol times ana fonnd Them eating naa,oss
with bit OF suei."
Another witness says:
"a poor weaver living within 80 yards fine OF
an saiedtha nc had had poor sunday not having 20
;lo bit OF bread in his house The had
awiie near confinement and children"
Another witness tesu6es that
The wife of weaver hal child al the breast and she
declared him 5or o'clock NJ, that she had had
not table o piece Of furniture in The ROOM every
ilas was SOIL lie further states Thai ne has no d9ISi
young children, die from disease brought on by want Of
Industrious AMI SOBER and would willingly they had
il 10 do"
The commissioner declares that
The master Of poor house was roEreng that the M.
tue ofthe food t.rueJs sean:iness cause
produced great mortality ~ the work house, but as for the
10 the work house, in some instances, died ofrepeon
They had been previously brought 50 low that Tie work
house allowance was too good for them"
With such facts before US, VIC can symplthzs
with respectable weaver who testified before the
commissioner follows:
"olostion Have you any children y
Answer No-i had 2 but they are both dead, thanks
'QIes Do you express satisfaction the death Of your
ANA 10. THANK Cod Tor IL am relieved from the
burden maintaining them and hey poor dear creatures,
arc relieved from the troubles Of this mortal lie"
Comment upon such evidence would be out OF
place. When poverty and wreiohedness press so
heavily upon parents, that they rejoice at the death
of their own Children their state must be painful in
deed
Nor is the condition of the laborers on the
continent any more favorable. MIR. Keyser, the
commissioner charged with the inquiry, represents
she laborers in the same employment in Germany,
SC. in the most deporabie condition. de de-
tcribcs a family near Berlin ms iooUt;
- man. his wfe, two aons, and journeynan live in
room W by u, Ia which two looms. They
work hard 10 The aggregate sun Of o. per week
10 this 'irl is required for and
the morning, hey have each Gun Of bad coffee and
.ake such S. generally bought 10 Berlin for about fsr
tpR Tor diuneT groaa meal porrdge mr. potatoes, with
osca,ogay herring OF iile lard u ie evening slice
oi black bread ana butter with which they drink IOthrg
but water. On sunday ihoY have sometimes a email
q1sntify u bacon or other meat"
Again, no says:
'lts TO be observed that tie very low o. wages lie
only in proportion 10 the cheapness Of pTCvSons, but
particularly ccssonci by the very limited
tie working weaver5 Even tie article Of bread IN that
country very cheap. still beyond the Of these
poor people, who subsst almosi entirely upon potatoes
A witness from Prague says:
"Our In that state, that II oacii family had
nota ia Of land which 10 grow potatoes FOR ter fool
lnd were they not 10 steal their fuel they w. from
ihe forests wilt. which the country abounds. they you'll
hard weaver may get abOu2s per week These pcop'r
want Of work auI in distress rcaD1ed
10y the large stock OF goods n tho hands Of manufacturers
nui cotton prinerc. They seldom bread only DO
ta'ocs. which they cultivate themselves"
Such is n picture Of laborers upon the cont
rent Of Europe, and in tho boosted land Of Ii
berry, Grea, Britain The condition Of Euro
pan lsborers mus, lie obvious when we con
slider that the prices given to men amour, TO only
lOd per day, without board for species Of labor
which requires skill and muscular rer, and mus,
generally be carried on in cities or large vlsgss
where rents nro high and provisions dear. The
hours the aborsrs are employed, are in many cases
sufficient 10 break down the strongest constitution
Gouno a., Irff and GOD