Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-06-12
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
C0RRESP0NDENcE FROM ENGLAND.

afternoon, when the Wealner Will perIHll my uolng
so. Being desirous OF seeing as much OF this
mighty aggregation of human beings as | can, and
of casting at least passing look upon as many as
possible of the old buildings and places which his
tory or individual circumstance may have rendered
famous, vary my walks III every directions; and
as ! always perform my peregrnatIons III daylight
and with pockets as nearly empty as possible, |
venture into by-ways, courts, alleys, and passages,
which | should not dare TO approach but under
these projections, and confidence in the very excel
lent police. BY these varied and various Journey
lngs | have become more intimately acquainted
with the state of London society, and the condition
of those classes of the population which constitute
the overwhelming majority of the two millions of
human beings who are brought together within its
vortex, than any one can do who confines his walks
either to the gay streets at the west end, or the
crowded marts of business in the city. | wish that
this more intimate investigation OF mine had ten
dency TO increase my satisfaction, either as to the ply
steal and worldly condition, or the moral and men-
tai state of the of the inhabitants OF this mo-
dern Babylon. Alas, the reverse is most decidedly
the case. Every day my heart is panied by the
sight of suffering which | cannot alleviate, of igno
rance which cannot remove, and OF vice which
cannot correct. Strange to say, but it really is So
the number of these objects in these human dens
tfor cannot give them abettername) dimnshes to
more tolerable degree the pain and sorrow which
would be caused by the contemplation OF any ndi-
vidual case but now and then it happens that the
appearance of some miserable being is so strongly
marked with suffering and degradation to refuse
TO have its effect obliterated by succeeding ones
momentary glance fixes a sort of daguerreotype
impression upon the memory, that accompanies
YOU to your freside and to your bed for days and
nights afterwards. But will not dilae upon this
painful subject, anxious | am to see nothing and
to report Of nothing but good in my native land.
After walk last night most particularly fruitful Ill
painful objects, dsagreeable associations, and me-
lanchoy anticpations as to the sort OF future which
the unpromising present appeared naturally to con-
duet 10, fell into train OF reflections as TO the
causes of what | had seen and its remedy. Let
me briefly, in the absence OF public matters OF IN
terest recapulate my reflections.
The population of that vast aggregate OF streets
and houses, known under the general name of Lon
don was in ls4I ascertained TO be very nearly
100000 the annual increase, since that date is
calculated TO be about 10000 so that the present
population is, in round numbers, 1880, 900. The
classification of this vast amount of human life is |
not very easy matter The Post Office Drecto-
ry for the present year enumerates very nearly
100000 houses of business under the commercial
alphabet and about 27 900 names in the court and
fashionable list. Now, supposing that these names
are each representative of family, and that the |
family of man of business, including domestic
servants, consists average of six persons and
that of peer, official dignity, fashionable man
at the court end, consists OF twelve on average,
we shall have $4,000 the number OF persons
Immediately connected with or living in the fam-
lies of these two classes. But we may add al
least one to each of the houses of business for
clerks, warehousemen, &C., and there will many of
them have families; taking these families at an
average of three, there will be 100000 more to
he cla nd busI |
ness and court fashionable parts of the population
will be represented by 224 600, call ii 900,
and we have million more to apportlon. Now,
if we suppose that half this number consists of per-
sons in small retail shops, day working mechanics
and aborers, cabmen, porters, and others who are
really necessary TO such population, and who
therefore may depend upon receiving wages or re-
muneration adequate TO their necessary wants, we
shall still have half million OF human beings who
are floating loose upon the surface of society de-
pendant upon the accidents of the day for the food
of the day. adding strength to any of the world
great interests because unconnected with any of
them but opposed to them all, because they feel IN
their craving appettes and insufficient supplies that
there is nothing in the world which is friendly to
them. But this may be overcharged calcula-
tion am willing to hope that it is, but am afraid
that it is not. | will suppose, however, that halt
these 100000 persons may receive employment
ana ADEQUATE pTONlslOHs ds ldDOIclos o'CdolOildl
workmen, &C., there will still be 100000 TO pro-
vide for and if to these there be added the number
of destitute wanderers from the provinces, starving
Irish, and distressed continental foreigners, am
greatly afraid that the number of hastarved, half
fed destitute human beings in this great metropolis
and its suburbs, be taken at this time less
than 100000! A fearful amount of misery, and
sufficient to account for all the painful sights which
| have Witnessed; all the degradation and crime
which must accompany il, and all the apprehensons
of the future which most fearfully oppress those
who think most about it. My friends on both
sides Of the water have often regarded me an
optintiSt, and acknowledge the charge, having al
ways felt greater pleasure las well taken, in my
opinion, more correct view of experimenting
al-wise Providence) in looking on the bright side
of things than the dark, and in anticipating good
rather than evil. | hope have not taken an opfi-
misfs view of the condition of the population Of
London, but still fear il is the best and most fa-
vorable view which can be taken of it.
The question for the philanthropist is, can this
mass Of misery and degradation be diminished!
am greatly afraid that it cannot The business OF
London requires vast number oil working people
TO perform 1.-THE great opposition in all branches
uG business causes il TO be done at the smallest pos
sble profit; the wages of the working men are re-
duced in proportion they cannot afford time TO at
tend to or money to educate their children on the
contrary, the children, soon as they can earn
sixpence, made to do so, and To add to the iam-
" treasury. Thus ignorance is perpetuated, and