The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-27

means in their potcer, and they therefore wish to
acquaint you, (the manufacturers) that in case Of
your wanting the labor Of epen single family, the
commissioners proffer the use of the means at
their disposal for facilitating the supply of your
wants in this respect
Thus the reader will see that when the manu-
facturers could not induce single TO give
up their poor to be worked in the factories, they
had recourse to the poor law commissioners, VINO
here offer them all the means at their disposal to
enable them to effect their purpose.
1t would occupy too much of our space were we
to follow in detail this scheme of the manufactur-
ers to reduce the wages of labor. 1t Will be sur
fcient for our purpose to say, that an office icaS
opened in Manchester, under the superintendent of
government agent, r. NJ. Muggeridge, esq.
that printed circular inroice was sent to every
parish where there were surplus of poor fami-
lies, which invoice was filled up by the parish Of
fcer and returned to MANCHESTER. These invoices,
containing the age, sex, &c, of each family, were
kept in the Office by Mr. Muggeridge, and exhIb-
tied to the manufacturers, who affixed their name
and address to the invoice of such families as
would suit them; after which these precious doc
uments were again transmitted to the parishes,
with a request that they might be sent down 10
the manufacturers forthwith.
In this manner 1000 persons, mostly agrIcul-
tural laborers, removed from their homes
and the scenes of their childhood, and in great
ma jorty of cases entirely against their will, (be-
ing poor they were supposed to have no will ) to
"Let us now turn our eyes TO the closing scene
in this tragedy. From the report of Mr.. Mugger-
idge, dated July, 1887, we learn that-"The con-
diton Of the laborers who were induced to MI
crate under your sanction, would, am sure, at
any time, be subject Of great interest and ankle
ty to you Qhe commissioners ; and at the pres
ent period, this interest and anxiety cannot but be
increased by the altered circumstances in which
the district is placed, compared with those which
led 10 the introduction of migration.
Nearly every one OF the possible causes antic-
paed as likely to lead to the ultimate i'll success
or defeat Of this branch Of the commission, has
been suddenly and unexpectedly realised"
will not harrass the feelings of your readers
| by going into detail of the great hardships and
sufferings endured by this class Of poor people, in
parting from friends and home, in their passage of
200 or 300 miles in open boats or Wagons, IN be-
| ing herded together and lying on straw in the
warehouses of the manufacturers on their arrival,
or arising from small pox. fevers, accidents by
machinery, or want Of faith on the part of the
manufacturers afterwards. They were such as
would scarcely be credited as having taken place
in England, land always Boosting of her hui
manity, and such England herself would not
have tolerated III another country, without an Ell
fort to suppress or ameliorate them"
From work on the wv est Indies in 1887,
by Messrs. Stunge e. Harvey, page SO, appendix
| extract the following:
:" From the LIST Of August, 1884, to May 81
1896, 995 apprentices purchased their freedom, am
paid t33,99S, (Sl69,990.)
" From 3lst May, lS36,to Nov. 1st in the sam
year, 582 apprentices purchased their freedom
aud paid Gl5,2l7, or S9l ,0S5."
Gladly would the tohie bond slapes have pur
chased their freedom from their abolition masters
but the thing was impossible.
In my next will give you further illustration
Of white slavery Yours, &C.,
AN ENGLIsuMAN.