New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-09-03
Belgium-PauperiSm.

While IN respect of agricultural and manuac-
turing industry generally. Belgium Is IN advance
OF all other countries, IN none, except It be Ire
land, are there so many paupers in proportion TO
the population Throughout the kingdom there
Is one pauper to every seven persons, and "a
some o. the most prosperous districts there Is
one TO four Ii Is remarkable that the richer
provinces are those where there are most pau
pers and that N the agricultural province OF
Luxembourg, though almost everybody Is poor,
the proportion of those who are actual depend
ents on public charity is relatively small.
\ member of the National Assembly, VI Per
cEvAL, has lately been engaged IN investigating
the condition Of the labonng classes, and ms
speeches contain some striking statements on
that head For instance, in respect to haoIta-
tons. he shows that out OF e9O.j66 families
which compose the population OF the country,
giving an average of five persons TO a family,
there are l54,454 which occupy but single
room 2s2, 80 which occupy buttwo rooms and
i53, 327 which have dwellings composed OF three
or more rooms Thus nearly half OF the nation
live IN abodes that have only one or TWO rooms
and consequently among them comiort,the sense
OF decency and morality must be seriously
wanting
The regular standing army OF Belgium con
Slsts OF 10000, besides large corps OF general
and staff officers, kept under pay for reserve or
National Guard OF 10000 more The actual
yearly loss 10 the country by this useless military
force Is enough 10 account for all the mass of
pauperlsIn and poverty. The actual cost Of the
war establishment Is above 100000 wear
The annual tax on ardent liquors alone :
100000 francs. OF 100000 that makes
great many paupers The lnteres, and amor
tisatlon Of the national debt the cos, Of past
wars. and other transactions IN which the people
had little If any interest. but which they have TO
pay ior, amounted last wear to - 100000, that,
TOO, makes paupers The king gets S60OO0O a
year, when $1,000 would be ample pay for MS
services
1t Is hard 10 struggle against such burdens.
The laborng classes are, by this taxation, plum
cered OF the means they would otherwise use 10
improve their condition and rise to independence.
The natural course OF things Is disturbed, and
those who are stripped and weakened thereby,
become an easy prey 10 the greed and shrewd-
ness OF the powerful classes whose business Il
Is 10 live on the labor Of others Bat for this
disturbance, the workers would have the means
and the power Of emancIpatlng themselves. BY
dispensing with employers and mlddlemen Of all
kinds, and associatlng themselves f1 the prose
eution OF Industry IN The most economical and
eihcIeEt manner. To that goal .hey VIII arrive
al last IN spite OF every obstacle those Of them
VINO 1--we In the manufacturing provinces are
much nearer II than the inhabitants Of Luxern-
oourg and could they get nd Of their srrny. have
cheap government, and drink less brandy and
other liquors then progress would be immensely
accelerated, and paupeTism would ere long dis
appear before the economies and other benefit.
II Association.