The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-15
social Condition OF the English working
classes.

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In the Ho,ise Of Commons on the 10th, Mr.
Harvey moved that it is expedient a standing
committee or unpaid commission be appointed, to
consider, suggest, and report from time to time
preventive aud remedial measures to benefit the
social condition of the working classes, and fol
removing social and other obstacles to their im
provemelt"
In support Of his motion he referred to par
liamentary reports in proof of his position, and
quoted statistics to show that there had been
great neglect of the intellectual and SANITARY
condition of the working classes. The new
poor law had cured some evils, but had not
touched others, and without legislation he be-
lieved they would last for at least two genera
tons. The dwellings of the poor, both in town
and country, ought TO be inspected, though the
mortality in the towns far exceeded that OF the
country. II was found that education, which
ought to be rs one in eight OF the population
was only one in eighteen.
The number of the criminal population had
increased from 4800, in the beginning OF the
century, to $4,000, in l848, being three times Al
fast as the increase of the general population
The cost of crime was 81 900, 900 and upwards
per annum, and the amount Of the poor's
rate f5,4OO,0OO. He estimated the expense OF
hospitals, dispensaries, and aims houses at the
same sum, G5,400000 that Of gaos and police
at E2,50OOu0; and he set down the loss by in
creased illness, from want of SANITARY regua-
tons, at e. 600 600. The whole amounted to
EAT 100000 for England and Wales only. Add.
ing half as much for Ireland and Scotland, and
it would amount to E4l,25O000 There was
the cost of 2l000000 gallons of spirits, con
sumed greatly owing to the neglect of the work
ing classes, which, making every due allowance
for reasonable convviality, he put down at El0,.
100000, more Thus they saw that E5l ,000,-
600 sterling was the amount wasted every year
by there not being responsible board to deal
with this subject, the greater part of which
might easily be rescued from such useless pur'
poses.
The remedies were 10 be found in the reports
of those committees which he had obtained; in
1887, upon education; in lS40, upon the health
of towns; and in 1861, upon the savings and
investments of the humble and middle classes.
They ought to give fair play to those classes,
and extend to them the means of acquiring
those moral and religious feelings which were
the foundation Of all social advancement The
general board. Of health act was very beneficial
measure, but the regulations were too complex
for general adoption. The third subject was
of great Importance to the humber classes.
They wanted to be able to insure, with por.
ton of their wages when high, for the time
when wages were low, and there was at present
no mode by which that could be done, because
they would not allow capital to flow in q pro
per direction, and therefore there were no
mesns of investing small sums. He believed
that there would be no difficulty in framing a
perfect board. There were many peers in the
upper house, and many persons out of doors,
Who would willingly serve upon it, His firm
belief was that the whole cost of the commits
sion would be about $4,000, one.half of which
would be, without doubt, subscribed ont of pr-
vaie funds.
The government opposed the motion.