The Nevada journal., 1855-02-09
The Hard Times in New York.
Dcstitution and Suffering ofthc Poor-Tho
Unemployed becoming discontented.

The accounts of the suffering of the poor in
New York are narrowing in the extreme
The winter is more than usually inclement-
rents are exorbitantly high--fuel is a luxury
that none but the comparatively wealthy can
enjoy--provisions are dearer than during the
Flour Riots, and employment cannot be pro-
cured. All the large manufactures have dis
charged more than half their hands. On the
9TH of January, committee OF the unemploy-
ed workmen, appointed at a meeting held at
Hope Chapel recently, consisting of Robert
Grant, VIM. West, Ben Price, Ira B. Davis,
VIM. Rowe, and William Arbuthuot, appear
ed before committee of the Board of Council
men, to whom was referred the petition of the
unemployed workmen. The meeting was call
cd at two o'clock in the chamber of the Board
of Councilmen, but the committee did not
make their appearance before three.
In their address on the occasion, they say ::
"Now, gentlemen, you are the legislators in
and for the city and county of New York
Joined with the Board of Alderman, you are
together familiarly termed the Fathers of the
city. Why you are thus called we cannot con-
ceive, unless it be that you hold the same rela-
tion to the citizen that a parent does to his
child. AS your children, then, we come to
you, our parents, and ask that you will simply
protect US in the exercise of our rights, upon
condition that we will faithfully perform our
duties. We ask ycu, in the first place, that
you will, as far as in you lies, secure to us the
right to labor. Gentlemen, we are informed,
and believe that the corporation of the city
hold in trust for the people not less than five
thousand building lots which are as yet unim-
proved. Now, therefore, in the memorial
which we have been instructed to present to
you, we pray that these lots may be improved
by the erection of buildings thereon, suitable
for dwellings for the tenantry of the city, and
then let to occupants only at just and equal
rent, by which we mean moderate and llml-
ted per cent. upon the value of the same. You
have the power to enact that this shall be done.
Do it, and there will be work enough, and
more than enough, to occupy five thousand
workmen six months in the year, protect the
working class against the increase of exorbi-
tant rents, decrease the rate of taxation, and
yield an income to the city treasury. We trust
that you will promptly take into consideration
these, our reasons for the request we have pre-
ferred, and forthwith grant our prayer"
Destituton and suffering at the Five Points
had increased so much within the last few days
before the sailing of the steamer that an ap-
peal had to be made to the benevolent. It re-
quires one thousand loaves of bread daily to
keep the destitute in that locality from suffer
ing by starvation. The Mayor, feeling the
distress which prevails among the working
classes, conceived the idea of employing them
at the new reservoir to be constructed between
the Fifth and Seventh Avenues, and Eighty
sixth and Ninetieth streets, but objections
were urged to that project by the Croton
Aqueduct Board. On the Sth January there
was great excitement in the Park all day.
Over two thousand of the unemployed work
men assembled at ten o'clock in the morning
in front of the City Hall steps, apparently,
however, without any particular object in
view No regular meeting was organized, and
the crowd clustered in groups, discussing the
probabilities of getting work, and many of
them quite angry at the Common Council for
not doing something for their relief A Com
mittee was appointed, who proceeded to the
Mayors Office, followed by the crowd, who
manifested great excitement. They rushed up
the steps and into the hall. filling the stairway
and passages so that no one could pass. The
Mayor received the Committee cordially. Jo-
seph Boyd, or their behalf said: Sir, we
have come to ask you for employment the
people are without. They are starving. They
want not charity, but work and they look to
you to give them the means of earning live
lihood until better times come" Mayor Wood
replied Il sympathize with the working pco-
pie most sincerely but regret that it is out of
my power to do anything for them. The Char
ter of this city, under which we now act
does aot allow the Mayor or any head of de-
partments to give more than $3.50 without q
contract, and that sum would go but small
way among so many. But, gentlemen, this
subject is now urder consideration, and the
matter will be laid before the Common Coun-
ell and 10 doubt something will be devised for
the actual relief Of the poor"