Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-09-02
From ,ae icoad"u Hovisw, July &C ]
THE DISTRESS IN LANCASHIRE,

" 6 fear that the manufacturers will sl
speedily compelled still! further to cartail the:E
aperationE Till "Wednesday evening, it ,ras
generally believed that nearly the present
amount Of employment could be afforded Up
to and throughout the winter. In fact, il was
thought that in an average emploJ Jment OF two
DAYS and half n week the cotton famine
Tould reach is iunit. But thaRe eyrertations
Ters founded on a hnliei thst ll5.0U0 Bales OF
cotton were on their way from India It whe
reasonable to, srEue tnrt, if the prices thst
had been offered SIX weeks before had drawn
such large supplies from that countr--, the
news OF the great advance Of Sd, in aiDge
month would rouse the energy Of the Borits :
factors TO still more successful ezcrtione.-
And accordingly, Hlen OF business seemed tc
arrive at quite modest conclusion when
thcy declared thnt Liverpool would De able to
afford $4,000 bales n Treek till Christmee-an
amount sufficient, at this present prices. to
satisfy ioraign markets., and to maintain the
English operatives ill employment on tie az
erage for at least two days and half week,
But 1his dra7Ea was destroyed BY the arrival
OF the Indian rnsil on Wednesday. A tale
graphic error had announced lis 900 balaf in
mistske for 10000 bales. Not enouEh,in
fsct. even for one weeks consumptcr:S:Ss on
ita way from Jndis- This disastrous iniellj-
gence means, we fesr, an average supply o:
but 5000 or 10000 bales week, and en- av-
ersge employment Of little more th.n single
day for the cotton opeTatiTes Of La1:nshle
ind Chashre.
Even though there were ~ farther DO
crease in the amount OF employment, the
distress would continue to increase II hss
now reached 3 new stage. The destltrtun
9! the cotton district is likely to receive &
great and rapid development through the
exhaustion Of the privats resources that
have hitherto kept thousands Of artisans just
above want. At the same time, except in
tho GoEaa that have Dodeg OF producing
wealth independent Of cotton, the springs OF
local charity no longer flow SO freely as be-
fore. Two months ago. Mr. aTnall spoke
with th2 ufFnosr coniidsEc" cf the capacity ot
each district to rupport Its own hurther. %
lea1t TIL Christmas; and Te listened to Ssh
guiue anticipationa Of & continued flow Of
local charity. We were told that a rate o.
three shilljnss IN the pound would carry, even
Preston and Wigsn through. their calaIni-
ties. NcT va h5ar of i. rste of :n-cn Hhll-
linfs in the pound, and diminishing sui
scription list
By whom, then, is this crest and Ii: cras sing
mass of paupers to be supported? In ths
towns that suffer the most, wbere thare IS no
busriaas III, th.t .2!l.r.i Is COS Dirs1Tate: it
il clearly ;.nf 81 III. question 10 continue =.
tax tine income Of ihr yrgr. The "a77 large
class of more prudent CT more fortunate artr-
SANS who are a:;ll ca tbs brink of the Euii,
and the very lsTF- r!ra= .. ti;a smaller trs1e;-
b. Il
i approaching it, would be precipitated into
it by Blk months PSynaeT. II ancn rates "a
ere now proposed. IL NAV ne ssId .hat ths
guardians would EXCUSE The rates of these
poor people. But they csnno; 10 81 without
calling on .tejT richer neighbors TO pay more
than half their income 10 poor rHtsE. lhi"
would he policy neither just nor Wise. Ii
is unjust TO lsy the Whole burden of this ips
mense and unavoidable calamity cn men who,
though they live near the scene Of the
erealest suffering, have b. nc nlesNs hsd
their wealth augmented bv the succss.ii in
dustrv tbst is connected with IL in Sha p-cpor-
ton in which the wealth Of othera his rc-D
augmented. It. il impolitic 70 drive The Eiid-
die class into debt; and il Is uaii.ieiy :hs:
e~cr they are 80 far out Of tha reach Of the
present calsmitv nc to be able 60 Inee: addi
iio5al liabilities without borrowing.
accordingly. two plans have been prapcseS,
for ths purpose 81 relieving tide rMs5iesy syers
from at ieast the immediate burden or sup.
porting the poor Of their town. One plaa
leaves the legal responsibility ol supporting
the poor where it :ow rests, hut extends ths
period allowed foc meeting It. lostesI O!
compelling the mill-owrere md .ht middle
class 70 psY az G,IGG all :hat IS Daaded out ot
greatly reduced incomes or ont Of capital, i;
Is suggested that Government st7uid sdvancr
the money On ,hs SECURITY If the rates, and
receive ray when prosperity ard wsa!,h
return. J his plsa has the merit Of maintain
ing, il period Of difficulty; the principle
which makes Zach d!atr!ct responsible for ita
oEn paor and IT also avoids dIssociating the
uilI-owners from their people. 1t is said that
the r.ill-owrers, as class. have trcn III the
habit Of spending t!.- enormous incomes
brought into their hands in the recent years
Of prosperity, and that they are not so ebie
az they ought to be 10 meet the denaDds Of
tho prevent vcsr. il this be 40, i: IS 81 eaet
well that there should be sort Of lien ior
tbc cost oi The p-cacrt support of their peo-
plr upon the fTrht incomes which lie r.s:G-
ration aT order in ;. iDrrics will probably 5e-
store to them
Pnt unfortunately, ,hs E.ii-owner= DC Tot
21nstiLu;c the whole, or even the chief past II
the 7ate-pavers. There is in every until Al
fected bv tia prseent crisis, large class OF
rate-payers, dependent, like the rn;ll-owrers,
on the cotton manufacture, but unlike them.
WITHOUT much capital, living mainly !r"n;
hand - mouth, and .ksIY, therefore, Only
through the toll and ciTcuDspection OF meTy
years, to recover rhair former poaition. This
recoTtIy would be greatly impeded By the
obligation IT, subscribe ia heavily rortssCei
rates durlnE tbs frht 7es7 Of returning proG-
1eTitr AMI on this account the scheme Of Mr..
Tiiitf= 10 perhaps 10 ne r,.iefTci. Nj. i:I-
liers; bill provides that whenever the expsD-
l;nre G: one Aarisa excseds 8. certain amount.
the excess should've chaTgsa5!e on ths COM
mon funds Of the union; sud lurthaT, thai
tbe iinian Ghnud have the power, with the
consent ni the Poor Law H;'.Td, TO call upoL
the other naions Of the Country for cnntr!ou~
tinra in aid Of in wants. The rental Of
the agricultural Districts. which, feed the
eTsat p6puutloIla collerfed for manufacturing
PURPOSES in the towns Of Lancashire hsH bean
enormously increased by thrir prolonged
prosperity, aDa it is diminished compsrat:rs-
II little ny their temporary advereitJ. n
rate maid, levied iii the agricultural unionE
Of thu county, would fan but lightly: set
fall CT me right shoulders. Either plan:
however, is free from se-io's objections; ard
unless this crest 'Tisis il to be aggravated till
Il assu1,a= proportions that may interrupt
fo7 years the prosperity Of Lancashire, one
or other of them. or soiut still b-ster plan;
,ar., h- adopted in o1dsF to relieve tie -st
sol"rnt population OF the mofs unfortunate
Localities IRON such exacticTi7 ne ere now pCn-
posed il tire cases nf Preston, Wlgan and
Blackburn.
The su!.a1rlp,,nu list r'hic:n f.;t= Lord Der
hv'a ua1ue st its head il nne nf quits differ
.,t character from those which ere under lie
li.ct,oa &C IL sSn SlaTnr .,It tic .ilaI or q,