Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-05-31

4 We viii neither eIaggerste nor diminish. The ns-
tres throughout BY the poor law returns increases ID
sons places stands still in Others and In others again
even decreases All the returns however, seem 10 es'
tablsh regular increase wherever there 10 hta otner
employment than cotton manufacture, and There inc
cotton manufacturers not wealthy and generous.
A comparison has been made between the nnmoer re-
ceying relief and at this ms last year, as also be
tween the present time and the period oil sagnaon Tour
wears ago The comparison with that earlier date IL
taken because as we tided that We may hope TO
tide over the present disrfs In the union oil Ashton:
undetyne there are now about so 900 receiving relief
compared with half that number in the bad times Tour
years ago-a little more than third OF last year. In
the union Of Blackburn there are more than oOo re-
ceying relief compared with less than half that NUMBER
four years ago. and little than quarter OF last
year
The Patton Union is somewhat less dependent on cot
ton and matters are only about twenty hive per cent
worse than last year Ia Bmley Union more thaa twice
as many aye receiving relief as las. year, and good
many more than ia the bad times four years ago. In
Bury Union there are only twice as many paupsrs as
there we're year ago Ia Shorley UHiOn halt as many
again in Charlton Union third more in Arlington
Union about twice many In Liverpool y 600 against
IA 900 last year; in Macclesfed Uoion quarter more
than last year in Manchester township nearly $4,000
or more than twice many as last year; In oldham
Union three quarters more than last year In Preston
Union about IL 800, between two and three times as
many as last year in Rocbdae Union twice az mlny as
last wear, IN btauOfQ UulOu lnTSc QuhItSIs ."
Stockport Union three times many. In these Unons
alone there are less than 1000 more persons receV
ing relief than there this time last year when the
manufacturers already reducing their produce aud
keeping open more for kindness than profit.
Thus 900 persons have been driven from their only
employment to the hard necessity OF demanding relief,
over and above the applicants OF period which might
be called one of necessity and approaching distress
Yet we are assured t. these 30 600 plupers do not ell
represent the number ij3 absolutely destitute by the
dearth Of cotton and there are behind them many thou
sands as badly or whom nothing will induce TO come
forward and par their misery to the world. Now what
s 10 be done 1. il We, but the melancholy tact
that asks this Oft repeated qlIs ion. Ga the lace oil the
papers before must rec that the distress gen.
orally ncreasing the face OF the daily intelligence
from America cannot much hope OF an early I'M
proyement The good Zines are long in coming. 10
whom are all these poor people to look when the mills
are closed and at last the kiud purse that was still open
IL il natural to look the wealth and property on The
spot in the neghboTh0Od that Las been produced there
and taken fight elsewhere. But Il difficult to enforce
this sort OF delay. Already an immense amou. Of
charity has been done the spot The whole OF the
manufacturing districts shaTe the distress more or lees
Leeds suffers Sheffield suffers; even Birmingham sun rs
there 5000 paupers there than last year at th
time At Coventy there only three times az mGny
such Unions az have struggled 10 keep open are threat
ened and Eccesa and Biery are suffering considera'
BLY, Enterprise lie tagging at many other places for
peope do not k3oE how disasters may reach theu
DC they ever go much out Of the cotton districts.
But the other day 200 parsons were starved 20 DEATH
or more mercifully sufocIied 10 coal pit With their
wives and children here about 600 persons thrown
GA the public 6eaevocnee. Tue details won ior 'heie
deep and peculiar sympathy, and 10000 flowed IN with
scarcely an invitation Probably hundred times that
number Of victims are new suffering only more pro-
traced form of smsr distress The fact OF an unpre-
cedented distress is what we have TO do with We must
look ahead and watch the peril In Here Is
fearful mass of destudon that may any day prove TOO
great for the regular 1t mus: not be TOO soon
adopted by the State bur il may DO TOO late and mean
while it must not be forgotten by any whom /: may con-
Germ.