Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-04-14
SLAVERY IN THE AGRICULTURAL
DISTRICTS OF ENGLAND.

The London Spectator says that about
fifty years ago, prices for corn being very
high. the landowners Of the districts of
Lincolnshire, near Louth, began enclosing
the Fen on a great scale. Cottages not
paying, they did not build many, and the
farmers gradually collected bands of chill
dren of both sexes, and set them under an
overseer. The system was found profitable,
particularly TO owners of close parishes,
who were thus enabled to pull down cot
tages and so completely abolish poor rates,
and il gradually spread over other parts of
the county, and then into parts ofHunting-
donshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk
and Nottinghamshire, till it became
regular trade. Men out Of work, or with
out characters, or nomad by instinct, went
about from village to village hiring child
dren at so much week, and then reletting
them out to the farmers at an advanced but
still moderate rate, till, at the present
time, 1t is believed that upwards of three
hundred of these public gangs are in ex-
istence, each with his gang-master and
about twenty children Of both sexes. The
farmers, moreover, finding the supply of
cheap and organized labor convenient,
adopted the system for themselves, and or
ganized private gangs among their own
cottagers, till the total number Of children
thus employed amounted 10 many thou
sands more. Certain evils connected with
the practice seems at last TO have struck the
local clergy, and Parliament was induced
to stir, and the Home Office ordered an Of
6ciai inquiry into the system. The report
Of the commissioners has been received
and printed with the evidence, and the
latter confirmed the worst stories current
The gang system, as at present carried
on in these counties, is declared by wit
nesses of all kinds and classes-clergymen
farmers, laborers, old gang-masters, and de-
cent laborers' wives-to be fatal alike To
health, to civilization, and to morality.
Children of both sexes and of all ages,
from five up to sixteen, are, in fact, sold by
the wretched laborers 20 the gang-masters
at 70 much per head per week, generally,
we are bound to add, out of the diresi
poverty. The CANCER having collected
his children, takes them away 10 his job,
forcing them to walk, or, ii needful, 10
carry each other, for distances which often
involve Of themselves great cruelty. Five
miles out and FIVE back is thought nothing
Of in addition TO almost continuous labor
for ten hours a day. This labor is general
ly wedding or picking stones, perhaps the
mos; exhausting kinds of toll child can
be called on to perform. They involve
STOPPING for hours at a time, and some Ct
the most efficient eang-masters choose out
She strongest of the children, and calling
him BY the significant name Of the back
breaker" make the remainder keep up with
him In the fnrrow.
The gang-mssters are not generally cruel
though there are EXCEPTIONS motto.
rious cruelty would diminish their supply
Of serfs. but che children are disorderly
and disinclined 10 toll Imagine your
child Of ten STOPPING ten hours day at
wedding in the open fields in all weaihers
And work is forced on with the strap, adj
ministered imparfially to boys and girls.