The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-02-15
Distress In London.

A writer in the London Times
thus describes the deplorable poverty
that exists among the poor in the
East of London:
Sickening and heart-rending have
been the scenes of distress l have
witnessed during my four months
voluntary employment of doing what
L could, in my humble degree, to as
sist in alleviating the misery of some
of INV fellow creatures. Upwards OF
500 families during that time have
been brought under my notice, and
[ can unhesitatingly affirm such d
season of distress and misery was
never before experienced in this
locality. lie adds that during all the
sumAaer months, owing to the
scarcity of work and the visitation
of cholera, mary families mad TO part
with clothing, bedding, ard every
thing upon which money coul2 bc
obtained, so that when winter set in
they had nothing left to dispose of,
and the pawnbrokers, whose shops
are already crammed with goods,
care but to give the merest trifie for
things which may never be redeemed.
Now the distress was fearfully and
palpably developed by the continuance
of the cold weather. To particularize
cases of distress, he says, is almost
beyond his power. It is widespread,
and almost universal He has seen
three and four families in one house
where the fathersfhave had, perhaps,
not more than a few weeks work
since the middle of last May, and
twenty, thirty, and even as many as
sixty duplicates had sometimes been
shown him-the silent, but mourniul
Representatives Of what was once
comfortable home
A gentleman residing in the West
India road, writing on Sunday last,
states that he had visited many of
the working people at their houses
in that neighborhood, and that the
distress among the mechanics and
laborers is appalling. Many of them,
he says, are quite disheartened, sit
ting within bare walls, with neither
bed nor clothing, and with their
children almost naked and famish-
ing. Strong young men had burst
into tears on seeing him enter, and
pointed to their starving wives and
children in silent despair. Some
among them had been very improvi
dent; but others quite the reverse.
He had that day relieved O young
man with four children, who was an
ironworker, and had been out of en-
ployment for many months. He was
teetotaller, and had husbanded his
saved earnings to the last, and now,
with his family, had nothing to lie
upon but the bare floor, and nothing
to cover them but single sheet. The
writer adds that he could fill q
volume with cases of like destitution,
and that he fears the late conduct of
the Shipwrights' Union at the
Thames Ironworks will do much
harm, and subject many innocent
persons to suffering. The Rector of
Bethnal- green (Mr. Hans..rd) writes
that there is great deal of distress
there; the commercial panic, the
cholera, and the frost had severely
affected the working classes; that tho
rates are now in the proportion of
eight shillings in the pound year;
that the workhouse is full, every
spare place being occupied by bed;
and that on Tuesday last, eight hours
were spent in inquiring into the out
door cases. The pittance of two
shillings or three shillings a week, he
says, might well be supplemented by
private benevolence. The Secretary
of the Dock and Wharf Laborer's
Association, High street, Shadwell,
writing on Saturday last, thinks he
may safely say 20, 900 of those classes
are now quite out of employment
and had not earned shilling for the
last two months; that probably 49,
600 of them are dragging out q
miserable existence by pledging little
things and selling articles of fnrni-
ouTe; and that the rest are receiving
scanty relief from the parishes OF
Whitechapel, Benthnal-green, Spita
fields, Shad we'll, Poplar and Wap-
ping.
Two WAYS OF DoING A TaING.-In