The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1867-02-28

.s..
DISTRESS IN LoNpoN.-A writer
in the London Ismes thus describes
the deplorable poverty that exists
among the poor in the East of Lon
don:
Sickening and heart-rending have
been the scenes. of distress I 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 my fellow-creat,lres. Upwards of
500 familiea during that time have
been brought undery my notice, and
1 can unhesitatingly affirm such q
season Of distress and misery was
never before experienced il this
locality. lie adds that during all the
summer months, owing to the
scarcity of work and the visitation
ofIcholcra, many families. had to part
with clothing, bedding, and every.
thing upon which money could be
obtained, so that when winter set in
they had nothing left, to dispose of,
antt the. pawnbrokcrs, whose shops
are & alrcadyi2 crammed with goods,
care but to-! give the merest triHe for
things which may never be redeemed.
Now tho distress was fcarfplly and
palpab]y evcloped blythe continuance
Of. the cold weather. To particularizc
cases of distress, he says, is almost
beyond his power. It is widespread,
and almost universal. lie has seen
three and four familcs in one house
where the fathers have had,. perhaps,
not more than few weeks work
since the middle of last May, and
twenty, thiFty, and even as many as
sixty duplicates had sometimes been
shown lim-the silent, but mourriful
representatives Of what was once a
comfortable home. )
A gentleman residing in the West
India road, writing on, Sunday last,
states tAaat he had visited many ofthc
working people at their houses in that
ncigcborllood, and that the distress
among the mechanics and labeScss is
appalling. Many of them. he says,
arc quite disheartencd, sitting within
bare waits, with peither bed nor clotli-
ing, and with their childfcn almost
naked and furnishing, Strong young
mon had burst into tears on seeing
him enter, and pointed to their starv-
ing wives and children in silent dispair.
Some amQng them had been very i'm
provident ;-but othefs qAite the re-
verse. Hc had that day relieved a
young man with four children, who
was an ironworkcr, and had been out
of employment for many months.
He was . teetotallcr, aud had hus-
banded his saved earnings to the last,
and now, with his family, had nothing
to lie upon but thebarehoo and moth
ing to cover the;n but a single sheet.
The wriAer adds that he could fill 2
volume with cases Of like destitution,
and that lie fears the late conduct of
the Shipwrights' Union at the Thames
Ironworks will do much harm, and
subject many innocent persons to suf-
fering. The Rector of Bcthnal-grcen
(N1r. HansartD writes that there is q
great deal Of distress there; the COM
mercial panic, the cholera, and the
frost had severely affected the working
classes that the rates are now in the
proportion of eight shillings in, the
pound a year; that the workhouse is
full, every spare place being occupied
by q bed; and that on Tuesday last,
eight hours were spent in inquiring
into the outdoor cases. The pittance
Of two shillings or three shillings
week, he says, might well be supple
mcntedby private benev9lcnce. , me =
Sechretary of te Dock and Wharf
Laborer's S Association, High street,
Shadwcll, writing on Saturday last,
thinks he may safely say 10000 of
those classes are now quite out Of en-
ploymcnt and had not earned a shil-
ling for the last two nlDnths; that
probably 5000 Of thcam4 are rasgggsing
out miserable cxistanceby pledglng
little things and selling articles Of
fl1rniturc; and that the rest arc reccir-
ing scanty relief from the parishes Of
Whitccl.apel, Benthnal-green, Spital-
fields, shaawcll, PoplfT and Nap-
ping.
PLANrINe-SOUSD ADv1CE.-A
Mississippi Planter gives the follow
ing advice:
! Al ,,,,, o,r,