The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-02-11
Hunger in Enropa

IL Il be any comfort 10 MS to know that
the suferings of this trying season are not
confined to our own community, a glance
at tho las. European newspapers ought TO
satisfy us. In London, so great is the dis
tress among the poorer classes. and even
the skilled mechanics. OF account Of high
price of bread and failure Of work, that
In one class alone, the "dock laborers,"
10000 are quite out Of employment, and
"have not earned . shilling for two
months" They are striving to exist
partly by pawning clothes and furniture,
partly BY charity. The commercial panic,
the cholera, the severity of the frost, and
other causes are alleged as the reason but
the conservative" London Herald attri-
butes it to trades-unions, and reads a letter
to her starving artisans upon their asso-
ciating together for common protection
against injustice, instead of trusting impli-
city to their betters. Whatever be the
cause, or causes, the fact is u~nhappily GER
tain, and the London Times has gathered
up details from many quarters of the great
city demonstrating al amount and extent
of ~privation, which assuredly cannot go on
long in such On oyer-crowded population
without tumult and disturbances, perhaps
revolution.
From Yorkshire and other parts of Eng
land similar gloomy intelligence comes in;
and even small towns and villages are hold
inc meetings to organize subscriptions Tor
a class Of people who never needed charity
before. If this were in Ireland, 1t would
not make so great a sensation but it is in
rich, busy, prosperous England-and in the
wealthiest and most fourishing parts of
~England-and this at a moment when the
cry for "reform" has again risen me-
nacinc and loud, and when the people are
taught diligently by their political leaders
that all their sufferings come from exorbl-
tant taxation and oligarchical rule.
In the long speech from the throne
Queen VICTORIA Tor rather her Prime
Minister who prepared that speech) says
not one word about either the prevalent
distress or the demand of reform not a
word. Her Majesty laments indeed the
late famine in India; d%enounces treason
able conspirators and disaffected persons"
in Ireland, and demands an additional vote
of money to increase the army "You
"will, / am sure, give your ready assent
"to a moderate expenditure calculated to
Improve the condition of my soldiers,
"and to lay the foundation Of an efficient
"army of reserve" This is very well
while almost within sound of her MajeSty's
voice o hundred thousand persons are
pining for want of bread, and have pawned
all their clothes. 1t will pot be at all sur
prising if reasonable conspirators and dis
affected persons make their appearance
nearer home than in Ireland. Already
there have been bread riots both in London
and Liverpool. The Times calls for a gene
raj relief committee to procure food for the
poor. And this is a country where already
fourteen hundred thousand paupers are
alocays supported in warehouses. For
alone, TO say nothing OF ireland and Scot
land.
Neither is the dearth confined to those
three kingdoms. In Belgium, the most
densely peopled State in Europe, there are
alarming bread riots, although the full ex-
tent of these movements is concealed as
far and as long as possible. What is known
is, that at the little town of Marchiennes
in Hainault, quite near Brussels, the troops
nave fired upon the furnishing rioters, and
that "several" were killed. The telegraph
further informs US that "the bread riots in
Belgium are spreading" In Germany,
also. the war of last summer occaSioned a
great failure of crops and waste of pro-
visions. Madrid has had its bread riot !;
and many regions Of Italy are absolutely
swept by famine. This gloomy season OF
suffering and privation in those swarming
masses Of people, together with the politi-
cal unrest and fearful looking-for of some
thing to come, make the atmosphere of
that continent explosive. Some spark
iulSNt iSbitC " "hotONSi Iuoo hlot AahSo
some bakers upon lamp-posts will raise
the banner of a revolution which may once
more make the tour of Europe.
The moral of all this for us is twofold-
first, that we may be thankful for such
blessings as are left us and next, that we
ought this year to raise the greatest posi-
BILE quantity ofgrain. The world will need it.
Tho Telauraph RiI.