Litchfield enquirer., 1868-11-19

GNdL1Sd OOClAL STATlSIICS.-1n England
and Wales there are nearly one million Of
paupers. The wretchedly poor, who are
helped by private charity, but are not up
on the rates, are a much larger number.
The person registered as belonging to the
dangerous or criminal classes are l12, 4O3.
Of these the known thieves and depreda-
tors are 22.6S9; prostitutes, 25,6l9; sus-
pected persons, 28,378; vagrants, 32,5S8.
vi these various classes, 10, 100 are@under
Is years of age. But these figures really
give but partial idea of these social evils,
which no ten days revolution can, drive
across the frontier. But even this imper-
feet record gives some curious results is it's
analysis. One might suppose that ''the So
clal evip' would be rife in the large manu-
featuring towns. It is the contrary. The
rule there is early marriage or concubi-
mage. Women of known bad characters,
and registered as such by the Police, exist,
In proportion to the population, in COM
mercial ports in 202; in the pleasure
towns, resorts of the rich and idle, l in
243; agricultural towns, in 296; London,
IN 573; in manufacturing towns, from
in 651 to one in 873. Perhaps the charac-
ter OF the towns engaged in the WOODEN
manufacture is, upon the whole, the worst
of any, as the returns show l bad charac-
ter in each SO of the population. Yet this
amount of vice and crime does not affect
one like the vast amount of disease, power
ty and misery, found in all the great cen
tres of population, and which make life it
self, to the rejecting and philanthropic, a
continual suffering.
The Poor Law, as a remedy for pauper-
ism, is an admitted failure. It has created
a pauper class. It does nothing to pre-
vent and much to continue the pauper con-
ditlon. 1t has encouraged improvidence,
early marriages, and increase of popula-
ton. It has diminished parental respon-
sibility. No country in Europe has the
same burdens of pauperism and crime, In
several Continental States, which make no
boast of power and prosperity, or even of
superior enlightenment, the entire popula-
ton is educated, industrious and comfort
ably provided for. Why need England,
which has SO much to boast of, and boasts
so much, in these ail-important social mat
tiers, drag in the rear of civilization? But
there are some signs of amendment. This
is season of self-examination and confes-
sion; let US hope that it will be followed
by repentance and reformation.-N Il.
Times. ...a. .--
PROGRESS ON THE TUNNEL.-The friends
of the Hoosac tunnel are rejoiced at an ev-
idence of progress in the opening of a pas
sage from the west end to the section that
has been worked heretofore by means of
the west shaft. The passage through was
opened Tuesday week, and there is now a
direct ''hole' into the mountain from the
west end 1000 feet. OF this, 800 feet is
completed tunnel, arched with brick, and
400 feet is the west end ''heading" to the
point where communication was made with
the heading of the west shaft. From this
point to the west shaft is 1900 feet; and
east of that shaft, the mountain has been
pierced 1900 feet, OF the 240O feet from
the west end to the west shaft, all but 200
or 300 feet will require to be built up with
masonry in the manner already begun, but
eastward from the shaft is plain sailing in
to the solid rock. The immediate advan-
tage of the opening just made will be the
draining out of the water, which has here
tofore been pumped up at great cost, and
ultimately, also, all the debris will probab.
~ be run out at the mouth of the tunnel
instead of hosting it up the shaft. Mr..
Farren, the contractor for the work at the
west end, is about the only workman on
the tunnel, as yet, who has shown himself
master of the situation, and we wonder the
Fitchburg and Vermont and Massachusetts,
railroads, which have so much to gain BIZ
it, do not take the contract for the compile.
ton of the enterprise, and give entire su.
perintendcncy to Mr. Farren.--Berks1ir.
Courier. 49,. .Il-.