New-York tribune., 1870-02-07
RRITISH DISTRESS.

More than twenty years ago, Parliament
was induced to change radically the policy
under which the Manufacturing Industry Of
Great Britain had been developed and expanded
beyond that of any other country. Among the
arguments for this change were the prevalence
of paupersm, the dearth of employment, and
the fact that the rich were becoming richer
and the poor poOrer-all which Free Trade
was to revise and reverse. The experiment
thus inaugurated has since been fairly tried !;
but the evils which invoked it continue to
exist Pauperism is as general as before the
rich still grow richer and the poor remain
poor, while hundreds of thousands who would
! ,c,,,;:;dly work can find nothing to do. To pre-
clude cayil as TO the facts, we quote rerbahm
an editorial Of The World on" English Emi-
grafton Movements" as follows:
"a meeting held IN London the other day, under
the presidency Of tho Lord Mayor upon the subject Of
promoting emigration 10 the British colonies The meet
ing was composed OF delegates from the principal foreign
and British emigration societies. and its object was to
unite them ali in the purpose they seek 10 attain
There az present great suffering and desttutOn among
even skilled artisans in England and although the causes
of this sad state OF things believed to he transOry IN
their nature, and return OF prosperity Is confidently
looked for this Improvement Is still so far in the future
that il Is felt be necessary to devise some imme
date of relief well for the sufferers themselves
as for the rate payers who declaring that any in
crease Of the present poor-tax will be unbearable and
viii reduce many OF themselves 10 the condition OF pau
pors. England Is just now passing through what Is
probably the concluding portion Of wholly exceptional
period OF commercial and Industrial stagnation. The
effects Of the panic Of May Is6 have not yet ceased 10
be felt the confidence which then destroyed Ia all
manner Of commercial and financial undertakings has
not yet been restored money is than for
business purposes at nome, for t Is either boarded
or leut to foreign governments; and there
is prospect Of revival OF industry formany months
10 come Under other circumstances, England would
feel the last thing with which she could part would
be the skilled wor,men OF every grade and class upon
whom she depends her national wealth but she can
at present neither furnish these atisans with work az
ford mahtan them III dleness Al the meeting referred
TO- Sir James Lawrence said that there were 1undreds
Of thousands of people who would be fiad TO
avail themselves Of shclp To emigrate TO Canada
Auslraua, or the United States. on condition
them The Lord Mayor said that hc felt that the send
away the very beat portion Of the community butt
he aided, there is no alternatveTwe must either re
move them or starve them The Lord Mayors estimate
was that tho number OF Skilled woikpen who cannot hnd
in England at tbis Time was betwe n 7ocoo
aud $1,000 While tis s the state OF hings there In the
colonies there demand for skilled labor and the dele
gates from the eolonies, who have been holding
for some time 'past OF scf appointed congress
ia London, hpye informed the 0pYcrnmfnt that IL
iiof hetghcst Importance 70 The mo1lel country aud