{10} See the Second Report, lately published, of the “Association for
promoting the Relief of Destitution in the Metropolis, and for improving
the Condition of the Poor, by means of Parochial and District Visiting,
under the superintendence and direction of the Bishop and Clergy.” It
contains a large amount of most interesting information. Copies may be
obtained by application to MR. HALY, at the Office of the Association,
No. 4, St. Martin’s Place, Trafalgar Square. The Secretaries of this
Society will also endeavour to obtain copies for any parishioner who may
express a wish to that effect.
{11a} Very frequently, however, they assert that they are resident, and
have long been resident, in the parish. Without hesitation they name
their abode; which is often stated to be at a particular house in Gore
Lane. No one unacquainted with the minute circumstances of each street
would suspect that the number they take care to select is one which does
_not exist_ in Gore Lane _at all_. The deception is of course only
detected when the case is recommended to the District Visitor for
inquiry.
{11b} It appears from the last Report of the Mendicity Society, who have
had opportunities of proving the fact upon an extensive scale, and have
endeavoured to apply such tests for the purpose as might discriminate
fairly between the idle and the unfortunate, that of 3289 applicants,
who, being able-bodied men, were offered work at stone-breaking, only 839
availed themselves of it, 1630 did not work at all, and 820 worked only
one day. “Facts which, after making all reasonable allowances, would
lead to the conclusion that about three-fourths of the above applicants,
were persons who were quite satisfied to lead a life of idleness, and
determined to use no exertion to earn a subsistence.”
{12} The following instance, among others, which show forcibly the
necessity of caution in this respect on the part of Residents and
Subscribers, appears in a communication from a Visitor to the
Secretaries:—“I have this day refused to give any relief in Mrs. —.
Firstly, because she appears to be forming a habit of making a regular
weekly application, on each Saturday. Secondly, because anything given
in the District seems to be considered by her as justifying her in making
application. Thirdly, because she uses bad language to her children, and
shows violence of conduct and temper. Without naming other reasons, it
may suffice to say, that I have seen no one feature in her case entitling
it to so much attention, on account of character, conduct, or
circumstances, but the reverse. She told me that she had acquainted a
lady yesterday, that I had not been in the District during the last
fortnight; I have been there _three times this week_, and given relief
where required. A glance at the accounts will show that the —’s have,
when occasion has demanded it, participated largely in the funds of the
District Visiting Society; and that great caution is necessary to prevent
them and others from obtaining a regular winter allowance.”
{13} “The present demoralizing system of begging—a thing so ruinous in
its effects, that the major part of the delinquents with which our
prisons are filled, owe their progress in crime to the encouragement
given to idle habits by the false feeling of charity acted upon by the
public, in the promiscuous dispensation of alms to those who are seldom,
if ever, deserving of them.”—_Report on Poverty_, _Mendicity_, _and
Crime_, _to the House of Lords in_ 1839, _by_ W. A. MILES, Esq.
{14} In some districts the greatest inconvenience has been felt from
their unsettled condition. The following is but one out of several
similar complaints on the part of Visitors:—“I have found the people
thankful for the little they receive. But they are such a moving race,
that before I get acquainted with their habits they are off to another
quarter, and new people fill their places; this to me is most
unsatisfactory.”
{15} “The present month, has afforded further evidence of the discontent
and disappointment produced by undiscriminating bounty. The gift of
bread or coals to a certain _number_ of families taken indiscriminately,
or to _every_ poor person, in such a locality, is not only indiscreet but
unjust, and impedes the exertions of a society whose principle is to
discover and encourage the good, to deter the bad.”—_Report of a
Visitor_, _February_, 1845.
{16} “The month of February appears to be the most trying to the poor of
this district. Their little savings, if any, have been exhausted; their
clothes and furniture are gradually being taken to the pawnbroker; hunger
and cold are producing disease, unless timely help is afforded. . . .
The clock is generally the first article sent to the pawnbroker; then the
wife’s articles of wearing apparel; the children’s shoes, the husband’s
coat and waistcoat; and afterwards his tools, his spade, his saw, &c.
The last portion of property, is the bedding and furniture, when shavings
are substituted. Such seem to be the regular gradations of distress.
The last, happily, has seldom been witnessed since the first month or two
of the Society’s operations in this district. It was pointed out to me
to-day in another place.”—_Report of a Visitor_. _February_ 1845.
{17a} A subject intimately connected with that noticed above, viz. the
relation between IGNORANCE and SOCIAL MISERY, has received some
remarkable illustrations from the practical operations of this Society.
It would appear from the amount of relief administered in certain
districts, selected for the calculation on account of their remote
distances from one another, and from their containing a labouring
population exclusively, that, although subject to modifications from the
peculiar character and condition of the inhabitants, or from
circumstances of an accidental nature in each case, yet the same law is
found in the mass to prevail throughout; PHYSICAL DISTRESS AND WANT OF
EDUCATION ARE EXHIBITED AS CO-EXISTING IN A DIRECT RATIO.
Omitting, for brevity, 80 families of intermediate degrees of education,
it appears that of the remaining 100 families respecting whom the
calculation was made, the amount of relief required by those in which
neither father nor mother could read, or one of them imperfectly, has
been actually _twice as much per head_ as by those in which either father
or mother could read and write well.
The attention of the Committee was drawn to this important subject in
consequence of the Report of an Intelligent Visitor. The result of his
experience shows that, in his district, “distress has been very much in
proportion to the deplorable ignorance of the recipients. More than half
the relief has been given to persons who could neither read nor write.”
Upon this fact he has founded an energetic appeal for measures to be
taken to provide for the education of the adult population, so far as
practicable. The Committee trust that the liberality of the Subscribers
may put it into their power to co-operate with the Clergy in adopting
measures for the purpose, which the limited means at their disposal have
up to this time rendered impossible.
{17b} It seems desirable to mention that in both the years 1844 and 1845
the benefits of the Coal Fund have extended over the whole of
Kensington—St. Mary Abbots, St. John’s, and St. James’s. A Coal Fund and
Clothing Fund have also been established in St. Barnabas’ District
supported by local contributions.
{19} “It very gratifying” writes a visitor, “to observe the alacrity
with which the women went to their boxes to get out their Clothing Fund
cards and money. [The deposits were collected weekly by the Visitor in
person.] The exchequer of the poor in this, an Irish district, generally
consists of a few shillings deposited within a very small box carefully
kept within two or three other boxes, or at the bottom of an old chest.
On no one occasion has any bad money been offered to him. The money is
generally, indeed invariably, paid by the females. The confidence with
which they give their money is a trait not to be unnoticed; it being
often difficult to prevent them paying their money in the street, and
without any card or check. When the Visitor has been prevented from
calling at the time appointed, they have very frankly and very properly
reminded him of it.”
{20a} It not unfrequently happens that residents have needle-work,
charing, or other work to be done, and are at a loss to know where to
find respectable persons to undertake it. A reference to a District
Visitor will both supply their want and at the same time obtain
employment for some deserving individual to whom it may prove an
invaluable assistance. A large number of sempstresses, charwomen,
laundresses, &c., depend solely upon the work which they are casually
able to obtain.
{20b} The intervention of the Visitors has been productive of most
valuable assistance in many other respects. The following instances have
been reported as occurring in a SINGLE district:
Mrs. A. came to me in great distress in consequence of her goods being
about to be seized for rent. She owed about a pound; she begged of me to
save them. She stated that in about a fortnight she should go out as a
monthly nurse, and then she should be able to pay. She had told her
landlord this but he was inexorable. In consequence of my opinion of her
character, I called on the landlord and reasoned with him, and begged a
little time for the poor woman; which he granted me. _She has since
discharged the debt_.
In another instance:—“B. had been long out of work; at last he got
employment; but on the first week, late on Saturday night, he came to me
in great perplexity to tell me that his landlord to whom he owed 3s. 6d.
had entered the house during the time his wife and himself had been out,
and turned his children and little furniture into the street and locked
the door; and where to put his head under with his family he did not
know.” The immediate intervention of the Visitor succeeded in obtaining
from the landlord permission for the poor family to stop there until they
could get some other habitation.
. . . “I found Mrs. C. lying in extreme debility from inflammation of the
chest, and in great distress of mind from fears of her destitute
condition. She said it appeared almost like an interposition of
Providence that I had come to see her. . . . She told me that she and
her husband had partly gained a living by selling vegetables to a lady,
and by occasionally being employed by her; but for some cause they had
been discharged from their employment and ordered not to come near the
house. She wished me to get her an interview with the lady, as soon as
she could get out. I ventured to write to her stating all the
particulars. She promptly, the next morning, sent to tell the woman to
come as soon as she was able. An interview taking place, the secret came
out that the lady’s cook wanted to obtain that a tradesman in town whom
she knew should supply her mistress; and accordingly had represented the
poor woman to her as imposing and ungrateful. On vindicating her own
character, the lady restored her to her former position. I have since
been enabled to give them a character from personal observation that has
enabled them to get the charge of a gentleman’s house, who is so
satisfied with them that he has personally thanked me. The poor couple’s
gratitude has been great to the Society for thus rescuing them from
poverty and disgrace, and placing them in comparative comfort.”
. . . “I had known D. and his wife to be cleanly, industrious, and
upright people; but the husband having a serious attack of illness was
laid up three months, during which time the rent accumulated to £4. The
landlord seized on their furniture, which if it had been sold, must have
broken up their home for ever. She applied to me in her distress. On
making her case known to the managers of the District Visiting Society,
they obtained (from private sources) a loan of the part she was not able
to make up, and saved them from destruction. A part of the money that
was lent has been returned. The continued illness of the man I believe
to be the only reason why the whole has not.”
{21} Any person may obtain Bibles and Prayer Books at the prices of the
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, by applying at the depôt at
the Girls’ National School Room, on any Monday, between one and two
o’clock _only_; the Mistress having kindly consented to take charge of
them.
{22} The following short extracts from reports by various Visitors will
exhibit some of the difficulties with which they have to contend, as well
as many grounds of encouragement and anticipation of better things to
come.
“Of the persons in this district, there is much to be hoped from the
gratitude of the families who have been relieved, and from the symptoms
of self exertion that are beginning to exhibit themselves, shown by the
subscriptions to the Coal and Clothing Funds.”
“The people have generally appeared quiet and cheerful, and have shown
every outward mark of respect and gratitude for the assistance rendered
them by the Society.”
“I feel convinced that the trifling assistance supplied during sickness
or the temporary want of employment, has been in many instances of the
greatest importance to the sufferer, sometimes saving his little all from
the pawnbroker, and enabling him to struggle through his difficulties.”
“The District Visiting Society’s funds are highly beneficial in my
district; and have been so especially in S’s case; also F’s, and B’s,
M’s, and B’s. All has been most gratefully received. I feel great
comfort in knowing much good has been done. . . . There is severe
distress in my small district. . . . ”
“In a district,” it is reported, “where one day was remarkable if spent
without some disgraceful scene of drunken brawling taking place, a day of
brawls has now become the day to be remarked. . . . The most profligate
characters have left the district, finding they have not the attention
paid them that others have. . . . Christmas day (last) was spent without
one drunken scene; a circumstance unknown for many years—almost within
the memory of the ‘oldest inhabitant.’”
Several instances have occurred of famines of bad character having
migrated first from district to district, and then, finding that each
successive Visitor was aware of their character and withheld relief from
them, have finally emigrated from the parish altogether. In two
instances in particular, families of a very bad class left, giving out
that it was in consequence of the inspection of the Visitor. It is
needless to add that by all respectable poor, the attention and personal
interest of the Visitor is invariably courted, and gratefully
acknowledged.
{23} Individuals who desire to visit personally and to relieve from
their own resources a small number of poor families, but who are unable
to take charge of a District, are requested to communicate with the
Clergy upon the subject. It will not be difficult to make arrangements
by which such benevolent persons may be provided with a field of labour
proportioned to the time and the funds at their disposal.