Two Handbills have been circulated through the Parish by Order
of the Anti-Small Tenement Rating Committee, of a nature which
the Committee for the _adoption_ of the Act consider most
disgraceful, and such as no honorable persons would have given
the sanction of their name to.
Both these Handbills charge those who have proposed the
adoption of this Act with a desire to rob the Poor, by throwing
their fair share of the Poor Rate upon those less able to bear
it than themselves; and in one of these Handbills a "_Curse_ is
denounced upon those who rob the Poor to enrich themselves."
Now, on behalf of themselves and those who are acting with
them, the Committee for the adoption of the Act distinctly
allege this _charge_ to be _false_; _and they as distinctly
allege that those who have made it, have done so knowing it to
be false_.
Their reasons for wishing the adoption of this Act are the
following:--
1.--They regard the Poor Law itself as one of the great
bulwarks upon which the social condition of England rests,--and
as one of the principal causes why England stands so
pre-eminently high in general Freedom and Liberty amongst the
Nations of the World.
2.--So far, therefore, from doing anything which would tend in
the slightest degree to lessen the almost reverential feeling
which the Committee consider that all should entertain for this
most important means of provision for those who are unable to
support themselves, they would rather widen, by every means in
their power, the basis upon which this provision rests.
3.--While to effect this, they desire _all Property_ to be
liable to its fair amount of contribution to this great and
important fund, at the same time they also desire to give
relief _legally_ to _that portion_ of society who are really
_unable_ to contribute thereto, without subjecting them to the
harassing and vexatious annoyance of _Summonses_. This can
_only_ be done by the introduction of THE SMALL TENEMENTS' ACT.
4.--Under the present system, out of 6,106 assessments, only
2,223 pay rates; under the Small Tenements' Act _all Property_
will pay, but the lowest class of houses need only be rated in
the proportion of ONE-HALF the amount at which they are now
rated.
5.--Under the present system the poor occupier who is unable
to pay, can only be excused after having been summoned and
appearing before the Magistrates, at a _loss of time_ which
generally more than equals the amount _excused_. This system of
_summonsing_ must become more and more oppressive to the _poor
ratepayer_, and more and more expensive to the Parish, under
every rate, while the present system continues.
6.--Under the Small Tenements' Rating Act, the poor ratepayer
will be saved all this trouble and expense. _No summonses will
be required._
7.--Under the Small Tenements' Rating Act, the poor ratepayer
will _always_, and under every circumstance, be relieved to an
extent not exceeding ONE-HALF of the amount at which he is now
rated, and that without any loss of time or annoyance whatever:
and, this will be the case to the amount named, even where the
_Landlord_ charges upon the weekly rental the entire amount of
the rate which _he_ will have to pay.
8.--Under the Small Tenements' Rating Act, a better class of
houses than that now existing amongst us will be introduced;
for it will be only by attention to the comforts of the Tenant
that the Landlord will be able to obtain any additional weekly
charge, to repay the amount of the rate which he will have to
pay. This will be one of the results of the adoption of this
Act, which the Committee regard as most important, and as
bearing materially upon the comfort of the working classes.
9.--Under the Small Tenements' Rating Act, no encouragement
will be held out to the _idle and dissolute_, at the expense of
the _industrious and sober_ workmen, which is the case under
the present system, undermining that independent, truthful, and
manly character which the Englishman should ever be most proud
of, since it is that _one_ of his national characteristics
which has given to him the proud position which he now holds.
These, Fellow Ratepayers, are the reasons which induced the
Committee to propose the adoption of this Act, and which lead
them still to believe that while it will be to the advantage
of _all_ classes, it will be of the greatest advantage to the
_poorer classes_. You _ought_ to decide for yourselves as
to the claim which these reasons for its adoption have upon
your judgment and support, from their own intrinsic merit or
demerit alone, and not from _personal_ considerations having
reference to the character of those who support or oppose the
introduction of this Act.
If, however, the Parish is to be insulted by such disgraceful
Handbills as those to which allusion has been made, the
Committee will not shrink from the challenge thus given, and
they call upon you to declare by your Vote, whether you place
the greatest confidence in the integrity of purpose, the
disinterestedness of motive, and the honour of the _Gentlemen_
whose names were attached to the Requisition to the Ratepayers,
advising the adoption of the Act--or in _those_ who thus
endeavour to raise the bitterest feelings of animosity and
hatred, by assertions, as disgraceful in their object as they
are false in fact.
The Committee have no other motive to influence them than an
earnest and faithful desire, firstly, that the Poor Rates
shall be collected upon a principle of justice, including all
_Property_, but relieving to a great extent that property which
is of the lowest class. Secondly, that the administration
of the Poor Rates, both in their collection and subsequent
distribution, shall be governed by that true English feeling
which, whilst it willingly alleviates the suffering of the
destitute, yet honours most of all the self-supporting workman
who disdains the relief sought for by the idle and improvident:
and lastly, that that state of things shall be put a stop to in
this Parish, which has brought upon it the fearful notoriety
of being described by the Board of Health as "_the Town in
which the work of human extermination is carried on more
successfully than in any other part of England and Wales_."
They do not hesitate in expressing the conviction that the
adoption of this Act must lead to the erection of a better
class of houses, to greater attention on the part of the
_Landlord_ to the comfort of the _Tenant_, and to a higher
tone of character in the people; and they are confident that
when its operation has been fairly tested, the best thanks of
the Parishioners will be awarded to them for the course they
have now adopted, and which they are resolved to carry out, in
defiance of the prejudices and narrow views of their opponents.
Signed on behalf of
THE SMALL TENEMENTS' RATING COMMITTEE,
S. H. BLACKWELL,
Chairman.
_Dudley, March 23rd, 1853_.
April 5th, 1853. This unprecedented severe contest for the Election of
Guardians took place with the following results--
Elected. Mr. Isaac Badger, Messrs. E. Hollier, S. H. Blackwell, Thos.
Lester, A. B. Cochrane, Thos. Wood, G. B. Walker, Jos. Guest, J. E.
Swindell, J. C. Cook.
May 9th, 1853. A very heavy fall of snow this morning, with intense
cold weather, which did a vast amount of harm to vegetation and health
in the land.
Died, May 11, 1853, Mr. Chas. F. Hewitt, Wine and Spirit Merchant, a
gentleman who took a strong lead in politics on the Tory side, and was
universally respected. Aged 50 years.
May 14th, 1853. An awful loss of life was occasioned this day at one
o'clock by the explosion of the engine boiler belonging to Mr. Davis,
Fender Maker, in the Minories. Four men were taken out of the ruins
dead, many more were severely maimed and wounded, and the unfortunate
Engineer was blown above one hundred yards into the air, and fell
through the roof of a house near, smashed to pieces. At the Coroner's
inquest much blame was attached to the owner, "for working at too high
a pressure an old boiler, acknowledged to be in bad repair."
Whitsuntide. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Dudley Lime Stone
Caverns were again lighted up with gas, proving another pecuniary
success.
Government School of Art, 1853. There was no district in the United
Kingdom at this period which needed the establishment of a branch of
the Government School of Art more than Dudley. Surrounded as we are
by almost every kind of mechanical art, it had long been felt that
a technical training in drawing, designing, and the general art and
engineering culture, was a desideratum much needed. The town and
district were greatly indebted at this time to the efforts made to
secure these advantages by Dr. Browne, Vicar, S. H. Blackwell, Esq., A.
B. Cochrane, Esq., Edwin Dudley, Esq., and others, who speedily raised
a handsome subscription to enlarge the King Street National School
Rooms, and established a most valuable and flourishing Government
School of Art. Long may this excellent institution maintain its high
reputation and prestige. The first appointments were, Lord Ward,
the President, Dr. Browne, Vice-President and Chairman, Samuel H.
Blackwell, Esq., Hon. Secretary, First Master Mr. Robert Cochrane.
The Sanitary Board having been imposed upon this Borough, _nolens
volens_, necessitating the extinction and oblivion of the Old Town
Commissioners, who had become quite incompetent to deal with the
shamefully unsanitary condition of the Borough, caused quite a
commotion and flutter amongst all classes of the inhabitants. _The
scare_, alleging the enormous increase of the Rates in the Parish,
which would be the result of this dreaded movement, induced many people
to use their utmost influence to endeavour to secure such a Board as
would make its stringent and sweeping Clauses harmless and inoperative.
Men of property in the Parish looked with alarm upon any interference
with the rights of property; although the recent enquiry before Mr.
Lee had incontestably shewn the immediate necessity for a Sanitary
Reform in the Parish. That startling enquiry and inspection of the
Parish had taken place in August, 1851, yet the application of the Act
had been staved off till now, June, 1853; and had not some of the most
intelligent and independent ratepayers insisted upon its introduction
in the Parish, the disgraceful, filthy, and insanitary state of things
would have continued to an indefinite period.
The first thing to be done was the election of a Local Board of Health,
and to the common sense of the ratepayers and the credit of the Town,
be it recorded, that the _first elected Board_ was composed of fifteen
of the most clear-headed, independent, and true friends of the Parish
that could possibly have been selected. As a matter of course, this
novel and important Election could not be allowed to take place,
without the usual exhibition of the "Curiosities of Dudley."