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. 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.” “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. |