THE DESTITUTION IN SCOTLAND.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 11, 16 December 1862, Page 3

THE DESTITUTION IN SCOTLAND.

At a large and influential meeting held in Glasgow, on t:ie 2nd of .September last, Sir Archibald Alison, Hart., the historian, drew the following distressing picture of the distress prevalent amongst the working classes dependent on the cotton trade:—" When we reflect upon the great calamity wh eh has fallen upon the industry of this country, and when we recollect that three-fourths of the supply of cotton, upon which so large n. part of our people depends for the means of their subsistence, has been cut off by the American war, and that there is at present hardly any appearance uf the distress coming to a determination ; and when we look how- widely j spread, it has been in Lancashire in conse- | quence of this calamity — our surprise will I rather be — not that it is necessary to call this meeting at this time, but that it'w s not requisite to call it at an earlier period. We I see that in Lancashire it lias been necessary i to call upon the public .support, not only of j their own cities — Manchester, Liverpool, and | the great cities of the country — but. also, they ! have been largely supported from London ; j and, notwithstanding i.>very;hing thnt c.\n be | done, there ate at this moment upwards of j 100 000 persons in Lancashire an-.l the noighi bouring counties who are dependent upon the otton supply, thrown out ofempl--iyment. If the calamity in this city has not overtaken i us on so gve.it a «eri!e, it is to be ascribed, in j a great measure, no doubt, to the circumj stunces which your Lordship has properly j mentioned, namely, that the industry o"f ! Glasgow is so much varied —and there are so 1 many different branches of industry going on '. at the same time — that the stoppage of any " one of them does not pioduee so great a ; calamity as in Lancashire, where they depend ! upon cotton alone, lint there is enough to | show that the distress is very great and j serious, there being no less than 5000 persons ! out of employment, while 9 )uO more arc ' working at half-time; and that out of a ! population of 2-3, 000 people dependent , directly or indirectly on the c tton trade. I Of the 5000 out of employment, it is laiiKiit- ' abb that most of them are young women, ! who are the s le support of theii paients. | and who, in this trial, are exposed to the double dangeis of suffering at home and ! temptations abroad. I ntn sure that this 1 appeal to the community of (jla.-gow will not jbe made in vain. I well recollect how suej cessfully ;i similar appeal was responded to | in the case of the patiiotie fund for the ', sufferers in the Crimea and the famine in I India, on the failure of the crops in that part !of the British dominions. lint these ense-;, | serious as they were, did not call upon this j community with so loud a voice for support as the present. This distress is not in a distant part of our empire; it is not for i gallant soldiois who are drawn from all parts of the community; it is in this city of Glasgow I itself; it is rather a domestic than a social i misfortune, for the persons suffering arc those j by whom a large portion of the wealth of ! this place has been created. If this calamity has nut been so great hitherto as to call for public support, it is to be ascribed mainly to two causes, in addition to the one which'the Lord Provost has stated— that is, the variety of the branches of industry pursued in Glasgow. The first of these causes is highly | honorable to employers A great number of persons engaged in the cotton trade, instead of selling their cotton — instead of turning | their people adrift to make a gioat, perhaps a colossal, fortune to th nisei yes by di-posing of the cotton they held — have employed their people at a loss to themselves. The next circumstance is the exemplarly conduct — the quiet magnanimous conduct of the operatives them- el yes — who base, suffered under great j privations, and under the doubloevils of want j uf employment and high prices of provisions, | and who have stood with a quiet and cairn i attitude which belongs to and has always oh :iactcrised the inhabitants of this country. There is one ciicumstance which, in a peculiar manner, calls for the attention of this assembly. It is well known to you that various kinds of distress in this country are entitled to legal relief. Persons who are unable to earn their bread from wounds, old age, sickness, or nonage, arc legally entitled to relief, and there is between LnUO.OOO and LGOO,OUO a year levied upon Scotland for the relief of the poor of that description ; but it is a most lamentable circumstance that while the poor who are unable to earn their own subsitence by old age* wounds, or imbecility, are provided for, there is no similar relief pro vided by law for able bodied poor who are unable to earn their bread for themselves. How that circumstance has arisen it. is not for me here to say. The old law of Scotland was passed in the year 1573, and it has been deeidi d by the courts that there are Ho words in that statute which entitled able-bodied poor to relief. Now, attend to the important difference this makes to the unemployed poor in Scotland, England and Ireland, [n Lngland and lieland, they are entitled to relief from the parish rates andjin Lancashire the Boards are authorised to contract debt and burden the future to give support to the unemployed. Nothing of the kind can be clone in Scotland. I trust, however, that this meeting, and others of the same kind throughout the country, in which this state of the law will be brought to light will lead to a change of the law in this particular. In the meantime that cannot be done, nnd there is nothing of the kind can be done for years to come. During all that period the laboring poor, thrown out of employment, will be almoßt all starving unless they are relieved by the voluntary gifts of their fellow-citizens. That is the state of matters, which, certainly, as it aggravates

the condition of the pour out of employment far beyond what can be felt in England or Ireland, calls for seriou3 consideration. And I would beg to protest against ihc idea that the distress which we naw see will be of short duration. I think the distress will not be short. I think the contest between the rival powers will be of long diuation, and 1 shall not be surprised if it goes on for a number of years to come. Attend to the condition of the rival patties there. The Northern forces are contending for dominion and the Southern I'oi independence. It is a great question, which involves principles and the interests of vast bodies of men. Vast efforts arc made, armies aie collected as great as Napoleon could bring around his standard at the close of his career, and the courage and spirit which are manifested, forbids the idea that peace will be rapidly made. It forbids the idea that the contest will be speedily brought to a conclusion. lam convinced that the number thrown out of employment is not at present near half the number that will be thrown out by Christmas, and we must provide for calamities looming in the distance.. (Loud applause.) Sir Archibald added, that the Duke of Hamilton's name occurred first in the list of the committee which lie was about to propose, and be had no doubt his grace would aid the subscription with a contribution worthy of the ducal house to -which he belonged. He rejoiced to learn that the Lord Provost had already obtained, from a small number of persons he hud visited, the large sum of X' 3200.