It was well known throughout England that the Poor-law had previously been interpreted to mean that the distressed artisan was compelled to part even with his tools-the very means of his subsistence-before his application for parochial assistance could be entertained. When thousands were thrown out of employment, no matter from what cause, it might have been urged that to spare the ratepayer the most rigid economy would be maintained, and that the smallest modicum of relief would be afforded. Besides, where would be the justice, the even-handed justice, in which Englishmen are apt to pride themselves, of punishing the weak and the scattered few for their poverty, but relieving the many in like circumstances because strong in their numbers? As to ourselves, we confess that we blush at the reflection that a nation such as England once was should have stooped to a policy so tortuous, so inconsistent, so mean. The case of the Lancashire weavers ought to have opened our eyes to the cruelty, nay, inhumanity, of the New Poor Law Amendment Act. For what is the plain, unvarnished state of the case? A working man is thrown out of employment, by no fault of his own, but by the state of the weather, or some other contingency. Both agriculturists and artisans occasionally suffer the loss of work from such a cause. He applies to the Union for assistance. Either "the Labour Test" or the House Test," or, perhaps, both are applied. As to the one, capable or incapable, he must break stones. As to the other, he must be plucked up root and branch from his humble dwelling and enter "the Bastille"himself to be separated from his wife-the mother herself from her children, even those of tender age. Here let us record an example in proof: for whilst "Theories are the fancies of men, facts are the offspring of the gods."

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In the winter of 1860-61, there was found at West Wratting— a parish about twelve miles from Cambridge-a hard-working agricultural labourer, named Stinton, who for some time past had supported a wife and ten children by his own earnings and those of his two boys under fifteen. These youths earnt barely sufficient to keep themselves. Hence, on nine shillings per week, the usual pay of labourers in that district, this man had to maintain himself, his wife, a notable and in all respects an excellent Christian mother, and eight helpless children. No marvel that the predecessor of the writer in the spiritual charge of the parish discovered on one occasion that the family were feeding on food unfit for human consumption. Many cried "Shame!" but the man's wages remained the same. In the summer, about two months be

fore harvest, Stinton and two other labourers in the parish applied to their master, who was a Guardian, for the increase of a shilling in their weekly wages. This was refused, and Stinton in particular was threatened with some weeks of it in the House, for his temerity, when the winter came. Well, the winter did come, and a very severe one it was, a great fall of snow taking place on Christmas Eve. The Guardian remembers his threat. Stinton is the first discharged. He must "have some weeks of it in the House"--a phrase, be it remarked, as significant as "some weeks of it at the treadmill." The poor mother of the family in relating the fact of her husband being thus thrown out of work, and the necessity of taking refuge immediately in the Union, said to the wife of the writer, when visiting the district, "Ma'am, I should not care for it myself, but when they take away these little ones from me," pointing to one about two years and a half old, "they seem to be taken 'em off to slaughter 'em." The treatment of this family was referred to in the pulpit the next day-Sundayand some of the facts were published in the Cambridge journals. But we have not yet done with Stinton's history. When the snow thawed he was again wanted, for the good Guardian did not consider the man so bad a bargain at eighteen-pence a day, when he had a good stroke of work to be done. But now others also thought for him and his much-wronged family, and recommended their transplanting themselves in Kent, where was to be found something more like a fair day's wage for a fair day's work. To effect the transition of a family from Cambridgeshire to "the Garden of England," distant a hundred miles and more, would have been impossible for a man necessarily without a penny in his pocket, but friends came to his assistance. The father and his two sons went out first from their home and from their kindred to the land of promise, intending to send for their mother and bairns, if they were not disappointed. Stinton, on arriving at Milton, by Sittingbourne, was employed immediately at 15s per week. His boys obtained remunerating labour in the brick-fields. Those of the family that were left behind in the old country were speedily sent for, mother and all; and here they remained for years, never on any occasion, so far as we can learn, applying to the parish for relief.

In such a state of things, no friend of the oppressed poor can fail to admire the benevolent undertaking of the Rev. Canon Girdlestone, by whose charitable exertions a Society has been formed for assisting agricultural labourers and their families to

remove from districts where wages are disgracefully low to others where they are considerably higher. Much good has been thus effected. Not only have the migratory families been materially benefited, but those also from the midst of whom they have gone out have soon found their employers disposed to advance their wages, fearing lest the exodus, through their Pharaoh-like exactions, and withholding of more than is meet, should become general. People at Elberfeld, as well as other Germans, and indeed people of other nations throughout the Continent of Europe, marvel that Emigration should not be more promoted by the English Government than it is, or has been hitherto. But they seem to be unacquainted with the fact that very many of our legislators are directly interested in maintaining as far as possible a large proportion of the working classes at starving-point. Were the farmers really to give remunerative wages to their labourers, could they pay such rents as they now do to their landlords-often members of one or other of the two branches of the Legislature? If the lords of iron and of cotton, of wood and of stone, were compelled through a lack of hands to do their duty to the myriads of men, women, and children in their employ, would they so speedily become millionaires? Doubtless, such colossal fortunes have been made in England by the lords of the soil, and the large manufacturers, through the cheapness of labour. But were Emigration adequately promoted, so as sensibly to reduce the supply in the labour market, the working man would then be safe in standing up for his right— a fair day's wage for a fair day's work, and not be compelled by hunger, as now, alas ! too often, to listen to the selfish suggestion of the farmer, as the spokesman of the landlord or the capitalist, "half a loaf is better than none.'

There will be found appended to these remarks a list of deaths from starvation, attested by Coroners' Inquests, occurring between November 26th, 1862, and March 27th, 1865; and recorded in the public journals. Those cases that were in any measure attributable to "drink" have not been inserted. Every unprejudiced reader I will be forced to the conclusion that this hecatomb of human sacrifices has been offered to Mammon through the operation of the New Poor Law Amendment Act-that curious piece of legislation which, its interested defenders maintain, "works well." Now, from the prescribed regulations for the guidance of the 250 duly appointed house-to-house visitors of the poor at Elberfeld, we learn that "the Armenpfleger must, immediately upon an application for relief being made, inquire carefully into the circumstances of

the applicant. Should he be convinced that the case is such as to entitle the sufferer to legal relief, and find, moreover, that the need is so urgent that help must be afforded without delay, then it is his duty to cause the necessary assistance to be given instanter, and without either further inquiry for the present, or reference to any other authority. In all other cases the Armenpfleger must be present at the next District Meeting, and present to it the claims of the impoverished person or persons. The same course also must be adopted by him in reference to the continuance of assistance granted by him in the urgent cases before adverted to." But let us see now who and what those persons are that are entitled to legal relief. We transcribe, then, the following general principles of the Poor Law Administration at Elberfeld, which are printed and distributed amongst these 250 Visitors and Almoners of the Poor :

I. "The necessitous poor man unable to work will be supported by State assistance so long as no other persons are bound and able to support him, or private benevolence fails him, whether he or any other person in his behalf makes application for such assistance.'

II. "The necessitous poor man able to work, if he or another in his behalf applies for assistance, and if he shews that he has honestly endeavoured to obtain work, but without success, can, provided no other person (or persons) is bound and able to support him, or private benevolence administers to his necessity, be supported until he obtains a sufficient income; he is bound to accept the work pointed out to him, proportioned to his powers.'

Here, then, is established such a provision for the support of the famishing as to make "deaths from starvation" now so familiar to England and, through The Times and other journals, so famous throughout the world-utterly unknown in Elberfeld. The "res angusta domi" may be found here at times as in all large towns, but no one is suffered to perish through the want of the necessaries of life. Thus the Elberfelders, when enjoying their sausages and their sauerkraut, and washing all down with copious draughts of their good, wholesome beer, are not haunted with the dread that many others around them may be dying of hunger. Methinks that at our Lord Mayor's feasts I will not attempt to describe them, my pen would fail-occasionally, when conscience does her perfect work, as in the case of the carousing Belteshazzar, some of the sated guests must be able to decipher at least the word "Tekel," as traced out by the fingers of a man's hand visibly protruding from

the wall of the banquetting-hall. Yes, "wanting," indeed, in their duty to how many thousands of their common flesh and blood, as weighed in the balances of One that is blind to the persons of men, must those feasting legislators and their supporters be, whose conscience tells them that through their own inhuman enactments many around them, morally not a whit inferior to themselves, are at that moment perishing for lack of bread. We pity those of the banqueters that can neither descry the mysterious hand nor discern the ill-boding letters. No Daniel is needed here, provided they be not incapacitated by excess. The " mens sana in corpore sano,"

and a conscience awake is all that is wanted.

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But, notwithstanding its liberal institutions and enactments for the support of the honest poor, Elberfeld has also its "Obdach" or Shelter, somewhat resembling our Refuge. Not a few persons are found in most large communities who will spend their last penny before soliciting parochial assistance. Some of these are found now and then absolutely homeless. For such unfortunates, then, has the town of Elberfeld provided a "roof" to shelter their otherwise defenceless heads. None who seek admission are rejected. The simple qualification is the need of protection through the night. But the persons in charge of this Refuge for the Destitute are expected by its supporters to have sympathy with the sufferers, and to shew them as far as possible the means of recovering from such a state of destitution. They are told where work may be obtained, or more permanent assistance be cured. We may state it, indeed, as an incontrovertible fact, that at all the institutions for the benefit of the unfortunate in this charitable town, one object never lost sight of is "the lifting up of those that are cast down"-the recovery of such as have been "knocked over," as it were, in the battle of life, so that even those who have lost their position by their own improvidence or misconduct may, if possible, regain it. But their grand object is, as we have before hinted, to maintain the poor family in their position when verging on decadence, with the hope, seldom disappointed, that better times for these unfortunate persons will surely come. "They devise liberal things, and by liberal things they stand."

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The writer of the Report concerning the "Obdach" congratulates his fellow-townsmen on the fact that they can now retire to their rest with the assurance that no destitute fellow-creature in the town remains exposed to the inclemencies of the night season, and that, therefore, their own sleep may be sweet. Has not the reader in this naïve expression of sentiment a key to all the chari