§ MR. W. M. TORRENSsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Poor Law Board, Whether he was aware on the 1st instant, when a Motion was made regarding the increase of Distress, of the facts which were immediately afterwards disclosed in a Return compiled and published under the authority of the Poor Law Department—namely, that in the third week of February the number of destitute persons in the Metropolis had increased by 11,000 beyond the week preceding, and that since the beginning of the present year the number relieved out of Rates had increased from 152,792 to 180,231?
§ MR. A. PEELsaid, in reply, that he was not aware of the figures referred to by the hon. Member, and although he had heard with some surprise the imputation contained in that Question, he still hoped the hon. Member would acquit him of any desire to mislead the House for any purposes of debate, or on any occasion, or for any purpose what- 1483 soever, to suppress or distort the truth. The figures referred to by the hon. Member did not in any way affect the statement it was his duty to make the other night during the course of the emigration debate, for his denial of any general or wide-spread distress in the agricultural districts was quite compatible with the existence of local and temporary distress in the metropolis. The figures read by the hon. Member were, he regretted as much as any one to say, correct; but the hon. Member's argument was not sound if he attempted to infer a general and permanent increase in pauperism from a merely temporary increase of destitution. The increase he alluded to was occasioned by the severity of the weather in a particular month such as London has not experienced for many years. The temperature of the week—the Return for which would be made to-morrow—was unusually low also, and, therefore, the House must expect one more unfavourable Return. He trusted, however, that the returns would soon show a permanent recovery from the late extraordinary depression.