31 JULY 1852, Page 14

PARISH EMIGRATION.

THE parish of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields has been torn by a contest, which involves not only a question of substantive importance, but also a principle of state policy ; and there is an imminent risk that substantial tights may be conquered by the force of " rights " ac- cording to cant. It needs no ghost to tell any reader of the Spec- tator, that the chance of comfortable existence for many persons is infinitely superior in Australia to what it is in England ; and that the option of transit from a scene of hopeless struggle to one of hopeful effort is a boon at which every person in that doomed class called the poor may well jump. In the parish of St. Martin's, even in its workhouse, are certain poor persons, some of whom are able-bodied, all of whom have some reason to believe that they might maintain themselves by their exertions, if they were placed in a sphere where exertion has a fair chance of return. In a thickly-peopled London parish they have little hope ; their prospect is one of continued decline. To the parish they are by themselves or their representatives a permanent burden. Such is the case alleged by a highly respectable party in the parish, which has made an effort to place emigration within the reach of those poor persons. The men and women in question weuld scarcely come within the available rules of the Emigration Commissioners ; but the promoters of their emigration endeavoured to meet that difficulty by raising a special penny rate within the parish to faci- litate their transshipment.

Without discussing the merits of particular cases, we may safely take it for granted that the general terms which we have employed above apply to a certain class in every Metropolitan parish, and indeed in the majority of parishes throughout the king- dom. There is in almost every parish a number of persons who are paupers, but who ought not to be paupers, and who would not be if they were placed in a sphere where moderate exertion and ability could realize fair fruits for industry; and for every parish in which that class is represented, an emigration would be a deci- sive means, not only of conferring an absolute and lasting benefit on that class, but also of relieving the parish from a permanent burden at a small present cost, and of a burden which is the parent of ulterior burdens.

It happens, however, that in this parish of St. Martin's-in-the- Fields resides an important rate-payer, whose proper designation we do not know, but who is a society, and who may be called for present purposes Soup Kitchen, Esq., of Leicester Square. Mr. Soup Kitchen occupies a large mansion in that parklike domain, or part of a mansion ; pays parish-rates ; and, dispensing soup to a certain number of applicants, enjoys that sort of influence which was enjoyed by a Roman patrician as patron with a large retinue of clients. "Panem et circenses "—Mr. Soup Kitchen is profuse in broth and public meetings, and can bring a loud force of re- tainers to any parish contest; the more so since the retinue of the enjoyers of soup in ease is swelled by the enjoyers of soup in pro- spect. It does not take much sagacity to discover the wrong side of any question, and Mr. Soup Kitchen discovers that emigration is expatriation ; that a rate to remove a permanent burden, being beneficial to particular individuals, is "an unjust demand on the poor rate-payer " ; and so forth. Views of this kind, uttered with a sort of audacious heartiness, and supported by donatives of soup, are al- ways popular. It is always easy to persuade the poor dependents up- on pauper establishments that they have been" ill treated." The best of workhouse fare is not feasting. The mildest of workhouse go- vernors appears as a stony tyrant in the comfortless corridors of the parish palace ; and the despondency of established unthrift readily seizes the idea that it is and always has been hopelessly "put upon." The pseudo-philanthropy of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields appears by its tribune in the parish forum, with much concourse and loudness, and for a time routs the wiser counsel of the parish. Three or four meetings have been held,—one to deliberate on the original proposal, which was adjourned ; another in possession of the anti-rate party, who carried an obstructive resolution ; a third to recover the lost ground; and a fourth not in the author- ized forum merely for hostile agitation. The two pasties this week have been carrying on the contest through the silent medium of the poll, and the parishioners have been called upon to confirm or to ostracize sound sense. They have cleeided as might have been expected from St. Martin's; an intelligent parish, familiar with self-government and with questions relating to the poor—for, verily, St. Martin's always has the poor with it

The poll has thus had the effect of putting the question of an emigration-rate to a very deliberate, tangible, and decisive test ; and it has shown that the body of the parishioners really under- stand the subject. The decision will expedite discussion in other parishes. Let us repeat, that the class which may justly and pro- fitably receive the aid of every parish consists of those who cannot forego parish-relief, but ought not to be paupers.