no less than 390 above 60 years of age, and 6 above 100. Almost all of these were in a state of superannuation, 50 of them were blind, and 406 of the whole number, as I have already stated, were widows. I annex a statement of their respective ages.
| Between | 10 and 20 | 4 | |||
| 20 and 30 | 26 | ||||
| 30 and 40 | 42 | ||||
| 40 and 50 | 40 | ||||
| 59 and 60 | 47 | ||||
| 159 | |||||
| 60 and 70 | 154 | ||||
| 70 and 80 | 161 | ||||
| 80 and 90 | 60 | ||||
| 90 and 100 | 9 | ||||
| Upwards of 100 | 6 | ||||
| 390 | |||||
| 549[1] | |||||
Of the whole number, 381 had 935 children, of whom 372 were at home with their parents. I have been unable to procure a statement of the ages or characters of the tenants of our alms-house—but presume that they were somewhat similar to those of the out-door paupers.[2]
Philadelphia, July 4, 1833.
ESSAY VII.
The question of the most eligible mode of supporting the poor, whether by statutory provision, or by voluntary contributions of individuals, has created a great diversity of opinions in Great Britain—opinions advocated with the utmost zeal and ardour, and with considerable talents, on both sides. On one side, a powerful party, at the head of which at present are the editors of the Edinburgh Review (formerly Mr. Malthus), is in favour of a total abolition, as speedily as possible, of the system of statutory provision. The other party, headed by the editors of the Quarterly Review, maintains, that all the evils of which the complaints are so loud and general, are the result of the abuse of the system. The subject is deeply interesting, both as regards the
- ↑ Hazard's Register of Pennsylvania, vol, vi. p. 266.
- ↑ The following extract from the presentment of the Grand Jury of the Mayor's Court for the June session for 1833, exhibits a degree of wretchedness of which few of our citizens have any idea. It fully establishes the necessity of the interference of benevolent associations and charitable individuals, to relieve such severe suffering, and ought to make those persons blush, who, enjoying the good things of the world, involve the poor in an indiscriminate mass of obloquy; unjustly charge all their misery to intemperance and other vices; and, decrying those associations, avert, as far as in them lies, the current of charity in its course to their support. Think of the miseries of six families in one small house, destitute of the most essential conveniences! Let it be eternally borne in mind, that if intemperance and other vices produce poverty on the one hand—poverty, degrading and remediless poverty on the other, as often produces recklessness, intemperance, and their baleful concomitants.
"3d. The block of buildings bounded by Vine and Sassafras and Water and Front streets, the Inquest are of opinion, presents a nuisance of a very serious nature, and which may prove detrimental to the public health. There are in this block 29 houses or tenements, containing 94 families, consisting of 472 individuals. These houses generally cover all the ground belonging to the premises: in many of them are residing six families each! and they have not the convenience of a privy, nor a situation in which one could be placed! they are almost without ventilation: the tenants are compelled to use vessels of various kinds, which are emptied either into the streets and gutters, or into the neighbouring docks!"
