The following is a curious fact, testified by Mr T. A. Finnigan, master of the Catholic Free School in St Giles's.—" About two years ago, there was an old woman who kept a night-school, not for the purpose of instructing children to spell and read, but for the sole purpose of teaching them the street language, that is, to scold ; this was for females particularly. One female child, according to the woman's declara tion to me, would act the part of Mother Barlow, and the other Mother Cummins; these were the fic titious names they gave. The old woman instructed the children in all the manoeuvres of scolding and slapping their hands at each other, and making use of the sort of infamous expressions they use. This led them into the most *disgraceful scenes. When these children met, if one entered into the depart ment of the other the next day, they were prepared to defend their station, and to excite a mob." This is nearly the ;hole of the information which is contained in this celebrated Report, with regard to the arts which are employed by the beggars of the metropolis. We shall next consider the estimate which ought to be formed of their gettings. On this subject also exists a great bias to exaggeration. Bothj the Committee, and these witnesses, with certain ex ceptions, appear to have been led by it.
Mr Gurney had heard of one individual who boasted that he could with ease earn 5s. a-clay ; that he would go through sat); streets, and that it was a poor street that would not bring him a penny. Sir Nathaniel Conant,. however, being asked, " Did it ever come to your knowledge, what any of the mendi cants got?" made answer,—" I have heard very large sums stated, but I disbelieve many of them ; I have not known of money being found about them ; there *ire a good many very impudent certainly about the streets, who are very troublesome : those who have been taken up have been seldom found with more than a shilling or two, but I believe some of them had hoarded at home. There was a woman brought before me, when I acted at Marlborough street, who had a caddy in which there were nine or ten guineas hoarded." Joseph Butterworth, Esq. a member of the Commit tee, stated as an inference from credible information which he had received respecting their mode of spending, that their daily acquisitions would not be less than from Ss. to 5s. each. One particular girl, however, whom he examined, stated that Is. 6d. was the common amount of what she was able to collect, though on some days she made as much as 4s. or 58.
Mr Sampson Stevenson was asked,—" Has it fallen within your knowledge what the largest sums are that have been gained by beggars in the course of the 4ty ?—That I have been unable to ascertain, but I have heard them brag of 6s., 7s., or 8s. e-day, or more, according to their luck, as they call it; and if bne gets more than the others, they divide it with the rest." It appears from the words themselves of the evi dence on this point, that it is insufficient to prove anything. It is either the result of hearsay, which hearsay was probably the result of conjecture, not of knowledge ; or it is founded on what the beggars themselves have said, when in a boasting humour; that is, when actuated with a desire to make their gettings appear as large as possible, and when, of course, their own declarations about the amount of them are, as evidence, of little or no value.
6. The grzund on which the opinion of the grail profits of begging seems chiefly to be founded; is the notion which is entertained ofiheir expensive mode of living. It is therefore necessary, before we adduce the remarks which appear to be called for on the subject of profits, to state the evidence which has been furnished on the subject of expence.
The Reverend William Gurney was asked,— "Have you understood that the beggars walks are considered as a sort of property ?—Yes ; I have no doubt of it ; they never interfere one with ano ther.
And that a blind man stationed at a particular place, drives away others who interfere ?—Yes; and they have their rules and their carousings: There is a house in Kent Street, where I have seen a great fat man, who moves himself about on a wooden board. When I lived near the Kent road, I have seen eight or ten of these persons go into a miser able house in the lower part of Kent Street. I have •seen tables set; one a very long table covered with a coarse cloth, but a clean one ; and there was something roasting : I was afraid to go in, on ac count of this man, who was a very violent one; this man was among the rest ; they were going to have their dinner at the fashionable hour of seven. There was a cripple among them, who used to be at St George's Chapel in St George's Fields ; he used to lie there, and pretend to hold out a pamphlet ; he was weak about the loins, and his legs folded under him. I really believe the stories which have been told are not exaggerated.
" Have you any opportunity of knowing that the bread they eat is always of the best ?—Yee ; they would never eat any but the best wheaten bread." This evidence proves but little. It is solely by conjecture, Mr Gurney here infers that there was any considerable expence.
Sir Daniel Williams was asked,—" Do you know their mode of life ?—There was, in a situation called Church Lane, Whitechapel, some years ago a house of resort of beggars, which was well known to all that class of people in every part of the metropolis, by the name The Beggar's Opera : the sign of the public-house was the Weaver's Arms, but its slang name was The Beggar's Opera : At the period I am mentioning, these beggars used to resort there of an evening, after having perambulated their differ ent circuits, and lived well ; they spent a consider able portion of money, would have hot suppers dressed, and regale themselves with beer, punch, and often other liquor still more expensive." How unfortunate, and at the same time how strange it is, that not a single question was put to this gentleman, to ascertain whether he knew this by hearsay, or by observation. We are constrained to conclude that it was only by hearsay ; because, had he seen the facts, it would have been natural to say so ; and because we are never entitled to make an inference stronger than the premises on which it depends.