Sixteen men, women, and children, were brought before the Man ,
chester Magistrates at the close of last week, in a state of destitution. An ex pane account of the proceedings thus states the cause of their distress- " One of the men said that they came from Towersey, in Buckinghamshire. The farmers (he said) called a meeting to know if any of the parishioners would go down to Manchester, as everybody there was doing well. Several of us said we would go. They told us they thought our families would do well to comedown. They said there would houses for us to go into when we got there, and every thing provided for our use. They employed a man named Clarke to see after people who would go down, and we went to him. He asked what families we hail got, and said we would do well in.teed to come : we started ac- cordingly to Mr. Waterhouse's, at Glossop. We were brought, from our own country to Glossop, in a boat, and from Glossop Mr. Waterhouse sent us for- ward in a cart. When we got there, there were forty. five of us ; we were put in a bit of a warehouse; and I have been there with my family three weeks, lying on a bit of straw, which is the only bed I have had. The parish paid the expenses of our journey down. We came by the boat to Marple, where they told us there was to be a cart to meet us and take us forward to Mr. Wa- terhouse's. I worked at Mr. Waterhouse's three weeks, but yesterday be hired a cart, and sent us to Manzhester ; the carter put us down in the .street and left us; he has sent another cart-load this morning I have seen them in town; and he would have sent them yesterday, but the cart would not hold us ill,so he told one of the women that he would send them this morning in his own cart. I don't know what has become of them. I saw them iu town this morning, and they said they were going to the hoot. We are farmers, and the children are lacemakers—we were in work at the time we left Bucking- hamshire.
" The Magistrates expressed much indignation at the deception which bad been practised upon these unfortunate people ; and intimated that the parties principally concerned in thus alluring them from their homes ought to he pro- secuted. Mr. G. W. Wood stated that there happened now to be in town (engaged in making inquiries on the subject of labour) Mr. Muggridge, a gentleman employed by the Poor-Law Commissioners; and it was arranged that the Overseers should go up to him, represent the case, and obtain his as- sistance, if possille, in taking meaaures for returning the families to their native parish, from which they have been thus unnaturally cast off. In the mean while, it was ordered that due care should be taken of them by the Overseers of Manchester."
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