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upon the funds of the Charity Commissioners which they were
now dispensing, because they happened to house the poorest of
the City folk, who had not the means of going beyond the borders
to reside. These people, he submitted, were the natural heirs
to this City money, because, were it not for improvements and
demolition, they would probably be in actual residence in the
City. Clerkenwell, St. Luke's, and Holborn not only housed
the poor, but they were very heavily rated, the last returns
showing the average rating of the metropolis at 5s. 4d., but
Holborn at 5s. Gd.; Clerkenwell, 5s. 7d. ; and St. Luke's, 6s. 3d.
[Mr. Easterling—6s. 6d.] That was partially on account
of having to keep poor people, who probably would, to a large
extent, be relieved by the City charities. He thought they had
special need for recreation and instruction in the neighbourhoods
indicated, and he thought he might say he was asking the Commissioners
to help people who had done something to help
themselves. In Clerkenwell they had adopted the Free Libraries'
Act, showing that they had done something, and this library
would have been an accomplished fact at the present, had it not
been for a small obstruction which took them to the Queen's
Bench to fight it. However, the promoters had been successful,
and he hoped that before long the kind offers of Captain Penton,
M.P., and Mr. Holborn would be taken advantage of. Seeing
that Clerkenwell had done this, he thought he could ask the
Commissioners to help them largely and liberally. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. R. M. Holborn followed, saying that he heartily advocated
such a scheme which was before them on the grounds that he
had acted personally. The core and bulk of the district which
had now appealed consisted of Clerkenwell, which contains half
of the inhabitants there represented. It was an old proverb that
"Providence helps those who help themselves;" and the deputation
pleaded that the Commissioners be the providence in this
case, because Clerkenwell had taken, as he suggested, the preliminary
stages to the technical institute by establishing a free
library. Clerkenwell had acted in a singularly noble manner
by burdening itself in perpetuity with a penny rate, and with such
self-sacrifice, Captain Penton, M.P., and himself had so far
sympathised as to give £600 each towards the library. (Hear,
hear.) He (the speaker) was but a moderate tradesman, but the
Commissioners were the treasurers of education ; and he came
there to beg from them, under the feelings upon which he had