APPALLING STATE OF MELBOURNE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume I, Issue 15, 10 November 1852, Page 4

APPALLING STATE OF MELBOURNE.

The crowded, or rather the crnmmed, condition of this city and its KUburbs ought to be known to all ; and it ought 10 bo known that houso rent is not only at an enormous rnlo, but that even at that rale accommodation is ulmont unattainable. It should he known to all that our hotels, public bouses, lodging; houses, &c, are crammed to exects ; that men, women, and children, ait down to their meals in scores, and sleeping accommodation is such a 1 t o be utterly subversive of comfort, health and decency. And in the face of such a state of things as this' new arrivals are being poured upon our shores at the rate of thousands in a day. For instance, the oumbor of paiscngcrs entered at the customs in one day (premising, by tbe way, that in consequence of many of the colonial craft convoying very many more than they ought to do, the list given at tho customs fall very fur short of the numbers aotually introduced), numbered no less than 1301 persons! Where aro they to go f Which way are they to mm thomsclvee ? They must leave tbe ship. Thoy naturally miike iln-ir way to tho town; they find it socrammid that .1 roof itself over their heads is boneless ; they probably part with their last shilling in mrciiiix 'he exorbitant charges of the boatmen, or tbe r.»er steamers; and they cross the bridge, or find themselves landed at the nharf, without v place of shelter, without facilities for obtaining food, Without a friend in the colony, and potsibly without a farthing. Of the case of hardy, stout-hearted men, we thiuk little. Tho leo side of tho nearest treo will afford them shelter ; a match will furnish fire; an hour's work of the next morning will supply food, and the gold fields are open to them and to all But many ailing men ojo amongst them, who caii» not brave rough usage ; many men with large amilics, with delicate wives, in whom want of fpropcr (belter, even for a night, may lay the foundation for years of pain and sickness. These are cases for which we appeal to men revelling in ua« proeedented wealth— we appeal to a community In which along whole streets, shop after shop, store after store might be visited, in any one of which a gift of one huudred guineas would be less felt than the same number ofshillings in almost any other city in tho world. Wo appeal to them for tbe houseless, the friendless, nnd the penniless ; for their newly-arrived fellow countrymen and fellow colonist, who has been guilty of no other crime than that of too Implicit a reliance upon the hospitality of tho colony. The want is very urgent indeed. We will venture to mention one caao which, if it harrows (lie fedings of our readers, will do so to the extent, we hope, of inducing them to find a remedy. It is stated upon the authority of a respcotablc surgeon, that a wretched woman was the other day actually confined upon tho wharf, with no covering from tho weather, no bed, but a balk of timber 1