irman said that the result of my labours with
regard to the Gipsies would be that something would be done in the way of
legislation. The paper caused some excitement in the country, and was
copied lengthily into many of the daily papers, including the _Leicester
Daily Post_, _Leicester Daily Mercury_, _Nottingham Guardian_,
_Nottingham Journal_, _Sunday School Chronicle_, _Record_, and others
nearly in full, and was read as follows:--

"As it is not in my power to open out a painful subject in the flowery
language of fiction, romance, and imagery, in musical sounds of the
highest pitch of refinement, culture, and sentiment, I purpose following
out very briefly the same course on the present occasion as I adopted on
the three times I have had the honour to address the Social Science
Congress with reference to the brick-yard and canal-boat children--viz.,
that of attempting to place a few serious, hard, broad dark facts in a
plain, practical, common-sense view, so as to permeate your nature till
they have reached your hearts and consciences, and compelled you to
extend the hand of sympathy and help to rescue my young clients from the
dreadful and perilous condition into which they have fallen through long
years of neglect.

[Picture: A Farmer's Pig that does not like a Gipsy's Tent]

"Owing to a superstitious regard and dislike the Gipsies had towards the
Census, and their endeavours to evade being taken, no correct number has
been arrived at; and it is only by guess work and conjecture we can form
any idea of the number of Gipsies there are in this country. The Census
puts the number at between 4,000 and 5,000. A gentleman who has lived
and moved among them many years writes me to say that there cannot be
less than 2,000 in the neighbourhood of London, whose Paradises are in
the neighbourhood of Wormwood Scrubs, Notting Hill Pottery, New Found
Out, Kensal Green, Battersea, Dulwich Common, Lordship Lane, Mitcham
Common, Barnes Common, Epping Forest, Cherry Island, and like places. A
gentleman told me some time since that he gave a tea to over 150 Gipsies
residing in the neighbourhood of Kensal Green. A Gipsy woman who has
moved about all her life says she knows about 300 families in ten of the
Midland counties. Another Gipsy, in a different part of England, tells
me a similar story, and says the same proportion will be borne out all
over the country. Of hawkers, auctioneers, showmen, and others who live
in