We found this gentleman superintending his work. He is of medium size, long, sandy, curling hair, and benign countenance, and received us with great cordiality. His stores, divided by a central partition, with a large space for inter-communication, contain in the right apartment, hundreds of bags of rice, corn, meal and grits, and in the other, the large bins in which these are emptied for distribution. The needy recipients enter, one at a time, receive a ticket at the counter, and on presenting it, with their little bags, are served with a peck, or half a peck, of rice or grist. We stood and watched these beggared people. It was a pitiful sight-children, old men and women, of every shade, came eagerly up and held out their bags for the ration. One girl, of excessive blackness, and more completely tatterdemalion, than any we had seen, presented her ticket for one half peck of rice. The negro filled her bag, and she went out. Immediately following her, was a woman of thirty-five years, perfectly white, of haggard countenance, and dressed in rusty black. She advanced, held out her ticket for a peck of rice, and received it. As she turned, she said: "Can't you give me a little salt to-day?" "We haven't any salt left," replied the waiter. With a sigh, she left the store. Mr. Williams, in our surprise, we asked. Turning towards "What is that white woman doing here?" 66 My dear sir," replied Mr. W., "that woman, four years ago, was worth half a million dollars, and lived in a fine mansion on the Battery." He then stated the fact before mentioned, that the cashier of the Bank of Charleston, comes every day to his store, to get his peck of rice or meal. At our request, Mr. Williams wrote out a brief statement, concerning his work, which he brought to the "Oceanus," just before we sailed. It cannot fail to interest all our readers, and we therefore transcribe it in full. STATEMENT OF MR. GEO. S. WILLIAMS. "Since the occupation of Charleston, by the U. S. troops, about three million pounds of provisions, consisting of rice, grist, meal and salt, have been issued to the poor and needy citizens of Charleston, of all classes, colors and conditions. and conditions. Many who were considered millionaires, a few years since, are reduced by the war, to want, penury and beggary, and are to be seen carrying their bags of rations through the streets of Charleston. "The Confederate Government, in one way and another, absorbed all the capital of the banks, and various monied institutions, of the city and state. The failure of Jeff. Davis & Co., necessarily breaks the monied institutions, on which the people relied for support. The large amount of provisions being issued, was accumulated by the city and Confederate authorities. "Geo. W. Williams, one of the aldermen of the city, and chairman of the Subsistence Committee, has devoted his whole time for the past two years to distributing this food to the poor. "The Confederate authorities, turned over to him all the stores owned by them, to be distributed under direction of the City Council, to the poor of Charleston. "A large amount of these supplies, was destroyed in the burning of the cotton, and the explosion at the North East Railroad Depot. On the landing of the Union forces, Mr. Williams furnished Col. Bennet, with a list of the stores, and secured a guard to protect them. These supplies were taken possession of by the U. S. Government, and turned over to a committee of three, to be distributed to the poor of Charleston and vicinity. "The large storehouses of Geo. W. Williams & Co., on Hayne Street, are used as a depot for distributing rations. Tickets are issued to needy families, two-thirds being colored; and thousands of the recipients are to be seen daily wending their way to the 'Invalid's Commissary,' for food. "These supplies will soon be exhausted, and then What will become of this helpless and suffering people? A number of tickets have been issued to colored people, who have reached their four score and twenty, (five score or 100?) This class of citizens, are supplied at their own homes." The importance of the question asked by Mr. Williams, can hardly be over-estimated. These poor dependent people cannot be left to starvation, and at present there is little which can employ their hands in |