What did the two men who entered Scrooge's office after his nephew want?

After Scrooge's nephew visited him, two gentlemen entered.  They greeted Scrooge and asked him for donations for the poor.  They explained the plight of the poor in the city.  Scrooge asked them if there were still prisons and workhouses for the poor to go to.  The men told him that yes, those places were still there.  They went on to explain that they wanted to give the poor a hot meal and warmth.  Scrooge told them that he simply "wanted to be left alone" and did not want to give them any donation for the poor.  He explained that he already gave money to the existing establishments for those in poverty.  One of the men told Scrooge that some people would prefer to die rather than go to somewhere like a workhouse.  Scrooge replied that "if they would rather die... they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."  After this statement, both men left.