The Sun. — London, England, 1817-02-22 00:00:00

41i1 besctirdly convicted of tbe olYcnce of which rasarciard he ArroaNsv•GsNe able to ' ttAL replied, th at no ong anitver that 'question so well as the °arable and Learned ( kniletean by whom , it been p ot , Ilia hi this, individual case, he asioeil that it was Ictila r impossible for th e L or d (whose cominct was in all eh cum ts) entitled to the highest respect and vett e a) to act otherwise than he bad done. r. lissuouan obsery hi ed, th a t w i t i t i n d uced thin that Mr, Mercerot) ought to have Ismak oat of the commission was drat his onilaet as a Magis ,lisp e d b trate had b een su ffi c i ently iit y his own ev id ence, without the I;,'tli) Yof aoy furth er i nvestigation. Ile could regretting that his Honourable Ft lend iiii , l been the Chairman of the Committee te whom ilfr. Alert:err - in was examined, had t o his wellsknowit humanity so much to get river of bite as tO induce hint not to report Idolise the conduct of Mt'. 'Mercer" as 3 I.tI,S.WIIICII %Vat just as bail as his conduct as a iltme• IVith regard to what the Honourable yearned tirmlentaii had said of the Leind 'lira character and conduct, he most coni i.!l,tenetured with him. No iron had ever ._' 4 ,t Great Seal with inure polity. Butt at the 'lliae lie certainly must regret that the Noble 404(1 Lard did not consider Mr. Mer )ll.4 prikettlings, as stated by himself, such as 14(%::failL4 pit liting stittek out of the commis .l Peace, or at least Siteli as to warrant "tettua'Slitin , called upon for some cx trriot .., t ... g. 4,4 0 ,• 411i„ esuittr conceived th is to be a tallject ~ . It o,,.b!Lit • importance to the commullit y. 17 Mein tai his Majesty's Ministers to pro: . Altittu,ults.sores for correcting the Police of 1 4 1 , ) 1 11 6 41 .iii and for suppres.i tra those (lens..oel 4,4 11141. ,ii!ilisied it) every quarter of . it. H itfi itonttrsbstinence on this subject pro l'Ot i 1 their ' v isit to. increase the revenne qtliwilillY ref 'a considerations of mach 4 • entree And l et iii th is narrow view of the ottli, tu 4 , ,/ the Ni itl y er c in el ror. Year alter year . li till i r ,"lii ti e li .‘artnie contailicd congiatula -I,„l.:4ltlaltftetit on the improvement Of the tiiii r , ' tit II" congratulation was uttered on i tiir,f,' l 4l 'itii i i to the morals of the rev pie. — liii c !'"'"I he better est abli :Ii cal than that 141 ( 1 ' 1 4 0y or the revenue mainly depended on 41 4 4 11 1 4 t ie ut the morals of the community ; ~,411,;1(1,:,%teiftfoie that on all wounds, l'Ar , 4 ) h; '' Luiiiesly's Government would give rialsc:iltelti the serious atteution which its iiii ttt : i Luitlert. )I:, Ptti lithl 146 then ordered to lie on the li t I t tti f) ; -rtr presented a l'et Won, signed . b y 11 1 4 f Ille town of Brent ford, complain ,,, t Nb1eiti..,,,,,, r, , t• ',ion for having '4,1 1 .,, i; ' '.... or tout illy' 11,1,40 tcence horn Joseph Harding, of that e I 'ttit t , i 4 sufficient criuse. liarillngis hot" ; i ';`tie'„'"lts.n/une•ot uniform respectability, ~1 . . , 1, " , 'l l tH' disorders had ever been sia , , l'etitiou concluded by praying fur li r :, ,„..., , I H it Ntik Titußszt and Mr. Noon severally con .., h,. 'IO, A , , it,t , I tt -, tiouSe of Commons was Nii:l`4.i'ulging in the first instance, ot not the 1..31011..1441'pl tar grog 0 ,ZT . in g 07. Suititta declared his i ntenti on .the l ,''' , l titi t „ , " Petition, and complained at 1/I"_"tit,4sl'Lr:t cut of attacking I,r, impossible for theta to defend the Magistrates,_ ln CH% 11 1 , 'till ..4.1; w h ,'N0 t .„,,,, Nutt express,rl his satisfaction .‘t.aii,lie,ieings had been instituted against the I:at . 14;4 er,parte evidence. 14 tit t t rr, in allusion to What had 4 di fallen 41 01, 'IL Member for Surrey, said. that he .1101.i'l4tia.4.41,"taeli un Mr. Merceron, •but what , ...i „„ I t.tt4 ttlire 7 his owo evidence, the whole . of 'Bk roatinued system of contradictions. Pin • "tici 1 , i ,'"uy 14 4 hiltitittett that his Hon. Friend's ,- it illill "tilted liin) front acting as became tr.lterotluan o f the committee, saki bringing i l lito, Ni t tl l 'ef 4 re the aise. With respect to he ti"qttit,Rile'4 opposition to the petition, litly4ll pi, .I,thilt ii hue should be carefully draw" , 114 .'1e , I :, t4 ', l 's tit for the House to entertain, r iiii % ."‘ett 0 11 1,, for Court of L ow ; but the it i t „ettaion .., a . i t l il n ut • 'a' IlOt of the latter description, 4trt. linpute corrupt motives; to tlie Ma lt i', e ATI• Nt '"ie (h, ~14v-CictiattAl.-1` Whit then can 4"4eeied ctise--w hat practiCal measure ~,,,t, 111044;i:tat we ean adopt P' . .• 11 411 Y." 1 " 4 " - -" The prayer' is for redress , 4. ‘.„ iii 4' troliNey ~., - Nie'he 411 "• nt wertm...--‘‘ I d o . not see hose I,ettiit,et haytertein' the Petition ; for what it i • ... 4,', 111,(,ut,n view t , ‘ll,ttli, itt.iNt.....,, I call upon you, Ili% t tt h l'ttill ' because Il it "r reli ef ~ , ( ni lu to be rejected, Sir, to ki n ,. v's,oittb P;t:llerallyi,,, S 4 1111; 'til t et Certainly,, not on that tic iti'l allieent.""4l nature of the prayer is no ilh; iNtler wi: ' '' to the Petition, hilt the House II I !" tilioi, I ,' l ber the 'Petition is such as it Ira 1) lair I 1 • ' i on . t" its Lill ryn tile table. • l ir it lt `lto,,CNisitTlL,4:‘()lll)Flt'S REPORT. le i t v tlie r i i , i v,(blitil ask the Noble. Lord oppu -14 t tftr i t „ 144 received any ' f truiltion when Pi IL ". ' ittliart w 1 i 1 4 in ( ' I t his 'll, O .;;10h,54 ~. .. ?tti oe rescntet . o hi,. e ce ; . , ill crince ire cut, Fire per 1. I+l 5.., 4,1 h elltel • . *'."29.'lltttiTib,i, . lie of heath in July,. and '!livith,l.,lloll its ,i 14 October, 29 ; iti Deoem it% qu i were :oanttary, 21 ; in all nearly 100 tlt l' t , itt , kil t .. „;", Ntwgate tinder sentence of, thi,; , at : 41 , " cit'ek yesterday, He then al ,i, ( ty . , Ot diitr . I . .' .4 it, :II wh io, ; ess, despair, .and horn l 'iii i ,,t l '. IN ~,,,_ lutist people remained, and it tlit 41 nf his. nrillessed himself with a Noble ,:,4'itt(i :,olatas t,f, s , e . Y , , wQra perfectly indifferent 4 r Lth4, cult pita_iiretitir sittraticrn, and said they . , ~',Hte 11.1 41 ,,'2,_ flap ~ tile older for execution, ~t l ,:is : tai,re6sK:te,s4litli death at th e en d o f the ,44411 hellspeoce.4 ',luctory than the long anxie l'ttte 1 e lite e' _t.te hoped the Noble TP..ord 1.,, ' It. wit 11 41 'I e Hit answer-411 e country ii t , _,, 451 144 _ he ,i1111:1111,e,11:.1'.11(14;,:eitIlerbt.lati 'utitlerstood that t lit ( ' "utliv•""ivs m a d ". bad been occasioned s ty 0 , itl iih , , e into 'the various cases in i tat t ' 41 4 , 4 been sentenced. The Se ''! r teiv t d t a l c , Royal Iligll-. pleasitrt., that a Council should be. holden and the Recorder's Report should be received. This had, at first, been fixeditir Wednesday, but the Secretaries of State had been much employed with equally important business, for eight or ten (lays, and the Couticil had been unavoidably post poned. ft now stood for to-norrow, whets his Royal Higiatess had signified his pleasure that the Report should be received. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL stated, that when points of law had been reserved, the opinion of the Judges could not always be communicated imme diately. The cases of persons under sentence of death always came under • the earliest considera tion possible. Mr. Br ETT maintained that the Noble Lord had not answered that point, why the Report for October had not been presented. Many months had passed since, and the Recorder must have long been ready. He then moved, that the Pa pers, for which • he had asked last Wednesday, respecting the Prisoners in Newgate, should be printed. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL stated, that some days before the Hon. Gentleman had mentioned the subject, in, the House, he had reason to be lieve that the Recorder was not ready to"make his Report without any distinction respecting October or any other month. Mr. Alderman SMITH stated, that the delay in making the Report arose from the length of the Sessions and from motives of humanity. It was spent, in fact, in' making inquiries into the va rious cases. The prisoners in Newgate, where he had been this day, did not complain of the law's delay. At three o'clock this very afternoon, the Recorder had told - him that be would make his Report to-morrow, and was happy to say that he should have hut few to execute.—The Motion was then agreed to. PETITIONS FOR REFORM. Sir It. HERON presented a Petition from Gainsborough, in favour of Parliamentary Reform. The Hun. Baronet said, this Petition prayed for triennial Parliaments, and that Suf. frage should he hounded by direct taxation, and for Election by Ballot. !n the two first objects he agreed with the Peti tioners, bat lie differed from them with respect to glectiou by He could not, however, let this opportunity escape of expressing Isis hopes that the wishes of the people subject wi.•,ltl be so far complied with, that the gees tiun of Reform would be entertained by the House, and re ferred to a Committee .—The Petition was read, and ordered to lie on the table. • Mr. BROUGHAM postponed the mot'on of his Hon. Friend, the Member for Dnehitat (Mr. Lamhton), 'respecting the! ay master, to Thursday next. General FERGUSSON presented petitions, in favour of Parliamentary Ittform,froin the Boroughs. of Kirhuldy and Leuchers, io •oe county of Fife.—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. M. FITZGERALD gave notice, that on Weduesthy next. he shuuld move for leave to bring in a Bill to exempt small Portions of Laud in I: eland !thin the payment of Tithes, .and to ascertain the Tithe* to be paid on b lax. Mr. IUtOGUEN brought it. the Report of the Committee of Supply on the Navy Estimates. The aesolutiuns were [CALI and agreed to,siftera few words from Mr. LAW, suggesting the propriety of reducing the num ber, of ships on the peace establishment, rather than that of men, which he wished should be kept on the war complement. In that manner sumo expense might br sand ; and at the break ing out of 4 war, fleets. would nut be almost entirely manned with merchaot sailors pressed into the service, but with able and experienced seamen. WARItENItER assured the Hon. Gentleman, that every item of expenditure had been minutely examined with a view to effect. every possible 'reduction. As to the other part, it was a consideration which he should leave to lire fessional men to discuss . . • A petitionin favour of Parliamentary Reform was present ed from the Borough of Boston, in which the petitioners stated that, 1000 years before the Revolution, annual Podia- Ments existed—(Laughter).—Ordered to lie on the table. COMMITTEES OF SECRECY. Mr. TIERNEY wished for a Copy of the Report of the Lords' Committee, td which he supposed there would be no objection. The SPEAKER observed, that the mode was to appoint a Committee to constslt the Lords' Journals in such cases. *Mr. TIERNEY framed a motion for a Committee to:con sult the Lou ds' Joni nals, touching certain seeret papers pre - - sented to the Lords bY order of the Prince Regent.—Ordered. CONI - MII"fEE OF SUPPLY. Lord PALMERSTON moved for 500,0001. for the mainte nance of the forces. --Report on Monday. GAME LAWS. Col. 'WOOD gave notice for Wednesday of a motion for leave. to bring in a Bill to repeal the Statute of George 11. specting Gatne. Returns were ordered of' the amount of Cotton Goods ex ported during the last ten years, distinguishing the different sorts, and to wheat places. Returns were ordered of the number of ships and vessels of war in commission in Fe bruar y 1, 1797, 1813, 181.5, and 1817. A Message from the Lords stated, that their Lordships had agreed to the Exchequer Dills The Malt Duty luill was read the third time, and passeyl. POOR LAWS. Mr. Cu RWlttt said, that the motion which he I felt it his duty to submit to the consideration of the House was in every point of view of the ut-' most importance. But it ever there was 'a time when existing circumstances could increase its importance, the present moment was that time. At the beginning of the Session he pressed Mi nisters to bring forward some salutary measure respecting the Poor Laws ; but they having de clined doing so, he felt it incumbent on hint to make this motion. lie greatly lamented that this motion did not originate with Ministers, because they could command that information anti influence which was in this' case s‘i necessary. A person who, like himself, was without those advantages, might excite hopes awl wishes, which it would be out of ,his power to gratify. He wished to im press upon the House the impolicy of going into a Committee, unless they were determined to adopt some measures which would afford effectoul relief to the Country front the burdens which the . Poor Laws imposed and as be was well aware' that nothing cat:lcl be done without the co-operation of Ministers, be was ex tremely desirous of becoming acquainted with their opinions. The poor laws, he said, were in their Origin most excellent. They provided sus tenance and comfort fur the aged and Ire but the Legislators who enacted them neverenti eipated that the funds provided for poverty, age, inArmity, and disease, should he lavished upon persons who' were not afflicted with those formi dable'evils. Hitherto aft attempts to improve the state of the po9r laws have entirely failed, but let its hope, said be,' that the time is conic When it will be practicable to obtain relief from such op pressive enactments. Formerly, when this coon try was more agricultural and less commercial than it is at present, the Poore Rates' amounted to : only a• 'million and a half, now they amount to :eight millions trod a half. This wawa cause of sleep and bitter regret, and no one could la- Anent it mbre sincerely than he did. if an increase ot- happiness could- be obtained by per ,onitting the poor 110 1 75 to . retuain in their .pre- sent state. hes would be the List to attempt their alteration, but be felt strongly convinced that their existence in their present state was one of the chief causes of national misery. In the endea vours to preserve the lower orders from indigence, the Legislature has, by recurring to them too great a facility of 'obtaining an asylum, super-in duced a habit 'of preferring present enjoyment to future comfort, and making them the victims of discontent, by depriving them of the elevating spirit Of independence. Discontent and depravity must be the result of so great a portion of the people being in a state of pauperism and depend enee. In Ireland, where the Poor Laws are not in force, the external appearance of the lower orders of the inhabitants, and of their habitations, excite .the strongest feelings of hor ror and disgust ; no one who sees them for the first time, but would wish that he had never seen them, and yet the conversation and the conduct of else people' indicate content, and even I s appiness,,for they are independent, they live by the fruits of their own industry, and are never assailed with the degrading appellation of pauper. Their hearts,are full of strong feelings and warm affections, and :their wretched hovels are the seats of open-hearted hospitality. He further' observ ed, that a great cause of there being at present in England such a number of paupers was the strong disposition which existed to early marriages, the effect of which was to bring into the world hun dreds of children, on whose prospect of future support their parents never °nee bestowed a thought. Ile was not desirous of controul ing matrimony, but he felt that the Legisla ture c ould take such measures as ,wotsl4l make the people parties to their own happiness. He expressed his full conviction that the 43d of Elizabeth should remain precisely us it watts and he, undertook to show that then the burden would be light. He was very willing to give Mi nisters every credit for the utmost readiness to prevent even the most minute increase of the pub.; lie distress. He did not know whether their opi nion coincided with his or not, but o n this point he had suite made up his mind, thit he would not go . into the Committee unless. there was , a good prospect of obtaining effectual and speedy relief. The Honourable Member then made a quotation front some documents which described the situa 7 lion of the poor at Sheffield, and the efforts whifh great numbers of them made to escape the degradation , of pa , ipetism. lie said that he had a variety of letters from Shropshire, Sussex, and many other places, stating they paid from 18 to 20s. in the pound. He calculated the number of-paupers to amount to two millions and a half, and the amount of subscriptions and - Poore' Rates to be about 8;500,0001. VvhiCh made on the whole 26 per cent, upon the entire rent. — These considerations, he said, required souse at tention—these evils called for some redress.— Mani Lawyers of high eminence were of opinion, that all property in the Funds and eliewhere was liable to Pours' Rates ; and by.a quotation which be made, it appeared that in the year 1663 it was resoNed by the Judges, that every person should he Charged according to . his esthte, and by the 22d of Geo. I. property the Funds was made chargeable. But, he contended, if the Houses of "Parliament should at any time say that property in the Fonda should not be-charged, that then they would toyeexeceded their powers, anti have acted in opposition to the lows of nature, and contrary to the • immutable principles of justice. Ant: 'as to the policy of taxing funded property for the Poor, it was quite as politic to do so as to lay the income Tax on ,t. The country had now been brought to a slate Of the utmost distress, and relief was now eiii!ntial to existence. The Poore Rates were one of the many causes which produced these melancholy effects ; and now the greatest, pains should he taken. to equalize the burdens whica they imposed. He calculated the amount of Interest on Funded. Property, namely Debentures, Bank Stock, India Stock, South Sea Stock, &c. &c. to amount to three mil lions and a halts If this, together with landed Property, was vsxed, even at a very low rate, it would yield a sufficient sum for the poor. -.He also observed, that money lent at interest should also be made , chargeable. He was' of opinion that pauperism was more the effect of commerce than of agriculture ; and he also observed,, that the Poor Laws were peculiarly oppressive upon persons who were not . natives of England. After the natives of Ireland, or of other places, came into,England in search of occupation, and after they had spent a long life in labouring for the luxury and comfort of the English, they were sent, back to their native country, diseaSed, - destitute, and infirm, .forgotten by some friends, and de prived of others by the hand of death. He assur ed the House, that he felt his inadequacy to per form the task whiCh he had undertaken, and be fore:he concluded, he begged leave to conjure the Noble Lord to raise and immortalize his name,:by lending his assistance to the amelioration of those unjust and oppressive Laws. lie urged him to come' forward-,--he entreated him to tell the House and the Country what they , had to expect, as e very thing *ended upon bins. The Honour able' Member concluded by moving, " That a Committee. he appointed to entinire into the state of the Poor Laws." Lord ensTLEaeaou.--The speech of the flan. Gentleman who proposed ,this motion embraced many interesting and important particulars ; and he had, endeavoured to follow it thorough all its d e tails. While be give that credit Which was certainly due to the Honourable Gentleman for bringing this subject under the inesideration of the House, he was - happy to pay him ment on the calm and temperate tone with which he had discussed this most important subject.— However great he (Lord C.) might think the dill's culties with which it was surrounded, yet he, for one,wo l uld give his anxious and earnest support to any inquiry into it, and any individual exertions Which he or any other of his Majesty's Mi nisters could makes would be made : all the time which, consistently with the due discharge of the public duties, could be given, would be devoted to it. And whether they shonhl succeed in at 4taining that object wh?th the Honourable Gen tleman was so sawguine in anticipating, at least it %w okd not tie t r eated with indifference, much less would it be coldly abandoned: For this much he wou ld' siyi .that 'tithe W-as.no 'class - of iniliViduals whose disposition more goaded them to the dig. charge of their important duties on this subject, than those - who are engaged hi theGoveroment of the country at this time ot:public difficulty and dis tresS. Phere was 'no responsibility on this subject from which he would shrink. It was not env such feeling as that of avoidinc , responsibility. that pre‘ented: him from coming forward to take the lead in this matter. What prevented him froth doing so was the conviction, that Wall the inert- bets of. Government had engaged iti it, and had been 'able to see.their way to . some measure which premised to be efficient, and towards which the country might feel touch disposed, and would tia' turally Look with strong hopes ; and if the mea sure thus brought forward by Government proved in practice inefficient and failed, the disappoint. meat throughout the country would be greater Bed would bring on such despondency as injght prevent the renewal of any efforts. 'But in the pro posed Committee he did not despair that some ef ficient measure would be devised. He assured the Honourable Gentle Man that he took as gloomy a view as himself of the system of the Pour Laws, He considered them as calculated to break down the spirit of the English people.—(Hear, hear, hear !). 7 --And lie was firmly of opinion, that if they could hot succeed in raising up that spirit, and in inculcating those doctrines which would Make the people depend upon their own lab6ur for sepport—if they could not 'succeed in this; the English - men of future'ages would not be what they had been.—(Hear, hear; hear 1) —As to the systeof from which the present evils arose, what ever. mig`ht have been the original purview or the Statute of Elizabeth, it Was 'nut to be traced from the mode in Which that Statute hail been,: acted upon. For it there was ' no positive. sod legal title given by that Statute, yet there wlt no denying that it impressed upon the minds of ;be lower orders a sentiment of claim to rehet. It 'Was curious to' see what difference of practice had grown up in England and in Scotland front laws originally of the same kind. With respect to, the 'character of the Irish peasantry; he agreed with the Hon. Gentleman. AVbatevee descriptions might have gone abroad as to the situation and distresses of the Irish peasants, he always thought exaggerated. Industry rues there practised. T 9 their own efforts alone they could look for support and subsistence, and the conse quence was, that there was a Cheerfulness, a dig nity in their character, which could not be too highly valued. In England, on the contrary, too much liberality in the distribution of parochial pe- Cuniary relief had broken down all these feelings. In Scotland, the statute, corresponding to that of Elizabeth in the English law, remained in prac tice, an instrument by which the heritors or landed proprietors were in every parish aetherizeil to assess themselves for the relief of the poor, and this day they did not cio'so as to - encoorage in• dolence and sloth ; but they supplied with lahoni such of the poor as were able tb work, and foe this they were paid ; 'so that none were there sup• ported by the Poor Rates but those who were itb. whitely incapacitated by age or sickness froni earning the means of subsistence. With respect to one topic—the general feelings of the People of Efigland,.. at this time!---he differed much from the Honourable Gentleman. - efforts in this cause would surely not be ,distrusted, if lie stated an opitrioo on this part of the subject* very different front that which represented the mass of the people of Engitt'od as murrourieg and alscontented uritler the present distresses. For his own part, he thought that the .patience and fortitude . with which the privations and hardships of the present time were !Janie, was truly ad mirable and 'exemplery . —they were virtues, the benefit and reward of which would be reaped , when the causes of the present distresses, which were certainly of a temporary nature, had been entirely removed. With respect to the plan of the Hon., Gentle Man to extend the contributions for the support of the poor, to personal property, it would be a delusion ,to hold out to the land* eel proprietor that he could in any degree es cape entirely froth the present system, and that it wouldsbe in our power to tread back all our steps to the statute of - Elizabeth. Thus much he said to prevent the House trout looking towards any such precipitate step as that cif overturning the present system. . But at the saute timelie was sure the Mime would feel, that if system of pecuniary relief was allowed to go on with the same degree of laxity that it !Sow Alidif the same trauds-=the same profligacy and idleness was allowed to be encouraged, and men were still to Meet with temptations to escape labour, then loin would approach the country. doubly, for there would then not only be,the pres sure of taxation but the relaxatioo 'ofindustry.— (Hear, hear, front all sides of the House.!)The great principle should be, that no man able to work should hate any claim but to .the wagee,or his labour..—(ll.ear, _hear, bear 1) —Such Men ShOuld be - supplied, not With money, but with work, for- which they should be paid. On this principle the system should be founded, and pa rishes should find out such .work for these men to labour upon, as would be useful to the community. If no useful work could be found for them, he would rather oblige them to tligabolebne day, and to fill it up the next, then pay them to live doing nothing, and drag their : limbs about in slothful inactivity, till they lest the power of industry with the habit. —(Hear, hear !) . —,lf men able to work Were al lowed to subsist on the charity of their parish with: out any effort towards 'their own maintenance, they Would - lose all the feelings of men, they. would become burdensoMe, offensiee, and worie :than useless to - society. The evil bad increased . to such an,extent, ;that if it Were not soon dealt with, it would become too .strong for the law. The first thing to be drine was to cause the laws .in existence to be effectually -administered. At pre4ent, -with some few eiteeptions, the admini stratiOn of the laws was radically had.—(Hear, hear I)—ltt the parish with which he was con• fleeted the Poor Laws were. administered by woman.—(Hear ! and laughter,)The truth was, they - were. generally, in the hands of persons utterly incapacitated from acting. To be inn perly qualified for - fttiministering these ; litiVs'lee (piked snore than the experience Of one or .two, years. Tbe parson ought to k nots' ill'the duals in the parish. The fertners its each parish 1 ' _should be Lamle in turn to .undertake : the office of