The Sun. — London, England, 1817-08-08 00:00:00

iti:l ANI ENT A ity I."APE-R.S. POOR LAWS. nr THE ,LORDS' C,,:kitITTEPS ON THE POOR LAWS. . _ Dv thg• Lords' Committees arimittted to consider 'tit the Poor• Laws, and report to the House; and %rho welt- empowered to report the Evi 'deuce taken before ! '111,111 from - time to tinitt to the Ilottse ; ant.V.to.•whont - several Petitions Oil t ht. -ohieet 10t 4 5e been. referred ; Ordered • n) iteport , , • Th"T k'pplying li.emselves ,to the impor tant . subject +Ted 1,1 their enoSideration. the Cow mitt, a have telt it their thoy the firsr.instance to dieivt Oieir to the Lll.‘l's whit!!! ire it) be to.und opal) l i. a Stainte iltt“k.At, au early pet t 4 l(e provisions of ot,«Nr. of ‘vnich.were, alkrwards ftnbm•lied in the Act- of the 43d of F,lizaheth, and laid the loondirtion of the present system. The Statute of Labourers of the 23(1 of Ettward 111. appears to hare been enacted in •constopience of the (11,1111.6;01y t fleets prising front a pestilential disorder that had prevailed.at that period, and uhich roused so great .a scarcity of labourers in husbandry. that au Act •was passed containing, the : `! That every person under • sixtv yeArs, of ante, alkle to wo:k, anti not deriving any fixed maintenance front trade, handicraft, or I►rrs.onal7proper.ty of own, nor posses,ing hind regwring. his own labour, and not bei:lg already toigage<l in. other, sorvice, should, it. rtopt;.red to ettouze ili H st , tvii:e,fo trod Sttilahle to his station, 1) , hchl to b so eng.agell .the person so,requir imt hint 31111 should teceive. the usual wages of, the part of the country in NOlich he should Serve, ern art..average of: the last twenty, or sik,.or-five years." • • 'There are other .provision's to prevent a greater *umber of _labourers being entpb)yed bTany one person than are necessary for his service ; and 0140 for - the punishing of tho , eow,lto shall refuse saitable scrtice and employment, by imprison ment', unless proper security.shall be given. There then follows a series of Acts of.ihe same year (23 Edward 111) to prevent agricultural la bourers tram quitting their service before :the time ao!reed upon, without. license or reasonable cause and against the giving o'r_receiving of higher thkin the accustomed. Wages,; under pain of imprison ment in the case of ibe.artificers or workmen, and of the fot feiture of. treble the value in the ca•e of the 1...tr - t1 of a Town or Manor offending agaitist the Statute. • The 2d of Richard - 11. confirms the above Atts, and - iti the 12th of . Richard 11. other Statutes were enarteo, restrati , ing labourers and servants from a vi . U.g the hunch ed, rape, or w w apentake iuwhich 't;ad res id e d and were employed, -without . a cerf tfica= e of the cause of their departure, and spe:. c ifyiAg the tinge of their teturn (12 Richard 11. catt:'2l - • of Richard 11. cap. 4. prohibits the g ;%-ine or taking of more wages than are limited by Surtnte.. . . The sth chapter of the same year directs, that nn ut.ruu who has been hrma t zht up to the accu, /whin ot,husbandry tci the age of twelve years, Shull" , he afterwards put to any Other trade anti that:all covenants of apprenticeship contrary to this 'Act shall he mill and void.. At the same period a law yeas passed for the punishment ,of it neranr Mendicants who were able to work . ; and - for providing for- such beggars, as were impotent, In the towns and cities in which they might he re- Sident •the thee of the proclamation of the. and _providing. further, that'" if• the people of the above cities and towns were nnwill , ing or unable to maintain .them;. they, should be conveyed to other towns in the hundred, rape, or wt,peutake,"* or to the towns ;where they. were born, in,forty days after the said. proclama- ' tion.: , IC-further. provided, .that all those who went,iit pilgrimage as tnetrdicants, being. able to work > should he treated in the sameY manner as the aforesaid . servants and- labourers, unless they bad letters testimonial of their pileriniage,-under the seal of' the Ordinary. Clerks of the Uitiver•-• sity; who go about begging, are also required by the - Act to have letters testimonial from their Chancellor,.tmder the same penally. The 12th of Rib. ll.i.cap 9. ordains, that the Act relating to servants and laboUrers .begging and wandering, shall have force and be executed as well in cities and boroughs as in other. towns and places of the kingdom. Bvihe I . 3th'of Rich. IL cap. 8., it iraccorded and appointed, that thejusticei of Peace in every county - , at their Sessions held between Easter and Niclutelm4s, :shag 'bake .proclatuation at their tbs.. acinutling to - the juice of victuals, how ninety ee ery.,masoo, - carpenter, tyler, - and other at titicerint,t3vorkinen, and also labourers by the day, as well in harvest as in other. times of the year, 'shall .receive daily. either. with or without meat 'und di ink during that period, between the aforesaid Session. The hof Rich. 11. Cap... 6, directs, that in every license front "henceforth to be made in the Chaorery of the appropriation of any parish church, it shall be expressly contained and CoMprised, that the Dioct , sai) 'shall ordain a proper sum of money, ti criording,.to the value-of such chinches, to be paid, yearly, of their fruits and,protits, to the poor paris.honers of tbe said churches, in aid of their auti-sioteuauce, for ever ; and that. the Vi car be well and sufficiently endowed. Other Sta.- tutes-were passed in the reign -ofllenry the Sixth and Henry the Seventh, for con tin u i ng the Sta.. totes' of Richard. the Seconsi concerning the evages of labourers, to which reference has been made; itind.alsofor preventing persons .wishing-to change their service .frotn leaving their employersuithont sufficient 4iotice tn,enabh: them-to provide other fiery nits in their place. , • Soule of . tbe-4-atly Statute& which ltave.l?een al ready c,ited, anA4 particaarly: that of the 2;1 of Iticb; 11. refer t07410e-ptirmiple settlyuebt by sidenCe, but .appear;:.to,haye.beeft ,etiacted other, in the view-of pro4iiug a.gainst.akezcarpOof la bourers itthushit.tl4y Ovhich vyas. oeca4pnally felt in tbosti::ViettACltkiCto.. Uri v e '..hatLan yreictence.to the ciaitri of individuals to relief croin. - particular di et.7s;. , but, ltPtiltrov ide for the-mged oudinfirm, * fieiith des Aitz Citccs nts . VA!les ne,v9illentou ne poietif .stxffir trover, tine Ivi; S9i trailleut aus autrt:s Vines atits•le JiltkA:cd; X 4; &c..;•: •='-'l O • and tlicge nnutle to maintain' th'etrtstivts, who were, therefore, compelle to snlisi.,t by begging; the Statutei finVitig roe on't:of their, objects to :pre vent itinerant Mendlcity. , The first laiv in Which liny imnarative ' ate used in respect ,to th.,••fellet of the poor, is t h e 27th Henry VIII. cap. 25, I. which provision , . is Ordered to be made by " alt Governors'Of Shires, Cities, Towns, Hundre(ls, St.c. by way of volunta ry and charitable aims, for tf:c finding and keep , lint; of every . aged, poor, and impotent . person Which %cm. born or• dwelt thiee years within the saute It also. contains -proviiiinns fur the pre .t.lltion of begging, and for put tin?, to s'er'eiee in htishandry , nd othe'r cral:s or labours,all child re'n above five and anger fonr(een years of age, who live in idlencss,,and are taken begging. The 2tith-ot Ilettiv VIII. cap 5, contains some very 11111113[1e regulations fur the proteetitia of ap prewices a l . , ,tinst the exaction of fees, to which they had been subjected " by the Acts and Ordi nances of divers wardens and fellowshipa, con trary to the meaning of an Act of the 19th of Henry VII.; and also to prevent their being re strained by. oath or bond trout keeping - or setting up any shop after the expiration of their appren ticeship." The 3d' and 4th of ,Edwaril - VI. relates to the punishment of rogues and vagabonds ; revises the Statute of 22d Henry VIII. cap. 12, for the relict of impotent and aged persons ; and directs thkit maimed sore, aged, and impotent persons shall be relieVed and cured, And habitations provided for them, by the devotion of good people of- that.city, town or village, where they were born, - or.had dwelt .three years. . , The sth anit,Gth of Edward VI'I. cap. 2, anti the 2d aitt3 3d 'of Philip Mary, cap. 5, relate to the sitife object' of relief ; the hitter pro6ding a " retne4 , whetfe a parish is not able to relieve the poor therein, *old where' a town surcharged wit Ii poor standeth of near two•connlies The next Act .w.)!ich appears upon the Statute Rook, is the 3d Of Olialleth, cap. 3, which pro vides, that the poor and impotent pt;rsops of every parish shall be relieved -of. that which every per son will of their charity give weekly; d that the same relief shall be gathered - in every by collectors assigned; and weekly:distributed to the poor ; for none of them shall openly go or •it begging. And if any pariShoner:shall obstivattly retuse.to pay reasonably towards the relief of the said poor, or shall discourage others, then the Justices of the Peace at time Quarter Sessions ofay tax hitn,toa reasonable weekly sum, wkich'; it he refuse to pay, they may commit Won to pi ison. And if any parish hiave in it, more impotent 'poor persons than -they are able to relieve, .then the Justices of the PeaCe of the county-stay license so many of them as they shall think good, to beg in one or more Hundreds of the same county. The object of this Act was probably to encou rage private charity, •by providing for its proper distribution, as well as to prevent begging, either by itinerants, or personsplaeing themselves by the way-side tor that purpose. It is Mu') the first Statute •that is absolutely compitlsory in . respeet to an assessment for the re fief of tbe.poor. The very next Statute of the same year, the sth. Elizabeth, cap. 4. entitled, " Au Act con taining divers orders for Artificers, Labourers, Ser:vants otilusbandry, and:Apprentices," relates to so great a variety of regulations upon this snb ject, that your Committee will -merely give au ab straet of,t he preamble,. to convey an _idea of the Act itself. . . " Although there reniain and Stand in force presently, a great number of Statutes concerning, the , retakMpg, depart ing, wages, and orders Of apprentices , servants, and ‘lithonr-' era, as-well in husbandry, as in givers .other arts, mysteries, and occupations" yet partly for the iitip;erfeet ion and contra riety that is found ' in sundry of the said lai s,. and for the va-' riety and number of them, mid for.that the wages and allowancedimited and rated in many of the said Stattites are in dive's places too small, and not aniivelahlelo this time, respecting.-the advancement of prices of all thiiigsbe 14niking to the said servants and - labourers, the said laws cannot conveniently, without the great grief and burthen of the poor labourer and hired man, he put in good and due-executio : and as the said several Acts and Statutes were At the time of the mating of them thought to be very good and beneficial for the Commonweath of this Realm (as divers of them are), so if the subitauce of as -many' of the said laws as are meet to be continued shall he tli'iested and re duced into one sole Law and Statute and in the same and tinilo i rm Order prescribed and limited concerning the wages and other ,orders for apprentices, servants, and labeOrers, there is good hope that it will come. to pass that the "same law (being duly executed) shall banish idleness, advance Ints bandry, and yikld pato the hired person, both in the time of scarcity and in the time of plenty, a convenient proportion of: wages." The above Act appears to proceed upon the presumption that persons ( who could, find em ployment would earn sufficient for their support; and the 431' of Elizabeth was undoubtedly form ed upon the same basis ; the couseqnctice of which would necessarily he; that it was only such as could not - find work them Selves that the parishes were obliged tqmvploy. The:AM of Wizabeth gives power to the Jus . tiers in•respect to the mothers and reputed father; of bastard children, who were to be charged will the weeldrpayinvot of. tnoney,.or assist in pro vitlin of other sustentation fur their relief; and in default thereof to be committed to ,the con]. mon gaol. It also contains provisions for the conveyance of rogues from one parish to another ; for pro viding a stock .to set the poor on work in every city artd town corporate`; for establishing houses - of correction in every county ; and providing also that lands holden in socage may,• during twenty , • years, be given towards the maintenance ofhouscs of correction, and stock to the. poor: . The 31st of Elizaheth, cap. 7, though not referring to the, employment or relief of the pour, is so much connected with the subject, that it seems proper to refer to it in this place.- - It provides, that fur the avoiding of the great inconveniences which- are found by experience to grow by the erecting of great numbers and moltitudes of cottages, which are daily more and more increased in many parts of the realist, no per sops shall erect any manner of c o ttage, for habitation or dwell ing, unless the same .persons do assign and lay to the same , cottage or buildings tour acres of ground at tbe, least, to be oecupteil and neanuted therewith, so long as the saute cottage shall ,be. inhabited. There arc exceptions for cottages in cities anti Inaouet towns; and for the habitations of workmen 1.0 mines and quarries; and also for cottages within one mile if the sea •' for cottages on forests, Chases , ' warrens, and parks, and for dwellings . of herdStnen anti shepherds. The probable object of this.'Act was tt, citable the labourer to maintain ° himself partly by the produce of the land under , his own management, and partly by working for others ; thus raising a middle class of labourers between the farmer and the mere day-labourer. The :30th of Elizabeth directs who shall be overseers of the poor, 'by whoa, and when they Otall:be appointed, their office ana duty, their accounts; their forfeitures, &c. The Committee did.not conceive they sisould bave perform, - . col the tint* entra.tell to their Aar4e; if they 1/:tici not endea . ;• t.. bring miller your Lordships' view a shi3rt summary ..f the laws .preservcd ..4,1 the slatute tier subject, from the perimiS at which the:diffet:ent. parts t.if the system . . appear to have been first established.. That.sttniniary is uuw brought down to.the 4hd of Elizabeth ; in..wbich.the different laws awl provisions that .had previously e:;ist;c4, fir several years, are united and cUusoildated. From lapse of time, and a departure from the true spirit, of the tabote'Att,.arising fre quently from the: Mullane exercise of its sunosed t :itow.ol, abusys have niuloubtedlSr been introduced into tila geirt:al administration of the Poot - La Of'England - ; but the Outt mitt ee are tieee . rthetess decidedly of ..t.tifinion, that the gene, rat system of those laws, interwoven as it is with the habits of the people, ought, in•the cOnsideration'of any measures to be adapted for their and improvement, .to be tis sentially maicitoined. It is under this Act that the fund for employing the poor who arc abk to work, and for Maintain.. in;; those *bu are unabfe tit do so, is railed•at .'this. day, with ‘everal modification's and alterations, however, that hays: been enacted hy sul•etpient Statutes. It Must be obvious to any' One *lto et - insiders - the . gentral c'ppeptid prObahle:view of many of the Statutes which have• beer) etinineratcd, that at the period of their enactment the state of the country was eXtrentely difl'erent from that in Which it. is tiow placed,'iti' many fmportant instances; and that consegtteittly,.4 hough in thempinion of the Committee the. system of the Poor Laws ought to be maintained, yet it must be admitted that Soule of their provisions are-less'ap plicable, and perhaps 'More difficult in the execution,under present circumstances, than at the time of the it original esta blishMent. At brat period the pOptilation of the cduntrywA chiefly agricultural ; anti from the'tenor•of some of the early laws to which reference has been made, it appears that ap prehensions occasionally existed of a deflciencyi , even in that population, for the necessarYoecnpations of hasbandry. -- The progressive increase which has since taken place in : -the gene ral pop:datiott of the kingdom, and the grpt proportion of that populatiOn Adtkli dtiring a lung series - of years has found a constant and advantageous employment in the occupations of trade, handicraft, and manufacture, and in attendance upon the more optsient. members of the'ciiimnimity (whose numbers have also increased in a great prtitArtion) have'pro doced im porta tit ehanges.in the operation of the, Poor Laws; for upon the Sodden failure of demand fer some of those ma . nufactttres which had s 6 lout; atfOrdtd . ' the gieatest . encciu ragement and the most ample mcarts of suhsistence:tothel , pulation of entire districts , the most serious distress lias en sued. The ,conseqnence has been, that thos'e elasse:s'of per sons upon whom the.alisessments *lie made for the necesSarV maintenance and relief of the mannfacturer and artisan, when suddenly deprived of their accustomed means of support,have, ltl smne.instances, been exposed to a degree of pressure.and embarrassment which has probably never been experienced to so,great an extent - at any former period. - - At the same timei however, that the attention- of the Committee has been drawl to the distress which has existed in some of the manufactur ing diSfricts, they 'think it material to'obServe, that .consi- - &raider 'distress . likewise appears to have prevailed in many parts of the country which :ire exclusively agricultural. In the prosecution of this important 01.1 extensive inquiry. the Committee have examined a variety of ‘titnesses, several of 'shunt have attended voluntarily, without suminons, for the porpose of offering such :information as they possessed re specting part .cular districts.. 'From the'gVneral result of the 'evidence, it has appeared to. the Committee, ,that though some of the districts, and in some of the country parishes not coritainimr.any hitge or populous towns, the increase in the rates has not be-m 44 any great amount,-and iu soase.less than might have been expected under ail the circumstances of. the present lime (referring more particularly she'd - le:as of unfaCourable harvest-of last year throughoutEttrope' and alio to the want of employment which has been severely felt in many parts of the cou n try) ; yet in Other districts which are almost exclusively agricultural, the Committee have rea son to belieie that very great distress has prevailed, - and that the rates hive been considerably angmented. In the manu facturing districts, as has been .already - observed; tvhere't her population has oflate greatly exceeded. the ..deinand f0K,14- boor, the burthen of the rates has been partictilarly . Seivere,. notwithStanding the large —subscriptions Which havti been. raiseithy private 'benevolence, and (as will appear frciin the evidence annexed) a very general and meritorious attention to the admihiStratilin of the funds; en fife part ottlie . ovee-• seers and other persons. appointecao superintend the ma-, nagement of the poor its sonic of the great manufacturing towns. Its the course of the evidence maree details are entn'nerated- - of the actual amount ant/comparative inereate of the rates in different places aild at different periods; and itiforne:tion has kern also collected of the manner in and of t he description of persons who partakeof it in different parts of the kingdom. In 111411 V parishes a system hes been. adopted, in.consequence of the aettrease - in the demand for work, of employing latiourqs in ketatitur amongst the farmers . ; and in souse' places this practice has'bren carried-to . such an extent, that fewer regular labourers have been em, plowed Shaft the necessary works in hushandry 'would have re , quired upon cacti farm : 'those works having been performed he (what arc called) •roundsuien, at less than The, I+4oo - rate of wages. Wherever superfluous- labourers • have been •etu ployed in works, not,of absolute necessity, but which hare been undertaken and executed - by intik iilnals Pfir the - sake - •of alTordieg relief aid furnishing --employment to those ubo conk! not otherwise have obtained it, this practice, must have afforded an importauf though temporary relief ; hut in the ease referredto, as stated in the, evidence,' the effeet - orth - P, system of roundsmetr has been to throw upon the general' rates or parishes in which tile system has prevailed, ill the most direct and obvious manlier, s very considera:ble propor tion of the wages of that labour, the charge of which ought, to have been defrayed by the individuali fo r wrioth it was per-• formed. The Conniiiltee have also observed; in the course of their' inquiry, that a practice which appears to-hare coMmeniced at' the period of scarcity in the year 1795, and Which was coati ; tined in the years 1890 and 1801, of suakingatp - to labourers with families : l he insufficiently of their USeal Wages:by aid from the poor rates, has been regularly continued in many parti of the kingdom; a practice - which - , though it may lave preVented for some time the raising - of the direct ps;iceof labour, has been to a certain degree atteodedwith the injurious effect of taxing those who have nu interest in it-with proportion of the ezpence. . :Independently of this indirect addition to-the . poor : Tates, .the general amumtt of it receives a'still further increase by . other charges of a pUblie neture, - in no way applicable to the maintenance or relief of the poor. 'Of this description are the various chargei connected with the Militia, and whate ever sums are expended in the intilding and repairing of gatsli, of county bridges, of shire halls,. the expence of cri , prcsecutions, of indictments for' roads, and fines in consequence of such - indictments; as well as other charges which are of a public nature, and defrayed out of the county rate. The Committee hare therefore felt it au importani • part of their duty to inquire into the mode - of assessing property tar the poor rate : and into the..constructian. that has at an: time been put npim those Words in the Statute of the 4:3d of Elizabeth, which, in describing the persotl4 on whom the rate is to be levied, appear to raise a distinction -between the inhabitants of a parish and the• occupiers of land and • • . • houses. . It appears that in different instances personal propeily has been assessed to the poor-rates, though in souse cases appeals • have been made against such a-mode of rating: Fruits the decision; of the Courts, the principle of rating other proper ty than land and houses appears to have been generally ad mitted to be consistent with law; but the diffietilty has con sisted in describing the sort of property which is liable to•as sessment ; as it has been deemed essential that it should he some local and visible property within the parish for which the assessment is made. - - Upon the subject Of the general' mode of assessment foe the relief of the imor, Cite Committee are of opinion, upon the fullest consideration, that nothing - can tend to. keep.. the present system of the poor-ratls w:thio reasodahle bounds, but that the assessment should continue to be levied upon those Who are immediately.interested in the disbursement a nd who, front personal knowledge o( the character and si tuation of the ludh'iduals, itre best enabled to judge of the justice of their Claims and the extent of their wanti, ib cases o f application for relief. The Committee have thought it right to examine evidence respecting theinanagerneot of the,poor Scot land ; where, a power exists by law to impose a compulsory assess• meta for the relief of the poor, recourse - has settiAsi been'ilad .to it, execiA under particular circumstances, and in popu lous and manufacturing towns, Colosiderable sums, are rapist, by regular collections at the Churches, which are apVileti the puipiaie of relieving - the poor at the dieretion of the'n ifistet and Elders, cOmpositnr (what is called)•the Kirk Ses sion. By means of these collections, and of fprther volun tary contributions on the part of the heritors and other,inha bitants, the necessity forfora compulAoq ftsiNinient is gene rally avoided, except in times of particular distress..:_Upoa this subject a Report received from the General Ay,mirly•-of, the Church of Scotland, out the noitrigemeot of the poor lit that part of the United Kingdom, baring been r,lerred to the Conimittec, together with tunic 'interesting •details cost , tajne4 in, other doementv, they subjuilt them fur your Lord ships' Nit ' • o ton. . It vtould have been gratifying to the Coutraitt'it', in tbeilis charg' e Itaportalit ant tiorti ilt7ps rtt ttisr>tt them by your Lordships, if they could have suggested ail measures that would have -pttittaced a diminution of . those burthens winch have pressed u.illeavily of late years,plion t:rt • occupiers of. ittit-.1 and houses; end ill tAis dee; they harx en dcavuured to coll,:ct tIIC opillis;tts of those wittleses, ••selo.: tro:n their general knowledge arii experience, were most ly to atford information as to any t,tlterations that. Silgsvstrd 41, the iireent lases, as. ;t t tety to the_ terests aud comfort of the pour, as to aii alleviation of too pressure upon those who are liisble • , It roust be-evident to your Lortkl.ips that ;lie stbject is its its nature au-extensive and ditticult, that litt . lr rho: e can he expeZted;.especi:illy,in the first instance, Trold any eXertiont eau be made by iadiricluals,..r lierhaps trout the col wisdom of I'. l arlialuent, than .sack alieviotion of the hutlbens, aii.may be derived from an improved ,ystew of tiia~ hag - meta, and from tendering: the laws I.llore Siii4ple rxec~ttiou : -The great increase in the of the ttites ut late years, littsatriseti not Only from caases wLich. oars been entnneratiol, tort fioni the, general disposition to -resort s . to that species of maintenance utiliccottot of the facility Witt • whicbit- bas beiM .fretiutott ly Which has tended' tie weaken amota;itt the pta,ie that Ais„posittoti „to. econmi l ly W,ltie.tt foruicr4 existvi in many pit::ts of .the ettitti; .is highly desirabie, ou account of their clontfort and deuce; to encourag,e , and revive. , • "" Though tthire is reason to believe 014 of the . expense of.litigation arising from• appeols hastrevit at-, all times rather exaggerated, yet it is undoubtedly desirable, not, only in the view o f lessening the charges, but for the sake of those who may be the objects Of :removal, to make some..alteration in the Law of. Settlements. The,Conimittee, therefore. submit to the cOnSideration of the HoOse,whether • it might trot he expedierrt'to provide that every persou-resitt tog for three years iii airy parish without being chargeable (anti who-has oceit employed during•the above petiod in the said parish), shall.obtain a'settlement ; and that ,in - case that inode'of . settlement should .be adopted after a tittle to be fixed, • 510 persott.,shall acquire a get tle,nient lay hiring and service, or by apprenticeship.; and the Couinaittee thhikihey way safely recommend that no,ettleinent shall be acquired in any parish -by reittnig.a tenement, unless it shall consist of an ,boose . •or• land, or of an house with laud, and shall be held wider one • latidlortLitud saute parish, at an annual &tact( fide rent of twenty pounds, and les, titan cue year. -The Cotinuitteelthewi4e Submit particularly front the evi ticatceivhicla ,they received front Mane tiester :tad'llirminghant, tlrat a power should be give,' to remove persutis.befouguig-to countittsnot within the operation of tue Poor LaWsiotto . st,all, become chargeable to any paa:is Weir respet tire homes. - it has also appeared to the.Coamititee, that great I...tivdt, tag,: would arise (parfienlarly Ju !at t ic pirishes) trout the appoint.- went of permanent Oversers ;Ana Surreyurs of the ways, with salaries, and from the utittiO of small parishes tut' .a situilar purpose; :tad that. it is advisable to give a power to • parishes,, in certain cases, to occupy land 1.011.1 a VICIF to th!e •Calpiupnent of the poor. • lt,might likewise be proper to regulate the right of voting in vestries, altar[ questions relating to the inana,genieitt. of - the vuor,.according to the proportion in which the intiividirtil is asscs,ed _to the poor-rate. In addition to the' abtive•sugg,estion of the appointinent or a Permanent Overseer. the Committee are: of that. great'adva ..t age wouktk, arise, in ririous ways, from •prccnring„ means of regular and periodical returns to be laude tU tic Magistrates of counties, a clear and systematic account of Lice stake of every palish' in respect to the waliageuielit of 414 rates imposed for the relief of the poor, and the einployinclit and relief of those who are entitled to the care and iiae.utioa of the Overseers; such accounts to be 'returned once in the .• course of the year to• the . :'Quarter Sessions; to be teinlari;r preserved, accessible . to tote ihspi;ction of ;Any person afe., _ . . ying to exaiiiipc th e m. . ~. ~ .. It is unnecessary Is) dwrlt tipon . theidrantageof . ptitilicity all accounts bf , ptiliVio concern anti partical,ol.ls; 'oil ale aii..l. vantage tibit might be...ettree3ett4odoin4w-froinlit:ati accounts i)1 this description partaking- bothvf:sencrat aud.individu as interest; and involvingi questions on which 'natty of the per ins to whose observation they ivotildiie regularly subutitted s , area notTol y competent to .4 . tag,e; but interested. -in :tOrniin.g s a.corrcct 4:id - impartial judgment, , • . The Conitnitiee are also decidedly of opinion, from every inforniation:thoy halve rectiVed, , fhat-itis expi,dient: to rcoak nri-ctiti the adoptiirowf Pro.vidolit Savings II:An, as likely tut iacreare the coinfortsinsi,im prove the condition of the Poor„ and to reinter their less depcinlanf ott ptiri;eltial relief; wilicia 'under _the itest.atid mutt .coasidertite,adiniuis:;rati4tt tif it, CI:11 .never bsl.l9'satijactory•to the pct son • who is. the oli.,ect of it, consistent wi f th holloorahle . teeliusi Uf tarok awl indepelidence writtli art , Thiplauted in i he lie. a I of lu l 1, re,ource which is the resuleol'his own indostiy and the prO duce ti,4%.liisown exertions..., The. Counnittee.ranuat conclude ,this Itaport rithoOt dravodring to impress upon your ions. orWeltsfit:ainPinnuence througuota the canasta S, the, Kreat importance of -o jus,t, correct, tlid vigil nt zuhnon.,stia lion of the laws relating to..tbe poor ; and of reCoinutelidtu4; the most earriest manner, to all who have the oppurtiiiiii . yi the must.' unretnittiag attention to improve then general ma na'gvinent, and to correct Abose . evils.-which way have arisen, from a negligent or.mistaken tidininisteation of 'The. advanced period of 1 heSessiou wally of coorse, peetiti!tt the ,posibilitrof any immnediate alteration is the, prer;ent laws but -so fat, front consitteritar; tlit§ circitnan.ance as ;' , 2. platter of regret, the Combuitteit, art cf opinion, that morn advantage will ulamately arise from-Oa/41K tiinv . for. biaation upon the_ different - ing ; gestions which have haul made, Allan from baSlll7:adoptitig alte,cati'utat, wtaicia, line,._ ever useful they iny..at.preseitt appenr, !night possibly bete after in the detail befoutti,l inceosi•telit,wiilt . a mul c 6ener4l, plan of improvement in at; sy`steui itself. THE : EXTENSIVE FoRGEEY descripti'Oa. given by the boy Nash of tire perStio who employ ed him to present the forgery for C. 0./: 3s. ac the house of Sir Sohtt•Teiring• and' CO.. hating au swered theperson of the well-known HrOn Yo.. her's (lately discharged fvoin his adj,dg,:d s o nment), an titiicer yesterday brought that iu dividnal in custody to the Mansion-horse. °poll being confronted with the boy, as weil as 1 , 114 waiter of the: York Cot - Ice-house, they each iar stantly deerared he was not the tnau. :Rohe' vs" . 'immediately addressed the Lord Mayor, aunt stated, that his apprehensions of a resettiblanc to any person - suspected of forgery, or any ottici crime, was so great, thatlia felt it nectSsary regulate his conduct in the nicest rnAw)er. Hr. kept it diary of every movement he made, 'laid was accurate cy a moment as 'to the time and . place ii , %Odd', lie might be situate. 't his he believed was the onty theanshe had felt olpaeserving his liter Theininlic it 'scented had - latnted a high but a very Etilwirdinary estimate of his taienrs, and the f't:lice-appcar - ed to be sanguine in their expect a tinits that he would at ,le;igth make sonic des-, perate- a ttempt. In this he . could a-sine them they "would he disappoiuted.—Hoherts„ was of - 6 ) nr t e . discharged'i and the Lord Mayor having directed the Oli:ers to jiurstie their inquiries, the boy Nash was again remanded.. • ()tie of the mail guaitts.43u the North-roa I h as trave lled by nig-htfr,,nn July to July 9 t h gl7„ seventy4wo thousand six hundred ond sixty-six miles, without-a single rest (a. distance. _exec:y(l.ll/g many limes computed. length of Europe), and. is.still pluceetiing ou nocturnal journey. MARRIED. . . . On the Gth inst. at St. George's, Hanover-square, \t iililttl • Boni . 11 1 "filkbil, M.D. of 'nor ry, Yorlisliira,•toAnn NI as oily datt4ter of Mr. John Morton,. of - Eaton- street, Grusre nor-plaer.. DIELL On the lith inst. after a short illness, • at her house rielpt -T o wer, Mrs. Snow, wife of T. R. Snow, gsq. in her Glsz,,y.ear.• 91i Tuesday last, at the house of his sister,'Mri; 1 - 141,4.Q..yk Cana Hall, Waultead, Mr,. John Lofthouse, aged •LoNI)6Si v Printed by J. 8 . . CARSTAIIIN, of No..;4l',Oreitt- Ortuen,d=street, ..(.It.wert-sguttre; a nd.p tlbrts.44; 4y, W. A. SCRIPPS,..(4. South Molton-street, .74.;."Tut Su:3 Otfiee;' N. tl ?. Strand ; where Advettisenwsts, attltics k Letters, &c. (ittost-paid) itlust lie addressed, cret rC • T. f` At 4.c