The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-16 00:00:00

THE CASUAL POOR.

Mr. KEKEIVICH asked the President of the Poor-law I
Board whether his attention bad been called to the great I
increase of applications for relief by the casual poor, cape-
cial in the southern districts ; and whether he proposed to
lame any instructions to the boards of guardians on the sub-
ject, or whether he thought it desirable that all vagrants
making application for relief should have their Dania en-
tared in a register by the police.
Mr. VILLIERS Raid that his attention had been called
to the applications for the relief of the casual poor, but not
to the increase of applications, because no such increase
existed. The boo. member referred to the southern districts, I
and he (Hr. Villiers) found that in those which were per
rally classed with the south eastern and south western dis-
tricts there was a precise report from each of the tow counties
in each district. With respect to the south-east district
he found the applications to have been, Jule, 214 ; January,
286 ; south-west districta—July, 128 ; January, 136 ; show-
ing an increase of not more than 80. The hon. member asked'
whether he intended to lame any instructions to the boards
of guardians. He did not propene to issue instructions, but
during the winter he had called the attention of the boards
throughout the metropolis, and had directed the inspectors
to call the attention of the country boards, to the denia-
bility of placing the relief of the casual poor in the bands of
the police. He hid been induced to do this by the airy
satisfactory report of General Cartwright respecting the
casual cases which bad been treated by the police. General
Ost.wright said that he was deeply inpraseed with the
pest advantage of leaving the duty of rehiring
_esgriihts
is Use bands of the police, and begged to bring before the
public the propriety: of appointing trustworthy policemen
to such duty. The plan had been largely bled through-
out the year, and was rapidly becoming uuiversaL Nothing
in fact, General Cartwright said, could be better, both as
regarded the casual wayfarer and the public, the former
getting prompt relief, and the latter being apmst
the tricks of the professional mendicant.fite7t(cit.dr. V• led inn)
found that the plan was in operation in no lees than ninety
unions, and he had called the attention of the guardians
generally to it with a view to its extension.
DIETARY IN WAKEFIELD PRISON.

Lord FERMOY asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department what was the effect of the late change
of dietary in Wakefield Prieon on the health of the pri-
soners ; and whether he would lay a copy of the cone-
spondeoce on the subject, together with the report of the
medical officer, upon the table of the house.
Sir G. GREY said that the dietary to which the noble
lord alluded had only been sanctioned as an experiment,
and as it bad not as yet been six months in operation, the
justice. informed him that there had not as yet been time
sufficient to form an opinion. flowerer, he bad received
such an uotavourablis report of the effect of the diet in
lowering the health of the prisoners and in increasing the
mortality that he bad ordered it to be suspended. An
inquiry was at present going on into the whole question of
prison dietary.