The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-22 00:00:00

THE POOA.LA W GUARDIANS AND THE CASUAL
POOR OP rim METROPOLIS.

From a parliamentary return issued this morn-
ing, it appears that the Poor-law Board in December last I
forwarded a minute to the boards of guardians of the metro-
politen unions and parishes, referring to the inadequate and
Raquel accommodation provided in the several metro-
politan workhouses for destitute vagrantesod wayfarers. " It
is a fundamental principle of the poor-law," mays the mien*
"that every destitute person, without reference to the
question of settlement or residence, is primarily entitled
to relief where he is actually destitute, and it is the duty
of the guardians to see that all necessary aed reasonable
arrangements are made for affording to every such person
the requisite relief, whether in food, clothing, medical at-
tendance, or lodging. Ts meet these requirements, the
parochial authorities are empowered to raise all necessary
sums by local taxation. With respect to the vagrant and
houseleas poor, it is obvious that the kind of
relief required, in the night at least, is not so
much food and clothing u lodging. In every
union, or parish not comprised in a union, there should
be, either in the workhouse or elsewhere, proper
and sufficient wards, according to the moxial circumstances
of the locality, for destitute wayfarers and wanderers, sad
means., such aa the law contemplates and the Poor-law
board have frequently suggested should be provided, with
the view of testing the real condition of each applicant.
In unions and parishes where the existing wards and work.
house accommodation may be insufficient, the board con-
sider that it is the duty of the guardians to make such
further arrangements, whether permanent or temporary,
as will erasure for every wanderer and wayfarer actually
destitute, and applying there for food and shelter, sof&
(*ant protection and relief for the night."
The minute then proceeds to state as follows the gale-
ral duties of those union officers who are responsible for
the actual administration of relief :—" The master of a
workhouse, or io ease of his abeam or inability to act, the
matron is required to admit every applicant who may ap-
pear to him or her to require relief through any sudden or
urgent necessity, although such applicant his not obtained
an order of admission either from the guardians, relieving
officer, or overseer. If the master and matron should be
both shunt from the workhouse, or incapable of perform-
ing their duties at the same time, it is the ditty of the porter
to admit, and place in the receiving ward, any person who
may apply at the workhouse for relief under simi-
lar circumstances. The board have decided that
the muter of a workhouse within the meeropo-
litan district may properly admit., under the shove regula-
tions, any person who may be brought there by a pollee-
constable, and described as having been found abroad in a
state of destitution, the presumption being that the appli.
cant has been guilty of so offence that would authorise his
detention in custody. It is the duty of the relieving officer,
also, in every cue of sudden or urgent necessity, to relieve
every destitute applicant, either by offering admission to
the workhouse, or providing, so far as practicable,
all sack' necessaries as may be actually requisite,
without reference to the time of application, or to the plea
where the pauper has last slept. The board are desirous of
impressing upon bawds of guardians the importance of
givieg special directions to the master and matron of the
workhouse, and also the porter, that, whomever the work.
house or vagrant wards are full, they should be extremely
careful to inform all applicant& for admission of the'residence
of the relieving officer, in order that the requisite relief may
be supplied by him. Printed tickets, with the name and
residence of the relieving officer, should be provided and
delivered in such cases by the master, matron, or porter, to
every applicant. If the applications are likely to be very
numerous, and to interfere with the ordinary duties of the
relieving officer, or to require much attention from him in
the night, an assistant relieving officer should be appointed
to attend to these cases exclusively."
Last month a letter was addressed by the secretary of the
Poor-law Board to the guardians, informing them that the
Commissioners of the Metropolitan police will be glad to
make arraugemente to render the services of the police
form available for aiding the union and parochial authorities
in supplying immediate relief to the destitute houseless poor
in the metropolis should the guardian, feel disposed to adopt
this system of administering casual relief. The president
considers it very important at the present time that the
guardians should give this subject their immediate con-
sideration, and if requisite, make sneh arrangements as will
secure the valuable service of the police force in the per-
formance of the duties of assistant relieving officers.

DISC H ARC ED CO?iTICER. —A return issued this
morning shows that the number of male convicts discharged
from English convict prisons from 1856 to 1862 inclusive,
was 13,957. of which number 7.428 were discharged on
license. During the same years 432 licenses were revoked,
and 2,931 persons were reeonvicted, being at the rate of
24.3 per cent. In Ireland during the same period 3,757
convicts were discharged, 1,388 being on license. The num-
ber of convicts recommitted in Ireland during the same
years was only 417, and but 81 licensee were revoked. The
per onstage in Ireland of recommitt►ls on discharges is only
11.09 per cent.

104 TRAM OLD. —The Boston (11.5.) Transcript
publishes a sketch of Desooo John Phillips, of Sturbridge,
Mass., who is now in his 104th year. This veoerable maa
was born in Massachusetts whoa George IL was King of
Great Britain. He was drafted in 1776, and served io the
early part of the American revolotiou, and bar a distinct
recollection of the battle of Bunker Hill. which took place
whim he was 15 ran old. He has lived all his life on mos
farm, stoat one table, and during a space of 90 years has
Dot had ► movers sickness. _

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Ram—A family of Rocky Mountain rats
recently carried off, and secreted them among the rocks,
640114• of oodles from a mining tunnel at Gregory Pont.
—Orefsm P‘Zrer•
Gain VORTHIELN HOAPTTAL, CALZDONILN-ROAD.
—Number of plaints for the week ..ding Feb. 20, 811, of
whin 251 wen new oases.