The Express.
London, England, 1847-05-07 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPER.

AMENDMISNT OF SEE NNW PCIIOII.LLW.—A bill for the
better administration of the Eoglish poor law has bees
printed, by order if the Ileum or Common'. 2he fu tetioes
of the poor-law commissioner", creased by the 4th nd sth
Wiil. 4, c. 76, expire at the end of the present lesion of
parliament, and it is necessary that a new commissio should
toe appointed. This is to be of a totally different. character
from the old one, and will he constituted as follows:—lts
ex-officio member' are—the President of the Council, the
Lord Priry Seal, the Home Secretary, and the Chan.ellor of
the Exchcrpt,. The working c..tmmisaion to consist of pct.--
6 Ins a,,potr.ted by letters patent under the great seal, end
during her Majesty's pleasure; the float-named in the potent
shall be, and be styled, the " President" (clauses 1 and 2.)
The commissioner' shall appoint under their veal twe seen-

Uric*, and such clerks, miss engem , and servants u may be
required ; these being removable at the pleasure of the
commissioners (c. 4 and 6). Two couimi•ioners, or the
president alone, shall be competent to act in the
execution of any powers vested in the commission.
All documents under their seal, to have validity, must be
&J,ned by at least two commissioners, or, if by the president
alone, must be countersigned by one of the cemeteries (e. 7).
All rules for their own procedure, or for the guidance of
persons employed by them, must be signed by th) ^e commis-
sioners (c. 14). The salaries of the president, and of the
secretaries and minor officers and Ferrante, shall be regulated
by the Lord Higli Treasurer ; but no commissioner, other
than the said president, shall be entitled to hoc any salary
!or remuneration. The president and one secretary may b.•
elected into parliament (e. 8 and 9). The new commission to
have the power of summoning and examining wines es upon
oath, and to enforce the production of books, contracts, agree-
, muts, accounts, map', plans, surveys, and writings (except
title-deeds), but no witness shall be required to attend at
a distance grater than ten miles from his abode (e. 11).
So much of the old act or acts as squires any minute
of the opinion of each of the commissioners to be made in
record of their proceedings in cases of final differences of
opinion upon any order or proceeding, nr as would require
any general report of the proceedings of the commisaionen
to be submitted to one of the principal Secretaries of State,
is to be r. pealed. But, instead, a general report is to be
laid Delon parliament once a year, within six weeks after its
date, or, if parliam.nt be not then sitting, wit pin six weeks
after the next meeting of parliament (c. 12 and 13). The
rules now in use maybe confirmed by the new commissioners ;
and any new ones they may make to be subject to dis-
allowance by her Majesty, with the advice of her privy
council Ic. 17 and 18). The office of assistant cammiesioner
is to be obelished and twelve "inspectors " appointed in-
stead with similar powers. For conducting any special in-
quiry, the commissioners may appoint some person who must
be either a doctor of medicine, a barristi r, a mi mber of
the Royal College of Surgeons. an architect, or surveyor.
Any such special inquiries not to last longer than :A days,
(c. 19-22.) The new commi-sion to be in force dining five
yearn next after the day of the passing of the act (c. 25).