The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-11 00:00:00

[STAMPED, U. ADDITIONAL.]

that to ignore the spirit of independence and of industry
which always characterised the parish of Clerkenwell;
and if any unpleasant expression came from any gentle-
man
in that room last week, it did not come from his
(Lord Devon's) side of the table. (Hear, hear.) He was'
glad to find the alteration in the mode of electing the'
guardians had met with the general approval of the gen. I
tlemen present, because it was the object of the Poor-
law Board, in any alteration they might think necessary
to make, to have the active support of the gentlemen
whom the alteration was likely to affect. It had been
mentioned that so good a body of guardians would be
elected under the altered system that they
might be very well left to manage their own
affairs. He was not prepared to deny that a
considerable improvement would take place in the consti-
tution of the board, and that young men of mental and
bodily vigour would be elected upon it. It had been urged
by the resolution that Clerkenwell being so important a
parish ought not to be placed under the control of one con-
taining a lees number of inhabitants. The West London
contained only 26,000, while Clerkenwell possessed tili,ooo
inhabitants, and of course in any combination that might
take place it would be the duty of the Poor-law Board to
see that the number of guardians of each component part
should be so regulated as not to admit of any undue con-
trol being exercised over the parish of ClerkenwelL With
reference to the remark that the Clerkenwell guardians
had carried out the general recommendations of the Poor-
law Board as far as practicable, he had been under rather
a different Impression, and he found from returns dating
from 1•56, that the recommendations of the board had
not always been carried out as effectually as
their importance required. With regard to the user-
' non that the parish was able to manage its own
affairs, be might say that the board had before them
within the last two or three weeks representations made
from the pariah, praying for an extension of time to pay
certain debts attaching to the parish, and the board were
obliged, under the statute, to extend the time. It was,
therefore, a question whether the parish was in every way
so prosperous as had been represented. As to the proposed
mums to which the deputation objected, the board simply
wished by it to carry out the act of parliament in its true
spirit for the purpose of improving the classification, and
providing better accommodation for the sick. He be-
lieved that the deputation would agree with him that the
accommodation at present afforded for the sick was not
that which, under the present and more bust view, as to
the requirements of the sick than existed some years ago,
was by any means adequate. He need not say that
the board would carefully consider the representations
mad* to them. They bad not come to any decision on the
point. (Hear, hear.) They had very strong representa-
tions against the union from the West London Union.
They had various considerations before them which would
receive their best attention. No hasty decision would be
arrived at ; and, whatever that decision might be, the de-
putation would give the board credit for doing the best
they could.