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

THE CLERKENWELL AIVD WEST L'iNDON
UNIONS.

DEPUTATION TO THE LEL OF DEVON.

Yesterday a deputation, consisting chiefly of
members of the Vestry and Board of Guardians of Clerk-
enwell, waited uponhhe Earl of Devon at the Poor-law
Board's office, Whitehall, to protest against the annexation
of Clerkenwell Union to the West London Union by the
Poor-law Board under the powers of the Metropolitan
Poor-law Act. Among the deputation, which was intro-
duced to the President of the Board by Mr. W. M. Tor-
rens, M.P., were the Rev. R. Maguire, incumbent of St.
James's and St. John',., Clerkenwell ; Mr. Churchwarden
Willcocks, Mr. Churchwarden Nunn, Mesirs. Thompson
(representative of Clerkenwell at the Board of Works),
Gillingworth, Franklin, Croucher. Arnett, Redfern, Say-
well, Smith, Lawrence, Offord, Bests% Clarke, and Paget
(Vestry Clerk).
Mr. PAGEr first handed to his lordship a copy of the fol-
lowing resolution passed by the Clerkenwell Vestry :
" That the attention of this vestry, elected by the
general body of the ratepayer of Clerkenwell,
having been called to a communication received by
the Guardian Board of this parish from the Poor-
law Board, intimating the intention of that board to unite
Clerkenwell with the West London Union for purposes
connected with the relief of the poor of this parish, this
vestry feels called upon to Protest mast strongly against
any such scheme, believing it to be an uncalled for inter-
ference with the local rights and privileges of a parish
which has, for more than 250 years, managed the relief
and maintenance of its own poor. This vestry also con-
siders that ClerkenweU, with a population of more than
65,000, and containing 7,000 inhabited houses, is large
enough to form a union by itself, and ought not to be
placed under the control of any parish or union containing,
• lees number both of inhabitants and inhabited houses.

Mr. WILLCOCKS (churchwarden) said that the board of
guardians, who were men principally concerned in the
proposed annexation, bad, probably from a feeling of deli-
cacy, abstained from addressing his lordship and the Poor-
law Board on the subject; but the question was raised
at the vestry by an independent member, who was not a
guardian, and the resolution just read was carried.
The Earl of DEVON—Was the meeting a large one ?
Mr. WILLCOCKS—I think not a very large one—not more
than the average.
The Earl of DEVON—What is the average number of
those who attend?

Mr. PAarr (vestry clerk)—Twenty-five or thirty.
The Earl of DEVON—How many were present on this
occasion

Mr. PAGET-At the moment this resolution was passed
twelve or fourteen were present, and there was but one
dissentient.

Mr. SATWELL said that notice had been given that the
resolution would be brought forward, but many members
were out of town.
Mr. WILLCOCKS said that Clerkenwell did not evince
any symptoms of decline. There was a sufficient number
of wealthy men, a sufficient amount of intelligence and
self-abnegation in the parish, to ensure the efficient and
economical conduct of its affairs. The guardian board of
the parish had always shown every disposition to carry
out the wishes of the Poor-law Board as to the ameliora-
tion of the poor. They had nothing to say against their
bretbern of the West London Union, and only asked to
be left alone, as they did not think the care of their poor
would be improved by their annexation to the West Lon-
don or any other union.
Mr. THOMPSON said that Clerkenwell, by its extent of
population and manufactures, might well claim to be let
alone. By • local act the guardians were elected for life,
which was • great calamity ; and they were [very glad of
the change in the law which would enable the guardians to
be elected by the ratepayers from their own body. (Hear,
hear.) About three years since he brought forward • mo-
tion to build • new workhouse, and it was opposed, not by
the young members of the board, recently elected, but by
the life-elected members. He was compelled to say that
matters of great inkiest and benefit to the pariah were
often opposed by gentlemen who did not come to the board
year after year, unless to give a captious vote on some
question. Ho therefore hailed the change in the constitu-
tion of their board as an exellent one, and
he felt that, being elected by the ratepayers,
they were still fitter to manage their affairs. The
population of Clerkenwell was, in round numbers, 70,000,
and there were elements at work in the pariah which would
enable them better than at present to conduct their self-
government. There was an idea abroad that Clerkenwell
should be looked upon as exceedingly poor and destitute,
but Olarkenwell had never asked alma from its neighbours,
although they had in their parish prisons and other go-
vernment establishments that slid not pay rates—(hear,
bear)—and its inhabitants manufactured the finest speci-
mens of mechanical skill in watchmaking and jewellery,
which were sent to almost every part of the world. Clerk.
unwell was well off, because every house in it was • hive
of industry, and ho might add that the pauperism of the
parish woe created by the people employed in the City,
where rent was high, being obliged to live in Clerkenwell.
Mr. NEYWELL, RAMIE mover of the resolution referred to,
said be true not there to defend the sine of the board of
nerd' s, but to protest against the ratepayers being de-
piiv
nerd ti right which they had enjoyed for more than
250 hat of relieving their own poor. It was emi-
nee a ratepayers' question—far beyond one of pounds,
shillings, and pence—because it involved the unnecessary
interference with the rights and privileges of the parish.
If Clerkenwell had a population of only 10,000, it might
be well to unite it to other parishes, but its population,
according to the last census, was 65,000, and he might
just remind his lordship that there were fifty provincial
towns, each of • smaller population, that returned two
members to parliament.
The Earl of DEVON—We are not going to have a reform
debate ; surely we may eschew that. (Laughter.)
Mr. SatWILL said he was not going to talk politics, but
he thought with such • population they ought to have the
privilege of returning their own members of their board
without being connected with any other parish.
The Rev. R. MAGUIRE said his reason for attending on
the deputation was that, in his capacity of incumbent of
Clerkenwell, he endeavoured to take an interest in the
material as well as the spiritual affairs of the parish. As
ex officio chairman of the vestry and of other boards, he
was bound to take that interest. The direction of thought
he was inclined to take was with reference to that which
they might possibly regard as • probability—their being
taken into the West Loudon Union. He was prepared, in
common with his friends present, to contradict the remarks
made at the deputation to his lordship last week, in which
Clerkenwell was called the poorest and most destitute
pariah in the metropolis. Taking the rates of other
parishes rempanstively, it would be found that Clerkenwell
was rather up to than beyond them. Some parishes
paid 6s. esi. in the pound, while Clerkenwell
paid only 3e., so that he thought it rather
hard that they should be set down as the poorest and
most destitute pariah in the metropolis. Clerkenwell was
MI industrious parish. It dui not lack wealth, and was
not likely to do so. The people were industrious and
equal to their opportunities. There was no parish in Lon-
don in which building societies had taken so deep a root
among the people, and that gave promise that they would
not decline ; and the habits of the mechanics were still
paving the way for still better prospects. The City unions
must not ignore their relotions with the suburban pa-
rishes. It was scarcely just that they should cast the
latter over as if they were unworthy of annexation to
them. He meant to say that the City of London proper
hod an inheritance—• weighty and responsible one—with
regard to the welfare of the masses of the people in the
suburbs. Many of the working people in Clerkenwell
went into the City of London daily to their work. If
his lordship took his stand at St. John's-gate or
at a point in Farringdon-street at one o'clock
in the afternoon, he would see the working people
thronging to their dinners towards Clerkenwell, and re-
turning again to give their toil, labour, and the sweat of
their brow to the City houses. His lordship knew that
this constant labour became the ally of poverty? and
seine day over-work and old age inevitably brought tt on.
He therefore meast to say that if the City received their
work as long as they could have it and it could be given,
1 they ought not to consider it an uncalled for task to have
common cause with the people outside the City in the day
of poverty. Besides, as the people have to leave the City, it
tended to much overcrowding, and this largely increased
poverty. The authorities must, in the present condition
of London, wink at overcrowding, but during the present
time overcrowding was a necessity. For these two reasons
—that their people worked in the City, and that there was
overcrowding inClerkenwell and the surrounding suburbs—
he felt that their poverty was. to a large extent, caused
by the City of London, in Clerkenwell and in that part
of the City west of St. Paul's. On these grounds
he contended that as long as they contributed working
people to the City, and poverty overtook their people, they
ought not to be ignored by the City. He was disposed to
maintain the entity and position of their self-governing
bodies. There were gentlemen present who belonged to
worthy bodies of men who devoted their time unpaid to
the services of the poor. If there should come a necessity
for annexation of Clerkenwell to any other body, let it be
with the West London Union. By having their people
working in the City, Clerkenwell was overcrowded. There-
fore ought the City to make common cause with them.
(Hear, hear.)
The Earl of Darns said be was very glad to find that in
the remarks of the reverend gentleman he recognised the
force of one consideration which had been present to the
minds of the Poor-law Board when they proposed the union
or annexation which now formed the subject of objection,
namely, that there was, to • considerable extent, • com-
munity of interests between the City and the parishes out-
side the City boundary. One point of view which Mr.
Maguire put, namely, that much of the work done in
the City was done by persons living outside the boundary
was one of the considerations which led to the conclusion
at which the board arrived. In the comes the Poor-law
Board took nothing could be further from their intention