The Express.
London, England, 1861-02-21 00:00:00

THE PAROCHIAL ASSESSMENT BILL AND THE

IRREMOVABLE POOR.

On Tuesday afternoon last a numerously attended
meeting of Use board of guardians of the City of London
Union was held at the of of the Union, in St. Mary
Axe, for the purpose of considering the Parochial Assess-
ment Bill brought into the House of Commons by Sir G. C.
Lewis and the two hills brought in by Mr. Villiers, " to
amend the law regarding the lemma' of the poor and the
cootribution of common fund in unicass." and the bill " to
amend the law relating to the removal of poor persona
to Scotland and Ireland" Mr. E U. HIGLEY, vice-chair-
man, presided.
Mr. 11010 FEWLAT considered the 14111 then under the
consideration of the board to be of the most important
kind, and he should move that they be referred to the
parliamentary hill committee to consider and report.
(Near, Lear.) The Parochial Assessment Bill in the first
place proposed tore peal the Act 6 and 7 Will. IV., cap.
96, and the 14 and 9 Viet., cap. 3, sec. 2, and it gave power
to the justices of the peace of every county to appoint any
number of justices, not less than five nor more than eleven,
to be a board, called the " Assessment Board " fur
the county, for the supervision and control of the valuation
to be made within such county, and for the performance of
such other acts and duties as thereinafter directed. And
in addition to this, this Lanni were empowered to provide
and maintain otliCers for transacting the business of the
board, and appoint or employ clerks, surveyors, valuers,
and other officers ; and the expense and cost of all this wait
to be charged under the rateable value of property and paid
out of the county rate. Ho thought that this wee opposed
to the principles of local self government, and ought not to
be allowed. Then again, overseers and persona appointed
under the act were authorised to examine, survey, and mea-
sure out lauds or houses to be asseseed ; but no reference was
made to the boards of guardians, and the new board was to
act quite independently of them ; and the act gave more
power to the Poor-law Board He could not help thinking
that this was a bill that ought to be watched, and be there-
fore moved the reference of it to a committee, to consider
and report. The other two bills, as to removals, also re-
(mired consideration, and he hoped they would also be re-
!erred to the committee.

Mr. CRANE seconded the proposition. Re thought that
the present laws worked very well, and that if there was any
opposition to the Parochial Assessment Bill they would
hear very little more about it.
Mr. Deputy Wurnsims thought that the present law for
regulating parochial ssaesameots was very inadequate to
meet the wants of the people, and he considerod the bill
which had bees introduced by the government a very ex-
cellent one. The assessment of property to the poor rate at
the present time was most unjust, and some steps ought at
once to be taken in this important matter. However, be
should not oppose the question going to a committee; but.
he hoped and trusted the board would promote the success
of thu

The motion eras put and agreed to, and the meeting son
afterwards broke up.

Yesterday a crowded meeting of the representative vestry
of St. Pancras was held, at the Vestry-hall, Camden-tows,
for the purpose of considering the Parochial Assessment Bill
introduced to parliament by the Secretary of State for the
Home Department. Mr. Churchwarden ftrocicrox occupied
the chair ; and resolutions were adopted to refer the bill to
the assessment committee, to prepare an opposition to
the bill, and to appoint a deputation to co-operate with
other parishes against the measure.

THE RECIINT stsNTI-CHERCH-HATE CONTERENI 'E.
It appears that no fewer then 790 persons attended the con-
ference of last week, coil that they came from as many as
about 330 places, exclusive of I,ondon. Not many more
than 100 of the London public were present, the gathering
having been intended to be one representing the opinion of
the provinces. There is scarcely a town of importance
which does not figure in the list, and even counties so dis-
tant u burble, Northumberland. and Westmoreland in
the north, and Devonshire in the west, sent representatives,
Nino gentlemen travelled from the extremities of Wales,
sod if all those who bad applied for cards of admission had
attended instead of being prevented, as many were, at the
eleventh hour, above 1,000 would have been present. On
the assumption that the country delegates spent os an ave-
rage 3L each in travelling and other expenses, the cost of
the conference would considerably exceed 2,000 f., to which
is to be edited the I,looi. for subscriptions announced in
the room. As those who attended showed so eager a dispo-
sition to make sacrifices on behalf of the cause of abolition,
we feel sure that absent friends will be emaciate of the
duty of doing their share of the work, by assisting with
promptitude to raise the sum of money for which the con.
Terence committee ask to carry on the struggle.