The Express.
London, England, 1850-05-09 00:00:00

TIM POOR &SLIM'. BILL.

Mr. LAW, (the chairman of the perliementary commit-
tee) roes to move t. that the court agree with the report spun
the hi I to provide for the more equitable distribution of the
charge for the relief of the poor in certain cities and towns,"
which proposed to enact tt at the guardians of any union
oomprieing a city cr town of more than one parish, having a
population of not less than 20.000 persons, may, with the
consent of the poor law commiesinnere, direct that all costs
and charges for the relief and maintenance of the poor in the
several parishes contained in such un'on. shall he borne by
the common fund of such union, to which the several
parishes therein shall contribute is proportion to the annual ,
assessment to the property in such perishes respectively,
to the relief of the poor, and that they be euesidered as one
pariah; and all expenditure in respect of the poor of such
anion be paid out of the g I fund to be raised by a cont-
mon rate. It stated that :he committee were of opinion I
that the operation of the bill would b • injurious to the later.
este of the inhabitants of several of the par.shes within the j
ci.y and the liberties thereof, s•.d recommended a petition to
the Hones of Commons praying that the City of London be
exempted from its operations.
Some diseuesion took place upon the proposition moved by
Alderman Wilson, for suspending the standing order as to'
the r ception of petitions on that state of the question. The
Ald-roots bad, he sold, several petitions to preunt in favour
of the bill, which be contended was calculated to have a
beneficial effect upon the poor parishes, which at present
pond an enormous amount of poot-rate, and felt it as a most
oppressive burden.
Alderman SIDNEY said the court would net be justified in
refusing to hear the petition of those who were in favour of
the bill, after having already received the evidence of those
who were opposed to it; and the court acquiesced in that
opinion.
Alderman WILSON then handed in six p-titions against
the report of the committee.
Alderman SIDNEY then proposed the following
amenri-
ment to the motion tor agreeing with the report:—" That
the court ao not agree with the committee in their report,
because it is the opinion of this court that the present law of
settlement an 1 rating for the relief of the poor is unjust,
partial, and oppres.tve in its operations throughout the City
of London, inasmuch as it annually relieves thcse parishes
where the property ts of the greatest rateable value and
trade ;most extensive from ;their share of providing fur the
relief and maintenance of the poor, and at the same time
throws a most unfair and oppres ive burden on those
parishes in which the houses are small. and where the poor
can find a residence." He called upon the members of the
court to support the public interests, and not to allow any
affluent district, which did not come in f r a fair share of
taxation for the benefit of th, poor, to affect their decision
on a ma•t•r in which the whole population of the City was
most importantly concerned.
Mr. WHITESIDE also opposed the recommendation of the
committee, and showed that increased burdens had of late
years been thrown upon the shoulder+ of those who sere
ill qualified to bear any taxation at all. He contended, that
in tact the present system tended to make the poor more
poor, and to dicer the rich almost completely from the ob-
ligation to render any assistance to those who were nat.:if-
, tunste.

Alderman LAWRENCE thought it would be well not to
burden toe poor parishet in the way propuied in the measure
before them. Many parishes might feCtiT• advantage from
it, while mane more might ezperience injury by its opera-
tion. He believed, however, it some general plan of rating
were Mantel, a al Fool raialit be accomplished.
Mr. PERKINS thought the system of centralisation pro-
posed was not likely to work well.
Mr. R. L. JONES supported the new ,bill and tht amend-
ment of Alderman Sidney.
Mr. Deputy LOT said the bill aUu led to was neither
more nor less than a centralising bill, possessing all the bad
Matures of the family.
Atter a few observations from Mr. R. TAYLOR and Mr.
in favour of the amendment, the question was put,
and the amendment was carried by • majority of 12, the
numbers upon the division being 33 to 21.
The court then adjourned.

SOCIETY or FIRILVDS or FOSEIGNERS IN DB-
TllllB.—Yestarday the anniversary festival of this society
took place at the London Tavern, Bishopegatt -street. Toe
Doke of Cambridge in the chair, auppor:ed by his Excel-
Money Mr. Abbot Lawrence, the Antaican ; Lord
Harry Vane, Baron de Wydenbrock, Biron de Katembeck,
Count C. de Kielmansegee, Count de Moltke, Count Dale
Feld, Monsieur de Sibbern. Chemin: Ilebeler, Alderman
Salomon, Mr. A. J. Dasat.Rtv. Dr. Kuper, Mr. Frederick
Huth, Mr. I'owles, Mr. Brand, and upwards of a hundrid
gentlemen, the majority of whom were foreigners. It ap-
pear d from a statement of the condition and prospects of the
society, that the objects of the institution are to grant relief
to indigent foreigners here, without distinction of country or
religion, especially to those who are not entitled to parochial
aid : and to furnish the mesas to such as are desirous to
return to their emn countries. By the regulations a board
of direcon is established, who sit once a week, and carefully
en mine petitions for relief, granting the rt quisite aid to soot
foreigners as deserve protection, and preventing others from
becoming a burthen to this country,and a disgrace to their own.
The society has affordad relief to 78,411 foreigner of dif
(emit nations, and granted anneal pensions towards the
support of 62 Individual% greatly advanced in years, and
&Inuit all of whom have spent their lives in improving the
commerce and manufactures of this country, without having
acquired any legal claim to parish relief, and are now totalty
disabled by age and infirmity from earning a livelihood or
returning to the places of their nativity The report (an
ab.tract of which was inserted in the lAiily Nests so the oe•
elision of the last general meeting) gave a detailed account
of the benefits which had been conferred by the institution,
and concluded by stating that it was not only from wealthy
foreigners settled in this country that the society hoped for
eneleragement, but also from Englishmen, who were OM
wallow to listen to the demands of charity. His Royal
Highness in the course of the evening stated that this was
the 11th time he had had the honour of preeding at the
annual festivals of this institution. Many year. of his
lite having been spent abroad, it would be unnatural in
him if he did net feel a peculiar interest in the
welfare of this institution. He considered it peculiarly
deserving of public patronage, and he invited particular at-
tention to the fact that it was not one of those charities
which, by the chalices of fortune, were able to support
themselves. Amongst those who adirers-d the company in
support of the institution were Lord Harry Vase, the Ame-
rman Minister, and other members of the diplomatic corm
and each joined in the opinion that the society was entitled
to the support of all nations. In the course of the evening
it was announced that Mr. Emanuel Hoary Brandt badges
tribute.% 1,0001. towards a fund for erecting almshouse' to be
devoted to the reception of distressed foreigners ; and a list
of subscriptions was read, amounting in all to nearly 1,6001.
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES. Trig GREAT
Cfarre.AL GAS CONSCMIIIe C —Yesterday the
sommittee appointed by the Hesse of Commons to consider
and decide on this question, re-seeembled at 12 o'clock, Mr.
Cardwell in the chair. Mr. Charles Pearson, M P., t ea.
mined by Mr. Wyld, had been of opinion for many years,
that the gas consumers of the city of London might, on
amount of their very large consumption, limited to a small
space, to have both better and cheaper gas than that fur-
niehed in thinly populated districts, where the supply was
small and the cyst of its distribution proportionally la%
aad he believed that the large beGy of gas COS/MINN in
city might have, at 4s. per 1,000 cubic feet, and eves at less
then that, gas .uperi ,r to that for which they now paid Its.
per thousand feet, after paying to the manufacturer an
ample profit. It was on this principle that the Oreat Ces-
Mal (las Coesumen' Company was started. The witness then
stated the ;trices charged by the old companies, and gave
the particulars of the manner in which the central company
was constituted. Knew of no impediment to the progress
of the company beyond the question of legal liability, and
the natural hesitation that in these days there was to em
bark in undertakings when the liability was not settled by
act of parliament. Other witnesses having given evidence
in favour of the project of the new company, Mr. Currie,
on the pat of the opponents, raised an obj.cuon to the bill
to the effect that its title was not in conformity with the ols.
lees sought for in the preamble and proposed provisions.
The Chairman overruled the objection, and the committee
adjourned, with an intimation that they would rooms the
inquiry at 12 o'clock on Yriday.