The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-05-20 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Mr. !IT'Lnen presentei a Petition final certain Freeholders
of the Comity of &OM 'pion the Distillery Iteport.--Laid

cue the Table:
The Court of Seniors Sleek Bill woe read. a tbird time
end peserd
?Ir. STLGirs Boy Abe bran:lit op a Dill for tbe Preece-
ration of Timber its the New Forest —Rcad a Mitt, and or-

dered to be rend a seemed time to-morrow.
A person from the Court of Kiag's Bench presented a
Copy of the Record of the trial of the cause, Pesten aad
others r. Sir Hie Pophaus—lmid upon the Table, and
upon the. motion of Mr. 11 . ordered to be primed.
Mt. I.v deferred his intended motion relative to
Carina )lertial till Monday.
The LORD Arieor eve of SCCTLAND lar.m;lit up the
Repoli of the Scotch Judges' Aaanity Bill, Is hirli was read
and agreed to, and thi Bill ordered to be read a third tire.

POOR'S LAWS.
Colonel STANLEY moved the second reading of

the Bill, for making certain alterations as to settle-
ments iu the Poor Laws. In doing ,o, the I lonour-
able Gentleman stated, that 'us the law stood a
settlement could not be obtained by any person
who did not rent a house or land to the amount of
101. a year ; the object of the Bill was to raise that
sum to 201. and also to suable Magistrates to pass
Irish and Scotch paupers into their own parishes.
Upon the motion being put from the Chair, •
Mr. CURWEIIII rose, and opposed the measure, as
he thought it would tend to increase the burdens
upon the public, to an alarming degree. With re-
gard tv that part which related to passing Irish and
Scotch pau;iers to their own parishes, he enter-
tained great doubts, both as to it+ justice and its
policy. It could not be deemed either jest or po-
litic to send away, as paupers or vagrants, men who
had spent perhaps almost the whole of their lives,
in industry and for the benefit of society, in this
country, to parishes in another, where they were
likely to be perfect strangers. He thonght, that if
there were additional support given to the friendly
societies already established, he believed they would
••• the poor animated with a spirit of independence.
But, indeed, he thought it was necessary the coun-
try should look to a revision of the whole system
of' Poor Laws, and not make any partial alteration.
He should, upon these principles, move as an
amendment," That the second reading of this Dill
should be put off to this day six months."
Mr. Luca Raw'. maid, that although the Hon.
Gentlemen upon the opposite side of the House
had formerly failed in bniiging forward a general
and practicable system of Poor I.aws, it by no
means followed that no particular alteration
should be made upon the existing laws. Although
he appihved of the first clause of this Bill, he did
not, however, approve of the second. Ile approval
of that part of the Bill which fixed the settlement of
bastard children upon that parish which was their
mother's. This could not he complained of, as he
believed it would lie principally a local matter of
regulation, as the greatest part of bastard children
was begotten in manufacturing towns. 11'ith re-
spect to the passing of Irish and Scotch paupers to
the parishes, in their own c-ountries, front which
they came, it was impossible that the House could
entertain it, as it was attended with the greatest

injustice. As to the raising the sum by ;hick a
settlement was to be acquired from 101. to 201. it
was merely chimerical, as it would rather teed to
increase the number of paupers and vagrants. lie
thought that souse partial taneudineirts and im-
provements might be wade upon the Poor Laws,
but he conlii not approve of every part of the pre-
seut plan proposed in this Bill.
Mr. DAVIE', GIDDY spoke against the Poor
Laws in general, oust thought they Wight to he to-
tally repealed. He partivulady objected to the
last part of the bill, but thought that, even as a
partial measure, it inigfst be considerably amended
and altered in the Cututnittee.
Mr. lloaxEß differed from the but Hon. Gen-
tleman, in thinking that the first clause of the Bill
was as exceptionable as the last part of it. It was
not merely an alteration of the numerical num-
bers, as to the amount required for establishing a
settlement, but it was an alteration of the law in
another very material particular. By the law at
present, the mere possession of a tenement or piece
of land, by legal title, to the amount of lul. a-year,
was enough to establi.di the right of settlement ; but
by the present alteration, neither the puyinent of
rent, nor the occupation be servants, was to place
a man in the situation of' beisig deemed the pos-
sessor; nothing but his personal occupation was
to do so. This would naturally introduce a new
field of litigation altogether, .and putting persons
who had legal settlements actually upon the foot-
ing of vagrants. As to the removal of persons who
had originally come from other parts of the UMted
Kingdom, and spent most of their lives in this
country, lie thou ht it would be mceedingly un-
just and prejudicial to return them back upon their
fanner parishes, where they would be considered
as vagrants. Cpwuthesegrounds. he thought the
measure totally objectiouable, and should there-
fore vote for the ameuslment.
Svmutt. RoIIIIi.Y thought this Bill so ob-
jectionahle, that he should oppose every part of it.
It appeared to bins, that the first clause of it, iv iccil
had beta deemed by some the least obj..:ctioaahh,

*Do the moot objection:able, I..crrteed the 11,f.
ticulty of acquire 4 setOcitic..t... There Lad Lcw
no difference of opinion iiinou2:4 legal men npoli
tins subject. 11austield, Judge 810ck4t0,,,
Doctor Burn, others, a‘il united in

that there never was a more tnistlilevous ss Ntelll (L.;
that which excluded persons from becoming en-
titled to relief as paupers in the parishes where ti„)
lived. That law of settlement was highly
rim's, which transferred a person for relief from the
parish where lie hail long resided, to one where 1.,
was an entire stranger. life really thought thin
law could have been suggested, it,t would be at-
tended with more pernicious effects. The moment
a rise in provisions involved an individual cf narrow
circumstances in difficulties that rendered relief
necessary, theta WWI he to be immediately trews
ferried, with his unfortunate family, to a pariah
where they were utter strungcni, and would natu-
rally become indolent and burdensome penile,,
instead of being useful members g society, a,
they were Infore.
Mr. GRAHAM supported the Bill, and said, tint
within these few years, in some parishes no less than
10,0001. had been paid to Scotch and hi
paupers. This was surely a great hardship alson
England.
I%lol' anneats said, he had had *cession to trom
Me the lionise formerly with stating his sentiment*
so fully upon the Law of Settlements, that he need
say little more than that he concurred with his
Right lion. Friend near him (Sir Samuel Romilli
in what he had stated. It Pleased him much i.,
tind, that the general opinion of the House had
always been witti him upon this subject. The pi..
sent Laws of Settlement imposed the most grievous
burdens upon thespezle t ever could be cotw
celesta. and encouraas he had been, he certsiii.
ly should persevere in making further attempts ts
*alter and amend them. Tie could not agree alit
what was proposed by the present Bill. With 1-".
gard to what WIN said as to bastards, it was ex. ei -
tionable,in the extreme ; and as to the litter No.
that of wilding persons as exiles into parishes
where they were totally unknOwn, it would be most
grievous and unjust, as the English themselves,
were not so used either in Scotland or Ireltual.
The Scotch and Irish came to this country to be-
nefit the En;lish by their ingenuity and industrious
labour ; and surely it could not be deemed a btu-
den, when they were in distress, that we should re-
ceive them with open arms, as they did the Eu
bah, when in liketircumstances. • •• .
Mr. Canaan also agreed as to the hardship it
would be inflicting upon the Irish and Scott h,
after they had spent most of their Bass in the ma-
uufactones of England, to send them back to their
former parishes, where they lead its claim for relief.
Colonel Sr*tu.nv said, lie was fully sensible of
many of the arguments that had been used aping
the measure, but still he thought himself justiil,l i
in taking the sense of the House upon t, as he
thought the Bill might be much amended in ti“..
Committee. - .

air ISOBEIT Peru said, he came frorri'n 111A1:0-
facturiug part of the country. and he was sensili!,‘
that the circumstances of the times rendered sows
alteration of the Poor Laws necessary. He thou gl,l
that the 11 Ought to be entertained, as some at.
teration ought undoubtedly to take phwc apts:i
the law of settlement. It was wisely juaged, that
a man who possessed land or a house of Om value
of ltd. a year should have a settlement in that
parish where it was situated ; but the times bent(
now much altered, rendered some change in ti
particular absolutely necessary. Ile therefor.:
should wish, that the Bill should be discussed
Amended in st Cominittep.
Strangers were then orthlred to withdraw, and i
division took place upon the Amendment, wa
there appeared—
/41mm it
For it ....

114

Sfajovity is favour of the /d reading 0.1

l'pon our return to the Caller%% the Bill t
rontiniiinK the Coiomissioners of Military burn
was brought up, mill a first, and ordered to Li. re
a second tune to-morrow.
INDIA PAPERS.

Dining our exelLiOlfrom the Gallery, cer.s
voluurit 444444 s doeuments, relative to the atiltir.
India, laid been presented to the 'louse, and I,
upon the Testae.
DuNo.ss rose, and observed, that an I
Bart. opposite, h►d, upon a former oce • •
moved for the printing of some papers rJat. :
the saitir. %abject. o inch were .err
well as those now prescnterl. beffgpsl s-•••.,
remark, that both the time and the
•

printing such a IllAset of papers would be very gee:
and, therefor..., be should sugqest, that such
ease, settle selection should he wade of those d
contents thist were absolutcly ueeessnry.

Sir JOHN AN4IeIUTHEA said, he believi.d t!
were on« uo kss than 509,0uu pages of pn:3e.•
ktive to the affairs of India. the priuting of
he believed, would cost no less than 14,6u0.
15,04101. Ile would wish to knew what u
would be of, were they actually printed ?
Mr. 11,ANKEs observed, that

the ex

printing papers, orderei by Parbaice
during the last year, greatly accuiriclatro.
atuouuted to no less than .:i.,00411. lie the!
thought that ativ aJditioit v• such a hori.:i
be carefully avoided iu all cases where it cou.
be 'hewn to be absolutely necessary. Hr t:..