The National Register.
London, England, 1817-08-25 00:00:00

.AUG +T

The Lord Chancellor, addressing the Counsel and agents
concerned in this case, stated that he had taken the trouble of
reading the papers, together with the Report of the Master,
from oil which he could gain no satisfactory information.—
The whole property in the Opera House was divided in the
proportions ofseven-sixteenths to Waters, and nine-sixteenths
to Taylor, and that property was liable to all the el:ann.--
The mortgage of Waters, however, was not n claiut upon the
general fund, but on the nine-sixteenths of Taylor. There
were in the Caie two things clear enough, though not at all
apparent in the statements. II tlw sum of moue!" which the
Master bail awarded -to -Waters included .1111 the claims, and
whirl, was 81,0001. then it would be clear what was to be done
the Court hi the present stage of the proceedings; and if
that sum did not comprehend all the claims, it was likewise
clear what the Court should do. But whether it was so or
not, was a question of tact, which the whole bundle of papers
gave no satisfaction about.
Mr. Hart said, the suits allowed by the Master did not in-
clude the mortgage.
The Lord Chancellor asked, if Taylor had paid the 3,6001
how could Waters be entitled to the whole 31,0301.

Mr. Hart said, the statement was made by Mr. Mills, but
lie did not clearly comprehend the date on which that gentle-
man proceeded, being but a poor aritbeietition:
"Then how, Mr. Hart," said the Loua Chancellor, " am I
to understand it, whose skill iu arithmetic is as limited as your
?"

Mr. Mills then went into a lung and intricate statement of
particulai%
Sir Samuel Romily said, it wat luvosslUela reconcile the
statement of Mi. Mi!ls to 3,1, thing of to the pro-
priety of iv:.at lin was cotit,..ndingfut.

dl r. Mitts observed, that ie had sulmittcd his atatenient to
a celebrated accumptant, Mr. Evans, who was pettectiy
eati•tied with it.

Sir Idnllltl saicle if iqr. Waters was allowed to draw that
money with its accumulated interest, they had a right to draw
the iiilool. out of their own funds.

The Lori Climatellor said, the case appeared to be thus.—
The claim by Watc:•s,exclubive oftho mortgage, was 2.1,49i1.
165..7d. auJ it appeared clear as the day light, that on 'myth;
into Court the purchase money, he should take credit far the
twenty five.thouttatid, instead of the thirty-four thousand.
Mr. tlids ',did, they had paid the money into Court as a
general fund, and that Taylor had no right to take the matey
mot of Court.

The bird Cliaucelior said, he did met mean to let Taylor
do ►o.

Sir S. 104114 contended, that Mr. Mills's statements could
no inure be admitted by the Court, than a proposition whites
should state that tyro and two made ave.

Mr. Hart acknowledged that he had not faculties acute
enough to apprehend the whole statenieut.
The Lord Chancellor remaiked, it was no unusual thing
for suitors to.talk of the stupidity of Judges ; bin if their own
Counsel did not understand them, they n cd not wonder at
the ignorance of a Judge. He bad examined the papers with
the closest attention, but ould find no satisfactiou. if the
contest was to be continued in that manner, and the parties
were able so to continue it, he should any, that dancing must
be the most lucrative trade in England. lf.Waters should take
coedit for the whole.chnin, as cortained in the Masters Re-
port, it was clear that Taylor ought to have his money out of
Court, and if Taylor's motley was to be deducted, then Wa-
ters would have to pay the money minus such deduction.
Sappose (said his Lordship) Waters had pnrchased to the
ainenut et 34,0001. and Taylor to the amount of 4,.)001. then
Waters would have.to pu.y into Court the purchase money
minus the 30001. which would be then al,OOOl. The claims
of Waters were established at 34,0001 in the Masters
ltc-
port ; one of those was the seven sixteenth► of the Opel a-
House, and if Waters shonid say he would take 31,0901. hue
must pay 'ldyllic the anionut of the mortgage, for what right
could he have to keep the money which was Taylor's. " Let
Waters (said his Lordship) pay the tummy itito.Const,,takiug
credit for the 31,0001. in Taylor's 30001. all without pre-
judice."
Mr. Mills then remarked, that there was an incorrectness
in the Lord Chancellor's statement respecting the interest on
the 30001.

The Lord Chancellor said, " or that you must take au affi-
davit."
Sir Samuel Homily was convinced M. Mills could nat make
out a eil'Ar statement, and that if he could make out a case
that would be satisfactui y, eveu to his own Counsel, he should
he Content. _

Mr. Mills ►aid the account he had made out was admitted
by an eminent authority to be satisfactory.
The Lord Chancellor sold, lie had consulted Counsel on
that statement. and they could not make it oat.
Sir S. Routitly, to whom Mr. Mills had been speaking, then
that he believed the dispute was at alt end for ever, for
Mr. Mtil► had consented to pay the larger sum.
" Then (said the Laid Chancellor) let 5,411 ss. which
added to the sum already paid, makes up the 3.1,0091., be paid
lute Court without prejudice, and, wines the mousy shall he
paid to both parties, perhaps there Ntll be au rod of Ikea,
disputes."

COTTON.—The sale at the India House on Friday went off
uncommonly high ; to 18. per lb. above the market prices
by private cuntrart, and from one Id. to It J. higher than the
laid sale. It consisted ;of 2,20 U hap, the prices were I I 1,11
4 14. The pOb•le ..4:fttes or West Qidia Cotton were—LA
:e des Demerit, t 234. a '2%. ; AP pales Sul isimti 2a. Ids, t
£2O nags Berbice- t4d. a 340., 100 bags tircuada 2Uti.
A 2: id.

AUGUST tN.

POOR LAWS.

—r.- -
strillORIAL OF THE MAGISTRATES Or THE COMITY Or SIIr.
FOLS., RF.SrECTING POOR RATES.

We, the undersigned Magistrates of the County of it Wolk. beg
leave respectfully to submit to the Committee for the Revision of the
Prier Laws, •tln;nglowing Obstrvations on Ski Meet intimately con-
nected with of theft present labours, and which we hope way be
found not undeserving their attention.
In the present pluming state of the Poor Rates it mutt be obvious
to the Committee, that there must have been some very unexpected
and extraordinary alteration, either in the situation of the Poor, or in
the management of the funds for their relief, when, in no very great
space of time, these Rates are swelled to at amount not only unprece-
dented, but beyond what any actual change in the situation of the
agricultural 1)o-du/anon mightattpear to warrant.
We are purfeetly aware, that an institution enffidang such a mi.
cty of objects as the Rate fur the relief of the Iww, the sudden and
enormous increase of this assesenent is not to be scribed tb any s:n-
gle cause, but to the co-operation of many concurring to 'produce a
joint effect; nor would we be understood to affirm, trat wlmt we are
about to suggest is the most general, or even the principal cause of
it.; rapid and astonishin; augmentation ; but witrust it will appear to
the Committee, that it is one aiming tnany others; that it has actually
added very materially to the burthen of the a.,se3sment ; and that it
is indefensible, in every point of view, as being at once unjust, im-
politic, and cruel.
The circumstance to which waislitide is a practita witch has pre.
railed, if not genendly, certainly in a 'considerable part of this mot-
try, of giving reduced anti insufficient wages to labourers in husban-
dry, and scnthrg them to the Poor Rate for the remainder of the sum
necessary for their srorpert. Thus, the labourer, whose family re-
(mires Ifis. a week fur their maintenance, receives perhaps gs. tin
same parishes not more than Gs.) from his employer, and the remain.
ing 9s. from the overseers. It evident to the Committee, that
a practice like this must necessarily raise the Rate far beyond its usual
amount that it is thus m tde subsidiary to wages; and that it be.
comes an assessment, not so much for the relief of the pour as of their
employers; a great proportion of whose agricultural]about is ptid
ti)r by the Public, though the immediate benefit is exclusively their
own.

The Committee will not fail to observe, that the evil does not
stop here, but accumulates and gathers strength in its progress. If
the farmer can reduce his wages to eighteen-pencesir a shilling a days
he can, by the same authority, reduce them to sixpence to threepence,
or to a penny, and tin-ow his labourer upon the parish for the rest,
and If this discretionary power is permitted to the fanner. we do not
see how it can be withheld from the carpenter. the bricklayer, tits
blacksmith, or, in shott, from any person exercising a trade, and em-
ploying the labour of others. By which means, the wages of the
whole of the labouring poor will be thrown upon the Bates, and chi*
mcst useful and industrious class of the community will become at
once eleemosynary and dependent.
We beg to remind the Committee, that if we do not follow up our
renclusion to the manufacturing poor, it is because Suffolk is princi-
pally an agricultural county, and because we wish to confine sue
suggestions to what falls immediately within our cognizance. Aid
we also beg to state our corn iction, that the situation of die farmers
is not such as disable, than from paying for their labour at a fair
and reasonable rate of wages. If, indeed, the Pow Rates were levied
solely upon those who employed those labourers, the evil, though
great, would be less oppressive). But, when it is recollected that the
small occupier, who cultivates his little farm by his own labour and
that of his family ; and that the tradesmen, the mechanic, and (wbersa
covages are rated, or where a little land is au:wiled to them) even
the labourer is ampelled to pay to.this assessment, the hardsidp and
partiality of this practice is most evident and striking.
In large villages and country towns, where a considerable proper.
tion of the inhabitants are subject to the payment of the Poor hate,
although not occupiers of lands, the injiisnce of this systemi. alto
very apparent. The professional man, the snow item. the shopkeepet
the artisan. all are taxed for the payment of labour, from winch they
derive no immediate benefit, and in the profits of which they have no
partieipatiou.
We fs.obato to credo-ge farther upon the subject, as we trust enough
has already been said tooatisfy the Committee, that such an appro-
priation of what ought to be the Poor'. Rats: is unjust.
It is also impolitic ; for it tends to debase the industrieuslalionrar
to the class oeche Pauper ; it habituates hint to the reception of pa-
rish relief; it teaches hint to look to the Rate for his usual mainte •
nonce, instead of applying to it reluctantly in sickness or old age;
and itsaps the vital principle of indueuy, and obliterates the little re-
maining honest pride of independence.
It is cruel ;—Been:e tile burthen of the wages of labour, the im-
mediate pinch of which is to others, i.- thus thrown upon the part of
the community, which is already borne down by the weight of public
taxes. and of the necessary parochial use:ono:nu.
We Deg to submitsto the Comirrittle, that, for die evil thuadetailed.
the existing laws, in our apprehension, furnish no relief. If the las
bourer, whose earnings are sufficient for his support, applies to a
Magistrate, the Magistrate, having no power to fix the rat.• of wage*
near, however reluctantly, (HIDE It relief from the Poor Rate ;
as thie order is final and conclusive, the several classes before men-
tioned as aggrieved by this unequal assessment, are precluded frets
the benefit of appeal a4ainst the overseers' account, and left without
remedy against this glaring act of injustice and oppreesion.
Stich being our view of the subject, we hope we may be allowed to
call the attention of the Committee to the necessity of putting a stop
to this pernicious practice of mixing the wages of labour with the re-
lief of the 'Poor ; and, intrinting their indulgence fi.r the freedom of
these suggestions, we leave the matter in their hands, in the full
coufidenee-that they sill adopt such regalations us in their wisdom
they shall thiak advisable and expettent.
ROCS. WM. CARTHE W,
T. S. GOOCH, ED. MOOR,
D. E. DAVY. CHAS BROOKE.
I. HOTH AM, ('ll \REES D.AVY.
G.TUR\I'R, SAM. KILDERBEE,
E. BARLRE, .11HINGI4SON,
F. CAPPER. HENRY D. BERNERS,
W. BROWNE,

AUGUST 25.