The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-03-13 00:00:00

J

A

lion, niftier eras.,iu circemstasoes, 'lo'appo int soled
votries, for the better management of- their con-
cerns. The general vestry was, iu t.omease., too
hap a body to transact the. pariah affairs correctly.
.It was, therefore, deemed advisable that select ves-
tries should, in such cases, be formed, composed of
the Minister. of the parish; the overseers of the poor,
and some of the most respectable iatlvi4ituitta,. This
body should have a competent contr.,' over the
whole of the affairs of the perirlt. They .should
make out a list of those who were entitled to paro-
chial relief—and it would be prosided, that their
order should not be set aside by a single Magis-
trate, buit'that two or more shout.' concur in alter-
ing it, if it were disputed.
The next object was of minor importance. Some
incorivenience was found in the appointment of
overseers, when it happened that persons having
considerable property in a parish, resided out of it.
The Bill, therefore, would provide., that such per-
sons, though living elsewhere, should be liable to .
serve as overseers in those parishes ahem they had .
property.

He now come to a point of great import:owe—
and he had received, from dilti•tent parts of the
country, letters, calliug for the adoption of the
plan which the Committee had sanctioned. He
invent the granting to parishes the power of ap-
pointing as whir/Joao/ overseer. It was hoped that
such an appointment, together with a select vestry,
would remove the evils which were attaclu•d to the
performance of parochial duties by annual officer..
Those persons frequently went out of office before
they were acquainted with the duties which belonged
to it—and, sometimes, when they were emininated,
they acted on new principles, not because they ap-
peared likely to be beneficial, but because they
had not beeti acted on by their predece,sors. The
militant overseer, knowing the duties of his office,
and being acquainted with the chat-meter ()fall there
who demanded relief—whether their misfortunes
arose from their own misconduct, or were the cifret
of unforeseen circunistatices—whether they had
been turned out of their places on account of
improper actions, or through the failure of bitsi-
ness—would he able to appreciate the claims of the
iiiffereut applicants, and to deal with them accord-
ingly. On this uccomit alone, the Co 11111 l ittee con-
ceived that considerable benefit would be derived
from the uppointment of au assistant overseer.
The next provision was one merely in furtherance
of the existing law. It was intended to provide for
the snore effectual execution of the statute of Eliza-
beth, in regard to the putting to work the children
of parents who were slot able to maintain them. At
present, instead of employing the children, money
was Oven to the parents—and the s disbursed
for their maintenance from the poor's rates, were,
he believed, very often appropriated by parents to
other purposes. Thy frequently spent the money
at the alehouse—while tl.e children were scantily
provided with food, and sometimes were not honest-
ly brought up. He thought it was better, where
parrots eonlil not support their children, that the
statute of Ehisbeth should be strictly eufweed,
and they ought to be placed in a situation whe►e
they would be 4,inployell, instead of hiving money
*allowed for their subsistence, which might lir sp.
plied to other purposes. The statute of Eliz .brth
did out rusihorow the alfowasece of money to parents
on uccoulit of children. Itexpressly said, they should
be set to work. This could trot be done under the
*present system without, sanding them to the work.
hone—and he should be sorry to see them thrus-t
too such a place of education. It was, therefore, one
object of the Bill to provide a proper ssi lulu fo►
theist, mod to procure lit persons to give them a mo.
nil education, so that, when rent out to the world,
they aright be able to suatimaiu a proper character
in society.

The next provision of the Bill was intrortec,d for
the purpose of carrying into execution what was
supposed to be the law at present—by giving em.
ployinetit to persons out of work. The Coin.
natter, in the Report of last Session, stated, that
an obligation, ou this poisd, was imposed by law,
which it was utmost impossible to fulfil, and lie be-
lieved it was, n, some cases, quite impossible. But
the Committee felt it to be their duty to give every
facility to the carrying the law into effect that could
be milorded. It was therefore proposed, thst pa.
rishes should he allowed to purchase or rent ceitsiu
portions of laud, ou which persona out of employ-
inept might be set to work. This would have at
least one good effect : it would pot to the test
those who were, and those who were not, willing to
lehour. Fur many persons applied . for parochial
relier, declaring their willisiguess to work if they
could get it, who, when it was proffered to them,
'chose rather to reen..in in a state of idleness. A se-
cond object of this part of the Bill was this—to
allow parishes to take land, fur the purpose of,
letting it in small portions to poor people,. who
might wish to cultivate it on their own account:
Some Gentlemen had adopted this plan, which was
found to produce the best effects—and, if it were
generally practised, it would be most advantageous
for the country. It was also proposed to include
:in this Bill a provision to enable perish officers to
recover from paupers such tenement* and portions
of ground as might have beer' let to them, without
being driven to tedious and expensive lit;aation.
No objection could, he conceived, he offered to
this ptovistrin, which the mecessity of the case celled
for..

The next prOyision was one of very cons,idesubla•
importance,. but WWI by ,no • mean. new in the
House—and, since Wit Session of Ptirliament,.a.
great number of applications had been made
such an ettattment. It was one proposed last
i►s a local rnirasure by the. to.wu of Birmingham.-
and was meant to enable the. parish to rate the
owners. instend of the occupiers, of houses of a cer-
tain rent and value. In manufacturing towns,
many linnets, which brt,ngbt a low rent. were en-
tirely free frout-the parochial. rate—and thus pro.
ducat', larger emolument to the owners. as they
escaped the assessment. This threw nn immense ad.
ditional Lusaka on the occupiers of larger tene-.
meats in those towns, nod encouraged the bailding
of those sinatl houses that were not rateable. The
objection to Ala provision was, that it• wa. a new
principle to rate the owners intend of the occupiers
of houses; hut, in this case, he conceived it
ought to he dune. Under the existing
.systein, not
being called on to pay,, the owtir.rn had un interest
tii unending to parochial affairs. If they had; the

NL:), ► \

I

~iwin
eis would perhaps be carried on more accn-
jistey.

The nest provision was one of trifling import.
mice, but of the propriety of it no perciii could
doubt. By the Act of Eli:. a power was given 10
Magistrates to make orders of maintenance on re-
lations,' during the Sitting of the quarter Sessions.
This occasioned considerable, inconvenience, on se.
count of the vacation between each Sessions—and,
thrrefore,'it Vas ptoprtseid that, out of Session*,
two Magistrates might °sake such an order. There
was also a difficdlty, antler theitid of the
which set forth, that application 'should not be'
made for-relief to the Magii,trlites, without a pre.
vious application to the Visitor. This, when the
Visitor.lived at a distance, was most inconvenient.
It was, therefore, proposed, that, when the Visitor
residered at a considemble.distatice, the.applica-
tiou to him should be dispensed with.
Another provision was, that the same sett of ex:
amination, a Inch, tinder the Mutiny Act, soldiers
underwent, .with respect to their places of settle.:
meta, stimild be made use of with respect to pauper
prisoners.

The nest provision imparted to the parish officers
the right of exercising a sort of discrttiou, in grant-
in; relief, with reference to the diameter Rod habits
of the persons applylog. lit many ininaoces, those
who called for assistance were individuals who hail
been accustomed to earn very high wages, out of
*Lich they might have laid up something for their
familirii; but they had neglected this, and bad dis-
sipated the fruits of their labour. It was proposed,
in such cases, that the parish office!. should have a
power of advancing money, by way of loan, to lie
supplied by iiistabnelits, a power of recovering it
being rested in them. Ile anis tint saliguihe in
believing, that much money would be recovered on
auy mite or other instrument given on such occii-
siolis. But he thought the prihciple would opcnite
beneficially in a variety of ways. It would niake
persons mute reluctant to conic forward fur relief,
when they knew their character was to ha inquired
into—and it would also oblige the parish officers to
examine more minutely into the conduct and habits
of appi:cants than they at present did.
The next provision related to persons who re-
ceived pensions, on accomit of wounds received in
battle. or for length of service, in the army or navy.
The pensions were paid at certain periods of the
year—and as many of those who received them.
did not husband their property, it was very loom
dissipated, and they then came to the parish. It.
was, therefore, strictly just to call on those who
paid the pensions to remunerate the perish. But lie
plan proposed nos, to enable the parish to ree,ive
those pensions quarterly. in certain cases, which
they would pay over weekly to the pensioners.—
(Hear.)

The only remitting article was one, which, ill
feared, would execute its purpose very imperfectly
—hut it was the only measure that could be de-
vised on the subject. Many parishes were ep.
pressed by persons who did not belong to then
who were natives either of Ireland or Scotland.—
The only way in which they could be removed to
their awn country was, by committing them, as
vagrants, in the first instance. This was a cowie
which Alagistrates were unwilling to pisrativ—w.J
therefore this provision would give to Magi.tra•es
the power of liaising those persons to .the port
nears at to their own country, without committing
them.

Sometimes inconvenience was felt, in small pa.
ou account of the difficulty of finding a pro.
per Louse for a poor-house. This Rill would en-
able rush parishes to hire a houie in a neighbour-
ing parish, the residence in which should not c..eine
a settlement in that parish.

'These were the principal points of the Bill. Rut,
while it was iu progreho, the Committee would not
be idle; they would probably have to ley some
other measures before the flouVe, ere long. The
present measure was meant rather to amend the
ad ministiatiott of the I. is, as it at present stood, than
to tivertinu the principle on which it was (banded.
He would bring in those Bills, if he were allowed,
pro forum. They might then be • printed, airA
in the hands of Gentlemen .for their eisiim+.
deration.—(Near, hear.)—The Hon. Gentleman
concluded by moving for leave to bring in a Bill
to regulate Parish Vestries."

Mr. N. CA.LVERT made an observation, in a very
low tone of voice, which, as we understood, related
to the provision for the employment of childrev.
Mr. S. HOVitt4B said, it was particularly IfTlllol*-•
twit, at this moment, that some alteration
take place upon that polar. Great advantage was
taken of the present s;tetern, of giving minify to
the parents of children who could not employ the u.
It encouraged the pas meat of labourers out of the
`woe's-rates. He had received accounts front the
(Ratak of Holeslet., in Sail.°lk, a here it wit.
stated, the price of Lbour was reduced to
per day. The consequence was, a labourer, whose
family took 30a. a week to support, received
3s. from the farmer, who had the advantage of till
his labour, and the parish was obliged tu make up
the remainder. l'lms the industrious labourer was
driveuto that which he would willingly avoid as the
greatest evil of his life—an application to the parish
—and the honest shopkeeper, who kept no la-
:bowers, was obliged to pay largely for the support
of those whose whole exertions were devoted to the
benefit tif the fainter. He knew not how this could
be eutioly retheilied—but he thought this part of
the trill tended to remove the evil.

• Mr. C; CALVF.ItT inquired, whether the pro-
wirion of the BM,• which respected vesicles, nzis
tueaut to extend to those parishes, which, nt pit..
'pent; were premed by local acts ? In some of thi.nt
the vestries uppoititcd persons, not trust.werthy,
to collect the assessed and other t:ixes, in COllSr-
cp'teiice of which qreat• losses had been stisinined.
borne means ought to he taken to prevent the re-
currence of this evil, which felt licsv:ly
Mr. S.•l36cotNE said, the Bill %%mild no! int,
fere with parishes governed by iTtcial and lut.al
Acts of their own.

Generol HOPE wished to. know, whether the
would do away the necessity of pensioners apiß 4r-
ing at Chelsea ?
Mr. S. Bountes said, it would rot render it
necessary fur the pensioner to appear there, in ord r
to entitle hint to his pension but, when Isis. el tin•
was allowed, the pen-ion might be pant to the p.i-