The National Register.
London, England, 1817-08-18 00:00:00

IN our last number we gave the substance of the
Report of the Lord's Committee on the Poor Laws, and
stated what were the means recommended fbr allevia-
ting the present distress. Since then the Report of the
committee of the COmmons has been made public. It
is of very great length, and, like that of the Lords'
commences by a recapitulation of all the Acts on the
subject paased prior to that of the 44:d. Idiz. We shall
endeavour to give our readers the substance of those
parts of it which recommend the adoptionrof any mea-
surds not alluded to by the Lords.

Tt has long been matter of complaint with occupiers
of houses or land, that they alone were subject to the
blather's of the Poor rates ; the interest of money, whe-
ats in the funds or elsewhere, not being liable. On
this subject the Report observes, that there can be no
question but that the Legislature intended to bring
every species of imonie into equal contribution, but
that they failed to accomplish this, front the difficulty of
ascertaining legally the amount, or even the existence
a property that was not risible and local. 13nt the Re-
port suggests that a material improvement may be
made in the collection of rates in large towns, where,
a great proportion of property necessarily escapes its
share of cantribation, from tenements being of small
value, rented for short periods, and the occupiers, who
een alotte be rated under the existing laws, either quit-
ing their residence before the rate can be collected, or
being too poor to admit of the rate being levied. To
obviate this, the Report suggests that the owner of the
property should be chargeable with the rate, and it
would then be his own affair to make such bargains
with his tenants as would secure him a complete re-
muneration.

With the same view of making.all property, which
can be defined, contribute to the relief of the poor, the
Committee suggest, that provision should be made to
prevent, extra-parochial parishes being exonerated from
this burthen, But as they are well aware increased re-
ceipts, will but edd to the evil while the present mode
of relief is continued, the Committee conceive that, with
tie view of providing such a check, as may lay the
foundation for a better system, it may be worth the
most serious consideration, whether a provision of va-
rious local acts, by which the assessment itself, was li-
mited for the time to come, might not be applied to all
parishes or districts. By this limitation, the strictest
economy would be created in the disbursements of the
rats, and this together with the earnest recommen-
dation of " patience, labour, frugality, sobriety, and
religion," as emrhatically expressed by Burke, might
give a hope of an amended condition.
After expressing its opinion of the benefits likely to
be derived from the establishments of Saving Banks the
Committee proceeds to point Out a method by which
parochial bear:fit societies, may he made eminently use-
ful in effecting a transition from the present system of
relief, to one thunded c,n better principles. This the
Committee conceives may be effected, by the parishes
paying for the admission into those societies, of such
persons as have large families, and are now receiving
parish relief. In addition to this, the practice of provi-
ding employments for the children of those who are
become chargeable to the parish, is strongly recommen-
ded, rather than persevering in. the practice of allowing
the parents, a certain sum for their maintenance, by
which means thy are reared in habits of idleness and
ignorance.
The recommendations contained in the other path; of
fL:is report, being similiar to those of the Lord's Com-
nistiec, we rjrain from noticing them, but we would
stronoly rt.:on:mend that vat of it which refers to the
law of settlement, to the attention of our readers. The
observations are so sensible, and Ix) strongly put, that
we think every one at all connected with parochial af-
fairs ahoull give them the most serious cmwitleration.