The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-01-16 00:00:00

•, ~\

hunt, there ate causes from which, even in this ease,
their interests gstserally suffer very cousitiersblY•
TM,lleum'. who. limn w lienevoletit and phi.
Isothropitr,risiciple, condescends to accept this
office fur oily sear ooh, rauuot, or will not. devote
that time, and afternoon which its faithful admiiii-
stratusii absolutely rtquires.
Either business or pleasure will too often occupy
21140, of elude hour*, liar, weeks, and months.
whiten ought to be employed in rowing the poor in
their liesirly halwations, the merits
of their venous clisitus soil cases. and in detecting
the intlM..tt too frirmiseistly practised from ur-
gent wain, or from natural depravity, or from both
combined.

Hence it follows that the relief distributed will,
in moor instances. be too liberal, sod in others too
sp: q ; both of which ought to. lie carefully
guarded at; mist from motives of justice, prudence,
and humanity.
It is, however, more minium' to see this office
filled by trailemsen and shopkeepers of every de-
scription; meta who ea t without inanifest injury
to themselves and their families, allot any vollel
deralele portion of their tune to objects 1111C01111CCIell
wnh profit, 1101Veller sealf (list profit may be.
They therefore, in general. contrive to coueshine
their private interest with their public duty, by vs-
TIOUI wriest., alike injurious to the poor, and detri-
mental to the parish.
For isistimer, of the Overseer happens to he
a baker, he will, as dint as possible. relieve the
applying pauper with bread, is, lieu of money, even
where • less sum in money would afford more
effectual ; and will out hesitate r I catirge the
parish with the amount as cash, including lots own
profit on the article."
If Ile is a butcher, the poor arc supplied with
meat, its a manner equally liberal.
Slould he be a shoe-maker. he is equally atten-
tive to the condition of their fret ; and of he hap-
pens to preside in that mattam is pareo—that
tw-
oiature bazaar, called a chandler's shop. his profits
increase lit proportion to the variety of the articles
1w deals in. *tut the poor have a better chance of
receiving something they may really want.
It will also be admitted that such men can coin.

marsh less time for visiting the poor. s►►d invests-
g.siing the merits of 'lair respective cases. thou the
noleprioleist gentleman ; 81141 that such time as the
Of shopkeeper will devote to these pur-
poses, is vrry inadequate.
'rite evils resulting from the short duration of
their office, are. however, equally applicable to
all chi-ors; laud I will venture to assert, that ou their
entrance into that office, their knowledge of the
►tatr ut the Willarling .tr.eb•, Is equal to their ac-
qu4►uraucr tilt actual condition of the paupers
in Owls' non parish.
The hick experience acquired in the course of
twelve ha is oeltiOlo ut advantage to their sec-
so the poor, or to the parish ; for in many
instant a.. he will nut condescend to avail himself of
ii, and u► more cases he is too careless, or too busy,
to wiriest to it.

I iliereline trust that %hat I have already said is
sufficient to evince the propriety, the expediency,
mid even the necessity of
Permanent Overseers throughout the kingdom ;
and I have the satisfaction of liodisig my sentesnents
on this siiiijvct folly conliimed, by the opinion of
many ili.elligeitt Pasi.li Officers. and others, whose
evidence may be found to the Report alluded to in
the coniniencelitent or tl►ts Letter.
I thitik that the Candidates fur this office should
he selected from the middle class, men who have
resided mune time w the parish—independent, but
not affluent, lbw tried with zommerce or trade
of any description, and 'Willa they have recently
tilled the office of A al Overseer. it will be a
strung secuiumendaium, connected with the other

more essential qualitiemions.
Oh the braid of Sal•ry, it is difficult to speak
as the 01114/Util IllUst depend 01111
variety of lucid mid incidental circumstances—such
ns the situation of the iiidividnisl elected, the
tionistusis of the Poor Rate, the means and extent
of the pan:44 soil the number of the paupers resi-
dent in it ; but. iu every instance, it ought to be
sisflicheidly to enable the Officer invested with
thi. smoortaist ch.srge, to devote the whole of his
those soil attentions d. Isis public duty, without de-
t rut 10 his private listerew!.
Should the prehirin communication meet atten-
tion, you will probably herr swim. on another sub-
ject connected with the Puor Laws, from
A PARISH OFFICER.

FOREIGN INTELLICEMC&

PARIS PAPERS.

PAM% JAN. 11.

His Majesty attended a Council ou the day be-
lure yesterday. which sat front two o'clock until
luilfpast four.
'The Duke of Berri gave • children.' ball at
the Palace Elysee. ou Tuesday. The young
Princes. sons of the Duke of Orleans. were preseut.
The Arras/ de Calais, is announcing the escape
of Nlaubteuil. adds. that the gaoler was immedi-
ately put lido prison.
Ois the 'Atli of Suptember last. about half-past
five o'clock ite tlw eveilin, • voice of distress. ap-
parrully the top of the rocks. was heard at the
Hospital of the Great St. Bernard. The religieuz
hastened to afford relief. and 11001 i perceived a man
out the point of a rock of the Chenalettaz. He
proved to be au Englishman. led by curiosity to
soweiiil the ruck. hut who could nut get down.
Alilsough it was nightfall the religieux procured
ipe ladders, with which. aided by the light of a
I intern, they succeeded its rescuing the stranger
Runt Ma perilous situation. This Englistitnasi has
blare arrived at Getters.