The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-23 00:00:00

The Metropolitan Board of Works,

The weekly meeting of this Board was held yes.
terday at the offices in Spring gardens, the chair-
man, Mr J. Thwaites, presiding.

The attention of the Board was called to the Casual
Poor Relief Bill (Metropolis) by Mr Tite, M.P., who
moved a resolution to the following effect:—That
the chairman be requested to state to her Majesty's
Government that the Board had "no desire to
intervene in any way in the relief of the poor, or
in the raising of money for such purpose," but that
should Parliament be of opinion that through the
machinery of the Board the object sought to be ob-
tained by the Bill could best be accomplished, the
Board was willing to undertake the duties pro-
posed to be imposed upon it by that measure ; that
while, however, the Board considered the urgent
necessity of provision for the relief of the poor justi-
fied this course, the members expressed the opinion
that the basis of the rates levied for the purposes of
the Local Management Act was not a fair one on
which to assess such a charge, since those rates
were levied and were subject to ail the incident's of
a sewer s rate,"%hich is essentially a landlord's tax,
while the Poor-rates have ever since the
Act of Elizabeth been a charge upon the
tenant." That the Board was unwilling to
impede the progress of the Bill by pressing this
objection now, but would only consent to uudertake
the duty on conditions that the Bill should be
limited to a year, and that the poor-rate should be
made the basis of the assessment. The mover said
that the Board was bound to give due attention to
the wishes of the Government on this important
subject, and as the duty the Government wished
the Board to undertake was a light one, being merely
to include in its precepts the eum of £5,000, he
hoped the members would readily agree to the
terms of his motion.

Mr. DOULTON, M.P,, seconded the motion, and
reminded the members that it was the unanimous
wish of a Parliamentary committee composed of
gentlemen from both sides of the House that the
Board should undertake the duty laid down in the
bill.

Major LYON opposed the motion, as he consi-
dered the bill wrong in principle, and this view was
adopted by Mr, Healy.
Mr. MILLER, M.P., moved as an amendment
that the Board should express a decieed opinion
that the provisions of the Casual Poor Relief Bill,
in proposing that certain classes of poor persons
ehould be relieved by a contribution from the sewer's
rate collected by the Board, was at variance with
the principle and foreign to the purpose upon which
the Metropolitan Board was created, and such mea-
sures, if adopted, would introduce an entirely new
system of relieving the poor of the metropolis by
rates levied upon owners, instead of by rates levied
upon occupiers. He said that the intentions of the
Government were humane, and he gave them credit
t'or the best intentions; but there was a principle
involved in the Bill which for the life of him he
would not give up—namely, that the poor should
be supported 'by the Poor-rate. The Board was
created for a epecial object and had distinct pur-
poses before it, and if those purposes were departed
from the public would be dissatisfied. The Board
must approve or disapprove the Bill at once, and
while the motion stated that the Board had no feel-

ing upon the measure, the amendment expressed
a decided opinion, and this ho called upon the
Board to adopt. He said there was already exist•
ing a measure, passed in 1844, which gave all ne-
cessary powers to provide for casual poor ; only that
Act was permissive. The Government had but to
take up that Act and make it compulsory, to have
all the powers it now Fought by this, in his opinion,
objectionable measure.

Mr. LEGGE seconded the amendment.
After Mr Richardson and Mr Collinson had
spoken Mr Newton urged the Board to accept the
position offered by the Government.
Mr Freeman, Mr Westerton, Mr Saunders, Mr
Savage and Mr Nicholay having spoken against the
motion,
Mr TITE replied, and on a division the amend-
ment was carried.

On the amendment being put as an original re•
solution Mr Saunders moved as a second amend-
ment the first clause of the resolution, "That the
chairman be requested to state to her Majesty's Go-
vernment that the board has no desire to intervene
in any way in the relief of the poor or in the rais-
ing of money for such purpose."
After several speeches had been made pro and con
this amendment was carried by a large majority.

A letter was read from the Office of 'Works rela-
tive to the suggested improvements in Park-lane.
The board some time since arrived at the decision
that the best mesas of effecting an improvement in
the locality of Park-lane, and providing for the in-
creased traffic in that neighbourhood would be to
throw open Hamilton-place, and this opinion was
communicated to the Office of Works.
The CHIEF COMMISSIONER now thanked the
board for considering the subject, and stated that
the inhabitants of Hamilton-place were Crown
lessees with a right to privacy, and would have to
ba compensated by the Metropolitan Board if that
right were encroached upon for a public im-
provement, inasmuch as this improvement was one
which was chargeable upon the rates of the Board.
The Chief Commissioner also drew attention to a
greater improvement being needed than the mere
opening up of Hamilton-place, and he urged the
Board's earnest attention to the matter.
Mr NEWTON said that nothing could be done this
session, and be moved that the letter should be re•
ferred to the Streets Committee.
This was carried, and the routine business hav-
ing been disposed of the Board adjourned.