The Sun.
London, England, 1837-05-23 00:00:00

KING'S BENCH--(THIS DAY).

Ex-PARTM-THR OLD ARTILLERY GROUND, WHITECHAPEL
UNIGN.-THE POOR-LAW COMMISSIONERS.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said, as this day had been fixed
for discussing the questions raised upon certain orders of the
Poor-law Commissioners, he should now proceed to shew cause
against the rule obtained in the case of the Old Artillery Ground
Whitechapel. It was a rule calling upon the Poor-law Com-
missioners to shew cause why a writ of certiorari should not issue,
to remove into that Court a certain order of the Poor-law
Commissioners, of 21st January last,whereby it was ordered that
the parishes, townships, and places specified in the margin,
should, on the 16th February next following, be united for
the administration of the affairs of the Poor, under the name
of the Whitechapel Union. The great question in these
cases was, whether the POor-law Commissioners had the power
to include in a Union a parish that had .a local Act for the
government and regulation of the affairs of the Poor. It was
contended on the other side, that wherever a parish had a local
Act for the government of the affairs of the Poor, varying in
its provisions from the 43d of Elizabeth, the power of the
Commissioners was at an end—that however (mall the parish
might be, however it might be surrounded by other parishes
desirous of forming themselves into a Union, the Commission-
ers were forbidden to include that parish in the Union. The
question was one of the,greatest importance as regarded the
operation of the Act of Parliament. There were about 200
parishes in England beariag local Acts, and the Commission-
ers, acting in their view very deliberately taken of the inten-
tions of the Legislature, had acted in the belief that they
were not restricted by any local Act of Parliament from in-
cluding a parish so circumstanced in a Union. The con-
sequences would be most disastrous if their Lordships de-
termined that they had in so doing exceeded their power, but
he admitted, with these consequences their lordships had no-
thing to do. The validity of the present order had been disputed
on the grounds that this parish had a local Act. The order of
the Commissioners went to unite the parishes of St. Mary,
Whitechapel, the rates of which amounted to 8,9411. per an•
num ; Norton Folgate Liberty rated at 858/. per annum, the
Old Artillery Ground (the parish in question) 522/., Christ-
church, Spitalfields, 4,264/., Mile-end New Town, 1,582/.,
Tower of London, Old and Without, 1041., St. B.)tolph, Ald-
gate, 3,6751., St. Catherine by the Tower, 3,2351., Trinity
and the Minories, 735/. Their Lordships would see that the
Old Artillery Ground was, in point of rating, as he believed it
WAS in point of extent and population, a very minute portion of
the intended Union.

Sir F. PoLLoca here interposed for the purpose of ascer-
taining from the Court the manner in which the argument
tipon the present and the other cases which were to follow
would be taken.

After a good deal of discussion between the Court and the
Learned Counsel engaged, it was arranged that Sir F. Pol-
lock, and the Counsel with him, should be heard in support of
the rule ; that the Attorney- General should have the right of
reply, and that Sir F. Pollock should have a rejoinder.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then resumed his arguments, and
was followed on the same side by Sir W. FOLLETT.
The cases are likely to occupy the attention of the Court
the entire day.