The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-22 00:00:00

CASUAL POOR.
- -

The Marquis of TOWNSHENDasked whether the
practice adopted by the guardians of thepoor in the metro-
polis of turning out of workhouses at early hours in the
morning casual poor persons who have no employment or
places of residence had met with the direct sanction of the
Poor Law Board ; and whether, on the contrary, in ac-
cordance with the law for the relief of the poor guardians
ought not to provide food and shelter at all times for all
destitute persons, irrespective of the places of settle-
ment, until they may choose to discontinue receiving
it, or until they are passed to their respective parshes.
The noble lord contended that the present state of this
question was one that required immediate alteration on the
ground of common humanity. It was at once cruel and
unjust to allow a poor person to be ejected from a work-
house without being provided with food and shelter. He
had witnessed a case of this description last week, when a
poor man was wandering about the streets without means of
or any chance of employment, and the sufferings that would
be endured by a person under such circumstances and at
this inclement season of the year could scarcely be described.

Lord HOUGHTON said that he had moved for certain
returns on this subject, which had been laid before the
house, and similar returns had been moved for in the other
House which he believed had not been produced. There
was more difficulty in dealing with this matter than
perhaps the noble Marquis imagined. The present was a
matter that affected not only the administration of the poor
law, but the character of the people of this country. The
law had provided shelter and food for the poor, but private
benevolence had interfered and supplied assistance for the
vagrant poor, and nothing was more dangerous than to
hold forth any attraction to the unfortunate from the coun-
try to come to the metropolis, believing that they. would
receive greater comfort than was afforded by the legal
dlc urn provided for their necessities. It was a pain-
ful spectacle the increase that had taken place in
the number of vagrant poor wandering about the streets of
London, and he repeated that any attraction held forth to
that class to come to the metropolis was most injurious in
its tendency. He regretted that there was not some repre-
sentative of the Poor-law Board in the house to give them
information on the subject, and he believed that the Poor-
law authorities were most desirous of affording relief when
in their power.

Earl GRANVILLE said he thought the noble lord
(Houghton) had clearly stated the difficulty that existed in
reference to this matter. He could state that the Poor-law
Board were quite unaware of any such cases of hardship
as those alluded to by the noble marquis, and were always
willing to give relief when it was proved that the appli-
cants ptood in want of it.

The Earl of HARROWRY expressed a hope that this
subject would receive ample consideration.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.
NEW MEMBER.

Lord CHARLES Bnucz took the oaths and his seat for
North Wilts, in the room of Mr. Sothern Estcourt.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Poole and Bournemouth Railway ; Brighton, Hove, and
Preston Constant Service Water; Crystal Palace District
Gas ; and Great Eastern Railway (Bishop Stortford Rail-
way Purchase).