The Sun.
London, England, 1836-11-12 00:00:00

THE NEW POOR LAW.

REPORT FROM THE EPPING UNION TO THE SECRETA-RY Of
STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT, AS TO THE EFFECT

OF THE NEW POOR LAW.—NOV. 8, 1836.
of
The Union was formed by Alfred Power, Esq., one,
the Assistant Poor Law Commissioners, on the 14th Wl'
of February, in the present year. It consists of eighteen
parishes, the population of which, according to the cens°ll
of 1831, is 15,091. Several of the parishes are purely
agricultural ; and they were, at the formation of the Vril°l
in a most depraved state of pauperism ; as a proof 00
which we can state, that at the meeting of the board, °
the 15th day of April, applications were made from °'0
parish alone, with a population of only 621, by ten able-
bodied paupers, mostly young men, either for work or Pe"
cuniary relief. These men had been in the habit of re.
ceiving when at work a certain small sum from their elf'
ployers, the deficiency being made up from the poor-rates;
and, what may appear almost incredible, the parish
ante to labourers out or work, in several instances,
equal to the average rate of wages given to men in
employ.
Now, as a proof of the admirable working of the riePr
system, there have been, sines the formation of the Va'°eci
but very few able-bodied labourers in our workhouses, a°,,,
most of those for a very short period. In short, the work'
mill, which was purchased in the month of April, has
ground only six quarters and three bushels of corn, and
now almost useless, there being only one able-bodied 1$
bourer in the house.
As regards saving to the rate-payers, the average an.onsi
expenditure of the eighteen parishes, for the three years
preceding the formation of the Union, was 9,4141. ; and the
total expenditure of the Union, for the last two quarterst
was 2,8231. ss. 6id., showing a material reduction in the
rates, although it has been found necessary to e..iPenci a
considerable sum in erecting a mill, purchasing of clothes,
and repairing the old workhouses.
It is a great gratification to us to be enabled to inffll
your Lordship that this saving has been effected witt-,
diminishing the comforts of the aged or afflicted, es
have scarcely in any one instance reduced the out-bra
allowance to paupers of this description ; and we cowl
produce instances in which the aged and infirm are reeelyl.
ing a larger allowance than previously to the formation °f
this Union, or under the old system.
It is not solely on account of the savings in the P°er;
rates that we hail the New Poor-law Amendment Act ass
great legislative good to the country at large, but becaua.
it provides against that demolarising practice of grant'na
out-door relief to able-bodied men, which under the
system was a direct encouragement to idleness, and a orlebt;
nual reliance on the parish for relief, rather than uP°ll
exertions of their own industry.
We should not at this period have considered ourselve!
called upon to intrude upon your Lordship's attention any
remarks relative to this Union, did we not consider a,_
00
public duty to thwart as much as lies in our power
the_
of
efforts of those who, from motives best known to theinof
selves, are endeavouring to bring into disrepute an Act
the Legislature which we are convinced, if fully carried rnto
effect, must prove a great blessing to the community.