The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-29 00:00:00

SETTLEMENT BY HIRING.

Mr. WEYLAND, in moving for leave to bring in a
Bill to alter and amend the Laws of Settlement by Hiring,
took occasion to advert to the melancholy situation of the
labouring classes, both in this country and in Ireland, and
to the necessity of making some provision to avert the
dreadful consequences which must arise from its conti-
nuance. The object he had now in view—a part of the
principle of which he had endeavoured to impress on the
House on former occasions—was to enlarge the means of
communication between parishes by removing the obstruc-
tions which stood in the way of a free interchange of la-
bour in the agricultural and manufacturing districts. For
this purpose he proposed to do away with part of the law
of settlement, which gave a claim on a parish from the
mere fact of hiring, and thereby to enable the poor of one
parish to be beneficially employed by the master of another,
where labour was in more demand.
Mr. ADEANE seconded the motion of the Hon. Mem-
ber for leave to bring in this Bill. but certainly could not
have consented to do so, had be supposed it to be a mere
palliation for the evils of the Poor Laws. He was of opi-
nion that all measures which tended to palliate the mal-
administrations of these laws were most mischievous.

Mr. SLANEY said it was lamentable to contemplate
the state in which the labourers of sixteen of the southern
counties of England were placed by the manner in which
the Poor Laws were administered ; and if he had not,
either in this session or the last, called attention to the
h and rents low, and the
poor
subject, it was because he hoped that the Government
were about to take the matter into their own hands. In
the
trait washe
l'n'agaeSsitVillaetriCtll o
ehigf
comparative comfort, while
in the south, the system of paying wages out of the Poor
Rates had reduced both labourer and farmer to great diffi-
culty and distress. He was fully convinced that the land-
owners of Northumberland, with their high rate of wages
compared
pthareeidr
übiettitietrhen
system,ladl were in a flourishing condition
landlords of Sussex, where wages were
reduced to the lowest pittance which would support life;
and he hoped the time was not distant when the landlords
of the south would be satisfied of that fact, and labour to
assimilate their system to that of the north. With respect
to the Bill of the Hon. AI, mber, he would only observe,
that by takinz away the settlement by hiring, an additional
burthen and additional expence of litigation was thrown on
the other methods of obtaining a settlement—that of the
derivative character, for instance; but that, as well as
oth,r questions of greater nicety, were matter for future
consideration. Of one thing he was certain, that the Go-
vernment and the House would be compelled to do some-
thing more for the poor than build cottages, and that the
time was not distant when, if they did not bestir them-
selves, the state of the labouring classes would be forced on
their consideration.—(Hear.)
Mr. HUNT said that the evil was not in the law, 'Plc
in the violation of the law. The Poor Laws had been
found to be admirably calculated to promote the interests
of both the rich and the poor, and he asked why the Ma-
gistrates and country gentlemen did not endeavour to see
them properly executed, instead of vainly labouring to
T also defended the Poor Laws.
TTENAY in the last session had asked the
ao'°EernidNU.iEßf it was the intention of his Majesty's Go-
vernment to make an inquiry into the state of the labour-
tootooftthiele
vinotorordLuaetwitm? oTfhea generalahswer
measure
at that time was that no such measure was in contempla-
ing
clac.'cfo'r wthitehaaltevri2
contempla-
tion. begged now to repeat the question.
Lord ALTHORP answered, that the subject was one
which had been taken into the deepest consideration of his
Majesty's Government ; but that they had no measure in
a state of fo!ward preparation, or in a state of preparation
that would justify him in holding out
it would be brought forward in the present session of Par-
liament. With respect to the motion now under consider-
p.Lion, he had no wish to throw any obstacle in the way cif
the introduction of the Bill. On the contrary, ho thought
that it was very desirable to remove the obstruction in the
our,
the free circulation
of of lab doing •
vva,. p, by away with
the obtaining of settlement by hiring for service. He was
apprehensive, however, that the alteration would much in-
crease litigations. It would undoubtedly, be advantage..
ous to restore the practice hi the south of England, with
reference to the administration of the Poor Laws, to the
existing practice in the north of England. But the diffi-
culty in all these matters was, that any great alteration
must neeessarily produce a severe pressure on the poorer
cla'ses in the first instance; and these were not times in
which experiments of that nature could be safely hazarded.
Ile cer'444 did not see any Way in which the evils, which
all must allow existed, could be im • •
mediately and at the
same time safely remedied.
Mr. SADLER maintained, that the chief intention of
the Poor Laws was to relieve the poor man, who was over-
charged with children : and he
quoted the opinion of Dal-
ton to that effect. The merciful '
consiueration of the corn-
munity ht always to
be extended to au individual in

that situation. Who could be more entitled to admiration
and relief than the man with a large family, who, after
long struggling with difficulties, was at length compelled
to fall recumbent on the charity of his country ? Locke,
however some Hon. Gentlemen might smile at his name,
was of a similar opinion. He deniei that the manner in
which the Poor Laws were adtninist red in the South of
England, had any peculiar effect in increasing the popula-
tion. On the contrary, it appeared by the last census, that
there were more marriages contracted among the labouring
population of the north of England, than among the la-
bouring population of the south of England. He was of
opinion with Sir Frederick Morton Eden, that although
there might be occasional exceptions, the general adminis-
tration of the Poor Laws in this country was liable to as
few objections as the general administration of any other
system of laws whatever.

Mr. SLANEY disclaimed having ever said or thought
that the poor man with a family ought not to be relieve•l.
His object had always been not to depress the poor man,
but to raise his wages and benefit him.
Mr. SADLER had no intention of imputing to the
Hon. Member any intentions inimical to the poor ; to
whom, on the contrary, he was well aware that the Hon.
Gentleman was a sincere, genuine, and indefatigable
friend.

Mr. STRICKLAND supported the proposed measure,
which he considered one of sound sense. No great change
could be accomplished in the Poor Laws without time and
caution. In his opinion the Poor Laws ought to be in-
troduced into Ireland; but that must be done with great
care. He was sorry to say, that the evils which existed
on this subject in the south of England were creeping
into the north. One of those evils was that of a settle-
ment being obtained by one year's service. Numerous
devices were adopted to escape granting this settlement
Some farmers hired their servants only for fifty weeks.
The most injurious plan was to suspend hiring them for
a month, which subjected the labourers to great want and
distress. He thought that eventually there ought to be no
settlement except by birth : but such an object must be
aimed at with great deliberation and caution.
Mr. PAGET stated, that in many parts of England
the effect of the Poor Laws was an absolute confiscation of
the lands. Could such a system go on ? The national
frith was dwelt upon with reference to some subjects. No
one was more disposed to msintain it than himself; but
he hoped the principle would be extended to every descrip
tier' of property. The time was approaching when in
many parishes the landed proprietors would be unable to
give the poor subsistence. The pressure was at present
unequally distributed. If it were spread over the whole
country, it would he comparatively light ; but at present,
in many cases, it amounted to confiscation.

Mr. JAMES observed, that one material feature of the
case had been overlooked. The Poor Laws had been
greatly altered by Mr. Sturges Bourne's Select Vestry Bill.
Formerly Magistrates could give applicants for relief what
aid they chose, but now it was the usage of Select Vestries
to give as little as possible.
After a few words from Mr. WEYLAND in reply, leave
was granted to bring in the Bill.