The Sun.
London, England, 1812-03-14 00:00:00

STROUD POOR BILL.

Sir Enw.tsito KN'ATCHBULL moved the third read-
ing of the Stroud Poor Bill.
Sir S. RozeiLLY said there was a clause in the
Mil to which he should feel it his duty to move some
Amendment. It was in his opinion a thing much
to be desired to simplify the Poor Laws, as they
stoo:l at present, and to have the same regulations
for all the Poor Hobses in the Kingdom. In some,
he understood that persons who misconduEledthern-
selves. suffered corporal punishment'; in others, so-
litary c finetnenrwas practised ; while, in others,
the penalty was comparatively light. In general, it
depended oo the ind victual bringing in the Bill for
the erection of such Houses. He could not but
Conceive that the law ought to be uniform. If Pa-
rish Officers ought to have the power to bind chil-
dren out to persbns residing in Scotland, they ought
to ha, e that power generally. How this was to be
provided for he did not eXa6tly know; but, perhaps,
it might be done by a Standing Order, to prevent
any provision from being made for an,y house of the
kind, which was not applicable to all. The Legis-
12ture was pecitliarly called upon to preted the
roor wretches who were driven to such a refuge.—
There were some clauses in several 'Bills, which had
pas,ed, allowing the Trns!ees to bind out the Chil-
dren at any age; and in the present Bill, there was
a clause of a similar kind ; this he thought highly
objeatonahle. It was true, that some provisions
had been rna:!e for the prote6lion of Apprentices,
but t hev did not extend to Scotland. If Parish Otii-
-cers were to be alloWed to bind Children in Scot-
land, he did not see why they might not send them
on a voyage to the West Indies, Or they were just
as much separated from their connections in the one
case as in the other. He concluded with moving,_
that in the clause for empoe criag the Trustees to
bind out he Children at the nge of 14, or. sooner, the
words " or sooner" should be omitted.
Mr.D. GIDDY agreed that the.Ponr Ficnses ought
to be regulated by general laws. He cliwproved
gleatly of the present system of Poor. Laws, under
Whiell, however, he 'bought that punishments were

necessary.
Sir E. KNATCHBULL said, the clause objected-to
Ras considered-most.nviterial by the 1)m-tie's at whose
instance the Bill was introduced : and if the opposi-
tion was persisted in, he should feel it his. duty to
take the sense of the House.
Mr.TnompspN said,. he, had seen boys of from ten
pp. welveyears of age apprenticed out very usefully,
on which account he would suggest to his Hon.
Fri,s-nd, Sir S. Romilly, to substitute ten years in the
place of fourteen, to which it would stand limited by
Lis amendment.
Sir S. ROMILLY said, the consequence of the
Bill, as it stood at present, was to enable the Trus-
tees. to place children out at the tenderest age; he
knew of one parish that had sent :twenty children
out in one year at. the age of seven, to a house in
Scotland. He agreed to the suggestion of his Hon.
Friend.
After a few words from Mr. D. Giddy, Sir E.
Knatctibuil,- Mr. Buller, Mr. Thompson, and Mr.
G. Vansimrt, the House; divided on th 9 question
that the blank should be filled up by the words "ten
years."

Ayes
Noes

• 37
• 40
• -3

Majority .

PORTUGUESE ARMIES.-MESSAGE FROM THE

REGENT.

The CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER appeared
at the Bit. of .the 1-,louse with a Mess;ige from his

ordered to be brought up, was, read by ale Speaker
as follows

" GEORGE P. R.

" The Prince Regent, in the name, acrd on behalf of hiS
Majesty, thinks proper to inform the House of Coatiwns,
that the assistance which he has been able to give to the'rer;
tuguese Government, his Allies,- has furnished the means'of
improving the military establishment of that country, and
of rendering conspicuous the va:our and discipline of its
Armies, in the successful deliverance from, and defence of
Portugal against the enemy. The Prince, therefore, trusts
that be Will be' enabled to give the Sadie assistance in the
present year as in the last-4rom whirchinClt important con_
sequences to the cause of the Allies have resulted."
.Zile CliAticEL, Loh of the Es eit Etatlitt gave no-
tice, that he would move the consideration of- this
in the C of Supply, on Monday
'next. _

Mr. BANKES postpones! the second reading of
theSitteCutv Place Bill, from ruesday next to Tues.
,seinnight.
Mr. LONG moved .fot a Copy of Mr. Moisey's
Report .on Public Odices is 1807.
Ordered.,-, -

Sir F. Boariaarr. gave polite, that he would move,
on Monday:next, fOr a. 4 Account of the Number
and Pay of the Clerks puspluyed in, the Navy
drfice•.