The Sun.
London, England, 1870-03-23 00:00:00

Four ran.
WALTON HANDICAP.

Chilworth
••
Playmate 2
Honfleur

Five ran.
WARWICKSHIRE HANDICAPI
Threatener
Midshipman 2
Ventnor

Six ran.
UNION HUNT CUP.

Purlbrook 1
Plunger ••
Archduke 3
Sixteen ran.
SELLING STEEPLECHASE.

Lisette 1
Kingfisher 2
HUNTERS' STEEPLECHASE.

Merlin
Widdles.....
Hastings

Five ran.
THREE-YR-OLD STAKES.

Qastantt© ,

W.O.

HANDICAP PLATE.

I:Tackler
Conrad
Urasahopper f
8

ADMINISTRATION OP THE POOR LAW.
TITESDAY.

The select Committee upon the System of administering
the poor-law in Scotland met again to-day, when the
examination of Dr. Young, the chief constable of Ayr-
shire, was proceeded with. He was examined at consi-
derable length on the system of poor relief as administered
in England, particularly with regard to the test system,
which he described as a very effectual one for decreasing
pauperism. The system of employing the police
force for the pm-poses of relief had had a
very remarkable effect in reducing the number of vagrants.
In cotlond they were in a far better condition than in
England, because there they went on the basis that the
able-bodied poor had no right to relief at all, There was
the greatest possible necessity for discrimination in the
administration of casual relief, and the police, above all,
were the best persons able to judge of the proper
persons to whom it should be given, because they
were able to watch their practices and movements and they
knew more about them than any one else did. He ap-
proved generally of the present system under which the
Scotch poor-law relief was administered, but thought that
some provisions ought to be made whereby the
rule which separates husband and wife might be
relaxed in the cases of old people. That rule was bitterly
complained of. He also stated that before the Act of 1845
the manner in which poor relief was administered was
disgraceful.
The committee then adjourned.

LOCAL TAXATION.

LONDON, TUESDAY.

The Select Committee on Local Taxation sat again this
morning, Mr. Goschen in the chair. There was, as usual,
a large attendance of the committee, among whom were
Mr. Rathbone, Mr. Hunt, Sir J. C. Lawrence, Colonel
Bartellot, Mr. St. Aubyn, Sir M. Lopes, and Mr.
Sclater Booth. The evidence taken to-day had re-
ference to the mode of rating in Hampshire.
the witnesses examined being Mr. Erle, the Clerk of the
Peace for the county, and Mr. Webb, his chief clerk. Mr.
Earle stated that a proportion of the expenses of the
lunatic asylum was provided for out of the county rates,
and another portion was derived from payments made by
relatives of insane persons. Altogether £4,400
was raised for the lunatic asylum, nearly one-
lird of the whole county rate. They spent
£6,000 last year on the county bridges. The wit-
ness also described the various payments for other pur-
poses, such as militia stores, the prisons, &c., and stated
that the Treasury paid a fixed sum for the maintenance
Df the prisoners. The net cost of each pri-
soner was about 4s. 3d. a head. The Clerk of the
Peace was examined at great length with reference to the
prison expenses and management, and Mr. Erle explained
that there was an unusual number of of military prisoners
letained in Hampshire on account of the vicinity of Alder.
shot and the military prison in the Isle of Wight. At the
same time, if the county gaol was full, the county magis-
trates would refuse to admit military prisoners, but care
would be taken that there should be sufficient space for the
reception of county prisoners.
By Mr. Hunt : The military and naval prisoners were
sent there under the Military Act, the governor of the
gaol Lbeing bound to take them under a penalty. The
whole of the evidence to-day was directed to an inquiry
into the administration of the rates of the county of
Hampshire, after which the committee adjourned.

COMPULSORY PILOTAGE.

TUESDAY.

The Select Übmmittee appointed to inquire into the
System of compulsory pilotage held its first sitting to-day,
when there was an extremely large attendance of the
members of the committee.'

Mr. Farrar, the permanent secretary of the Board of
Trade, said that since the year 1850 the question of compulsory
pilotage had been frequently before him. A return made
hewed that in the compulsory pilotage district there were
1,828 pilots, and in the free districts?l,o66. In the case
of Newcastle, the Tyne, Sonderland and Hartle-
pool, the pilotage had been compulsory for
foreign vessels but not for British. Since 1859
the tendency had been to increased exemptions,
and to make modifications as far as possible. In a case
which was brought before Dr. Lushington, that learned
judge had ruled that when the appointment of the pilot
rested with the owner he was responsible for his acts or
for any damage occasioned by want of sobriety or want of
skill on the part of the pilot. He admitted, however that
the ruling was wholly opposed to the doctrine laid down
by Lord Howell and Sir J. Nichol' ; also to the doctrines
held in the American Ports, and the view of the
jaw taken by the present judge of the Admiralty court.
The recent practice of the courts was to confirm the ex-
emption of, the masters, strictly to the case in which the
pilot was in fault, and put upon the owner
the onus of proving that the act which
led to the damage was that of the pilot. The effect
of recent decisions was to make it to the interest
of the Captain not to interfere with the pilot even if he
should see that the vessel was going into danger. An
example of this was afforded by the Spindrift, which
was under an experienced master. The ship was going on
a dangerous course and the master went below and left
the vessel in charge of the pilot. Trinity House had
pointed out that they considered it the duty of the master
to keep a vigilant eye on the safety of the vessel,
and to urge every precaution, and, if necessary,
to insist that the precautions recommended should be taken.
In the United States it had been decided that whether a
vessel carried a pilot or not, the owner was liable for
damage. The same applied th Belgium and France. Ger-
man laws were similar to ours. Mr. Lindsay's committee
cf 1869 was in favour of abolition of compulsory pilotage.
special circumstances, however, must prevail at different
ports. The Trinity House district extended from
where the Hull district ended. The Bristol
Channel had been a cause of great contention. The
system of pilots working in and out of London was very
difficult to understand. There were seven different
classes of pilots to pilot ships, in and out of London.
Almost every vessel coming into' London had a pilot on
board. Each class of pilots complained of the others.
A letter was read from Mr. Steele, of Liverpool, setting
forth the hardships inflicted upon masters of coasting
vessels by compulsory pilotage.
-Further evidence of a similar character was given, and
the committee adjourned.