The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-26 00:00:00

SETTLEMENT OF THE POOR.

Mr. BANKES rose to move for a select committee to
inquire into the law of settlement and removal of the
poor. It would he observed that the Right Hon. Ba..
ronet at the head of the head of the Government had
introduced the measure as an accompanying one to that
of the corn-law, and it was in that point of view
that now, when the Corn-law Bill had approached the
stage of second reading, he considered it right to direct
the attention of the House to the measure, conceiving
that both might be considered at the same time,
with a view to their going to the Upper House at the
ssioe moment.—(Hear.) There were other measures
introduced as accompanying ones to the Corn Bill, but,
in his opinion, they were of little importance, and there-
fore he was not prepared to take the same steps, in
reference to them, as in the rase he then introduced to
the notice of the !louse.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.)
It was far from his intention to charge the Right Hon.
Baronet, or any other member of her Majesty's Govern-
ment with intentionally misleading the the public on
this subject, but frem the recent statement of the Right
Hon. Baronet they expected some thing different to .the
measure which had been laid on the table of the
House. No, ,he did not presume to make any such
charge against the Right Honourable Bat onet or any
other Member of the Government, or even to say that
the public were right in the conclusion they had drawn,
but cer- ainly the conclusion was very different from
the measure which was now before the House.
It would be by no means satisfactory, that the Corn-
law Bill should be passed and sent into the other House,
before this Bill should be discussed, and understood,
and put in point of progress, on an equal footing with
the other. He was not prepared to say what might be
right or what might be wrong. in the changes which it
contemplated, but this he would say, that his own opi-
nion coincided with the general feeling, that a residence
for a period of five years—(tlear, hear)—or even a
shorter one of three years, should confer the right of
settlement. The Bill was set down for a second reading
on Monday next, and he was of opinion that it could not
attain to such a progress ; and he, therefore, had a right
to draw the attention of the House to the subject, in
order that they Might understand precisely what were
the views of the Government with reference to the
principle of the measure. The Bill might
be divided into two parts, that which in-
volved the removal of the poor, and that
which regulated the machinery by which its provisions
were to he carried out. He was prepared to object to
that portion of the measure, which conferred new power
on the Poor-law Commissioners.—(Cheers.) To this he
would give his decided opposition. The second
portion had only reference to the machinery
of the Bill, which would involve a considerable
deal of discussion and might well. be postponed, but the
principle of the Bill ought to be discussed, it was of the
utmost importance, and could not be discussed too
anxiously or too soon. But retaining that part of this
important principle, they would in fact be accomplish-
ing the great advantage which was intended, namely,
the benefit to the poor man himself, to the full extent
of the proposition of the Right Hon. Baronet. That
principle he conceived was, that in consequence of a
residence of a smaller number of years—three years
they should give a right of settlement as well
as a right to relief. Now this comprised
the whole subject of the question, and would be
rectifying a great omission of the present poor-law. It
was already granted that the residence of five years
should not only entitle him to relief, but on the event of
any inducement being held out to the poor man, so as to
bribe him to go to a country district, should be visited by
a penalty, and ho perfectly agreed with the Right Hon.
Baronet that it was an hardship in the ex-
treme to induce any man who was suffering from
misfortune and poverty to go to a country
with which all connexion was lost, with which all his
ties were broken, and with which he could have no rela-
tion whatever, or, in fact, any inducement to re-
turn there.—(Hear, bear.) This was one of the great
difficulties created by the measure proposed, making
this alteration in the law of allotment. He thought it
was not wise or right, after, perhaps, a long residence in
a mpnufacturing town, to induce any one to go into
an agricultural district. He therefore hoped that
After having obtained the benefit of the right to relief
they should not deprive him of some sufficient right of
settlement, for it was only, in fact, offering him an invi-
tation, at the best, to reside in the workhouse.
for these reasons attested that the Government would
not refuse to grant this modification of the law of
settlement, while at the same time maintained all the
position which they sought to obtain by their 'new Bill.
He trusted that no member in the House wonld consider
this question to be a party one, or that he had brought
it forward for the purpose of a political -party. He be-
lieved he might say that he might calculate on the support
of the majority of those even of the Opposition side of
the House. The Government had stated that they were
tensions to consider the question of the settlement of the
poor, and he would ask, why had they not set about
carrying out their desires. In many towns in this king-
dom there was an anxiety, and he must admit that it
was a justifiable anxiety to have the question fully
considered and settled. He believed that
it
would be much better settled by a Select Com-
mittee than a Committee of the whole House.—
(Hear, hear.) He would be most anxious to learn from
the Members of the Governm 1t was that havingent why*
the principles which they had professed to entertain on
intothieffect s questionent ? they had
vi
sthoyppitel
wshaosrt in
that,
caiiiraryyiinngg them
sidered ae the Bight lion. Baronet did in that moo

able statement; to which he • (Mr. Banker)
had before alluded to, that the labourer had 'earned bii
rights, he hesitated to confer them upon him ? Ped
wished also to ,know, that under the law as shadoee
forth by its proposer, if an operative should go for a titne
to seek his bread in the agricultural districts, and he
returned, the doors were shut against him in the
manufacturing districts which he had left ?"
(Cries of " Hear, hear.") They would tell him then
that he had no settlement, and that. he had.no right t°
return. They would tell him that ho had no right til°
continue in the manufacturing towns in 16h._ie,
had
he spent the best part of his Ott'
ence, but if he chose to go into the,
agricultural districts in search of employment,
mast take his chance ; that he had, in ac"
become a gambling speculator in his industrf,
and that he must now be -content without 01
s,,rt of relief, breause he had the rashness to leave his
usual place of labour. He returns, perhaps, after to°
or three months' ab.ence, and after all his exertions t°
get employment in other places, he was compelled to ssi;
he had come back to that place where he had workea
all his life, and where only he had a claim fc'r
relief. It was for this reason he would move Of
this select committee. A discussion for two or three
days, at the most, would enable them to form ft,
Bill, which would he more acceptable to the agriculturs'i
and other interests generally, than the measure propose':
by her Majesty's Government. It was to give the et,
man something like a settlement that he would moo i(4
a Committee, and he was sure that it was in the polo'
of Parliament to do so, and to place this question at rest'
Mr. SPOONER seconded the motion.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said, the House would beta
with him while he made a few remarks upon the rsotion
proposed by the Hon. Member who had just sat dowtti
The Hun. Member bad alluded to the speech of his WO
Hon. Baronet (Sir Robert Peel) upon this question.
Now, he considered that the speech of the Right 1011'
Baronet was clear and perfectly intelligible. -