The Sun.
London, England, 1802-03-27 00:00:00

A BILL,

For the more effeetually.tirstinguishing and relieVing of in-
dustrious Parish Poor; awl tor the Regulation of Overseers
Accounts.; and for the better preserving of the Lives of
adjudged Bastards.
•(Concluded from our Paper of Yesterday.)

And, for the better securing Parishes from the
expence incurred in the maintenance of Bastards, it
shall he lawful for any Justice of the Peace, upon
application of the Overseers of the Parish, Town-
ship, or Place to which such Bastard belongs, to
grant a warrant of distress for levying, upon the
goods and chattels of the putative Father thereof,
the Arrears due from him to such Parish, Town-
ship, or Place, for the. Maintenance of such Bastard.
under any Order of Maintenance, and in • default
thereof, to .commit such Offender to the County
`gaol until such arrears shall he paid, or he shall be
discharged therefrom by due course of Law : Pro.
vided nevertheless, that if any Person shall offer
Security for payment of such arrears, by instal-
ments or otherwise, to the satisfaaion Of. any Jus-
tice of • Peace, i.t shall be lawful for him to order,_
that such Offender be discharged out of custody :
'Provided also, that nothing herein contained shall
he deemed. or taken to destroy, or lessen any other
Remedy now existing for enforcing such Order of
Maintenance.
And whereas illegitimate Children.nre frequently
not baptized or registered in any Church, or other
place of Public Worship, and are often taken from
the Mother by over persuasion or force, and under-
pretence of being put to nurse are separated from
her, and die through iii treatment or' neglea : Be it
enaled, 'That within after any
Bastard Child shall have been born in any. Parish,
Township, or Place, which shall have been duly ad-
, judged to be the Child of any particular Personbe-
fore it shall have been born, and within the like
time from the adjudged' filiation of such Child,- in
case such adjudication shall not have been made un-
til after the birth of such. Child, it shall be lawful
for the Overseers of the Poor of such Parish, Town-
ship,- or Place, or one of them, and they are hereby
required, to bring or cause to -be- brought to the.
Church or Chapel of or belonging to such- Parish,
Township, or Place, or to the Church or Chapel
nearest thereinto, in case there shall be no Church-
or Chapel within such Parish, Township, or „Place,
such Bastard Child, to be baptized according to the
Liturgy of the Church of England,.: and to ibe duly
registered in the Register of Baptisms ; and in case
such Overseers shall make default herein, it shall
be lawful for any Justice of the Peace living in or
near such Parish-, Township, or Place, upon the in_
formation and proof of such neglea, to impose a
Fine of • upon each of such Over.
seers, and in default of payment thereof, to levy
the same by a warrant. of distress and sale of the
goods, chattels, and effeas of such Overseers ;
and if they shall continue to make default herein, to
levy in like manner the like sum weekly upon each
of such Overseers, until they shall have' complied
with the directions of this AEI:, or shall have shewn
• to the satisfaaion of such Justice, upon oath (which
oath Tse isliereby dtreaed to administer), that the
compliance herewith is become impossible ; which
sums,. so paici,or levied, shall be employed for the
benefit of the Poor of such Parish, Township, or
Place, in such manner as such Justice shall direa.
It shall not be lawful for the putative Father of
such Bastard child, or-any other Person, although
with the consent of the Mother thereof, to take
away or remove such Child from its Mother, until
such-Child shall have attained its sull age of
years, without the License and Permission of a
Justice of the Peace living in.or near to such Parish,
Township, or Place (which License such Justice may-
give or refuse to give), which shall state the Place
to which it is -to be temoved, and the name and
abode of the Person to be entrusted therewith, who
shall be a resident Householder, or the Wife of a re-
sident Householder, within the Parish, Township,
or Place,, or as near thereto as may be ; and in case
such putative, Father, or any other Person, shall re-
move or cause such-Child to be removed .from its
Mother without such License, it shall-be lawful for
any Justice of the _Peace to commit him to the
County gaol, until he discover where such Child
is, and cause it to he produced at , such time and
place as such Justice shall order and direa, if such
Child is living, who may direa that it shall again
be placed under the care of itSMother, or of any
other Person willing- to take charge thereof, being a
Householder, or the Wife of a Householder, living
within the parish, Township, or Place, or as near,
thereto as may be ; and such putative Father, being
convicted of having removed such Child without
such License by such Justice, shall pay a Penalty of
not more than nor less than
to be levied by a warrant of distress upon the
goods and chattels of such offender, to be aplied
for the use of the Poor of the Parish as such Justice
shall direa, and in default thereof, shall be com-
committed to the County gaol for any time not
exceeding and in case such Child .'
shall die, between the removal thereof without such
License, and before the time giiven fur its produc-
tion, such putative Father or other Person shall be
committed to the County gaol, there to remain until
the next General Gaol Delivery, to answer to such
Bill of Indiament.as may be then and there found
against him : Provided nevertheless, that nothine,
herein contained shall be deemed or taken to enable or -
authorize such putative Father to remove cuatake such
Child from its Mother after the age of
years without her consent : Provided also, that it
shall be lawful for any Justice of the Peace, to order
the Mother of such Bastard Child, whilst residing
with her, to produce the same before him, at . such
time and place as he shall direct, and in case such
Child shall appear to- him to be ill-treated or ne-
glefteti, to remove the same to such Person, willing
to take charge thereof, as he shall think fit, -who
shall be living and residing within the Parish,
Township, or Place where such Child was born, or
" as near thereto as may he : 'Provided-also, that no..
a thing herein contained shall 'be deemed or taken to
annul or abridge the power which any Justice or
Justices of the Peace now bath or have to make any