The Sun.
London, England, 1834-09-23 00:00:00

TO THE CHURCHWARDENS AND OVERSEERS AND THE OTHER

OFFICERS CHARGED WITH THE RELIEF OF THE POOR.

" Office of the Poor-law Commissioners,
Sept. 4, 1834.
" Gentlemen—l am directed by the Board of Poor-law
Commissioners for England and Wales to transmit to you
a copy of the Act of the 4th and sth William IV., cap.
76, for the amendment and better administration of the
laws for the relief of the poor in England and Wales, and
his Majesty's Commissioners request your immediate and
careful attention to its provisions.

" The attention of the Board having been particularly
directed to the operation of the .52d and 54th clauses of
the Act, the commissioners feel themselves called upon to
point out that the boards of guardians, select vestries, and
other district or parochial officers acting in the administra-
tion of parochial affairs under any general or local Act, and
also the churchwardens and overseers charged with the re-
lief of the poor, in any place where there is no board of
guardians, select vestry, or other. similar body constituted
under any general or local act, are to continue to administer
the existing the existing laws for the relief of the poor of
.the parish or place for which they act ; and that, subject to
the provisions of the Poor-law Amendment Act, the ge-
neral transaction of parochial business should (with strict
attention to economy, and as far as the same is authorized
by law) be continued in the accustomed course until the
rules, orders, and regulations which the commissioners are
authorized to make, shall have been duly prepared and pro-
mulgated.

"-In reference to the change in the law which is effected
by the 54th clause, the commissioners are desirous that the
boards of guardians, select vestries, and other similar
bodies, should take into their immediate consideration the
expediency of adopting such measures (either by establish-
ing rotas or otherwise), as may appear to them best adapted
for securing frequent and regular attendances for the or-
dering and directing of the necessary relief to the poor.
" I am further directed to recommend to your especial
notice, the enactments with relation to contracts for sup-
plies of goods for the use of the poor, and to suggest to you,
for the avoidance of future inconvenience and pecuniary
loss to which you might otherwise become liable, that in
the case of the renewal of any contract on behalf of your
parish now about to cease, you should cause to be inserted
a clause to the following effect That the said contract
or agreement shall be liable to be altered or amended in
case any alteration or amendment be rendered necessary by
any rule, order, or regulation of the Poor-law Commis-
sioners for England and Wales, which may come into effect,
during the period that such contract or agreement would
otherwise remain in force.'

" I am directed also to request your attention to the
the clause respecting the appointment of paid officers ; and
to inform you that, although any appointments which are
now about to cease may be renewed, and any new appoint-
ments may be made by the usual authorities, and, for the
present, in the customary manner, still that the officers,
when appointed, must consider themselves as liable to be
placed under such regulations as the central board may
hereafter provide for the more uniform, correct, and efficient
performance of-the public service.
" The board consider it to be desirable that you should
submit this letter to a vestry meeting or a meeting of the
board of guardians, or such body as may be charged with
the administration of relief in your parish, and state to them—
" That the commissioners are desirous of receiving from
them, or from yourselves, full information of the existence
in your parish of any evils, for the removal of which it is
considered that the powers entrusted to the board may be
rendered available ; and likewise of any improvement which
may have been adopted in the mode of administering relief
in your parish.

And as it is highly important that the commissioners
should be immediately made acquainted with the present
state of your parish, in common with that of other parishes
throughout the country, you are requested to prepare, as
speedily as possible, answers to the questions herewith
transmitted.—l have the honour to be, Gentlemen, your
very obedient servant,
" EDWIN CHADWICK, Secretary."
•

Many a child is brought to me in my room for a
little reward of a tract, &c. Since I began this scrawl a sharp
little girl was brought for this purpose. She repeated a short
poem extremely well. I then said, now I must examine what
you know of the Bible. Who was Abraham ? After some
hesitation, she answered, 4! T think lie was an Exeter man I r
—Front Miss Hannah lifoore's L.