The Sun.
London, England, 1834-08-20 00:00:00

" SECOND REPORT.

" The committee appointed 13th March, 1834, to examine
the pension and other books, have to present to the board the
new pension book, commencing from Lady-day last, pursuant
to the promise made in their report of the 22d of April ; and
which book, your committee flatter themselves, will be found
to contain a correct list of persons put on the pension list by
the board, with their Christian names, ages, and address, as
well as the names and ages of children for whom pensions are
allowed, and every other requisite particular. The list is
divided into three parts, viz., family cases, bastardy cases, and
country pensions. In the latter cases your committee have
not been able to examine all the parties personally ; but if the
plan and mode which they have acted upon, and which, with
others, they now respectfully and earnestly submit to the con-
sideration of the board, be adopted, they feel assured that few
(if any) frauds can escape detection.
" The pension book is made up to the end of the year,
without a fresh entry of names each quarter, as heretofore ;
which plan does away with the necessity of carrying forward
the number of weeks due to the succeeding quarter, and pre-
vents any such frauds as noticed by your committee in their
former report, in the case of Amelia Thomas ; and it is re-
commended that the same plan be adopted for the future, and
that the new book commence the first week in January, and
terminate at the end of December in the same year, to avoid
two years forming part of the same book.
" That the entries of moneys paid be made each alternate
week in red ink, which will lead to the immediate detection of
any entry placed in a wrong column, and that no pension be
paid at any other time than the regular morning for payments.
" That no petty pension book be kept, being quite unneces-
sary, and having greatly facilitated the many frauds practised
by John Scott.
" That a committee of seven guardians be appointed, three
of them to act with the overseers of the month in paying pen-
sions, and on no account to quit before the amount paid is cast
up with the balance left, to see that it corresponds with the
sum obtained of the master ; and, having so balanced, to sign
the book.
" That no money be paid in advance to pensioners, it being
deemed by your committee rather injurious than beneficial to
the poor, and tending to confuse the accounts.
" That no country pension be paid until a certificate is re-
ceived, duly signed by the minister and churchwarden of the
parish ; and that on the payment of such moneys a receipt be
taken by the master for the same. That the receipt and cer-
tificate be numbered and pasted in a book to be kept for that
purpose. And that the master be instructed on no account to
pay any such pension without strictly adhering to these rules,
nor until the account has been previously exanlined by the
pension committee, and ordered for payment under the signa-
ture of one of them.
" That all new pensions ordered by the board, or payable
on orders of affiliation, be entered in the pension book by or
under the orders of the clerk of the guardians, who shall put
his initials to the same, the date of the order, address, age,
&c., so that the system at present adopted may be correctly
kept up.
" That a correct list, containing the name and address of
all pensioners, and the amount of their pensions, be printed
yearly, in the form of a small book, with blank fly leaves, for
the sole use of the guardians and officers, who may occasion-
ally visit them, and make such reports as the cases require. -
" That the pension committee do annually, at the end of
November or beginning of December, summon and examine
each pensioner personally, taking their correct address, age,
and every requisite particular, in order to ascertain and deter-
mine what alterations are required previous to the making out
the new book ; and that the clerk do call the attention of the
committee to this duty in proper time, that the necessary ar-
rangements may be made.
" That no account on orders of affiliation be allowed to
stand uncollected longer than three months ; and that if the
money cannot be obtained, a report of the same be made to
the committee by the collector in writing every three months,
in order that they may reduce the weekly allowance to the
same standard as those for whom no weekly allowance is paid,
namely, Is. 6d. per week, until the debt is paid, in which case
the money to be made good to the party entitled to receive it.
" Your committee feel' convinced that if these rules are
strictly attended to, they will be found all sufficient for the
pipsion book ; and they now beg to submit their suggestions
on other books and matters.

" MONEY ORDER BOOK.

" The Committee feel that a unity of action between the
overseers and the committee named 'by the board to assist
in relieving the poor on Tuesdays and Fridays, is calcu-
lated to produce considerable good, if properly applied, and
the committee's services not confined to the put-door cloth-
ing only, as at present; from the constant change of ever-
seers, and the time required to obtain a proper knowledge
of the duties to be performed, it appears obvious much be-
nefit would be derived by the committee regularly and punc-
tually attending and assisting in dispensing relief, as it was
contemplated on their original appointment they would have
done ; and they would, no doubt, be enabled to render
much useful information, as well in the detection of impo-
sition, as in the relieving the poor, particularly on a new
overseer first coming into office, and at the commencement
of each month. It is, therefore, recommended that one of
the committee should attend with the overseers every relief
day alternately, or get one of his colleagues to attend for
him. That all sums given above 2s. 6d. shall be paid by
a printed cheque on the master, and that the master be
strictly enjoined not to pay any money to orders in the
money order book, but only on cheques signed by an over-
seer, containing the name and number on the counterpart,
and the particulars for which such sums above 2s. 6d. are
paid to be entered as now into a book same as the money
order book, and that the page of each payment may be
posted, as at present, which is found of great utility as a re-
ference, and also as a means of checking improper applica-
tions. And the committee further recommend that the cheques
so paid, together with the amount put into the overseer's
small pay mcnts book, be posted up at the end of each month
in a book to be kept for that purpose, and that such book do
lay on the table on the first board night after the expiration of
the month ready for auditing, signed by the overseer of the
month the account applies to.
" That the beadle do constantly attend on the mornings
of relief, to assist the overseer and committee from the
commencement to the close of the reliefs, and visit all
such cases as may be required ; and that the churchwardens
be requested to facilitate such attendances ; for if caees were
more frequently visited, your committee have no doubt great
advantage would be derived thereby.
" That the overseers be requested not to grant relief to
persons applying to them beyond the sum of 205., without
previously submitting the same to the board to determine
thereon.
" BEADLE.

" That no money be paid to the beadle, as heretofore, for the
relief of out-door poor, but that in all cases where the parties
are unable to attend, he do, on visiting the same, fill up and
sn,:n a printed form of eheqne on the master, and insert on the
art the name and address, and the relief which he
dful. That the master do pay the same on presen-
tctEiuinnokinraPZ; tblt sucthhechpeeqrusoens
is ill, abnydh u
no onnetil
taoudaittteedn,danfodir
i-Ile do inform
,the master of it, who shall
mediately, and that the beadle do lay
or. the table every board int.'ht a book containing the name and
s
address with the amount ordet:ed in all such cases together
Leadl lac
personases amount,w
the
withb e
bc
with his cheque book.

als without the " That no money be gr‘a‘iFitueridEfßoArlf-Un•
over-
seer and beadle having first visited the case, and reported the
same to the overseer or committee, and the stn.' entered in the
funeral book, with the name and address ; and that the master
be ordered not to pay any funeral money without the entry
being first made and signed as directed ; and that he then do
/,‘ ay the person ordered to receive the same, and take his or her
signature for the amount; and that no payment be allowed in
the auditing his account, but what shall be in strict conformity
with this rule.

" APPRENTICES.
4g That all applications: e. for apprenticing b made to the
board,, and that the master do not pay any monies as premiums

1-‘ Your committee most strongly recommend that no orders
be given to tradesmen but on printed cheques, duly numbered
and signed by the person ordering the goods, as well as the
counterpart, pursuant to the regulations made ; and that the
tradesmen be ordered to preserve the original, and put the
number of the cheque on his invoice and in his general ac-
count, in order that the auditors may compare the accounts,
cheques, and orders, and see that they correspond. Should
these regulations be adopted, your committee suggest that •
they be written by the clerk in the first page of the respective
books to which such regulation applies, as a reference to the
plan to be pursued, and as a means of continuing such uniform
system.

In conclusion, your committee beg to state that they will
continue to pay the pensions up to Midsummer next ; previous
to which, they trust, a committee will be appointed to dis-
charge that duty agreeably to their suggestions ; and they fur-
ther assure the board, that they will continue to use every
exertion they possibly can to fulfil the objects of their appoint-
ment. That they are endeavouring to extract the amount of
those cases that appear to them to have been frauds committed
by John Scott; but, from the nature of the transactions, the
difficulty of proof, and the various intricacies in which they
are involved in presenting a gross amount, which they purpose
to do in their next and probably concluding report, much of it
must be considered as speculative, their inference being drawn
from the nature and characteristics of the various cases that
they have examined.
( Signed)

" JAMES PASCALL, Chairman.
" F. B. ADAMS, " LEWIS SOLOMON,
" CHARLES BIGGS; " CHARLES MUSTON.
" W. CLARE, " THOMAS DISMORE,
" W. LOVELL, ",EDWARD SCARGILL.
Committee-room, May 20, 1834."
" The committee appointed, 13th March, 1834, to investi-
gate the pension and other books, respectfully beg to state in
this third report, that the principal information they have to
lay before the board, other than is to be found in their former
ones, is the statement of the amount of John Scott's plunder
as far as they have extracted it, and which they would gladly
have laid before the board some time since, had it been in
their power;, but the time and labour requisite to make such
statement can scarcely be estimated by any hut those by Whom
it has been performed. Your committee beg to state, this
task has been accomplished without employing any clerk to
assist them, as suggested in their former report ; and regret
to say, that there appears to them a sum of upwards of 10,0001.
to have been fraudulently taken by him from time to time, but
from what exact date it is difficult to say. Evidently, as far
back as the year 1820, there is an undoubted instance of gross
fraud in a bastardy case, of the name of Ann Buckley, at
which period John Scott was in the habit of paying the pen-
sioners ; and your committee strongly suspect this was about
the time he commenced his depredations.
" The amount, extracted from various books, is as follows :
"By pension book £8,946 11 6
By relief ditto BB7 2 0
For apprentice fees 554 13
For second fees
Clothing for apprentices 45 17 15

£10,487 19 6
" In submitting this statement, your committee respectfully
beg it to be understood, that they do not pledge themselves to
be correct in every case they have extracted ; although they
have given each case the best consideration they could, and
believe there are not many they have erred in ; on the other

- -
hand, they beg to state, there are many more cases which they
have not been able to inquire into, that would still occupy a con-
siderable addition of time, without any particular advantage being
obtained. They consider, by the above, that a sufficiency has
been extracted for every useful purpose that may be wanted.
The committee further beg to state, that,. during the sixteen
weeks they paid the pensioners, the amount paid by them was
1,8091. 125., averaging 113/. 2s. per week ; that the sixteen
weeks previous to their commencing was 2,1141. 6s. ; and the
sixteen weeks of last year corresponding with the sixteen paid
by your committee this year, was 2,0931. ss. 6d. The average
of these two sums is per week 131/. Os. 7d., thereby proving
a saving in their payments of 181. 7s. 7d. per week, or
9551. 14s. 4d. per annum. This comparative statement of
saving your committee make as positive, and doubt not there
is a considerable saving in other books could it as easily be
ascertained.

" It is with regret your committee report, that they have
been unsuccessful in all their efforts to take John Scott, though
every exertion has been used that they felt themselves justified
in resorting to ; that your committee have experienced the
most useful and prompt service at the hands of Mr. Dixon,
the superintendent of police • and your committee have further
to express the kind and ready attention they experienced on
their application to the Honourable Robert Grant, through
whose influence letters were immediately obtained from the
Government to the Ambassadors of such places as, in conse-
quence of information received, it was considered prudent to
send an officer to trace him, but which proved unsuccessful.
Your committee cannot but believe the time not very far dis-
tant when some more decisive information will be obtained,
until which period they doubt the propriety of incurring much.
expense, but recommend that the board should again placard
him. Your committee might have expended large sums of
money on speculative journeys proposed by various persons,
who sought to be paid (quite independent of the reward offer-
ed), but on whose statement your committee could not think
themselves justified to have spent any money.
" In consequence of various reports that a large sum of
money had been offered your committee to compromise the
infamy of John Scott, they feel it necessary to state expli-
citly, for the information of the board and parish generally,
that no offer has ever been made. That a conference once took
place with Mr. Chappell, who intimated he thought a sum of
money might be obtained, in consequence of his having heard
that Mrs. Scott had said she would wish the money to be re-
turned ; but that neither he, nor the solicitor, nor any one
else, was authorised to make an offer, and which, if it had
been made, could not have been acceded to without the direc-
tion of the board. But -should the statement of Mrs. Scott's
expression be true, and she still be actuated by the desire of
making restitution, there will be no difficulty in placing such
sum in the Bank of England to the credit of the parish.
" Your committee beg to state, that the books and papers
committed to their care have been kept constantly in safe cus-
tody, in order that should John Scott have been taken, and
the books and papers produced in evidence to a court of jus-
tice, the party in whose charge they were could have sworn
that the same had undergone no alteration, nor been out of
his custody. This was adopted under the advice of Mr. Bod-
kin and Mr. Selby ; and your committee, in now surrendering
the keys, feel it their duty to call the attention of the board to
the circumstance of what situation the parish would be placed
in, if, in a court of law, such affidavit could not be made;
and the committee strongly urge the propriety of the board
dispassionately considering this subject, before they suffer the
books to pass from their present depository, that the ends of
justice may not be defeated.
" Your committee beg to state, that they had the desk used
by John Scott at the workhouse opened in the presence of an
officer, who took an inventory of its contents, which princi-
pally consisted of cancelled cheques, &c., a sixpenny stamp,
and 3s. 14-d. in copper, which they handed to the master, to
place to the credit of the parish ; and the cheques, &c., are
all sealed up and placed in the hands of Mr. Selby.
" Your committee; in concluding this report, and with it
their labours as regards this inquiry, respectfully beg to re-
commend to the hoard, that a full statement be made to the
parishioners of every particular that the report can furnish, as
made to this board by your,cornmittee, of the system of fraud
carried on by John Scott ; and they hope that the impression
existing in the minds of many of the inhabitants, that a rate
will be necessary to make up the defalcation of John Scott,
will be removed, but, on the contrary, the parishioners will be
benefited by the detection and prevention of future robbery.
( Signed) " JAMES PASCALL, Chairman.
‘` WILLIAM LOVELL, LEWIS SOLOMON,
" W. CLARE, EDWARD SC ARGIL',
" CHARLES BIGGS, F. B. ADAMS,
" THOMAS DISMORE. CHARLES MT:STON.
" Committee `!loom, Clerkenwell Workhouse, July 21, 1834."

ARUNbELL'S DISCOVERIES IN ASIA MINOR.—
" In Asia Minor," says the Morning Herald, in speaking of
this new work, " in place of its secular greatness, wretched
Turkish, villages, and small towns, have grown up, while the
relics of its noble cities lie in the midst of desolation. In
place of the religion of Paul, and John, and Barnabas, a
divided reign is shared between the urkish Mollah, and*Der.
vish, and the Greek Priest. This work will be long referred
to by the devout Christian as well as the scholar, as the most
important and valuable illustration of the Holy Scriptures
which has lately appeared."
ILLEGAL EXPORTATION OF MACIIINERY.--...
Several large seizures of machinery, about to be illegally ex-
ported to France and Holland, have been recently made by the
revenue officers, and it is believed that the practice has been
carried on to a very large extent. On the Ist inst. Mr. G.
Swainson, a tide surveyor of customs, on going on hoard the
Columbine steamer, Captain Corbin master, bound to Ham-
burg, had his suspicions excited by a package which had been
shipped as a mill .shaft, and the external appearance of which
bore that description. Upon a very minute examination it
sounded hollow, when Swainson ordered a bole to be cut in
the middle, by which be found that the external part was an
entire deception, and made into the form of a mill shaft. It
proved to be a case fifteen feet long, containing 2,840 spindles
tfor
beK: s bi
7r declared eelleu machinery,amr dit sewhere it was valued at 1401. The
officers which he seized and delivered at
to be one of the neatest deceptions
they ever witnessed. A sim4lar seizure of bobbin-net machi-
nery was made on a steamer bound to France a few weeks
1
ago. Of course no owner has appeared to claini-the contra
band property.