The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-20 00:00:00

ST. PANCRAS WORKHOUSE.

POOR-LA.W BOARD AND THE GUARDIANS.

Yesterday, ae the meeting of the directors and guar-
dians of the poor of St. Pancras, held in the Vestry-hall,
Ca:nden town-- Mr. Churchwarden Wyatt in the chair
--intense excitement was manifested at the receipt of the
following communication from the Poor•law Board,
announcing its intention at once to exercise au-
thority over the management of St. Pancras Work-
house, as well as in the administration of (milt-door
relief, and a determination to appoint a poor-
law auditor to audit the parish accounts :
Poor-law Board, Whitehall, Aug. 18, 1856.

,
" Sir,—l am directed by the Poor-law Board to refer
you to the letter which they addressed to the directors of
the poor of St. Pancras on the Bth May last, and to inform
you that the Poor-law Board have (mused to be prepared,
and are now about immediately to issue, the orders referred
to in that letter.

"In notifying this intention, the Poor-law Board are
desirous of recalling to the recollection of the directors the
circumstances which have led the board to adopt the course
which they are now about to pursue.
" In the early part of the present year the board found it
necessary to appoint Dr. Bence Jones a poor-law inspector,
for the purpose of making a special inquiry into the con-
dition of the workhouse. Upon the receipt of Dr. Jones'
report, the board forwarded a copy of it to the directors,
and requested their immediate attention to the statements
which it contained, with the view of enabling the directors
to take such measures as might be necessary to remedy the
serious evils which were adverted to in that report. The
board learnt with much satisfaction that the letter, to-
gether with Dr. Jones' report, had been referred to a com-
mittee of the directors, who had reported to the vestry of
the parish the measures which they recommended for the
purpose of remedying the existing evils and defects at the
workhouse.

" The board, however, subsequently received from their
inspector, Mr. Hall, a detailed report (made after two visits
to the workhouse on the 15th and 17th of April respec-
tively), from which it appeared that, although certain mea-
sures calculated to improve the general system en which
relief is administered in the parish had been discussed by
the directors, and in part adopted, no material improve-
ment had taken place in the state of the workhouse since
it had b3en visited and reported upon by Dr. Bence Jones.
The board felt it necessary, in consequence of Mr. Hall's
report, to inform the directors, on the Ist of May, that,
unless in the meantime the defects to which the attention
of the directois had been called wore satisfactorily re-
medied, they would deem themselves boun,l, at the expi-
ration of two months, to issue an order fixing the maxi-
mum number of inmates to be received at any one time
into the workhouse ; and also an amended set of rules for
the management of the workhouse. The board, at the
same time, inform the directors that they also felt bound
to consider whether it would not be proper to issue rules
for the regulation of the mode of administering out-relief.
Shortly before the termination of the period of two months
from Ist May, the board instructed their inspector again
to visit the workhouse, and report to the board upon its
then state and condition. From the report which they
have since received, it appears that although some useful
alterations and improvements have been adopted, there
are still so many points in regard to which the defects
and evils adverted to in Dr. Jones' report continue to
exist, that the board deem it essential, in order to prevent
their continuance or recurrence, to issue detailed and po-
sitive regulations for the management of the workhouse
and the conduct of the officers.
" The board desire further to state that their attention
has recently been directed to the depositions taken by the
Coroner, at an inquest held on the body of Anne Greening,
from which it appears, in confirmation of the opinion
'which the board had previously formed, that the arrange-

ments for the adminisL-ation of out-relief are not such as
uniformly to secure that dap, and prompt attention to all
applications for relief which is obviously desired by the
directors. -Under these circumstances, and for these rea-
sons, the board intend to issue the following orders, viz. :
—One fixing the maximum accommodation of the work-
house and of its several wards respectively ; one regulating
the management of the workhouse, and prescribing the
duties of its officers ; and a third, containing rules for the
administration of out-door relief.

" In thus communicating bit the directors the intention
of the board, I em directed at the same time to state that,
should any difficulty arise in carrying those orders into
effect, it will give the board much pleasure to render to
the directors any aid or assistance in their power, as they
are most anxious cordially to co-operate with the &rectors
iu promoting what they believe to be the object of the di-
rectors—the introduction cf an efficient and satisfactory
system of relief to the poor iu St. Pancras.
"The board direct me to add, with a view to secure a
regular and complete examination of the parochial ac-
counts, and to assist the directors in carrying out these
orders, by enabling them to exercise a complete control over
all the officers, it is also the intention of the board to issue
an order authorising and directing the appointment of an
auditor. The directors are doubtless aware that the
salary of this officer will not be a charge upon the parish,
but will bo paid out of the Consolidated Fund, so long as
his duties are regularly and eficiently performed.—l am,
sir, your obedient servant,

" R. W. GREY, Sec.

" C. Hibbard, Esq,,
Clerk to the Directors of St. Pancras."

Mr. CLARKE doubted the power of the Poor-law Board
to issue these orders and regulations, and more espe-
cially to appoint a poor-law auditor in that parish.
Mr. ORR suggested that the better course to be adopted
would be to call a special meeting of the entire board to
consider the matter, and that steps be then taken for
testing the power of the commissioners.
A motion to that effect was carried.
After other business, the board separated.