The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-21 00:00:00

THE GOVERNMENT INQUIRIES FOR TICE
IRISH LAND BILL.

A now set of inquiries sent by the Irish poor-law autho-
rities to land agents and others, with a view to obtaintlg
information for a Land Bill, contains the following amoi tg
other queries :—" To what extent have the dwellinr-
houses, offices, fences, roads, reclamations, works c f
drainage, fencing, plantations, largo or small in
extent, humble or important in character, now existing
upon the estates, and, in fact, constit'.ting the farms as
distinguished from waste land, been created by the present
or former tenants, or by the present or former landlords
respectively ? Whether the Ulster tenant-right custon
is in existence—that is to say, whether any payment is
made to the outgoing tenant with or without the consent
of landlord, for disturbance or goodwill, irrespective
of compensation for improvements actually made by the
tenant or preceding tenant? If such a custom exists-1.
Whether it is confined to tenants holding at will, or ex-
tends only to lease-holding tenants ? 2. Whether it can
1.0 defined, and a value set upon it, at so many years' rental,
or at so much per acre? 3. Whether the custom, if it
eTists, is spreading or gaining ground?"

RELICT OF TIIE METROPOLITAN POOR.

The guardians of the parishes of St. Margaret
and St. John the Evangelist, taking the initiative
on the minute recently issued by the Poor-law
Board, convened a meeting in the Westminster
Palace Hotel yesterday of the representatives of the
various charities in these parishes, with a view to
organise a plan of harmonious action for the relief
of the poor. The chair was taken by Mr. J. G.
Talbot, M.P. There were present a considerable
number of those invited to attend, including Lord
A. Churchill, the Earl of Lichfield, Mr. W. 11.
Smith, M.P., the lion. Wm. Warren Vernon, Mr.
H. Griffith, Mr. Corbett, Mr. Spooner, and a num-
ber of the district clergy and Dissenting ministers.
The CHAIRMANSaid that the question of combined
action beween the Poor-law authorities on the one
hand and the charities on the other, was open
to many considerations. First of all, as every
gentleman knew, there was an enormous amount
of money annually expended for the relief of
the poor. Without venturing upon detail. d
figures, he believed that several millions sterling
were annually expended in the relief of the poor ft
the metropolis in one shape or other; and, on tl
other hand, there was the fact, which was a dis-
grace to a civilised community, that cases were fre-
quently occurring, and were reported in the news-
papers, of death from starvation, and, besides that,
the relapsing fever undoubtedly had its origin in
the same cause. So that they had the two facts,
first, an enormous sum given for the relief of the
poor; and, secondly, that notwithstanding this re-
lief, lives were shortened by destitution. It there-
fore became every one to do what he could to re-
move a great scandal. The board of guardians of
this parish, after the minute of the Poor-law Board,
a month ago, appointed a committee of their own
body to investigate the subject. They proposed to
get copied lists of persons relieved by themselves, so
that all persons in the parish representing charitable
bodies might see who were receiving relief ; but,
unless they met with a corresponding amount of
sympathy by those administering the charities,
their action would be one-sided, and there
would be no encouragement to continue it. One
or two misapprehensions it was desirable to cur-
rect. It was not intended that all the funds
should have one common purse out of which doles
should be given to the poor. Nor was it pro-
posed that all relief should be administered on
the same principle ;. nor was it proposed that the
deserving poor should be deprived of one form
of relief because they were receiving another. It
was not proposed that any one who was assisted by
the poor-law should not be relieved by the charities,
or that any one relieved by the charities should not
be relieved by the poor-law. One of their objects
was to have a central office in the parish, to which
ail casual cases could be referred ; but their great
aim was that all should know what was done by all.
He believed that in this parish, where there were so
many lodging-houses, many persons who got relief
from the church went afterwards to the non-con-
forming body, then to the poor-law, and were, per-
haps, afterwards found begging in some of the
fashionable parts of the West-end, and so got relief
four or five times over. It was to check such persons
as these that an agency like the present was re-
qaired ; and he hoped that the result of this meeting
would be the establishment of a central office, with
a proper paid officer. He noticed the salutary effect
of the ticket system at Blackheath, and, in conclu-
sion, suggested that some resolution on the subject
should be arrived at.
The Rev. Mr. PAGE rose to move " That a com-
mittee be formed, with power to add to the num_! ber, for the purpose of promoting between the
charities and the board of guardians of the parishes
of St. Margaret's and St. John's, 'Westminster,
co-operation in the administration of the future
relief of the poor." Having had great experi-
ence in the relief of the poor, he confessed that
even now the difficulties were so great in distin-
guishing those who were deserving from those who
were not, that he could not feel any confidence on
the subject. He did not think much of the cases
of which they heard, of death from destitution.
There was no reason why any one should die of
destitution in this metropolis. It was his own fault
if he did. They would not apply to the poor-law
or to persons who were anxious to give them relief.
It was, no doubt, very sad that a single case should
happen ; but, when they looked at the enormous po-
pulation of the metropolis, there was really very
few who died of destitution, and if they had the best
possible system for the relief of the poor such cases
would occur, owing to the wilfulness of the panics
themselves.
Lord ALFRED CHURCHILL, in seconding the pro-
position, said there was no doubt a large number
cf impostors trading on the sympathies of the
public, and it was in a great measure to counteract
their action that this conference was caled. The
ticket system at Blackheath had done a large amount
of good, and had diminished to a large extent the
number of applicants for charity. In the Poor-law
minute Mr. Goschen stated that the guardians were
forbidden to redeem tools in pawn or topurchase tools,
therefore he thought there was room for the opera-
tion of the charities without interfering with the
national responsibilities of the guardians, while
protecting charitable societies from relieving the
same person three or four times over.
Mr. JOBSON, approving of what had been said,
was of opinion that more than 20 per cent. of the
relief given is forced by actual extortion. Ile be-
lieved an association of this kind would stop pau-
perism to a great extent by exposing impostors to
the danger of being found out.
The Rev. SAMUEL MARTIN, as representing a
large Nonconformist congregation, expressed his
willingness to co-operate with this committee to
the fullest extent
.in his power. (Hear.) He had
been at work for 30 years in relieving persons of all
denominations, and had been greatly discouraged
by the number of cases of imposture.
The Rev. Mr. SHEPHERD, curate of St. Stephen's,
suggested that the register should be confidential.
The Rev. J. W. FESTING, curate of Christ
Church, stated that a most important consideration
in the administration of charity was that of cha-
racter, and if they published remarks on that head
they might become liable to actions for libel.
Mr. W. H. SMITH, M.P., said that the charities
and the poor-law were to some extent responsible
for that loss of self-reliance and miserably de-
spondent condition to which a large portion of the
poor were brought, and he earnestly hoped that
some effort would be made to put an end to the in-
ducements to pauperism which were offered to all
around them. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. SCUDAMORE would leave the poor-law to do
its duty, and would let the charities do what they
could. If the public were so indis;riminate as to
give to persons of whom they knew nothing, he
did not see how any union with the parish autho-
rities would have the slightest effect.
After remarks by Mr. Borrowdaile, Mr. Bingley,
Mr. Miller, and Mr. Corbett, a committee was ap-
pointed, consisting of the Rev. Canon Conway,
rector of St. Margaret's ; the Yen. Archdeacon
Jennings, rector of St. John's ; Lord A. Churchill,
Mr. Talbot, Mr. Borrowdaile, Mr. Jobson, Rev,
Mr. Lambert (Roman Catholic), Rev. Samuel
Martin, Mr. Hooper, Rev. J. W. Festing, and the
Rev. Mr. Covington, the last five representing
the charities and the first four the board of
guardians

On a vote of thanks to the Chairman,
The Earl of LICHFIELD remarked that it was
necessary that the charities should first organise
themselves, and then invite the guardians to co-
operate with them. That mum° had been success-
fully pursued in Mary lebone ; but they had gone
further than that, and had discussed with the guar-
dians the nature of the cases to be relieved by the
poor-law or by the guardians. He believed there
were many cases which it would be better to relieve
entirely by charity, and there were other cases
which it would be desirable for the charities to
hand over entirely to the poor-law. (Hear, hear.),
The vote of thanks concluded the meeting.

MARICETS.-7his Day.

LIVERPOOL COTTON.
Dec. 21.—Sztlen probably 10,000 bales. The market
steady.