The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-09 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN POOR.

Mr. HARDY then rose to move for leave to bring in a
bill for the establishment in the metropolis of asylums for
the sick, insane, and other classes of the poor, and of dis-
pensaries; and for the distribution over the metropolis of
portions of the charge for poor relief ; and for (Aber
purposes relating to poor relief in the metropolis.
The right hon. gentleman went at. great length into
the present system in practice in the different workhouses
in the metropolis. He said it was highly desirous that
legislation should take place on the subject, and with that
view he proposed submittingfor the approval of Parliament
a bill whichhe thought would in a great measure meet the
evils complained of. In this bill he proposed that
imbeciles should be kept in separate establishments, and
not as now kept in the same establishment as the sane.
The bill also provided for children going to separate
schools, but its main object was to classify the inmates
generally found in workhouses. Buildings were also to be
erected solely for the reception of lunatics and imbecile
poor, because under the present state of things lunatics
were just kept long enough in workhouses to prevent
their recovery from the fearful malady under which they
laboured. Fever and small-pox patients would also
come under the provisions of the bill, and they would
have to be removed to other and more convenient places
than the workhouse infirmaries. Sick inspectors would
also have to be appointed, and a system would be esta-
blished which would result in a very short time
in establishing a greal number of trained nurses
whose services would be productive of the greatest com-
fort to those placed under their care. He thought that
pauperism began with sickness— (hear, hear)—and hav-
ing, from inquiries which he had caused to be made, be-
come satisfied with th, medical system in Ireland, the bill
proposed that dispensaries should be established in diffe-
rent parts of the metropolis, and that the medical men ap-
pointed to them should give a prescription to every
person who became an attendant at either one of them.
Ho bad been asked whether he was prepared to equalise
the rates throughout the metropolis. That he could not
consent to do ; but, on the other hand, he was quite willing
to distribute several of the charges to be created under his
bill -over the whole metropolitan area, and to place the
maintenance of lunatics, the cost of medicines and dispen-
saries, registration and vaccination, fever and small-pox
hospitals, and the separate schools for the children above

wo years of age, upon a common fund. Theso would
_ _

involve in theCctiof London an expenditure of 311. in the
pound, but the saving in the poorer and more densely-
populated districts would be considerable ; as, for example,
the union of St. George's, Southwark, where it would save
as much as ls. in the pound. Adding all the charges to-
gether, ho put them at something under £OO,OOO a year,
which would be met by a rate of one penny. And he pro-
posed that this should be raised upon the warrant of the
Poor-law Board, and paid into the hands of the receiver of
the Bank of England. The new buildings required were
estimated to cost £400,000, which would have to be paid
off at the rate of £40,000 a year, a sum equivalent to two-
thirds of a penny rate spread over the metropolis. And
the last provision of the measure was that the Poor-law
Board should have the power of appointing proper officers
for carrying out the details, in case the Poor-law guardians
or managers failed to do so. (On concluding his exposition
of the scheme the right hon. gentlemen resumed his seat
amid loud and universal cheering.)

A short discussion followed. in the course of which Mr.
Ayrton, Lord Enfield, Br. Brady, Mr. Locke, and Mr.
Alderman Lusk united in an earnest expression of their
thanks to Mr. Hardy for the humane spirit in which the
bill was conceived, and the promptitude with which he
had grappled with a question which all admitted was as
difficult as pressing.

Leave was then given to bring in the bill.
Mr. WALPOLE, in asking leave to introduce a bill to
facilitate in certain cases the proceedings of the commis-
sioners appointed to make inquiry respecting trades unions
and other associations of employers or workmen, explained
the circumstances which had induced the Government to
issue the commission, and that the compulsory powers re-
quired would apply only to the recent trade outrages, par-
ticularly at Sheffield, and not to the general question. One
of the most important duties of the commission, however,
would be to ascertain whether some tribunal might not be
created in which both parties would have equal confidence
for the purpose of adjusting their differences and disagree-
ments, before they arrived at a point not only fatal to
themselves but to the best interests of the country, and so
to direct their inquiries as that the law should no longer be
left uncertain. The scope of the commission embraced an
inquiry into the organisation and rules of trades unions
and other associations, whether of workmen or employers,
the effect produced by such societies on workmen and em-
ployers respectively, and on the relation between them and
the trade and industry of the country, regard being had to
recent acts of intimidation or outrage, encouraged or con-
nived at by such association; with power to suggest any
improvements to be made in the law with respect to the
above matter; and the relations between workmen and
employers. The members of the commission had been
selected with the utmost care and regard to impartiality,
and they would be presided over by that eminent lawyer
Sir W. Erle, late Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
Sir G. GREY admitted that thegranting of compulsory
powers to the commission to inquire into acts of a crimi-
nal nature was desirable, and said that no better choice of
a president could hare been made than that of Sir W.
Erle.

Mr. HUGHES rejoiced at the proposal to institute an
inquiry, and hoped the result would be to place the law
upon a better and surer footing than at present. In the
face of the late decision of the Court of Queen's Bench,
pronouncing trades unions illegal, he urged upon the Go-
vernment the desirability of adopting SWIIO measure which
would have the effect, pending the inquiry, of preventing
dishonest persons from appropriating the money of these
institutions.

Mr. GOSCUEN, whilst approving of inquiry, objected
to mixing up an investigation of the effects of those asso-
ciations on the trade and industry of. the country with
that into especial outrages like the one at Sheffield.
After remarks from Mr. Roebuck and Mr. 'Neate, Sir F.
Crossley, as a large employer of labour, advocated the
right of the workmen to sell his labour in the best market.
His labour was, in fact, all he had to sell, and so long as
he did not interfere with the rights of others, he ought not
to be interfered with himself. The firm with which he
was connected employed upwards of 5,000 persons, and
they had not a strike for five and twenty years.
The discussion was continued by Mr. Ayrton, the Attor-
ney-General, Mr. Barrow (who observed that so tired
were the workmen in his neighbourhood of the tyranny of
the trades unions that they wore forming themselves into
"Free Labour Associations "), 3lr. Kinnaird, and Mr.
Whalley ; and the motion for leave was agreed to.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE CRIMINAL LAW.
Mr. -RUSSELL GURNEY obtained leave to bring iu
bill to remove some defects in the administration of the
criminal law. Leave was also given to Mr. Lawson to in-
troduce a bill to open the professorships of anatomy anti
surgery, chemistry and botany, in the University of Dublin
to all persons irrespective of their religious creed ; and to
Sir C. O'Loghlen leave to bring in a bill to amend the law
of libel, and thereby to secure more effectually the liberty
of the press.
The other business on the paper was also disposed of,
and the house adjourod at 20 minutes to 10 o'clock.

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