The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-08 00:00:00

THE MET 22 OPOLI FAN POOR BILL.

A deputation from the vestry of the parish of St.
James, Westminster, was received yesterday by Mr.
Hardy, President of the Poor-Law Board, for the
purpose of submitting to him certain alterations
which the vestry proposed to be made in the bill now
before Parliament for the establishment in the me-
tropolis of asylums for the sick, insane, and other
classes of the poor, and of dispensaries ; and for the
distribution over the metropolis of portions of the
charge for poor relief. The deputation was intro-
duced by Capt. Grosvenor, M.P.; and Mr. J. Beal,
a vestryman, said that the members of the vestry of
St. James's were fully sensible of the necessity of
some legislative enactment for the purpose of carry-
ing out the principles embodied in the bill which had
been introduced into Parliament, and they were
quite ready t,l afford every assistance in their power
to carry out those principles. But with regard to the
details of the proposed measure they entertained
very strong objections. The vestry had reprinted
I the bill, in which they had inserted in italics such
alterations as they deemed necessary, and also insert-
ing within brackets those parts of the bill which
they thought ought to be omitted. Mr. Beal then
proceeded to point out the amendments suggested by
the vestry, supporting them by arguments which had
influenced that body to adopt them. In addition to
asylums they proposed that dispensaries should be
provided for the sick, insane, and infirm. With re-
spect to the formation of districts, instead of the
Board having the power to combine into districts,
unions, or parishes, the area comprised within the
outer limits of the metropolis should be divided into
the several poor law districts. The vestry objected
to the nomination of managers of the asylums, and
proposed that they should all be elected, and that
such managers should, without the interference of
the Poor Law Board, purchase or build the asy-
lums in such manner as the Poor Law Board should
approve. On the subject of medical outdoor relief,
instead of the Poor Law Board having authority,
the vestry proposed that the power of providing dis-
pensaries, &c., should be given to the manager,
subject to the approval of the board, and that the
appointment of the medical officer should be vested
in the managers, subject to the rules and orders of
the Poor Law Board. Indeed, the whole spirit of
the alterations proposed by the vestry was to retain
in the hands of the Guardians the power to carry
out the new enactments, subject to the approval of
the Poor Law Board, instead of giving them a mere
semblance of authority.

Mr. WEBBER trusted that, whatever provisions
might be enacted for the care of the sick poor, it
would not be left optional to the authorities to carry
them out, but that it would not be compulsory on
them to do so. Referring to the clauses for appoint-
ing nominees as managers for carrying out the pro-
visions of the bill, the speaker thought that such
clauses in effect unjustly imputed ignorance to those
who now performed the onerous duties of Guardians
of the poor.

Mr. BONTIIRON observed that the deputations
were not in any degree opposed to the principle of
the BM, uor w ere at all anxious to retain to them-
selves any advantage which might be suppozed to be
conferred on the parish by their local Act, but he
strongly objected to the parochial authorities being
divested of all discretionary power, and having DO
responsibility left to them, which it appeared to him
would be the effect of the bill unless the alterations
proposed by the vestry were adopted.
, Mr. HARDY, in reply, expressed a hope that no
gentleman would attribute to him an intention to im-