The Sun.
London, England, 1835-02-13 00:00:00

St. eorge, anover-sr
their proportion of the c(
The CHAIRMAN beggea
the letter the money had been paid.
Captain ACELAM commented in severe terms upon the
first report of the Committee of Vestry of the parish of St.
George, Hanover-square, which he designated as a one-
sided report, in which reflections on the character of the
Middlesex Magistrates were carefully preserved, while
everthing that tended to exculpate them from the charges
that had been brought against them was as carefully
omitted.—(Hear, hear, hear.) When they talked
about .a balance in hand, they appeared to forget the
interval which must necessarily elapse between the expi-
ration of the quarter and the imposition of a new rate.
There was generally an interval of six or seven days in the
first place, the Magistrates did not meet for seven days
more, and then an interval of thirty days must elapse be-
fore the rate could be enforced. Under these circum-
stances, the county treasurer naturally represented to
the Finance Committee that unless a rate were made in
July, that which was imposed at the next quarter-sessions
would not be collected in time to meet the payments for
the liquidation of, and interest on, bonds which alone
amounted to 8,7001. He thought the statement any thing
but a liberal or a fair one ; and he considered they had a
fair ground of complaint, when, instead of its being quietly,
represented to the Middlesex Magistrates, it had been ex-
tensively circulated, and printed in the public journals with-
out their knowledge, and without their having the slightest
opportunity of answering the chiarges against them. He
was the last who would advocate concealment in matters of
such a nature—what he wanted was common justice and
fair play. As to arrears, the County Treasurer was very
frequently called upon to explain the deficiencies in the
rates, but he (Captain Acklam) did think that this refusal to
pay came with an extremely bad grace from such rich pa-
rishes as St. George's and St. James's, while there were so
many poor parishes in the county where the rates really
could not be collected.—(Hear, hear.) In his own parish
of Chelsea, for instance, there were about 5,000 houses,
the total rental of which did not exceed 111,000/. ; of
these, 1,700 were rated at 12/., and under, and 1,300
more at 20/. and under. Thus, in the parish of St.
James, the collector could knock at the door of the
United Service Club-house, and demand the rate on
a rental of 10,500/. at once ; while in Chelsea he might go
to a hundred houses, and be out a whole day, as he him-
self had assured him he had actually done, without collect-
ir..g even as much as 20/. The parish of St. George, on
their own showing, had 12,000/. in Exchequer bills, and he
(Captain Acklam) again said that he thought it was the
very last parish that ought to make this objection, espe-
&ally when it was recollected that the expenses of the
county. of Middlesex were greatly increased by the main-
tenance in jails of men of bad character, who came up from
all parts of the country when they could no longer remain
there. He begged to move, " That the report of the
committee be adopted, and that a copy of it be sent to the
parish of St. George, Hanover-square."
Sir PETER LAURIE readily seconded the motion, although
he dissented from the latter part of it, considering that it
might involve them in a contention which it was very de-
sirable to avoid. He had given the Middlesex Magistrates
some pretty hard rubs occasionally, but he felt bound to
say that in his conscience he believed no set of men dis-
charged the duties imposed upon them with greater fair-
ness, equity, or impartiality, or with a stronger desire to
observe every proper and reasonable economy.
Sir JAMES WILLIAMS observed, in corroboration of the
statement of Captain Acklam, that on some Occasions when
the rate had not been imposed in time, the salaries of the
keepers and matrons of prisons could not be paid. He
repudiated the charge of extravagance. In the parish of
St. Pancras alone 3,000 persons had recently been sum-
moned for the non-payment of their rates: their poverty
was so great that it would be a charity to excuse them, and
indeed there were a great many who must be exempted,
simply because they really had not the money to pay.
Under these circumstances he thought the more opulent
parishes might act with some degree of lenity and forbear-
ance.—(Hear, hear.) With regard to this account, he
would only say, that he did not believe there was one item
in it, the amount of which would have been less, had it re-
lated to the private concerns of any individual present.
Mr. GARFORD agreed with Sir Peter Laurie as to the
latter part of the motion, and therefore begged to move as
an amendment, that instead of a copy being sent to the pa-
rish of St. George, Hanover-square, notice be given to them
that the magistrates had inquired into their statement, and
received a satisfactory report, which might be seen on appli-
cation to the Clerk of the Peace.

Captain ACKLAM had no objection to amend the motion
accordingly, and the motion in its amended form was
then put.

Mr. PETER LAURIE begged to remind the Court, with
reference to the charge of extravagance, that all the provi.
sions for the county institutions were purchased by contract.
He held in his hand the diet table established by the parish
of St. George, Hanover-square, and before he referred to
it he begged to say, that he had yesterday asked a highly
respectable gentleman connected with that parish, whom he
met accidentally, whether there was any objection to his
(Mr. Laurie's) referring to that paper. He replied in the
negative, and very fairly sent him a copy of it. That table
he (Mr. Laurie) now held in his hand, and a precious do-
cument it was. This was the weekly dietary for an able-
bodied man, who, he supposed, was sent out to work in
the streets-51b. of bread, 10 pints and a half of gruel,
5 oz. of beef.

Mr. STRACHAN rose to order. He put it to the Court,
whether it was desirable to enter into this recrimination ?
Mr. LAURIE contended that he had a perfect right to
refer to the table. The parish of St. George accused them
of extravagance, and they had a fair right to ascertain what
their notions of economy were-soz. of beef, 41 pints of
soup, 14oz. suet pudding, Boz. cheese, and 411 b. bread.
The Monday's diet for an able-bodied man was 12oz. bread,
11 pint gruel, Li pint of soup for dinner, and the lemi-
niseences of the five ounces of meat he had on Sunday.
There was no other luxury in which the unfortunate
pauper could indulge but the pump. He (Mr. Laurie)
presumed he was allowed to drink water at discre-
tion.—(Hear, and laughter.) The cost of the dietary
laid down by the parish of St. Ceorge, Hanover-square,
was estimated at Is. 10id. a week, in page 31 of the re-
port relative to the pauper lunatic asylum at Hanwell ;
while there were only four gaols in England and Wales
where the diet of the prisoners cost less than two shil-
lings per week. He trusted they would never imitate
such economy as this ; he hoped the Middlesex Magis-
trates would never try to ascertain the minimum on which
body and soul could be kept together. He would only
add, that he hoped none of the vestry would ever be
compelled to live on such a diet as they established for
others.

Mr. M'WILLIAM was opposed to condemning the pa-
rish of St. George without seeing the paupers, and judg-
of the sufficiency of their food by their appearance.
cited " Bankes's Travels," to prove that men could live on
eery hale besides water, and gave notice that at the next
county meeting he should move a vote of thanks to these
gentlemen for their manly and straightforward conduct.
After a few more observations, the motion, as amended,
was carried.

;&, oug tis justice to contribute
county-rate . Hear.)
ged to state that since the receipt of