The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-29 00:00:00

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.

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VESSELS SPOKEN WlTll.—Mediterranean, Liverpool
to the coast of Africa, 3d inst., lat. 44, lon. 11, by the
Lusitania, Gibbons, arrived off Brighton. Solway brig,
2d ult., on the Equator, in lon. 22 W.; Gentoo, Liverpool
to Madras, 3d, on the Equator, in lon. 20 W., by the
William Bailey, Tyack, arrived in the river. Gratitude,
Africa to Falmouth, 10th ult., lat. 3 N., lon. 23 W. ;
Emu, China to London, 16th, lat. 13 N., lon. 33 W. ;
Eleanor, Sandwich Islands to London, 26th, lat. 33 N.,
lon. 33 W. ; Barbadian, Africa to Falmouth,
15th inst., lat. 42, lon. 17, by the James • Campbell,
Pitcairn, arrived off Plymouth. Anne Wise, Cadiz to
Felix, New York to Stockholm, 13th inst., let. 47, lon.
22 ; Circassian, Cuba to Swansea, 15th, lat. 49, lon. 19 ;
Mary, ship,l6th, let. 49, 10n..18, by the Triton, arrived off
Falmouth. Onderneiring, for Batavia, Jan. 23d, off
Prince's Island ; Sultana, Breda River to London, 11th
ult., lat 4 N., lon. 25 W.; schooner Candidate, 12th inst.
lat. 47, lon. 12 ; barque Bee, of Liverpool, same day ;
Hambro barque, showing D. P. over 3645, 16th inst., lat.
48, lon. 10 ; Legatus, of London, same day ; Sarah and
Maria, from China, out 179 days, 23d, lat. 49, lon.
5, by the Harmony, arrived off Falmouth. Ironsides, Li-
verpool to Pernambuco, 21st inst., by the Jamaica, arrived
off Plymouth. Chusan, New Orleans to Liverpool, 12th
inst., lat 47, lon. 19; Chilian, Liverpool to Lima, 16th,
lat. 47, lon. 10, by the Independence, arrived at Liverpool.
Republican, firemen to Quebec, 14th inst., lat. 48, lon.
i 5; Emelia, bound to Miraniichi, same day, lat. 49, lon.
15, ky the Regalia, arrived at Cork. Harriet, Jamaica
to London, 9th inst., lat. 47, lon. 26; Retson, Savanilla
to Liverpool, 10th, lat. 48, lon. 23; Oporto, London to
Quebec, 11th, lat, 49, lon. 21; a barque, with white
-bust head, twenty-lire leagues west of Scilly, with loss
cf mainmast, &c., by the Mary Campbell, arrd. off Cerk. 1

Tan SAXON MosA.ucß
—The King of Saxony,
though only a third-rate Sovereign, will yet be received with
the greatest t;istinction
oftlelty is the Sovereign to
whom more eswially the Howie Saxe Coburg owes alle-
giance; they are all Dukes of Saxony; and the King will re-
cognise, in the infant i*Tinee of \lll one of his future
nobles. All the male branches of the English7a'o Royal Family
to the laws
will now hold that rank in Saxony
rodinttllViontinent.
which regulate the succession of nobility
the
igh coin-
It was to this Sovereign that her Majesty paid
pliment of sending a special mission to invest him
order of the Garter; and though the Emperor of Russiawitll
not come, still the British Court will be called upon may
dis-
play all its magnificence and hospitality as
d 0 a sort of avan
courrier to the illustrious personages who were, and, perhaps,
are to visit us. We have the Crown Prince of Denmark,
who, though not coming on a visit to the Court, will, doubt-
less, be invited there, His Royai Highness purposes making
a tour through Scotland. The Danish Minister left town
some clays ago,.. meet the Prinee.—Cheltenhom Looker-on.
A HAT BY Poi'.—A straw hat was sent thrQugh
the post last week for the iii r, ). Horton, of P:PstoD, paid
by six postage stamps 1

THE POOR-LAW COMMISSION

REPORT.

The Poor-law Commissioners for Scotland have
had their report presented to the House of Commons.
Public attention has long been attracted to the issue
of these appoi.ltments. The people at large, looked
to obtaining a more uniform and equitable mode
of assessing for the poor, and more ample provision for
them. A considerable portion of the ratepaying
minority, on the other hand (or those rather who should
pay rates but do not), with the expectation of no change
being permitted, have waited with equal anxiety that
they may continue as they are doing, to absorb for their
own use that portion of the national property which in
reality belongs to the poor, and which is the first claim
that should be paid from all property whatever.
The object of the Government, by institut-
ing this inquiry, undoubtedly was to meet
the demands of those desiring a change, but
from the report before us, there is no prospect
that any change will be effected, at least on authority
of the Commission. By selecting Scotchmen exclu-
sively, by constituting two-thirds of the Commission
from landed proprietors, who most likely pay no
poor-rates at present, and the other third from clergy-
men, who had taken an active part in the management
of the system as it exists, a Commission was selected
of men unanimously wedded to the continuance of the
abuses that have been complained of, and who, in their
report, shut their eyes to all the suffering and its
causes that had been presented to them, and conclude
by recommending a continuation of the present prac-
tice in all its deformity ; or at least such slight changes
thereon as would not be worth, to the poor, the paper
that an Act with the alterations would cost. _

At the time the Commission was appointed, we ex-
pressed our approbation of Mr. Twisleton having
been made a member of it. We had every reason to
believe that Mr. Twisleton would do his duty faith-
fully and effectively, taking an enlightened and hu-
mane view of the case. In these expectations we are
glad to say we have not been disappointed. Mr.
Twisleton, though a public servant, and standing
alone, has had the firmness to dissent from the report
in all its conclusions, and to publish along with it his
reasons for so doing.
The first part of the report is taken up with a pretty
lengthened statement of the general working of the
Scotch system of relieving the poor • and the first
conclusion come to is, "That the funds raised for the
relief of the poor, and the provision made for them out
of the funds raised for their relief, are in many parishes
throughout Scotland, insufficient."
The next conclusion, after the introduction of some
pages of evidence and reasoning on the subject, is
" That it is not desirable that there should be any
appeal from the decision of the parochial managers
as to the amount of allowances:'

Having thus summarily decided that there should
be no appeal from the parochial managers, the Com-
mission next consider whether they may not also, as
at present, continue to assess themselves or not for
the poor as they :have a mind. On this subject the
Commission state that,—
"Not only has no case been made out for so great
a change upon the system now in operation, accord-
ing to which it is left to the parochial authorities to
provide the requisite amount of funds for the poor,
either by an assessment or otherwise, as they may
deem most expedient ; but the voluntary method of
providing these funds, to which a preference is still
given by a large portion of the intelligence of the
country, has appeared to us, in a great variety of in-
stances, to work in a satisfactory manner, and to be
productive of beneficial effects. In these circum-
stances, to introduce a measure necessarily subversive
of it, would certainly be inexpedient."
Having thus decided that there shall be nothing
but voluntary assessment, and that there shall be no
appeal from the parochial authorities, the Commission
next recommend "that a board of supervision, all
the members of which should be unpaid, shall be
established for a limited period, to which board re-
ports shall be made, at least twice in the year, from
the plrochial boards, stating specially' the numbers
and condition of the poor in each parish, and the
amount of relief, in such form as shall be prescribed
by the board of supervision ; that complaints may be
made to such board, and that such board shall have
the fullest power of inquiry and remonstrance. That
the board of supervision shall make a report annually
to the Secretary of State on the condition and manage-
ment of the poor throughout Scotland."
The Commission next recommended " that the
heritors and kirk-session, or other managers of the
poor in each parish, shall be bound to appoint a sala-
riei clerk, or other officer, who shall be required to
mike the reports to, and conduct the corespondence
with, the general board of supervision, and that the
remuneration which such officer shall receive shall be
fixed by the parochial board of management."
In the rural parishes, it is recommended " that
those persons only are to be considered heritors, and
held entitled to vote as such, who have a valued rent
to the amount of 51. Scots, or upwards."
" Subject to the limitation which we have above
suggested, (the Commission says) we would further
propose, that in rural parishes in which an assessment
is raised, the body to be entrusted with the power of
imposing such assessments and administering the
funds, shall consist, in addition to the heritors and
kirk-session, of a certain number of persons, to be
chosen by the rate-payers not being heritors as above
defined."

For the town parishes the Commissioners say—
" We are of opinion that it is desirable that all
parishes, which, either in whole or in part, are situate
within the parliamentary boundaries of any burgh,
should be united and held to be one parish, for the
purposes of providing for the poor, and of settlement.
" We would farther recommend that the managers
of the poor in such united parishes, should consist
wholly or chiefly of managers, to be elected by the
rate-payers, and also of the provost or chief magis-
trate, ex qfficio. The number of votes which each
rate-payer shall have, being regulated by the amount
of the property on which he is assessed."
The report then goes on to recommend that two
or more parishes may unite to build poor houses.
That medical relief should be supplied more exten-
sively than at prZsent. That where there are no poor
houses there should be dispensaries established, and
after detailing a number of cases given in evidence
regarding the inadequate treatment of poor lunatics,
the report recommends that lunatics should be sent
by their parishes to lunatic asylums. Parish autho-
rities are recommended to relieve all cases found des-
titute in their parishes, the expense to be recoverable
from the parish of the pauper. A relieving officer is
recommended for every parish, and the same facility
for removing English and Irish paupers from Scot-
land, as exists fir removing foreign paupers from
England. Further, that "in each parish the board
of managers should be required to defray from the
funds provided for the relief of the poor, the expenses
of educating pauper children."
In addition to the remedies in existence, it is re-
commended that " husbands or fathers neglecting to
maintain their or families, be punishable crimi-
nally by a sum nary process, in the event of the wives
or families becoming chargeable on the parish. And
that, in like manner, fathers of illegitimate children,
where such fathers admit their liability, or have been
found liable by decree of a competent court, shall be
punishable criminally by a summary process, if they
neglect to pay the aliment, and the child become
chargeable."

It is next recommended that the period for obtain-
ing a parish ~,ttlement should be extended from three
to seven year&

After some other unimportant recommendations
regarding settlement, the report proceeds at great
length to consider the important question for which
the Commission was appointed, viz., the relieving of
able bodied persons when thrown destitute for want
of employment. Against the granting of relief the
authority of a great number of witnesses is quoted,
but none of the witnesses favourable to relief are no-
ticed in the report. The situation of the unemployed
at Paisley and Dunfermline during the late distress is
also examined at length.

Against the granting of relief to the able bodied
when unemployed, some Highland innkeeper, an
underling to the Duke of Richmond or some of the
Highland lairds, we suppose, is quoted, and next the
Duke of Richmond himself, Sheriff Campbell, of Pais-
ley, the Rev. Mr. Chalmers, of Dunfermline (who
last year made himself famous by his hasty desertion
of the Free Church), and lastly, Mr. Hunt, of Pit-
tencrieff, Dunfermline, a manufacturer who, by his
business, has raised himself to possession of a man-
sion-house and country estate—Mr. Hunt's evidence
will give an idea by what means—and as it is about
the longest quotation in the report against relieving
the destitution of the unemployed, we insert it as it
appears. Mr. Hunt—
" A manufacturer anti dealer" his evidence bears,
"in t;-,e coarse description of goods above mentioned,
offered a few days ago to employ from 500 to 600
workmen, now idle, at a reduction of 25 per cent. on
their wages. A committee of these workmen waited
upon witness yesterday to ask him to subscribe for
the relief of their distress, and to consult him as to
the propriety of accepting the offer of work at re-
duced wages. Witness told them that he would sub-
scribe for the relief of their immediate wants, but
that it was necessary that they should employ any
money which they received from subscriptions in
sending their young men to find work in other places,
Ili it was obvious that there were more people in
Dunfermline than could find employment in it, unless
they chose to work at the reduced rate of wages ; that
with regard to the question of wages, it was quite
plain that the rate must always be regulated by the
proportion which the demand for labour bore to the
number of persons wanting employment, that is by
the supply and demand."

The Commission conclude this part of the subject
as follows:—"In fine, having in view the not inade-
quate relief hitherto afforded in periods of a depressed