The Sun.
London, England, 1817-08-15 00:00:00

EXETER, UGUST 13.

The New Church of St. David's, in this City
is nea ly finished.—A capital Org•an has been pur
chased ; and a new set of six Bells are hood
expected from London.—The whole, it is said
will be ready by the ktter cod' of the presen
month ; and the Church to be opened for divin
service on Sunday the 7th of September next.
New Batley was sold, on ‘Vednesday last, of
most excellent quality, at 15i. per bag, of tw
bushels, at Newton Bushill market.
The toundation-stone of the nee. building aboc
to be erected in Void-street, in this city, for th
Exeter Episcopal Charity Schools, will be laid b
the Lord Bishop some time in the present moutl
Messrs. Horrell and Son are the architects.
We have great pleasure in annotni'cing to 01
numerous readers that the Commissionets of lit
provements in this city, on Monday appointed
Committee to• investigate the expenre of wider
iii the entrance into North-shert ; and thl
many 'public-spirited individuals
it
ed their ihtentiidi ,of ,subset Thing tc
wards so desirable an object for the public
nal ; and which we hope soon to see carticd iui
ORM

•

ISY THE EARL OF FIALD‘k ICKE.

MANAGEMENT of the POOR in SCOTLAND

iItPORT OF THE COUMITTEE OF THE GENERAL AS

sEMBLY ON THE LETTER TO THE MODERATOR

The Committee report, that with the assistance
of the Returns msde to Mr. Kennedy's Inquiries,
they have been able to prupare a statement of the
mana2ement oldie poor io upwards of one hundred
parishes •••co;land, ,vhi,ch is ready to be laid be-
fore rthe Assembly; that there are still a very con-
siderable number of aoditional Returns, amount-
in nearly perhaps to aoo,fer hundred parithes,
hid' it has not, been possible, tt-ithin the time
allowed them, to arrange ; ,And that the Com-
mittee the liberty of sw.zgesting the follow-
remat ks, which have occurred to them, on the
Perm-Hs w hich they have already arranged. They
remark

the Scotch have uniformly t roceeded on the prin-
ciple that cl rry individual is bound to provide for himself
by his own labour as long as he is able to do so; and that his
parish is only bound to make up that portion of the necessa-
tb of lire which he cannot earn ur obtain by other lawful
awaits.

2. That even in cases of extreme poverty the relations and
neighbours of the paupers have a pride in providin' for their
necessities, either in whole or in part : that this circumstance
will account for the small nurn4er of paupers in omn verl
populous parishes, and serve at the saute tine to explain a
fact, which is obvious in so many of the Returns in the Ott-
try districts, that the suns given to the paupers appear In be
su dispi oloirtioned to what their real necessities must require.
A siii;dl um given to aid their other resources affords
them thr relief which is necessary ; and it would be both
against the true interests and the moral habits of the peo-
ple, if a uni:a, ample provision were made for them by their
parishes.

3. That the distinction made in a great proportion of the
returns hetween the poor in the regular parish roll, and the
sfridusfriulls resole who receive only occasional supply, is of
equal importance to the nitride and the best interests of the
country. Those of the first class receive a constant supply form
the perish fuette; those of the second are only assisted when
they are laid aside front work by sickness or accidental causes,
-and espeeially ditrieg t hat season of t he year which ehieflyaffects.
their health, or suspends their usual labours. They receive
at that time such assistance as their immediate necessities de-
mend for thr limited period when they are in this situation ;
but when thee:ese which occasioned this demand ceases to
operate, the garish assistance is withdrawal, and they return
to their !about- wider a conviction, which they never retie-
gent], that both their subsistence and their comfort must
ultimately (tepee! on their personal industry.
4. That it appears front the returns which have yet been
examined, that in a great, proportion of the country parishes
iu whicb ?egil aesecseueets hare been introduced, they have
been afterwards abandoned, either hreause it has been found
by ceperienee that whatever addition the ordinary funds re-
quired might he round at much less expellee by means of yr>,
Itnitery contributions, when any urgent pressure on the poor
should reutier it necessary, or because a regular assessment
in those parishes hat e very generally been observed to pro-
dece an influx of peepers from other parishes, who in three
years (by the decisions of the Courts of law for the last forty
yeses) can eequire a legal sestleurent, if during that time they
have supported themselves by their own industry; aggravat-
ing ill this wee the parochial burthen beyond all reasonable
ropertion. It is clear from the Returns examined, and the
r. neuter contained in them, that this observation applies to
no inconsiderable number of parishes, though the experience
nay be ditferenf. in other situations which have not yet fallen
rimier the view of the Committee: and that the voluntary
contributions bkh are substituted in place of legal assess
meets, though in some instances they are unequal and par-
t:ll, from the inattention or disinclination of individuals,
leave iii general been found to answer the purpose; relieving
these parishes of a much greater and more permanent het-
then, aed as effectually providing for the real neeeseities of
the poor.

5 That it appears to the Committee, that in those districts
to whieh the Reports they have considered relate, the weekly
collections at the churches, in parishes in which there are
few Dissenters, go far to provide for the support of Liar poor:
Oat collections at the churches have been in use from the
eartiest perods of the Scotch Ecclesiastical Establishment,
and are rceugnised in the Acts of Parliament both as an an-
us •nr. and legal resource for .the maiittenance of the poor;
that cv,r‘ encouragement 0041st to be given to the coutinn-
ain'e of die weedy collections, and that those parishes have
it., judgedw isely who asspear to have abandoned them to
o: 7•1;e as-,Ay fur legal assessments; that though it is true, that
wl:cre the re are legal asse•smen!s estab:ished, an unequal
burtben is laid on the inhabitants who attend the parish
chorta, ,Ind give their weekly contribution there independent
of what t!,,y pay to the assessment, it is also true that the
Anost,,lical tole of making such collections on the first day
of the ',vet+, adopted by our church, and sanctioned by the
Legislature, should not he hastily departed from: and that
the kiiSCOO?1,111511O, Of such collections has obviously a most
intluenee to resider poor-rate 3 both oppressive and
p,r;itt nal.

it is clear to the' Committee, that in almost all the
country parishes which hare hitherto come under their no-
tice, where a regular assessment has been established, the
wants of he, poor, and the extent of the assessments, hare
gladoo!iy and progressively increased from their commence-
ment ; and that it does appear to be a matter of very serious
inteccst to the community at large, to prevent, as far as pos.
sihle, this practice from being generally adopted; to limit
the assessments as much as they can he limited, where the
circumstances of particular parishes render them unavoidable,
and whenever h is practicable to abandon them.
7. That it appears to the Committee, from the Retnrns be-
fore them, that the weekly collections at the churches are -a
very edicient resource for the parochial poor in every case in
wbich there are few Dissenters, or persons who absent them-
selves' from the parish church : it is equally clear, on the
ntl.er hand, that ill those parishes in which the accommoda-
tion provided for the inhabitants in the parish churches bears
no proportion to the population, a legal assessment seems to
be inevitable as long as this continues to be the situation of
those parishes : That in such of these cases as have fallen
under the view of the Committee, it is manifestly the ultimate
interest both of the landholders and the parishioners to have
their respect's, parishes divided, and a sudicient number of
churches provided, equal to the number of inhabitants; and
1;J:0 if this wet e done to the full extent, it is certain that the
1,0.1. ig-ht be supported without any necessity of haviti7 re-
course to prochlul assessments : That at present the gradual...
increase of property in sortie of those parishes, by adding to
the fonds from which the assessments are raised, erres to
beep down the amount of the charge on the parish at large;
and that from this circumstance the amount of the assess-
',cot, there has increased ins a much less proportion tban
the assessments in parishes in which the funds fur assess-
ments, or the pi operti assessed, has remained in a great
tn,.asi:re stationary.

s. That where legal assessments are resorted to in Scot-
lipid, the provisions in the law which regulates the manner
imposirog them are uniformly and strictly observed : That
the law has given t he power to assess a parish ton joint meet-
iog, consisting of the minister, the heritors, and the elders of
the parish, who die authorised to meet for the purpose on the
I.i•st Tuesday of February, ,and the first Tuesday of August
in each year, when the assessment is imposed half yearly,
either of those days, w when it is fixed for a whole year
Thar the practice in general is, to hold this meeting only once
in the year; and most frequently on the first Tuesday Of
P,in.fu,r, and at that time to assess for a whole year: That
the ticritors in general, who are he persons chiefly jute-
e,ted, are accustomed to attend this meeting, and having the
iiief influence in determining the anima otthe assessment,
Lave it always in their power to keep it within reasonable
bounds : That in former times it was, and in parishes chiefly
landward it still is, imposed according to the razzed rent of
the leads; Fot that where a great part of the most valuable
t.ycon-asts in houses, this has beers found to be an nn-
v., ,as it evidently lays on lauded estates a very dis-
tiontal part of the burt,hen : That in these situations,
in, refore„ the practice which prevails, and has been sane-
Cooed bt the decisions in the Courts of Law, is to impose' the
a,sessmenis according to the real rents of property both in
li.iuses and lands : That the assessments t hos imposed are laid
htritios and tenants liy equal portions, the heritor paying
the assessment, and the tenant the other, and both
f,rut:,rtiout bring paid by an'heritor who occupies his own
pi °pert) ; with this exception, that a deduction is given of
(toe fourth or the half of the assessmentlaid on the betitur of
u•es, in name of rep' rations: That at the annual meeting
which say's assessmeuts are imposed, the beritors are a,
to attend, tool have always the power of determin-
i.of do, so that it rests iu a isicatllllSUM with tilt kg-

selves pre, ..at assewrieit oi,eri from rising hey...rid
what the fair itec,sities of the pari.l, regaire.
9. That the state,uents on the management, of the pool
within the City of Edinburgh and the parish of St. Cuthbert's,
spew in what manner the poor are provided for in the pa-
rishes of the largest population; in the first, where there is a
legal assessment which has hceu lint very lately resorted to,
and at the same time a parish ieo: khoase; aid in the second,
which comprehends the suburbs of Edinburgh, and a larger
population still, where there has been a legal assessment for
upwards of tifty years, and .dso a parish woikhouse• •
In. That in the schedules taken from the returns of the
c9tuitry parishes, im order to render their statements unifiirm,
the Committee have in general satisfied themselves witli in-
serting an averat:e of ten years, both with regard to the
number of paupers, and the funds which are employed in
supporting them.

WiTh thise reinarlo the Committee conellide
this Report, humbly siihniiiiing it to the As-
sembly, to be traiismiited, if it shall be approved
of, to the Earl of Ilardwi6e.
11. MONCItEIFF VirELLWOOD,
for the Sitb-Cuounitttee.