The Sun.
London, England, 1819-08-11 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

POOR LAWS.

REPORT

OF TBE COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,
1819.

The COmmittee appointed to consider of the
Poor. Laws, and to report their .06servRtions

~l,ereul►ort, lento tine to tinie, to the House---
h arre,
pursuant to the Order of the House, ex-

amined the matter.s to theni referred ; and littve
agreed to tile following Report

The etirther cOnsideiatirin of the Lima for the
relief of the Porn., and of the practical application
of thenn, has tended to ccinfirin; in the opinion of
your Cumniittee, the correctness of that view of
the subject which was taken by the Coin uittee i~t
the year 1817, and the ionndireis of the princi-
plea which were then stated in their Report ; to
that tlocutheht, therittoici, ye,“;- Ca,,4ninit!ee

rather refer (and the•; reeptnniend it shimild be re-
printed, oiniiting the ApPetidik) than repeat a de-

Ailed statement of the evil whrch must he tieces.:

sarily inherent in arty system Which undeitakes. to
*vide for the lndigent by a compulsory contri-
bution from the funds accumulated by the indus-
try of others, and a he aggravation iif that_evil
by a lax or mistaken 'e*eCutihn Of the law. The
Consideration, that upiliards of tWo centuries had
elapsed since the ;3iyaiern Was establiShed. that
bad. operated in the mean time; and latterly with
augmented force, Upon ttme• habits-, the pursuits,
the feeling's, and the 'Social econball'OT a large
class of the torinnurity, induced' that'COMmittee
td attempt to correct, in the first iiistance; the ad-
ministration of the ; and to 'consider Such
it-leans as nmiOt,.hy.iheir gradual operation, effect
alraiisition to a better order of thinga.,' and revive
those habits of iniltisiry and frugality,- which a
reliance upon au indiscriminate parish support
Must necessarily impair. They cOoseqoenfly ro.
commended to the House, and the Legislature has
since enacted, various provisions' for the' better
administration of this system. Regn!atireni have
been prescribed for the conduct of Parish Vestries,
with a view of securing a more efficient control
over that expendittire, which is• become so large
in its amount as to require the vigilant attention
of those most interested in the welfare of the
parish ; a weight, therefore has been given to the
persons rated, proportioned, in some degree, to
the magnitude of their respective contribotious.
In populous places, however, the nmnbets of
which that body is composed being too great for
convenient discharge of complicated and de.
tailA buS;ness, power has been given to the vestry
at large. of choosing a select body, on whom new
antiviirity is conferred, and 'under whose direction
the officers of the parish are to act
,in'tbt.nflanage-
mem and relief of the poor. Their proceedings
and coders are moreover not subject to tile con-
trol of a single Magistrate. It has been also
speciallY' enjhined, that built the select vestry and
magistrates, in determining the nature and
City' of relief required in particular eases, shall take
into their .cotesirierationthe eberaezer and con•
duct of the applicant, itr order that the same noes.
*ore of relief may not he extended to the wants
arising froM unavoidable mistortnne on'ahe one
hand., and from idleness and extravagante On the
other ; it being important that the express words
of the law almould leave the duty such '
initiation no lOnger douhtfol.
'lt has heen'also provided, lot the better exc..
cution of the office of overseer in particular cases,
that the vestry may appoint an assistant or assist-
ants, with an adevate Timis provision
arose from the inconvenience resulting from the
offiee Of overseer being annual, and the injustice
of extending' beyond that period a burthen that
often retoires the unrequited sacrifice of his whole
time and private interests. But a person so se-
lected,' and remunerated for this task, may -be
monied to• devote his whole time to the-service
of the parish, and may be expected to become,
ftoni a continuance in office, accurately acqnaiut-
ed With'the duties be has to discharge. more
correct adherence to the law, and an uniformity
in the system'of management, may therefore be
anticipated front such alt appointment, which, tin-
der annual officers, without a select vestry, may
well be wanting.
To these pioVisiens have been added others, to
guard against evasion in time payment of rates,
and against Are frauds of persons who seek to de,
:i:froth the parish while they are in the re-
ceipt of means of subsistence. It having
been foOmi es,,ciitl,ml to make such provision
against hestowingfor one man the property of
others, without that reim.-: alone can jus-
tify such an act—the plea w .:!:solute necessity.
The advance of relief, by way of loan only, there
is reason to hope, will be (Mind beneficial, by af-
fording timely aid in sonic instances, Hrul dis-
courakrios in it.. -rirn.....oros m those
whose earnings have been improvidently and ex-
travagantly_wasted.
The partial alteratiOn of the taw of Settlement,
s far as,.it respects the refitting of tenements,
Which has also been effected, will undoubtedly
have placed 'that part of the law on a more rea-
sonable and simple footing ; and while it dimi-
,nishes the endleSs litigation respecting the nature
and • value of the tenement, wilt do longer be all
obstacle to the accommodation which may be
afforded in some instances to•altoor family, by
renting the *pasturage of a cow, or some other
temporary profit from the occupation of 150 d.
Other enact:news of minor importance will be
found in time (let of this Session, which 'it is tin.
oecessary hereto detail t but in addition to these,
thete are some expedients which your Committee
are enabled to recommend, anti which either do
not absolutely require. or do not pin hang admit of
any legislative injunction ; such as establtshing a
prescribed form for keeping parochial accounts.
and giving to them periodical plmblicity 7 by which
the arnommt of iexpenditure will he seen under itt
proper head, and soy illegal or unnecessary dip,
bursements will be brought to light and corrected.
hinting and distlibuting still more trequently
lists, which the vestry is now bound by the law
to make out, of the names of all those who at any
time receive relief, anti on what account, Is am
practice which has prevailed lately in many point-
butts parishes, and with tba best effect ) and your