The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-08 00:00:00

POOR-LAW UNIONS.

Mr. MANNERS SUTTON moved that a Select Com-
mittee be re-appointed to inquire into the administra-
tion of the law for the relief of the poor in the unions
formed under the Act 22 Geo. 111., c. 3, s. 83, and to
report to the House their opinion whether it was ex-
pedient that the said union should be maintained.

Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD did not rise to give
any opposition to the appointment of the Committee, but
he thought the appointment of it was completely useless,
and an entire waste of time. If the Government had
determined to abolish the Gilbert unions, it was better
to save the waste of time which would be consumed in
making the report. Circumstances had occurred
at Rochdale from which it would appear that
the Government were determined no longer to permit
such relief in any place. The people of Rochdale had
been accustomed to administer to the necessities of their
own pool. under the Select Vestry Act, but the Com-
missioner,' determined that they should do so no longer.
But when he- saw that this law was pertinaciously per-
sisted in in the borough with which he was connected, if it
were the opinion of the Government that no other
poer-law administration should exist in England but
that which was provided by the New Poor-law Act, he
did not think it necessary that they should go into a fur-
therinquiry into the Gilbert unions. There were essential
difference between the Gilbert Act and the new Poor-
law Act. The Gilbert Act gave partial relief, while
the Poor-law Act gave ,no relief at all, unless the par-
ties relieved were reduced to the lowest circumstances.
He protested against the latter law, and the people of
England looked upon it as a violation of their rights.
—(Hear, hear.) There was a contest going on on
this subject between the people and the Government.
It was a desperate contest, and one which the people of
England would not easily give up. He. could not, there-
fore, avoid taking that opportunity of calling the atten-
tion of the Government ",o the necessity of considering
the new Poor-law. It was a thing which could no longer
go on. The Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary for the
Home Department had heard from several Hon. Members,
the other night, what had been the result of this law. It
had produced lamentable distress, and it ought to be
in some wily atnenduci, If the Government, however,
were determined to go through with the law, they need not
go into any further inquiry concerning the Gilbert unions.
It was a measure' of deep importance. It had been

stated that loyalty existed in this country. It was certain
however, if this law were persisted in, it would be im-
possible that this loyalty could be continued. Under
those circumstances he called upon her Majesty's
Government to declare their intention with respect to
the parishes under the Gilbert Act. If it was their
intention to continue the Gilbert unions, why not
say so at once, and not continue the inquiry,
which appeared to produce no benefit? He would
admit that it was impossible there could be any mode of
relief which would not be liable to abuses, and no doubt
some trifling abuses did exist in the Gilbert unions, but
they were not so flagrant as those of the New Poor-law.
If an inquiry were to be made into these unions, it was
only fair that there should also be an inquiry into
the effect of the New Poor-law, and the case would
be put fairly before the nation which was the best means
of relief, as well as the evils of both. He had had the
honour of coming up to the Right Hon. Baronet, the
Secretary for the Home Department, on a deputation
from Rochester. They stated to him what had occurred
there, and that out of 22,000 ratepayers, they were all
against the New Poor-law with the exception of nineteen.
The Right Hon. Baronet received the deputation with
his usual courtesy, and the answer he gave was, that he
had no power to interfere with the law. Now, if he had
not the power to control the Commissioners, he (Mr.
S. Crawford) felt disposed to give it to him. He could
not avoid making those few observations, and if it was
necessary to make further inquiry into the subject of
the Gilbert unions, he thought that the New Poor-law
ought to be considered as well.
The motion was then agreed to, and the following
Hon. Members were appointed to serve on the Com-
mittee :—Mr. Barneby, Capt. Pechell, Mr. Thcs. Dun-
cornbe, Sir Robert Heron, Mr. Colvile, Sir William
Heathcote, Mr. Beckett Denison, Mr. Wrightson,
Viscount Barrington, Mr. Manners Sutton, Mr. Strutt,
Viscount Marsham, Mr. Labouchcre, Mr. Wakley, and
Mr. Protheroe.