The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-21 00:00:00

POOR-LAW AMENIiMENT BILL.

The Order of the Day was then read for the House
resolving itself into Committee on the Poor-law Amend-
ment Bill.

Mr. HAWES presented a petition from several
congregations of Independents and Baptists, praying
that ministers of those denominations might have free ac-
cess to the poor houses.
Colonel SIBTHORP said, as he had always opposed
this law, he felt it his duty first to oppose the motion
for going into Committee. When the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet proposed to renew the Poor-law for a period of five
years, he thought it would have been more manly and
more straightforward if he had proposed to . make the
Commission perpetual. The total et-A of the Commis-
sion from 1834 up to 1840, was 557,6341., and adding to
this the cost of the two following years at the average
rate of 41,000/. per year, the whole amount up to the
present time would be 641,396/. He could see no use
whatever for the continuance of the Commission ; the
plan was admitted by all to i.e bad ; and such being the
case, why were they asked to perpetuate t ? When the
proper time arrived, he should take the sense of the
House upon the ques ion that the Commission should
be discontinued. He preferred the old Poor-law greatly
to the present, and he should, therefore, take the sense of
the House upon the question that the Bill be committed
that day three months.
Mr. WAKLEY said he was glad of any event that
was likely to put a stop to the further progress of the
Bill. His dislike increased with its age. The more he
heard of it, and the more he saw of it, the more invete-
rate did his hostility become. It underwent no mitiga-
tion in consequence of the` Bill being fostered by the
great Tory party in that. House. Heaven knows the
Whigs were execrated enough in consequence of their
proposing the Bill, and it was well known that the Tory
party took advantage of what the Whigs did, in order
to put themselves in possession of power. Ttie people
were not unmindful of what' passed, and it held out but
a small example of political honesty. What the result
would be he knew not, but he could not believe that it
would be a fortunate one. The Hon. and Gallant
Colonel who had just sat clown had made a statement to
the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary for the Home De-
partment, and he (Mr. Wakley) was perfectly persuaded
that the Hon. and Gallant Colonel was sincere in his
oppooition to the Bill. He gave him credit fur that sin-
cerity ; but the Hon. and Gallant Colonel must not
fancy hat he could make a scape goat of the Right Hon.
Baronet on that occasion. The Right Hon. Baronet,
the Secretary for the Home Department, exhibited no
inconsistency or dishonesty in his advocacy of the Bill.
Therefore he said that Honourable Gentlemen opposite
should not, when they referred to that measure, speak of
it as the measure of the Right Hon. Baronet, but us the
measure of the great Tory party—of that party, which,
when out it was out of power, was almost unanimously
principle of this Poor-law.
vociferous in condemning the'
—(No, no.) He knew there were exceptions. The
Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government was an
exception. He said the Right Hon. Baronet stood per-
fectly excused in that matter. He was throughout the
consistent advocate of the principles of the Poor-law Act.
Therefore he exhibited no ovidence of dishonesty with
retifoct to tkittiullibauto. The aal.na remark applied in