The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-04 00:00:00

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is placed first and will first be replied to ; as, if that can
be disposed cf, none other need be feared.
_ _ _

That pauperism is a national evil, not a local one, few
will dispute. That no local district, arbitrarily formed
by a brook or accidental mere stone can have any effect
in the prevention of pnuperism or its causes, will be by
few denied. The propriety of a national charge there-
fore results; and now comas the question how a local
administration of them can be free from injustice.

It may be done by a staff of officers comprising about
one-half of the officers already employed. Tbe Pareise
and Customs are managed by able and competent per-
sons. The army and navy are paid by properly ap-
pointed parties. Every department of Government has
its efficient management ; and there Is no reason why
the administration of the poor-laws should not be a de-
parirnent of Government, and be equally well managed.
The unions remaining as at present, and changed as
circumstances may require (usefulness alone being the
guide), the following officers would be requisite :--A paid
chairman, a clerk, the relieving officers, the governor,
the surgeons, the taskmaster, the schoolmaster, the
nurse, the porter.
The following would be dispensed with :—The auditor,
the removal officer, the assistant overseer and settlement
officer, the collector of poors'-rate, the treasurer.
The chairman would be the general officer of a dis-
trict comprising at the least fin unions. He would be
able to attend to five unions, leaving Saturday and
Sunday at his own disposal. He would be removeable
at pleasure by the head department from one district to
another district ; and as he would be a superior officer,
he would efficiently control the clerks, tke relieving
officers, the surgeons, and other officers of each union
under his sup, rtntendence. The duties of the surgeons
and relieving officers and clerk would remain as they are
at present ; and this paid ehairman would be in place of
the present board. Now, as under a general system,
statistics would be everything, this paid chairman would
be sufficiently controlled—

Ist. As to the granting sufficient relief ; and,
2d. As to an etf•-ctual check upon the expenditure.
The local authorities, the coroner, the magistrates, and
the public cress, would be smpte m,-ans to ensure suffi-
cient relief being granted to di' tress ; more ample than
what is ensured at present ; because, with a local board
of guardians (irrespun4ble as it is), its local influence has
power over local authorities, over the coroner, the ma-
gistrates, and the press—a power and influence which a
paid officer would not possess. The proposed plan
would, therefore, not lost in comparison a ith the pre-
sent system. Any alteration, therefore, must be in
favour of sufficient relief being immediately granted to
distress. •
And now as to the second head:—An effectual check
upon the expenditure would arise from the authorities
in the head office, or Government department. If a paid
chairman's district presented an unfavotsrable compari-
son with the results arising from the statistics of relief
in similarly situated districts, information would be re-
quested ; if not satisfactory, the chairman would be re-
moved to another district, and some other chairman
tried with his district. If a chairman proved himself
incompetent, the statistics of office or the complaints of
the local authorities would discharge him.
And now as to the saving. This in a national point
of view I cannot exactly determine, but I can at once
determine it as regards my own union. It is as follows:—
The entire cost of the union establishment at present is
as billows:-
Clerk
Relieving officers 320
Surgeons
Governor ........ 100
Taskmaster, School-
master, Nurse, and
Porter

Auditor. .. X 25
Removal officer SO
Expenses of removal
and incidental

charges 827
Law expenses
Collectors and Assis-
tant Overseers
Treasurer 4O
Assessing property 342

.£99& £2,648
The average expenditure of our union is 16,0001.
The saving would be 2,6481., or nearly one-sixth of the
whole expenditure.
Surely such a saving alone, especially when combined
with greater efficiency and humanity, ought to be suffi-
cient to call for the change.
But it is impossible to say what the exact saving
would be to the community at lapye. The poors'-rate
being entirely abolished, the loase?incurred in collection,
the misery caused by distraint warrants, the peculations
of local officers, the large amount of bookkeeping at
present required. and the difficulties attendant on the
superintending the collection of the rate, would be
avoided. I cannot estimate these as regards the com-
munity at large at less than 20 per cent.
As to the numerous objections which may be raid
against the abandonment of poors'-rates on account of
the county rates and other charges, which at present are
paid from these sources ; such objections are best an-
swered by stating that the inclination of the Legislature
has been already evinced to throw these
.payments on
the Consolidated Fund. One-half of the criminal prose-
cutions is now paid by the Government ; and crime being
a national curse, prevention ought tobe a national care and
expense. It is already deemed right for the country to
pay half, it must be equally right to pay the whole. These
objections I will not further notice—their answer is ob-
vious if they are raised.
'The 2d objection :—That at present the comparative
expense to some townships is light, and why shonld they
lose their present advantage ?
The answer to this is, that every township will par -
ticipate in the national salvaneTe derived from a more
systematic relief and cure of pauperism. It cannot cost
the lightly-charged-et•pre-ent township more than it
does at present ; whereas, it will be a great and season-
able relief to the heavily-at-present-charged township.
The present advantage of the lightly-charged township
is merely an advantage when compared with another
township more heavily charged ; and the inequality of
such local charges is a very great blot upon the pre-
sent system. Efficiency, economy, and humanity will
all be served by abolishing settlements ; and the general
taxes of the country are the only proper sources from
whence relief for national evils should he taken.

In Ireland and Scotland difficulties in poor-law relief
and management exist; and why? Because there is no
national cure for national distress. Would not the pro-
posed plan enable the Government to avoid all the dif-
ficulties of the present system? Ireland and Scotland
are integral portions of the kingdom, and ought to be
equally dealt with, as regards pauperism.
Not being a financier, it is not part of my duty to
show the " ways and means;" but a national tax for
poor-law purposes, I apprehend, would have all the
difficulties of the present system, and be little or no
improvement. The only improvement in that case being
the more systematic giving of relief. The same staff of
offieers for collecting such a tax would have to be kept
up. The whole charge should therefore be plaoed upon
the " ways and means" of the country; and the land-
owners would reap a rich reward for their support to
this measure, by their entire freedom from pc:ors -rates.
The poor man would, from his consumption of taxed
articles, be indirectly paying towards the national purse,
from which in case of wait his relief would be supplied;
and as regards the fairness or unfairness of legislative
taxation, I am quite prepared to leave that question to
be decided by the Legislature, acted upon as it may be
by our free constitution.
If parties will first ascertain the cheapest, most
humane, and efficacious method of dealing with pauperism,
they may depend upon it that method will be the best
for their future interests ; and that the question of
greater or less expenditure to their own localities will,
when compared with ultimate results, sink into utter
insignificance.
I have now stated the suggested plan, I think suffi-
ciently for the purposes of your request ; I have had
considerabla experience in poor-law affairs, and am con-
vinced that few plans could be devised worse for the
leypayers than the present law and practice of settle-
ment. But when
.treating a malady, cure it. This
can only be done by a complete change ; and if
this sketch is at all instrumental in such a result, it will
be a gratifying recollection that I have been in the
slightest degree instrumental therein.
It may be added, that this letter has been laid before
a Committee of the Stockport Board of Guardians, and
received its unanimous approval.
I have the honour to be, yours faithfully,
HENRY COPPOCK, Clerk to the
Stockport Union.
Stockport, November 16, 1644.

Manchester, Nov. 16, 1844.
At a meeting of the Society of Clerks of Unions for
the Northern District of England, John Latham, Esq.,
in the chair, the above letter being read and approved,
was ordered to be referred to a special Committee, con-
sisting of Mr. Gardiner (Manchester), Mr. Latham
(Charlton-upon-Medlock), Mr. Woodhouse (Bolton),
and Mr. Coppock (Stockport), with instructions to print
the same, and forward copies to the clerks of the Society,
with a view that the same should be laid before their
boards el guardians, f 4. their consideration.
JOHN LATHAM, Chairman.
Nov. 22, 1844.
NER GARDINER.
JOHN LATHAM.

Approved on reference,

[ADVERTISENIRNT.] —ANOTHER EXTRAORDINARY
CURE OF ASTHMA BY HOLLOWAY'S PlLLsl—Patrick
Casey, residing at No. 1, Compton-place, Brunswick-
square, had suffered from a Chronic Asthma: for more
than three years this poor man was so great a sufferer,
that he did net dare to go to bed for fear of the phlegm
choking him ; indeed he could not even lay his head
upon a, table fur half an hour, lest he should be suffo-
cated: Nevertheless, this person is now labouring from
morning to night, sleeps as well as ever he did in his
life, arid, in tact, is completely cured by the use of
I.lolloway's Pills.—Sold (also Holloway's Ointment) at
Profess,or Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand (wh( re
advice may be had gratis), and by almost all respectable
vendors eit medicine throughout the cis ilised world.
HILLINGDON HALL; A TALE OF COUNTRY LIFE.
—" Th'es is, beyond all question, the cleverest, the
wittiest, the most humorous, and most amusing work
that has be,n published for some time. The writer is
already well known in the fields of literature as the
author of Handley Cross,' a work which placed him at
once amongst the first and most distinguished writers of
the day.. In the work now before us, he has eclipsed
himself. Every page in these volumes abounds in the
most enquisite passages of rich and genuine humour.
Laugh out right heartily the reader must, whether he be
sportively inclined or not. The satire throughout is
polished and keen; the portraitures of the different cha-
racters are touched off in a style of the richest and most
exquisitti finish. Hillingdon Hall' is a work which
could be read over and over again with feelings of un-
diminish ed pleasure."— Sunday Times.
Mr. J. Parker, M.P., and a deputation of the
" Company of Proprietors of the River Dan Naviga-
tion," eimsisting of Messrs. John Read, Watson, and
13artholornew, transacted business yesterday at the
Board of Trade.

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