Star.
London, England, 1822-05-17 00:00:00

BRITISH CONSULS..

•
• TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.•
As the business of the Ccrsuls has been mention*
in Parliament, give me leave to ask a few questions
on that subject, through your impartial Paper. •
Have not the fees levied by the Consuls in the
Mediterranean on our shipping been so high, that.ill
many instances Sardinian, instead of Bntish ships,.•`
have been employed by our Merchants ? .
Could not the office have been discharged grattii-
tously at 'Archangel, and prang other ports, so as tia
save £BOO a year paid at that port? If it is feared
that this would give a superiority of interest to one
Merchant, might not the office be held in rotation by
those who chase to undertake it?
Were not the fees so enormous at ItioJaneiro, that
a remonstrance was sent to the Ministry ? Did they
not very properly wake a considerable reduction
But did not .a Noble Lord, whose friend held the.
office, have influence enough to restore.the figs to
their original magnitude?
If these reports are well founded, will not the Ad-
ministration, who, I firmly believe,_ are desirous of
doing everything that is right, as far as they possess
independence, take decisive measures to redress the
evil ? Your's, MERCA TOR.

PROPOSED NEW SYTEM OF THE
POOR LAWS.

In the last Number of the Monthly Magazine there
is a sensible and well-written article on the mutual
obligations of the two classes of society, the rich and
the poor, in which the writer proposes the following
" Plan of an Equitable and Beneficial System of
Poor Laws:"

1. Thsat vestries, or guardians of the poor, shall be empowered
in every parish to build as many cottages, of four rooms, with
at least a rood of garden-ground, held as parish estates, as sh
accommodate, at easy rents, the married labourers and artizans
of the parish, as free tenants; the money to be raised on the
security of the poor-rates, and the moderate rents to be applied
in liquidating the principal and interest. • •
2. And also, that commissioners of roads shall build cartage',
of four rooms, on the site of every mile-stone, for the residence
of labotriers on the roads, each provided with at least a rood of
garden, with right of common.
3. To extend the free and unrestrained market for labour, to
equalize the rates, and remove the jealousies, disputes, and suits
of parishes, it is proposed to enact,. that the rates of all' the
parishes in every county shall be consolidated, and the flands
appropriated, as required, by overseers or vestries.
4. 'fo enable the artizan and labourer to carry his skill and
industry to the most productive market, it is proposed to repeal
all the laws 'of settlement; and, at the same time, to enable the
dispensers of public bounty to discriminate between industrious
and idle travellers, it is proposed that every housckeeper,-Vrho
has employed any artizan or labourer for three or more days,
shall certify the simple fact,- with the date and period ; and this .
certificate shall serve as a protection within the county for three •
months; but, if the artizan or labourer purpose to leave the
county, then such certificate shall be verihed by the signature
and seal of a Justice of the Peace.
5. Let an asylum for the sick, helpless, and -aged poor, be
provided us every parish or hundred, and at this asylum let all
travelling artizans and labourers, who have a certificate, be pro,
vided with lodging when be requires it, and with one good meal
of soup or pottage within the day.
6. Every such asylum should be provided with a department
for employing at low wages those who had obtained no certificate
for three months, and whose certificate hall been undersigned
at more than thirty asylums for board and lodging.
7. Every parish should be provided with a Benevolent Fund,
to be aided, as far as netessary, by the rates, the terms of whkch
should be, that for every pound deposited by working artizans
and labourers, or servant women, the parties should, at the end
of seven years, on not more than twenty pounds, be entitled to
45. per annum for life; at the end of a reserved fourteen years,
to Bs. per annum ; at the end of twenty-one years to 12s. per
annum ; at the end of twenty-eight years, to 2.05. per annum ;.
and at the end of thirty-five years, to 30s. per anndm : and, in
case of intermediate death, the original sum, with simple interest,
should be paid to widows or children. •
8. Every parish should be obliged to plant, in public sitea-
. tions, one thousand grafted fruit-stocks or trees per annum for
seven years, and one thousand every three years afterwards, for
every thousand acres contained within the parish.
9. In towns, also, houses might be built, and let at low rates
to the married poor; and destitute persons might have a meal
per day, and lodging at the poor-house, under the sane limita-
tions as in the country.
10. Those who, from non-renewal of certificates of employ,
, are taken into the employment of the parish, and then refuse to •
labour, may be cominitted to the House of Correction, by the
warrant of not less than two Justices of the Peace, for limited
' periods ; and those who wander for three mouths after their
last certificate has expired, may, on charge of misconduct, he
i subjected to similar discipline.

For the Resolution
Against it -
Majority for Ministers
RELIEF TO THE IRISH POOR.
Upon the re-admission of strangers to the gallery,
Mr. GOULBURN was moving for leave to bring
in a Bill for the employment of the poor in the most
distressed parts of Ireland. The Right Hon. Gentle-
man stated that it was the object of this Bill to ad;
vance a sum of money to be expended in public works
where distress was most prevalent. Among these,
the making of roads would be a principal mode of
applying the funds. It must be obvious to the House
that the large tracks of country, offering inadequate
means of communication, presented great facility to
the commission of crimes. The public works were
to be executed solely on the responsibility of Govern-.
ment, and the :honey was to be accounted for by
them, and he should propose that the estimates should
be laid before the Grand Juries of the counties, and
left to their liberality to take upon themselves such
part of the expenses as they should consider just—
(Hear, hear). He had only further to state, that if
the House was willing to accede to his proposition'
it would afford the greatest practical relief; and the
less delay that occurred, the more efficacious, of
course, would be the remedy—(Near, hear).
Mr. S. RICE said this measure had his entire con-
Cut rence, as one of the wisest which could be de-
vised; and he was sure the Irish Gentlemen would
answer the call made upon their liberality. Before
he sat down, he must, in the name of the people of
Ireland, express his• deep sense of gratitude to the
people of this country for the pecuniary relief which
had been afforded to his countrymen. It was a proud
mark of all that was great and good in the character
of Englishmen, and which, he trusted, would be fully
responded to by the gratitude of the people of Ireland.
Sir E. O'BRIEN added his thanks to his Majesty's
Government for the introduction of this Bill. After
the relief which irad been remitted by the generosity
of the English Public, he was sure Ireland would find
that her Union had been one of her greatest blessings.
Mr. HUME said the public money could not be The following is an ofiicial Return to an order cf
better employed; but he should be glad to hear whe-
the House of Common., of all Ministers sent from
Great fiom 1750 to
tiler the Right Hon. Gentleman wasreared with
Britain to the wiss Cantons,
1783 :—JOHN BARNA a, Esq. AnritUß VILLETTES,
an Estimate, and the names of the counties to which
the relief would be afforded? Esq. ROBERT COLEBROOK, Esq. and WILLIAM NOR•
Mr. GOULBURN mentioned the counties of Clare,
TON, Esq. The above held the rank of 311niiter Pie-
Galway, Limerick, and Kerry, and stated the amount nipotentiary, and the salary was £1,572 a year.
intended to be advanced was £50,000. A Return, just laid upon the table of tile House
Mr. BROUGHAM was fully convinced that .no
of Commmis chews the number apd names cf per-
time ought to be lost in carrying this measure into sons who have been sent out of the country under the
effect; and while he gave his approbation to it, he operation of the Alien Act, since its re-enactment;
begged to be understood as not approving of the con- als
o, the number of appeals made to the• Privy Conn_
duct of Ministers, in neglectineto inquire at au culler oil upon that subject. The Alien Act was re-enacted
period into the distresses of Ireland. •
, on the 24th of July, 1820„,and in the two years ill:A
• Mr. - GOULBURN :alsored. the. House, that hi; have elapsed since, fkeenmat
.out
should be able toebow.tber!sentaao pound (Sr any a
fob persons have

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