Star.
London, England, 1817-08-09 00:00:00

•••'''

REPOR7' OF Tql: LORDS' COMMITTEES
1)00I1 LAWS.

By the Lord,' Committees appointed to consider of the Poor
Laws, and rt.port to the House; and who were empowered
to rerori ttt. Evidence fallen before them from time to
time to t e Houle; and to whom several Petitions ou the
subject hive been referted
(Concluded from the STAR of yesterday.)

Upon the stitijecr f the general mode of assess-
intent for the reio-f 41 the poor, the Committee are of
opinion. up ti the fullest consideration, that nothing
can tend to keep the present system of the poor-rates
within reasonable hounds, but that the assessment
should continue to be levied upon those who are im-
mediately interested in the disbursement; and who,
from personril kn,:wledge.of the character and situa-
tion of the individuals, are best enabled to judge of
the jticiiee of the•ir cl iiins and the extent of their
want:, in eases of application t r relief.
The Committee have tlougi.; it right to examine
evidi nc.- respecting the management of the poor in
Scotland ; uliese, though a power by Law to
impose a cotopiii,ory assessment for the relief of the
poor. recourse has seld,•rn Leen had to it, except un-
der particuiar circumstances, and in populous and
m imilaet tiring touirs. Considerable sums are raised
by regular colleen cs at tl,c churches, which are ap-
plied z.t the purpose of relieving the poor at the dis-
creth•t• ot the Minister 3nd Elders, composing (what
is calted) the Kik By mean of Oleic col-
lectiia,s, awl of Riche r vuiutaary contriLltions on
the p r: 0" the het itori ,n.. 1 other inhabitants, the ne-
cessity for comfit's •••,. ass,•sbatent is generally
avaided, a xcept in tin.is o particular distress. Upon
this subject a Retiort received tom the General As-
scrttl,ly of it,. Chord) of Scotland, on the rnanage•
ro,2nt of 0: poor in that p4rt of the United King-
door, ;,ten teferteil to the Committee, tone-
(her wi;t s. .1! i!aert-ain ; details contained in other
c--vcurnent, subj. in -them fcr )our Lordships'
inform .00-1.

It woool have Seer wallryiog to the Committee,
in the trgt• ant; arduous duty
imposed o ton zit:nt by yoor Lord:ado, it they could
have stir gio.ted any tneasnres that wotsid have pro-
ciectt a dirniention of those burthens s,hich have
pre .o-al se hoisoll ol•Otte years upoc the occupiers of
land arii houses; itt:st iii this view they have eudea-
voured to collect the opt:linos of those witnesses, who
from their general knowledge and experience, were
moo 1 keiy to ..trord information as to any alterations
Cs: it !r''.;;l:f b: suegested in the present laws, as well
with • view to the interests and comfort of the poor,
as to ;.; levtat too of the pressure upon those who
are liable to the rates.
It must be evident to your Lordships that the sub-
ject is i!. its nature SO extensive and difficult, that
n, re can be expected, especially in the first in-
stance, from any exertions that Can be made by indi.
viduals, or pertoo s from the collective wisdom of
Patliao, nt, than such alleviation of the burthens, as
ma! ••e .!ertved from an improved system of manage-
mt. r alba front rendering the laws more simple in
their execution. The great increase in the amount
• of th . rates of late years, has arisen not only from the
causes which have been enumerated, but from the
general disposition to resort to that species of main-
tenance on account of the facility with oahich it has
been frequently obtained ; which has tended to weaken
amongst the poor that disposition to economy which
formetly existed in many parts of the country, and
which it is highly desirable on account of their com-
fort and independence, to enceuraoe and revive.
Though there is reason to believe that the general
amount of the expense of litigation arising from ap-
peals has been at all times rather exaggerated, yet it
is undoubtedly desirable, not only in the view of les-
sening the charges, but for the sake of those who
may be the objects of removal, to mike some altera-
tion in the Law of Settlements. The Committee,
therefore, submit to the consideration of the House,
whether it might not be expedient to provide that
every person residing for three years in any parish
yids( ut being chargeable (and who has been em-
rifled during the above, period in the said parish),
shall obtain a settlement ; and that, in case that mode
of settlement should be adopted slier a time to be
fixed, ;to person shall acquire a settlement by hiring
and se, vice, or by apotentiCeship ; and the Committee
think they may safely recommend that no settlement
shall be acquired in any parish by renting a tenement,
unless it shall consist of an house or land, or of an
Louse with land, and shall be held under one land-
lord and in the same parish, at an annual borsafek
rent of £2O. and for not less than one year.
The Committee likewise submit, particularly from
the evidence which they received from Manchester
and Birmingham, that a power should be given to
remove persons helooging to c., robes not within the
operation of the Poor Laws, who shall become
chargeable to any palish, to their respective homes.
It has also appeared to the Committee, that great
advantage would arise (particularly in large parishes)
from the appointment of permanent Overseers and'
Surveyors of the highwa)s, with salaries, and from
the union of small parishes for a similar purpose:—
and that it is advisable to give a power to parishes,
in certain cases. to occupy land with a view to the
employment of the poor.
It might likewise, be proper to regulate the tight of
voting mi vestries, on all questions relating to the ma-
r..tgeniect of the poor, according to the proportion in
e individual is assessed to the poor-rates.
In edditioo to the above suggestion of the appoint-
r tent a permanent Overseer, the Committee are of
opinion that great advantage would arise, in various
ways, from procurirg, means of regular and perio.
dical retorts to be male the Magistrates of coun-
ties, a clear and systematic account of the state of
every, parish in !tape( t to the management of the rates
imposed for the relief of the poor, and the employo
print and raid of those who are eutitled to the care
and attention of the Overseers ; such accounts to be
• returned once in the course of the year to the Quarter
Sessions ; to be regularly preserved, and accessible to,
the inspvctionpf any person applying to examine them.
It is unnecessary to dwell upon the advantages of
publicity in all accounts of public concern, and par.
titularly on the advantage that might be expected to
arise from it,in accounts of this description, partaking
both of general and individual interest ; and invol-
ving questions on which many of the persons to whose
Observatiot they would be regularly submitted, *eV;

not only competent to judge, but interested in for-
tning a correct and impartial judgment.
The Committee are also decidedly of opinion, from
every information they have received, that it is expe-
dient to recommend the adoption of Provident or
Savings Banks, as likely to increase the comforts
and improve the condition of the Poor, and to render
them less dependent on parochial relief; which, under
the best and most considerate administration of it,l
can never be so satisfactory to the person who is the
object of it, or so consistent with those honourable
feelings of pride and independence which are im-
planted in tie heart of man, as that resource which
is the result of his own industry and the produce of
his own exertions.

The Cimmittee cannot conclude this Repnrt, with-
out enleavottring to impress upon your Lordships,
and upon all persons of weight and influence through-
out the country, tae great impottance of a just, cor-
rect, and vigilant administration of the laws relating
to the po,r ; and of recommending, in the most
earnest manner, to all who have the opportunity,
the most unremitting attention to improve their ge
neral management, and to correct those evils which
may have arisen from a negligent or mistaken adult-
niatt ation of them.

The advanced pyrind of the Session will, of course,
preclude the possibility of any immediate alteration
in the present laws ; but so far from considering this
circumstance as a matter of regret, the Committee
are of opinion, that more advantage will ultimately
arise from affording time for deliberation upon the
different suggestions which have been made, than
from hastily adopting alterations, which, however
u;etul they may at present aprear, might possibly
liereoftes in the detail be tonna inconsistent I'6o-4 a
more general plan of improvement in the syoem itself

GERMAN PAPER.s.

VIENNA, WES '25.

A private letter from Trieste say s—"" We have not
had in the memory of man, such a hot summer as
the present ; in the middle of t!,e day the heat is so
oppres►ive that people almost fajta away in the
streets."

Tne prices of corn fall here daily.
The latest accounts from S:c;ly and Apulia, state
that they are reaping aliarvest which may be called
threef dd ; and that the quality of the grain-is besides
excellen..

According 10 accounts from Lemberg, the Russian
General Ojarowsky is arrived there, to compli,rient
their Majesties in the name of the Emperor of ltus.
sia. Tie Court will remain some weeks at Lem.
burg, and then go to Brady, on the extreme frontier
of the Imperial territory, and after this return, pro.
bably, through Transylvania, and by the military
frontier of the Burma]. Their Majesties are expected
at Vienna in the middle of Oztober.

Toe II di of July was an unhappy day for that part
of Lower Austria, which borders on Hungary. A
terrible hail stoim destroyed the greatest putt of the
standing corn, particularly oats and barley. The
hail stones were so uncommonly large, that many
sheep, ike. were killed, and sever al persons much hurt.
This partial misfortune will oot cause wiy unplea-
sant coniequences to the public in gent...l, because
the harvest is every where most abtidant. Our trade
which has been so long stagnant, becomes rather
more active. Our silk arid woollen m inufactuters
have received many orders; at Trieste, where during
the winter little was done, large speculations are now
makin4 in colonial goods. One article has fallen
here which one would not have expected to do •o in
the present state of the Brazils, via. diamonds, which
used to be sold ■t 300 florins per carat, and are now
at 70. One cause of this dint:dation is said to be
the large quantity of diamonds sold at priportionably
very low prices by Madame Murat. '
Suicides are here unhappily so frequent, that they
are hardly spokt:n of. This week there have been
two ; it is mostly young persons who have got into
debt that have recourse to this desperate step; but
unmerited distress from want of employment has car-
ried off many victims. it is to be hoped that the re-
turn of bitter tirn,:s will at least cop the source of
this last motive.

•
1