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

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 1817.

REPORT OF THE LORDS' COMMITTEES
ON POOR LAWS.

By the Lords Committees appointed to cnr‘ider of the Poor
Laws, and report to the I louse ; and who were empowered
to report the Evidence taken before them front time to
time to tse House; and to whom sLveral Petitions on the
subject have been rJerrvd;
ORDERE'D TO REPORT,
That in appiyirg themselves to the important sub-
ject referred to their consideration, the Committee
have felt it their duty in the first instance to direct
their attention to the Laws which are to be found
upon the Statute Book at an early period, the provi-
sions of many of which were afterwards embodied in
the Act of the 431 of Elizabeth, and laid the foun-
dation of the present syston. The Statute of La-
bourers of the 23J of Edward 111. appears to have
been enacted in consequence of the melancholy t Gott
arising from a pestilential disorder that had pieva led
at that period, and which caused so grt.at a se.:r6ty
of labourers in husbandry, that an Act was passed
containing the following provisions : That eve; y
person under sixty years of age, able to work, and
not deriving any fixed maintenance from trade, han-
dicraft, or personal property of his own, nor possess-
ing land requiting his own labour, and not bei,:g
already engaged in other service, should, if required
to engage in a service fit and suitaisle to his station,
be held to be so en:;aged to the person an requiring
him ; and should receive the usual wages of the part
of the country in which he should serve, on an Ave-
rage of the last twenty, or six, or flue years."
There are other provisions to prevent a greater
number cf labourers being employed by any oar: per-
son than are necessary for his service; and also on
the punishing of those who shall refuse suitabht ser-
vice and employment, by imprisonment, unless pro-
per security shall be given.
There then follows a series of Acts of the tame
year (23 Edward III.) to prevent agricultural la-
boarers from quitting their service before the time
agreed upon, without license or reasonable cause ;
and against the giving or receiving of higher than
the accustomed wages; under pain of imprisonment
in the case of the artificers or workmen, and of the
forfeiture of treble the value in the case of the Lord
of a Town. or Manor offending against the Statute.
The 2J of Richard 11. confirms the above Acts,
and in the I2th of Richard 11. other Statutes weuc
enacted, restraining labourers an servar.ts from
leaving the hundred, rape, or wapentake in %%filch
they had resided and were employed, without a cer-
tificate of the cause of their depat cure, and specifying
the time of their return (12 Richard 11. cap. 2).
The 12th of Richard LI. cap.*, prohibits the
giving or taking of more wades than are limited by
Statute.

The Sth chapter of the same year directs, th-e ne
person who has been brought np to the occupeti,
of husbandry to the age of twelve yeere strell
afterwards put to any other trade; and that all Levee
nants of apprenticeship contras y to this Act shell he
null and void. At the same period a law was pateed
for the punishment of itinerant mendicants wen were
able to work; and for providing for such beggars as
were impotent, in the towns and cities in which they
might be resident at tl: rime of the proclemetien of
the Statute ; and providing further, that " it the
people of the above cities and towns were unwliing
or unable to maintain them, they should be conve,ed
to other towns in tl.e huedred, rape, or wapentaLe
or to the towns where they were born, in laity drys
after the said procletnetion. It further provided,
that all those who went in pilgrimage as mendicants,
being able to work, should be treated in the same
manner as the aforesaid servants and labourers, unless
they had letters testimonial of their pilgrimage, under
the seal of the Ordinary. Clerks of the University,
who go about begging, are also required by the Act
to have letters testimonial from their Chancellor, un-
der the same penalty.
'l'he 12th 'Ol Richard 11. cap. 9, ordains, that the
Act relating to servants and labourers begging ant'
wandering, shall have force and be executed as well
in cities and boroughs as in other towns and places
of die kingdom.
By the 13th of Richard 11. cap. 8, it is accorded
and appointed, that the Justices of Peace in eve re
county, at their Sessions held between Eisler ;ilia
Michaelmas, shall make proclamation at their discre-
tion, according to the price of victuals, how much
every mason, carpenter, tyler, and other artificers
and wutkmen, and also labourers by the day as well
in harvest as in other times of the year, shall receive
daily, either with or without meat and drink, during
that period, between the aforesaid Sessions.
The 15th of Richard 11. cap. 6, directs, that in
every license from thenceforth to be made in the
Ciiancery of the appropriation of any parish church,
it shall be expressly contained and comprised. that
the Diocesan shall ordain a proper sum of money,
according to the value of such churches, to be paid
yearly, of their fruits and profits, to the poor perishio-
tiers of the said churches, in aid of their living and
sustenance, for ever ; and that the Vicar be well and
..ufficiently endowed. Other Statutes were passed in
the reign of Henry the Sixth and Henry the Seventh,
tor continuing. the Statutes of Richard the Second
concerning the wages of labourers, to which reference
has been made; and also for preventing persons,
wishing to change their service from,leaving their
employers without sufficient notice to enable them to
provide other servants in their place.
Some of the ratty Statutes which have been already
cited, and particularly that of the 2.1 of Rich. ll.'
icier to the principle of settlement by residence, but
appear to have been enacted rather in the view of
providing against the scarcity of labourers in hus-
bandry (which was occasionally felt in those times),
than to have had any reference 'to the claim of iner.
viduals to relict from particular districts ; but they

• Et sl les Gents des dim Owe on Vines ne ♦oillent on ne
potent suffir de les Troyer, qe les di.z Mertdiaantz sot ttaitten•
Octet Valles dans le liordrrd, kr. &c.