Star.
London, England, 1817-03-27 00:00:00

nvhiviM4 STAR.

. , JP.NDON.
THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1817.
PRICE OF S I'OCKS THIS DAY AT TWELVE ('CLOCK
Reduced s.%nt—Cons. money, 7W}—foe Ace. 700
4 per Cent. shut—S per Cent. Navy, VSif
Eaehequer B,lla 4v. 12s. fir bowl* 96 pr.

POOR RATES.'

• The remarks which we have offered on this sub- I
ject Lave caused Magistrates in different place', and
others, who have hadopportunities of observing the
'facts, to furnish us with some useful information on
topics more intimately connected with this question,
than we could have suspected. . indeed, but for the
high respectability of the individuals, and the impos-
sibility of their being misintotmed the• facts they
have coMmunicated, wt could nor th'st
such frauJ and iniquiret :existed in any part of die
British Empire. 'lle ways in which labourers are
defrauded of their wages, and • consequently com-
pelled to seek relief' frcm the Poor Rates; appear to
be innumerable. In addition to the facts already
laid before our Readers, respecting the regular sys-
tem by which in many parishes, the workmen of far:,
mers and manufacturers are .p.id.a large portion of
their fair wages for labour out of these R•ttes, we
have now to state, that the labourers eniployed in
many tin, copper, and lead mines.; collieries, quar-
ries, manufactories, and where considerable con-
nuts have bete entered into, are often robbed of
their wages by the iniquitous practice of obliging
them to purchase 'at particular shops, (in which, 11
without doubt, the principals are interested,) not
merely what they have occasion • for, but clothing
and other articles, which they do not want,
and at the most exorbitant price, so as even to
reduce the pound sterling to Ile. or 12s. They are
thus kept alwa:is necessitous, and often find them.
selves in debt when they are discharged; not by any
correct account rendered, for in some instanc, s that
could be.uktned, elgy aver: receive any from the IholunanD
but Merely fais..assertiou as to the balance. The con-
'egotisee is, an immediate application to their parishes.
for relief. Such a -system is most,injorious ; and the
Poontratts are in•cousequence considerably increased.;
whereasif'everi man so employed received the wages
earned and, justly dile to him, at the end of each
i 'reek, in the current money of the realm, he coiila
• I
maintain his family respeftablY.'and intProvea par:
of his earnings fur his and then fuiute rondos t. •
The Legislature. svisely.tnacted that those em—
illoyed in'tte woollen Manufactory should •regoLcrl)
receive Alt& leages, ;nef,ri Bill is now. pending
Parliament toAdace the Collieries on the same foot.
ing. . It, is ffit!ch to be wished that' this Bill•miy be,
and .that it-oiay,.ci total's)
framed to operateigenerally,
such restrictive will in future effeetualLy
prevent.shiOesent.eompulsory expesiditureof
•so titit the labourer neither diredYnorindirectl
y may.
be prevented ftom layistg..out his pound to the best
adfatitigt:' t.
The system of; the Poor Laws, taken as .2 whole,
is so intricate, and its' ramifications So widely ;ex-
tended, as almost to deter from any at tempt directly
to ameliorate or improve it: • But this labour might i
•be greatly lightened--and it is ss ith.this view she Ochs 1
our observations bti the public—by direct Vinreasts:

laws respecting those abuse, and robberies, w
tinutely send their •ictims to the Par'sh W •ikhth.
for relief.

The root Rates form, beyond all question,
branch f the public imposts which has been the meet
scand.th)usly misapplied and perverted—they am, ont
upon the average to 20; per cent. or more than 1•4!h
of the while gross rental of England and Wales toge-
ther. Their sum exceeds 8 millions sterling; atid:the
pabpers of all descriptions. uhn are suffered topar-
take of them, bear almost the same proportion to the
total number of ;^ habitants that the Poor Rates• bear
to the aggregate rent of lane.

This immense revenurt, ;IA ice as Feat as that which
is arm betnweti ',pun the Marine of the British Zni-
pire, has been for years administered by a class of
functionaries, fri quently the •cry refuse of the Pa.
fishes wherein they are telerased. Bad laws may, be
mitigated by a wi.e and scrupulous AdmintstratiOn;
but laws in their nature oppressive and jams!, be.
come utterly insupportable in the hands of thaw
whose ignorance disqualifies them from fully under.
standing, and whose narrow and sordid habits render
them incapable of feeling, the impt•rtanei and deli-
cacy of their task. No plan for the permanent relartn
of tlte•poor laws can ev..r prosper, which does nut
Legin v ith a purification of tlleithelu tribe of Over-
tects.—wltich does not esps,ialle haiiish the buyers
and sellers, and luw intriguers,. frcrrs this terrile of
public charity.
is reform wanted ? Vcs -in the managinscrt of
Parish funds of every detetiption. Ce• national
affairs been under as bad mart...;--nent as cur i'oor
Rates, speaking generally, we must long tre now
hare been a people ruined beyond the hope ofirecovery.

NEW FINANCE SYSTEII6- It was yesterday reported
on 'Change, but whether merely for Stock -jobbing
purposes we have not ascertained, that the CHANCEL.
Lott of the EXCHEQUER intends to bubtoit to Parlia-
ment, soon alter the Easter recess. the s-s I. in vs ;ni plan
" All the existing ['ales to be ins nes diatesy npeJed, except
the Land-tat, and a new Fax of 2b per cent. to be levt-d on In-
come of every kind, except that arising from trade and lal our.
Fur ascertaining the Property of Stock-holers, the Director:
tbt Beek, the India House, the South Sea Httu.e.
I public Companies, will, it is said, be called no to vet the etuuurtt
of Stock possessed by every per,on, ssn every Mandl), dur ng
lam twelve mui.ths, and she AllSesiMcfri will be nutle Lecorl,n7
to ~aremoit. h,A,etssns sits on Lamle and Hanes :o
taben trod% tie 'ast Return ot the s'rs perry I ax."

The CHANCELLNI of the ExcitE:zuett pave netic:
lart.r.ight of his intentii n to move that the Hitire
C.:,:ninions shall, on Friday next, a.lourn over to nee,
Monday fin thigh% It is said that the adjnornment
takes place a tew.days earlier than Ministers had in•
tended, in consequence of the indisposition of the
SPEAKER. The complaint of the Right Hon. Gentle.
Man we' understand to 4e an erysipelas.. He had some
bandages on part of his head yeste-rd ty to the House.
'Fbe reports which has hero so oftne in circtibitirr,
of an intended dissolution of Pail; tnienr, has been
revived. within. these few days. We have not yet
heard that there is any authoutty f-r it ; but it is hot
improbable. The rejection cl he Pr. pony 'lax. the
;trio revision of Estimates, th.r censure of War
iaties, ar'.l the !ate divis;on cat f aiviatt tb- Leeds
of the Aaniiralty. as useless, m.ty hare Mt-
nisters to la:Lifte pulse of the people before the alarms
about the Speneeans and tAiversal Sepage Reformers
have time to.subaide.

By,t be Hamburg!) Mail of last right we learn th:t
r the Sess on of the Prussian•Counci. Sate: ~ill t.rk:
place in a few days. The proceedings of Body
ivrill be interesting, being the first ineetire! of any
thing like a Representative Body in tit: -Kingdom.
Thus do the people of Prussia appear to be about to
enjoy the reward of their patriotisia. May her Ruhr;
always remember the benefits &rived Irom their at.
tacliment; and never more attempt to reduce them t.
that star of degradation in which they were Iral.!
ever since the Monarchy was established ! The hap•
piness of Sovereign, is interki oven wish the happice,s
of their snhjects. Despotism, though it destroys the
Litter, adds not one tittle to the enjoyment of tire
farmer. The people are injured by arbitrary pokers
the Monarch obtains no advantage front it; who ate
she gainers t A small band of courtiers, who eery
revel in luxury, and riot in wantonness for a fev
weeks, or months, or years. In their turns Loy
mingle with the people, and subject their children t:3
the evils springing tram their folly.
There are some discontents in Sweden. A LlCl-
tenant Olto NATITCII DAY has been touted guilty of
publishing a book calculated to dirtinb the succession
of the CltowN PtttNCE (BeaNAnoTTE)• TO wait at:
the discontented the Cutrws l'ae.ca treats them we.'
popular processions, &e. Oa the Isth instant. the
'standards, colours, atelfligs,-Takrn by the Stied:34
warriors within the last two hundred years, were ft-
moved uith great military poMp from the Saloon M
the lt,ryal Garden. to tne ltetterholins Church, wher=
they :at: to be henceforth' sh.posite:i. The number
thLse trophies of • Swedish. heroism amounted nearly
so tie almost incredible number of five thoirsand: Cl
which 61.4 were gained under the gteet Guerav:t
ADA.I3IIIS. and- I,6•27were the fruits (the only fru :s)
of the military eaterprizes of CIiAIiLLI XII. and iv,
successors.. ..khe KING and Cauws PKINCE, with tEc
gat titian of Stocitlrolin, and a corps of iLkineNgle4
the Dramatis Parent in this gtaird itar:unal sirectacir•
With a view, no doubt, to popularity, the-Ci.ew3
Peiscielesi promuliated 'an" Orcrnance, calculated t 3
••
rhiooeo.llol. gut ifif j:;:rss.toodlie
es
po6rr
fv•
st h:es
di
.;11
%facts, and the non.impottation of .foreign tic.Ls•
Such an Ordinance is a. codtradielion—a
.Nine can be no export trade, eaemparatively
ing, wl.or there are no iiriket„ser-for the imports ttan
the payments for:the exPorts.. . •
• The prodigious exportetinn of rain from (Mew
forms a ttrikintarticle inSthereCeernran Paptrs:l:o
state, that last 'eat time were atiierteti twin that
place, in 1,366 ships, good:A° the valor ef 5,116.1/"J
roubles, and-only to the amount of 409,600, rest
imported. Among the 816 large ships which
itved„were 407 101 Atittrs:-.0
French, Y 3 Ttukibh, 15 Swedi:h, Etc.