The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-12-15 00:00:00

WEST DERBY UNION.

At the meeting on Tuesday a circular to unions from
the Po‘ r Law Commissioners was read. It contained
instructions as to the course to be pursued with regard to
the poor under the late removal and non-removal act.
The chief point of instruction was, that the poor, resident
aad irremovable, but not having a settlement, are, in
case of des►itution, to be relieved and attended to just as
if they had a settlement in the place in which they are
found to be in want. The medical-officer of the Fever
House reported that three new cases only had been
brought into the house during the past week, three had
died, five had been discharged cured, remaining in the
house nine. He also expressed his regret that in many
instances the sending in of patients is delayed until the
disease is too far advanced to be checked, and that, in
such a case, patients are further injured by removal.
Mr. Thomas William Christie, of Knotty Ash, was
elected medical officer for the rural division of the exten-
sive and populous township of West Derby. The gover-
nor of the Workhouse was instructed to make arrange-
ments for regaling the inmates on Christmas day with
roast beef and plum pudding. During the meeting, the
following letter from the four overseers of West Derby
was read by the Clerk of the Board :
" Public Office, Low-hill, West Derby,
7th December, 1846.

" Gentlemen,—We, the undersigned honorary over-
seers of the township of West Derby, are des rous of re-
presenting to the Board of Guardians of the West Derby
Union, that we find ourselves placed in a very painful
position, and even open to reproach, from the present in-
efficient mode in which relief to the poor is administered
by the relieving officer of this district, which is not only
painful to us, but most inconvenient, and distressing
to the poor applicants themselves. The overseers are now
under the necessity of informing all applicants for relief
after 10 o'clock, a.m., that they must make their appli-
cation on the following morning before 10 o'clock, to the
relieving officer at; the Union Workhouse. Under these
circumstances we are apprehensive that during the ensu-
ing winter, (if some remedy be not speedily adopted to
facilitate the administration of relief more promptly in all
cases of sickness and urgent destitution, than what has
been the case hitherto) some unpleasant circumstances
may occur which might bring odium not only on the
Overseers and Board of Guardians, but also o❑ all con-
nected with the administration of the New Poor-law.
" In thus bringing this subject before the Board of
Guardians, we consider we are only performing our duty
to the suffering poor of this township, and that the evils
complained of may be effectually remedied, we would
suggest to the board that the relieving officer of this dis-
trict should be required either to give his attendance more
than once each day at the Union Workhouse, or to reside
in a more central part of his district, in order that the
poor applicants may not have to return to their homes
without the necessary relief having been administered or
even their cases visited until the following day, which we
are of opinion is a system not sanctioned by the Poor-
law Amendment Act, and which ought not to be allowed
merely to serve the convenience of any relieving officer,
who ought at all times to be accessable to the applications
of the poor within his district.
" In conclusion, we are also desirous of representing to
to the board our firm and decided opinion that all relief
administered by the relieving officer (between the meet-
ings of the board) ought to be given in kind and not in
money, as at present, (see the general orders of the Poor-
law Commissioners, Article 20, on the duties of relieving
officers,) which we trust the board will order in future to
be strictly carried into effect, thereby preventing a disal-
lowance of all sums charged for relief, so illegally adminis-
tered, by a protest to that effect before the auditor.
We are, Gentlemen, very respectfully,

. . _
T .
wOHN
PEERS,
Overseers of the Poor
PETER JONES, of the
R. M. BECKWITH,
Township of West Derby
WILLIAM POWNALL,
To the Chairman and the Board of Guardians}
of the West Derby Union.