The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-02-09 00:00:00

Standard Office, One o'lcock.

Meeting of the Select Vestry, This Day.

The meeting of the Select Vestry this day was nume-
rously attended. Mr. Austin, the Assistant Poor-law
Commissioner, having to detail the working of the plan
put in operation to prevent impositions upon the parish
by the Irish poor. The Re* Rector Brooks took the
chair. _

The proceedings of the last meeting having been read,
the Vestry-clerk stated, that the cost of the relief to the
ordinary poor, for the week past, as being for 1276 pau-
pers, at 2s. 71d. per head, and the cost of ten officers, at
Bs. Otd. per head. The weekly payments and receipts
were then read, after which the Vestry-clerk stated the
amount of relief administered to the casual poor, in the
week ending the 6th of February; and in the preceding
week. We shall take the previous week first. The relief
giien was—On Monday, to 23,022 persons ; Tuesday,
26,334 ; Wednesday, 24,315 ; Thursday, 24,912 ; Friday,
25,901: Saturday, 2.3,909. In all, 148,393 persons re-
lieved, at a cost of £4Ol 19s. 51d. In the week ending
6th instant, under the new regulation introduced by Mr.
Austin, the number of persons relieved was—On Monday,
23,439 ; Tuesday, 6188 ; Wednesday, 5939 ; Thursday,
5678 ; Friday, 6268 ; Saturday, 8037. In all, 55,549 re-
lieved, at an expense of £327 14s. 91. It was explained,
that on the (Monday) the regulation was not in operation ;
and that the above statement includes the permanent and
sick Irish relief. The number of Irish vagrants or immi-
grants, exclusively, Mr. Austin 'fated to be on Monday,
the last day of the old system, .22,348 ; Tuesday, 4,996;
Wednesday, 4,969 ; Thursday, 5,392 ; Friday, 6,040 ;
Saturday, 6;628 ;—in all, 50,373 of casual Irish, exclusive
of sick, relieved at an expense of £162 13s: 61d. The
number relieved on Monday cost £45 17s. 11d. ; and had
the same amount been spent every day during the week,
the cost would have been £275 7s. 41d., there having
been an arrival of 5,000 persons during the week. The
actual saving, therefore, is put down at £ll2 9s. 3d. per
week ; and Mr. Austin stated that there was still a great
amount of deception carried on, which would have to be
met in another way. _

The Vestry then proceeded to the appointment of offi-
cers, including a Schoolmistress and some Teachers, and
to receive and accept the resignation of retiring parties.
In a discussion which ensued, Mr. Austin suggested that,
as difficulties sometimes arose where a man and his wife
wore appointed to situations and one of them died, whilst
the Vestry would desire to fill up the situations again by
a man and wife, it would save the Vestry the trouble of
having to apply for au order to the Poor Law Commis-
sioners to remove the survivor, if such appointments were
in future made for the joint lives of the per Ams appointed
by which, on the death of either, the offices of both,
would be at once vacant.
• The Vestry-Clerk read the minutes of the Irish's Relief
Committee, at which an application from the .Health
Committee to the Vestry to provide accommodation to
the dispossessed occupants of cellars was refused, on the
suggestion of Mr. Austin, in order that the operations of
the vestry to relieve the Irish vagrant cases should not be
interrupted. The comthittee reported that they had visi-
ted the places pointed out as convenient for setting the
vagrants to work, and approved of premises of Mr. Hors-
ley, and two other places. It was decided by the com-
mittee that additional accommodation for fever patients
should be provided. .
A report from Mr. Austin was then read with respect
to the contract for bread from Mr. Blanchard, which
stated, that from the terms of the contract the vestry
might legally release Mr. Blanchard, if they thought
that insisting upon it would involve ruinous consequences
to the contractor ; but under the present circumstances
be did not think they would be justified in releasing him.
A letter from Mr. Blanchard, addressed to Mr. Earle,
was read, complaining of the position in which he had
been placed, by his contract being extended to the sup-
plying the casual Irish, who were not either Liverpool
poor or relieved in the Workhouse. He objected also that
the parish, when wheat was lower than at present, had
bought for themselves, and had again come upon him to
supply, them when the price was I Is. 6d. per bushel.
Mr. Austin having explained that he was not aware of the
Vestry having purchased for themselves, which might
break the contract, and the subject was referred back to
him for reconsideration. The Vestry then proceeded to
the appointment of a person to fill up a vacant collector-
ship.