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

MEETING OF THE SELECT VESTRY.

The usual fortnightly meeting was held on Tuesday, the
Rev. Rector Campbell in the chair. The Rev,. Rector
Brooks, Mr. Alf. Au"stin, the Assistant Poor-law Com-
missioner, and a full board, were present.
After some preliminary business, the clerk read the re-
port of the Relief Committee, from which it appeared
that the total amount of relief given last week was £3OO
12s. 61d. ; and in the corresponding week of last year, it
was £26 6s.—making an excess of £274 6s. 61d,
After some ordinary business, Mr. Schofield introduced
the question of the propriety of petitioning parliament to
adopt measures to relieve the parish of Liverpool from
being mulcted by Irish vagrants, as it had lately been,
and he moved the adoption of a petition to parliament,
stating that because Liverpool was the most convenient
place for the landing of the Irish paupers, that ought not
to be a reason for fastening on Liverpool a great portion
of the expense caused by a national calamity, and praying
the legislature to adopt some means to do away. with the
evil to which the parishioners of Liverpool are liable.
The motion, having been seconded, led to a short dis-
cussion.

Mr. AUSTIN said that it was just possible that when
the vestry petitioned to parliament they might, in all pro-
bability, be told that they had taken no steps to relieve
themselves.

Mr. FERGUSON said he thought they would not suc-
ceed in doing good except they called a public meeting of
the, parishioners, and gave them an opportunity of decid-
ing upon the steps which they would take, and he thought
that a petition from a meeting of the parishioners would
have far more weight than if it was merely sent as the
petition of the vestry. Every person sympathised with
the people on account of the great calamity which had
befallen Ireland ; but it must be borne in mind that the
meeting had a duty to perform to the parishioners, inde-
pendent of the Irish. The vestry had to protect the
pockets of the parishioners, and if.they were to go. on re-
lieving 130,000 Irish cases in one.week, they would incur
a serious amount of responsibility.
The Rev. Rector Bitooxs thought that the vestry being
more of a deliberative assembly, their opinion would have
a greater.weight with parliament than a petition from a
public meeting.
' Mr. EARLE recommended that the vestry should lose
no time, but should at once
,petition parliament, as the
magistrates intended to,do at their meeting, which would
be held on Wednesday.
The Rev. CHAIRMAN said that he should be sorry to
say anything that might be calculated to check or to freeze
the genial current of charity that was flowing in the
direction of Ireland at the present time : but it was a posi-
tive fact that with the amount of destitution that de-
manded relief, there was an amount of fraud and impos-
ture that demanded the greatest caution in investigating.
The rev. gentleman gave two instances of deception by
Irish impostors--which we gave in a former number.
The rev. gentleman concluded by stating, that it was a
great hardship upon Liverpool to support tens of thou-
sands of Irish. In the Isle of Man there was a law, that
any captain of a vessel bringing paupers to that island,
should be liable to keep them.
The Rev. Rector 13Rooxs gave another instance of im-
posture by the wife of a man who earned, last week at his
work, the sum of £1 17s. 6d. He suggested that the
practice of indiscriminate alms-giving should be discon-
tinued, and that relief should be given through the Pro-
vident Society.
Mr. AUSTIN, the Assistant Poor-law Commissioner,
said he had some information to give which would show
that the imposture which had been referred to must be
much greater than any one suspected. On the 12th of
January the number of applications for relief was 10,074;
en the 22nd they were 24,330, which showed an increase
of 14,256. Between these two days—on the 13th of Ja-
nuary the police were stationed to watch the boats Which
arrived from Ireland and to count with great accuracy the
number of Irish who landed. From the 13th to the 22nd
Of January inclusive the number of Irish'who arrived was
7,403 ; consequently the applications for relief from 6,853
persons would not be applications from Irish vagrants, for
that number had not arrived to make up the 14,250 who
had applied for relief on the 22114 over and above those
who were relieved on the 12th January. The number of
men who were relieved on the 22nd over the 12th, was
2,631, and those who arrived were 4,498, consequently
1867 Irishmen had arrived who were not relieved. That
number, 1867, he would add to the .6,853, whom he had
stated had not arrived, and that would number 8,720 who
were relieved, and who had not arrived by the boats be-
tween the 12th and 22nd of January. The excess of wo-
men relieved between those days was 2,311, and the num-
ber who had not arrived was 1,755, which made 1,056 who
applied for relief and did not arrive between those day's.
He also found that there was an excess of 8,814 children ;
for within the time alluded to only 1,150 had arrived from
Ireland. Therefore, there were 7,664 children relieved
who had not arrived from Ireland between the 12th and
22nd of January.
The statement of Mr. Austin created great surprise ;
and he stated he had no earthly doubt of its truth.
The petition was then agreed to, and it was ordered to
be forwarded to Lord Sandon for presentation, and that a'
request should be made to Sir Howard Douglas and the
members of the southern division of the county to sup-
port it. A memorial to the government was also adopted.
Mr. 'AUSTIN stated that he had a return of the number
of passengers arrived from Ireland in a state of destitu-
tion between the 13th and 25th January. That number
was li2e4, of which number only 1823 were children ;
6368 , men, and 2533 women. Now the number of
child . n who had arrived was less than that of women,
whilst the number of children relieved was four times as

many as the women. This suggested the notion that
fraud had: been practised to a great extent, and it also
suggested to him (Mr. Austin) that it had been encou-
raged by- the lax way in which relief had been granted at
the of It had had the effect of bringing people to
apply for relief, and he felt sure that they had Irish poor
enough- of their own without the extra number of appli-
cants: In the 24,000 cases - which had been relieved,
nearly one-third of the relief had gone to people who
ought not to have had it without inquiry. Last week
the relief given cost £378, or, in round numbers, £400;
and one-third or a quarter-went to persons who ought
not to receive it. Now a hundred pound's would provide
an army- of relieving-officers,, ving officers, and he would propose that a
number of relieving officers be appointed. He would not
mention the number; he Auld leave that to-the vestry.
The next point for consideration ,was the destitute sick,
and it was necessary that some place should be prepared
for their reception. He stated; on the authority of Mr.
Cripps, that disease was increasing, and gave an account
of the destitute condition of the people in some streets,
particularly Lace-street, where lie had found 41 people
in-one house. In order to cheek- the increasing demand
for relief, the outdoor system of -relief' must be resorted
to, and some premises must be procured for that purpose.
After a short discussion, a committee was appointed to
carry but the heads of Mr. Austin's recommendations,
and the board separated, after the case of Mr. Blanchard
had been referred to the Finance Committee.