The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-09-11 00:00:00

WORKINGS OF THE NEW POOR LAW,

GUILDHALL, COrilooN; TuEsbAy.—MES. King, an aged wo-
man, complained that the overseers of St. Andrew's, Ilolborn,
had stopped an allowance of. 2s. per week, which she' bad, been
accustomed to, receive. She had lived forty-four years in the
parish, and had been a houiekeepe.r,, paying all i'ates and taxes,
above Indf that, time. She had been reduced through having
her goods seized, though her landlord was kind enough to give
her a bed and a few .other. things.
Mr. Stamford, a tailor in Ifolborn, as the 'aCting overseer,
said this was one of several cases which the board had treated in
the same way.• They had determined to reduce the out-door
pensions. She Could not live on 25., and if'she were distressed
he would offer her a Very comfortable home in a poorhouse.
She must come to that at last. • '

Mrs. King explained that She could ,do a little needlework,
and with the bread she 'got at' church on Sunday and the 2s.
she could preserve her own little
Mr. Alderman Farebrot her remarked that the parish could
not keep her for 2s. a-week. He supposed the expense would
rather. be 4s. 3d. or 4s. a-week.
Mr. Stamford asiented.
' Mr. Alderman Farebrothet said, if forcing her to come into
the workhouse was' a loss to the parish, why destroy a poor old
creature's comfort and respectability and drive her at once to
the extreme depth of Paupernim7.
Mr. Stamford'repeated that there were other cases hanging to
this. ' •

Aldeinain Fare'brother replied,' that the other parties
probably did not like this poor woman bring a pocket..hand-
kerchief 'full of receipts in proof of her having -long been u re-
spectable hOuseholder.
Mr.'Stainfold said*, there: was no occasion for an exhibition
there. Untess the magistrates bad power to compel overseers
to do what they pleased; the overseers would give Mrs. King
nothing except an aiylum in the workhouse.
"Then fmust sell My bed and my little all," said the old
woman. Itirstidg into tears. • • .
Mr. Alderman Scholey said the overseer had better let her
have the 2s. as usual, and have some regard to her former re-
spectability.
Mr. Stamford said no; she should not have the penaiou.

Mr. Alder Man SCholey said he &Ad not have imagined Mr.
Stamford had so hard a heart—it distressed him beyond mea,
sure.

Stamford said he had as tender a heart al those who
were adtiressing him; •
Mr. Alderman Farebrother said he need not talk of his fed-
ings 'He Would suppose him 'to have better feelings, only he
did not exercise them. Did he 'think .he was doing justice to
the rate-payers for whom he acted, to put them to expense
wheu 2s. a-week would suffice ? Ills 'mistake was, that he
joined this case to some others instead orlooking at it by itself..
He honed he would think of the matter again.
Mr:Stamford repeated that he would do nothing for the
woman bat give her an order of admission to the wot kouse ; she
would be better off there. He did notbok at the.narrow ques-
tiOti of Money.
Mr. Alderman Scholey exclaimed indignantly, " Yea ought
to be ashamed of yourielf. I tell you so to your face."
Mr. Alderman Farebrother also warmly condemned the over-
Seer's obstinacy, but the crotchet in his head, that it is for the
good of the parish to cram all the paupers into the poorhouse,
seemed immoveable, and the case was dismissed withott!help-
ing the poor old creature.

The following is taken from the Times of Wednesday :
DO,ritessiNG CASE.—On Monday week one of those distress-
ing and heartrending scenes, which unfortunately are of too
frequent occurrence, in spite of the boast of a certain party with
regard to the excellence of the poor laws' economy, took place
in the'parish of Marylebone. It appears that ou the morning
in question a decently clad, but truly distressed,
.female, named
Mary Poliolly, about. 26 years of age, wir, between four and five
mouths ago quitted Ireland, in the hope of bettering her condi-
tion, leaving her husband in a state of starvation behind,. ap-
plied to the parochial authorities at the workhouse for relief,
having been unable. to obtain employment of any description in
town.. 'The board was then sitting; -I)ut although she represent-
ed to them her truly deplorable state, alleging at the same time
that she expected every hour tube confined, her application ,for
relief was answered by one 'of the persons present, who told•her
nothing could be done for her. She then, in a state of mind
bordering on distraction. and despair, left the place, and on
reaching the street, sat herself down by the workhouse door? and
gave vent to a flood of tears ; a number of persons quickly Con-
gregated at the spot, and among them a female pauper with
three children, who advised the poor creature to apply at the
Queen's Lying-in Hospital for admission. The wretched being
then got up, and with assistance made her way as far as the In-
firmary in the New-road, when she declared that she could pro-
ceed no further, and sinking down at the door, said " she sup-
posed she must lie there andslie." For about an hour she did
lie there, when another poor woman who was passing having
ascertained that she occupied a garret in Horace-street, Edge-
ware-road, procured a little tea anti sugar, which a weekly
pittante just received by her from the workhouse for the sup-
port of her own family enabled her to purchase, and offered to
accompany her home ; it, however, became fully apparent be-
fore they had got many paces, that unless the wretched being
was speedily lodged in some asylum, she would in all probability
give birth to a child in the public road. The greatest exertion
was used by some of the bystanders to assist her to the Lying-
in Hospital alluded to, which is situate within 20 yards of the
Yorkshire Stingo, Paddington. On reaching the spot another
and apparently an insurmountable difficulty presented itself, as
the destitute creature . was not in possession of a recommender
tory letter from any subscriber to the institution, but as it
happened to be committee-day, and a number of gentlemen
were sitting, she was' by direction of the secretary (who was
convinced .of the extreme urgency of the case) admitted,.and
had not been long in bed before she was delivered of a tine boy
(her first child), and is going on well.