The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-06-19 00:00:00

POOR LAWS.

HENLEY, RI AY 2.3.—My dear sir,—ln the account which the
clerk of your board has at my request transmitted to me I ob-
serve some trilling inaccuracies, which, as I am prevented
being. with you on Tuesday next, I think it best to advert to by,
letter; they are almost merely verbal; but, as Mr. Mount most
truly observed at your last meeting, words are things, and a
faulty entry upon your minute book may hereafter impede your-
selves or your successors.

In the first place, do not let the words " scale of allowance"
appear on your records; they perpetuate the remembrance ot
some of the worst lectures of a system which ought as speedily-
as possible to be consigned to oblivion; above aulthings, avoid'
exciting in the.minds, of the 'paupers an expectation that there.
is any regular plan or system f, wiled for their advantage, of
which they 'are•to. reap the benefit at stated periods; the words
" scale" and " allowance" might do this; make the objects of
your bounty understand that they are not annuitants who have
a right to a certain amount at your hands, but beggars,. who'se
necessities you are willing to supply, and who are bound to ac-
cept your relief with gratitude, whatever that relief may be ; re-
serve to yourselves the full rightl to award in each case what you
may deem suitable to the circumstances of the applicant.
Secondly, it should be distinctly stated in the record of your
proceedings, that the ainount.specified in your resolutions of
Tuesday last is a maximum; it is the sum beyond which you
will in no case advance, not the stipend which you pledge your-
selves to bestow on all paupers, whom you may determine to
place permanently in any class; it should clearly appear that
you are at liberty to give any SLIM, less than the one named, so
that the wants of the applicant be relieved.
Thirdly, make it perfectly anderitoodi hat you do not attempt
any adjustment between the amount of relief given in money
and the iirice of relief given in bread; each pauper, when clas-
sified, is to receive a certain sum fixed by you in the first in-
stance, of which, if they choose to lay out any part in such pro-
visions as you- supply, they may do so. This- refers, of course,
only to the infirm comprised within your: three first classes.
In giving relief to the aLle-bodied a different plan must. be
adopted; you must fix both' how much bread you will bestow
in each case, and how much (if any) Money; taking for your;
selves the advantage or bearing the disadvantage, as the case'
may be, of any fluctuations which may occur in the price of.
provisions.
With regard to your future proceedings, I would make the
following suggestions. It will lie found to be labour well be-
stowed to investigate individually each case, before placing it
in its proper class on your permanent list, aud to require the
personal appearance before you of each pauper of whom satis-
factory evidence is not given that they are not in a condition
to appear: this should be done by a committee chosen from
among you; do not leave to each parish the.duty. of investi-
gating the circumstances of its own poor, and fixing what they
shall receive. The process I am now recoinmending is trou-
blesome, but will repay you well, s,s is shown by the following
.fact.:—ln the union of f3radford. in Wilts, 207 paupers refused.
:to stand this ordeal; they shrank from inquiry, of course they
were struck off the hook,-and thus an annual payment of .£2OOO
was saved at once. You will understand that this applies to
-those who are now receiving permanent pay from their respec-
tive parishes.
- Finally, let me impress on you the absolute necessity of
coining to a speedy resolution as to your workhouse; it is an
essential feature of the system, under which you may hope to
be dis- pauperized ; without any efficient workhouse the advan-
tages of that system can never be fully enjoyed, and dis-
appointment will ensue : neither the reduction of expenditure,
nor the moral and physical improvement which have resulted
from it in other cases, will follow, if this characteristic be either
altogether wanting or inadequately provided. I send you here-
with a copy of your petition, for a new election of a guardian
for Newbury ; the original is now with the board of poorlaw:
commissioners.

I trust you will not consider as troublesome or impertinent
the remarks and suggestions contained in this letter; I assure
'you I am warmly interested in the prosperity of
.your union,
and hope everything 'from the intelligence and assiduity of the
board over which you.preside. Pra►' communicate must freely
with me on all occasions, and believe me, _

111 y dear sir, very truly yours,
gleam:to HALL,
Assistant Poor Law Commissioner.
To Edward Brice Bunny, Esq., Chairman to the
Newbury Union Board of Guardians.