The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-02-27 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

THE POOR LAW AMENDMENT BILL.

The following are the heads of the clauses of this bill
now before parliament, as introduced by Sir J. Graham,
who, we are given to understand, conceives they will re-
move every ojection to the New Poor Law Bill. The
clauses refer to that portion of the present act which re-
lates to bastardy, vicious and unjust as it stand,. but
which, our readers will perhaps concur with us. would be
rendered doubly unjust to unfortunate mothers and to
parishes by this would-be " amendment." We invite the
public, however,—and the question is a most important
one,—first to read, and then to judge for themselves :
" Repeal of existing remedy of Parish against the puta-
tive Father, and enactment of remerlyfor the Mother
of a Bastard against the putative Father.
" Clause I.—All powers 01 making order on putative
father shall cease, except in pursuance of this act.
" 2, The mother of a bastard may apply for a summons
to be served on the alleged father, for the next petty ses-
sion.

" 3. The justices in petty session may, after hearing
proper evidence, make an order on the putative father to
pay to the mother a weekly sum, not exceeding 4s. and
costs, and may enforce such order by distress and impri-
sonment.
" 4. The hearing in petty session may be adjourned,
but every application must be determined within forty
days from the service of the original summons. The pu
tative father may, on giving security, appeal to the quarter
sessions.
• " Money payable under the order shall be paid to
the mother, or, if she be incapacitated, to a person to be
appointed by the justices to have the custody of the child.
The child must not be chargeable, and the order is to
cease when the child reaches the age of thirteen, or at the
marriage' of the mother.
6. " The mother of a bastard neglecting to maintain it,
or deserting it, is to be punishable tinder the Vagrant Act,
(5 Geo. 4, c. 83.)
7. " No officer of any parish or union is to receive the
money from the putative father, or to interfere in making
the application to the justices. If the mother is dead, or
incapacitated, the guardians or overseers may apply to
enforce the order.
8. " Any person conspiring to cause false evidence to
be given, shall be guilty of perjury. Any parish or union
officer endeavouring to promote marriage by threat or
promise, relating to an order in bastardy, shall be guilty
of misdemeanour. Any person having the custody of a
bastard misapplying the money for its support, or
ill-
treating it, may be fined ten pounds.
9. " Orders already made, and proceedings pending,
not to be affected by this act; but no order made before
the 14th August, 1834, shall be in force after the Ist of
January, 1849.
.10. " The clerk to the justices in petty sessions to-trans-
mit to the clerk of the peace a list of orders made, &c.
Copies of these lists are to be forwarded to the Secretary
of State for the Home Department."
Now, we venture to state, even on these naked premises-,
that such " amendments" (!) or anything like them, will
not only reduce the existing inadequate remedy which
parishes now have against the father, but in almost all
cases', cruelly and unjustifiably deprive mothers of all re-
medy whatever. We have Hera now, but these propo-
sitions, if carried, will out-Herod Herod.
The mother may apply for a summons (at her own cost,)
to beserved on the father for the next petty sessions, at
which the justices, on hearing " properevidence," (brought
up also at the cost of the generally poor woman, and,
generally the deceived and aggrieved party,) may make an
order on the father for a considerable weekly payment,—

it might be 4e. What the " proper e7idence may be, we
are left to infer, but the chances are-that the father being
generally by far the richer of the two morally offending
parties, may readily smother up all " proper evidence"
by superior-force of money, if, indeed, the woman can
muster enough to come into court at all•

Then the hearing in petty sessions may be "adjourned,"
and every application must be made within forty days,
while the putative father may appeal tattle quarter sessions.
How is a poor and dishonoured female to be supported
while these protracted proceeedings are going on ? Can
she ever appear against the seducer at all ?
The sth clause appears to us to be most nefarious, un-
just, and immoral in its tendency. The money payable
under an order is to be paid only to the mother by the
father, thus bringing the two parties into contact weekly,
and the child' must not be chargeable. We need scarcely
say that this- will beget a sort of compulsory meeting,
which is not likely to improve the habits•of either, but
the contrary.. The mother, as a natural consequence, may
forgive a portion of the debt, for no witness of the pay-
ment need be- by ; and a new intimacy may beget a new
progeny.
The 6th clause renders the mother liable to punishment
as a vagrant if she neglect or desert the child'; yet this
new law throws so- many barriers in the way of her ob-
taining a maintenance for it from the man who ought to
support it, that in nine cases out of ten she must be con-
signed to gaol.
No parish officer is- to receive money from the father,
or to interfere in assisting the mother in the application
to the justices.' She is thrown upon her own resources.
No parish officer is to endeavour to promote marriage
between the parties• by threat or promise relating to an
order. Such endeavour would certainly be wrong ; but,
so far as relates to promise of marriage given by the fa-
ther, the animus of the clause is, that no father of an
illegitimate child ever wronged the mother; that she is
the sole offender, and ought alone to be punished.
The proposedmmendments would operate-as hardly on
parishes as on mothers. Nineteen out of twenty of the
latter could never dance attendance first at petty sessions
and then (in case of appeal) at quarter sessions, to take
proceedings against the man, who may fee—counsel, pay
witnesses, &e., against her. The application, too, in the
fimrasyt nscoen,
ot mustse bq eo made
euww,
ohi
ttehhrein er, faiolnardst ynt dho aesynus
m.
mo Tor hendes
rmecsaasnn
be served upon- him. The
nor the parish either ; and the aggressor mar glory in his
impunity. There are other portions of the " amend-
ments" equally reprehensible; but we must now con-
clude by expressing an opinion that the proposed bill
would be a further carte blanche to libertines, and could
not be carried out in a town such as this. We are glad
to learn that the magistrates have already had a meeting
on the subject, and have sent a strong representation
against it to Sir James Graham. We will just, in con-
clusion, suppose that a mother obtains an order for 4s. a
week (the maximum), and goes on Saturday night tore-
ceive it from the father. He is most probably intoxica-
ted, having just received his wages, and in all probability
knocks the poor creature down, or persuades her
i to re-
ceive a smaller sum, and, by promises or threats, induces
her to another relapse from virtue. Here we have a
chance of a double evil : constant assaults and batteries,
and a probable increase of population (i-f not of vice) any-
thing but Malthusian. The whole thing is, we have no
hesitation in saying, not only unjust, but grossly absurd.

LECTURE. ON ENGLISH POETRY, FOR. THE BENEFIT
OF MR. MACKRILL'S WIDOW.—Mr. Parker, of the Cus-
tom-house, .a gentleman every way qualified for the task
by education and talent, has handsomely consented to
deliver a lecture on English poetry, at the Town-hall of
Birkenhead, to-morrow evening, for the benefit of
the widow of Mr. Mackrill, who lost his life a
week or two back, at the George's Pier landing-steps.
John Dean Case, Esq., and Wm. Jackson, Esq., wall
preside on the occasion. The latter gentleman has gene-
rously contributed ten guineas to the fund. We hope the
attendance will be numerous.
FANCY BALL AT THE TOWN-HALL.—The ladies and
gentlemen who love gorgeous and quaint array,and " mirth
and antique pageantry", may prepare their bonnets, and
plumes, and spangled attire as soon as they please, for,
lo !. it is decided that the fancy ball, in aid of the public
charities, will take place, at the Town-ball, at the close of
next month. The brilliant bachelor's fele, which took
place a short time ago, will have prepared numbers for
this new festivity ; and hundreds of others, whose hearts
and hands are ever open at Charity's call, will no sooner
learn the fact than ready invention will be followed by
" jauntie tailor and the sempstresse trim", and chaos after
chaos of cloth, stuff, satin. velvet, and calico will be
formed into robes, vests, tunics, trunks, mantles, boddi-
ees, petticoats, and all sorts of babilliments of all desig-
nations. An advertisement, announcing particulars, will
appear in our next publication.

NEW CUSTOMS REGULATIONS REGARDING. SPIRITS
FOR SHIP'S STORES.—The following general order has
been received at our Custom House here, from the ho,.
nourable Board of Commissioners in London :—On an
application of Mr. John Driver, requesting that masters
of temperance vessels may be relieved from the general
regulations in force, on the shipment of stores, by being
allowed to take such small quantities of Brandy only,
as they may require for Medicinal purposes, without any
other spirit, and- also be allowed to ship such spirits as
they require in stone jars. We are of opinion that the
masters of Temperance ships, provided they waive their
right to any allowance of spirits, as stores, may be allowed
to ship from warehouse, for Medicinal purposes, upon
their application and certificate to the above effect, Brandy
in the proportion of one tenth part, to the whole aggregate
quantity of Brandy, and other spirits to which they would
be entitled for stores, according to the complement of
the crew, and the duration of the voyage, also that there
is na objection to the shipment of spirits for stores in
stonejars, provided the whole quantity of each descrip-
tion of spirits is contained in one jar,and you are to
apprise the applicant."
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STRANGERS' FRIEND
SOCIETY.—The yearly meeting of this useful society was
held yesterday in their room in Slater-street, the Rev. 3.
Hargreaves in the chair. The treasurer, Mr. M. Ashton,
read a list of the donations to the society during the past
year, amounting to £607 18s. 6d., which, added to the
balance of £64 16s. 3d. left over last year, made up an
amount of £672 14s. 9d., which they had received to meet
the demands of the present year. They had expended o;
this sum £593 3s. 10d.. and had, on the 30th December,
to which date the accounts were made up, a balance in
hand of £7B 10s. lid. The secretary then read the report,
from which it appeared that, with the limited means at
their disposal, the visitors and officers of the society had
relieved 1922 cases of destitution, comprising 4576 per-
sons. 472 were cases of widows and their families.
In addition to the affliction of poverty, they had met du-
ring the year much sickness; and had the gratification of
reflecting, that through their agency 'many unfortunates
had been snatched from death. They had to remark
upon a most satisfactory change in the temper with which
their bounty was received by the poor. They met now
with n-inch gratitude and thankfulness, and their lessons
and admonitions were listened to in many cases with
eagerness, where formerly they had only noticed impa-
tience and almost insult. After a few remarks by the
Treasurer upon the extreme value of the society, Mr.
Freme moved a vote of thanks to the officers of the society
for their valuable services, and particularly referred to
those of Mr. Eden, the secretary, who had been indefa-
tigable in his exertions for the benefit of the society and
the alleviation of the condition of his suffering fellow-
t creatures, The meeting then broke up,

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