The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-10-16 00:00:00

PAL PERIS3I.—I3a. CHALMERS. •

(ctoss Tne LIMA MICIICURT.)
The Rev. Dr. CNA LAIEWS, of Glasgow, who has for et-
veral years assiduously devoted his attention to the sub-
ject of Panperisu and the Poor Laws, and who has pub
fished some works containing the result both of his
speculations and expesieneo, visited this town on Theirs
day last, in the coarse of an extensive tour which he is
now making through England, in order I. collect au-
thentic information on the state of English pauperism.
Having signified to the Mayor his wish to meet the pa
rich officers of the town, a meeting was convened and
held accordingly, at the Court house. at seven o'clock in
the evening, at which nearly all the parish officers and
many members of the Corporation attended. Dr. Chal-
mers briefly stated his object in desiring this interview,
which was to gain such information, as might enable
him to judge of the practicability of reforming the poor
laws, and !educing pauperism, in England. He had met
with one parish, where the management of the poor was
so good, that in a population of eight hundred people,
only W. per anesm was expended in the relief of paw
pers. in those parts of Scotland, where the English
system of compulsory relief had not been introduced, the
poor were thrown more on thei r own resources ; by which
he meant not only their own economy and providential
habits, bat also on the kindness of their relations, for
support in time of exigency. In the manufacturing
city of Glasgow, he considered that they were about half
as far gone in pauperism as at Manchester. When lie
removed from his former parish to that city, he found the
parish of St. John's, in which he Was then situated, like
the other parishes of Glasgow ; but ho formed the de.,
sign of carrying it bark to the old state, i.e. doing away
with the. English system of parochial relief. His NW
cess had been greater than he could possibly have 111134
peeled : the system of pauperism had been in a great
measure done away, and the people were now better off
than they had been before. He came hither as a learner;
his object was to collect authentic particulars concern-
ing the state of pauperism in England; and he W4ll
greatly obliged to the Mayor for having brought !din
into contact with gentlemen so well obis; to give the in-
formation be was in want of.
Dr. Chalmers then proceeded to put a series of ques-
tions, calculated to educe the information which be de-
sired concerning the system of parochial management,
the amount of poor rate, the treatment of Irish and
Scotch paupers, ke., to which he generally received
ready and specific answers. When he made the inquiry,
whether the system of parochial relief in this town had
tended to lower the independent spirit of the poor, and
render them less reluctant to apply for parish aid, he vs-
ceived a general and decisive answer in the affirmative.
lie asked whether the Act, passed a few years ago, ens-
powering parishes to remove Irish paupers who applied
for relief, had been carried into effect in this town; and
was inform-d that it had at the time been acted upon,
that some removals had taken place, and that the effect
was the cessation of Application for relief from the Irish,
who did not however in any considerable numbers leave
the town, but who, thrown upon their own resources,
contrived to support themselves without parochial as-
sistance, and seemed to he as comfortable now as before
This information the Doctor seemed to prize; and lie
related the extraordinary fact, that in Diancliester (ac-
cording to the information he had received there), before
the Act empowering the removal of the Irish passed,
more than one-third of the paupers in that town were
Irish ; that the 14W haring been acted upon, they ceased
to apply for relief, but did not remove from the town,
and yet that they were now in as much apparent comfort
as tt ben they received so tench of the town's money.
Being requested by Mr. Dobson to state the object
which be hail in view in making his inquiries, Dr. Chat-
. Men steel, that his ohj.ct was to obtain as mach a:cu•