278 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 18i7. 



made any provision of this nature, 

 on the footing of a<lviint;ige on 

 v\ hiclt they would have stood, if 

 they had commenced their contri- 

 but ons at an earlier age. 



Vimr Committee is vvell aware, 

 that under present circumstances 

 the incapacity of individuals to 

 make even the smallest deduction 

 from their wages, may render this 

 species of institution in;ipplicable 

 in siimc pai's of the counts y ; but 

 thev conceive, that it may safely 

 be left to each parish, under the 

 inspectinii (if the lncal magistracy, 

 to determine upon the propriety of 

 trying the experiment within itself. 



'I'ne casualties, however, f<n' 

 wiiicli friendly socitties generally 

 provide, namely, those of sickness 

 and old a^e, do not constitute the 

 greater proportion ot the demands 

 upon the p:)ors late which have 

 raised it to its presenthigh amount ; 

 a much greater propoiti<m, as 

 thev shall have occasion toob.^erve, 

 consists of the allowances distri- 

 buted in most parts of England to 

 the labouring poor, in addition to 

 their wages, by reasonof the num- 

 ber of theii children. 



Your Commiitee are of opinion, 

 that parochial benefit societies may 

 furnish facilities for atfecHng tlie 

 desired tr.m^ition, from the present 

 system of relief to oiie founded 

 upon better principles; and that 

 it would therefore be expedient 

 under the present circumstances 

 of ihi' country, to enable parishes 

 to increase the benefits of the in- 

 stitutions, to an extent beyond the 

 pierisc result of the contribution 

 required ; or, at least, to pay for 

 the admission into those benefits 

 of persons now having large f mii- 

 lies, and receiving relief on that 

 account. Each parisli, consider- 



ing what it now pays for the main- 

 tenance of children, would be the 

 best judge foi itself of the policy 

 of adop'tirg this course. 



In the view with which the 

 (]onmvttee sugt:estthe expediency 

 of atfording this assistance from 

 the paro( hinl funds, it is essential 

 that, whatexer may be the contii- 

 butiun in the first instance, the 

 parish should have the power of 

 reducing pinspectivtly its propor- 

 tinn, without aHecting the rights 

 of existing contriluti.rs, so as 

 gradually to render the people de- 

 pendent upon tlieir own C'.ntri- 

 tutions only ; but in the mean 

 time they niiiy be used m destroy- 

 ing thefannliarity with palish pay, 

 which it is above all things desii- 

 able to eradicate. 



Your Connnittee have taken 

 measures for ascertaining by cal- 

 culation, the operation of societies 

 formed upon the ] rinciple which 

 they have recommended ; and on 

 this ground, as well as on account 

 of the impracticability of framing 

 any Bill upon this subject in the 

 pn-sent session, they foi bear from 

 entering into the detail of the ai- 

 rangt-ments which have occurred 

 U) them, as desirable for eft'ec- 

 tuiiting their reconmiemlatic.n. 



But the House may perhaps 

 think it leasonable, that persons 

 who have the option of partakii;g 

 in the advantages which it is thus 

 pro))()se(l to secure to them, shouhl 

 be subjected to an administration 

 of tlie laws of relief, rather less 

 favmirable than that which is ap- 

 plie<i to the community in general; 

 and particularly that the benefits 

 of the Act 36 Geo. 111. c. 9,3, and 

 .^4 Geo. Ill, c. 170, res|)ecting 

 workhouses, should be withholden 

 fiom such persons. 



Tliey 



