290 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



ter, but the prodigal must first be 

 fed ; he wonld purchase warmer 

 clothing for his children, but the 

 children of the prostitute must 

 first be clothed."* Theie arc 

 others, whose contribution could 

 only be levied by the seizure of 

 that part of their property which 

 the pauper liimself is humanely 

 and properly allowed to retain ; 

 till by a late statute (54 Geo. HI. 

 c. 170. s. 2.) such persons may 

 be, by magistrates, legally exone- 

 rated from the charge. 



Your committee feel, that it is 

 in the execution of this part of tlie 

 law that a discriminating power 

 has, in practice at least, been 

 chiefly wanting ; such a discrimi- 

 nation as would direct voluntary 

 bene\olencc in the distribution of 

 its bounty, not excluding wholly 

 from its care even the victims of 

 their own vices, as in some nf the 

 numerous charitable institutions 

 by which this kingdom is distin- 

 guished. 



That such discrimination may 

 be found practicable, your com- 

 mittee cannot doubt, after the ex- 

 j)erience afforded by Scotland. — 

 The provisions of the law in Eng- 

 land and Scotland were almost co- 

 eval with each othei', and in prin- 

 ciple nearly the samej but the 

 results are so different, that 

 they nujst be ascribed chiefly to 

 (he different mode in which relief, 

 fronj whatever fund it may have 

 been provided, has been adminis- 

 tere<l. This has arisen perhaps, 

 in a considerable degree, from the 

 different description of persons in 

 whom the raising, managing, and 



• Disserfntion on the Poor Laws, by the 

 RcT. Joseph Townsend. Written in 1786, 

 and ne-publithcd iu 18ir. 



distributing the parochial funds is 

 respectively rested ; the heritors 

 and kirk session (i. e. the land 

 owners and ministers and eldeis 

 of the church) being selected in 

 the one case, the churchwarden, 

 and 4, 3, or 2 substantial house- 

 holders (overseers) to be nomina- 

 ted yearly in the other. Instead 

 therefore of having in this part of 

 the kingdom, peisons the most 

 educated, enlightened, and inter- 

 ested in the welfare of the parish, 

 entrusted with the administration 

 of its affairs, we have doubtless a 

 respectable but less enlightened 

 class of persons appointed annually 

 for the purpose; and however fit 

 for the iluty, annual oflRcers of 

 tliis description may have been in 

 the reign of Elizabeth, it is obvi- 

 ous that the task which now de- 

 volves upon them, is of such dis- 

 proportionate magnitude as to re- 

 quire qualifications to be found 

 only in \vell-ediicated jiersons, and 

 a degree of knowledge and expe- 

 rience which is incompatible with 

 an annual appointment, together 

 with a sacrifice of time which it is 

 unreasonable to expect, when it is . 

 inconsistent v/ith the attention dne 

 from such i»ersons to their own 

 affairs ; and though your coiu- 

 mittee feel that no enactments can 

 secure a correct judgment and die- 

 crimination in the execution of any 

 law. Vet tiiey think it not diflficult 

 to c-orrcct so much of the evil as 

 results from the office being an- 

 nual, and its duties without remu- 

 neration. A\'ith this view, thej-e- 

 fore, they think it expedient, to 

 enable every ];arish or township, 

 maintaining their own }K)or, at 

 any legal meeting called for that 

 purpose, to appoint an officer or 

 officers, with such salary as they 

 < shall 



