" What becomes of them then ?—Then they begin again ; the existing law will clear them, but it is only for a day.
" Then the laws, as at present constituted, are not sufficient for clearing the streets ?—My answer to that would be, that the nature of such a town as this is such, that they cannot be cleared in those inter vals which occur between the application and the re lief given ; there will be distress and hunger, which will drive the paupers to mendicity.
" Then, if they are passed to a parish near to London, they may be engaged in begging again in eight and forty hours ?—Yes, in less than that ; and where they are passed to distant parishes, there are perhaps only two or three farms ; the occupiers of those farms are very unfit to have the care of such persons, perhaps, from their age or their sex, and very unwilling to have such pensioners.
" Can you suggest any alteration of the law, which would have the effect of clearing the streets ? I think that might be effected by a strict execution of the existing laws ; but that would introduce such a degree of severity as to a considerable part, not perhaps half, that it would be quite as great as the laceration of the mind of the passenger on seeing such objects.
" The question refers to the case of persons re turning to their parishes, and then beginning begging again ?—The nature of the legislation of England is that it always goes upon the idea of the whole, and not of a crowded metropolis ; and it supposes the profligacy or industry of each individual to be known.
" You were understood to state, that when a per son was taken up, he was sent to Bridewell for seven days, then passed to his parish, and that, if that pa rish was in London, he then returned to a state of mendicity. Can you suggest any alteration which would prevent the beggar who had been in Bride well, and who had been passed to his parish, return ing to a state of mendicity ?—Parliament might com the parish to maintain them until they are ena bled to obtain their own livelihood, according to their age, or strength, or sex ; but nothing less than that would do, for the person goes out without clothing sufficient for a decent Sir Nathaniel had stated, that he did not give or ders for taking up the beggars with all the strict ness of the law, and gave the following as his rea sons :—" That if I did give those orders this morn ing, I should have those that are impostors all run away into the next street, only so to elude the peo ple to whom I gave the directions; and I should have blind and imbecile creatures, who had no claim at all upon the justice of the parish in which they happen to be taken, though that parish would, in the first instance, be made liable to them, if I passed them into that parish after sending them to prison for a week, which the Act of Parliament necessarily includes ; for no pass can be made till they have been in prison a week. If they were passed into
that parish, the parish-officers would, in their policy and in justice to their neighbours, say, " Why do you come here ? you come here as a beggar, and have been punished ; here is a shilling, go about your business, and get yourself conditioned in some other place." They would walk down below the Tower, and beg there for another week, and then get up again into Westminster, and continue the prac tice of begging, having no settlement perhaps.
" Supposing the magistrates were to follow the let ter of the law, might not they be all removed from the neighbourhood of the metropolis ?—I think they might ; I think the practice established at Edin burgh might be practised here, but with dreaciful cruelty to two-thirds of the persons suldected to that mode of subsistence. In Edinburgh, they act with extreme severity to every person found in a state of mendicity." Sir D. Williams gave the following testimony :- " Do you take any steps, through the medium of your officers, to take up beggars ?—We have given instructions generally to take up all beggar.; and it has been done also by several parishes in the neigh / bourhood, who have, directed their beadles to take them into custody.