The Poor-Law Amendment Act (4 & 5 Wm. IV. c. 76) has made no change in the law respecting the rateability of pro perty or the mode of collecting the rate. The Act does not apply itself to the rate until collected ; it then takes up the rate for the purpose of securing a better distri bution of it. To this end the administra tion of relief to the poor throughout England and Wales is subject to the con trol of the three poor-law commissioners. In parishes or unions where there are guardians or a select vestry, relief is to be given solely by such guardians or vestry, or by their order, unless in cases of ur gent distress. In these cases an overseer is bound to give temporary relief in articles of absolute necessity, but not in money, and, if he refuse, he may be required to do so by a magistrate's order, disobedience to which is visited by a penalty of 6/. In parishes which have no guardians or select vestry, the manage ment and relief of the poor is still left to overseers, subject to the control of the commissioners. But, with the exceptions above stated, the task of relieving the poor is wholly withdrawn from overseers, these officers, from ignorance or corrupt motives, having been generally found in competent to the discharge of so important a duty. They are still however intrusted with the making and collection of the poor-rate, which they are to pay over to those who have the distribution of it. The general discretionary power which magistrates formerly exercised in ordering relief is also withdrawn. But a single magistrate may still order medical relies when called for by sudden and dangerous illness ; and two magistrates may order relief to adult persons who from age or infirmity are unable to work, without requiring them to reside in the workhouse. Relief to able-bodied persons cannot be given out of the workhouse, unless with the sanction of the commissioners. In substance, the wants of the poor are as amply supplied as before the Act, but the manner of administering relief is so regu lated, by subjecting the applicants for it to the discipline of a workhouse and to other restraints, that the condition of a pauper, living upon the parish fund, is depressed, in point of comfort, below that of the labourer. Thus a ready test is applied to distinguish real and pretended destitution, and a powerful incentive to work is held out to all who can find employment.
The means also of obtaining employ ment are increased by enlarging the market for the poor man's labour. This is the result of a relaxation in the law of settlement, and particularly of settlement by hiring and service. The old law had been found to obstruct the free circulation of labour by confining the poor to their own parishes. The labourer himself, from attachment to old scenes and asso ciates, was often unwilling to engage himself for a year in a strange pans' h, lest, by acquiring a settlement there, he should incur, at some future time, a permanent separation from home: the farmer, on the other hand, had an equally strong objection to hire a strange labourer on such terms as to burden his parish with a new settler.
By the Poor-Law Amendment Act a settlement by hiring and service cannot be acquired for the future ; but the Act does not interfere materially with settle ments previously acquired. Settlements
by office and by apprenticeship in the sea service or to a fisherman can no longer be acquired. Settlement by renting a tene ment is clogged with the additional quali fication that the occupier must have been assessed to the poor-rate, and paid the same for one year. Settlement by estate, like any other settlement, when once gained, used to endure till it was super seded by some new settlement; but now it is converted to a temporary settlement, and to be retained so long only as the proprietor shall live within ten miles of the estate. Settlements by marriage and by payment of rates are untouched.
Settlement by parentage and settlement by birth are both affected to this extent, that illegitimate children horn after the passing of the Act are to follow the settle ment of their mother, until the age of six teen, or until they acquire a settlement iu their own right; instead of taking, as formerly, the settlement of the place of their birth. The effect of this change in the law is that an unmarried woman, whose pregnancy in itself made her chargeable, is no longer hunted from the parish in which she happens to be, in order that the parish may not, by the birth of the child therein, be permanently charged with its maintenance.
The Poor-Law Commission of 18311 having expired, a new commission has been appointed under 10 & 11 Vict. C. 109, consisting of a president with a salary, and certain unpaid and ex-officio commissioners, namely, the lord presi dent of the council, chancellor of the exchequer, home secretary of state, and lord privy seal. All the powers and duties exercised by the former commis sion are transferred to the new commis sion.
An act of the preceding year, namely, 1846, mitigates the law relative to re movals of the poor; and by 9 & 10 Vict. c. 66, no poor person can be removed from any parish in which such poor per son had previously resided during five years ; a wife or children an: removable only with husband or parents.
Under 1 & 2 Vict. c. 56, poor laws are introduced into Ireland, but relief is confined to the "destitute" poor, who must be relieved in workhouses. Other poor persons may be assisted to emigrate.
Statistics.—The salaries and expenses of the commissioners for carrying into execution the poor-law acts in England and Ireland amounted to about 53,0001. in 1845. The chief English commissioner receives a salary of 25001. a year, and the other commissioners 2000/. The salary of the chief secretary is 12001., and the two assistant-secretaries receive 7001. and 6001. according to seniority. The salary of the assistant-commissioners is 7001. a year, with allowances for tra velling expenses. Before the business of forming the unions was completed, the number of assistant-commissioners acting in England was twenty-one, but the num ber is now restricted to nine, under the act 7 & 8 Viet. c. 101. A chief commis sioner is appointed for Ireland, who sits fu Dublin, and there is a staff of assistant commissioners for Ireland.
The average sum expended for the relief of the poor in the three years 1783-4 and 5, was 1,912,241/. ; and in the follow ing years was as under :— Proportion per head on total Population.