§ MR. HIBBERTsaid, he would beg to ask the President of the Poor Law Board, Whether, with a view to simplify and render more easy of reference the very numerous Statutes relating to the Relief of the Poor, any effort is being made by the Poor Law Board to procure the consolidation of such Statutes?
§ MR. C. P. VILLIERSsaid, in reply, that the Poor Law Board did not at present contemplate making any effort to consolidate the Statutes relating to the poor. Some years ago, the Commissioners of the Poor Laws had deemed it of great importance to have a digest made of those numerous Statutes spreading over a period of nearly 300 years; and the services of a very able and well-known gentleman were engaged for that purpose; but, for some reasons that were deemed sufficient at the time, he 1334 was not allowed to finish his work, nor had he been remunerated for his service. Since that time a very valuable work had been published by a gentleman in the Poor Law Department, which was generally considered from its nature and arrangement to answer all the purposes of consolidation, presenting within a short compass and a simple form all the enactments affecting the relief of the poor, as well as the Union and Parochial Officers. It was a book of general reference throughout the Unions of the country.