§ SIR DE L. EVANSwished to put a question with respect to the contents of a petition which he had presented the other day from the parish of St. James, Westminster. It appeared that doubts had arisen respecting the interpretation of the provisions of the Poor Law Amendment Act with regard to non-resident paupers. The guardians of that parish had ordered relief to non-resident poor, on which the Poor Law Commissioners had written them a letter, censuring their conduct, and giving them to understand that they might be personally liable for the amount of rates so expended. He wished to know whether the Poor Law Commissioners had the authority of the Secretary of the Home Department for that censure?
§ SIR G. GREYreplied, that no direct authority had been asked or obtained. The Poor Law Commissioners had obtained the opinion of the law officers of the Crown on this point, and having done that, had communicated it to the board of guardians of St. James's; and they had pointed out, he had no doubt, in this case, as they did in others, what would be the legal consequences, as they had been advised, of the guardians acting as they had done in this respect, and what ought to be the course of the guardians in future.