§ LORD CLAUD HAMILTONsaid, he wished to ask the President of the Poor Law Board whether the deficient accommodation for the casual poor in the West London Union had been officially brought under his notice. The humane conduct of the Lord Mayor on a recent occasion had brought to light the deficiency of the accommodation.
§ MR. BOUVERIEsaid, that on seeing the statement in the public journals on this subject, he found upon inquiry that the West London Union had, near the King's Cross Station of the Great Northern Railway, a place for the reception of casual paupers during the night, when there was no room for them in the workhouse. That place was, in fact, a stable, which afforded the merest shelter in the world. There was a division in it whereby the male casual paupers were separated from the female. Only a few rags were 1943 supplied to cover them. The inspector of the district had only recently been appointed, and was not aware of the existence of this very indifferent place of shelter until he had visited it by his (Mr. Bouverie's) directions. The Inspector took the earliest possible opportunity of seeing the Guardians on the subject, and made several recommendations to them, with the view of improving the place. The guardians expressed themselves quite willing to accede to his recommendations, and he believed that they were now taking steps to provide a more decent place of refuge for casual poor.