§ MR. CARLILEI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he will consider the advisability of so amending the existing Bastardy Laws that boards of guardians should have power, on paternity being proved, to obtain an order against the putative father of any bastard child born in the workhouse, charging such putative father with the cost incurred by the 1784 ratepayers for the maintenance both of the child and of the mother during the whole period of her being in the workhouse, such cost being limited to 5s. a week as in the case of ordinary bastardy orders.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI may refer to the Answer I gave on Thursday last to a similar Question put to me by my hon. friend the Member for the Dartford division. As I then stated, I am aware of the point raised. It is one that will, I have no doubt, be touched upon in the Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws, and penning their Report I do not consider that I could properly deal with it.