LORD BROUGHAMreferred to certain circumstances that had recently taken place in Hertfordshire connected with the administration of the poor-law. Persons coming on their way to London, and wishing to have a little accommodation on the road, had been received into the workhouses and allowed to receive supper, breakfast, and a night's lodging. Some friends of his had inquired into this proceeding, and had expressed astonishment at the arrangement, as it was contrary to the principle of the poor-law, and seemed like using the workhouses as inns. This abuse was of an alarming nature, for in one week nearer 300 than 200, and in another week nearly 400 persons had been so accommodated, and the strongest suspicion existed in Hertfordshire that those persons had come up to town for no good purpose, for all this took place previous to last Monday; and the inhabitants there thought it very hard that they should be paying for people coming up to disturb the peace of London. He understood that the facts bore out this suspicion to some extent, and he mentioned the matter in order that some inquiry might be made into it.
§ The DUKE of RICHMONDsaid, it often happened that poor men travelling with their wives and children—sometimes four or five children—stopped at night unable to move. The overseers were liable to be indicted if they did not, under such circumstances, yield them the necessary assistance. Now, he should be sorry if any clause were introduced to set free the overseers from that responsibility. He thought, however, that the burden of granting these reliefs should be thrown on the union, and not on the particular parish in which the suffering poor were found. This suggestion he merely threw out for their Lordships' consideration.
LORD BROUGHAMobserved, it was true that the poor, under these circumstances, could only get their supper and the use of a fire and their beds for the night—not their breakfasts in the morning, unless they worked two hours; but the advantages which they did receive were well worth their acceptance, and if they were not willing to work for their breakfasts, 728 it could scarcely be said that they had any claim to that meal.
§ LORD REDESDALEthought that giving such people fire and beds, and supper, in the parish workhouse, was the worst way in which they could be relieved. The best way would be, not to allow casual poor to be received into the parish workhouses, but to provide for them elsewhere.
§ House adjourned.