workhouse Poor not to be confined. By 54 Geo.III. c. 170. s. 7. the master of any shall not inflict corporal punishment upon adult persons under his care for any offence whatever, nor confine them for longer space than twenty-four hours, or such further space of time as may be necessary, in order to have such persons before a justice of the peace. in chains. By 56 Geo.III. c.129. s.2. the governor, director, &c. of Not to be put any house of industry or workhouse, shall not on any pretence confine by chains any poor person of sane mind. By 24 Geo.II. c. 40., no spirituous liquors shall be sold or used in any workhouse or house of entertainment for the parish poor. Spirituous liquors not to be sold or used in workhouse. Overseers to prosecute persons stealing, &c. goods provided for the By 55 Geo.III. c. 137. s. 1., reciting that many persons received into public workhouses pawn and dispose of their clothes and apparel, and the goods and chattels deposited in or belonging to such workhouses and poor persons relieved by having clothes and apparel given them by the officers of parishes, frequently pawn and sell the same, and by the laws now in force no punishment can be inflicted on them, or on the persons buying or receiving the same in pawn; it is enacted, That the property of and in the goods, chattels, furniture, provisions, clothes, linen, and wearing apparel, tools, utensils, materials, &c. provided for the use of the poor of any parish or township, shall be vested in the overseers of such parish, &c. for the time being, and their successors, who are hereby empowered to bring any actions, or to prefer any bills of indictment against any persons who shall steal, take, or carry away, or buy or receive any such goods, chattels, &c. as aforesaid; and in every such action and indictment, the said goods, chattels, &c. shall be laid to be the property of the overseers for the time being, Property vestwithout stating or specifying the names of any of such over- edinoverseers. seers: Provided always, that nothing herein contained shall extend to repeal any of the provisions contained in any act whereby the property of and in any such goods, chattels, &c. is vested in any other person, jointly with or independent of the overseers of the poor. poor house, or given to them. in work Goods, &c. to be marked. Penalty for buying goods, for the poor. Sect. 2. The overseers, &c. shall cause all such goods, chattels, furniture, &c. capable of being marked, to be marked, stamped, or branded with the word "Workhouse," or other mark; and if any pawnbroker or other persons shall knowingly take in pawn, buy, exchange, or receive any such goods, &c. so provided and given to the poor, or any of the goods or materials carried into any workhouse to be manufactured or used by the poor there, or any of the goods or furniture of any workhouse, or shall receive or buy any of the provisions provided for the poor of any workhouse, or shall be aiding or assisting therein; or if any person shall cause such marks, &c. to be obliterated or defaced; every such person being thereof lawfully convicted by confession or by the oath of one or more credible witnesses before any justice, shall forfeit not exceeding five pounds, nor less than one pound, one moiety to informer, the other to the poor, and in default of payment shall be Imprisonment. forthwith committed to the common gaol or house of cor Or for defac ing marks. rection, there to remain without bail or mainprize for the space of two calendar months; and any person running away from any workhouse, and carrying off any clothes or goods, &c., being convicted thereof as above, shall be committed to the common gaol or house of correction for three calendar months (1); and in all cases such mark, stamp, or brand on any such articles or things as aforesaid (being duly authenticated), shall be sufficient evidence of the right of property in such overseers, &c.: Provided always, that dence of pro- such mark or stamp as aforesaid shall not be placed on wearing apparel, so as to be visible on the exterior of the same. Marks evi perty. Drunkenness By sect. 5. any poor person maintained in any workand other mis- house refusing to work at any employment suited to their behaviour punishable with age, strength, and capacity, or guilty of drunkenness or imprisonment. other misbehaviour, and being thereof lawfully convicted before any justice, shall be committed to the common gaol or house of correction, there to remain without bail or mainprize for any period of time not exceeding twenty-one days, and during such time shall be kept to hard labour. (1) See 50 Geo. III. c.30. s.3. ante, p. 387. viction. Sect. 8. gives a general form of conviction for any offence Form of conagainst this act, which shall not be set aside for want of any other form of words, nor removed by certiorari or otherwise. Sect. 9. Persons aggrieved by any judgment of jus- Appeal. tices, may appeal to the next general or quarter sessions of the peace to be held for the county, city, or place wherein the cause of complaint shall have arisen, such person at the time of his conviction entering into a recognizance, with two sufficient sureties, conditioned personally to appear at the said sessions to try such appeal, and to abide the further judgment of the court; and the justices in sessions shall hear and determine such appeal in a summary way, and their determination shall be final. and other acts By 56Geo.III. c.129., reciting "that divers local acts have Many enactlately passed relative to the maintenance and regulation of ments in local the poor, varying the general law with respect to particular since G.1. districts, parishes, townships, or hamlets, some of which it is repealed. expedient to repeal;" all enactments since the commencement of the reign of George the First, whereby any poor persons other than such as shall actually apply for and receive parochial relief, are compellable to go to any house of industry or workhouse, or whereby any poor persons may be detained in any house of industry or workhouse at the discretion of the governors or directors thereof, or of the churchwardens or overseers, after such persons are capable of maintaining themselves; or whereby any poor persons may be compelled to remain in any house of industry or workhouse until the charges and expences to which any district, parish, &c. may have been put for the maintenance of them or their family, shall be repaid by the earnings of such poor persons; or whereby any poor child is rendered liable to be apprenticed to any governor, director, or master of any such house of industry or workhouse; or whereby any parish, township, or hamlet, at a greater distance than ten miles from such house of industry or workhouse, shall be empowered to become contributors to, or take the benefit of it; or whereby any directors, guardians, or masters of any such house of industry or workhouse are authorized to hire out any poor persons of full age, or to contract with any persons for their labour, shall be wholly repealed. What shall of this act. SECT. III. Of relieving the Poor in incorporated Districts. This mode of administering relief is chiefly regulated by the 22 Geo. III. c.83. Some amendments and alterations have been introduced by subsequent statutes, viz. 33Geo.III.c.35., 36 Geo. III. c. 10., 41 Geo. III. c.9., 41 Geo.III. c. 74., 43 Geo.III. c.110., 52 Geo.III. c.75., 59 Geo.III. c. 12.s. 2. 1 & 2 Geo.IV. c. 56. 22 Geo. III. c. 83. s. 3. Whenever two-thirds in number to the benefits and value of the owners or occupiers, according to the poor's rate, within any parish, township, or place, qualified as hereinafter mentioned (1), shall, at a public meeting holden pursuant to this act (2), signify their approbation of its provisions, and their desire to adopt them, and shall at such meeting nominate three persons qualified for guardians, and Three persons three others for governors of the poor-house, and fix a salary for such guardian and governor respectively, and shall proguardians, and cure the consent in writing of two justices to such agreethree persons ment and salaries, such parish shall be entitled to the benefor governors, of the poor. fits of this act. to be nomi nated for Two parishes may unite in taking the benefit of this act. [By 33 Geo. III. c. 35. s. 1. the approbation of two-thirds of those who actually attend the meeting shall entitle the parish to the benefit of the act]. Sect. 4. Two or more parishes &c., by consent of twothirds of such owners and occupiers as aforesaid, may unite for the purposes of this act, and an agreement shall be entered into by the guardians of the poor of each parish specifying the terms thereof, and a copy left with the clerk of (2) Sect. 6. (1) Sect. 6. the peace, within three calendar months, and from that time the parishes shall have the benefit of this act. Sect. 5. But no parish, &c. distant more than ten miles from the poor-house, to be established under this act, shall be entitled so to unite. Notices of meeting, qua lification of Sect. 6. Notice of every public meeting for the purposes of this act shall be given in church three successive Sundays before such meeting; and only occupiers assessed at 5l. voters. per ann. at the least shall vote; but if there be not ten such persons, then all who pay poor's rates. Sect. 7. Two justices of the limit where the poor-house Guardian for shall be, or shall be agreed to be, shall appoint out of the each parish uniting. persons recommended as in sect. 3. one to be guardian of each parish, who shall attend the monthly meetings directed by this act, and shall have all the powers of overseers of the poor, and be subject to the same liabilities (1), except with Duties and regard to the making and collecting rates; and all notices powers of. and applications concerning the management or removal of the poor to be given to overseers shall be given to them; but if given to the overseers by mistake, the same shall be valid, and the overseer neglecting forthwith to deliver the same to the guardians, shall forfeit forty shillings. may be ap pointed. [By sect. 2. of 33 Geo. III. c. 35. two guardians may be Two or more appointed for a parish; and by 41 Geo. III. c.9. s. 1. twothirds of the owners and occupiers may recommend, and two justices may appoint, four or more persons to be guardians for a parish.] dens and over seers to collect rates But the churchwardens and overseers shall continue to Churchwarmake and collect the poor's rate as at present, and by sect. 8. one of them, being approved of at the meeting, as in Sect. 3., shall receive the money, and shall pay such sums to the guardian, from time to time, as may be necessary for dis- To pay neces charging the expences of the house and the poor therein, sary sums to and shall take receipts, expressing the purposes for which guardian, (1) Post. |
