The Welshman

CLERICAL AND RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. I WORKHOUSE CilkPLAINs.-In the House of Lords, last week, the Bishop of Exeter brought the spiritual destitution of Union-houses before their lordships. The Times of last Monday has a long article on the subject, from which we take the subjoined portions;—The Bishop of Exeter's charge is, that throughout his own diocese, and in many important places in other parts of the kingdom, no chaplain or even teacher is appointed to the Union workhouses, and that too although there is in many (may we not say most ?) Unions an express order of the guardians prohibiting the poor from going to church. To their respective parish churches, indeed, the poor creatures, for the most part could not go, for the distance to which they have been removed is far too great; but in general they are forbidden to go to church at all. Under these circumstances, the Poor Law omits to provide them even with instruction and consolation in the wretched abode to which it has con- signed them. The Church is said to be the Church of the poor man, yet the poor, and they alone, are, it seems, expressly excepted from her jurisdiction, in order to be consigned in many a case to no care or au- thority whatever ;—and with what results, let the facts stated by the Bishop of Exeter bear witness ;-with what results, let the every day complaints, with which our columns teem, of the disorder and wickedness comprised within the walls of the union-houses bear continual witness ;-with what results, let the complaints of the clergy, and the complaints of the poor themselves, bear their conclusive testimony. The Bishop of Exe- ter has exposed in this particular the effect of this un- christian law in one diocese—he has given the country a sample of what is the case in all. We thank him for it; and we conceive that he has thereby done good service to the Church and the country. But we think that the fault and the remedy- lie exactly where his Lordship suggests, viz., the first simply in the want of union chaplains, and the second in the enforcing of their appointment by the Poor Law Commissioners. Doubtless, if the law remain as it is, such appointments would be better than having no chaplains at all but they would go but little way to cure the great evil which has given to rise to his Lordship's complaint. That evil is not the want of chaplains, but simply the creation of extra-parochial—rather, we should say, extra-eccle- siastical-establishiiieiits all over the country in the guise of union workhouses. The poor of all the neigh- bouring parishes-those who are, or ought to be, espe- cially the care of God's CliurcL-are taken away, and congregated together, in order to be insulated-to be marked out as it were for separation from the rest of the Church—and are placed at the very door, perhaps, of a parish clergyman, who finds that he has not even any legal right of admission to them whatever, much less any authority over them of any sort or kind. Is it to be wondered at that wickedness and irregularity are the consequence; or is It to be expected that the ap- pointment of 5,000, or twice that number, of chaplains can remedy such an evil as this ? JEREMY TA YLOIL-J eremy Taylor's nightly prayer, for himself & his friends, was for God's merciful deliverance and preservation from the violence and rule of passion, from a servile, and a commanding lust; from pride and vanity; from false opinion and ignorant confidence from improvidence and prodigality from envy and the spirit of slander; from sensuality; from presumption and despair from state of temptation and hardened spirit; from delaying of repentance and persevering in sin from unthankfulncss and irreligion, and from se- ducing others from all infatuation of soul, folly, and madness from wilfulness, self love, and vain ambition from a vicious life and unprovided death. At a special general meeting of the governors of the Welsh Schools, in London, the appointment of Chaplain to the Institution was unanimously conferred on the Rev. John Robert Williams, Ineunibent of the Welsh Metropolitan Church-a learned and pious gentleman, according to all accounts, and who is destined for a higher and wider sphere of clerical duty.—Correspondent. The leading Congregationalists of London are now aiming to augment the sum which it was proposed to raise for day-schools in their community, from £ 100,000 to 1:250,000 and the number of schools to not less than five hundred. John Bull refers to a rumour that a large body of the evangelical" clergy are about to quit the establish- ment, and set up a distinct episcopal communion. The names of no fewer than ten converts from Tracta- rianism to Catholicism, all members of the University of Oxford, who have gone over since September, 1841, are giyen in the Record. During the past year, no less than thirty-eight livings, of various values, were presented by as many indivi- duals to their relatives—sons, grandsons, nephews, or cousins. More than these, it is allowed, may have been disposed of in the same way but for these we can vouch. And here is an amount—near upon £ 17,000 in one year-passing in the way of permanent income into the pockets of persons for whom the investments had been made i?i vy-ospectit-it being taken for granted, as a matter of course, that they would be mentally and spiritually qualified for the sacred office. Of these thirty-eight livings, sixteen, or nearly one-half, exceed tn pounds value the population of the parishes.—( JVes- ley an Chronicle.) Vigils" were to be held last Friday night, in the new Protestant church at Wilton-place, London. THE CHURCH QUESTION.-Lord ilowick is ready to give up the Irish Church as an anomaly which no peo- ple can or ought to endure, In this he is far ahead of his party but the principle which he pleaded with so much power on behalf of an Irish majority, is equally valid in favour of an English minority. Dissenters in this kingdom are not less wronged by Tin Established Church than are Roman Catholics on the other side of St. George's channel. The only difference between the two parties is, that these are fewer in number than those; but injustice does not cease to be inj ustice, when inflicted only upon the few. Will Lord Howick follow out his avowed principles ? Will he boldly adopt voluntaryism as his creed? Will he advocate for England and for Scotland that which now, with such solemnity and emphasis, he advocates for Ireland ? Or is he driven to such unwonted libe- rality unwonted, we mean, in men occupying his po- sition-merely by stress of present danger ? Oh that we were able to put him to the test. If, casting aside the conventionalities and cant of aristocracy, he could come out unshrinkingly against State Churches, as such, he might enter upon a career of honour and usefulness. of renown and of ultimate success, more glorious then was that even of his venerable father. But we anti- cipate no such thing.—Nonconformist.

BAPTISMAL REGISTRATION. I The following letter appeared last week in the Times Sir,-I believe the inadequacy of the New Registration Act is becoming every day more apparent. It is, therefore, the more incumbent on the parochial clergy to keep up their registers with exactness. But this is not the subject on which I write to you. A poor female child is admitted into a most beneficial charity, for appropriate clothing and instruction. A certificate of her birth is necessary, and is applied for to the au- thorities of the Methodist persuasion, by whom she appears to have undergone some rite in lieu of baptism and the following is the answer to the application, which I transmit to your office Non-Parochial Registration-office, Chancery- lane, London. I The application must be by person, not by letter. Supposing the person who wants the register has no friend in London, by applying to Mr. Thomas Cordeux, No. 37, Leonard-street, Finsbury, he will attend at the office, and procure the certificate, for which he will charge 2s. Gd. The whole expense will be:- s. d. I Cli-,trge paid at the office for searching 1 0 Ditto, for certificate 2 G Mr. 2 G G 0 Which sum must be remitted to Mr. Cordeux, in a Post-office order, made payable at the post-office, ;)6, City-road, London.' "Now, a certificate of regular baptism in the Church is, I believe, always gratuitously afforded to the poor by the clergy of this land, and in no case does the charge exceed half-a-crown; while there is here a charge of six shillings run up against a poor family who have nothing to pay, and that for the performance of a sacred rite which John Wesley himself, the founder of the Methodists, declared to be ineffective and wicked, unless perfcrmed by the regular clergy. 1 am, &c., CHURCHMAN." I

SINGULAR !An eminent artist lately painted a snow storm so naturally that he caught a bad cold by sitting near it with his coat off. He is cousin to the man who became hoarse on Christmas-day, through meeting a man in the street dressed in nankin trousers. EQUITY AND CONVEYANCING.—What are a bill and answer ? Ask my tailor.-Ilow would you file a bill ? I don't know, but would lay a case before a blacksmith. —What steps would you take to dissolve an injtirction ? I should put it into some very hot water, and let it i-e- main there until it was melted.—What are post-nup- tial articles ? Children. A SiiAiir LA D.-An old schoolmaster, who usually heard his pupils once a week through Watt's Scrip- ture History," and afterwards asked such questions as suggested themselves to his mind, one day desired a young urchin to tell him who Jesse was ? to which the boy briskly replied, The Flower of Dumblane, Sir.

MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. I Anti-League meetings are recorded at Durham, where the Duke of Cleveland attended, and E500 was sub- scribed Bridport, Sturminster, in Dorsetshire Rugby, in Warwickshire Saffron Walden, in Essex Leighton Buzzard, in Bedfordshire Wokenham, Maidenhead, in Berkshire; Marlow, in Buckinghamshire; Bridgewater, in Somersetshire; Exeter, Kingsbridge, in Devon; He- reford, attended by Earl Somers, f500 subscribed. At York on Thursday, the Earl of Harewood, the Earl of Tyrconnel, Lord Feversham, Lord Beaumont, and se- veral influential gentlemen were there the Duke of Leeds sending in his adhesion. Tahiti has been taken possession of by the French. Mrs. Dorey, one of the parties charged with being an active agent in the ex- tensive conspiracy by which large sums were obtained by means of will-forgeries and fraudulent personations, has made a full confession the document is in the hands of the authorities. Owing to the rush made at Covent Garden on Wednesday, at the League meeting, to see Mr. O'Connell, a Mr. Howell's leg was broken. The naval estimates for the present year are printed. The sum required for the whole effective service for the year 1844-1845 is £ 4,292,404, and for the year before it was £4,358,802, being E66,474 less in the present year than in the last. At Pembroke E25,795 for various improvements is required. Mr. Richard Oastler has experienced a cordial recepion at Hud- dersfield. Mary Johnson, a girl only thirteen years of age, has been committed to Lincoln Castle, for the murder of two boys, her half-brothers, at Renington, near Boston. They were found to have been poisoned with arsenic.-——The enormous tax of 1,200 per cent. upon tobacco, has set the wits of many an avaricious merchant and tradesman in motion to devise methods to defraud the revenue. The Carnarvon Herald says that the proposed erection of a Lunatic Asylum for the Counties of North Wales is abandoned. If England paid her national debt it would take zL46 6s. 2d. from each person to pay it; it would take £ 11 6s. 6d. from each Frenchman to pay the debt of France it would take E55 8s. 4d. from each Dutchman to pay the debt of Holland and it would only take A:4 13s. 9d. from each Pennsylvanian to pay the debt repudiated.- Miss Helen Faucit is performing at Edinburgh. Her Rosalind and Lady Macbeth have proved eminent- ly attractive.—Perrot is hard at work with the rehearsals of the ballet of Esmeralda, which is to commcnce the season at the Italian Opera-house.— Ccrito has proceeded to Florence, after fulfilling a very profitable engagement at ilariiia.-Grisi has arrived. -Her Majesty has commanded the whole of the un- consumed wine at the Royal table at the Castle to be given to the sick and diseased poor, whose complaints may require the aid of wine to restore their strength. General Tom Thumb," the tiny attraction at the Princess's Theatres, is an extraordinary speck of hu- manity, that should be exhibited on a table in a parlour, and not on the stage of a theatre. His American di- minutiveness is a prodigy in his way standing no higher than the knee of the person who led him on, and appearing, by the ease with which he was lifted, to be be more than the stated fifteen pounds weight. His head is comparatively large, but his body and limbs are well proportioned; and he has a look of intelligence and self-possession.The Siecle state, that about three weeks since a man, who was seriously ill, was ar- rested for debt. He was conveyed to the prison, in which there is not an infirmary, and became worse from day to day. The director of the prison having been in- formed by the physician of the debtor's dangerous state, waited on the creditor, and solicited him to release the prisoner. The creditor was inexonerable, and on Friday the unfortunate debtor expired in his narrow cell, where it was impossible to afford him the care necessary for his position.- The number of passen- gers., through the Thames Tunnel last week was 25,644. The following is a good method for extirpating fleas from dogs:—" To four ounces of fox-glove leaves (Dig- italis), pour two quarts of boiling water, and with this, when it has become cold, wash the dog." For pet dogs this operation may be repeated twice in the season.- A stranger, on taking his seat lately in the pit of a theatre, accosted a gentleman who sat near him with, Pray, Sir, have you a bill r" when, to the stranger's amazement, the gentleman, starting from a reverie in which he had been plunged, exclaimed, No, Sir, but I have two next week, and both unprovided for.Sir Charles Metcalfe has given 800 dollars as a contribution to the fund raising to enable the Canadian convicts to return from New South Wales The King of Sweden, in order to favour the export trade of the kingdom, has freed the following articles from export duty, namely, alum, pitch in barrels, red ochre, &c.; and coals and coke are to be free from duty on importa- tion. -In Portugal, on the 13th instant, the insur- gents were still in arms in the interior, but not in possession of any place of importance, with the exception of Castello Branco they were at a greater distance from the capital than when the insurrection commenced, and since that time their numbers had been augmented only by two companies of the 11th Regiment that was stationed at Castcllo Branco, and another detachment of the 12th Regiment, which was stationed there like- wise. At other places where disturbances had been apprehended, tranquillity prevailed. Some fears were still entertained for the preservation of order in Algarve; but without some unforeseen defection of the troops at Abrantes, the present head-quarters of the General-in- Chief, the powers of the government were considered sufficient, and ought to be so, to put down the insur- rection.-Ill the Anti Slavery Reporter, Feb. 21, there is a report of the address of Judge O'N eal, in passing sentence of .death in the United States upon a young man, for aiding a female slave to escape from her owner! The judge addressed him as a depraved criminal, a vile sinner, &c., and concluded with the words, "God have mercy on your soul!" "God have mercy" on his judge and the law-makers! The charter of the Bank of England, which expires in 184.5, is likely to be renewed with little alteration.- The great fountain now in progress at Chatsworth is expected to play to a height of upwards of 200 feet. The diamonds and pearls in the Crown of Queen Victoria are valued at £ 112,000. The Glasgow cotton spinners' strike is at an end, and the men have gone in at less wages than they received when they turned out. Mr. S. J. Hallam, formerly a tea-dealer in Edinburgh, having been established in business by several private friends, failed of success, and retired from the undertaking, with a loss to his supporters of £ 769 lis. 6d. He had a partner in the concern, to wlioniaiidto his beneftetoi-s gave a discharge in full from all obligations. He afterwards obtained an appointment in Canton, as inspector of teas to Barings Brothers; and he has now sent home £ 856 Is. 7d. (principal and interest), to repay his old friends at home—being the entire amount of his savings to the date of remittance. The system of day tickets" is about to be adopted on the London and Birmingham Railway, thus enabling persons to go and return at a reduction of one-third from the ordinary ftres.-An ingenious man in Hull, we learn from the Rockingham, has been "going the whole hog" in swindling, and yet "doing it by halves!" He called upon a neighbour, with the half of a £ 50 note in his hand. Ile had just got it, he said, by post, and was to receive the re- mainder in a day or two, but urgently required the money in the meantime. His friend therefore advanced him the 1;50. Not content with this piece of success, he raised a second £ 50 on the other half of the note. Still the fellow was unsatisfied, but got a hundred- pound note for his two fifties and cutting it in two, succeeded in obtaining £ 1 00 on each of the halves He thus converted his original £.50 into ;C200-aii(I with this lie decamped. -The Wakefield Journal, a Tory paper, referring to the strange conduct of several prelates on the Duke of Richmond's gambling bill, observes Never before were we ashamed of the bench of bishops but until the stain upon their high office is removed we must class them with the respecters of persons—with the fawners upon rank—the Broughams, the Campbells, and id genus omne.The Times announces that the government (in accordance with Mr. Rowland Hill's original plan) have determined to stamp sheets and half sheets of letter paper, so that when folded up in the shape of a letter or note, the stamp will appear on that part usually devoted to the address. The Leicester Mercury records the death of a miser, named William Chapman. His last wish was, that his stick might be buried with him in his coffin, because lie might meet "old Stratford" in the next world, and would thrash him for once cheating him out of a good bargain!

A DISSENTING l-A correspondent, upon whose veracity we can fully rely, sends the following :—- At a funeral of a child, which took place last week, a deacon of a Baptist church officiated. lie was dressed in a parsons gown, which he had purchased in Monmouth street. Seven Dials, and he read the funeral service from the common prayer book over the child!" How TO RESTORE A MAN AFTER HANGING.—The following curious bill, says the Worcestershire Chronicle, was presented to the Board of Guardians of the Shipston- on-Stour Union, on the 30th Dec. last, from the parish of Mickletnn, in the county of Gloucestershire The Overseers, Mickleton, To George Cooper. For Restoring a man as Hang'd himself- 1843. s. d. Sept .7th-I Glass of liquor 0 6 8i Quarts of Ale. 1 9 Eating 1 6 Beds. 1 0 4 9"

CRIM. CON.—FRASER V. BAGLEY. I [Continued from our last Number.] I WEDNESDAY.—The following witnesses wero called for the defendant.—Mr. Edward White; I am the solicitor of Prince Albert. Mrs. Fraser was the youngest daughter of Mr. Vivian, of Portland place, a gentleman of large fortune. I have frequently seen Mrs. Fraser on matters of business. She complained of her husband's neglect, extravagance, and infidelity. The witness related the particulars of some pecuniary transactions, and showed that the lady had acted by his advice in certain important particulars. Paid Mr. Fraser £200, as he wished to go into India. This occurred in October, 1843. I gave the money on behalf of Mrs. Fraser, who was to pay me by instalments. Since Mr. Fraser has left her, she has visited my family. Her manners were rather free for an English lady. Mr. Fraser, some times between May and October last, hinted at some suspicions he entertatned in respect of the defendant. He complained generally of her levity, and that she had very much misconducted herself.- Cross-examined: Mr. Fraser told me he had heard reports to the prejudice of Mrs. Fraser. He complained of no person in particular. He expressed a wish that she should continue her intimacy with the Broughtons, and be surrounded by respectable persons.—Re- examined Mrs. Fraser has kept up her acquaintance with the Broughtons and other persons of respectability. I never knew her to be acquainted with any disreputable person. He first mentioned the reports of Mrs. Fraser's misconduct early in October, 1843, but he got the £ 200. Captain Hart: I am a captain on half-pay of the 66th regiment. Mr. Fraser invited me frequently to dinner, and sometimes he did not come. He said I should always find Mrs. Fraser at home. I never noticed any freedom or familarity between Mr. Bagley and Mrs. Fraser. They appeared very intimate. The children were always romping with him. She was very domesticated, and often repaired and made Mr. Fraser's clothes in my presence. She was very fond of her children.—Cross-examined I should not say she was extremely mild, but rather so, and gentle.—Re- examined I have a family. I never saw anything on the part of either Mrs. Fraser or Mr. Bagley that the most fastidious could hang an objection on. Mrs. Fraser appealed to me as a mutual friend on the subject of Mr. Fraser's repeated absence from home. Lady Hayes I am the widow of Commodore Sir John Hayes, and have known Mrs. Fraser for six years. She slept at my house whenever she liked. Mr. Fraser was never at home when I called. I never saw him, except when there was company. Mrs. Fraser appeared a most devoted mother. She dressed rather shabbily, and paid more attention to her children than to herself She often showed me Mr. Fraser's picture, and seemed too fond of it. She always called him her handsome husband. Mr. John Dodd: I am a surgeon. I attended Mrs. Fraser in her four last confinements. She is a tender and affectionate mother. I do not know that the last child has blue eyes. -Cross-examined: It has red hair. None of the children have red hair but the last and the last but one. Elizabeth Brown: I am in the service of Mrs. Fraser as cook, and went to her on the 1st of July, 1839. Mr. Bagley was with Mr. Fraser when the latter was going to Exeter. When I was packing up my master's things, he said, Take care of Mrs. Fraser," and Mr. Bagley is to sleep here." Mr. Bagley never did so then, and while Mr. Fraser was in town he did so only once, on the occasion of a snowy night. Some little time before Isabella's birth, and about eleven in the morning, Mr. Fraser and Mr. Bagley came together to the house, and went up together to Mrs. Fraser's bed-room. Mrs. Fraser was then in a morning gown, sitting on the sofa, with Mr. Fraser and Mr. Bagley standing over her. I have heard Mr. Fraser often say that Mr. Bagley should come there and make it his house during his holidays. Mrs. Fraser slept out while at Melcome place for two or three nights, but not more frequently. She could not have been out without my knowledge; and it is impossible that she could have slept out from Christmas, 1841, to May, 1842, about a score of times. Mr. Bagley called shortly after Mrs. Fraser's confinement, when she was still in bed. I asked him up into the drawing room. lie did not wish to come, but I said, You had better come up, and I will go and speak to Mrs Fraser." I went in to her room, and asked if she should like to see him. She said she should, and I then showed him in by a narrow passage to her bed-room. There were none of the children there when I introduced him, and then I left. In two or three minutes after I went up and found Mr. Bagley still there with some of the children. He came down directly after, and as he was coming away he said to me that Mrs. Fraser was very nervous and feverish. Mrs. Fraser has always appeared to me a fond and affectionate mother, and a prudent and economical person.—Cross-examined by Mr. Thesiger: I have no recollection that Mrs. Fraser, when dining alone with Mr. Bagley, ordered such delica- cies as a chicken or a rabbit. I went out one evening to go to church, when I met Jessie Salter she made an observation to me about our all being sent out. Mr. Bagley's hair is not so red as his whiskers. The two last children are red-haired. (Laughter.) Mr. Thesiger: did you ever call Isabella, Well, young Bagley" ? (Laughter.)—Witness Never, to my recollection. Mrs. Rattray I am the wife of Captain Rattray, and the sister of Mrs. Fraser. I remember, on one occasion, that Mr. Fraser said that as she was jealous of him he had taken a friend to persuade her that there was no truth in it, and that friend was Mr. Bagley. He told me that Mrs. Fraser was ill, and in her room, and he took Mr. Bagley there. I told him that was very improper, and he was not justified in taking any man into his wife's room. He replied that Mr. Bagley had brought his wife and family up from Broadstairs. I further told him that it seemed as if he wanted to get rid of his wife and family. He asked me if I was satis- fied that he had nothing to do with Miss Arnold. I told him that when so he solemnly denied it, it was not my place to disbelieve him. He then asked me if his wife believed his denial. I said I did not think that she did; an d he expressed a wish that she would give him a written note, saying that she disbelieved it. I remon- strated with him for sleeping out. Mr. Bagley saw Mrs Fraser, and endeavoured to allay her jealousy, and did all in his power to tranquillize her mind. Mrs. Harriet Ashe, Miss Farrer, and Lady Doyle, deposed to the harmless character of the defendat's I intimacy with Mrs. Fraser. George Dyche, formerly clerk to the plaintiff, and other witnesses, deposed to the visits of Miss Simmons and Miss Arnold to the plaintiff's chambers, where witness left them at night. Mr. Cockburn, Q.C., confirmed the statement made by Mr. Kelly in his address and at a quarter past seven the case was again adjourned. THURSDAY.—The case was resumed, and numerous witnesses were called, chiefly to prove misconduct on the plaintiffs part, in respect to Miss Simmonds and Miss Edwards. The character of Miss Arnold having become implicated, the following evidence was called in reply :—■ Dr. Ashwell: I am a physician and obstetric lecturer at Guy's Hospital. Yesterday, at the request of Mr. Arnold, I examined Miss Arnold, to ascertain whether she is a virgin or not. I should say she had never been pregnant, nor had sexual intercourse. Miss Arnold, her father and brother, were then called, and gave testimony bearing on some facts of the case.—Mr. Chambers then addressed the jury on the evidence in reply, and Mr. Thesiger upon the whole case. The Chief Justice stated the law, and then proceeded to recapitulate the evidence. After stating it as clear that a greater degree of familiarity subsisted between Mr. Bagley and Alrs. Fraser than a man of very high principle would allow himself to be led into he added that it did not follow from that that an adulterous intercourse really subsisted. If the jury thought that such had existed, then they would have to consider what circumstances went in mitigation of damages. He was not going to say a word as to the criminality or innocence of Miss Arnold; but he would say, that no wise, prudent, or well-principled man would have placed himself in such a position. Miss Simmonds was, no doubt, contaminated, and the jury would consider whether plaintiff had come before them with clean hands, and whether he had not committed acts of unworthy gallantry which had made his home wretched. --The jury then retired, and shortly returned with a verdict for the defendant. The result was received with loud applause throughout the court-room, still densely crowded, though it was then ten o'clock.

LORD BROUGHAM, says a paragraph in the daily papers, has such a fit of lumbago that he cannot stand upright. That he is not upright has long been remarked, but lumbago was not supposed to be the cause. Every- body has observcd that he has of late years been shockingly double, but we confess we attributed it to his stooping to do the work of the Tories.—Examiner. LOUD STANLEY.—It is pleasant enough to hear him preaching moderation, and rebuking any warmth or I intemperance in discussion. So Sir Antony Absolute, glowing with ire, tells his son not to get into a. passion, and threatens to knock him down if he gives way to anger.—Ibid. FORCE OF HABIT.—In Somersetshire, the good folks were horrified on the opening of parliament, by a hoarse- throated vendor of halfpenny-handbills, who (under the all-powerful influence of habit) bawled in their ears the last dying Speech OF THE QUEEK loyally ad- ding," ion THE GOOD or THE COUNTRY'"

THE NEW POOR LAW AMENDMENT BILL. A copy of this bill has just been printed by order of the House of Commons. It is crotwed, -A bill for the further Amendment of the Laws relating to the Poor in. England," and contains as many as 63 clauses. Sir J. Graham and Mr. H. M. Sutton, J.I.P., are intrusted with the conducting of this measure through the lower house of Parliament. We proceed to give a brief abstract of this bill, in which the gist of its most important provisions will be conveyed to our readers as far as space will allow. The clauses are arranged under separate heads or divisions, the first of which includes the provisions pro- posed respecting the bastardy clauses, and actually in force. To proceed teriatinj,- All powers of making orders en putative fathers by virtue of former acts are, after the passing of the bill now before us, to cease and determine forthwith. Any single woman who may be delivered of a bastard child after, or within six months before, the passing of this bill, is empowered to make, within six months from the birth of the said child, an application to a justice of the petty sessions for a summons against the putative father, which is to be granted as a matter of course. The justices in petty sessions are then empowered. after a hearing of the evidence adduced pro and con., to adjudge (if satisfied of the fact) the party summoned before the Court to be the putative father of the child to make an order on him to pay to the mother a certain weekly sum, not exceeding 4s. and costs and further, to enforce, if necessary, such order by distress and im- prisonment. Every application, as aforesaid, must be heard and determined within the space of 40 days from the service of the original summons. The putative father may also on giving the requisite notices and securities, appeal to the quarter sessions. If the justices of the petty sessions, however, refuse to make any order on the alleged father, the woman is not at liberty to make any further appli- cation whatever with reference to the same bastard child. The money under the aforesaid order is to bo paid either to the mother or to a person appointed by the justices such person not to be an officer of any parish or union. It is provided, moreover, by the same clause, that the child shall not continue chargeable to any parish or union during the time of payment by the pu- tative father; and that no order of any court or petty session made in pursuance of this act shall be of any force or validity after the bastard child has attained the age of 13 years. The mother of a bastard child who may neglect or desert it is rendered liable to punishment under the Va- grant Act (5 George IV., cap. 83.) No officer of any parish or union can legally receive money from the putative father, or interfere in making any application to the justices of petty sessions If, however, the mother should die, or become incapacitated, the board of guardians or the overseers of the union are empowered to make an application to the justices for the due enforcement of the order previously made on the putative father. All persons conspiring to procure false evidence, tending to inculpate any man as a putative father will be deemed guilty of perjury. All parish officers, &c., who may endeavour to threaten or cajole the putative father into a marriage will be deemed guilty of a misdemea- nour Parties who may ill-treat a bastard or misap- propriate the money levied for its support are rendered liable to a penalty not exceeding the sum of £ 10. No existing orders, nor pending proceedings, are to be affected by the passing of this bill. No order, how- ever, made before the 14th day of August, 1834, will remain in force after the 1st day of January 1849. By another set of clauses the Poor Law Commissioners are empowered to define and regulate the various trades,, premiums, &c., of parish apprentices, as also to pre- scribe the duties of their masters towards them, and the terms and conditions to be inserted in the indentures; any master who may refuse or neglect to fulfil the terms and conditions so inserted is rendered liable to a pe- nalty of £20. Compulsory apprenticeship is abolished by the repeal of certain portions of the acts of the 43 of Eliza- beth, cap. 2, 8th and 9th of William III., cap. 3, and other general and local acts of Parliament which bear upon the subject. The existing scales of voting for the election of guar- dians arc repealed, and an entirely new scale substituted. The following is the new scale hereby proposed for both owners and ratepayers :— If the pjoperly in respect of which the owner or rate- payer is entitled to vote be rated upon a rateable value of less than foO, one vote; if such rateable value amount to C.50 and be less than £ 100, two votes; £100- and less than E 150, three votes; £ 150 and less than £ 200, four votes; E200 and less than E250, five votes;. amounting to or exceeding £ 2-50, six votes. Owners must give in statements of their property 14 days before voting. No person to hold more than four proxies,, unless he be the steward or agent of his prin- cipal. The annual election of guardians may take place within 40, instead of (as at present) 14 days of the 25th of March. The number of guardians may be altered as circumstances require. All parishes exceeding 20,000 persons may be divided into wards for the election of guardians. No ward to contain more than 400 rated houses. The remaining clauses of the bill are devoted to the enactment of various miscellaneous provisions of minor importance. They relate chiefly to the relief of wives whose husbands are beyond the seas, the relief of luna- tics, &c., the miscellaneous powers of guardians, the burial of paupers (in which case the guardians are em- powered to pay the funeral expenses and burial fees, and to enter the pauper in consecrated ground), to the audit of accounts, and the mode of charging the relief of occasional poor, &c. Parishes and unions within certain limits may be combined into school districts for the management of classes of such infant poor, not above the age of 16 years, as may be orphans, or as may be deserted by their parents. This power is to be exercised by the Poor Law Commissioners themselves. Parishes not contained within a district may, nevertheless, if not dis- tant more than 20 miles from the district school, send pauper children thereto. The commissioners are empowered, by clause 56, to direct guardians under local acts to sit as a board, to appoint a chairman, &c., and, in fine to conduct their proceedings in the same manner as guardians appointed under the act 4 and 5 cf William IV., c. 76. Parishes under local acts, with a population exceeding 20,000, are not to be united with other parishes without the con- sent of at least two-thirCls of the guardians. A distinct provision is made for asylums for the tem- porary relief of the houseless poor to be formed within the city of London, and in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, and Birmingham. The operation of the bill is limited to England and Wales.

CONDITION OF Tllr.,AGRICUI.TURAL POOR.-ItMUSt be admitted that the agriculturists have not, as a body fulfilled their duty. The wretched pittance of 7s. or 8s. a week, wherever such a minimum of wages exists, is a cruel insult to a man able and willing to work for the "bread" which God himself has awarded to human labour. Nor will I justify the agriculturists by resorting to the miserable and humiliating tu quoqite they could address to the less numerous but more wealthy manu- facturers of England. But this I will say, that the licglect of our labouring brethren is only one amongst the multitudinous phases of Mammon worship-the opprobrium "and curse of this Christian country. Has the Church performed her duty to the poor ? Have her ministers aroused us to our individual responsibility, or thundered in the ears of wealthy and niggardly employers those warnings which she alone can efficiently use ? And if these things be, can you wonder at starvation wages, and the earthly purgatory of a union workhouse ? Whatever awakens attention to that festering sore of our social condition consequent on our idolatry of wealth- the neglect of God's poor-is good. REFINEMENTS OF LANGUAGE.—Delicacy of speech is capricious. We have heard of savages to whom you must call the whole leg to the ankle the hip," or be thought indeccnt you must not ask after a Turk's wife and family, but" the house" and in our Parlia- ment you must not call many things by their right names. A knavish dunce may be the honourable and learned gentleman"; the House of Lords is "another place" and newspapers are not newspapers, but Lord Normanby last night must correct an error in the ordinary channels of information." How would this do in private life ? Tell your servant to "Take four of the largest copper particles, with a dicoto nised one, of the circulating medium, proceed to another place, and procure an ordinary channel of information." What would lie bi-iiig i Why are the Puseyites so averse to pews ?—Because they are so fond of forms. STRANGE COINCIDENCE—Since the transportation of Frost, we have had no hard winters.—Punch. The oath of allegiance to the Sovereign is still taken by attorneys and barristers, on being admitted to prac- tice but in consequence of their number, it has been arranged as a solo and chorus, for the officer of the court and an unlimited number of voices, which chime in together—expressing their horror of the Pope, with- out knowing who the old gentleman is and declaring that it is not lawful to murder foreign princes in the public streets, as if any one in these days ever thought of aeassinating continental royalty in Regent-street, or any of the leading thoroughfares !-( Punch )