treasurers, in aid of the rates aforefaid; and any person shall be deemed a competent witness for the execution of any of the purposes of this act, notwithstanding his paying, or being liable to pay to fuch rates.

SCHEDULE.

QUESTIONS, to which Answers are to be returned by virtue of an act paffed in the feventeenth year of his Majesty King George the Third, intituled, " An act for procuring accounts of all "charitable donations for the benefit of poor perfons, in the "feveral parishes and places within that part of Great-Britain "called England."

FIRST QUESTION.

WHAT charitable donations are there, for the benefit

of poor perfons, within your parish (or place); by whom, when, in what manner, and for what particular purpose, were they given, to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief?

SECOND QUESTION.

Were the respective donations in land or money; in whom are they now vested; and what is the annual produce thereof, respectively?

You

FORM of the OATH.

OU fhall fwear, that the answers and return now made by you, to the questions contained in the Schedule hereunto annexed, is a full and true anfwer to the faid questions, to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief.

THE RETURN TO BE ANNEXED TO THE SCHEDULE. To be indorfed by the high confiable, town clerk, or other proper officer, receiving the returns from the juftices.

ANSWERS returned to the questions in the schedule annexed, from the parish (or place) of

in the

hundred, rape, wapentake, lathe, precinct, foke, franchise, liberty, city, town, or county corporate, of day of

the cafe fhall be), the

(as

Precept

Precept to the high conftable, &c. appointing a day and, place for taking the answers and returns, and requiring the attendance of the minifter and churchwardens.

To the conftable, or town clerk, of

or

to wit.} within the hundred (riding, divifion, liberty, city, town, as the cafe fhall be) of

in the faid county, in order to carry into execution an act made in the Seventeenth year of the reign of his Majefty King George the Third, for procuring returns of all charitable donations for the benefit of poor perfons.

next, at the hour of

on the

γου are hereby required, with all convenient fpeed, to give, or caufe to be given, notice to the rectors and vicars, or officiating minifters, of every parifh within your district aforefaid; and in places where there fhall be no minifter or churchwarden, to the overfeer or overseers of the poor; and if no overfeer, to fome fubftantial inhabitant of fuch place, by delivering to each of them a printed copy of the Schedule to the faid act, with the time and place for the meeting filled up in the Precept, as herein appointed, that they are required to appear at day of in the forenoon, then and there to deliver upon oath, a juft and true account of all charitable donations for the benefit of poor perfons within their respective parishes or places; diftinguishing, as far as may be, by whom, when, and in what manner, and for what purposes given; likewise whether fuch respective donations were in land or money, and in whom now vested, and what is the annual produce thereof respectively; on pain of forfeiting a fum not exceeding ten pounds, nor lefs than five pounds, for every neglect and default; and that they are authorized and empowered by the faid act to call for, and infpect, any deed, will, or inftrument, or other writing, relating to fuch charitable donations, or any copy thereof where the original cannot be had, which fhall refpectively be in the cuftody of any perfon or perfons to whom they fhall make application for that purpose, and to make extracts of fuch part or parts thereof refpectively as fhall be neceffary for the purposes of the said act; and that in case

any perfon or perfons, to whom any fuch application shall be made, shall refuse or neglect to permit fuch inspections, copies, or extracts, to be made, the faid minifter, churchwardens, or fuch other perfons aforefaid, are to make complaint thereof to the juftices at the faid meeting, who are by the faid act to fummon fuch perfons to produce the fame before them at a time and place to be appointed, when and where the faid minifter, churchwardens, or other perfons making fuch complaint, are to attend and if the perfon against whom fuch complaint fhall be made, does not produce the fame, or fhew good caufe for his refusal, to the fatisfaction of the juftices, he is to forfeit a fum not exceeding ten pounds, nor lefs than five pounds. Given under our hands, the day of in the year of our

Lord

The above precept contains the notice which I am directed to give to you.

N. B. The high conftables, town clerks, or other proper officers, before they deliver the Schedules, are required to fill up the blanks which fhew the appointment of the day and place for the meeting, in the manner they are filled up by the juftices who fign the precept.

Obfervations

Obfervations on the returns made by the overfeers of the poor, by virtue of an Act of the last feffion; and on the Bill for procuring returns of charitable donations for the benefit of poor perfons.

THE legislature, by virtue of an act of the last feffion of Parliament, have procured an account of the money raifed by the poor's rates within the year ending at Easter 1776, which amount to no less than £. 1,720,316. 14s. 7d. including £37,656. 10s. 8d. applied out of that fum for the purpose of paffing vagrants, and other county expenses; £. 80,296. 145. 7d. for the rent of workhouses, and other houses for the poor; and £.35,072 for the expenfes of litigations which account has been abftracted, and is now printing for the ufe of the members of both Houses of Parliament.

The fum thus raifed upon the landed property of this kingdom (for perfonal eftates contribute very little to it) is enormous but it is to be lamented, that thefe very ample provifions do not adminifter that comfort and convenience to the poor, which might juftly be expected from them; many of the moft neceffitous and industrious being exposed to want and diftrefs, whilft the idle and profligate find means of obtaining their fupport from this money.

When the charities given for the benefit of the poor fhall be inquired into, they will be found to be very confiderable; and, if faithfully applied for the purposes directed by the donors, will be the means of affording relief and fupport to great numbers of poor perfons, and in their confequences of eafing the poor's rates: but it is apprehended, that many of them are either concealed, or very much perverted; and it too frequently happens, that where there are the greatest charities, idle perfons are induced to procure fettlements in those places, that they may be entitled to the benefit of them, and by that means, instead of diminishing, increase the poor's rates.

From these feveral circumstances it appears, that there is fomething capitally defective in the laws and police of this country, with respect to the relief and employment of the poor; for which, it is hoped, fome speedy remedy will be provided. Many attempts for that purpose have been made, but hitherto without effect: perhaps nothing can

24

contribute

contribute more to the fuccefs of any future endeavours, than
a perfect ftate of the grievance.

With regard to the poor fupported by parochial levies, the
expenfes, in every parifh and place within England and
Wales, will appear from the returns already procured; and
by the bill now depending in Parliament, the like returns
will be had of all charitable donations, for the benefit of
poor perfons, within every fuch parish and place.

When thofe feveral returns fhall be completed, noble-
men and gentlemen will be enabled to trace the burdens of
the poor under the rates, and alfo the charitable donations,
into the feveral parishes and places where their eftates lie;
and will be naturally led to inquire how thofe great fums
have been employed.

If any charities fhall appear not to have been applied to
the purposes for which they were given, it is not doubted but
means will be found to compel the defaulters to a due appli-
cation, according to the intent of the several donors; which
may be the means of reviving many charities, now funk and
loft, by the death of trustees, or otherwife; and of correct-
ing fome abuses which may have crept into many others, by
mifapplications; and alfo of affording relief to many dif
treffed families, who modeftly conceal their neceffities; and
moreover may ultimately tend to reduce the poor's levies."

This bill is proposed to be executed and enforced by the
juftices of peace, clerks of the peace, high conftables, mini-
fters and churchwardens, much in the same manner as that
of the last feffions, for procuring returns from the overfeers
of the poor; and as the forms of the proceedings are fixed
by the Schedule, it will be done with little trouble, and at a
very moderate expenfe, confidering the magnitude of the
object.

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INDEX