-No. 8.

COMPARATIVE STATEMENT of EXPENDITURE for the RELIEF of the POOR in the Parish of BIRMINGHAM, and in the Parish of ASTON, during the Years ending 25th March, 1837, and 25th March, 1838:

PARISH OF BIRMINGHAM.

EXPENDITURE for the RELIEF of the Poor during the Year ending 25th March, 1837.

N.B. As there was no loss on advancing pensions, that item is omitted.

EXPENDITURE for the RELIEF of the Poor for the Year ending 25th March, 1838.

EXPENDITURE for the RELIEF of the Poor during the Year ending 25th March, 1837.

SAME for the Year ending 25th March, 1838, under the Board of Guardians.

Add various items connected with the relief of the poor which appear in the overseers' accounts

123 17 10

EXTRACTS from a "Report on the Progress and Present State of Pauperism in Berwickshire." By GEORGE TURNBULL, Esq., W.S., and Convener to a Committee of Inquiry (appointed by the Michaelmas Court) as to the Relief of the Poor in that County.

"THE 17 parishes enumerated contained in 1831 a population of 19,707 individuals, which is rather less than two-thirds of the entire population of the county.

"The rental of these parishes upon which the property-tax was assessed in 1815 was 143,4191. Deducting one-seventh from this sum, there remains nearly 123,000l., which it is thought may be assumed as the present rental.*

"The number of permanent paupers in these parishes in the year 1837 was 688, and of temporary ones 67, together 755. The proportion of paupers permanent and temporary to the population varies in the different parishes from 1 in every 60 individuals to 1 in 18, the average of the whole being 1 in 26.

"It is a curious and instructive fact, that out of 259 of these paupers (being the whole with regard to whom the fact was ascertained), 121, or nearly a half, have children above the age of 21, and therefore able to contribute to their support. A very large proportion of these

children are themselves married and have families.

"Of 177 paupers who answered the question, 99 stated that they would rather forego their allowances than enter a poor-house.

"The average weekly allowance paid to each pauper amounts in one parish to 1s. 6d., in another to 2s. 6d., and in the rest to intermediate sums, the average of the whole being 22 d.

"The following is a statement of the funds appropriated to the poor, with the mode of their application in 1836, in the 17 parishes referred

to:

*The data on which this calculation is made are these:-The rental of the parishes of Coldstream, Edrom, Polwarth, and Swinton, amounted, in 1815, to 42,7467. (see Appendix.) According to the statements in the New Statistical Account, they now amount to 36,9307. (Coldstream being 12,0007., Edrom, 15,200, Polwarth 1,730., and Swinton 80007.), and the reduction here is about a seventh.

"It may be remarked, that the church collections, which amount to 1827. 8s. 5d., are equivalent to a payment of rather less than 21d. yearly by each individual in the population, and of this only a penny goes to the poor.

"The assessments are equal to a rate of 74d. per pound, or 34 per cent. on the estimated rental, and to a payment of 4s. yearly by each individual in the population. Adding collections at the churches, each individual contributes 4s. 1d. yearly to support the poor.

"In the year 1820 (the latest period to which the calculation has been made), the average number of the poor throughout Scotland, as compared with the population, ascertained by the census 1811, 1 in 40%

was

"The expense of maintaining each pauper throughout Scotland was, in 1820, 27. 11s. Std. yearly, or about 1s. weekly. With us it is 1s. 101d., or nearly double.

The average annual expense of maintaining the poor in Scotland

* Remarks on the Poor Laws, by David Monypenny, Esq., of Pitmilly, formerly one of the Senators of the College of Justice, p. 47.

Ibid.