Poor Relief - Law Commission

een built; thereafter the Guardians to have charge of all poor children
and other persons incapable of providing for themselves
(c) the Guardians empowered to bind children to apprenticeships and to hire
out poor inmates to farmers and others; Guardians empowered to hand
over poor children to any parents willing to take them on; discharge of
inmates capable of maintaining themselves
(d) the Guardians to meet in June 1775 to appoint a President and 36 of their
number to be Directors of the poor (“the Directors”)
(e) qualification of the Directors; appointment of treasurer and clerk and
others at a salary
(f) the Directors empowered to contract to buy land (including common land)
on which they would build the workhouse; procedure for agreeing value of
land to be bought; two year time limit to build the workhouse and
associated buildings; penalty for obstruction; committee to supervise
building works
(g) the Directors empowered to make rules and bye-laws for the governing
and employment of the poor; quarterly meetings of the Directors to be
held; procedure for such meetings; penalty for non-attendance
(h) the Directors empowered to borrow up to £15,000 upon the security of the
poor rates; the Directors empowered to raise up to £7,500 of the £15,000
upon the security of annuities, all such transactions to be properly
recorded
(i) the Directors empowered to assess the sums needed to service the debts
incurred pursuant to their borrowing powers and to pay the expenses of
providing for the poor; churchwardens and overseers of the poor
authorised to raise the necessary money by way of taxation of every
occupier in their respective areas; money assessed not to exceed the
average poor rate in the previous seven years; appeals against
assessments; churchwardens and overseers to produce accounts and to
assist the Guardians in the working of this Act (penalty for failure to
comply)
(j) procedure and penalties in the event of the Directors failing to hold
meetings
(k) the Directors empowered to issue settlement certificates to poor persons
wishing to move away; appointment of workhouse staff including
governor, matron and clergyman; penalties for misbehaving staff
42