Poor Relief - Law Commission

hire out poor inmates to bring in the harvest; the Guardians empowered
to hand over children to any relatives or friends willing to take them on
(e) the Guardians to meet in April 1776 to elect a President and to appoint
24 of their number to be Directors of the Poor (“the Directors”)
(f) qualification of the Directors; appointment of treasurer, clerk and other
officers; election of additional Directors
(g) the Directors empowered to contract to buy or rent land on which they
would build the workhouse; provisions for transfer of the land and its
subsequent taxation; two year time limit after the purchase of land to
build the workhouse and associated buildings (including a hospital)
(h) penalty for obstructing the building work or causing damage; seven
Directors to supervise the work; furnishing of the buildings; general
meeting of the Guardians to be called once the building work was
complete
(i) the Directors and Guardians empowered to make bye-laws governing
their operation; quarterly meetings of the Directors; weekly meetings of
committees; the Directors empowered to pay money to relieve poor
persons living outside the workhouse; arrangements about meetings
(j) the Directors empowered to borrow up to £11000 upon the security of
the workhouse buildings and the poor rates; provisions for assignment of
debt, all such transactions to be properly recorded
(k) 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 rating every inhabitant
in their respective areas; rate money to be paid to the treasurer; penalty
for failure to collect rates; rates not to exceed the average of the past 7
years; this Act not to affect charitable gifts
(l) churchwardens and overseers to produce accounts for the years 1754 to
1774; appeals against assessments; parish officers to assist the
Directors in the working of this Act; penalties for not assisting
(m) procedure in event of the Directors failing to attend meetings or make
any rate
(n) arrangements concerning removal of poor persons between parishes;
voluntary contributions; appointments of workhouse staff and clergy;
penalties for embezzlement; appointment of overseers for Wymondham;
appointment of constable
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