From the 21st of April, 1805, to the 20th of April, 1806, inclusive. To do. received for paupers' work, account of in fant bastard children, &c. To poundage on assessed taxes To cash on account of militiamen's families To cash for Charles Sharp's board, 52 weeks, at 4s. To balance due John Fletcher, overseer . s. d. 1032 8 9 75 19 6 669 52 11 0 16 8 0 53 5 10 £. 1230 19 10 DISBURSEMENTS. By balance of last year's account By the weekly disbursements of the house, as per book By cash paid on account of infant bastard children, sick paupers, &c. By cash paid to D. Mandal and B. Edkin, market lookers 8 8 0 By cash paid for the maintenance of three lunatics at Newcastle By cash paid to militiamen's families By abatements for vacant houses By charitable abatements House rent, &c. not paid this year By John Fletcher's salary, as overseer, keeper of the house, and collector of the assessed taxes .1230 19 10 From From April 21st, 1806, to Easter, March 28th, 1807. RECEIPTS, £. s. do To cash for the assessment 522 16 1 To do. received for paupers' work, account of in 91 16 8 fant bastard children, &c. &c. To cash on account of militiamen's families To do. from the overseer of Harrington, on account of John Carr's expenses To cash, poundage on assessed taxes To do. for Charles Sharp's board, 36 weeks and Co. To balance, due John Fletcher £. 1008 19 DISBURSEMENTS. By balance of last year's account By the weekly disbursements of the house By cash paid on account of sick paupers, infant bastard children, &c. By cash paid to militiamen's families By do. paid to Mr. Ben. Thompson, as per bill By do. for the maintenance of three lunatics, at By cash paid the market-lookers By abatements for vacant houses By charitable abatements By John Fletcher's salary, as overseer, &c. &c. By balance, brought down .1008 19 2 £.358 6 9 N. B. Three instalments due J. C. Curwen, Esq. on account of the poor-house, £. 112 each. U 3 From From March 29, 1807, to Easter, April 16, 1809, inclusive. RECEIPTS. To cash for the first assessment To do. for the second do. To do. received for paupers' work, account of in fant bastard children, &c. &c. To cash due from the overseer of Harrington, on account of John Carr's expences at Newcastle To cash, poundage on assessed taxes To do. received on account of militiamen's families . 1917 6 8 DISBURSEMENTS. By balance, due John Fletcher By Cash, borrowed of Wood and Co.-repaid Sep tember 14th Interest on do. as per statement November 20th, 1805, by 11th instalment, on ac count of the poor house, paid J. C. Curwen, due Ground Rent By the weekly disbursements of the house By cash paid on account of sick paupers, infant bastard children, &c. &c. By expenses repairing the road leading to the poor. house-[See the Resolutions.] October 31, paid J. C. Curwen, three instalments on account of the poor-house, till this day By do. paid for the maintenance of three lunatics By John Fletcher's salary, as overseer, &c. &c. £. s. d. 61 18 6 2 9 10 10 1 0 30 0 0 £. 1917 6 8 By balance, due John Fletcher £.258 7 8 N. B. By act of vestry, holden December 8, 1791, it was agreed to pay 9 per cent. on the principal, or sum, expended in building the poor-house (£. 1400) for 18 years and 38 weeks.-Fourteen instalments are paid. By comparing the different years of expenditure for the poor, there will be found a very great increase in the last few years; the high price of the necessaries of life will account for it in part. But the most striking and deplorable feature arises from the depravity of morals which is spreading most alarmingly. A few years ago the proportion of bastards to children born in wedlock was one to forty-eight; latterly, I fear, it has been one to under twenty. The burdens brought upon parishes is the least part of the evil. The total neglect of illegitimate chil ́dren threatens to multiply the number of the outcasts of society. I am still now firmly of opinion of the benefits which would result to the public, were the Legislature to interfere, and take all the male bastard children, after seven years old, to educate for the army, navy, and dock-yards-considerable as the ex pense would be in the first instance, yet this would be lessened by the great saving which would be made in the bounties and other expenses incidental to the recruiting service. But what would the expenditure of any moderate sum be, in comparison to the effect produced on our national morals. To have this desirable object carried into execution, I should be glad, if by no other means, to see a part of the expense born by the parishes; or in exempting them from this burden, to require more care and attention being paid to the education of female bastards. To the credit of the parish of Workington, they have agreed to pay for teaching the children of all the poor, over and above what is allowed; and in many instances, where the parents can maintain themselves, but are not able to educate their offspring, the parish undertakes it; the beneficial effects of which will be speedily felt. The first symptom of decay of any nation is discoverable in its morals. Apply this to the present situation of Great Britain, and who will be bold enough to say we have not much both to regret and fear. Bank |