Poor Relief Act 1795

AN ACT for the better Relief of the Poor within the several Hundreds, Towns and Districts in that Part of Great Britain called England, incorporated by divers Acts of Parliament for the Purpose of the better Maintenance and Employment of the Poor; and for enlarging the Powers of the Guardians of the Poor within the said several Hundreds, Towns and Districts, as to the Assessments to be made upon the several Parishes, Hamlets and Places within their respective Hundreds, Towns and Districts, for the Support and Maintenance of the Poor.

WHEREAS several Acts of Parliament have of late years been made and passed for the better relief and employment of the poor in particular incorporated hundreds, towns and districts within that part of Great Britain called England: And whereas certain persons described and appointed by the said several Acts are thereby empowered to assess the several parishes, hamlets and places, chargeable to the poors rate within the said several hundreds, towns or districts respectively, in such sums of money as they shall think necessary for defraying the expences of supporting and maintaining the poor within their respective hundreds, towns and districts, and for other the purposes of the said Acts, but such sums of money for which such assessments are to be made are by the said several Acts of Parliament limited so as that they may not exceed a certain sum in any one year, which sum was calculated upon an average of the amount of the poors rates in each parish respectively for a certain number of years previous to the passing of the respective incorporating Acts: And whereas by reason of the late very great increase of the price of corn and other necessary articles of life the amount of the rates and assessments so limited by the said several Acts of Parliament are become insufficient for the necessary relief and maintenance of the poor, who have also of late greatly increased in number: And whereas in many incorporated hundreds, towns and districts, the expence of maintaining the poor since the first day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five has exceeded the whole amount of the rates which could be raised in the present year within those hundreds, towns and districts, under their respective incorporating Acts, whereby considerable debts have on that account been incurred by the guardians of the poor of those hundreds, towns and districts; and it is therefore become necessary and expedient that the powers of the several persons to whom is committed by the said several Acts of Parliament the duty of appointing the sums to be assessed on the several parishes, hamlets and places, within their respective hundreds, towns and districts, should be enlarged: May it therefore please your Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that from and after the passing of this Act it shall and may be lawful for the directors and acting guardians of the poor within any hundred, town or district, in that part of Great Britain called England, incorporated by any Act of Parliament for the relief or maintenance and employment of the poor, or for any other persons, by whatsoever name they are called or described, to whom is given by any such incorporating Act the power of appointing the sum or sums to be assessed on the several parishes, hamlets or places, within their respective hundreds, towns or districts, for the maintenance of the poor, and other the purposes of such act, at any of their annual, quarterly or other general meetings, whenever the average price of wheat at the corn market in Mark Lane, London, for the quarter immediately preceding such annual, quarterly or other general meeting, shall have exceeded the average price of wheat at the same market during those years from which the average amount of the poors rate was taken upon the passing of the several incorporating Acts respectively, to assess the several parishes, hamlets and places, within their respective hundreds, towns or districts, which now are or usually have been charged to the poors rates in such respective sums of money as the said directors and acting guardians or such other persons as aforesaid shall think necessary for defraying the expences attending the support and maintenance of the poor for the current quarter, and for paying the interest of the money borrowed and due by virtue of the said respective Acts, and of any debts which may have been incurred since the first day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five in the maintenance of the poor, and for other the purposes of the said Acts, notwithstanding such sums of money so to be assessed should exceed the amount of the assessments limited by such respective Acts of Parliament to be assessed on the respective parishes, hamlets and places, within such incorporated hundreds, towns or districts, in any one year: Provided always, that the sums to be assessed and the assessments to be made by virtue of this Act in each respective incorporated hundred, town or district, shall be assessed, made, collected and paid in the same manner, and subject to the same restrictions, regulations, limitations and powers of appeal, and with the like powers and remedies for compelling payment thereof, as the sums to be assessed and the assessments to be made by virtue of the several incorporating Acts are by those respective Acts directed to be assessed, collected and made within the several hundreds, towns and districts, respectively incorporated by those Acts: Provided also, that the sums to be assessed by virtue of this Act upon any parish, hamlet or place shall be in the same rates and proportions as the assessments which have hitherto been made and levied by virtue of the said Act or Acts incorporating the several hundreds, towns or districts, in which such parishes, hamlets or places are respectively situated.