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181
ships Commands on Thursday last, that he with his Patrons
Church Wardens Mr. John Abington, and Mr. Stephen Cossor
together with Joseph Moser Esq, Mr. Bray and Mr. John
Cartwright had Audience of the Council, Lord Hawksbury one
of the Lords of the Council being in the Chair. Their Lordships
lamented the high Price of Corn—produced a Plan from
St. James's Parish which that Parish had adopted for the
benefit of their Poor by selling them Bread at a lower price
paying the difference out of the Poors Rate—submitted that the
same Plan or some other should be adopted in these Parishes
that they had sent this Plan to the City of London, who meant
to adopt it; that Government had at present a Stock of Foreign
Corn which they distribute to the Public moderately but that
they expect no more and that therefore they would wish that
the Gentlemen of these Vestries would not only use bread
made of wheat and other mixture of Grain themselves, but
Recommend the use thereof to the Inhabitants of these Parishes
That there was a jealouscy in the Country People respecting
the Farmers sending their Wheat and Flour to Town and they
Eating Bread made of Barley and Rye consequently less Wheat
would be sent to this Town.
The Vestries taking into due Consideration the Report of the Committee
of their Lordships Address to them.
Resolved—
That these United Parishes, from their local situation are at all
times, more especially in time of war exposed to very great
additional Parochial expenses, by the families of soldiers from
all parts of the three Kingdoms, being unavoidably imposed
upon them, many of whose parochial settlements cannot be
ascertained, and those which are so, being at such a distance,
either in Ireland, Scotland, or the farther parts of England,
that the expense of passing them home exceeds the temporal
inconveniency of maintaining them in Westminster.
That the Poors Rates of these Parishes are therefore very burdensome
to the Inhabitants.
That great as they are, though economy has been used to its
utmost extent, the Parishes have been obliged to Borrow a
large Sum of Money for the extraordinary Expenses of last
year, and shall be under a similar necessity of doing the same
this year.
That therefore the Vestries, though they anxiously wish as loyal
subjects and philanthropic Members of Society, to do everything
in their Power for the quiet of the State and the Relief
of Indigence yet they conceive these Parishes unable to do
what other Parishes, whose situations are less exposed can
easily accomplish.
That though the more opulent Inhabitants have generally followed
in their respective Families the advice of their Lordships and