67. As to _the poor_, the parishes continue to be _in two_; so that I am to be considered as speaking of the parish of UPHUSBAND only. You are aware, that, amongst the last of the acts of the famous JUBILEE-REIGN, was an act to enable parishes to establish SELECT VESTRIES; and one of these vestries now exists in this parish. And now, let me explain to you the nature and tendency of this Jubilee-Act. Before this Act was passed, _overseers of the poor had full authority to grant relief at their discretion_. Pray mark that. Then again, before this Act was passed, _any one justice of the peace might, on complaint of any poor person, order relief_. Mark that. A select vestry is _to consist of the most considerable rate-payers_. Mark that. Then, mark these things: this Jubilee-Act _forbids the overseer to grant any relief other than such as shall be ordered by the select vestry_: it forbids ONE _justice_ to order relief, in any case, except in a case of _emergency:_ it forbids MORE THAN ONE to order relief, except _on oath_ that the complainant has _applied to the select vestry_ (where there is one,) and has been refused relief by it; and that, in no case, the justice's order _shall be for more than a month_; and, moreover, that when a poor person shall appeal to justices from a select vestry, the justices, in ordering relief, or refusing, shall have "_regard to the conduct and_ CHARACTER _of the applicant_!" 68. From this Act, one would imagine, that _overseers_ and _justices_ were looked upon as being too _soft_ and _yielding_ a nature; _too good, too charitable, too liberal_ to the poor! In order that the select vestry may have an agent suited to the purposes that the Act _manifestly has in view_, the Act authorizes the select vestry to appoint what is called an "_assistant overseer_," and to _give him a salary out of the poor-rates_. Such is this Jubilee-Act, one of the last Acts of the Jubilee-reign, that reign, which gave birth to the American war, to Pitt, to Perceval, Ellenborough, Sidmouth, and Castlereagh, to a thousand millions of taxes and another thousand millions of debt: such is the Select Vestry Act; and this now little trifling village of UPHUSBAND _has a Select-Vestry_! Aye, and an "ASSISTANT OVERSEER," too, with a _salary_ of FIFTY POUNDS A YEAR, being, as you will presently see, about a SEVENTH PART OF THE WHOLE OF THE EXPENDITURE ON THE POOR! 69. The Overseers make out and cause to be _printed_ and _published_, at the end of every _four weeks_, an account of the disbursements. I have one of these accounts now before me; and I insert it here, word for word, as follows:-- 70. "The disbursements of Mr. T. Child and Mr. C. Church, bread at 1_s._ 2_d._ per gallon. Sept. 25th, 1826. WIDOWS.