ABSTRACT
THE war with France, in which a brief pause had been effected through the Treaty of Amiens at the end of 1801, again raged with greater inveteracy than before. The country was alarmed by threats of invasion, for defence against which it had, in a great measure, to rely upon the militia, and an Act was passed "for consoli-1803. d t . d d' h l l ·a· l' f43Geo.III. a mg an amen mg t e severa aws prov1 mg re Ie cap. 47. for the families of militiamen when called into actual service." The preamble declares it to be expedient hat the provisions in previous Acts relating to the subject should be consolidated and amended ; and it is then Families
d h h ·1· · h 11 b 11 d · ofmilitia-enacte , t at w en a m1 1tmman s a e ca e out mto men to be actual service, leaving a wife and family unable to ~~f~~~h~ support themselves, the overseers of the poor of the poor-rates. parish where they reside shall (subject to an order of a justice of the peace) "pay weekly to the wife, and to
each of the children of every such non-commissioned officer, drummer, balloted-man, substitute, hired man, or volunteer respectively, out of the poor-rates," an allowance equal to the ordinary price of one day's husbandry labour in the district; but the allowance is never to be less than one shilling, and if there be not money sufficient in the hands of the overseers, a new rate is to be made for the purpose. The families are moreover exempted from removal, neither are they to be sent to the workhouse, and the men are not to lose their legal settlements nor their right of voting. But in any case where a man has a wife and more than three children to be provided for, the overseers are empowered to procure another fit and proper man, having no family, to serve in his stead.
