ABSTRACT
THE office and duties of the Commissioners had been limited in continuance to five years. This fact was productive of many unfortunate results. Towards the expiration of this period agitation redoubled, in the hope that the policy of the new law would be abandoned in deference to popular clamour. The Act was renewed for one year in the session of 1839, and in obedience to the request of the Home Secretary, Lord John Russell, the Commissioners prepared a Report on the Continuance of the Poor Law Commissioners, and on some further Amendments of the Laws relating to the Relief of the Poor. This is addressed to the Marquis of Normanby, who in that year succeeded Lord John Russell at the Home Office, and is dated 31st December 1839. The ~ttention of the Commissioners was specially directed by the minister to the report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons (Mr. 'Walter's committee), and their observations thereon were specially invited. Consideration of this document, the most important issued
by the Commissioners, was naturally postponed by the several temporary renewals of the Commissioners' authority. It demanded and received a fuller attention when the continuance of the Central Board was proposed and carried for another term of five years. It seems therefore the more convenient {lourse to consider its argument and recommendations here rather than at an earlier point of our narrative.
