At the Poor-Law Conference for Lancashire and Cheshire, held at
Chester on Saturday, the problem of vagrancy was dealt with. The general result of the discussion was in favour of sifting the professional vagrant from the honest tramp, of punishing the former in " a house of industry," and of making the labour exacted from the latter more elastic, and, if possible, to some extent remunerative. One of the speakers, Mr. Moore, in condemning the giving of money to tramps, expressed his regret " that those who gave alms at the door could not visit some of the common lodging-houses in the evenings, as he had done, and see the tramps cooking their beef-steaks and mutton-chops, living on much better fare than those who had relieved' them." A strong resolu- tion was ultimately passed in favour of making the treatment of vagrants in the various Unions uniform in character. The Conference also passed a resolution against the immigra- tion of aliens likely to become chargeable on the rates,—a reasonable proposal enough.
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