Catalogue description Folios 21-22. Draft letter from the Poor Law Commission, to George Dipple, Auditor of...

Folios 21-22. Draft letter from the Poor Law Commission, to George Dipple, Auditor of the Bromsgrove Poor Law Union, returning the documents as requested but saying that without receiving the opinion of the attorney and solicitor general on the case they were unable to do more than refer them to the latest decision of the courts in Reg v Touch. The principle of the decision appeared to be that the overseers have the right to litigate every case at the expense of the parish. However, Justice Coleridge had declared that the right to have their defence costs allowed them from the parish funds depends on the circumstances of each case and the magistrates that dealt with the case were fit to decide. This is equally the position of the auditor who has the same power as the justices in regard to the allowance or disallowance of expenditure. Thus Dipple must decide in the present case whether the overseers of Belbroughton exercised discretion in respect of the appeal as to entitle them to the costs of the appeal.

Paper Number: 1655/B/1843.

Poor Law Union Number 526.

Counties: Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.