Sussex Advertiser - Tuesday 27 December 1842

CUCKFIELD.

A meeting which was convened by the Rev. Mr. Maberly, vicar of this place, was held at the Talbot Inn, on Friday, the 16th instant, to consider the best means of finding employment for the poor.

The meeting was thinly attended, as such meetings very often are at Cuckfield, but the gentlemen and few farmers who were present passed the following resolutions, in order that the labourers in the parish might be kept employed, rather than become chargeable to the union :

1.- "That it is the opinion of this meeting that the most effective relief which can be offered to the poor, is the giving them employment."

2.-"That with a view to giving such employment a plan shall be drawn up, to be submitted to the parishioners based on the following principles" :—

1st. "That farmers should undertake to employ men on their land in certain proportion to their rates."

2nd. "That townsmen and other rate payers, not occupying land, should submit to a voluntary rate to be expended in improvements for the general benefit."

3rd. "That landlords be applied to in the name of the meeting to share in the expense improvements made on their lands."

4th. ''.That a committee be appointed of the following gentlemen, with power to draw out the details of such a plan, and to obtain the consent of as many of their fellow-parishioners as possible, it being understood that the proportion of the farmers should not be above one man for three months for every £40 of rateable value, and that the rate of the townsmen should not exceed 6d. in the £. Names of the committee : —Rev. T. Astley Maberly, Mr. Best, Rev. Henry Fearon, Mr. Stephen Wood, Captain Preston, R. N., Mr. W. Francis, G. Harrington, Esq., and Mr. Thos. Turner."

5th. That this meeting be adjourned to Friday, the 13rd instant, at two o'clock.''