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Remuneration for Pauper 1862

The Petition of the Overseers of the Poor for the Parish of Chipman praying to be reimbursed certain expenses incurred in saving the life of and supporting an unfortunate pauper from another country.

To His Excellency to Honourable Arthur Hamilton Gordon, Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of the Province of New Brunswick &c. &c. &c.

To the Honourable the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly in Session Convened.

The Petition of the overseers of Poor in the Parish of Chipman in the County of Queens Humbly Showeth that whereas a poor distressed Frozen Stranger a native of Poland as nearly as can be understood was picked up in the wilderness near Cain’s River Supposed to be in the County of Northumberland, by a Lumbering Party, in the winter of ’61 and by when brought into the Parish of Chipman aforesaid, and left at the House of Mr. George Benisson’s one of the overseers of Poor of Said Parish. – They, the overseers in Humanity to their fellow Creature, Notwithstanding he not being found in the Parish of Chipman, nor yet belonging thereto, took cognisance of the Stranger’s Case and Sent him under the Care of a Doctor, and in time to save his life both his legs had to be amputated. The Cost of Boarding, Nursing and Doctoring, while under the Doctor’s Hands Amounts to a large figure –

And also when cured of his maladies returned him legless and helpless into Chipman again, as if he had or could have any claim whatsoever on Chipman anymore than on any other Parish in the Province; now he is a heavy Charge on Said parish, the inhabitants of which feel Dissatisfied that they have to support a man, whose maladies did not happen in their Parish now was he picked up there. A man who was picked up many miles from them and by misadventure imposed on them Frozen and Decripped, a Stranger, a Foreigner, whose language the People cannot understand.

They; the inhabitants think, as every just Honest, and Humane People, ought of should think, that they ought to be assessed in taking Care of Said Individual. And that, by the Legislature of this Province. We the overseers of Poor of Said Parish do in the name of the Parishioners of Said Parish, Solicit your Honourable Body to Grant Fifty or Even Forty Pounds in aid of the taxes which the Inhabitants of Said Parish have to pay to Support the aforesaid Individual, and by so doing as in Duty Bound will ever pray. –

John McGrigger
George Bennison
John O’Leary
(Overseers of Poor in Chipman)