http://www.archive.org/cletails/extractsfrominfoOOgrearich ' s>\ rh ^liiiuersilo of ^alifffjjiiia* JVo. ^^M/f Division Range Shelf Received 187^ ■ DOCUMENTS DEPT. EXTRACTS FROM THK INFORMATION RECEIVED BY HIS MAJESTY'S COMMISSIONERS, AS TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION POOR-LAWS O O "Y" ; -^ LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD-STREET. For Hit Majesty's Stationery Office. 1837. I f^/7 ^A\ 3l TO THE j RIGHT HON. LORD VISCOUNT MELBOURNE, His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, My Lord, On the receipt of the letter with which we were honoured by your Lordship, " requesting us to transmit, in detail, the information which we have received as to the administration and operation of the poor-laws, in some of the parishes in which those laws have been ad- ministered in various modes, and particularly any returns to our inquiries, which show the results of the various modes adopted in those parishes/' we applied to the gentlemen who have had the kindness to act as our assistant commissioners, and requested them to furnish us with such extracts from the evidence collected by them as they thought most instructive. The following pages contain answers to our applications, and we have appended to them a copy of the instructions given by us to the assistant commissioners at the commencement of their inquiries, in order to show the specific points to which their attention was directed. The length to which this collection has extended is much greater than we at first expected it to be. But it appeared to us, on consideration, that evidence, from which any practical conclusions could be drawn, must consist of many instances spread over a considerable extent of country. The modes in which the poor-laws are administered, the motives to their mal-administra- tion, and the results of each form of mal-administration, VI are so numerous and so diversified, that a complete statement of them, even without comment, would fill a much larger volume than that which we now present to your Lordship. We believe^ however, that this volume, though a small portion of the evidence which we are preparing to report to His Majesty, contains more information on the subject to which it relates than has ever yet been aflforded to the country. The most important, and certainly the most painful parts of its contents are, — the proof that the mal-administration, which was supposed to be principally confined to some of the agricultural districts, appears to have spread over almost every part of the country, and into the manufacturing towns — the proof that actual intimidation, directed against those who are, or are supposed to be unfavourable to profuse relief, is one of the most extensive sources of mal-administration, — and the proof that the evil, though checked in some places by extra- ordinary energy and talents, is, on the whole, steadily and rapidly progressive. We have the honour to be. My Lord, Your Lordship's obedient Servants, C. J. London. J. B. Chester. W. Sturges Bourne. Nassau W. Senior. Henry Bishop. Henry Gawler. W. CoULSON. Poor-Law Commissmt, IWi March, 1833. TABLE OF CONTENTS. I. — Report from Ashiirst Majendie, Esq., Assistant Commissioner, — Kent, Sussex, Essex .... 1 II. — Answers to Queries, by G. Courthope, Esq., J. P. — Ticehurst, Sussex . . . , . .42 III. — Report from C. H. Maclean, Esq., Assistant Commissioner — Surrey, Sussex . . . . 61 IV. — Evidence taken by Messrs. Wrottesley and Cameron, As- sistant Commissioners, and Remarks — Bucks . 77 V. — Cholesbury, Bucks — Communications from Rev. H. Jeston, on the state of that parish *. . . 86 VI. — Report from D. O. P. Okeden, Esq., Assistant Commissioner —Dorset, Wilts, Oxon. ... 96 VII. — Report from the Rev. H. Bishop, Commissioner — City of Oxford ..... 112 VIII. — Report from Alfred Power, Esq., Assistant Commissioner — Cambridgeshire ' . . . ,125 IX. — Report from Henry Stuart, Esq., Assistant Commissioner — Suffolk ..... 140 X. — Report from C. P. Villiers, Esq., Assistant Commissioner — Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Devon- shire « . • • • lis XI. — Report from John Wilson, Esq., Assistant Commissioner — Durham ..... 169 XII. — Report from Messrs. H. & R. Pilkington, Assistant Com- missioners, on Leicestershire and Derbyshire , 183 XIII. — Report from D. C. Moylan, Esq., Assistant Commissioner —Staffordshire . . . . 195 XIV. — Report from E. Chadwick, Esq., Assistant Commissioner — London and Berkshire , . • * 201 Vlll Page XV. — Report from G. Henderson, Esq., Assistant Commissioner — Lancashire .... 339 XVI. — Report from J. W. Cowell, Esq., Assistant Commissioner — Cambridgeshire, Nottinghamshire, Norfolk, Lincoln- shire ..... 372 XVn. — Report from Captain Pringle, R. E., Assistant Commis- sioner — Cumberland .... 399 XVIIL — Report from E. C. Tufnell, Esq., Assistant Commis- sioner — Haddingtonshire, Scotland . . 406 APPENDIX. XIX. — Instructions of the Board to the Assistant Commissioners 411 XX. — Queries issued by the Commissioners : — For Rural Districts . . . . 426, 427 Town Queries ..... 429 INDEX. ACCOUNTS. Method of keeping, very confused, 3, 86, 116, 161, 179, 187, 191 Confused state of, covers gross frauds, 3, 98 State of, shows the necessity for some general superintending authority, 199 ALLOTMENTS of LAND. Terms upon which usually made, 39, 97 Frequently refused for fear of losing parish allowance, 36, 37 Small gardens for the occupation of after-hours morally good, 41 Ultimate consequence of, to parishes, shown in a great increase of poor-rate, 131 Instructions from the Board to the Assista7it Commissioners resped- ingy 424 ALLOWANCE. Amount of, given. Number receiving, pages 104, 109, 110, 168, 186,— Cumberland, 403 Scale of, to able-bodied according to number of children, exhibiting the inducement to improvident marriages, 2, 9, 65, 78, 82, 127, 132, 141,143, 189, 374,— m manufacturing districts, 170, 171, 172, 173, 340, 357 Much greater to able-bodied than to aged and infirm, 15, 16 Great partiality in awarding, 113, 162 Cost of keeping in workhouse given as, 74 To paupers greater than the earnings of industrious and independent labourers, 14, 149, 203, 218 Absurdity of an overseer or magistrate judging of the value of a shilling to a pauper by its value to himself, 230 Once received is ever after clung to, 85, 119 To whom given. Instructions from the Board to the Assistant Coitimissioners respect- ing, 414 Given when quite unnecessary, 27, 116, 120, 161 Persons receiving, often living extravagantly, 79, 120 Given to make up time lost by labourers, 110, 144,— to manufacturers in Durham, 172, 173 Given to labourers for getting work, 120 Given to able-bodied without work being required, 2, 63, 74, 7&, 116, 120,121,165,188 Large amounts annually received by the same individuals and families, 15, 90, 149 b X INDEX. Allowance — {Continued.) Largest portion of population of Lenhara receiving, 4 In Bucks, given to all who ask it, 77 Given without reference to character, 77, 108, 1 IG, 1 18, 120, 142, 162, 188 Receivers of, frequently thieves and prostitutes, 241, 247 Absurdity of supposing the difficulty of obtaining, causes people to com- mit crime, 247, 248 Given at Liverpool to the aged and infirm as the only proper objects ; to the young, a workhouse under tolerably strict discipline is offered, 349 Exto7'ted by violence. Has been extorted by violence and fires, 14, 15, 27, 70, 108, 13G, 144, 148, 160, 384,— in Durham, 179 Increasing since the riots, 28, 166 Demanded for second child, though unnecessary, 72 Demanded by those who have been profligate in expenditure of large previous earnings, 40, 139, ^id7 Whilst the labourers in Sussex can extort, they refuse to work, 16 Scale abolished for years reinforced by labourers, 35 Reduces the whole labouring populatioii to pauperism. Has been substituted for wages in whole parishes, the whole being made paupers instead of a few, 15, 36, 163, 167, — manufacturers in Dur- ham, 174 Induces farmers to discharge their men in order to receive them back as paupers, the parish paying part of the wages, 36, 167, — also manufacturers in Durham, 1 74 In agricultural parishes, encouraged by the farmers, as enabling them to throw a portion of their wages on the tithe owner, shopkeeper, &c., 15 Destroys the ratio between wages and work, 77, 82, 89, 167,— in Dur- ham, 173 General distribution of, prevents the degree of any redundancy of popu- lation from being ascertained, 28, 83, 167 Demoralizing effect on workmen. Invariably demoralizes the labourers, 38, 88, 149, 203, 380,— in Dur- ham, 178 Increase of, has diminished inclination to emigrate, 28 Induces the labourer to refuse allotments of land, 28 Induces extravagant habits on part of labourers, mechanics, and wea- vers, 3, 29, 229, 357,— in Durham, 171, 172, 173 Has destroyed the veracity, industry, frugality, and domestic virtues of the labourer, 15, 77, 119, 120, 123, 145, 149, 208, 393,— in Dur- ham, 171, 173, 178 Where very common, industry and morality are destroyed, vice and profligacy rapidly increase, 123 Makes labourers possessing small property desirous of dissipating it, in order to be entitled to, 79, 142, 188 System of, induces the opinion that destitution, however produced, con- stitutes a claim to be supported by the community, 80, 116, 147, 188,— in Durham, 172 Has engendered the opinion that dependence on parish is preferable to INDEX. XI Allowance— (Cowifrnwerf.) independent labour, 81, 116, 118, 120, 121, 148, 149, 188, 380, —in Durham, 178 Causes destruction of reciprocal feeling between parents and children, 84, 85, 119, 141, 161, 162, 166, 188, 362— in Durham, 175 Induces men to desert wives and children, 119, 161, 347 — in Durham, 175 Ultimately renders helpless the persons receiving, 93 Large portion of, given to paupers, spent in beer and gin shops, 229 Leads to early and improvident marriages, 3, 110, 150, 151, 381 The unquestioned title of a widow to, whatever may be her earnings, one of the inducements to early marriage, 128 Wherever given, paupers arise, and with paupers crime— instance, working of poor fund, America, 248, 249, 250 Great mischief of, in towns, 211 In Sussex, the ultimate cause of the riots and fires, 14, 26, 30, 33, 35, 36 Effects on Capital. Extent of, has reduced, and is reducing, the small rate-payers to being themselves paupers, 15, 163, 185 In the southern counties gradually destroying capital, 27 After ruining capitalists, re-acts upon labourers, in leaving them desti- tute—instance, 93 System spreading. Evils of, rapid increase of, 110, 155 The vigilance of the best select vestries and assistant overseers inade- quate to check the increasing demand for, 196, 198 Increased at Tamworth, with decreasing population, 198 All the evils of, existing, and being gradually extended, in Durham and Northumberland, 169, 170, 17i, 172 Accidental circumstances preventing a surplus population, and not superiority of poor-law management, the cause of the superior state of Durham and Northumberland, 169, 176 Ultimate evils of giving, overlooked in temporary saving compared with cost in workhouse, 83 Discontinuance of. Attempt to discontinue, in Sussex, 30 So firmly rooted in some parts as to defy every administration less than government, 27, 185 Discontinued without producing distress, 38, 99, 160, 190, 337 Discontinuance may be effected without causing distress, 150, 235, 236 Discontinuance of, has improved moral character of labourers, 38, 99, 149,160,208,267,268,337 Instructions from the Board to the Assistant Commissiofiers respect- ing, 413 BASTARDY. Great expense thereby occasioned to parishes, 98, 116, 161, 186, 189, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398 Chiefly caused in workhouses by the absence of the means for neces- sary division of the sexes, 115 Allowance for a bastard larger than for a legitimate child, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397 b 2 Xll INDEX. 'QkSTkViTiY'-iCo7itinued.) Demoralizing effects of the allowance, 122,189,241,392,395,397, 398 Great advantaire of bastard children to their mothers, under present laws of, 122, 348, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398 Perjury fostered by present laws of, 122, 393, 394, 397 Many children, instead of one child, the consequence of making the lathers and mothers of illegitimate children marry, 218 So common, that the women of the labouring classes are generally pregnant before marriage, 84, 161, 392 No moral restraint upon, as women can more easily get married when they have bastard children, by which they possess an annuity, 84, 189,394 "Women have large families of, and frequently by a variety of fathers, 161, 189, 393, 394, 395, 398, 403 Three sisters with child by same man, two of them twice, receiving allowance from the same parish, 189 Women possessing a family of, better off than the generality of married women of their class, as they receive a certain income from the parish, and have not the risk of a husband being out of work, 395, 396 In Cumberland respectable farmers when paying their poor's-rates deduct the allowance for their daughters' bastard children, the daughter and bastard residing with the father, 404 Mothers of, cannot be punished, as gaols are more agreeable and more demoralizing even than workhouses, under present system, 98 Reduced at Bingham, by refusing to interfere in collecting the money from the father, and by punishing the woman if she applied to the parish, 398 Error of the present laws, in the endeavour to punish men an induce- ment is given to women, 398 BEER-SHOPS. Frequently erected in bye-places, 100 The resort of the worst characters, 24 CHARITIES. Create pauperism, but do not relieve all they create, 180 The objects of, quickly demoralized, 85 Paupers remove to the vicinity of, 206, 284 {Vide Mr. Chadwick's report of Mr. Stone's evidence, page 283 et seq.) CLERGY. Important services rendered by, in parochial affairs,86, 87, 93,95, 100, 101, 102, 109, 110, 111, 143, 146, 389 COTTAGES. Curious mode of letting to labourers at More Crichel, 103 EMIGRATION. To Canada. 4 To United States, 29 Emigrants from Lenham, discontent on arrival out, 4 Letters from emigrants sent by the parish, announce the receipt of high wages, 4 f INDEX. XLl EMiGnA.TiON ^(Conti?nied.) Families sent out by parishes doinj^ well, 29, 145 Funds raised by parishes, 4, 29, 73 Has answered to parishes, 29 Small farmers in some parishes resorting to, 167, 168 Instructions from the Board to the Assistant Com?nissioners respect- ing, 423 EXPENDITURE. Heads of, in parishes, 22, 65, 67, 68, 71, 75, 107, 132, 138, 144, 168 FARM, PARISH. A source of loss, 107 INCORPORATIONS. The chief evils of separate management retained by, owing (o tiie in- dividual parishes continuing to themselves the distribution of out- relief, 187 Have very little control over the out-door paupers, 151 Do not therefore provide against the greatest of poor-law evils, 151 Interference, as far as it is exercised by, on out-relief, beneficial effects of, 155 As at present managed, principal object a general workhouse for a large district, 151 Frauds by individual parishes of, and consequent disagreements be- tween, solely caused by system of giving out-relief, 150 Funds of, how levied upon the separate parishes of, 155 Officers of, who, and how appointed, 151 . Ensure more efficient sets of officers, 156, 157, 207 Saving of expense effected by, as compared with unincorporated parishes, 156, 207 The evils of appeals to magistrates obviated by, 157 Forming many small parishes into, tiie only chance of efficient officers, and economical management, 207, 208 Good, as virtually extending settlement, so far as distribution of labour is concerned, 207.— (See Workhouses Incorjioration.) LABOUR-RATE. Plan of, 3, 64, 74 Apparent temporary advantage of, 72 Does little, even temporarily, to lower the rates, 73 Seldom succeeds for any length of time, 64, 74 Object of, to reach tithes, 69, 384 Operates severely upon the tithe-owner, 4 Confines each labourer to his own parish, 72 Labourers working under, do less work, 73 LABOURERS. Number generally out of employ, 3, 34, 64, 70, 74, 76, 78, 100, 383 Items forming expenditure of weekly wages, 251 Restricted as to number of days allowed to work, 66 ; weavers in Dur- ham, ditto, 173 Do not like it known that they have deposits in savings' banks, as it makes it more difijcult for them to get work, 270 XIV INDEX, Labovrers— (Continued.) If known to possess a little property, cannot get work till they have reduced themselves to pauperism, as work is reserved for those who will immediately come on the parish, 129, 271, 272, 379, 381. Demoralizing effects of preferring paupers to independent labourers who have saved money, 271 When the possibility of improving their condition by their own exer- tions ceases, (the consequence of the allowance system,) they be- come reckless and immoral, 94, 182 Made improvident by the knowledge that they can, under any circum- stances, claim from the parish, 29, 35, 40, 64, 77, 226 Will not take work in another parish if their own is a good one, for fear of losing settlement, 271 — Weavers, 368 Single paid less by farmers than married, 132 Driven to early marriage, as the farmers give their work in preference to married men, 129 Are aware that the system of allowance is a bounty upon early and improvident marriage, 236, 237. Would abstain from improvident marriages if bounties upon were withdrawn, 236, 237, 238, 240 At Swallowfield, many who are single would have married if allowance system had not been discontinued, 23 7 Table of marriages of, at Burghfield and Swallowfield, for a series of years, 238 Married secured against punishment for theft, as no one will prosecute for fear of bringing the family upon the parish rates, 380, 382 Inducement to better their condition by turnhig paupers, still more so by turning felons, exemplified by scale of food possessed by la- bourer, pauper, and felon, 261 Extremely difficult for the middle and higher classes to estimate their means of living, 234 Interference on part of gentry with domestic economy of, always pro- ductive of mischief, 250 Moral condition of, greatly improved by the discontinuance of the allowance system, 38, 99, 149, 150, 267, 268 Non-parishioners always the best workmen and most moral men, because they have virtually no parish, knowing that application for relief will ensure removal, 208, 373 Industry in, can only be encouraged by abolishing institutions which encourage idleness, 182 Whilst one portion of, in a parish are receiving allowance, the other, obtaining only the same wages, are living without it, 235 Married, in some places, do not more frequently apply for relief than the single, even when the former obtain only the same wages as the latter, 235 MAGISTRATES. Effects of their interference with parochial authorities, 4, 29, 98, 101» 108, 118, 119, 120, 121, 123, 125, 126,150, 160, 162, 166, 203, 204, 262,373,374,375, 376 Scale of allowance ordered by, in Sussex, 74 Sometimes affect the honour of the poor man's friend, 98, 377 In the fear of appeal being made to, overseers act contrary to their conviction, 101 Ignorance of, as to the affairs of the labourers to whom they award relief, 204, 230, 233, 234 INDEX. XV Magistrates — {Continued.) When appealed to, seldom have as good evidence to determine the propriety of relief as the overseer, 262, 264, 265, 267 By their measures, demoralize the labourers, 98, 160, 204, 373, 377 Where appeal resorted to, rates much higher, and poor worse managed, 101, 125, 166, 373 Advantages of non-interference by, with parish authorities, 99, 106, 266 Owina: to the infrequency of appeal to, labourers in towns more indus- trious and less vicious than in rural districts, HI Some admit the evils arising from appeal, 126, 127, 128 Some willing to concur with Government to arrest the growing evil of pauperism, 110, 262 Appeal to, prevented by refusing relief out of the workhouse, 158, 160, 188,357 Instructions from the Board to the Assistant Commissioners respect- ing, A2Q OVERSEERS and PAROCHIAL OFFICERS. To prevent appeal, relieve improper persons, contrary to their own judg- ments, 83, 121, 188— in Durham, 173 Frequently well-intentioned but mischievous compassion for paupers, 115, 204,368 In general too leniently inclined towards paupers, 215, — In Durham, 173 Constantly imposed upon by paupers, 114 Mostly ignorant of the ways and habits of the working classes, 229 Ignorance of, as to the affairs of the labouring classes, 230, 233, 234 Frequently give allowance to relatives of persons well off, 84, 120 If tradesmen, afraid of injury in their trades by opposing magistrates, or offending paupers, 204 Grant to undeserving through ignorance and private interest, 210 Persons of respectable appearance, from the facility in towns, apply for rehef, and defraud, 213 Afraid to refuse the demands of the paupers, 3, 210 Being possessors of property in the district for which they act, dare not, for fear of fires and breaking machinery, do their duty — strong instances of, 137, 138, 139, 142, 384 Unfit persons often appointed, 113, 199 Confine supply of workhouse to the parish, though at much higher rates, lor the benefit of their fellow-tradesmen, 219, 222, 224 Frequent change of, detrimental to good management, causing it to be unsteady, 81, 112, 113, 187, 199 Great inconvenience of a large body of, 114 Unpaid naturally give up the minimum of their time to parish affairs, 126, 199 Unjust to compel a man to give up valuable time for an unpaid and disgusting public duty, the only reward for which is either a broken head or the chance of being burnt in his bed, 380 Evil consequences of security not being exacted from, 113, 401 Advantage of permanent officers, 160, 346 Instructions from the Board to the Assistant Commissioners respect- ing, A\^ OVERSEER, ASSISTANT, paid. Salary of, 3, 74, n, 98, 121 XVI INDEX. Overseer, Assistant, paid— (Cow^mwec?.) Duties of, 74 The whole management of parochial affairs sometimes intrusted to, 140 Affairs of parishes possessing, the best managed, 154, IGO Should not, previous to appointment, have possessed any acquaintances in the district, 190 Obnoxious to paupers, 26, — in Durham, 179 One object of the Sussex rioters, 26, 30, 33, 34 In Sussex, for fear of paupers, dare not act as beneficial for the parish, 27 Appointed in some parishes for collecting the rates, as from them secu- rity can be exacted, which the ordinary overseer will not give, 401 Instructions from the Board to the Assistant Commissioners respect- ing, 418 PARISHES. Under present system of out-door allowance to able-bodied, management of, depends wholly upon the administrator, 14, 38, 103-, 115, 126 To secure good management of, under present system of out-door relief, men of extraordinary talents and energy requisite, 38, 102, 115, 147, 164,282, 369 Under present system, good management of, can be ensured only by an annual succession of 14,600 extraordinary men, 282 Good management of, under present system, after every attempt at checking the growing evil of out-relief, despaired of, 133 Great superiority of management in large over that in small, 311 When small, imjjossible to obtain good management in, 88, 207, 310, 315,318 Junction of small, desirable, 95 Men of capital will not contract for small, 309, 310 Good management despaired of, except under Government supervi- sion, 16, 187 Government control the only hope of eradicating the allowance sysfcm in South of England, 27 PAUPERS. Generally worthless and profligate, 149, 181, 203, 218, 266 Mostly made so by improvidence and vice, 121, 181, 218 The chief receivers of donations from charitable institutions and chari- table ladies on whom they impose, 205, 219 Receiving allowance frequently, much better off than soldiers, 258 Generally made so by vicious habits, and not by unavoidable causes, 114, 121, 226, 247, 320, 357, 366,— in Durham, 181 Made by lying-in hospitals, soup-kitchens, blanket societies, and per- manent charities, 180 Give higher rents for a house in a "good parish," 122 List of, at Eastbourne, 1 7 Out-door, character of, in towns, 119, 120, 257, 258 Out-door, in agricultural parishes, 209 The originators of riots and fires in Sussex, 35 In Sussex dictate to the parish authorities, 35 In Sussex looked upon an incendiary who had been hanged as a mar- tyr, exhibited hira in his coffin, and subscribed for his family, 27 In some parishes amass of dissatisfaction, turbulence, and demoraliza- tion, 108 INDEX. xvii Paupers — {Continued.) Frauds on parishes committed by, 162, 263, 264, 265, S'JO Constant and intricate frauds by out-door, 210, 211, 214 In London receive allowance from several parishes at same time, 214, 257 Aid each other in imposing upon magistrates and parish authorities, 263 Drive others to receive allowance, 213, 214, 379 Out-door, in towns, impossibility of ascertaining whether they have work, 1G6, 211, 212 Will not take work out of their own parishes, 1 67 Prefer 6-y. per week from parish without work, to 9?. from farmer with work, 209 Number of, employed on roads and gravel-pits, &c., 2, 39, 40, 61, 63, 70, 76,87, 100, 132 Demoralizing effects of employing on roads, 69 Employed on farms taken by parish, 74, 105, 139 Disimprove rapidly both in skill and morals, 88 Scale of parish wages for. frequently according to number of children, 61, 63, 66, 70, 72, 74,82, 202 Married allowed higher wages than single, 63, 202 Married out of employ increase, ^"i Work of, does not repay the expense of tools and machinery, 2, 65, 121, 132,139,316,317 When they know their parish cannot find work, apply for relief, 210 Very small number remain on their parish when real work has been given, 139, 150, 181, 209, 210, 346, 350 Continue, from generation to generation, raising families on parish allowance, 204, 218, 220, 226, 358 Many now on parish might have been provided out of wages in youth, 226 So indolent and little trust -w^orthy, that employers prefer labourers from other parishes, even at higher wages, 208, 220, 373 Know accurately the allowance of food in each workhouse and each prison within their district, and try to enter where the largest and best is given, 257, 258 In workhouses fare luxuriously, compared with the labourer of Ireland or Scotland, 260 Do not like, and frequently refuse, rehef in kind, 215 Cheap support of, a secondary object ; the primary object, deterring others from becoming, 182 Will not enter a well-conducted workhouse, 159, 205 PAUPERISM. Rapid increase of, 182, 187, 188, 380 Like small-pox, unless watched, quickly overruns a parish, 182 Rapid increase of at Cholesbury — reaction upon paupers, in leaving them destitute, 87; at Royston, 380 ; at Great Shalford, 384 When it reaches the point at which the rental is consumed, cultivation ceases — instance, 87 Temptation to, under present system, can only be estimated by an ac- curate acquaintance with the condition of independent working people, 226 Resisting the rapid increase of, must not be left to local palliatives, but must be ensured by the enforcement of a general and vigorous system, 195, 380 XVm INDEX. POLICE. Who compose in rural districts, 25, 29, 187 How elected in rural districts, 25, 29 Village constable equal to suppression of a village quarrel, but useless against a mob, 25 In rural districts inadequate to protection of property, 3, 63 All classes in Sussex and Essex exclaim against present inefficiency of, 25, 36 Violence of paupers cannot be resisted without the improvement of, 25 Farmers and others afraid to act against the paupers, fearing the destruction of their properties by tire, 25, 29, 187 Instructions from the Board to the Assistant Commissioners respect- ing, 425 POOR-LAWS, as at present administered. Opinion in Cambridgeshire seems to be in favour of a thorough change of system, 127 A check to industry, a reward for improvident marriages, a stimulant to population, and a blind to its effects on wages. See scale to able-bodied, 2, 66, 78, 82, 127, 132, 143, 189— in Durham, 177, 179 Have become a national institution for discountenancing the indus- trious and honest, and for protecting the idle, the improvident, and the vicious, 14, 27, 40, 74, 17, 79, 108, 116, 119, 120, 121, 149, 161, 162, 165, 188, 218, 241, 247 The destroyer of filial, parental, and conjugal affection, 84, 85, 116, 119, 161, 162, 166— in Durham, 175 A system for prevehiting the accumulation of capital, for destroying that which exists, and for reducing the rate-payer to pauperism, 15, 27,93,94,163 A premium for illegitimate children, exhibited in the allowance for illegitimate as compared with that for legitimate, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397 PRISON DISCIPLINE. State of, renders the administration of the poor-laws very difficult, 241, 245, 246, 255, 256 In present state of, paupers like to be committed, 241, 243, 244 RATES. Rapid increase of, 117, 127, 184, 196, 198 Increase greater than increase of population, 70, 89, 130 27*. in the pound at rack-rent, 74 35*., per head on the whole population of the parish, 70 45*., „ „ „ „ 67 62*., ,, „ „ „ 7o Rapidity with which, after a certain point, they force land out of culti- vation, 87, 132, 135 Pressure of, keeps land out of cultivation, 2, 74, 167 Weight of, causes farmers to refuse work to labourers who have saved a little property, in order that employment may be reserved for those men who have made themselves paupers, 80 Used as an engine against tithes, 31, 35 Tithes abandoned at Cholesbury on account of, 87 In aid from surrounding parishes by Cholesbury, that parish having become ruined by pauperism, 86 ^ INDEX. XIX Rate s — ( Continued.) In aid unfairly levied on the parish which may, by good management, have kept the most free from pauperism, 95 Unequal assessment of, 162, 167 Remitted on labourers' dwellings, 105 Many payers of, worse off than the generality of paupers, 319 In some cases, payers of keep up the practice of out-allowance from a feeling that they shall shortly require such aid for themselves, 145 Difficulty of collecting, 123, 167 Increase of, will continue unless some fundamental change takes place in management of poor, 117 Abohshed atDirleton in Scotland, and voluntary contributions, to an equal amount, substituted, by which the insolence of the pauper has been converted into the cringing of the beggar, 406 — 410 Instructions from the Board to the Assistant Commissioners respect- ing, 421 RENTS OF LABOURERS' DWELLINGS. Paid both by agricultural and manufacturing parishes, 14, 16, 66, 72, 75, 97, 147— in Durham, 170, 179 Payment o, depends on the number of children, 74 In some parishes paid for every labourer, 76, 83 Better order of the working classes have difficulty in getting houses, as landlords prefer those who are receiving relief from the parish, and have thus a fixed income, 401 RIOTS, in Sussex. Causes of, 30 At Brede, history of, 32 ^_ At Northiam, 35 ROUNDSMEN. Failure of system, 64, 70, 128 The worst workmen, 109 System in operation in Durham, 177, 178, 179 SURGEON. Salary of, 3, 39, 63, 65, 70, 72, 74 SELECT VESTRY. (See Vestry.) SETTLEMENT. Prevents the distribution of labour according to demand, 269 Effect of, as restricting the labourer to his parish, to place him in the condition of the serf, 271 Great evil arising from, when the failure of a factory suddenly throws a large body of people on a small and poor parish, 176, 368, 370 Causes continual vexation and great expense for removals, 177 Immorality both in the rate-payer and in the pauper caused by the endeavours of the one to prevent, and of the other to gain, 178, 347, 368 By apprenticeship the cause of great injustice to parishes in a seaport, or containing manufactories, 186, 198, 354 Instructions from the Board to the Assistant Commissioners respect' ingt 422 XX IKDEX. TITHE. Has prevented an increased demand for labour, and, consequently, reduced wages, 35, 130, 131, 135 Antipathy to, has caused farmers to throw the labourers on the parish in order to make the tithe bear a portion of the wages, 69 VESTRIES, OPEN. Generally very ill attended, 141, 199 Frequently attended only by a set of men who have jobbing in view, 224 Small tradesmen in towns behave offensively at, in order to deter large rate-payers from attending, 224 Jnsti-uctions from the Board to the Assistant Commissioners respect' ingy 419 VESTRIES, SELECT. Effectsof good, 37 Parochial expenditure materially reduced by, 345, 370, 400 Not so liable to misconduct as open or self-elected, 190, 199, 224 Misunderstanding of the term " select," for *' self-elected," has exten- sively prevented the use of, 117, 223 Difficulty of procuring attendance of, in disturbed districts, 3, 66 Refused to act for fear of becoming odious to the labourers, 70 Disagreeable to the paupers, because parish affairs better administered by, 190 Instructions from the Board to the Assistant Commissioners respect^ ing, 419 WORKHOUSE. Who inmates of under present system. General inmates of, the aged and infirm — the only fit persons for out- relief, 61, 63, 97, 104, 107, 196, 364 As at present conducted in towns, frequently the refuge of thieves, 117, 242, 244 Diet ajid Work generally given under present system. Difficulty of finding employment for able-bodied inmates of, 114, 186 Sort of work given to able-bodied inmates, 104 Manufactures in, mostly carried on at a great loss, 28 At what rate farmed, 61, 63, 69 Expense per head in, 98, 104, 107, 163, 165, 186, 194, 353, 401, 402 Persons in, fare much better, and work much less than hardworking independent labourers, 115, 163, 216, 228, 402 Persons in, better off than a large portion of the rate-payers, 217, 227, 402 Good diet on first entering makes paupers* ill, 217 Masters of, in different parishes, vie with each other in feeding the in- mates, 220 Ale allowed to inmates of, 220 Extravagant Ibod of, both as to quantity and quality, 221 Periodical leasts given to young able-bodied paupers in, 228 Sixty-two paupers in one allowed as much as 738 independent labour ers can procure, 253, 254 Diet in the worst; better than the fare of the independent labourer, 25 INDE2f. XXI Workhouse. — Cotitinued.) Children in, absurdly allowed as much food as a man, 254 Diet of, overseers negligent in the suppression of extravagant, 254 Mischievous interference by visitors and guardians, in ordering higher diet, 314 Children brought up in, under present system. Children brought up in, cannot bear work, and worse feeding in ser- vice ; and, therefore, return, 245, 367 Girls bred up in, will not remain in service, owing to being worse fed and harder worked, 220 Feeding and clothing of children in, being better than that possessed by the children of independent labourers, working-men are induced to desert their children, 403 Persons bred up in, obtain gluttonous habits, 254 Effect of present management on morals of the tcorkmg classes. Discipline of the present very bad, 161 Kidderminster paupers in, dispose of part of food, to enable them to in- dulge in the ale-house, 163 Good feeding and little work in, tempts the labourer to become a pauper, 227 Present mode of conducting, offers a reward to idleness and vice, 116 Under present system, looked upon as desirable ; and, consequently, never guarded against by provident habit, 115, 227 Labourers, when once driven in, by unavoidable circumstances, cannot, without great difficulty, be induced to live out of, as at present conducted, 227, 228, 315, 319, 350 Want of separation of sexes and characters, immoral consequences of, 242 Paupers in, increase their numbers, 164, 358, 402 Effects, in checking pauperism, of invariably taking able" bodied applicants into, ivhen well-conducted. Effects of good, even under tolerable management, 14, 246 Refusing relief out of a well-regulated, good effects of, 39, 153, 188, 190, 191, 193, 194, 205, 347 Well managed, the means of redeeming a pauperized parish, 159, 188, 190, 191, 193, 194 Regularity of well-conducted, extremely irksome, 217 Order, regularity, cleanliness, insupportable to the idle and dissolute, but not to the industrious but unfortunate, 191, 350 When well disciplined as to diet and conduct, children from, remain in service, and turn out well, 351 By separation of sexes, of good from bad characters, fair work, and only good diet, out of 160,000 inhabitants at Liverpool, only 20 able-bodied remain in, 354 Upon the regulations in, depends the degree of pauperism in a parish, 181, 188 The superior importance of the principle of refusing relief out of a work- house, even though miserably-const ructed and inconvenient, shown in the success at St. Werburgh, Derby, 190 By refusing relief out of, at Rugby, pauperism, bastardy, and the inter- ference of the magistrates have been nearly abolished, and the XXll INDEX. Workhouse — {Continued.) labourers made industrious, content, and generally well-conducted, and the rates reduced 75 per cent., 159 ; effect at other places, 160, 193 The moral effect in suppressing pauperism, the great object of; to which the greater expense of a few individuals ought not to be compared, 191 A. getting relief at his home, B. inevitably demands it ; but A. being taken into a well-regulated house in which the diet is not better than that of a hard-working labourer, B. is deterred from applying to the parish, 191 Aged and infirm not generally admitted at Shardlow, they being con- sidered the only persons to whom out-relief can be given without increasing pauperism, as age and infirmity, unlike idleness, cannot be adopted at will, 1 94 By taking applicants for relief into the workhouse, the small surplus population (if any) is wholly drawn from the labour market, upon which wages rise, and a few only are made paupers, instead of the whole of the labourers, 191 Relief invariably given in, confines the power of appeal to its proper limit, to prevent overseers from altogether refusing sustenance, 1 9 1 By invariably refusing: relief out of, accounts simplified, better kept and more easily checked, 192 Work and diet in a well-regulated TVorkhome. Victualling of, should be regulated so as to be not quite so good as mode of living of labourers, 244 Advantages which result to health from frugal diet in, exemplified, 259, 260 Diet should be uniform throughout the country, 244 Restricting inmates to a diet not above that possessed by hard-working labourers', and preventing the reception of tea, sugar, tobacco, as presents, of great importance, 191 An amount of labour should be found for the inmates, equal to that performed by hard-working men, who earn their own livelihood, 350 Work for inmates should abstract from the rate-payers the smallest possible quantity of capital, and interfere in the smallest degree with the employment of independent labourers, otherwise pau- pers are made by the endeavour to employ paupers, 186 The necessity of a paid, and the mischief of a pauper door-keeper to, 350 Supply of. Goods supphed to, by tradesmen of the parish, often 40 per cent, above the market price, 224 Supply of, generally limited to tradesmen of the parish, 113 Supply of, by public contract would immediately produce a variety of benefits, 224 Contract management saves full one-third of the expense, 311, 312 Contract management, when on large scale, not disliked by paupers, 307 Contract management, when unpopular, arises from contract being allowed to persons who, from want of capital, cannot provide pro- perly, 308 - Men of capital will not contract for small parishes, 309 INDEX. xxm Workhouse — {Continued.) Management of several small ones in same district, as easy as that of a large one, for a number of parishes, and might be more econo- mical, 312, 313 In Cumberland parishes commonly give a fixed sum for the year to a contractor, who binds himself to board all paupers, taking his chance as to the sum being equal to the outlay : at Brampton a man takes 656/. to meet all demands on the parish, 405 Incorporation. Diet in, 152 Expense per head in, 152 Cheapness of maintenance in, 40 Regulations of, 151 Admit, from size, of order, cleanliness, and regularity being enforced, 39 Terms of, 72 At Bulchamp, in Suffolk, belongs to forty-six parishes, 151 ; at Shard- low, Derbyshire, to forty-three parishes, 193 Spondon parish saved, by the reduction of rates, its share of expense of the building in one year, 193, 194 The sale of parish workhouse generally equal to share of incorporation house, 38 At a trifling expense to each parish, a full and efficient set of officers maintained, 39 From their size, admit of the separation of sex and character, which is requisite to good morals, 39 By placing many small parish houses under one incorporated manage- ment, the necessary division of sexes and characters can be accom- plished, 312 A small workhouse possessed by every parish in Surrey and Sussex, 61. EXTRACTS, 8fc. No. I. — Communication to the Poor- Law Commissioners, from AsHURST Majendie, Esq., Assistant- Commissioner, on Kent, Sussex, and Essex. My Lords and Gentlemen, In the following selections from the important district which has been assigned to me, my object has been to show, first, from the example of Lenham, in Kent, the effects of a local redun- dancy of population, a lavish scale of relief, and a general want of control, in forcing land from the occupation of the tenant, and partially out of cultivation. The present condition of Eastbourn seems to prove the absolute necessity of some general superin- tendence ; and that, under the present system, there is no security for the continuance of any temporary improvement, which the exertions of individuals may have effected. Seaford offers an instance of abuse, by the application of poor-rates to borough influence. The inadequate wages paid to single men, the harsh treatment of the unemployed, and the payment of wages and relief by tickets on the shops, produced a degree of irritation among the labourers which led to the riots in East Sussex. The consequence has been, the establishment of a compulsory rate of wages and relief, which is rapidly exhausting the funds on which the labourers depend for subsistence. The first step to amend- ment is, the protection of property by an effective police. The introduction of Mr. Becher's improved workhouse system at Stan- ford Rivers, in Essex, has nearly banished pauperism from that place. It is most satisfactory to observe, in this and all cases where the " allowance " system has been abolished, that the con- dition of the labourers has been materially improved. The benefit of Cottage Allotments is strongly shown at Saffron Walden. Of all remedies for pauperism, this offers the most cheering prospect. It affords to the labourers the means of increasing the funds for their maintenance by their own exertions ; it calls into action industry, the source of all capital, under the influence of the best feelings of our nature. I have the honour to be. My Lords and Gentlemen, Your very obedient and very humble servant, AsHURST MaJENDIE. Mr. Majendies Report — Lenham, Kent. LENHAM, KENT. £. In 1816.. 1468 1817. .1598 1818.. 2150 1819.. 2016 Eiyended on Poor. £. 1820.. 2154 1821.. 2348 1822.. 2618 1823.. 2786 £. 1824.. 3041 1825.. 3438 1826.. 2531 1827.. 2731 £. 1828.. 2482 1829. .2611 1830.. 3040 1831.. 2679 1832.. 4299 Acres. 6523 In 1801 1434 Rental. 6423/. POPULATION. In 1821 Value. 1959 In 1811 1509 Rates in the £. \2s. expected to rise to 14^. Total, Labour and bills for work on the highways . 561/. Deduct money repaid by the Commissioners . 147/. In 1831 2197 Expenditure, March, 1832. Casual relief, 1992/. 6^. Weekly pay, 1033/. 17^. Various bills, 1273^. 9^. 4299/. 12^. 414/. Total expenditure of Poor and Surveyor's Rates 4713/. 12^. This is an extensive agricultural parish. Much of the land is of poor quality, still there is a considerable quantity of land of a fair average ; some is out of cultivation ; a large estate has been several years in the hands of the proprietor, and a farm of 420 acres of good land, tithe free, well situated, has been just thrown up by the tenant of another landowner ; the poor-rate on this farm amounts to nearly 300/. per annum. Wages in summer are 2s. 3t/. When labourers are out of employ, or only in partial employ, their wages are made up according to the following scale : — Single man, from , . 3s. 6(/. to 7^ .Qd. Man and wife . . 10 Do. with 1 or 2 childi ren , 12 Q Do. 3 do. , . . 13 Do. 4 do. . , 14 Do. 5 do. . . . 15 6 Do. 6 do. . , 17 Do. 7 do. , . . 18 6 Do. 8 do. , , 20 The labourers are sent to work on the roads if there is anything to do, but they are paid according to this scale whether they work or not. On Saturday the 1 3th of October last, 27 men were paid from 126'. upwards each, though no work whatever had been done. There have been 70 men on the roads in one week, paid according to scale : the greater part of the work is unnecessary ; besides the wages, tools are provided, and it is calculated that the value Scale System — Early Marriages — Labour Rate, 3 of the labour does not exceed the expense 'of the tools and carting. The average number unemployed from November to May is from 60 to 70. During the harvest they are mostly in employ ; but if a man loses a day's work, he comes to the parish to have it made up. Nearly 100 out-parishioners, living at Maidstone, receive occasional or constant relief. There is a man who hires two cows and keeps several pigs, w^ho, when out of work, receives from the parish IS^*. per week. The population of this parish is beyond the demand for labour ; but early marriages are constantly taking place without any consideration on that score: of six of these marriages contracted last October, it was expected that most of the parties would be on the parish pay-list in the montli of No- vember. A man lately married a girl, who left her place for that purpose on Wednesday ; they applied for relief on the Sa- turday. It will appear from the scale that, on marriage, there is an immediate increase of 3^. per week*. The administering relief to from 70 to 100 men on the pay night, in a district near the place where the riots first broke out, and where one of the causes of dissatisfaction was the reduction of *' allowances," is a duty requiring more firmness than belongs to many overseers ; nor is the present state of the rural police adequate to the requi- site protection. Relief is given in money. There is no fixed salary to the surgeon ; the average medical expense is about 70^. The Select Vestry is not well attended, and there is a great division among the parishioners. The assistant-overseer has a salary of 60Z. The system of accounts is not satisfactory. Four principal farmers were lately appointed auditors, who found many overcharges. After this statement, it is not surprising that the parish has been forced this summer to borrow 100^. from the Maidstone Bank, for the purpose of paying the paupers. Among the modes devised for improvement has been a Labour Ratef . * In the workhouse are 35 inmates. Young men have been sometimes sent there, but they have said, "You put us in to punish us; we will only marry the sooner." •i' This has been attempted under the late Act of Parliarnent, according to the following plan. There are in the parish 115 married men, 75 single men, and 40 boys above the age of 12. The wages of these, calculating the mar- ried at 13*. 6d. per week, single at 8*. boys at 3s., would amount to about 500Z. per month. This sum has been assessed on the respective occupiers, according to the different value of the land. The poor arable, at Is. %d. per acre, per month. The superior arable .... 2 Hops 5 Meadow, pasture, and wood . . 10 Great tithes, 9 men at . . , . 9 6U7 ,. , Small tithes, 3 men .... 9 gJ^^' ^^*- P^^ ^®^^- The amount is either to be worked out, or paid to the overseer at the end of the month. The plan has been in operation three weeks, during which b2 4 Mr. Majendie^s Report — Lenham, Kent — Emigration. Emigration had been carried to some extent last spring. It having appeared that, of a population of 2200 persons, 1200 re- ceived relief, 450Z. was borrowed on the bond of some principal occupiers, to be repaid by yearly instalments, according to the expense which would have been incurred for the maintenance of the families, had they remained : 50 persons were sent to Quebec. It was found, on their arrival, that there was not that demand for labour which was expected ; they went forward to York, in Upper Canada, and found the same state of things. The letters which have been received represent that the land is not good ; that the farmers are not able to employ the labourers ; that in several places the influx of emigrants has been too great ; that many could not get work ; and the letters are so unfavourable that it is thought that no more will go to Canada. The only letter which I saw, however, was one lately arrived, which was of a favourable description, for the man had obtained a situation, where he was boarded, and received 35/. per annum as wages. It unfortunately happens in the parish of Lenham, that there has not always been a good understanding between the magistrates and the Select Vestry. Four labourers, of bad character, receiving constant parish pay, applied for linen and other clothing, and were refused by the Select Vestry. On application to the Bench, an order was made on the overseer to give money to the men ; the Vestry directed the overseer not to obey ; the magistrates threatened to issue a distress warrant ; but a deputation from the Vestry pro- ceeded to the magistrates' meeting, pointed out the clause, re- specting relief, in Mr. Sturges Bourne's Aet, and the order was rescinded. There is only a monthly sitting, and no acting ma- gistrate near; so that the overseer is forced to go ten miles to Maidstone when a summons is required. time there have been eight or nine men on the roads ; whereas, at a corre- sponding period in preceding years, there have been from 60 to 80 men out of employ, nor would these few have been out of work, but that it is thought the Act is not so worded as to make agreements compulsory. The farmers now seem to think there are not too many hands in the parish to cultivate the land properly. The parish, consisting of 6500 acres, the sum of 500/. per month amounts to about 1/. per acre per annum; and according to general information, the labour required in fair farming must be equal to that expenditure. The experiment is but just commenced, and must be continued for a length of time before it can be ascertained whether it may ultimately succeed. The eflfect of a labour-rate can hardly be brought to a fairer test, as respects its effects on the parish adopting it. How far the parish will be affected by other parishes following its example, and returning to Lenham all the Lenham men in their employ, is another question. It is obvious too that giving to the tithe-owner, who is entitled to his tithes free from the expense of cultivation, and consequently has a very small demand for labour, the al- ternative of either employing 12 men or paying 51. }4s, a week, is, in fact, a mode of relieving the rate-payers by confiscating the tithes ; which indeed is the usual motive to a labour-rate. Return from Vicar and Parish Officers — Lenham, Kent 5 Answers from the' Vicar, Churchwarden, and Assistant-Overseer of the Parish of Lenham, in the County of Kent, to the Queries of the Commissioners. Mr. Majendies Report — LenhaTti, Kent ANSWERS BY THE VICAR. CHURCHWARDEN, AND QUERIES CIRCULATED BY Queries. Vicar. Is it less common than for- merly for labourers to live under their employers' roofs, and to what do you attribute the change ? 2. What class of persons are the usual proprietors of cottages ? It is less common than formerly. The change, I conceive, is to be attributed to the allowance system ; married men, whom it would be impossible to lodge, are employed in preference to single, as the latter can be maintained at less expense by the parish. Tradesmen principally, who find it a certain and productive invest- ment of capital. Are cottages frequently ex- empted from rates? and is their rent often paid by the parish? Always. In many instances rent paid, indirectly, by the parish. 4. Is the industry of the labourers in your neighbourhood sup- posed to be increasing or diminishing ; that is, are your labourers' supposed to be better or worse workmen than they formerly were ? 5. Is piece-work general in your neighbourhood ? 6. What might an average la- bourer obtaining an average amount of employment ex- pect to earn during the year, including harvest work ? Decidedly diminishing : nor is it to be wondered at when a man maintained in idleness (nominally at work) on the road receives the same as a man regularly at work on the land. Not at all. His wages, independent of his allowance according to the number of his family, would amount to 35/., and he might expect to earn, in addition, 1/. or 21. at harvest. *J, What might his wife and four children, aged 14, 11, 8, and 5 years, respectively expect to earn ? 8. Could the family subsist on these earnings? And if so, on what food ? From 3/. to 5/. I think they might. On bread, cheese, or butter; tea, and occa- sionally salt pork. Return to Commissioners* Queries. ASSISTANT-OVERSEER OF LENHAM, KENT, TO THE THE COMMISSIONERS. Churchwarden. Yes. Because a married man has more from the poor books thian a single one. Assistant-Overseer. It is not usual for farm-servants in this parish to live under the roofs of the masters. Persons that are making a small income rather larger, instead of iembarking it in business, where it is sure to be taxed. Always exempted from the rate, if the labourer belongs to the pa- rish. The rents are much paid by the parish. Very much aiminishing : oiie- third of our labourers do not work at all ; the greater number of the riemainder are much contaminated ; the rising population learn nothing; the others are forgetting what they knew, for want of practice. Not much. Landed proprietors, professional men, and tradesmen. They are exempt froni rates, except when possessed by persons chargeable to other parishes, and the rent in all cases paid by the parish. They are decidedly less indus- trious and worse workmen. No. A good labou,rer in constant em- ployment will earn 2s. 3d. per day, wet days excepted. With a little task-work, which he will have at harvest and hopping, he will ave- rage 2^. 6d. per day : he must not be sick during the year. They may earn in harvest and hopping two or three pounds : there is no employment at any other time. They can buy more food now wheat is about 8^. per bushel for 2s. 6c/., than they could for 3^. 6d. when wheat was about 15^. An industrious labourer might earn 40/. or 45/. They might collectively earn 5/. I think they could. They could subsist on bread, cheese, bacon, suet-puddings, and potatoes. .6 Mr, Majendies Report — Lenham, Kent, Queries. Vicar. Could it lay by anything ? and how much ? 10. Is there any, and what, differ- ence between the wages of the married and unmarried ? The present system inculcates such improvidence, that saving is utterly out of the question. Our carpenters and bricklayers, though earning a guinea a week in sum- mer, always fall on the parish during the winter months. On the road, man and wife, 10^.; single, ^s. 6d. On the land, I be- lieve, there is no difference. 11. Have you many able-bodied labourers receiving allowance or regular relief from your parish ? 12. Is that relief or allowance ge- nerally given in consequence of the advice or order of the magistrates ? -or under the opinion that the magistrates would make an order for it if application were made to them? 13. Is any and what attention paid to the character of the appli- cant, or the causes of his dis- tress ? 14. Is relief or allowance given according to any and what scale ? In a population of 2100 souls, during the year, we have from 40 to 90 entirely subsistent on the pa- rish funds; in addition, and all those with more than 3 children, receive weekly sums proportionate to the number of their family. Last winter, a very mild one, our weekly pays amounted to nearly 90/. a week for many weeks ; they are now 50/. Certainly ; under the impression that an order would be made, should we refuse. None whatever. Man and wife, with 1 or 2 chil- dren, 12.?.; 3, 13^.; 4, 14^.; 5, 15^. 6c/. ; 8, 20s, 6, lis.; 7, 18.9. 6c?.; 15. What do you think would be the effects, both immediate and ultimate, of an enact- ment forbidding such allow- ance? And should families of more than a certain, and As nothing can be more ruinous than the present system, I should conceive such an enactment bene- ficial ; and though its immediate effects might be attended with some inconvenience to the poor, I should Return to Commissioner^ Queries* Churchwarden. Assistant-Overseer. They do not attempt ; for im- mediately they are out of work, or ill, they apply for their parish al- lowance. Certainly not. There are but few single men get employment ; some give them 1^. per day, others 1^. 9d. : when they employ them, a married man gets 2^. 3d. Yes ; a very great number : we have about 1 80 able-bodied work- men, and we average about 60 of them entirely on the parish the whole of the year. A very great difference. A mar- ried man has 2^. 3d. per day, and a single man 1^. 6d. There are 140 who receive re- gular relief during winter, and 70 during summer. There are 70 unemployed on the average during the year. We do generally relieve them without the order of the magis- trates ; but we are certain they would make us, " from experi- ence :" we do so to save expense, which the magistrates are not very particular in running the parish and county to. The greatest thief in the parish has the magistrates' allowance; the honest but unfortunate get no more. Yes. The single man, 5^. ; man and wife, 10^. ; ditto, 1 child, I2s. ; 2, I2s. ; 3, I3s. ; 4, 14^. ; 5, 15^. ; 6, lis.', 1,l8s.6d.; 8, II. ; to lay about in the roads. I cannot see any benefit we should derive from it. Relief is occasionally given at the recommendation of the magis- trates, but most frequently under the conviction that if a pauper would apply to them, an order would follow for whatever sum they thought proper. None whatever. The idle and dissolute are paid equally with the industrious and prudent. It is given according to an arbi- trary scale adopted by the magis- trates; viz., two children, 12.?.; three, 13^.; four, 14^.; five,15^.6(i.; six, 17^.; seven, I8s.6d.; eight, 1/. Such a legislative enactment would be attended with the most beneficial consequences. It would immediately prevent the formation of improvident marriages, which are weekly taking place here in 10 Mr. Majendie's "Report— Lenkam, Kent, Queries. Vicar. what number of cliildren, be excepted out of the enact- ment ? And do you think that such an enactment could be successfully evaded in any, and what, manner ? 16. What do you think would be the effect, immediate and ultimate, of an enactment giving no appeal from the vestry respecting relief, ex- cept to the Quarter Sessions ? 17. Is the amount of agricultural capital in your neighbour- hood increasing or dimi- nishing ? And do you attri- bute such increase or dimi- nution to any cause connected with the administration of the poor-laws ? 18. What do you think would be the effects, immediate and "' ultimate, of an enactmei;t abolishing settlement by lii'ring and service, appreij- ticeship, renting or purchas- ing a tenement, and serving a parish office? apprehend, the occupier having that money in hand which is now paid as rate, would expend it in additional labour, thereby giving increased employment ; and by bringing his land into a higher state of cultivation, increasing his own means at the same time. Very large families ought, perhaps, to be exempt, or, at least, provision made for their assistance. I am inclined to think such enactment would be desirable, as a vestry in general is the best judge of the nature and measure of relief to be granted ; whilst the magis- trates, when appealed to, might perhaps feel themselves obliged to adhere to a prescribed and general rule. Diminishing: in this parish more than 2000/. a year is expended in unproductive labour, whilst at the same time the land is becoming daily in a worse state of cultivation, and consequently the means of raising this sum daily diminishing : thus the farmer is compelled to jemploy fewer hands, or sacrifice his capital. By the former measure he increases the rate, already as inuch as he can pay j by the latter he ruins himself. Anything that would simplify the manner of acquiring a settle- ment would be productive of greater benefit. Aeturn to Commissioners^ Queries. Yi Churchwarden. Assistant-Overseer. consequence of the premium held out by the foregoing scale, and ultimately save the parties from that wretchedness and misery which always attend early pauper unions. Relief only to commence when the family increased to three children. I am not aware how the enactment could be evaded. As little law as possible. Decreasing. We are compelled to keep an increased population. There are but few men that can possibly exist without employment, who will invest their capital in farming, to be subject to keep that population. If they are put on the land, the titheman conscien- tiously takes his seventh, and escapes keeping them by his rate diminishing. It would immediately save the expenses monthly incurred before the magistrates by the paupers ap- jJlying for further relief, and ulti- mately render them more satisfied with the gentlemen composing the Select Vestry, who are generally well acquainted with their charac- ters, their earnings, and wants. The capital is rapidly diminish- ing, and is wholly to be ascribed to the heavy poor-rates. It would be an inestimable be- nefit to this parish. It would enable this parish im- mediately to dispose of many young men in towns as apprentices, who are prevented at present from ob- taining such situations, from an apprehension of their becoming parishioners, as well as give em- ployment to agricultural labourers in neighbouring parishes not op- pressed like this with a redundant population, and ultimately save those annual law expenses incurred for appeals to Quarter Sessions on trifling disputed cases. 12 Mr. Majendic's Report — Lenham, Kent, Queries. Vicar, 19. Can you give the Commis- sioners any information re- specting the causes and con- sequences of the agricultural riots and burning of 1830 and 1831 ? 20. What is the name and county of your parish or township ? I conceive the present system of poor-laws tends to alienate the lower classes from those they have been in the habit of looking up to ; renders them idle and improvident, and congregating them in large bodies on the roads, without the wholesome restraint of a master, affords an unchecked opportunity to a few bad characters of inciting others to indulge in wanton mis- chief, and often more serious crimes. Parish of Lenham, county of Kent. CflARtEs Parkin, Vicar. Eastbourn, Sussex. 13 Churchwarden. Assistant-Overseer, Yes. The want of employment for our labourers, and their know- ledge of the abuse which causes the land to be left to run to waste. I Parish of Lenham, county of Kent. George Powell, Churchwarden, In the Eastern Division of Kent, where they first commenced, no doubt inadequate wages produced discontent and riot. Many dissa- tisfied persons here imagined this a favourable opportunity to extort a more liberal scale of payment, and entered for such purpose into a combination to enforce it. They succeeded in their demands. It did not arise from distress here, as the people were paid much more liberally than in East Kent. Lenbam, Kent. John Payne, Assistant-Overseer EASTBOURN, SUSSEX, Expended on Poor. £. £. i:. it. 1816 ..3768 1820.. 2621 1824.. 2515 1828.. 2411 1811 ..3115 1821, .3510 1825.. 2319 1829.. 2814 1818 ..3131 1822.. 2998 1826.. 2411 1830.. 3991 1819 ..3030 1823.. 2441 1821.. 2361 1831.. 3551 ■ 1832.. 4250 POPULATION. In 1801 In 1811 In 1821 In 1831 1668 2623 2601 2126 Acres. Present Value Rates in the £. Present Rental. said to be near Expenditure. 4591 6288/. the rack. 135. 4250/. Rental, 1815,8866/. Weekly W ages ,12^. Eastbourn possesses very great advantages ; there is down land of excellent quality for sheep, marsh for cattle, first-rate arable land, producing most abundant crops ; chalk cliffs, aflfording a great source of labour, both in burning hme, and in quarrying chalk for export to Rye, and other places on the coast; it is a 14 Mr. Majendies Report — Eastbourn, Sussex. watering-place, much frequented during the summer ; the fishery- is in some seasons very productive ; and the sea-shore affords boul- ders for building, and shingle for the repair of roads. With all these sources of emploj^ment, the rates have lately nearly doubled. Some years ago^ a Select Vestry Was established; the cavalry barrack, a building admirably adapted for the purpose, was pur- chased b}^ the two landowners, to whom the principal property in the parish belongs, for a workhouse ; a retired serjeant of militia placed in it as master, and a manufactory of coarse woollens and linens established. Where fe^milies were large, some of tlie children were taken into the house by day, and there earned something for their support, instead of their parents receiving the usual allow- ance for them ; and by constant attention of some of the proprietors and principal occupiers, the rates were much reduced. After a time, the master of the workhouse was worn out by the fatigue of the different occupations thrown on him; the manufactoiy got considerably in debt, and the parish relapsed into a worse state than before ; the rates increased to a greater extent than ever ; and in the last year, the sum of 15QI weis borrowed from the Lewes Bank, for the purpose of paying the paupers. With the sole exception of the tickets on shops, all the evils attendant on the administration of the Poor Laws in Sussex are here combined. Cottage rents paid by the parish — allowance according to the number of children — vast sums * expended on unproductive la- bour, paid at the highest rate of wages, equal to ajid even ex- ceeding those paid by farmers to their industrious labourers ; so that women have been heard to lament that their husbands were not on parish employ, alleging that they wouid be better off. In the year 1830, a considerable reduction of wages had taken place, many men were out of work, and the wages to single men on the parish did not exceed 7d. per day. A general spirit of discon- tent broke out. Incendiarism prevailed to a frightful extent ; an eye-witness informed me, that on one night there were three fires burning at once, in the stack-yards of farmers within the parish ; and that, for nearly a month, hardly a night passed without con- flagrations in the neighbourhood, and tumultuous assemblies of labourers demanding a rise of wages. Under these alarming circumstances, a meeting was called, a^d "an agreement made that the wages should be 2s. per day for an able-bodied married man, 1^. 6d. for a single man of 18, and from 3^. 6d. to 55. per week for boys from 15 to 18. That the surplus labourers on the parish should be paid according to the following scale : — * These amounted in the year ending March, 1832, to 947/. ; and the value of the work to the parish is less than 140/. Scale System — its mischievous Operation. 15 Single man, 18 years of age . 6?. per week. Man and wife 9?. do. Do. with 1 child . lOs. do. T)o, 2 children 12.9. do. Do. 3 do. . 12.9. do. and a gall, of flour, or ISsAd. Do. 4 do. . 12.9. do. and 2 gall, of flour. And so on till, for 10 children, the pay might amount to I85. Sd. per week. A discretion was given to the overseers to grant the flour, or place the children in the poor-house ; the latter measure is so unpopular that they dare not put it in practice. The effect of this forced rise of parish pay was soon apparent : the sale of the farmer's produce could not suffice for both wages and rates ; a most injurious transfer took place of a portion of the sum ex- pended on labour to the account of rates. The principal occupier in the parish states the relative proportion on his farm to stand thus in round numbers : — 1830. 1831. Labour . . 900^. Rates , 300Z. Labour . . 700/. Rates , 500/. This scale of wages has been continued to those on parish pay to the present day. Being secure of good wages for mere nominal work, the ill-disposed and idle throw themselv^es wilfully on the parish ; the effect is most ruinous on the small householders, who, being already on the verge of pauperism, may be converted, by a slight addition to their burthens, from payers to receivers of rates, lliey have no means of protection, but by uniting for the purpose of an expensive litigation ; and have not the opportunity, like the farmers who constitute the Select Vestry, and areprincipally tenants at will, to throw part of their burthen on their landlords. From a printed statement of the expenditure of the parish are taken the following items of sums received by families of paupers : — John Carter, bricklayer, aged 43, wife, and 5 children, at an allowance of 1 45. Sd. per week, cost the parish last year , . . £42 12 4 Joseph Carter, 34, wife, and *1 children, 16s. 8^. per week ..... J. Mitchell, 46, wife, and 2 children, 12^. do. G. Paul, 50, fisherman, do. do. 15s. 6d. do. This lavish expenditure, which has been extorted by the vio- lence of the able-bodied, is not extended to the aged and infirm, the proper objects of the Poor-Laws, as may be seen by the fol- lowing items : — Mary Carter, widow, aged 76, at 2s. 6d. per week £6 10 Lydia Collins, do. 90, 2^. do. 5 4 Ann Chapman, do, 75, 1*. 6d. do. 3 10 49 11 8 35 4 25 8 9J1 16 Refusal to work — Rents — Allotments, In the month of December^ 1832, four healthy young men, receiving from 125. to Mi*, per week from the parish, refused to work at threshing for a farmer at 2s. 6d. and a quart of ale per day, and the only punishment inflicted on them by the parish officers, was taking off half a day's pay. Is. ; at the same time, a poor widow, aged 75, could obtain but Is. per week for her support from the Vestry. The fishermen being secure of pay without labour, refuse to go out to sea in winter : one has said, " Why should I expose myself to fatigue and danger, when the parish supports my family and pays my rent ?" The masters in the fishery have in consequence been forced to send to Hastings for hands requisite to man their boats. Rent of cottages is gene- rally paid for families of three children, to the annual amount of 307/. Since the time of the riots, and the establishment of the present scale of parish wages, the Vestries held every fortnight for determining relief are very ill attended, — the parishioners seeming to despair of any improvement ; and anxious hopes are expressed of the interference of Government. It is obvious, while such a system of management prevails, that any attempt on the part of proprietors to reduce the rates, or im- prove the condition of the labourers, must be mere palliatives. Allotments of land, however, have been introduced by Mrs. Davies Gilbert, commencing in 1830 with 35, and increasing the number since to 117. The tenants pay their rent with punctuality; and such is the conviction of the benefit derived, that some other labourers have made a voluntary offer to give up a part of the parish allowance, if allotments were let to them. A remarkable experiment has also been made by Mrs. Gilbert, following a hint given by the Archbishop of Dublin : — a portion of the shingle on the sea-shore has been covered with clay dug from an adjoining marsh, and some good soil afterwards spread on the surface ; this land was hired by labourers at 3c?. per rod, i. e, at the rate of 40^-. per acre, which exceeds the rent of the best arable land in the parish, and a crop of potatoes was raised in the autumn from that which in the spring was unproductive beach. Mr. Majendies Report — East bourn, Sussex. 17 List of Paupers receiving Parochial Relief in the Parish of Eastbourn, Statement of Weekly Allowance to Paupers, and Total Allowance from Lady-day, 1831, to Lady-day, 1832. Widows, Infirm and Sick. Paupers' Names. Baker, Ann Baulcomb, Ann Betts, Elizabeth Bradford, Nicholas Breden, Thomas Carter, Mary Collins, Lydia Chapman, Ann Criss, Susan Crunden, Mary French, Mary Fraser, Jane Harrington Mary Head, Charlotte Holter, Charlotte Hollands, Lydia . Marchant, Henry Mewett, Frances King, Sarah Kenyon, Mary Luxford, Mary Luxford, Jeremiah Paul, Ann , . . , Prodger, Ann Reed, Edw. and Elizabeth. . Richardson, Matthew Rollason, Wm. and Susan. . Rich, Sarah Sinden, Wm. and Mary . . . Sutton, Mary Snatt, Keturah , , . . Ticehurst, Ann Tutt, Mary Tourle, John and Martha . . Vine, Elizabeth Verrall, Lucy Ward, William and Mary. . Waymark, Mary . , Wood, Elizabeth Wood, Sarah WilUins, Charles Yielding, Sarah Young, Lucy Age. Description, 68 70 46 69 72 90 75 75 67 78 64 78 61 45 67 59 43 63 78 28 66 75 67 64 64 81 66 63 64 72 71 70 61 26 87 70 65 64 16 70 7(S 73 56 60 57 72 58 Widow Do. Do. Labourer Fisherman Widow Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Sawyer Widow Do. Do. Do. Do. Fisherman Bricklayer Shepherd Widow Mason Widow Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Shoemaker Widow Do. Residence. Town Meads Sea-side Town Do. South Meads Do. South Do. Since dead Do. Sea- side Do. Meads Town South London Town Do. London South Do. Since dead Town Hastings Town Do. Do. Do. Since dead Meads Do. Town Do. Meads Town South Town Prentice-st, Town Meads South Chil- dren under 12 Years. Weekly allow- f. d. 2 6 2 6 4 1 2 6 1 2 6 Paupers not coming under the description of Infirm or Sick. Adams, Rich, and Charity, . Aldridge, John and Ann . . . Alee, William and Mary. . . Aucock, Thos. and Elizabeth Aucock, James and Susan. . Aucock, William and Ann . . Aucock, William , . , . Avery, Thomas and Lucy . . 53 55 Car[)enter 47 37 Labourer 32 29 Do. 70 73 Bricklayer 39 38 Labourer 46 46 Do. 20 Do. 28 34 Do. South Town Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Allowance from Lady- day. 1831, to Lady- day, 1832. 2 3 15 4 3 7 6 4 13 4 3 13 4 . 3 2 4 3 18 11 10 18 19 6 23 10 8 4 4 7 16 3 16 I 4 31 12 6 110 4 3 8 18 Mr. Majendies Report — Eastbourn, Sussex. Paupers not coming under the description of Infirm or Sick. Paupers' Names. Banister, Joseph and Mary. Bartholomew, John ..,..., Bignell, William Bignell, Elizabeth Boniface, Henry Boniface, William and Mary Bottle, John Bridger, William and Martha Bridger, Edward and Harriet Bridger, William and Mary Breden, Thomas Brook, Thomas and Mary . Brook, Jane Bradford, Francis and Sarah Breach, Thomas Breach, William and Ann Breach, John , . . Bruce, Chas. and Susannah Burchfield, Thomas Bridger, John and Phillis . , *Carter, John and Sarah . . . Carter, Joseph and Eliz. . . . Carter, William Carter, Edward Carter, John Carpenter, John and Mary . Chapman, William Collins, Reuben and Mary . Collins, John and Ann .... CoUins, Thomas Coppard, William Crunden, Thomas and Eliz, Cmmden, Sam. and Susan. , Cramp, Robert and Mary . . Cummins, Rich, and Reb... Cummins, Joseph Cummins, Henry Davis, John and Ann Deadman, James and Mary Diplop, WiUiam and Ann . . Dore, James and Mary .... Douch, David and Mary . . . Dunstan, William and Han. Elphick, Charles Erridge, William and Lydia French, George and Ann . , Eraser, John and Esther . , . French, John and Jemima . Gatland, Rich, and Han. . . Gatland, Jas. and Elizabeth Gosden, Wdliam and Jane . Gosden, William and Mary Godden, Michael and Lucy. Godden, George and Ann . . Godden, Thomas and Ann. . Gower, Samuel, and Wife. . Gower, Walter, and Wife . . Age. Description. 70 75 78 46 16 27 45 40 56 26 21 23 23 36 34 11 68 64 19 4138 42 31 28 55 28 62 27 20 43 44 34 37 20 18 16 32 32 53 30 32 64 G6 18 48 41 40 39 21 40 36 50 51 22 20 73 72 38 36 38 36 57 54 35 37 72 58 38 39 40 38 40 38 45 50 75 65 20 19 30 34 &7 65 65 53 29 29 32 32 62 51 69 68 Labourer Do. Do. Labourer Do. Do. Baker Do. Carpenter Labourer Fisherman Labourer Bo. Do. Do. Shoemaker Tailor Bricklayer Constable Labourer Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Fisherman Do. Do. Labourer Do. Do. Do. Tailor Labourer Fisherman Do. Labourer Labourer Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Residence. Town South Town Do. Meads Town Boxley, Kt. Town Do. South Town South Do. Do. Meads Do. Steyning Brighton Kingston,T Town Sea-side South Town Do. Do. Do. Meads Prentice-st. Do. Do. Do. South Do. Town Sea-side Do. Do. Town Do. Meads Town Do. Wish Brighton Prentice-st South Meads Hastings Prentice-st. Town Do. Do. Meads Do. ^ Do. Do. Do. Chil- dren under 12 Years, Weekly Allow- ance, s. d. 7 6 4 9 13 4 12 13 4 6 13 6 14 8 14 8 16 8 14 7 6 14 2 6 12 10 7 6 12 12 12 12 4 Allowance from Lady- day, 1831, to Lady- day, 1832. £. *. d. 20 10 10 15 6 14 1 7 1 16 10 4 1 15 8 17 7 8 8 19 21 2 15 10 15 12 9 6 15 4 4 13 3 3 3 5 17 17 3^ 42 12 4 49 11 8 3 7 6 1 18 6 1^ 1 14 15 9 5 3 1 2 10 14 14 1 1 9 16 17 8 13 18 5 11 10 10 10 6 8 11 8 2 8 14 7^ 16 1 8^ 9 8 2 12 15 14 11 10 5 6 1 3 4 4 9 16 24 13 li 1 9 12 4 8 2 14 5 10 9 9 6 13 5 6 3 15 8 1 2 1 5 18 5 10 Now in good employ, receiving nothing. List of Pcmpefs, 19 Paupers not coming under the description of hifirm or Sick. Paupers' Names. Age. Description. Residence, Chil- dren under 12 Years. Weekly Allow ance. Allowance from Lady- day, 1831, to Lady-day, 1832. Gower, Levi * Gosden, Thomas. Gower, Charity Hart, Thomas and Lucy . . . Hart, William Head, Thomas and Mary . . Hollands, John and Lydia . Huggett, Benj.and Han. .. Huggett, Benjamin Huggett, Henry and Ann . . Huggett, Henry Huggett, Edward and Mary Hunt, Abram and Ann ... . Hunt, William and Mary . . Hunter, John and Lucy . . . Hutchins, James and Chas. Hurst, Samuel and Eliz. . . . Knight, Samuel Lane, Samuel and Rebecca . Lamport, John and Eliz., . . Lewis, Thomas and Eliz. . . Lewis, George Maynard, William Maynard, Rob. and Harriet Maynard, George Maynard, James Marwick, Edward and Mary Mewett, Robert and Lucy . . Mewett, Thomas . Mitchell, Thomas and Eliz.. Mitchell, James and Hannah Mitchell, George and Eliz. ,: Mitchell, Thomas I Mitchell, Thomas and Eliz..: Mitchell, Thomas [ Morris, Thomas and Sarah . I Morris, Samuel and Mary . . I Morris, Henry and Sarah . . Morris, John and Sarah. . . .! Morris, Edward and Eliz. . . Morris, Richard and Mary. . Morris, Richard Morris, Ehzabeth Miller, Henry and Lucy . , . Miller, William and Lucy . . Newman, John Paul, George and Eliz Paul, Jonathan Paul, William Parsons, James and Harriet | Payn, George and Mary . . , Pankurst, Thos. and Maria Pearson. Alan and Char.. . . Prodger, Thomas and Ann . Prodger, John and Ann. . . . Prodger, John 23 19 54 16 34 32 42 37 40 74 67 63 65 18 43 44 20 28 27 69 69 28 28 79 75 44 46 57 66 50 32 30 45 42 26 23 18 31 29 31 22 24 35 35 26 24 43 45 46 26 72 69 33 76 67 37 38 68 67 30 29 32 39 28 27 45 44 18 46 26 28 55 49 21 50 46 26 24 48 44 68 65 56 53 36 36 46 45 52 50 26 Labourer Do. Do. Bricklayer Labourer Do. Constable Labourer Shoemaker Fisherman Labourer Do. Do. Do. Fishermen Labourer Do. Do. Labourer Do. Fishmonger Do. Flyman Do. Labourer Do. Do. Fisherman Labourer Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Labourer Do. Do. Fisherman Do. Do, Labourer Do. Fisherman Labourer Painter Do. Fisherman Meads Do. Do. Do. Brighton Sea-side Since dead Town Do. Sea-side Do. Town South Do. Meads Sea-side Town Do. Meads Bath Town Do. Do. Do. Brighton Do Meads Town Do. Sea-side Town Do, Do. Prentice-st. Croydon Town Do. Do. Sea-side Do. Prentice-st. Do. Sea-side Town South Town South Do. Do. Town South Prentice-st, Town South Do. Do. 6 12 7 6 *. d. 7 8 16 12 18 12 5 16 10 1 4 14 19 7 6 10 6 21 11 6 7 16 5 5 10 10 8 8 14 8 10 1 6 4 17 11 5 2 2 8 18 11 6 6 11 6 6 10 13 2 4 8 13 8 9i 11 9 17 13 li 1 6 10 12 14 1 16 c2 20 Mr. Majendies Report — Easthourn, Sussex. Paupers not coming under the description of Infirm or Sick. Paupers' Names. Age. Description. Residence. Chil- dren under 12 Years. Allowance Weekly' from Lady- Allow- day, 1831, to" Lad V- day, 1832. Pickering, William 60 Pumi)hrv, Thomas ........ 56 Reed, William 19 Reed, James and Eliz 35 35 Reed. Thomas i 28 Riddle, Alex, and Eliz ! 73 70 Riddle, William and Mary..; 52 50 Robbius, John and Mary. , . 52 40 Rollason, Fran, and Mary, .j 33 32 RoUason, William j 46 Sinden, William and Sarah 145 41 Sinden, John and Ann. .... Sinden, Job and Susan .... Sinden, Thomas Sinden, John Sinden, George and Mary . . Smith, Charlotte Sharp, Thomas and Mary . . Stevens, John and Frances.. Stevens, George Stevens, Samuel and Sarah. Stevens, George and Mary. . Snatt, John and Harriet . . . Stevens. John and Eliz Taylor, Elizabeth Ticehurst, John and Ann.. . Ticehiirst, Richard Ticehurst, Samuel .-» Ticehurst, James Todraan, William and Susan Tutt, Timothy and Eliz. . . . Tourle, Thomas and Ann . . Tourle, James and Ann. . . . Tourle, Richard , Trigwell, Henry Tutt, WiUiam Varnham, Henry and Lucy. Varnham, Richard and Har. Verrall, Samuel and Caroline Verrall, Henry Verrall, Samuel and Jane . . Verrall, Wm. and Elizabeth Verrall, John and Lucy . . . Verrall, Edward and Mary . Verrall, Thomas and Mary . Ward, William Ward, James Waymark, Isaac and Sarah Way mark, Jona and Lucy. . Wilkins, William and Sarah Wood, Wm. and W^inifred . Wood, John and Elizabeth . W^ood, Thomas and Mary. . Wood, Edward Wood, Richard and Ann , . , Young, John and Sarah . . . Young, John , 39 35 ! 28 32 24 19 31 29 33 40 26 37 37 35 66 67 36 38 32 31 25 25 17 28 26 45 19 17 47 45 33 35 42 36 43 39 40 45 58 53 43 53 37 24 48 42 41 57 59 44 38 51 53 19 19 49 24 36 37 32 30 34 31 40 41 37 39 19 34 32 36 38 15 Labourer Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Shepherd Do. Mason Bricklayer Do. Do. Do. Do. Tailor Shoemaker Do. Do. Labourer Do. Do. Labourer Do. Do. Da. , Do. Do. \ Shepherd Labourer Bricklayer Do. Do. Labourer Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Fisherman Do. Labourer Fisherman Do. Do. Do. Labourer Do. Do. Dunkinfield Willingdon Town South Sea- side South Do. Meads Hastings Town Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Lewes Sea-side Town Do. Frarafield Town Meads Town South Town Since dead Meads Do. Do. London Meads Town Do. Brighton Do. Do. Town Meads Do. Do. Do. Do. GofFs Brighton Meads ' Da. Do. Sea-side South Town Do. Sea-side Prentice-st. Sea-side Wish Prentice-st. Hastings s. d. 12 7 6 15 12 10 14 8 12 2 13 4 3 £ s. d. 2 4 1 14 20 6 2 15 19 10 29 9 13 14 5 4 3 11 10 15 4 4 3 3 15 3 10 3 5 20 19 6 1 5 4 13 4 12 14 8 10 2 9 12 15 4 16 15 13 4 12 15 6 6 6 6 2 8 6 4 1 19 1 3 16 13 4 8 11 10 18 10 4 10 3 2 10 16 2 11 16 8 8' 12 6 6 3 18 20 10 8 4 9 4 4 15 1 4 16 6 15 9 5 11 6 29 15 8 27 18 6 10 14 3 17 19 12 12 14 16 2 9 9 12 1 11 19 List of Paupers — Bastards. Illegitimate Children receiving Pay from the Parish of Eastbourn. 21 Child's Name. Avery, Keziah . . . . Baker, Mary Ann , Baker, William .. , Betts, Charles Brook, Ehzabeth . . Brook, Louisa Chapman, Jane , . . Collins, Catherine. . Duly, Thomas . . . . Dyer, Eve Gosden, Luther . . . Geering, Harriet . . Gignell, Elizabeth . Logan, Charles. . . . Mac Dold, Louisa. . Markwick, Eliz. . . , Felling, Francis . . . Prodger, Samuel. , . Quaif, Edward . , , . Reed, William . . , . Todman, John . . , . Ward, Ann Wickham, Susan . . W^ilkins, Charles , . Verrall, Georj^e. . . . Verrall, Charlotte.. Verrall, Agnes . . . . Age, 9* 6 5 1 8 6 7 1* 8 2 7 3 9 14 I' 4 8 3 9 1 Mother's Name. Aver 3^, Elizabeth . , Baker, Jane , Baker, Susan .... Betts, Ann Brook, Elizabeth . , Brook, Catherine . , Chapman, Harriet Collins, Mary Duly, Elizabeth . . , Dyer, Eve . . . . ^ . . . Gosden, Sarah . . . , Geering, Harriet. . , Muggridge, Ann. . , Logan, Mary Mac Dold, Ket Marwick, Eliz Pelling, Frances, . . Prodger, Hannah. . Quaif, Jane Reed, Mary Todman, Sophia . . . Ward, Mary Wickham, Susan . . Wilkins, Mary . . . . Verrall, Jane. . . . .. Verrall, Jane Verrall, Agnes . . . . Mother's Residence. House of Industry Town , South Sea-side Brighton South Meads Prentice-street , South Town WiUingdon Brighton House of Industry WiUingdon Meads Meads Ashburnham, Sea-side. Meads . . Town . . . South... Ditto . . . Ditto . . . Weekly AUosv- ance. Allowance from Lady- day, 1831, to Ladv- day, 1832. £ s. d 5 4 9 2 6 10 5 4 5 4 7 16 7 16 7 16 5 4 5 4 6 10 5 4 5 4 5 4 6 10 10 8 6 10 6 10 5 4 7 16 5 4 7 16 10 8 5 4 6 10 6 10 5 4 List of Paup ers in the House of Industry, belonging to the Parish of Eastbourn*. Name. Age. Name. | Age. Name. Age. Name. Ago. Aucock, Thos. . 18 Bridger, Har. . 1 27 Hatt, Elizabeth 49 Rollason, Fan. A Baker, Samuel 25 Breden, Thos. . 11 Hollands,Hetty 44 Reed, Thomas. 24 Baker, Eliza . . 22 Brown, Edward 8 Hollands,Tho8. 39 Reed, George . . 21 Baker, Martha 12 Brown, Ben. . . 10 Hilton, Wm. . . 87 Snatt, Mary . . 51 Baker, Susan . 9 Constable, J... 7 Luxford, Wm.. V Simmons, Geo. 18 Bennet, Har. . 44 Collins, Henry 11 Logan, Mary . . 28 Smith, John . . . 11 Betts, Maria . . 20 Crunden, Sam. 37 Logan, Charles k Tuppen,Nichol 67 Betts, William 9 Crunden, Sus. . 20 Mitchell, John 44 Tourle, Wm... 36 Bennett, Thos. 2 Crunden, Mary 3 Morris, Jane . . 19 Tourle, Mary . 34 Bennett, Geo. . 15 Crunden, Eliz. 1 Morris, Ann . . \ Tourle, Susan , 11 Bingham, Edw. 85 Collins, Sam.. . ■ 9 Morris, James. 24 Vine, George. . 40 Bignell, Rich. . 12 Douch, James . 8 Morris, Samuel 16 Vine, Caroline 10 Bignell) Eliza.. 16 Duly, William. 18 Morris, Edward 10 Vine, Thomas . 6 Breach, Wm. . 50 Dyer, William. 16 Morris, Mary. . 13 Waymark, Geo. 13 Bridger, Wm. . 24 Dyer, John . . . 14 Muett, Henry . 28 Waymark, Ed. 9 Bridger, M.. . . 23 Earl, Charlotte 21 Nicolas, Mary . 17 Young, Lucy . . 30 Bridger, M. A.. 3 Krridge, Jane . n Page, Leonard 18 Young, John.. 10 Bridger, Eliz. . U Fowler, John . . 17 Peckham, Jas. 64 Young, Wm. . . h Bradford, Mary 17 Francisco, Ann 16 Pearson, Mary 11 Young, Jane . . 52 Bradford, Fran. 7 Gilbert, James. i 24 Reed, Mary . . . 16 Young, Christ. 13 Brook, James . 19 Gilbert, Eliz. .! 18 Reed, Matilda . 11 Young, George 11 Brook, Ann . . . '' Gosden, Jane ,\ 10 Rollason, Sus. . 23 * Average WeeWy jiumber of Paupers in the House of Industry between 25th March 1831, and 25th March, 1832. 22 Mr. Majendie^s Rej^ort — Eastbourn, Sussex — Expenditure. "a tj 00 C5 -^ to G C5'^»rtC5COcocot>,oi^oc^'* (^ oi f-^ i 1— (t>.i— '1— 1 Oin 1—1 ooo o^ocncoi— > ■sfr I— • 3 c? ■5 •^ O r-T'o tOOOTtOOOOCOifSOOCO oooooooo t^'stt^J^ COOOC^OOOOOOt^O©(M OfMOOCOOOO ,-b — ICO oooo» rH to ^^ --< !>. 1— 1 a> 1—1 1 3 -e ^ O O coo OOOOOO OO OO OO OIMCOOOCOOO ec'(Mr-<.Or-.(MO CO C. Ttt^OOOOOl^OOOsOCXM 1-i.nOOi-tCOOO ^OOOOr-H O-^OOlCNOCM^OQvnOO !>.— -OO—iCOOO S^C0iO3— iCOin GOi— I--* CO o 1 W H Q g gs^ •c!'^ -rt.H • "a PC c a c "-» a c Of 2 1^ ::iU: .-2 3 . > a c j3 . w ^ 1 S »-^ g-|.a £§ £-3 >.s H a> 5 X 5r,° h5 rr CO O *f o «3 . 5 ^. H'* c^'* MW «!•* -KN -iCN H-* "3^ O 'g* O C5 O O rr OO O . O C5 CO OO «0 05 CI O O 5jirt GO CO '00 cooeoiMcoooi-ieoi-'O Hi'^ ^ ® ^ g ;£^ 2 ""^ ■"* " '^ CM 1—1 5? g ■■S -J •« •■? ■4 :i is ;?: 'fli j *Si1 • '-^ *J '1 1 * rt "3 cj o o '»- c ^S IS S6 i H O O L • c i ■+■ » . a 5 n: r a c i t M 11 ^c2^ J -Si :^:^co CO »-( W w H W H PQ 2 S ^ WW 73 cc* 00 ^ ^^ w p^ w :: "^a- Seaford — Rates perverted to Electioneering Purposes. 23 SEAFORD. Population. I Rates in the £. f Value. I Average Expenditure, I 1098 I 12^. I I I 1800/. Seaford is a liberty of itself. This is rather a strong instance of the effect of a town in crush- ing the land. Of the above sum one-third is paid by the town ; the remaining two-thirds by the land. From one of the principal farms, of the value of something more than 1000/. per annum, and assessed at 878/., the average annual payment of rates for the last three years has been 577/. There is another reason, however, for the high rates of this place: being a borough, the various mysterious modes of keeping up the patron's interest were in full operation ; and the rates on houses not called for from accommodating voters, but kept sus- pended over their heads, in case of misconduct^ were among the engines put in force ; and, of course, it could not be expedient to examine too strictly the applications for relief made by freemen and their relations. Rates are formally allowed by the magistrates of the liberty ; and the account of the expenditure is perused and allowed, having been first verified on oath before the same magis- trates. There appeared a strange confusion in these accounts. Entries of rent due to one of the proprietors, carried on from year to year. Bills unpaid, in a long string of items of various de- scription, amounting to 500/. or 600/. On turning back to an earlier part of the ledger, the confusion was in some degree explained by a page which had not been cancelled, when the borough of Seaford was transferred to Schedule A. I subjoin some extracts previous and subsequent to the disfranchisement: — Statement of Statement of Amount of Poor-Rate. Cash Received. Cash Due. £. s. d. £. s. d. £. s. d. Dec. 31, 1828 528 3 10 Apr. 13, 1829 522 19 10 3 14 15 Oct. 1, 1829 526 12 6 3 14 8 2 9 8 Jan. 21, 1830 524 19 2 4 2 8 2 9 8 A marvellous improvement in accuracy of accounts was pro- duced by the mere contemplation of the Reform Bill : — Amount of Poor-Rate. Cash Received. Cash Due. May 22, 1831 544 19 10 500 1*2 2 44 '7 8 Oct. 14, 1831 811 2 3 723 17 6 87 4 9 Feb. 17, 1832 675 5 7 557 17 2 111 8 5 24 Mr» Majendie\s Report — Sussex — Disturbed Districts. It was notorious that in the borough of Helston, in Cornwall, the whole poor-rates of the town were paid by the patron ; and when the patronage passed from one family to another, the burden of the rates followed the transfer; something like that system seems to have prevailed in Seaford. Near this town, in the parish of Bishopstone, there is a farm of about the same extent and value as that mentioned above. There being no borough-town to oppress it, the rates are 160/. instead of 577/. GENERAL REPORT ON THE DISTURBED DISTRICTS OF EAST SUSSEX. BEER-SHOPS. The beer-shops are considered as most mischievous. They allow of secret meetings beyond any places previously existing, being generally in obscure situations, kept by the lowest class of per- sons; they are receiving houses for stolen goods, and frequently brothels* ; they are resorted to by the most abandoned characters — poachers, smugglers, and night depredators, who pass their time in playing at cards for the expenses of the night, in raffling for game and poultry, and concocting plans for future mischief: they are never without a scout, and are not interrupted by the observation of any person of respectability ; no informa- tion can be obtained from the masters, who are in the power of their guests, spirits being usually ^old without license ; and not one in ten sell home-brewed beer. Similar representations are made in East Kent. A magistrate expressed his opinion that no single measure ever caused so much mischief, in so short a time, in demoralizing the labourers. The evidence of the high-con- stable of Ashford is very strong, and his means of judging extensive, — having been called upon to attend at the numerous fires which have taken place in tliat district. He has been present in the condemned cells, at the last parting of the convicts from their parents and relations ; and it appears that all the acts of incendiarism were perpetrated by frequenters of beer- shops. Dyke, who was executed, was taken in a beer-shop ; and * A gentleman of property in East Sussex informed me that a small tenant of his converted his cottage into a beer-shop : he was asked how it succeeded ; he answered, " If my beer-shop will not answer I don't know whose can, for I keep them a girl and a fiddle." Beer-Shops — Rural Police — Smuggling. 25 the two Packhams, who suffered at Maidstone, acknowledged, before their execution^, that they went from a beer-shop to commit the offence. RURAL POLICE. A more efficient police is a matter of the greatest importance. All classes, proprietors and occupiers, magistrates, overseers, — all require it. Concession to paupers can hardly be avoided under the present insufficient police; and the magistrates consider the calling in the military very objectionable, unless in the last ex- tremity. As to yeomanry, there is so much distress among farmers, and, consequently, so much discontent, that they are unwilling to enrol themselves : those who, in the good times of farming, had horses fit for yeomanry service, now make use of a cart-horse, or go on foot. The few who are more opulent hang back ; as, from living in isolated situations, their property is completely at the mercy of their own labourers. Such, indeed, is the general insecurity of farming property, since the unhappy time of the riots, that a considerable occupier has thought it necessary to retain, in constant pay, two of the most confidential of his labourers, to watch over and report to him any symptoms of dissatisfaction among the rest, likely to lead to mischief. The constables and headboroughs are elected at the annual meeting of the court -leet of the hundred; the chief constable is usually some small farmer or tradesman, who receives no pay, except the small fee for a summons. The common constables are usually village artizans, competent perhaps to the forms of civil process, and putting down a village broil, but totally unacquainted with the business of police, and in case of great mobs, quite inefficient : they are changed every year, and are seldom willing to serve a second time. SMUGGLING, since the establishment of the preventive service, is much dimi- nished. This diminution has had the effect of increasing the poor-rate, or, as was expressed by an overseer, who is supposed to have had formerly a very accurate acquaintance with the business, *^the putting down smuggling is the ruin of the coast." The la- bourers of Bexhill,andof the villages proceeding eastward towards Kent, used to have plenty of work in the summer, and had no difficulty in finding employment in smuggling during the winter. The smugglers are divided into two classes, the carriers or bearers, who receive from five shillings per night and upwards, according to the number of tubs they secure, and the batmen. 26 Mr, Majendies Report — Sussex^^Disturbed Districts. Tlie batmen, so called from the provincial term of bat, for a bludgeon, which they use, consider themselves as of a superior class : they go out in disguise, frequently with their faces blackened, and now with fire-arms; they confine their services to the protection of the others, and are paid 20s. or more per night ; and many, perhaps most of them, are at the same time in the receipt of parish relief. Large capitals have been invested in this business, particularly at Bexhill. Many of the small farmers, if they do not partici- pate, certainly connive at these practices ; those who do not directly profit by smugglinor, consider that it is advantageous, as finding employ for many who otherwise would be thrown on their parishes. The smugfglers are now much more ferocious since the use of fire-arms is more constant. The ofifer of 1000/. reward by the Secretary of State, for the detection of some men engaged in a desperate affray, caused much sensation, but was ultimately inefi*ectual. Many from fear left the country for France and America, but have returned since the failure of the prosecution, for want of satisfactory evidence ; though, probably, not less than 500 persons in the district were full)' acquainted with the transaction. Bej^ond all doubt, the practice of smuggling has been a main cause of the riots and fires in Sussex and East Kent : labourers have acquired the habit of acting in large gangs by night, and of systematic resistance to authority. High living is become essential to them, and they cannot reconcile themselves to the moderate pay of lawful industry. RIOTS. The riots in the north-east parts of the Rape of Hastings com- menced simultaneously on the 5th and 6th of November, 1830. The farmers obsened, that their labourers all at once left their work : they were taken away by night by a systematic arrange- ment ; no leader could be identified, but bills w ere run up at the public-houses in the evening, and in the morning a stranger came and paid. The mobs generally had written forms containing their de- mands : they varied a little in the amount of wages, but all agreed in the amount of *' allowance " of Is. 6d. for every child above two ; that there should be no assistant-overseer ; that they should be paid full wages, wet or drj' ; that they would pay their own rents*. There were nine cases of incendiarism that winter at * This last point is remarkable : perhaps it may be thus explained, — that the labourers were aware that high rents, paid out of the poor-rates, formed part of the system of parish jobbing, of little advantage to them. Popular Sympathy with Incendiaries — Intimidation, 27 Battle. The mob which assembled there, on the day of the magistrates' meeting, amounted to nearly 700 : all the principal magistrates of the division, nineteen in number^ assembled ; the arrival of a troop of horse established order. Though the guilt of one of the incendiaries, J. Bufford, who was executed, was clear and admitted by himself, yet the feeling of the country was so much in his favour, that he was considered as a martyr — he was exhibited in his coffin, and a subscription made for his family. A permanent Bench of Magistrates was established at Battle, at which Mr. Courthope presided, at their particular request, and directed by day and night the measures which were requisite for public tranquillity. This harassing duty continued during a month ; but from that period a certain degree of intimidation has prevailed in this dis- trict. The assistant-overseers having been then ill-treated by the mobs, are reluctant to make complaints for neglect of work, lest they should become marked men and their lives rendered un- comfortable or even unsafe. Farmers permit their labourers to receive relief, founded on a calculation of a rate of wages lower than that actually paid: they are unwilling to put them^selves in colhsion with the labourers, and will not give an account of earn- ings, or if they do, beg that their names may not be mentioned. A similar feeling prevails in East Kent : at Westwell, the farmers are afraid to express, at vestry meetings, their opinions against a pauper who applies for relief, for fear their premises should be set fire to. Two of the fires immediately followed such a resist- ance ; one of them happened to a most respectable farmer, a kind and liberal master, and a promoter of cottage allotments. The allowance system is represented to be so established, that without some legislative enactment, neither overseers, vestries, nor magistrates, can make any effectual change ; and that if local regulations were attempted, a repetition of the outrages of 1830 may be expected. Day wages seem to be fixed at 2s. to 2^. 3c^. ; which are not thought too high, were it not for the rates, but the farmers state that the present relief, coupled with the rate of wages, is exhausting their capital. The relief is in a great measure com- pulsory ; but it is also considered unnecessary — for, on an accurate examination of the population, the quantity of acres and the num- bers requisite for the cultivation of the land in its present state, it is calculated that the money expended for labour, within the Rape of Hastings, is sufficient for the maintenance of nearly the whole of the able-bodied agricultural labourers and families without assistance from the rates. Emigration has already been carried on to a considerable ex- tent — still, ill certain parishes, there is some excess. 28 Mr. Majendies Rejwrt — Bye-— Demand of Labourers — The redundancy of labourers in this district is probably but small, but under the present state of the poor-laws, it cannot be ascertained. The removal of that small surplus might confine the funds of labour and rates to their specific purposes; but the inclination to emigrate has been materially checked among the idle and pro- fligate by the great improvement in their condition since the riots. A still more unfortunate consequence is, an unwillingness among the labourers to take land. In the most disturbed parts of this district attempts have been made to introduce cottage allotments, but they have been ineffectual. The labourers show a decided reluctance to hire them ; they think it might diminish their claim to relief, and treat with scorn those who attempt to persuade them to better their condition by economy and industry. The accuracy of this general statement may be illustrated by the following detailed account of particular places : — RYE. Rye, an '^ ancient town " within the liberty of the Cinque Ports, is in two divisions. The '' town" in the jurisdiction of the local magistrates, the ^'foreign" in that of the county. The accounts are kept in separate books. Population 3715, rates 21^. in the pound on a two-third value. There is a select vestry : four over- seers. Those now in office are a tailor, shoemaker, butcher, and coal-dealer, with an assistant-overseer. Formerly, a manufacture was carried on at the workhouse, which has been discontinued on account of the great loss. A considerable increase in the rates has been caused by the riots of Nov. 1830. At that period about 1000 persons collected near the workhouse ; they demanded an increase of wages, according to a printed scale which included about twenty items, embracing the different occupations in the tow-n, — porterage, carriage of coal in barges, &c. Some of the most respectable masters in the town consider that wages were previously too low% and part of that in- crease remains. The labourers, not contented with this concession, have since then demanded relief, also, to a much greater extent than pre- viously : they have become more licentious in their moral conduct, and urge the demand on the parish for relief as a right, saying, " If you do not relieve us, we shall help ourselves." In Nov. 1831, a celebration of the anniversary of the rising of the preceding year was announced by placards. The mayor and principal pro- their Improvidence — Emigration — Brede. 29 prietors applied to the Secretary of State, and a company of the Rifle Corps from Dover marched into the town, and their appear- ance was sufficient to maintain order. A restless spirit still pre- vails, quite different from the former state. The police consists of four constables chosen at the leet, and the gaoler, who acts as constable with a salary. Whether the inhabitants would be willing to come forward as special constables, depends on the political feeling of the moment. A general habit of improvidence exists ; a proof of which may be taken from the seamen employed in conveying chalk from Eastbourn. Some of these working mariners, not sharers in the craft, earn from 40^. to 50^". per week during the season, which lasts from May to October. When winter comes, all the money being spent, and the wives and children really destitute, the overseers are obliged to relieve them, and if they refuse, the magistrates cannot avoid some degree of interference. Relief is not given to the families of smugglers when the hus- band has been convicted and remains in prison. It is supposed that they are supported by their confederates. Emigration, — Many vessels sail from this port to New York with emigrants ; and some American vessels have put in for the same purpose : four families have been sent out by the parish, and are doing well ; the expense was paid at once out of the rates, and the cost of one large family was saved in two years. In general, favourable letters have been received from the emi- grants, who usually go 600 miles up the country. A nephew of the overseer, who went about six years ago as a labourer, pro- vided by his friends with a small capital, not exceeding 100/., has married there, and become a proprietor : he writes word that he expects to be able to provide well for his children, from the land which he has acquired. BREDE, SUSSEX. Expended on Poor. £. £. £. £. n 1816.. 1003 1820.. 1323 1824.. 2009 1828.. 1506 1817.. 1241 1821. .1745 1825.. 1753 1829.. 1795 1818.. 1494 1822.. 2021 1826.. 1834 1830.. 1765 1819.. 1447 1823.. 2325 1827. .1470 1831.. 1970 1832.. 2606 POPULATION. In 1801 In 1811 In 1821 In 1831 801 787 902 1046 Note. — The increase of poor-rate, from 1816 to 1832, exceeds 150 per cent. 80 Mr. Majendie^s Report — Brede Riots. Acres. 4675 Population. [ Rental. 1046 I 2035/. Value. I Rate in the jE. Expenditure to March, 1832. I- I 21^. 2606/. I besides a 2^. rate in debt. Wages, 2s. 3c/. per day, summer and winter. Allowance 1^. per week for third child; all beyond 1^. 6(i., till 12 years of age. The parish of Brede was the first place in Sussex where the riots broke out in Nov. 1830; several causes are assigned : the appointment of the assistant-overseer was very obnoxious to the paupers. It is thought that he did not exceed his duty; but the constant habit of resisting exorbitant claims almost of neces- sity caused some degree of harshness. Under his superintend- ence an attempt was made in the summer of 1829 to discontinue regular allowances for children ; to revert to the old system of occasional relief under the direction of the vestry, according to the real wants of the applicant ; another cause arose from the law of settlement : under the pressure of want of employment, some parishes began to discharge non-parishioners ; other parishes, in self-defence, followed their exam.ple ; in consequence of which, the mutual tie of kind feeling-and self-interest which attached good labourers to good masters was severed ; a man who had made himself useful to a farmer by his industry, and received in return encouragement, was forced to seek a new employer ; his spirit was broken, he became dependent, wages were calculated accord- ing to subsistence, not the value of the labour, and the complaint was, *^ Now I am forced back to my parish, you know every shilling I earn, and give only what is necessary to keep skin and bone together." Many smugglers are inhabitants of this and the adjoining parishes, who, from the audacity of their character, formed able leaders of the discontented, and the employment of the preventive service had rendered them more ferocious. Another cause of dissatisfaction arose among the farmers, on account of the continuance of the war duty on hops : finding they could not obtain a reduction, they directed their hostility entirely against tithe. The storm broke over the head of one, upon whom of all others it might least have been expected that such a cala- mity would have fallen. The advowson of Brede was part of the patrimonial estate of Dr. Home, Bishop of Norwich, and had been held for a long period of years by some member of the family, and latterly by Mr. Hele, the son-in-law of the Bishop ; he had always been on the best possible terms with his parishioners. Though fully aware of the value of his tithes, he had compounded on very mo- derate terras; and from the year 1803 to 1826, no alteration had Hostility to Tithe-— Intimidation of the Rector. 31 been made, though during that period most extraordinary profits had been made from the cuUure of hops, which in this present year will, in all probability, bring more than 20,000/. into the parish. In the year 1 826, the farmers, under the enormous pres- sure of the poor-tax, gave notice to the rector that they should set out tithe in kind, and rate him in the poor-book unless he agreed to an abatement of 25 per cent. The rector refused to abate, and there being an informality, instead of submitting to this unreasonable reduction, required an increase, which the farmers agreed to pay. Previously to the audit, Nov. 1830, a tumultuous meeting assembled near the parsonage, where the curate, Mr. Hele's son, was living, during his father's temporary absence, clamorous for an abatement of tithe ; the rector immediately returned to Brede, and sent for two of the principal farmers, and required the com- position should be paid ; the farmers positively refused, till they should have the sanction of the labourers, alleging they feared some injury would be done them. On the audit-day, the rector met the farmers at the inn ; it was surrounded by a body of many hundred labourers, with their wives and children. The farmers required an abatement from 715^. to 400/. The rector said no- thing should compel him to give way under circumstances of intimidation. The farmers replied, that the mob without was very impatient ; that the rector of Ewhurst had been obliged to flee from his house by night, and that the mob had threatened to hang over his door the farmer who managed the tithes for him. They then left the room to consult the mob, but returned, saying they would not alter their resolution. Mr. Hele persisted that he would not yield to their demands, but they might pay what they pleased to his banker, and left the parish the next day. They paid the 400Z., and, after the special commission, came for- ward and paid the remainder. The rector then returned to his parish, and the labourers, finding the promise of 2s. 6d. wages had not been kept, were ready to resent on the farmers the injury they had done to Mr. Hele. He did all in his power to repress that spirit, and in order that the farmers might be more able to reinstate themselves in the good opinion of the people, made a voluntary reduction of his tithes to the former amount. A labourer of Brede said at the time of the riots, " We know that the farmers cannot pay the increased wages, but they have agreed to it ; and we shall now join altogether to get rid of tithes and taxes, to enable them to do so." The following is the set of Resolutions drawn up by the la- bourers — Nov. 5, 1830. — " At a meeting held this day at the Red Lion, of the farmers to meet the poor labourers who delegated David 32 Mr. Majendies Report — Brede — Scale — Intimidation. Noakes, sen., Thomas Henly, Joseph Bryant, and Th. Noakes, to meet the gentlemen this day, to discuss the present distress of the poor — " Resolution I. — The gentlemen agree to give to every able- bodied labourer with wife and two children 2^. od. per day, from this day to the 1st of March next, and from the 1st of March to the 1st of Oct. 2.9. 6^. per day, and to have Xs.&d. per week with three children, and so on according to their family. " Resolution II. — The poor are determined to take the present overseer, Mr. Abel, out of the parish, to any adjoining parish, and to use him with civility. (Signed) G. S. Hele, Minister. Wm. Colman, Francis Bourne, J. Bourne, J. Ades, David Smith, sen., David Smith, jun., H. Smith, J. Bourne, jun. David Noakes, T. Noakes*, T. Henley f, Jos. Briant. The assistant overseer was dragged in a cart by women to the borders of the village ; after an absence of some time he was rein- stated in his situation at the workhouse. The rates continue at an enormous amount ; the overseer says much of the relief is altogether unnecessary, but he is convinced that if an abatement was attempted, his life would not be safe ; he looks to the farmers for support, which they dare not give, considering their lives and property would be in danger, although they find that it is impossible to maintain the present wages, together with the present relief and surplus labourers, without the exhaustion of capital. The population of this parish seems superabundant; 35 men are on parish employ in winter, at an expense of 380^. HISTORY OF THE BREDE RIOTS, Which took place by the turning out of the Overseer on the 5th Nov. 1830. From a Labourer. Comraunicated by a Magistrate. Several days (about four or five) before the 5th, there were three men working upon Steep- Hill road, who, in conversation, stated to each other the ill treatment which they had frequently received from Abel the overseer. Not that he had done them injustice so much by lowuess of wages, as from his abusive man- ner. One of them said, " Let us see whether we cannot get rid of this." One said, " Let us appeal to a magistrate, and see if we can get redress." To this proposal they disagreed, as appeals had so often been made without effect. They never could find redress. Another proposed, '' Let us turn Abel out of the parish." * Since wounded in smuggling, t Has two cows, and receives parish relief. Brede Riots — Expulsion of Assistant Overseer, 33 They then started from their work with this idea, to visit other labouring classes, who appeared all willing to join them in this last proposal. All the labourers of the parish then agreed to meet on Thursday evening, the 4th of November, at a labourer's house. They met, and they were troubled to agree what to do. Some proposed, that those who could write should sit down and write to the parish to see if they could get rid of Abel; others said, that they would much rather take him out of the parish — that a great many of the farmers had behaved so bad to them, that they did not expect they would dismiss Abel. There was not a man who wished to do mischief — they were unanimous in a de- termination not to do it. That night no determination was come to. They parted, dif- fering about what to do. Some would turn out Abel, and some not, being afraid of laying themselves open to the law. The determined party met early in the morning, and went round the parish, when every one joined them in their purpose. On the preceding night, the question of wages was discussed. It is true that the labourers complained of their wages, and being together they brought forward the question; but ■ says he is quite sure, that if they had not met for the purpose of turning out the overseer, they never would have met as they did for a rise of wages. They had no idea of it; for several said they would not mind being poor, if they could but be used with civility. Some proposed 2s. Q)d. a day, from 1^. 9c^. their usual wages, and some 2s. 3(^. ; but some said the farmers could not afford 2s. 6d., considering their taxes and tithes, and the poor- rates, of which they knew the farmers were constantly complain- ing ; but they all agreed that they should demand 2s. 3d. a day, and I*. 6^/. a head for each child, parish allowance, after the second. He thinks they did not on that night discuss whether the allowance to paupers in general was too small. To pursue what occurred on the morning of the 5th November. — The whole assemblage stopped at the Hundred Pound to con- sult what they should then do. This was about 10 o'clock. A great many proposed that some should go to the formers, to request they would step to speak to them. The farmers then came to the assembly — F. and J. Bourne, Colman, John Ades, David Smith, jun. and sen., Henry Smith and others. The farmers wished to go to the public-house, and to meet four or five of the labourers, to be selected from the mass, as a deputation, and then they would come upon terms, if they could agree. Four men were selected to meet them — -David and Thomas Noakes, Joseph Briant, and Thomas Henley, the four hands afterwards imprisoned. The farmers and four deputies met accordingly. The farmers D 34 Mr. Majendies Report — Northiamy Sussex. voluntarily signed their hands to a paper, that this man Abel should be carried away; and consented likewise, in writing, to give 2s. 3c?. a day to all labourers from the 5th November to the 25th March ; and thence to Michaelmas, 2s. 6d. a day : also 1*. 6d. for every child, parish allowance, above the third. Upon this being announced, they proceeded to the workhouse to take away Abel. The farmers in the meanwhile sent word to Abel, that he had better give himself up peaceably, as he had threat- ened to shoot the first man that meddled with him. On arrival at the poor-house, Abel did not deliver himself up for some minutes. says that Abel swore falsely in stating after- wards that a part of the men followed him into his room with bludgeons. No one entered the doors. They put him into a little cart, which Abel had had made to carry stone and gravel. Abel was consulted as to where he would be conveyed to, out of the parish ; and he selected Vine Hall, a place on the London Road. He was accompanied by about 300 men. NORTHIAM. Expended on the Poor. In 1816.. 1758 1817.'.2235 1818.. 2609 1819.. 2302 In 1801 997 £. 1820.. 2201 1821.. 2563 1822.. 2979 1823.. 2187 £. 1824.. 1828 1825.. 1930 1826.. 1644 1827.. 1592 £. 1828.. 1315 1829.. 1424 1830.. 1585 1831.. 1598 1832. .2180 Rental, 1815,3149/. POPULATION. In 1811 J In 1821 I In 1831 1114 1358 1448 Acres. 3450 Rates in the £. I5s. Value. I Expenditure 1832. 2180Z. Wages per day, 2^. 3d. Allowance 1^. per week for third child. — 1.9. 6d. for all above three. Number of unemployed labourers in winter 25 to 30. These men, at one time, were required to bring up bags of beach on their shoulders for mending the roads, and were shut up in the work- house yard ; the object of which was to prevent imposition on the parish, by their receiving parish pay as unemployed, when they were, in. fact, getting work from farmers. This degrading mode having attracted public notice, has been discontinued, and the present plan is to require them to attend a roll-call at nine in the Parish Employment — Disturbances on account of Tithe. 35 morning, and three in the afternoon, at the workhouse, and no work whatever is required of them. The regular scale of relief was once abolished in this parish for four or five years, till the riots of November, 1830; the mob then dictated their own terms as to allowance, and since then it is found impossible to adopt a system different from that of the adjoining parishes. Tithes in kind are a principal cause of the bad feelino- which exists in this parish. The farmers avow that they do not wish for an amendment in the poor-laws while tithe remains as at pre- sent, being aware of their power in making use of the rate as an engine against it. The circumstances of this parish regarding tithe are so peculiar, as to merit a distinct notice. The Rev. W. Lord, by a clause in his will of 1 813, devised to his sister, " all his right and interest in the advowson, patronage of, and right of pre- sentation to, the rectory and parish church of Northiam, in the county of Sussex, hoping, trusting, and requiring that she or any one claiming from her, will present no one to that rectory and parish church of Northiam, who shall not, previously thereto, engage, under a bond to the amount of 5000/., to be paid, &c., in default, that he will continue to take in kind, and improve to the utmost of his power, by all lawful means, the income of the afore- said rectory of Northiam." The present rector declined every offer on the part of the parish till 1829. He then made overtures to composition, and a negotia- tion was in progress, but it was stopped by his receiving counsel's opinion, that he could not break through the restraint imposed on him by the bond. The employment of labourers has been thereby much checked. The refractory spirit of the labourers in this parish showed itself as far back as 1828. The stacks of the rector were fired by an incendiary ; the vestry-room was forcibly entered a few days after, and the labourers said they would help themselves : the vestrymen retired. The rector, on arriving there, found one of the labourers in the chair. Three of the ringleaders were appre- hended, tried at the winter-assizes before Judge Bayley, and sentenced to three months' imprisonment. At the time of the riots in 1830, a vestry meeting was held, at which it was suggested, that a deputation of labourers should be at hand ; constant work at the increased scale, or relief, was one of their demands. The vestry proceeded to the consideration of the applications for relief : one of the cases was that of a collier, who had been in work at high wages all the summer, but had wasted his earnings. Two of the delegates of the labourers were called in ; one of them ad- mitted that it was a case of great injustice; but he pointed to the agreement and said, " They will expect it." It is the opinion of D 2 36 Mr. Majendies Report — Ewhurst. an occupier of land in Northiam, who has thought deeply on the subject, that the remote cause of the riots is the mixture of wages and poor-rate ; that for 35 years past, the labourer has not been dependent on his employer, because parish relief having made up the deficiencies in his earnings, the idle labourer obtains as good a living as the industrious, and the farmer, being crippled in his means by the necessity of paying the idle, is unable to remunerate the deserving. Eighteen acres have been offered to the parish to be let in small allotments, but the labourer prefers parish pay to land. It is the conviction of all persons that, without an efficient police, it is impossible to effect an improvement ; all are crying out for it. The language used is — " It is a complete revolution ; there is no gov'ernment, no police." The farmers would not be averse to organize a domestic force, but for their irritation on account of tithes. In the adjoining parish of ^ EWHURST. Expended on the Poor, £. £. £. £. In 1816.. 1880 1820.. 2049 1824.. 2021 1828. . 1343 1817.. 2474 1821.. 3101 1825.. 1715 1829. .1362 1818.. 2853 1822.. 2909 1826.. 1529 1830. .1594 1819.. 3053 1823.. 2684 1827.. 1356 1831. .1719 1832. .1630 POPULATION. In 1801 In 1811 In 1821 In 1831 847 1032 1225 1200 Rates in the £. Value. Expenditure 1832. 11^. f 1630/. Wages 2^. 3 d. Allowance, 1^. 6c?, for the third child. Relief* w^as once paid by tickets on shops to such an extent, that one shopkeeper had received 550/. from the overseer in one year, and the labourers complained that they were obliged to take inferior articles at high prices. Another grievance of the labourers in part of this district was the billet system. Farmers turned ofl' their men or refused to employ them at fair wages, thereby causing a surplus fraudulently ; they then took the men from the parish at reduced wages paid out of the poor-rates. Evidence before the Committee on Labourers' Wages, 1824. Farmers throw their Labourers on the Rates — Reductions. 37 The reduction of rates in the parish of Ewhurst has been effected partly by adopting money payment, but principally by emigration. Since the year 1818, 100 persons have emigrated, so that there are now no supernumerary labourers. In a parish which has incurred the expense of emigration to such an extent, as to leave no more labourers than are requisite for the cultivation of the soil, in which 400 acres of hops afford employment to women and children, winter and summer, and where the rate of weekly wages is 13^. 6o?., the allowance for children must be considered as compulsory, — and to that must it be ascribed that rates are still 27s. per head on the population, and \\s. in the pound on a two-thirds value. The rector, from benevolent motives, has offered small allot- ments to the labourers, at a low rent : he has been able to let three acres only, and his offer of nine acres more has been re- jected. STANFORD RIVERS, ESSEX. Population 905 Acres. Rental. Value 4320 4124/. Rates in the £ average. 2s, QcL Expenditure, Year ending March, 1832. Incorporated Workhouse 1 26/. Out-door Poor . . 66 Bills, Salaries, Church Rate 94 Constables and Law . 40 County Rates . . 94 Total Expenditure on Poor only, excluding Salaries, 193/. Weekly Wages, 10s. to 12s. 420/. The parish of Stanford Rivers is purely agricultural, containing a tract of land of good quality. It is well situated, within 20 miles of the London market, tenanted by persons of capital, and paying fair wages, and not overpeopled ; yet, with all these advantages, it was at one time pauperised to a great extent. In the year 1821 the expenditure amounted to 1191/., com- posed of the following items : — Weekly Pay Pauper Allowances, extra Workhouse Bills Incidental Expenses In the year 1824 a Select Vestry was established, which effected some reduction 3 and in the year 1825, a gentleman of 389/. 1 186 312 62 242 1 I. 191/. 38 Mr. Majendie's Report — Stanford Rivers, Essex. the name of Andrews, the occupier of a considerable farm, de- termined, with the concurrence of the rest of the parishioners, and the support of the very inteUigent and experienced magistrate, Mr. Oldham, to make a bold effort to put down pauperism. The weekly pay was at once struck off; and in the year ending March, 1826, the account stood thus: — Pauper Allowances 127/. 1 Workhouse Expenditure 256 ! Medical 42 >560/. Incidental 73 I County Rates 62 j At the commencement of the new system, very numerous applications were made to the Select Vestry, but they were strictly examined : where relief was necessary in cases of illness or real distress, it was liberally granted ; but refused unless con- sidered requisite ; and the labourers, by degrees, learnt to depend on their own resources. The rates gradually diminished, and the money expended on the poor alone, which in 1825 amounted to 834/., was in 1828 only 196/. The Vestry determined that all capable of work should be employed, and that no relief should be given but in return for labour. The labourers improved in their habits and comforts. During the four years that this system was in progress^ there was not a single commitment for theft, or any other offence. Mr. Andrews once put this question to a supporter of his plan : — '^ What do the poor give in return for that which they receive from the poor- rates ?" After a pause he thus answered his own question ; — ''They give their honesty, their veracity, their industry, and everything that tends to make a man a good member of society." In the year 1830, after the death of Mr. Andrews, who fell a sacrifice to his great exertions, the expenditure of the parish was rising ; and Mr. Capel Cure, a principal proprietor, introduced the plan of an incorporated workhouse, as is related by Mr. Becher, in his evidence before the House of Lords. Ten parishes united to erect " the Ongar Hundred Workhouse," under Gilbert's Act, by the medium of 3 J years' poor-rate. The expense amounted to 3181/. The sale of the old workhouse at Stanford Rivers defrayed their medium, with 100/. over. The expense for diet, which was before 3^. 9c/. per head, is now below 2s. No " allowance" is given on account of large families ; but the children of those parents who are unable to maintain them are taken into the house, where they attend in the school, are taught to read, to sew, and knit stockings, which are given out for distribution in the united parishes. Improved System and Improved Character of Labourers. 39 There is no assistant overseer in this parish, but the accounts are accurately kept by a schoolmaster, at Ongar, who acts as vestry clerk. The salary to the surgeon is 25^. Twenty-seven allotments of 20 rods each have been let this year to labourers at 6s. per allotment, free of rate and tithe ; it is proposed they shall hold the land by lease, from the 1st of De- cember. The crops are great, and the land is considered a great benefit by the labourers, who are enabled to raise potatoes, instead of buying them at great disadvantage at the retail price. The opinion of the rector of the parish is, that the morals and general conduct of his flock are improved since the new plan has been adopted. Under his auspices, with the assistance of the deputy- visitor of the workhouse, several charitable institutions have been formed ; which, by making additions to the deposits of the poor, tend to encourage in them habits of providence. Mr. Capel Cure, to whom the district is indebted for the introduction of the improved workhouse, continues his services as visitor. While many parishes in the neighbourhood remain in a pau- perized state, this parish is entirely cured, to the mutual advan- tage of the payers and receivers of rates. It is to be observed, however, that the circumstances are favourable ; there is no surplus population, — a considerable portion of the land being pas- ture, the pressure on the capital of the occupiers has not been so great as in arable districts, and that fair wages are paid. Ongar Hundred WorkJiouse. The printed rules and regulations will sufficiently detail the general management. The governor is a retired supervisor of excise ; his former occupation has accustomed him to accuracy in accounts, and his services on the Kent and Sussex coast have inured him to the firmness required in his present situation ; and the most refractory have given way to the discipline of the house. The building is in general judiciously planned; the governor's apartments in the centre, between the male and female wards, and overlooking the two yards. The number of inmates at pre- sent is 62, principally aged, deserted children, and a few children of parents who are not able to maintain them. The able-bodied who are sometimes sent in, are soon induced by the order, the cleanliness, the abstinence from fermented liquors, and the general restraint, to quit, as soon as possible, and seek work for them- selves. Nearly 200 persons are sent into the house in the course of the year. The able-bodied are employed in raising and draw- ing gravel, and in the repair of the roads. The cheapness at 40 Mi\ Majendie's Report — Saffron Walden, Essex. which they can be maintained is a material object ; for where the charge is heavy, some obstinate paupers frequently use that as a means of wearying out their parish and obtaining their own way. The attempt has been made here by some families, but they have at last given way after a fruitless attempt to recover their " allow- ance." As children can be maintained here for 1^. ^d. per week, the parishes avoid the evil of the large allowances usually made for bastards, which operate as a premium on immorality. SAFFRON WALDEN, ESSEX. Population. 4762 Acres. 1296 Rental. Value. 13,190/. i Rate in the £. As, lOd. Expenaitmc, 1832, Poor . 2900/. Surveyor (paid out of poor-rate) 900 3800/. Saffron Walden is a considerable market-town, in which a great trade in maltino- is carried on ; and from the extent of land, it is also important as an agricultural parish. Weekly wages 10^.; and, contrary to the usual practice of the district, there is no re- gular scale of " allowance " on account of famiUes. There is an open vestry, well attended by proprietors and occupiers; two overseers, an assistant overseer, and vestry clerk. Strict exami- nation is made of all applications, and the business of the parish seems to be conducted with great regularity and economy. The general improvidence of the artisans, who waste their summer earnings, throws many on the parish in the winter, and this number has been much augmented by the necessity imposed on farmers to reduce the number of their labourers, in consequence of the diminution of their capital, owing to a succession of bad crops, and the general depression of agriculture. The able-bodied are set to work by the surveyor of the roads, and paid out of the poor-rates. Hills have been lowered and roads much improved, but these works have been carried on, not from choice, but to em- ploy the people. In the commencement of 1830, spade-hus- bandry was introduced, and 52 acres of land w ere dug and the la- bour paid at a certain price per rod by the occupiers. At the same time, at the suggestion of Lord Braybrooke, with the assistance of Messrs. Gibson, bankers in the town, who had long been advo- cates for the plan, allotments of land to the labourers were intro- duced, in order to enable them to make additional earnings by their own exertions. To the account published by Lord Bray- brooke, I add a few details — first, as to the effect on the rates. Imjyroved System, and its Effects — Incendiarism 'prevented. 41 The repair of the roads, which exceed 25 miles in length within the parish, requires an expenditure of about 400/. ; but in the year 1829 the sum actually expended on the roads was 1500/. At the commencement of 1830, there were ]36 men on parish employ, at a weekly expense of 40/. At the same period of the year 1831, the greatest number was 88, and the weekly expense 25/. In the year ending March, 1832, the greatest number out of employ was 86, and the total sum paid to them was 560/. less than in 1829. It is probable that other causes have contributed to this reduction ; but the most competent judges ascribe much of this improvement to the allotments. The effect on the habits and comforts of the labourer has been most beneficial. In No- vember of the year 1830, in which the system commenced, when fires and riots were prevalent in many of the adjoining parishes, this altogether escaped the infection. Not only did the labourers refrain from joining the mobs, but they went out under the orders of the magistrates to assist in putting down the riots. It happened at this period that (by an ill-timed joke, as afterwards appeared) the notice, "This house to be burnt," was written with chalk on several houses, and among others, on that of a principal promoter of the allotments. Nearly 500 labourers came forward to offer to watch his premises. There are now 138 allotments, of from 20 to 40 rods each ; and it may be considered that each of their occupiers is a special constable ready to protect public order in moments of difficulty, because he has now an interest in maintaining it. It is pleasant to take this more favourable view ; but as the tenants are liable to lose their occupations by miscon- duct, those whom good motives might not influence are bound by a tangible recognizance to their good behaviour. The produce has infinitely exceeded that of farming lands. The profit of the labour on each allotment, after charging rent and seed, may very reasonably be calculated at 3/. : 138 x 3 = 414/. Thus there is a constant creation of capital, which otherwise would not have existed. The attachment of the labourers to their small occupa- tions is increasing. Many spend their hours of leisure, and sometimes a whole day, there. They have now something they may call their own. Since the abolition of small farms, it has been observed, that there is nothing between 10s. a week and a large occupation; and a familiar metaphor has been used, that all the intermediate staves in the ladder have been removed, ASHHURST MaJENDIE. N.B. — In Mr. Majendie's report, the returns of expenditure for 1832 include county-rate, &c. 42 Mr. Courthope's Replies to Queries. ^Ticehur sty Sussex, No. II.— ANSWERS TO THE QUERIES OF THE POOR-LAW COMMIS- SIONERS FROIVI TICEHURST, SUSSEX. By G. Courthope, Esq., J.P. Queries. Answers. Are cottages frequently ex- empted from rates ? and is their rent often paid by the parish ? 2. Is the industry of the labourers in your neighbourhood sup- posed to be increasing or diminishing ; that is, are your labourers supposed to be better or worse workmen than they formerly were ? The rents of cottages have been paid to a great extent, in this part of the country, from the parish funds ; but in this parish, and many others, this practice is now discon- tinued. Cottages are frequently exempt from the poors' rates from the impossibility of enforcing the payment from the poor occupier : I believe the more general practice is not to make the attempt against their own parishioners. It appears to me to be desirable that both the occupier and the landlord should be rated where the rent is small ; the poor would then feel some interest in checking the amount of the rate, and the parish would be secure from the landlord. The industry of the steady la- bourer, who is in constant employ- ment under the same master, I believe not to be diminished ; and I believe that such labourers have no ground of complaint at the pre- sent wages of this neighbourhood ; but the supply of labourers in many parishes exceeding the de- mand for them, and the reduced capital of the farmers not enabling them to pay for the work which a due cultivation of their farms would require, many of the labouring class, and more particularly the single men, are left in a state of idleness, or obtain very irregular and uncertain employment. The payment of such labourers being too frequently measured by what is considered necessary for subsist- ence, rather than by the merit of the workman, — the idle and dis- solute receiving as much by aid of the poor-rate as the most Indus- Employment arid Earnings of Families. 43 Queries. Answers. 3. Have you any and what em- ployment for women and children ? 4. What in the whole might an average labourer, obtaining an average amount of em- ployment both in day-work and piece-work, expect to earn in the year, including harvest-work and the value of all his other advantages and means of living, except parish relief ? You will observe that this ques- tion refers to an average labourer obtaining an average amount of employment, not to the best la- bourer in constant employment. 5. What in the whole might his wife and four children, aged 14, 11, 8, and 5 years re- spectively, (the eldest a boy,) expect to earn in the year, obtaining, as in the former case, an average amount of employment .^ trious for his labour ; and the va- rious shifts and contrivances for giving employment and support to what is considered as surplus la- bour at the least expense to the farmer, — all tend to ruin the in- dustry of the country, and to pro- duce much discontent and irrita- tion amongst a large class of the agricultural population. The women have employment in hop-pole shaving, hop tying, weeding, and haying ; but the principal profit to the women and children arises from the hop-pick- ing, which, in favourable seasons, gives a considerable sum to large families. In many instances, since the late riots, the labourers have been re- ceiving 2^. 3c?. per day as day- wages ; but I should calculate the general day-wages in this neigh- bourhood at 2s. per day, or 12^. per week. I think a good la- bourer, in constant employment, with the average advantages of piece-work, would earn 35/. per annum, or 13^. Qd. per week ; and the best and most industrious would exceed this sum, and would probably reach 40/., or something more than 155. per week. It is impossible to form even a conjec- ture as to those who are not in regular employment, but are dis- missed from day to day, when the farmer, from distress, is unable to pay them, or has no occasion for their work. The wife, and the eldest boy of 14 years old, if in regular service as carter's mate, &c., would con- tribute very materially towards the support of the family; but the boy's being able to procure such a situation, or any regular employ- ment, is very uncertain. I am 44 Mr. CouYthopes Replies to Queries — Ticehurst, Sussex. Queries. Answers, 6. Could the family subsist on these earnings ? And if so, on what fo'od ? inclined to estimate the average earning of the wife and children as adding one-tenth to the hus- band's receipts ; but this is not founded on any data that can be depended on. In good hop sea- sons such a family would add no trifling sum by their earnings in hop-picking. When the boy is of the age of 17 and upwards, he might very materially contribute to the general fund for the support of the family. The poor, in order to make a further claim on the parish, treat such a lad as inde- pendent of them ; and even if living in the same house, as a mere lodger with the father and mother. If true, this places the young men in a situation likely to lead to every kind of irregularity, at an age when they ought to be under parental control ; and if false, it is a fraud upon the parish. I think such a family, if in con- stant employment, might subsist on their earnings, with prudence and economy, especially with the assistance of a garden to the cot- tage; but much will always de- pend on the good management of the wife. Their food is pork, bread and cheese, butter, potatoes, and tea. I conceive the poor have no reason to complain of the amount of the day or weekly wages ; but the hardship consists in their not being able to obtain regular employment. The distress of the farmers having led to a practice (which does not prevail so much in this parish as in many others) of dismissing their la- bourers from day to day, and thus throwing them for support on the poor-rate, whenever they have not pressing' occasion for their labour; Extent of Labourers' Means — Parish Apprenticing. 45 Queries. Answers. and whenever such relief is to be measured by the necessity of the family, neither overseer, vestry, nor magistrate can do this with satis- faction to themselves ; for one poor family will live in compara- tive ease and comfort under the same circumstances under which another appears in great distress. All seems to depend on such mi- nute savings and management in so many articles, each trifling in itself, that a magistrate has no measure low enough for such an estimate ; his duties, therefore, be- tween the overseer and the pauper, are most painful. A practice pre- vails in this part of the country, which, though very plausible, I fear is productive of evil conse- quences to the poor, to the rate- payers, and also to those who ap- pear to receive advantage from it, — I allude to the custom of putting out children into the farmer's ser- vice, with clothing, and frequently with a premium to the farmer who takes them : it deprives the poor man of getting his children out but through the medium of their becoming parish paupers, as he has no means of offering the ad- vantages that are given by the parish, and the children are much worse servants, and less under the control of their masters, than if the clothes were provided by the latter, as they consider themselves under no obligation, and are care- less whether they keep such places or not. If, by this means, more children are put out than would otherwise get into service, it might be considered beneficial ; but none are taken but those which the farmers require, and to whom they must have given clothes 46 Mr. Coiirthope's Replies to Queries — Ticehurst, Sussex. Queries. Answers. 7. Could it lay by anything? and how much ? Is there any and what differ- ence between the wages paid by the employer to the mar- ried and unmarried when employed by individuals ? and food for their services, if they had not been provided at the parish expense. The regular de- mand for domestic service is thus superseded by the parish supply. The farmers in this parish some time since determined to put an end to this practice, which has sel- dom since gone beyond giving 10^. with girls from the poor-house for clothes, and then not till after they have been tried in the place, and approved by the masters ; but there is great difficulty in putting an end to this in any one parish, unless neighbouring parishes do the same, as the farmers in such case would take their female servants from other parishes on these advanta- geous terms, and their own pauper children would crowd their own workhouse. As to a poor family laying by, it is quite out of the question ; but if the single man could procure regular work, aiXid could be induced to lay by as he ought to do, I think an industrious man might in a few years secure an independence at the present wages of the coun- try ; but if an industrious man was known to have laid by any part of his wages, and thus to have accu- mulated any considerable sum, there are some parishes in which he would be refused work till his savings were gone, and the know- ledge that this would be the case acts as a preventive against sav- ing. The most profitable and regular employment is given to the mar- ried men ; and the single man, ex- cept at the busy seasons, finds great difficulty in procuring work in a great part of this country. I believe the wages in this parish Married and Unmarried — Allowance for Families. 47 Queries. Answers. Have you any and liow many able-bodied labourers, in the employment of individuals, receiving allowance or regu- lar relief from your parish on their own account or on that of their families ? 10. Is that relief or allowance ge- nerally given in consequence of the advice or order of the magistrates? or under the opinion that the magistrates would make an order for it if application were made to them? are not different to the single men when employed by individuals ; but as they are the persons generally, in most places, dismissed when any of the workmen can be dispensed with, they are in the receipt of a much less weekly or yearly sum than the married men. The most active, therefore, of the agricul- tural population have much idle time, acquire vicious habits, which are much promoted by the beer- shops, and are in a constant state of discontent, it cannot be said without reason, where they are in- dustrious and anxious to work, but not able to procure it. The only mode in which able- bodied labourers, in the employ- ment of individuals in this parish, receive parish relief, is by the payment in consequence of the size of a family; or if only par- tially employed, parish work in raising stones, &c., is given, when considered necessary for them- selves or family. The magistrates in this division have, as far as it is practicable, de- termined never to order relief upon any regular scale, but that each individual case should depend upon its own merits, and they very rare- ly interfere in ordering more than has been determined by the vestry; and when such an occasion has occurred, it has generally been done by private intimation that the case deserved to be reconsidered by the vestry, and not by any po- sitive order upon the subject : by this means the magistrates and vestries have drawn well together, and there have been comparatively but few applications to the magis- trates. 48 Mr, Courthopes Replies to Queries — Ticehurst, Siissex. Queries. Answers. 1 1. Is any and what attention paid to the character of the appli- cant, or to the causes of his distress ? 12. Is relief or allowance given according to any, and what scale ? As parish allowance is reduced to the lowest amount which is conceived necessary for subsist- ence, however desirable it may be, it becomes almost impossible in practice to make any important difference, grounded on the cha- racter of the applicant, or the causes of his distress; but with this view some parishes prefer giving relief according to the num- ber of the children, rather than by estimating the actual receipts of the family, considering that the former mode encourages the in- dustrious, whilst the latter (even where it is practicable) operates as a premium to idleness and vice; since, by aid of the parish funds, the weekly receipts of the profli- gate idler (as the necessary sub- sistence of his family) are made to equal the amount of what is earned by the hard labour of the indus- trious. It is very difficult, too, to ascertain with any accuracy the real earning of the family, as some fanners, from various motives, will join with their men in deceiving the vestry as to their amount. Upon the late riots, this parish, besides increasing wages, acqui- esced in the demand of giving allowance for families, to com- mence with the third child ; but thinking this unreasonable, the vestry afterwards determined to make some alteration ; but before they carried it into effect, requested the farmers to speak to their re- spective labourers on the subject, — some of whom expressed their surprise that it should ever have been acceded to, or continued so long ; and it was then determined, w^ithout further difficulty, that when the father was on regular work, he Character — Scale — Billet System, Mischief of, 49 Queries. Answers. 13. Can you state the particulars of any attempt which has been made in your neigh- bourhood to discontinue the system (after it has once prevailed) of giving to able- bodied labourers in the em- ploy of individuals parish allowance on their own ac- count, or on that of their families ? should support three children with- out parish relief: since that time, four gallons of corn per month have been generally allowed for the fourth child; seven gallons for five children, and so in proportion. We have few families above five entitled to claim relief, the older children being able to do some- thing for themselves, or being above twelve years old, when we cease to give the parents relief on their account ; if relief is given at all on account of the size of the family, something like a scale is almost unavoidable in practice, though in theory most objection- able. In this parish we had, some few- years ago, viz., from 1819 to 1823, a large apparent surplus of labour- ers, and at Michaelmas, 1819, hired a parish farm, which was found to be attended with many evil con- sequences, and was relinquished at Michaelmas, 1822, finding the mischief of collecting together so many of the worst characters in the parish. In Nov. 1821, a sys- tem of billeting was adopted, at which the surplus men were to be drawn for by the occupiers, at the rate of one man to 15/. rental, and two boys from 12 to 16 rec- koned as one man ; such men were to be paid *]d, per day by their employers, and the rest of their income made up in proportion to their families from the poor- rates : this practice was conti- nued till June, 1822, and being found very objectionable, a differ- ent plan was adopted; viz., the surplus labourers were put up and sold to the highest bidder, to be taken by those occupiers only who had in Iheir employ at the same 50 Mr, Courthope's Replies to Queries-^Ticehurst, Sussex. Queries. Answers. time, one man to every 10/. 12.?. rental, which was continued till April, 1823 ; during these respec- tive periods the surplus labour ap- peared to be large, and after a trial of the last-mentioned experi- ment it was found, hke all such schemes, to be mischievous in its result ; and by superseding the regular demand for labour, to in- crease the apparent surplus : and has been given up for some years. A committee was therefore ap- pointed in Oct. 1823, to find some public work for such unemployed labourers; and by persevering in the determination that such men should never be employed in pri- vate labour of the farmer on his lands, with any assistance from the poor-rate, we have never since had a large surplus, though small numbers, varying at different sea- sons of the year, are on parish work; as far as I can learn, during the last year about twelve men have been so employed during the win- ter months, and three or four in the summer, averaging about six or seven during the year. But whilst the distress of the farmer continues, from want of capital and credit, and the habit (which is the unavoidable consequence) of turn- ing off the labourer every day when his labour is not absolutely requisite, there must always be an apparent surplus, or number of persons who are paid out of the rates for want of regular employ- ment. Whilst there is such a fund as the poor-rate to resort to, I fear it is too much to expect that all farmers will abstain from this mode of relieving themselves at the ex- pense of others ; but this is much less practised in this parish than in the neighbourhood, from a know- Labour Rates^Relief in Workhouse. 61 Queries. Answers. 14. What do you think would be the effects, both immediate and ultimate, of an enactment forbidding such allowance, and thus throwing wholly on parish employment all those whose earnings could not fully support themselves and their families ? 15. Would it be advisable that the parish, instead of giving al- lowance to the father, should take charge of, employ, and feed his children during the day ? and if such a practice has prevailed, has it increased or diminished the number of able-bodied applicants for re- lief? ledge that it will not lead to pro- curing labourers at reduced prices from the rate. All labour-rates are objectionable on this principle, and if examined will be found to be nothing more than a plausible mode of legalizing the crying evil of paying the labourer out of the rates. I conceive this to be quite im- practicable; the farmers and the labourers would unite in resisting any such scheme, and the whole of society in this part of the coun- try would be deranged : its effects no man can calculate. In country parishes, not very extensive, and where the popu- lation is not very large, and where the workhouse is very well and judiciously conducted, and it is superintended by a zealous advo- cate and promoter of the scheme, such a plan might be adopted with success, as I believe it has been in some places ; but it is impossible to secure such a management of workhouses throughout the king- dom, that they would not be made instruments of oppression in some places, and, I fear, lead to a great demoralization of their nu- merous inhabitants. I believe, occasionally, such an offer of tak- ing a child into the workhouse has been made in this parish, in cases where imposition has been sus- pected, and the parties have de- sisted from making further appli- cation; but as a general law, I think it would lead to mischievous consequences, and in some cases the workhouse would be so con- ducted as to become an object of desire, and would defeat the object e2 52 Mr. Courthope's Replies to Queries — Ticehurst, Sussex. Queries. Answers. 16. What do you think would be the effect of an enactment enabling parishes to tax themselves in order to faci- litate emigration ? 17. What do you think would be the effect, immediate and ultimate, of making the de- cision of the vestry, or select vestry, in matters of relief final? by running into the opposite ex- treme. I think it desirable that facilities should be given to raising funds for emigration; having no doubt, in the present state of the agricul- ture of the country, that there is a surplus of labour beyond the de- mand. I had imagined till very lately, that if agriculture was in a healthy state, this surplus was small, though, from the ignorance and mismanagement of the paro- chial authorities, it is in many places apparently large ; but, I fear, from recent inquiries into the amount of the agricultural population in this district, I am mistaken, and that the suplus of labour is be5^ond what I imagined ; but at all events, as a safety-valve, emigration, in my opinion, would operate beneficially, and would soon check itself. For this object I should recommend that the expense incurred should be paid in a short period, viz., two or three years at the utmost, that parishes might not be encouraged to throw too much of their burdens on their successors: the landlords, on such a subject, should have a vote in the vestry (though in gene- ral occasions I would not give them such a vote), and they should pay half the expense. I believe this has been adopted in the parish of Salehurst with success, where the whole expense was paid in this manner within the year. I cannot venture to give an opi- nion on this question. I am well aware that the charitable and hu- mane feelings of magistrates have formerly led to a great increase of the poor's rate, but of late years this has been much checked in this part of the country ; it is the Emigration — Magisterial Power — In-door Relief . 53 Queries. Answers. 18. If an appeal from the vestry or select vestry shall continue, what do you think would be the effect, immediate and ultimate, of restoring the law as it stood before the Stat. 36 Geo. III. chap. 23, was passed, so that, in any parish having a workhouse or poorhouse, the magis- trates should not have the power of ordering relief to be given to persons who should refuse to enter the workhouse or poorhouse ? most painful part of the duty the magistrate has to perform, and I have never been able to discover any mode of [discharging it with satisfaction to myself. In those places where the magistrates draw well with the parochial authorities, the overseers Avould wish for the appeal, as they receive assistance from the sanction of the magis- trate ; but where the magistrates are very generally interfering wdth and controlling the proceedings of the vestry, the overseer loses all authority in the parish, and no- thing can go on well. If relief is offered in the work- house, it is very unusual for the magistrates in this district to order relief in any other shape; occa- sionalhj a recommendation to the parish officer has been given where the circumstances seemed to re- quire it ; but I conceive the pro- posal of any general law dooming every applicant for parish relief to be confined to a workhouse would rouse a most formidable resistance, and that in these times of popular excitement it could not be carried into effect withovit endangering the peace of the country. Many parishes in this neighbourhood are very extensive, and the num- ber of labourers out of employ at some seasons of the year, whether from mismanagement or not, is large : if these persons, who are the idle, vicious, discontented, and the most violent of the agricultural population, are collected in num- bers, instead of being dispersed, as would be most desirable, few parish officers would be found that would dare to do their duty with such a formidable body in their workhouse. 54 Mr. Courthope^s Replies to Queries — Ticehtirst, Sussex. Queries. Answers. 19. Can you suggest any, and what alteration in the settlement laws, for the purpose either of extending the market for labour, or interfering less with contracts, or diminish- ing fraud or litigation ? It is very difficult to propose any alterations in the law of settlement that will not furnish fresh sources of litigation ; and the whole subject is so involved in difficulties, that I had intended wholly to omit re- turning any answer to this head of inquiry, having no confidence in any foresight of my own upon any plan that I could suggest, and knowing too well that cunning and artifice will be at work in every parish to relieve themselves at the expense of their neighbours, and will never fail to present infinite difficulties in carrying the best principles into practice. The in- chnation, however, of my opinion is, that residence, if it can be free from restraint by the interference of parochial authorities, is the best foundation of settlement. But in proportion as any law on this sub- ject gives room for parochial inter- ference, it impedes the circulation of labour, I would suggest that if residence is adopted as a mode of settlement, it should be residence not necessarily consecutive, but during the greater part of a given period, so as to prevent, if possible, any contrivance by which parties or parishes may receive the benefit without the corresponding burden. Before the law of settlement by hiring and service, or apprentice- ship, is abolished — unless residence or some such substitute is adopted in their place — it should be well considered whether it will not lead to much injustice towards parishes which are to bear the burdens, cru- elty towards the objects of removal in illness and old age, and, unless the law of settlement by parentage is also altered, to further evil con- sequences. Questions on the settle- ment by hiring and service might Settlement — Unions of Parishes. 55 Queries. Answerg. 29. Do you think it would be ad- visable to afford greater faci- lities than now exist, either for the union or for the sub- division of parishes or town- ships, for any purpose con- nected with the management of parochial affairs ? be much simplified, by confining it to residence in such character ; but it would be tedious and useless to enter upon these details, unless any such plan is in contemplation. Soon after the close of the war, when the agricultural labourers were increased by the disbanding of the army, and the demand for their labour was diminished from various causes, agricultural parishes very generally came to the reso- lution of employing none but their own parishioners, which ruined the industry of the country, and pro- duced more individual misery than can be conceived by those who were not eye-witnesses : the imme- diate consequence of this determi- nation was the removal of numbers of the most industrious families from homes where they had lived in comfort, and without parish re- lief, all their lives, to a workhouse in the parish to which they be- longed ; and without materially affecting the ultimate numbers in the respective parishes, the wretch- ed objects of removal, instead of happy and contented labourers, be- came the miserable inmates of crowded workhouses, without the hope of ever returning to their for- mer independence. Since this pe- riod recourse has been had to various plans, shifts, and devices, all bad in principle, and seldom affording even temporary relief in practice. It must be obvious that the evil of a superabundant population, even where the excess upon the whole is not large, is greatly aggravated by confining undue proportions within small local divisions ; but I am not aware of any practicable scheme, by which the general evils of the settlement law can be reme- 56 Mr, Courthopes Replies to Queries — Ticehnrst, Sussex, Queries. Answers. 21. Can you give the commission- ers any information respect- ing the causes and conse- quences of the agricultural riots and buniings of 1830 and 1831 ? died by the union, much less by the subdivision of parishes. Having no local knowledge of the eastern part of Kent, where, I believe, the agricultural disturb- ances commenced in the summer of 1830, my views may be mis- taken ; but the fund for labour in the hop districts depends materially, in the present distressed state of agriculture, upon the advances from the factor to the grower, on the credit of the expected crop. There being a decided failure in the gardens in that part of the country in the summer of 1830, a greater number of labourers were out of employ, and the thrashing machines became the first object of attack. Whether the burnings which had likewise commenced at this period ori- ginated with the labourers, is more than I can pretend to ex- plain, but I am satisfied they were very soon adopted by them as a means of revenge against those whom they considered their op- pressors. The lenient punishment of the Kent sessions, as well as the increase of wages which was recommended and adopted in Kent, instead of conciliating (as was expected), tended only to encourage combinations in the adjoining parts of the country. I conceive the latter to have been the more immediate exciting cause of the risings in the eastern part of Sussex bordering on Kent, where the disturbances first assumed a serious aspect. The same cause for diminution of labour, viz., a failure of the hop crop, did not exist in that neighbourhood, but there were various causes of dis- content which had created a feeling u4gricuUural Riots and Incendiarism. 57 Queries. Answers. of much dissatisfaction amongst the labourers for some consider- able time, and the then recent events at Paris had given rise to a notion amongst the lower orders, that the means of redress- ing their grievances were in their own hands, whilst the beer-shops afforded facilities for union and combination which never before existed amongst the agricultural population. The several causes of discontent to which I allude were, the reduced allowances from the poor-rates, principally effected by the assistant-overseers, which ren- dered them the first objects of attack by the labourers ; the de- graded state to which the single men were too generally reduced, and the numerous shifts and con- trivances which had been resorted to in various parishes to relieve the farmers from the burden of what they considered surplus la- bour. These had long been pro- ducing an irritation which the cir- cumstances of the moment brought into action. At the same time, various motives prevented the ex- ertions of those who ought to have assisted in suppressing them : some of the little farmers (though I believe they did not first occa- sion the rising of the labourers) gave decided encouragement to them, with the hope of compelling the clergyman to reduce his tithes, and, though not so prominently brought forward, the landlord his rent ; the leaders in these meetings by their placards, and by other means, endeavouring to impress their followers with the belief that the farmers were unable to pay fair wages, in consequence of the extortion of the clergyman. Many of the above class oF farmers were 58 Mr, Courthopes Replies to Queries — Ticehurst^ Sussex. Queries. Answers. in a state of insolvency, and quite reckless of the consequences, whilst the more respectable farmers, from the alarm for their property, occa- sioned by the fires, were deterred from appearing to resist the gene- ral torrent ; and I am sorry to say a very general feeling of dissatis- faction against Government pre- vailed in this part of the country amongst the farmers, grounded on the supposed inattention to, or neglect of their petitions, which I impute to what I consider to be a mischievous practice of parochial petitioning, too generally adopted for other purposes than the benefit of the petitioners. This feeling was extensively and decidedly ex- pressed in answer to the recom- mendation of the magistrates to appoint special constables, which, after much difficulty and persua- sion, was at last adopted. In such a state of the country, the first ris- ings being successful in attaining their object, and with such an ex- citing cause as the increase of wages and additional allowances from the poor-rates, it is not sur- prising that these risings should spread to a considerable extent. The petitions to which I allude were principally on the subject of the hop duty, which Government must be aware has never been paid since 1822, without remonstrance and petition. There is one other subject con- nected with the poor-laws, which does not appear, from the preceding questions, to have attracted the at- tention which I think it deserves — I allude to the clergyman, or other owner of tithes, when he enters into a pecuniary composition with the respective occupiers of land, being liable to be personally rated Causes of Riots — Hostility to Tithes. 59 Queries. Answers. to the poor as an occupier of the tithes. The certain consequence, wherever this is adopted, is to dis- turb the whole labour of the parish, as it fbecomes the obvious interest of the farmer to throw as much of his labour upon the rates as he can, and there always will be the ap- pearance of surplus labour in such a parish, whether it really exists or not. I imagine that this is not a general practice ; but recourse has been too frequently had to it as a means of annoying the clergyman in the eastern part of Sussex and adjoining parts of Kent, and inva- riably with the worst of conse- quences to the labouring popu- lation. The commissioners are aware that this state of the law proceeds from tithes being an in- corporeal hereditament, and con- sequently not passing by parol; for to make a conveyance or lease of tithes effectual, it must be un- der seal, but the stamp-laws render it impossible to enter into such compacts with each separate pa- rishioner ; the lessee, therefore, is not legally bound either by his composition or agreement. I would suggest such an alteration in the law as to place tithes with respect to rating to the poor and highways upon the same footing as land ; that in all cases where the tithe-owner receives a rent or pe- cuniary consideration in lieu of taking his tithes in kind, the occu- pier of the land should be con- sidered also as the occupier of the tithes, and liable to be rated as such, whether his agreement is by parol or by writing under seal or not ; by which means the owner of the tithes would bear his pro- portion of the burden of supporting the poor as the landlord of land 60 Mr. Courthopes Replies to Quei'ies — Ticehurst, Sussex, Queries. Answers. 22. What is the name and county of the parish, township, or district to which your an- swers refer .'* does at present by the reduction of his rent or pecuniary receipt ; but as the law now stands, the tithe-owner (though in truth a landlord or lessor) must be rated to the poor as the occupier, if it is insisted on by any parishioner, and he thus becomes liable to a large proportion of the w^hole rate, having no occasion (as far as his tithes are concerned) for the em- ployment of any portion of the labour of the parish ; the evil con- sequences of which no man at all acquainted with the subject can doubt. Before I leave this subject, I cannot avoid noticing the cir- cumstances of the clergy having, in some instances, been the persons who have effected beneficial reform in their parishes : but if it is to be inferred from thence that it is de- sirable, by rating them for their tithes, to compel them to take a part in these parochial transactions, I have no hesitation in saying it would produce the most mis- chievous results. The parish of Ticehurst in the county of Sussex. G. COURTHOPE, a Magistrate resident in this parish. Mr. Maclean's Re^^ort on Surrey and Sussex. 61 —No. III.— REPORT from C. H. Maclean, Esq., Assistant- Commissioner, on Surrey and Sussex. My Lords and Gentlemen, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of Viscount Melbourne, the following statement of the practice pur- sued in several of the parishes which I have visited, with regard to the management of their poor ; and, at the same time, subjoin such remarks as I deem it right to add for his Lordship's perusal. As Surrey and West Sussex consist of parishes purely agricul- tural, the treatment of persons applying to the parish officers for relief, or for labour, is nearly the same, varying only as respects the able-bodied labourers in the amount of abuse ; as in no case have I found the parish-officers able to supply the labour thrown upon them to a profitable purpose. Nearly every parish has a workhouse for itself, or the use of an incorporated one. These, for the most part, are farmed, the cost of maintaining the inmates varying from 2s. 4.d. in agricvdtural districts to 5^". in town parishes. SURREY. SHERE. This parish contains a population of 1190, and 4000 acres, of which half is waste land. There is a workhouse containing twenty- one inmates, chiefly old persons and children. It is farmed at 2s. 4^d. per head, according to the price of flour. The number of able-bodied men out of employment at one time, during last winter, was 35, and the average exceeded 20. These are put upon the roads, or to dig gravel by the load, for which there is no sale. Parishes wages are. For a single man . 5^. Married man . , 7^. With one child . . 8^. With two children , • 9^. One shilling and sixpence is given for every child above three. The money expended on labour by the parish last year, was 417/. 6^. 6id. The vestry is an open one. There is no paid overseer. The whole expenditure of the parish last year was 1963/.* The rates * In 1821 and the three following years the annual expenditure from the poor-rates averaged 1050/, The population of 1831 exceeds that of 1821 by 113. , 62 Mr, Maclearis Report — Surrey and Sussex. are 17^. in the pound, considered to be assessed on land at its full value. It is impossible to resist calling his Lordship's attention to the deplorable condition of this and the adjoining parish of Albury, owing to the disaffected and demoralized state of the labouring classes, and the continual fear in which the respectable inhabitants live of fires, or other destruction of property. It will be in his Lordship's recollection, that this part of the country was notorious in the winter of 1830-1, for the lawless outrages committed, both on person and property. The same spirit and inclination still exist, and the word "■ fires," or allusion to the occurrences of 1830-1, is in the mouths of all classes, either for the purpose of producing intimidation or indicative of alarm. I remained some days in the parish of Shere, and from what I there saw and heard, shall not be surprised at any outrages which may be committed. While staying in the house of Captain Hay, who occupies a con- siderable farm in the parish, poison was given to some of Captain Hay's farm stock in the farmyard adjoining his house, of which five fat hogs died. No traces could be discovered, or any clue obtained by which the perpetrators could be found out. The following night Captain Hay was roused, about twelve o'clock, by the barking of his dogs, and on going out with his loaded gun, per- ceived a man standing as if attempting one of the windows, who made off immediately, and was fired at by Captain Hay. About six months before this time, the house of Captain Hay had been attacked, all the windows and frames were broken in, fruit-trees barked or cut over, and the hot-bed frames destroyed ; an im- mense bludgeon was left sticking in the gravel-walk, with threaten- ing words written on the gravel in a good legible hand. It is supposed that the active part which Captain Hay took, at the request of the magistrates of the Guildford bench, in acting as a special constable, and taking command of Shere and the adjoining parishes of Albury and Chiiworth, during the disturbances of the previous winter, has been the cause of these attacks. There is an organized body of men in this parish known by the name of '' the Shere Gang," and who are the terror of the whole neighbourhood. The members of it have always money, without any ostensible means of earning or obtaining it, as they neither work nor apply to the parish for relief The farmers and others are afraid to employ them, and equally afraid to refuse them work. When any depredation or outrage is committed, some one or more of these is apprehended, but generally escapes com- mitment, as no one of them was ever known to split, nor was any crime ever punished upon information derived from them. One of the most notorious was hung for burning Albury Mill, in the Disturbances in Surrey — Scale for Able-bodied, Sussex. 63 winter of 1830-1, and seven or eight have been transported at various times. Those belonging to the gang are known^ and are objects of universal terror. There is no resident magistrate in the parish, and, on a recent occasion, it was necessary to send seven miles to obtain a warrant to commit a man. Some vigorous measure of police is necessary for the security of property in this part of Surrey, as well as in the almost adjoining parishes of Woking, Purford, Egham and Chob- ham, in each of which fires have occurred within the last few weeks. SUSSEX. KIRDFORD. This parish has a population of 1623 persons, and 16,000 acres, of which 9000 are under cultivation, 3000 under wood, and 4000 waste, though some of it is good land. The parish has a workhouse, farmed at 3s. 2d, a head per week. The number of inmates averages 44, but there are more in winter. Some of all classes are put into it. A medical man, who resides five miles off, gets 50/. a year. No rent is paid by the parish. Aged and impotent persons are either taken into the house, or allowed from 2s. to 3s. a week out of it. Widows and orphans, or deserted children, the same. If an able-bodied single man applies to vestry for relief, he is asked what he can shift for, and if he will take 2s. 6d. a week, it is given to him, and no further inquiry is made after him. This generally continues for three months, during the winter season ; and 33 single men were so relieved last year ; but at one period during the winter, 43 single men were upon the parish. Work upon the roads is reserved for the married men. The scale by which these latter have been relieved, has been, since November, 1830, at which time the scale was raised — - For a man and wife, 1^. Qd. a day. A man and wife, with one child, 1^. Qd. a day. A man and wife, with two children, 2^. a day ; and 1^. 3d, for th^ third child. And the same for every child above that number. This scale has been reduced Is. a week on each class, and con- tinues at that rate now. The reduction was made on account of the fall in the price of provisions, and because the farmers lowered the scale of their wages. 64 Mr. Maclean's Rejyort — Sussex — Labour Rate. In the year 1820, the number of unemployed married men did not exceed 30; in 1828, it reached 60 men ; in 1830, the number was 80 ; and in the winter of 1831, the number amounted to 85; and there seems every probability of an increase to this number ; Every possible mode is professed to have been tried to find em- ployment for those persons, and to reduce the expenditure of the parish. The roundsman, or ticket system, was adopted ten years ago ; but as the farmers were jealous of the manner in which the men were sent to them, it was abandoned. A labour rate was tried last year and the year before ; under it, it was agreed, that each farmer should employ a man, at the usual rate of wages (then 12s.) for every 25/. to which he was assessed. This did not employ the whole available labour, and was soon abandoned. The number of able-bodied agricultural labourers in the parish, as near as I could ascertain, is 190, ex- clusive of about 15 mechanics, most of whom apply to the parish for work during the winter months. It follows, from the above statement, that, during last winter, (1831-2), there were 118 able-bodied men, married and single, upon the parish ; this leaves 72 labourers to do the work upon 9000 acres of cultivated land and 3000 acres of woodland. The general opinion, as far as I was able to collect it, seemed to be, that there is not more than sufficient labour in the whole parish for the cultivation of the land, but that the want of capital among the farmers prevents the employment of it on the land. On this subject a resident proprietor, in answer to the circulated queries, states ^^ that the amount of agricultural capital was de- creasing ; that the poor-rate has increased of late years, and such increase, together with three or four unfavourable harvests, has reduced many farmers to a state of insolvency." It seems difficult to reconcile the alleged want of capital with the amount paid by the farmers to the poor-rate, — as the sum levied by the poor-rate in 1823, was 2129/., while that levied in 1832 was 4675/. The population of 1831 exceeds that of 1821 by 51 individuals only. The vestry is an open one, well attended by the farmers. The parish is divided into two districts, and one overseer acts in each. The books are kept by the vestry clerk, who has a salary for so doing of 15/. a year. There is no assistant-overseer. The subjoined statement of the expenditure of this parish, for the last four years, was furnished to me by Mr. Hasler, a magis- trate resident in the parish, and amounts to about bOs. per head on the population. Pulborough — System of Relief. 65 Annual Expenditure of Kiudforu Parish, from 1829 to 1832. Years. Reliefs for Infirm, Sick, and Children*. For Labour. Paupers in the Poor-house. Bills. including Law Expenses. Salaries, &c. Total Expendedf. ■ Amounts levied by Ratet. 1829 1830 1831 1832 £. s. d. 1974 14 8 1983 16 6 1960 0^ 2079 6 £ s. d. 676 6 1 890 7 4 999 10 3 1209 6 1 £ s. d. 360 10 4 363 18 6 366 14 4 371 9 2 £ s. d. £ s. d. 205 3 10^3216 14 111 332 6 3^:3570 8 7h 386 8 3A3712 12 10| +579 9 8 4239 10 11 £ s. d. 3917 17 5 4296 9 4^ 4301 18 7 4675 11 81 The rating is upon a scale of three-fourths of a valuation taken in 1825; but now, in many instances, it exceeds the actual rent paid for the land. PULBOROUGH. The population amounts to 1979 individuals. The numbers of acres are — 4'2L6 arable; 900 meadow; 158 woodland; 150 waste land — in all 5424 acres, 'there is a workhouse, which is farmed at 3s. a head per week ; flour at Is. Sd. a gallon ; and 25 inmates being secured to the contractor. The inmates are either aged, infirm, or children, with occasionally an able-bodied man, during the winter months. The medical man receives fifty guineas a year. One shilling a week is paid as rent for every person who has a third child ; and the price of a gallon of flour is allowed for every child in family above that number. Aged and infirm persons, unable to work, if not in the workhouse, are allowed from Is. 6(1. to 2s. 6d. a week, and additional relief in cases of necessity. A similar amount of allowance is extended to widows, orphan and deserted children. The parish possesses no means of employing labour profitably ; but all able-bodied applicants for labour or relief are put upon the roads§, or to dig gravel in pits. For above nine montlis of last winter, 1831-2, there were 130 able-bodied men at parish work. During the winter months the number reached 176. The whole number of labourers, inclusive of bricklayers, carpenters, * Included under this head is about 1000/. annually paid to labourers in regular einployment, on account of their families. The allowance made for children to men on the parish is included under the head " Labour." t The difference in the amount expended and the amount levied is ac- counted for by the balance in hand, and the uncollected rate upon cottages. % Included in the bills of 1832 is 100/. allowed to committee for emigration for this parish. § The surface of the roads in many parts of Sussex is so good, that I have heard it said, "If a man finds a stone upon it, he must make a hole into which to put it." 66 Mr. Maclean^s Report — Pulborough, Sussex, shoemakers^ &c.j is stated to be 308. In the month of September parish wages were as follows : — A single man was allowed to work four days in the week at 1^. a day, A married man worked the whole week at 8^. With one child at 9^. With two children at 10^. Upon my return to this parish, in the end of the month of October last, these wages had been reduced to the following scale : — A man with a wife and two children received 1^. 6d. A man with a wife and one child, l.y. 4c?. a day. A man and wife, l^. ^d. a day. Single men above 21 years received 1^. a day. Ditto from 18 to 21, 1^. a day for five days in the week. Ditto from 15 to 18, lOd. a day for five days. Ditto from 12 to 15, bd. a day. Those who only work a limited number of days are under no control, and no inquiry is made into their occupations, pursuits, or earnings during the other days in the week. The shifting system is never adopted as a permanent arrangement ; although a shilling or two is given to enable a man to go and look for work out of the parish. Cottage rent varies from 41. to 6/., with a garden of from 20 to 25 rods. A select vestry existed, in name, up till last March, but has been discontinued in fact for some years. Few attend beside the parish officers. The overseers are usually farmers, but this year a tradesman is in office. An assistant-overseer was appointed ten years ago, and still continues. The present assistant-overseer receives 25/. He acts as vestry-clerk, and also as superintendent of the men on the roads. The rates last year reached 14s. in the pound, on a valuation made in 1829, and then put at two-thirds, but which is now con- sidered rack-rent. The expenditure of last year was as follows, viz. : — Scale — High Rates — Wages. 67 EXPENDITURE OF THE PARISH OF PULBOROUGH, SUSSEX, from March 25, 1831, to April 5, 1832—54 weeks. £. s. d. Poor-house , . . . , . 265 8 3 Old, infirm, widows, and fatherless children . . 559 4 6 Occasional relief in illness and distress, and for clothing boysl r^.^ „ o and girls going first to sei-vice , . . j i •< Medical advice . . , . , 59 19 Repairs and additions to the poor-house . • • 13 2 6 Relief to able-bodied men — In house-rent. Is. a. week for every third child • 1 gallon of flour for every child above three . . Poor-rates allowed to cottagers . Able-bodied men on the roads paid from the poor-rates Law expenses . • • Clerks' fees at the Bench , Acting overseer's salary • « His and the constable's expenses Beadle's salary , • • County and bridge rates . • Churchwarden's bills instead of a rate Three families emigrating to Canada £ 8. d. 15 4 2 5 10 52 22 10 9 1398 2 5 257 378 275 5 9 1807 12 11^* 2717 18 8^ 31 4 67 19 18 9 6 1 212 17 120 1398 2 2717 18 6 5 8i 4448 18 7^ or near 45s. per head on the population. Wages in Sussex have been 12^., but a reduction to IQs. was very generally talked of, and has taken place in some of the ad- joining parishes. Many farmers make a difference of nearly one half to the married and single men : turning them off when the weather is wet, and only employing them for half days. When the nature of the work admits of it, task-work is general, but rarely above 2s. can be earned at this : constant woi'k cannot be said to average above eight months in a year. * To this sum must be added 324/. expended on the roads by ihe way-warden, making the total expended 2131/. 12*. \\\d. F 2 68 Mr, MaclearCs Report — Pulboroughf Sussex, i Decrease. Increase. Do. o n •^ o o in o 00 u r^ »J C5 CO o o (M m « Is "^ o CO «r) o "Q Hi uO t^ rj« c-l «o c "^ (M O r-H '-' •-^ HiSI Hl«< H« «B« -=" CC OO r- t>. 1— 1 f— 1 c'm .- CC OS o vn 00 !0 o c f-H r-( as. o C5 CO (N CO 00 00 ^ 51 ^^ <» •rr CO V oa TJ< t.O (M (N CN Ot CO Tf 00 Hfc. HiCi = ^' "« ;:; O «5 O (N t-s. ""^ -g^- ^•«=> CM »>. CO 05 t^ r-l ||| '"' Sm o . > "^ tc o iO . ^05 O O C5 «o CO CO js li a'- O CO 00 CO n* ;::^ " SS ;Sp^ P_i Oi CO •— CO to ■* ^^ O CO CX3 oo 00 o 0» TT 05 .o in . s o o »n 00 1— < in ^ '<3< TJ« lO o vft o o CO 1^. -e^ He. O "O o sr HC« I— 1 •^ C-TS .;« 1— «o o C5 (M rr |l •"^ •"* c^S o •* t^ -f 1^ to >n t>, 1— 1 o O o «5 t^ O 00 o 00 -o '"' o t^ (N i 1 00 OJ o ,—1 (N ^ to CM » t>. ro «+i ^ «3 (M CO ^ ill H c S •9 O 00 t^ CS r-l vi i S S 83 l;^ sit -^ CO «0 CO CO o «9 t^ S'urrey and Sussex. whether the complaints of the payers, when this scale was adopted, or those of the receivers, when it was abandoned, were the loudest*. The greatest number at parish work during last winter was sixty at one time. The average of the winter months was forty- five. These were all set to spade husbandry on sixteen acres, which the parish had taken for the purpose, or put upon the roads under the superintendence of the way- warden, an unpaid officer. No application for relief from an able-bodied man is now granted, without inquiry into his necessities and opportunities of obtaining employment for himself. To show that he has used due diligence in endeavouring to obtain work for himself, a ticket is given by the assistant-overseer to each pauper, stating his name and age, whether he is married or single, his trade and number of children, and a request to the rate-payer to whom he makes application for work, to sign the ticket, and mention the day of the month on which the pauper applied. There are four overseers, two for the town and two for the country, with one assistant at 80/. a year. The vestry is a select one and well attended, the clergyman being present and taking the chair. The rates are called 14s. in the pound, upon an assessment called and supposed to be two-thirds on land, but not above one-fifth upon houses. The expenditure for the last four years has been — Total. £3162 5 Oi 3146 16 9| 3572 15 Sj 3298 18 2 During the disturbances of the winter of 1830, very serious riots took place here, the effects of which are felt up to the present time, not only in the increase of the rates, but in the disaffected and malicious conduct of the lower classes. The more respectable inhabitants live in continual dread of the destruction of their pro- perty. I have the honour to be. My Lords and Gentlemen, Your obedient, humble Servant, C. H. Maclean. Lincoln s Inn, December^ 1832. * The vestry had assembled in November, 1830, for the purpose of electing an assistant-overseer. The labouring classes collected to the number of many hundreds from this and the adjoining parishes, obstructed the proceedings of the vestry, and with threats and intimidating language proposed a scale of 2s. 6d. a day for wages, and 2*. a week for every child in family above two. The vestry adjourned till next day, when the scale mentioned in the text was agreed to, but, as there stated, never acted upon. Weekly Relief, Casual. Labour. Bills, &c. 1829 £830 10 £792 13 7 £1539 1 5* 1830 821 19 '6 772 2 U 1552 15 2f 1831 799 12 1115 1 9^ 945 4 4i £110 8 01 1548 1 2i 1832 1029 14 6 141 14 4 1182 4 11^ Messrs. Wrottesleij and Cameron s Report — Bucks, 77 No. IV. — Extracts from the Evidence taken by Mr. Wrot- TESLEY and Mr. Cameron, Assist ant- Commissioners in Buck- inghamshirey ivifh a few Remarks arising out of them. We have selected those portions of the evidence collected by iis, which follow, with a view to illustrate the effect produced upon the habits of the labouring population, by the way in which parish relief and wages are distributed among them. The general prin- ciple which regulates the practice in respect of relief is, that all are to receive it who are in want of it, or rather (for no very rigorous scrutiny is instituted into the circumstances of each case) who appear to be in w^ant of it. Whether that want is produced by imprudent marriages, or idleness, or thoughtless extravagance, or even by squandering resources with the deliberate intention of coming upon the parish, appears to be quite indifferent. Want, as want, constitutes a complete title to relief. Wages, considered as the result of a bargain between the capitalist and the labourer, for the advantage of both parties, can hardly be said to exist. The farmer, like the parish, commonly pays every man according to the wants of himself and his family, and then gets what work he can out of him. Under this system the lot of every man is the same. No one can raise himself by good conduct above the ordi- nary level, no one can sink himself below it by the opposite course. The results, as far as we were able to observe them, corresponded with the expectation which is excited by contemplating the causes in operation. The veracity, the frugality, the industry, and the domestic virtues of the lower classes must be very nearly extinct, unless the following are (which we have no reason to suppose) extraordinary instances of their deficiency. We found the practice of giving relief without work to the able- bodied, in the shape of bread-money, prevailing in every parish we visited in Bucks, except Aylesbury. It is not systematically given in any other shape. At Marlow, however, we found money given to able-bodied men, among the numerous experiments which the pressure of the evil and ignorance of its true nature and causes have driven the parish authorities to make. The assistant overseer says, "In the year ending March, 1831, we thought if a man ap- plied to us for work, it was quite as well to give him a trifle, (per- haps 2s ^d. to a single man, and more to a married man,) and let him seek work where he could find it." The assistant -overseer approved of this plan, and thought he proved the justness of his opinion by showing us that it had pro- duced a saving during the short period in which it was tried. Fortunately, there were others in the parish who, having less 78 Messrs, Wrottesley and Cameron's Report — Bucks, interest than the assistant-overseer in a plan which so materially lightened his duties, looked a little further into the effect it was likely to have on the rates, and the parish now always finds work, or what is called work, for those who apply. The number of labourers employed by the parish at Great Marlow, during the year ending March, 1832, was 104. They are employed in digging gravel in a field rented by the parish for that purpose, and in repairing the parish roads. A single man receives 4^. a week ; a married man Is. more for his wife, and Is. 6d. for each child. In order to exhibit the whole amount of the evil produced by relieving the able-bodied at Marlow, it is necessary to observe, that for many years the business of making skewers has been carried on in the town. The skewers are generally made of what is called prick- wood, which grows in the hedges. The people keep donkeys, and go all over the country searching for this wood, so that when the neighbouring villagers see a man with a donkey, they say, '^ There's a Marlow man." The whole business of skewer-making, or skewerting, as it is called, is involved in profound mystery. Both the capitalists and the labourers conceal with the utmost care from the parish officers what they respectively give and receive, in order that the allowance the labourers get from the parish may not be decreased in conse- quence of the earnings of themselves and their families as skew- erters. A labourer employed by the parish at Marlow gives his work to it from six a.m. to six* p.m. in the summer, and from day- light to dark in the winter ; at other hours he can occupy himself in making skewers ; and his children, as well as the children of widows receiving relief from the parish, can occupy themselves at all times in cutting or making skewers. Although this is known in various ways, it is extremely difficult to produce such evidence of it before the magistrates or the select vestry as will enable them to regulate the relief granted accordingly. Mr. Field stated that he had made inquiries of one of the per- sons who employ the skewerters, who assured him that he did not dare tell what they earned ; for that if he did they would not work for him. Mr. Field repeated part of the conversation which passed, as follows : — ' I said, " Perhaps they earn 20^., 30s., or 40s. a week ?" He answered, " Perhaps they do." I said, '* Perhaps 50s. ?"' He answ^ered, " I can't say." ' Mr. Field's own belief is, that a family in which there are five or six children, can earn as much as 40^. a week in those weeks in which they work up and sell their materials. Mr. Gibbons, the churchwarden, states, that Dean Street is the Employment — Property sold, to claim Relief. 79 principal residence of the skewerters ; that the people in that street are observed to live very extravagantly with reference to their situation in life, and are excellent customers to the public-houses for beer. Dr. Scobell, a very active magistrate^ says, " When we impose a fine upon a man known to be a skewerter, (which we very often have occasion to do,) we almost always find that he pays his fine ; whereas a man of the same station, not so employed, is seldom able to pay, and goes to the tread-mill." This business of skewerting might, we presume, be carried on as honestly as any other business, if the allowance-system did not render concealment, wherever concealment is practicable, the in- terest of all those who live by the sweat of their brow. In the skewerting business concealment is practicable, for the mate- rials can be collected surreptitiously and worked up in private, and the capitalists engaged in the trade are few in number and understand one another. This concealment, which, in the occu- pation in question, is sought only for the purpose of defrauding the rate-payers, has all the same bad effects upon the character of the workmen as concealment employed to cover a direct breach of the laws, and the character of the skewerter has accordingly been represented to us as resembling that of the poacher and smuggler. We think it clear, therefore, that notliing prevents the whole population of those districts, in which the full malignity of the allowance-system is developed, from reaching the same point of demoralization ; but the circumstance that the fact of a labourer being employed, and the amount of wages he receives, are, in general, matter of notoriety. There are also three persons who employ the women of Marlow in satin-stitch : one of them resides in London, the other two on the spot ; and the assistant-overseer states, that he finds the same kind of difficulty in ascertaining the earnings of the women thus employed as iii the case of the skewerters. Whoever has an income, which is not large enough to make his condition better than that of a parish pauper, derives, of course, no benefit from such an income, because he is thereby excluded from parish relief His business is, therefore, to sell or mortgage his income, dispose of the sum which he thus raises according to his pleasure, and throw himself on the parish. Two cases came to our knowledge in which this sort of pro- ceeding is exemplified. The first was that of a widow, who applied to the select vestry at Marlow for relief. The assistant-overseer stated to the vestry that she had an income of 2s, a week, arising from a bequest. She admitted this, and the vestry refused relief. She then went 80 Messrs. JVroftesJey and Cameron s Report — Bucks. before the magistrates, and made oath that she had mortgaged her income of 2^. a week for two years to come, in order to make up the sum necessary for apprenticing her son to a cordvvainer, (the remainder of the sum was to come from an apprenticing charity,) and that consequently she had then no income at all. The ma- gistrates ordered her Is. 6d. a week for one month. We do not adduce this case for the purpose of casting the slightest reflection on the magistrates. The woman swore, in addition to what is stated above, that she also applied on account of another child she had at home, which may have weighed with them ; and even if that circumstance had not existed, we will not undertake to say that they could have legally refused to relieve the w^oman, because she had placed herself in a situation to require it. We adduce this case for the purpose of showing the effect which is produced on the minds of the people by the doc- trine, that destitution, however produced, constitutes a claim to be supported by the community. It is very likely that this woman was swearing to nothing that was not strictly true, but the temptation to fraud, collusion, and perjury, which such a situation must hold out, is too obvious to need further remark. The other case was as follows : — Thomas Easton was the surviving trustee of a Dissenters' chapel, and of some land at Princes Risborough. The land had been left by will for the benefit of a Dissenting minister and con- gregation, and the rents and profits had been for some time applied to the use of a Presbyterian minister and congregation. Upon that sect becoming extinct in the parish, Easton applied the rents and profits to his own use, and afterwards contracted to sell the land to his father-in-law, but no conveyance was executed. This mode of enjoying the trust-property did very well until the parish officers discovered it, upon which they refused relief to all the parties, whereupon Easton and his father-in-law sold the property to a third person, disposed of the purchase-money according to their own fancies, and again claimed and were admitted to the privileges of pauperism. The father-in-law has a family, and Easton himself, who told us the whole story with great alacrity, and not without mirth, has nine children, and is now employed by the parish at 9s. a week. Another case was mentioned to us by Sir John Dashwood King, which may be properly introduced here. " There is a soldier," said Sir John, " named Durrant, a pa- rishioner of Wendover, who has a pension of 3s. Gd. a week ; the farmers will not employ him for more days in the week than will suffice to make up his earnings, including his pension, to 7s. I Property concealed or sold, to claim Relief. 81 have given him employment, and he is a very good man. I know him well/' It is plain that this man, and every man so placed, has the strongest motive for concealing, or selling, his income. A pen- sion from government being an income which can neither be con- cealed nor sold, is of no value, because the right to parish relief is abated jf;ro tanto, and in this neighbourhood there appears to be no difference between wages and relief, except that one is paid by the farmers, the other by the parish. The effects produced upon the industry of the labourers, and on the opinions of the parish officers as to what ought to be the industry of a labourer, are strikingly illustrated at West Wycombe. Mr. Dashwood has there offered to let the able-bodied paupers dig his ground at 1/. an acre (the cost of ploughing), but the parish has invariably refused his offers. Mr. Dashwood informed us, that he always offers the labourers work by the grate ; that they frequently refuse and apply to the parish officers, who would provide parish employment, if he did not take care to apprize them of the circumstances. If, being thus apprized, they refuse to do so, the labourer probably goes to a magistrate, who, upon hearing the case, perhaps directs him to return to Mr. Dashwood, and take the work offered him. Then if it should happen that Mr. Dashwood has, in the mean time, hired another person, the magistrate feels himself compelled to order the parish officers to find the man employment, and so he gains his point. " It is true," said Mr. Dashwood, " the parish officers might have the man sent to prison for refusing work, but the expense generally deters them." This dread of expense seems to arise from the circumstance that the parish officers are annually appointed, in consequence of which, it is only by immediate savings that they can gain any credit. Expense incurred with a view to remote savings would redound to the credit of future officers. Mr. Dashwood stated also, that having occa.sion to clean out a piece of water, he told the parish officers there was that work to be done, but they did not undertake it. He then contracted with a man from Woburn, who undertook to do the work at so much a load, the contractor paying the labourers at 2s. a day, or 10^. a week and beer. He brought labourers from Woburn. At last a few of the West Wycombe people came to assist in the work, but one man, who was sent by the parish officers, said he was not used to water work, and would not do it. The officers did sum- mon him, and he was sent to prison. Mr. Dashwood said, this work would have employed the sur- plus labourers for two months, at least, during the winter. G 82 Messrs. Wrottesley and Cameron^ s Rejjort — Bucks. Mr. Heath, indeed, stated in justification of the West Wycombe people, that they are unaccustomed to such work, whereas the labourers from Woburn were water-cress men, accustomed to be constantly up to their knees in water, and that he believed Mr. Dashwood did not offer sufficient wages for such work. It would, of course, be right, in giving an account of this transaction, to state what Mr. Heath said, whatever the effect of it might be : but it seems to us, that his remark only makes the case a still stronger illustration of the mischievous effects which flow from relief to the able-bodied. Not only do the able-bodied labourers of West Wycombe think they have a right to support at all events, and to take and refuse what work they please without forfeiting that right, but this opinion of theirs seems quite reasonable to a man far above them in station. ^1 The notion of wages as a contract beneficial to both parties, i" seems to be nearly obliterated from the minds of the people of West Wycombe. Mr. Henry Curtis, the vestry-clerk and assistant-overseer, states, that the rate of wages paid by the parish is, — To a single man under 20 . 3^. a week. Ditto above 20 . . . 4j. Married man without children • 5^. Ditto with one child . , 6s. Ditto with two . • Ss. Ditto with three and upwards . 9*. besides which every labourer, whether employed by the parish or by an individual, receives under the name of bread money, 1^. 6d, for each child that he has above the number of three. There is one family with six children on the parish, receiving 9*. as parish wages, and 4s. 6d. as bread money. We asked what wages the farmers give, the answer was, '' The same as the parish." We pointed out that this could hardly be, as the farmers would then be giving different wages to married and single men. Mr. Curtis then said, the farmers gave the same rate as the parish to married men, and that if a farmer refused to pay this rate, the labourer would apply to a magistrate. " But the magistrate," we remarked, " could not make an order upon a farmer." Mr. Curtis, after some hesitation, answered, *' No ; but the man would immediately come upon the parish, and the farmers never refuse this rate." Mr. Curtis has evidently no idea that wages ought to be a matter of bargain ; he supposes that the farmer ought to give 9»?. Refusal of Work — Allowance System — Payment of Rents. 83 because that is what the magistrates would order the overseer to give. We asked Mr. Joseph Lacey, churchwarden of West Wycombe, if piece work was common : he answered, " There is very little, it does not answ^er." " Why not?" " We have got too many people, and want to employ them." " You mean that men would do too much work if employed by the piece." " That is what I mean.*' Mr. Curtis having stated that a man, his wife and six chil- dren, had been sent to the parish by an order of removal, added, " We have admitted him into the workhouse till we can find a house for him." *' You mean, till he can find a house." '' We must find him a house. I do not think any landlord would let him a house, if the parish was not security. The parish is security in a great many instances ; in some cases we stop part of the allowance of a family in order to pay the rent; in some cases we pay the whole rent out of the poor-rate." Mr. Thomas Fowler, the overseer of Aston Clinton, stated that the young men of that parish " dress very smart on a Sunday, and come to the overseer next day. When they earn money at harvest time, they spend it in something fine, not caring about durability, and will come to the overseer immediately after har- vest. If we refuse them, they run to the magistrates, who always side with the poor since the riots." Mr. Edward Pheby, the overseer of Fingest, having described to us the allowance system as prevailing in his parish, we inquired if he did not think it made the people less industrious than they otherwise would be. " Perhaps it does," he replied, "• but we cannot help ourselves ; if we refuse this allowance, the magistrates order it, and then there is the additional expense of the summons, &c." There are not, in fact, many applications made to the magis- trates, for we know what they will order, and do it of our own accord to save expense.'' Mr. Thomas Thom, overseer of Brierton, says, " We pay the rents of many cottagers. Some will come and say, when they have got large families, that they want to come into the work- house, and then we pay their rents in order to keep them away, because they must have a place found them." In looking over the parish books we found the following entry : "April 2, 1831, Mr. Stiles for WiUiam Evans at Thame, 2/." We asked the meaning of this, and the overseer explained that g2 84 Messrs. JVrottesley and Cameron s Keport — Bucks. *' Evans used to go tramping about the country. He had been on the parish some time before, but went away into Norfolk, where he married, and then came back under an order of removal. The parish officers put him on the roads, but he soon got tired of that, and offered the overseer, if he would give him some money, not to come back so long as he was in office." " Have you seen anything of him since ?" " No, but he will very likely come down now after the summer is over." We turned over the leaves and found " October 13, 1832, William Evans, 1/." " What is this ?" ** I did not know he had come again." We showed him the entry. " This is Mr. Bond's account. There are two overseers for Brierton, and one for the hamlet of Broughton. Bond is the overseer for Broughton. Each of the three pays for the whole parish during four months in the year. I did not know he had given Evans any thing." Mr. Thom, however, saw no objection to the payment, for he only remarked, when it was brought to his notice, " They gave Evans \l. rather than be plagued with him, for he won't do any work. It is better giving him 1/., than having him all the winter.' Mr. Robert Brath, the churchwarden of Stone, stated as follows : " There is a butcher who occupies, I think, 20 acres of land, who has five or six cows and a horse. A son of this butcher, an able-bodied man, is constantly on the parish." We asked why the 43d Eliz. c. 2, s. 7. was not enforced against the butcher. The answer was, " I have been desirous of doing so, but I got no one to agree with me, and it is hard to incur so much ill will." Mr. Thomas Pattison, overseer of Buckland, stated as follows : " There is a woman of this parish who has had two bastards by different men, and is now living with a third, who belongs to another parish ; some time ago she was with child by him. He offered to marry her if the overseer would give him 21., buy the ring, and pay the expense of the ceremony. The overseer hesi- tated, and before the completion of the bargain, the woman mis- carried. Then the man was no longer willing to marry. She is now with child again, and has made the same proposition to me, and says, \ You had better give what I ask, or I shall be passed home to you.' " This same woman is also an example of the sort of filial piety which flourishes under the influence of the poor-laws : for the overseer proceeded to inform us that she has an aged mother who is quite helpless. Bastardy — Noxious Effects of Relief on Labourers. 85 " I told her," he said, "that if she married, she had better take ner mother to live with her, offering her at the same time 3s. 6d. a week, which is 6d. more than we now allow her mother; she said she would not have her mother for that money." Those whose minds have been moulded by the operation of the poor-laws appear not to feel the slightest scruple in asking to be paid for the performance of those domestic duties which the most brutal savages are in general willing to render gratuitously to their own kindred. Why should I tend my sick and aged i)arents, when the parish is bound to do it? or, if I do perform the services, why should I excuse the parish, which is bound to pay for it? At Princes Risborough we turned over the minute-book of the Select Vestry, and found the following entries : — " Samuel Simmons's wife applied to be allowed something for looking after her mother who is confined to her bed: the mother now receives os. 6d. weekly. To be allowed an additional 6d. for a few weeks." " David Walker's wife applied to be allowed something for looking after her father and mother (old Stevens and his wife), now ill, who receive 6^. weekly. To be allowed l.y. weekly." " Mary Lacey applies for something for waiting on her mother, now ill. Left to the governor. " Elizabeth Prime applies to have something allowed for her sister looking after her father now ill. Left to the governor." We shall conclude these selections with an extract from the evidence of Mr. Thomas Raymond Barker, a gentleman who has taken great pains in administering the parochial affairs of Ham- bledon. He says, " In the year 1824 or 1825, there were two labourers who were reported to me as extremely industrious men, maintaining large families. Neither of them had ever applied for parish relief. I thought it advisable that they should receive some mark of public approbation, and we gave them 1/. a piece from the parish. Very shortly after they both became applicants for relief, and have continued so ever since." Mr. Barker stated that he was not aware that any other cause existed for this change in the conduct of these two men, than the above-mentioned gratuity. 86 The Rev* H. Jeston's Report — Cholesbury^ Bucks* No. v.— CHOLESBURY, BUCKS. POPULATION. 1801. 1811. 1821. 1831. 122 114 113 127 Sums expended for t he Relief of the Poor. £. s. d. £. s. d. 1116 . 10 11 1823 . 184 19 1783,4, 5 , 19 13 1824 , , 131 10 1803 . 36 19 5 1825 . 152 9 1816 , 99 4 1826 , , 151 1 1817 . 116 12 1827 . 180 16 1818 , 138 17 1828 , , 123 18 1819 . 155 15 1829 . 133 16 1820 , 141 9 1830 , , 169 1821 . 186 13 1831 . 150 5 1822 , 154 3 The Commissioners were informed, in December last, that the parish of Cholesbury had obtained a rate in aid. Thinking it probable that its history might afford an instructive example, they applied to the Rev. H. P. Jeston, the rector, and requested from him an account of the present state of the parish, and of the causes to which it might be attributed. It will be seen from Mr. Jeston's letters, that he was able to comply only with the latter part of the Commissioners' request. To the Secretary to the Poor- Law Commissioners, Cholesbury, 4th January, 1833. Sir, My connexion with the parish commenced only in No- vember, 1830, previously to which I had no personal knowledge of it, nor any acquaintance with its neighbourhood. I can find no other documents, connected with the parish, than the accounts of the different overseers from 1820 to the present time. These accounts, down to 1829, are most confused; partly from the illiterate character of the parish officers, and in other part from the very advanced age and infirmities of my predecessor having prevented him from interfering with the parish concerns. The amount, as specified in the parish books, apparently dis- bursed from 1820 to 1829, appears to be greater than is shown by the parliamentary returns, of which you send me extracts ; though possibly this may arise from items being brought into the accounts of each year belonging to the previous year. It is pro- bable the sums stated in the parliamentary returns are correct, for they were given in by persons who must have best understood the accounts. Deeply pauperized State of the Parish. 87 I am informed, by the very oldest of my parishioners, that sixty years ago there was but one person who received parish relief; but it should seem that the parish, for many years past, has been an overburdened one; though within the last year the burdens have been much increased by the land going out of cultivation, and the whole population of the parish being thrown upon the rates. In fact, for some years, I understand the land was let only by means of the proprietors consenting to become guarantee to the tenant against more than a certain amount of parochial bur- dens, all above that amount to be considered in lieu of rent. At the present moment some of the proprietors, in answer to com- munications from me upon parish affairs, have confessed an intention to abandon altogether their property in the parish, rather than give themselves further trouble about it, from their actually having lost money by it, the rates having more than swallowed up the rents. About October last, the parish officers not being able to collect any more funds, threw up their books, and from that time their duties have fallen upon myself; for the poor, left without any means of maintenance, assembled in a body at my door, whilst I was in bed, and applied to me for advice and food. My income being under 140/, a year rendered my means of relief small ; but my duty was to keep them from starving, and I accordingly commenced supporting them by daily allowances of bread, potatoes, and soup. In the mean time I made several, as many as eight or ten, journeys to the magistrates at petty and special sessions, in company with the parish officers, and after a delay of three weeks, succeeded in obtaining a "rate in aid,'' for 50/., on Drayton, an adjoining parish. 1 hese journeys, eight, ten, and fourteen miles each, the parish officers were compelled to go on foot, and I must have done the same but for the loan of a friend's horse. Before the 50/. was obtained, the great distress of the parish and my exertions in its behalf becoming known, donations to the amount of 64/. were sent me unsolicited, from the neighbouring families, for the use of the poor, and to indemnify myself from the expenses I had been at; among the latter was one of 20/. from the Countess of Bridge water. The present state of the parish is this : — ^The land almost wholly abandoned (sixteen acres only, including cottage-gardens, being now in cultivation) ; the poor thrown only upon the rates, and set to work upon the roads and gravel-pits, and paid for this unprofitable labour at the expense of another parish ! I have given up a small portion of my glebe (the rest is abandoned on account of the rates assessed on it) to the parish officers, rent free, . 88 The Rev. H. Jestons Report — Choleshury, Bucks. for the use of the poor, on condition that spade-husbandry only be made use of, and the work done by married men with large families; but the employment this can afford must be of short continuance. The 50/. will be expended in less than two weeks ; and I have apprized the magistrates of the hundred that I shall be compelled to apply, on Monday the 14th instant, at the petty sessions, for another " rate in aid." I need not say this precarious mode of maintenance for the poor is most lamentable in every respect. It is most injurious both to their comforts and to their morals ; for it reduces, of necessity, their weekly allowance to the lowest possible pittance ; and it throws them, whilst under excitement from real suffering, in a body on .the useless labour (or ratlier idleness) on the roads, with no one but myself to superintend them. This is a source of great anxiety to me, and a state of demoralization to them, from which, for their sakes, I earnestly hope some steps may be taken to relieve them. At present, I confess, I see no prospect of per- manently bettering their condition; and it is to be feared this parish must continue dependent for support on the parishes in the hundred, by means of rates in aid; for there appears no pro- bability of the land being re-occupied, and the longer it remains uncultivated the greater will be the difficulty and expense of re- cultivation, and the less the produce; whilst the wants of the parish will be increasing. The able-bodied poor and the boys are, I have just observed, deteriorating physically and morally by reason of the want of useful and productive employment, and of their receiving parish allowance, tvithout any chance of bettering themselves by any exertion or good conduct. Perhaps, situated as Cholesbury now is, if the common (con- taining forty-four acres of good land) were enclosed, under some such act and for such purposes as was contemplated last session, and if a workhouse were built, the evil under which it now suffers might be alleviated. But so long as it continues a parish of its present small extent with its present number of poor, the property must be an incumbrance to the proprietor ; for he can expect no rent, the rates assessed upon the land far exceeding its value, amounting, as they last year have done, to more than 326*. in the pound at rack-rent. My experience in parochial affairs is very limited, not having had anything to do with their administration previously to coming to Cholesbury, in November, 1830; so that my suggestions must be received with much allowance, and I hope to be excused for offering so little assistance. I have the honour to remain, &c. (Signed) Henry P. Jeston. Demoralization of Labourers — Abandonment of Property. 89 Mr. Jeston added the following statement of the situation of all the inhabitants of the parish, and of the expense at which those who have a claim on Cholcsbury are maintained. By which it will appear that, though the population has but slightly in- creased since 1801 (having been then 122 and now only 139), and though of those 139 only 101 have a claim on Cholesbury, yet the poor-rates have in that time risen from less than 37/. a year to 367/. It is obvious, indeed, that the instant the poor- rate exceeds the net surplus produce — ^that is to say, exceeds that surplus which, if jthere were no poor-rate, would be paid in rent — the existing cultivation becomes not only unprofitable, but a source of absolute loss. And that, as every diminution of culti- vation has a double effect in increasing the rate on the remaining cultivation — the number of unemployed labourers being increased at the same instant that the fund for payment of rates is dimi- -h nished — the abandonment of property, when it has once begun, is likely to proceed in a constantly accelerated ratio. Accordingly, it appears from Mr. Jeston's statement, that scarcely a year elapsed between the first land going out of cultivation and the abandonment of all except sixteen acres. POPULATION OF CHOLESBURY. Parishioners not receiving Relief • . 35 Parishioners receiving ReUef • . G6 Non-Parishioners (Paupers) . . .38 Parishioners not receiving Relief, NAME. CALLING. Jeston, the Rev. Henry, wife and two children . Incumbent. Dwight, Colly .... Servant. Bachelor, Thomas, wife and child f Parish Clerk and \ Bricklayer. Osborn, Mary .... Publican „ Ezekiel Maunders, John, wife and five children . . Publican. Bachelor, William .... Cobbler. Wright, Robert . Butcher. „ Ann Carpenter, Ruth .... Bastard. Mary . Ditto. Mary . . . Spinster. Sills, George, wife, and four children Butcher. Deverill, Richard . . . Farmer. „ Ann .... Spinster. Mayo, William, wife and child Farmer. „ Thomas J Labourer to Wm. \ Mayo. 35 in Number, 90 The Rev, H. Jeston's Report — Cholesbury, Bucks, PARISHIONERS RECEIVING RELIEF. Bachelor, Charles Thorn, Thomas Mary William Elizabeth Adey Jessy Gardner, John „ Patience „ Mary Ann Thorn, William . „ Mary „ Eunice „ Lydia „ William „ John „ James „ Job „ Joseph Cox, Richard „ Ellen „ Phebe „ David „ Richard „ John Norris, John „ Elizabeth „ George . Carpenter, Ann , Bachelor, Ann Newton, David . Phillis . Phebe . „ Charlotte „ James . Sills, Mary • , AGE, 79 28 26 8 6 3 1 18] 50 49 10 8 18 16 12 10 21 55 16 12 10 25 18 28 19 1 70 62 46 45 15 13 8 76 BELIEF AFFORDED. Per Week £. s. d. Late Parish Clerk 3 Labourer 9 6 Labourers, forsaken TO 4 by their father— ^0 10 their mother dead 1 2 Labourer Labourer Labourer A cripple A labourer Labourer Widow Labourer Widow .0 8 4 4 2 2 4 .0 9 2 6 4 fO 7 3 3 9 3 Per Year. £.. s. d. 7 16 24 14 18 4 £2 4 6 52 10 8 40 6 18 4 7 16 7 16 23 8 7 16 216 8 List of Paupers. 91 PARISHIONERS RECEIVING RELIEF.-Continued. AOB. CALLING. Brought over Pe £. 2 RELIEF AFFORDHD. NAUE. r Week. s. d. 4 6 Per Year. £. *. 216 8 d. Bachelor, Joanna „ Joseph . „ William Mary . „ George . 50 21 16 12 9 Widow K Labourer J 3 4 2 ' 23 8 Gates, Rhoda 12 Orphan 2 5 4 Corbett, Jane . 14 Ditto 1 6 3 18 Gurney, Edmund 38 Deaf and Dumb 4 10 8 Forster, William . 81 Cobbler 3 7 16 Norris, Mary . 68 Widow 3 7 16 Cox, Joseph . 36 Labourer 4 10 8 Gates, Edward „ Mary . . „ Shadrach . „ Jonathan . 29 27 11 15 Labourer 1 : : : : : :j .0 4 2 20 16 Puddifoot, Sarah 2 Orphan 2 5 4 Spittle, William . „ Ann . . „ Mary . . „ John . . 58 56 8 4 Labourer • ••••• ►0 8 20 16 Cox, James . ,, Ann . 30 28 Labourer U - 4 10 8 Griffin, Thomas . „ Sarah William . „ George . „ John . „ Robert . 33 25 7 5 3 1 Labourer • <•••• • •••••« i 9 6 24 14 :5 1 6 367 4 Gates, William .621 . „ .. Esther. . 54r^^^"""'"y • 66 in number 35 not relieved 7 Total . 101 92 The Rev. H. J estoiis Report — Choleshury, Bucks. INHABITANTS, NOT PARISHIONERS, RECEIVING RELIEF FROM THEIR OWN PARISHES. NAME. AGE. CAI.T.INO. Young, Sarah .... 79 Widow. Wright, Edmund 32 Labourer. „ Mary 23 „ Joseph . 5 ,, Sarah 4 „ Charlotte . 1 Frankhn, Fanny 57 Spinster. „ Hannah 54 Ditto. Young, Thomas 39 Labourer. „ Ann 46 Philby, Henry . 27 Labourer. „ Elizabeth . 26 „ Ann 5 „ Elizabeth 2 Joiner, Joseph . 47 Labourer. „ Sophia . . 46 „ Sophia . 4 „ Ann . 2 Guttridge, Joshua 51 Labourer „ Charlotte . 45 ,, William 22 Labourer. „ Ann . . . 20 '„ Elizabeth . 18 „ Hannah . . 16 „ Joseph , . 14 „ Margaret . 12 Phebe . 10 „ Caddy . 7 „ Sarah . 5 Badnick, Charles . 22 Mary . 18 „ Ann 1 Prickett, Ann 30 Spinster. Carter, Ann . . 17 Gates, John . 31 Labourer. „ Ann . 30 „ Adey 3 „ Maley 1 a 8h 1 nil imb sr. Rates in Aid — Pauperized State of Parish. 93 After the preceding pages had been in print, the Commissioners received the following letter from Mr. Jeston : — To the Secretary to the Poor-Law Commissioners, Cholesbury Parsonage, Great Berkliampstead, Feb. 2, 1833. Sir, I am sorry to state the condition of my poor is again becoming very distressing. The rate in aid for 50 Z. is exhausted ; and the able-bodied poor have again resorted to me for relief, the parish officers being afraid to employ them, on accomit of possessing no means of remunerating them for their labour. The donations which I received from the neighbouring families are expended, with the exception of 20/. presented to me by the Countess of Bridgewater. I rejoice that this sum enables me, which other- wise I could not have done, to set the married men with families to spade-husbandry on a piece of my glebe ; the labour on the piece given by me to the overseers for the use of the parish being for the present necessarily discontinued on account of their hav- ing no funds to pay for digging it. This land, about two or three acres, I have given to the poor themselves, as garden- ground. The present unfortunate condition of the parish officers is an evil which, I fear, must recur as often as a fresh rale in aid is required ; for the magistrates to whom, about a fortnight ago, I applied for further assistance, — the rate in aid which they had granted being nearly gone, — then informed me they had no power to interfere, nor to grant an order for another rate, till the former was quite expeiided. Whenever, therefore, the one rate in aid is exhausted, and before another can be obtained, an interval of at least three weeks must expire, and, during that period, the poor can be afforded no relief In the present instance they can ob- tain none for three weeks to come but what is advanced by myself ; and this, should the evil continue longer, it will be out of my powder to render. This circumstance will continue to be a source of much uneasiness to me, inasmuch as it is of very bad tendency to the poor themselves. For the poor-laws have produced so much dependence and improvidence among them, that if for a few weeks only they are deprived of parish aid, they incur debts, and become behindhand in their rent; and, to avoid discharging it, voluntarily quit a comfortable cottage for one much less so : and thus a spirit of recklessness and dishonesty is promoted, de- trimental to the moral character of the very best of them. I have always remarked, that from the moment a pauper quits a com- 94 The Rev, H. Jestons Report — Cholesbury, Bucks. fortable dwelling for a poorer and less comfortable one, his charac- ter invariably alters for the worse ; and he soon becomes idle and dishonest : he betakes himself to the pot-house, and from thence to poaching, which at once incapacitates the body for labour through the day. I can perceive these effects already in more than one of my poor. There is another circumstance which augments the evil under which the parish of Cholesbury now labours, which is, that although nearly the whole of the land is now abandoned, the parish officers are called upon to furnish the full assessment of county rates as hitherto. It is true, these have not yet been en- forced, but the officers have repeatedly expressed to me their fears of having their goods distrained on this account ; and, for their sakes, I attended at the late Quarter Sessions at Aylesbury, and prayed the bench to exempt, for the present, the parish from paying county rates. The magistrates took the matter under their consideration, but I was at last informed it was out of their power to grant the thing I prayed for. Having obtained the consent of the trustees of the principal farm in the parish, now abandoned, to let it at a nominal rent till Michaelmas next, and having found that if I could obtain a rate in aid for 120/., I could induce persons to come forward and take the land at 5.9. an acre, — by reason of that sum enabling me to guarantee the occupier for that period from a greater burden of rates than lOs. in the pound at rack-rent, — I, at my last interview with the magistrates (Jot whose most ready and obliging compli- ance with my wishes, as far as lies in their power, I am most thankful), solicited them to grant a rate in aid to the above amount, to carry the parish officers on till Michaelmas next. They did not, however, feel justified in making an order for so great a sum, nor prospectively for so long a period. Had I obtained the sum stated, the parish officers themselves had, by my advice, agreed to become the occupiers, who, by employing all the surplus labourers on the land, would have greatly lightened to other parishes the burden of supporting the poor of Cholesbury. The probable amount required by 7'ates in aid, for the same period, I now estimate at about 180/. Thus, if the farm in question had been occupied, an expense of 60/. might have been spared, and the poor have been employed usefully j and with satis- faction to themselves. Having failed in this attempt, I confess I now see no prospects whatever of the parish being relieved from its present degraded and impoverished state. The situation of myself and the parish officers is a most painful one ; for besides the continual calls upon their time, which to them is no small loss, — ^they being little better Absorption of the Property of the Parish in Rates. 95 than paupers, and obliged to labour hard for their bread, — I ex- perience that we are exciting unpleasant feelings against ourselves from the other parishes in the hundred, who dread being called upon, by rates in aid, to assist in the support of the poor of another parish. And, in fact, this mode of supporting the poor of an insolvent parish is a great grievance to the one rated, as the one selected for that purpose is generally that in which, through good management of the poor, the rates are so reduced as to attract the notice of neighbouring parishes. The parish of Cholesbury does not exceed in extent the size of a moderate farm, and the whole is to be bought for about 2000Z. Twish Government would purchase the whole, and try the experi- ment of allotting it exclusively to the able-bodied paupers. I would gladly dedicate my time to the project; and I have reasons to think, that at the expiration of two years (the parish in the interval receiving the assistance of rates in aid), the whole of the poor would be able and willing to support themselves, the aged and impotent of course excepted. I have the honour to remain. Sir, Your very obedient servant, Henry P. Jeston. P.S. If the burden of supporting the poor of an insolvent parish could be thrown on the county, or the hundred, it would be little or not at all felt. ^ 96 Mr. Okederis Report — Dorset, PViltSy Oxon. No. VI. — Report yVo?7i D. O. P. Okeden, Esq., Assistant'Com- missioner — Dorset, Wilts, and Oxon. My Lords and Gentlemen, In compliance with Lord Melbourne's wishes, as conveyed to me by you, I have selected six of the parishes in the district which I visited, viz. — Cranbourne Poole More Crichel Hasilbury Bryan Dunstew . . Oxfordshire. Calne . . . Wiltshire. I have endeavoured in this selection to illustrate the points mentioned in his Lordship's Letter. I am, my Lords and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, D. O. P. Okeden, Assist. Commissioner. More Crichel, Dec. 25, 1832. Dorset. CRANBOURNE, DORSET. Population, 2158. Number of acres in the parish — Common, or heath land Woodlands Arable land Pasture land Acres 4604 . 1347 . 5006 . 2093 . Hood* . 1 . I . 1 . 3 Poles .. 5 .. 28 . . 37 .. 13 Total acres 13,052 3 Rate about four shilHngs in the pound rack-rent — ^^payment to paupers of different descriptions both in and out of the poor-house. 1830 . . £1693 1,8 8£ 1831 . . . 1370 9 7 1832 . . 1541 9 4J Cranbourne parish contains five tithings, viz. Alderholt, Bover- idge, Blagdon, Fairwood, or Verwood, and Monkton-up-Win- bourne. Over each of these there is a tithing-man, and a constable of the parish resides at Cranbourne. The magistrates hold a petty sessions at Cranbourne once a fortnight. In the tything of Farevvood there is a large pottery of the coarsest earthenware, which affords employment to about 100 men and about ten boys, who turn wheels. The agricultural labourers amount to 800 The pottery ditto . . 100 Cranbourne — System of Belief — Rents. 97 The average wages of the agricultural labourers are 8^. per week — at the pottery they are perhaps 9^. per week. The women have employment only in the fields. The woods afford very profitable piece-work labour, in fencing, hurdling, and fagotting, at each of which employments an able- bodied man may earn from \2s. to 14^. per week. The rents of the cottages in Cranbourne parish are high, and run from 3/. to 5/. per annum, and the gardens are small, except at those cottages which border on the heath-land. Here, too, the labourer has another great advantage — he is allowed to cut turf for himself gratis, so that his fuel costs him nothing but the labour, and his vicinity to the heath does not require carriage home. Ten acres of land have lately been given up to the poor by Lord Salisbury, the lord of the manor. This is divided into 24 parts, and let at the rate of \l. ?>6\ per acre. A speculation of building small houses for the poor has lately been undertaken in the tithing of Fare wood, and a large popu- lation of 300 or 400 raised round the pottery. While the works continue, the pressure will not fall on the parish ; if they fail, the pressure will be very great. Every house is taken as soon as it is finished, and at a very high rent. All the cottages are rated, but many returned " rates uncol- lected :" this the parish makes up by a small increase of rates. A few house-rents are paid by the parish for labourers with large families; but no number of children are a plea for the relief of an able-bodied man in employ. A child or two are occa- sionally taken into the poor-house, if their support at home presses hard on the parents, and if they request the children to be taken. The strictest investigation takes place into character. A sum left by the will of a parishioner to be annually given in clothing to the poor is used as the reward of industry and good character. No distinction is made, by individuals, in the wages of single and married men. If a man belongs to a friendly society, and is thrown out of work, by illness or accident, the parish gives him the full benefit of his society's allowance, and look to the wife and children. There is a poor-house, containing this year, 1832, 28 inmates, and a few orphans and bastards. The 28 inmates are made up of 12 old infirm women 16 old infirm men 28 There are about 8 children in the house, all very young. 98 Mr. Okeden^s Report — Dorset — Accounts. There is no contract, and the expenses of each individual, for lodging, bedding, clothes, food, medical advice, and all expenses of the house, amount to about 'ds. lOt/. per week. JNo work is done in the house. There are now, December 15, 1832, only eight persons out of employ, who have applied to the guardian for work. The parish of Cranbourne is governed by the Gilbert Act, and has four overseers, six visiters, a treasiu-er, and a guardian of the poor. The latter is a paid officer, and is in fact the working overseer. His salary is 70/. per annum. The loss by bastardy last year was as under : — Amount of bastardy orders made £ 114 Collected by the guardian, . 23 Loss . . £91 The committal of women who have had two or three bastards avails little, either as punishment to them, or as terror to others. There is no female tread-mill at Dorchester, and the hard labour of the women consists in washing the gaol linen, and keeping the female wards clean; in fact, of their usual occupations. I once went to one of the female wards at Dorchester, where I saw 15 women with 18 bastards. The room was clean, had a good fire in it, and one and all declared they had rather be there in winter than at home. As for shame, it is out of the question. Emigration is unknown. In my report on Dorsetshire I cited a remarkable act of swin- dling, by the' late guardian of the poor of Cranbourne, to show the necessity of parish accounts being audited by regular accountants, and not by the loose and irregular auditors of a vestry. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. I HAVE selected the parish of Cranbourne, in Dorsetshire, as affording a remarkable instance of the great improvement in the character and comfort of the poor, by an emancipation from the most systematic and constant interference of a resident magistrate that perhaps was ever displayed. The Rev. H. D , the late vicar of Cranbourne, was a county magistrate ; he attended very little to any business except that of poor-management. This formed the whole employment of his life. He affected the mis- chievous honour of " the poor man's friend." His house was a daily petty sessions. He made scales and small codes, and issued orders and recommendations of the most preposterous and illegal description. The overseers gave up the contest, the justices were beaten by him, and the parish was a scene of discontent and demoralization. Cranhourne — Effects of Magisterial Intervention. 99 About four years ago this vicar died. Some new magistrates had begun to act in the Cranbourne division ; they heartily joined the others in establishing a new system in so large a parish as Cranbourne. A meeting of farmers, rate-paj^ers, &c., was called at the petty sessions, and it was declared that from that time no scale or head-money should be allowed, that every case should rest on its own merits, and that able-bodied men in employ shoujd not be relieved on account of their families. There was a little discontent at the pottery, butin the end, as the magistrates were firm, the opposition ceased. The magistrates have met with com- plete success. They refer every case back to the vestry, and hardly ever hear of it a second time. They hear few cases at their own houses, and in every way inter- fere as little as possible. Three years and a half have created a change most pleasing and satisfactory. The old poor, regularly paid, are satisfied ; those whose applications are refused by the vestry acquiesce in the decision ; and I can assert, as one of the magistrates of the division, that the complaints which used, in the late vicar's time, to amount to at least 20 in a week, do not amount now to that number in a year. ' '• " ■ If the rates, though they are lessened and lessening, do not show the diminution which might be expectedj it is ovving to the swindling acts of the late guardian, and which are wholly uricoii- nected with the relief of the poor. He has mad^ over his property to the parish, and the whole is in a train of settlement, by which I hope the parish will soon be repaid its losses.. The excess of 1832 above 1831 is owing to bills left unpaid by the late guardian. The actual poor expenses of 1832 are less than 1831. Ludicrous as it may appear, and almost incredible, I must mention that the late vicar's power was so highly estimate^ by the paupers, that the printed scales and rules, which he issued and signed, were called by them " Mr. D.'s Acts of Parliament," and a pauper actually once threatened me with the consequences of disobeying them. Cranbourne, as a parish, lies under great disadvantages. Its population is 2158, and scattered over a wide extent. lliere is a large parish church at Cranbourne, a chapel-of-ease at Farewood, and the same at Boveridge. These are to be all served every Sunday. The poor, so nume- rous, are to be visited at their homes, and their temporal, as well as spiritual, wants inquired into. The whole income of the vicar is 125?. per annum. A curate, of course, is out of the question, and no individual is equal to the h2 100 Mr. Okedens Report — Dorset. adequate^, or to anything like the adequate, discharge of the duties of a vicar of Cranbourne. The great tithes, which are in the hands, principally, of Lord Salisbury, and another person, amount to 2500/. per annum. I have universally found that, of all the blessings of a parish, few, indeed none, are equal to the pastoral care of the clergyman, and his advice and guidance in the temporal concerns of the poor, whom circumstances render so helpless. Cranbourne suffers much by beer-houses, which are numerous, and which are more dangerous in proportion as they are esta- blished in heaths, and places at some distance from the villages. I am personally so well acquainted with Cranbourne, that I have not quoted the names of many intelligent persons from whom I have received much information. The present vicar, the Rev. F. Pare, deplores his inability to perform half the duties which his responsible situation entails on him. HASILBURY BRYAN, DORSET. Population — 611. Number of acres in the parish. Pasture-land . . . 2020 Arable do. Woodland do. Common do. Gardens 250 27 150 7 Total acres 2454 Expended on the poor, as per book for one year to Lady-day 1832, 413/. There are 77 agricultural labourers. In summer none are out of employ, in winter not above five or six are unemployed. These are put on the roads, or, if family men, relieved by the scale as settled at the petty sessions at Sturminster Newton. In short, the scale system and the making up of wages are complete. There is no workhouse, but there are eight cottages belonging to the parish, in which there are 14 families lodged. Hasilbury Bryan is seated in a rich grass vale, and the farms are principally pasture farms, whence cheese, butter, and cattle are sent to Smithfield market. The wages may be thus stated : — Wages — Scale Relief to Able-bodied — Bastardy. 101 £. s. d. 9 2 7 4 Man, 26 winter weeks at *ls. 16 summer do. at 9^. 10 weeks hay and corn harvest, at 9sA per week, and beer, the beer va-J" 5 15 lued at 2^. 6d. . . ■' Fuel given or carried . . 10 Man Wife, button-making, per week Boy, do. 2 chiklren, buttoning and bird- keeping £. s. 2 2 23 d. 6 1 2 6 1 52 364 18 4 Total per annum 41 5 Thus the family would receive above 13^. 6d. per week. Soon after the riots of 1830 a new and more liberal scale was made by the magistrates of the division; and in February, 1831, an order was given to the overseers of Hasilbury Bryan, requiring them to relieve 10 families, all able-bodied, and in employ by the new scale. The overseers contended, and the clergyman protested, against this order in vain. In this district, indeed, the overseers know so well the inutility of resistance, that to avoid trouble, expense, and reproof, they generally accede to the demands, and settle all claims, not by character or merit, but by the rules of addition and subtraction. I have already named, in my report on Dorsetshire, the district of Sturminster Newton as the worst regulated as to poor concerns, with the highest proportionate rates, in the county. It is certain that in no district is there so much magisterial interference. BASTARDY. The allowance is from Is. 6d. to 2s. per week. No regular bastard account is kept in the parish. There are now five bas- tards, who cost the parish nearly 15/. per annum. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. I have selected the parish of Hasilbury Bryan, from its afford- ing the singular case of a rector of great intelligence, and of the most correct views on the working of the poor-laws, being thwarted 02 Mr. Okedens Report — Dorset — Magistrates Power. by the overseer and magistrates. When I name the Rev. Henry Walter, I need hardly enlarge on his knowledge of the poor-laws. His examination before the House of Commons of the I/abourers' Wages Committee will prove my assertions. Mr. Walter determined in 1823 to put an end to the illegal system of roundsmen or stem-men, and he appealed to the Dor- setshire July Quarter Sessions against the rate made for that pur- pose. His appeal was successful ; and no appeal from the decision of the magistrates against the rate to a superior court ever took place. But mark the consequences, — Mr. Walter's legal expenses exceeded 90/. The expenses of the parish and overseer were paid by a rate made on purpose. Mr. Walter, indeed, succeeded ; but the practice continues, and the relief of the able-bodied men in employ, according to their families and the scale, is universally bestowed. I fear Mr. Walter's appeal in 1823 did not conciliate the magistrates ; and certain it is, that in some remarkable cases, the bench of the division have done all in their power to coun- teract Mr. Walter's efforts. Still his zeal for the true interests of the poor in his parish is unabated; and he proves how the evils of a bad system may be mitigated by a constant watchfulness and well-applied kindness, though he is not permitted to use his judicious efforts for the introduction of a good managenient. MoMl cKibfifiL, DORSET. Population-— 304. Poor €xpenditu|ve to Lady-day, 1832, for one year, 124/. *I^. St/., being 10/. less than the former year., Nuniber of acres about I860; viz. — Woodlands . . . . 150 Arable .... 880 Pasture . . . ^ 630 Downland . . . , 200 Total . . 1860 There are about 25 men and 10 boys able for field and barii^ vrork, which are quite sufficient for the labour of the parish, with the women to weed, &c. There are none on the poor-book but the old and infirm, and widows, with four or five very small children. There is no scale nor make-up system. Every cottage has a large garden, and potato land is let to the labourers by the farmer at the usual rate. There are never any men out of employ : indeed, for the road- work, or draining, or any extra job, application for labour is made to the neighbouring parishes, which abound in superfluous Dealings with Small Shopkeepers. 103 labour. The mode in which the cottages are let in this parish conduces, in my opinion, more to preserve the spirit of independ- ence and attachment to the soil than any I know. It is the letting of cottages on their lives to the poor. No one who has not wit- nessed it can imagine the struggles that are made, the privations that are undergone^ to purchase these copyholds of inheritance. For a good cottage and about a quarter of an acre of garden, the price is about 40/. ; of this they generally have half the sum laid by, and raise the other half by mortgage, paying it off' in about five years by instalments. The rates are scarcely l^*. in thepoiindi Bastardy. — There has been but one in the parish for seven years, and for that the money is received regularly from the father. Emigration.— No emigration by the parish has ever been heard of; two boys were sent last year, by subscription, at the rate of 71. each, which left them II. each in their pockets on reaching Montreal. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. I have selected this parish, because it exhibits a proof of what may be done by good management and constant watchfulness. There has been but one instance in five years of any appeal to the magistrates from the decision of the vestry. . ., The property being only, in two hands, a regular system has been practised for about 30 years, aiid no increase of cottages allowed above the requisite habitation required for, the sufficiency of labourers of the parish. I wish to mention here a, curious instance of the dealings of the poor at their hucksters' : the enor- mous profits of the shopkeepers, and the badness of their articles, induced one of the landowners here tpfyrnish a shop with^oods (tea, rice, sugar, treacle, &c.) of excellent quality, which were supplied to the poor at prime cost. A better tea than they used to get for 65. lOd. per lb. was supplied at 5s. 2d. per. lb., and every thing else in proportion. The two shopkeepers who for- jiierly made a livelihood by their trade were pensioned off". Ready money (that is, one wreck's credit) was required. In one year the old shopkeepers threw up their pensions, and returned to their trades, and all their customers followed them. The fact is, long credit is given ; and one of the shopkeepers confessed to me, that if one out of three paid, he made a very comfortable profit. So that the fashionable coachmaker in Long-acre and the petty huckster of a petty village proceed 011 the same principle of dealing. In this village, some of the copyholds, about five or six, have from six to ten acres of land. These families have universally- done well. 104 Mr. Okedens Report — Dorset. POOLE, DORSET. Poole is a town and county, having its own quarter sessions and gaol. It is entirely governed by its own magistracy, without any interference of the magistrates of the county. Population — 6459. Annual sum expended on the poor for the year ending) oooax o a Lady-day . . . 1830/ ^"^^^^ ^ ^ Ditto .... 1831 3149 13 Ditto . . . . .1832 3440 17 6 There is but one parish in Poole — St. James's. Poole is go- verned, as to the management of its poor, by the Gilbert Act. The assistant-overseer has 30/. per annum. The guardian acting, Mr. Hooper, who is the entire manager of all that relates to the poor, has 130/. The acting guardian and visiters settle the relief to be allowed to each pauper. There is scarcely ever an appeal to the magis- trates. THE WORKHOUSE. The numbers, ages, and sexes of the inmates of the workhouse are at present, December, 1832, Old and infirm men, some above 90 . .37 Ditto women, three above , • . . 42 Under 13 years old — boys . . .21 Ditto girls , . . . . 29 Total inmates 129 There are generally about five or six more, somewhat younger than the old men and women, who do the work of the establish- ment. The women are mostly widows. The men have been sailors and mechanics. The old men occasionally pick a little oakum, and some of the less infirm sweep and clean the streets. These employments may save the parish about 40/. per annum. The men and women are separated, except in the case (there are only two cases) of an old married couple. The board, lodging, clothes, fuel, and all expenses of the house, and medical advice, for each individual, amounts to a sum not exceeding ?>s. 10c/. per week. The children are well instructed, go to the Sunday-schools, and to church or meeting-house. The boys are apprenticed to the sea-line. There is a very accurate and constant visitation of the out-poor at their houses, and every means are used to ascertain Earnings — Bastardy — Law Expenses — Charities. 105 their characters, and the validity of their claims on parish aid. The men, of the out-poor, are principally old sailors and some mechanics. The vromen, widows of those classes, with families. When they have fathers or children able to support them, the parish does not relieve the poor, but apply for, and procure, from the magistrates, an order on the relations. If able-bodied men apply for relief, they are sent to the parish farm. Such applications are rare, and the applicants soon find work again. The out-door women are employed to make up cotton shirts for the Newfoundland sailors. The sailors in the Newfoundland and coasting trade get about 21. \0s. per month. A good mechanic earns about 50/. per annum. About one- tenth of the resident poor are non-parishioners. The total number of poor relieved out of the workhouse are generally 700. The residences of the poor are rated, but the rates never demanded. There is a loss of about one-third in every rate on this item, as the landlords are not made to pay the rates. There are twenty-five bastards supported by the parish at 1^. 6 455 scale . . .J Extra relief to poor persons in sickness, out of I kq, « ^ work, and loss of time . , .J Payments to Calne poor in other parishes, andl oon 1 4 : . funerals - . . , ) .Payments to surplus labourers employed on thef iqq-, ,k -.q pjarish farm or roads (for one year) . J Tradesmen's bills, about . .-,( ^ ,;. • 350 Q Officer's salaries, medical attendance, law bills, &c. 300 Rent of parish farm . . . 132 1 year's total to Lady-day, 1832 4861 17 9 Oil the above account, after expressing my surprise that any bench of magistrates could be found to sanction it, I would make the following remarks : — Of the fifth item for bastards, there is so little ever received on the orders that it is not worth speaking of, — the whole is nearly clear loss. On the ninth article, or payment of able-bodied surplus labour- ers, I found the whole labour was allowed to be utterly unpro- ductive. The parish farm is a great loss every year, and is used merely as an excuse for labour, to keep the men employed on it out of mischief and thieving! The poor-house contains 60 old men and women, about thirty of each, who receive 2s, 6d. per week, and keep themselves. The management has lately been improved, which has occasioned some decrease of rates. The few children there are^ept at about 2s. 9d. each per week. The rents of the cottages are from 3/. to 41. per annum, with very little garden ground. 108 Mr. Okedeiis Report — M^ilts — Magistrates. Wages, in general, are low — not above Ss. per week ; but the labourers employed on the property of the Marquis of Lans- downe, both at Calne and in the neighbourhood, have 10*. per week, and potato land. The operation of the scale system is complete. Calne labours under the disadvantage of having had a manu- facture, which lately has fallen into decay — a manufacture of coarse cloths and serges ; so that many men have been thrown out of employ, as manufacturers, who are unused to, and nearly incapable of, the least sort of field labour. I met many of the paupers who came either for increase of pay, or for other relief. I never, even in Oxfordshire, heard demands made with more brutal insolence. " We will have our right by the scale, or Mr. Overseer shall take the consequence," was often repeated. The assistant- overseer, and the other parish officers, allowed that no attention whatever was ever paid to character ; but that the most notorious drunkards, swearers, and thieves, with wives and families, were all duly relieved by the arithmetic of the ma- gistrates' scale. I asked them if they never took these men before the bench for punishment. Their answer was, that they had so often been reprimanded, and triumphed over, (to use their own expression,) that they had given it up in despair, and relieved all alike, bad and good, meritorious and profligate. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. I have selected the town and parish of Calne not as a single but as a strong example of a bad system of working the poor-laws, uncounteracted, except in one instance, the improved manage- ment of the poor-house, even by common care and prudence in the parish officers. The same prevails in the adjoining parishes. The rigid adherence to the scale, and the total disregard of character, have produced every evil of which they are capable. The overseers never appeal to the magistrates, knowing that they would be reprimanded, and the insolent pauper supported by the scale. Thus, with the appearance of no appeal to the magis- trates, the magisterial interference is unbounded, complete, and, by tacit consent, always in exercise, and ever producing evils of the greatest magnitude and worst description. The whole pauper-management is one great vice, — throughout the whole of the district which includes Calne ; which must be entirely attributed to the scale system, and the making up of wajjes from " the book." Duns Tew, Oxon — Scale — Roundsman System. 109 DUN'S TEW, OXFORDSHIRE. The property of this parish belongs, almost entirely, to one indi- vidual, Mr. Bolton, whose attention to the concerns of the poor cannot be surpassed. He is well supported by the rector, the Rev. W. Gordon, a most intelligent, active man. From Mr. Gor- don, with whom I had many conversations, I received the detailed account of his own parish, as well as much information respect- ing the poor-laws in Oxfordshire, as given in my report on that county. Mr. Gordon is a magistrate for Oxfordshire. Population — 450. Number of acres in the parish about 3 716. Of these there are about 24 acres of road and waste, very little pasture, the whole chiefly arable land. The amoimt of the sum expended on the poor for one year, to Lady- day, 1832, is 682/. 13^. 6^d. The system of the scale is in full operation here, as it is in all Oxfordshire, and also the roundsman practice. Of these evils, which account for the rates being so high, (6^. on the rackrent,) Mr. Gordon is fully aware. He cannot, unsup- ported as he is by the other magistrates of the district, alter the system, but he does every thing in his power to mitigate its evils. His affability and good arrangements have, at least, produced an orderly and satisfied race of paupers. The cottages are by far the best 1 ever saw. They belong to the lord of the manor, and are let low, varying from 1/. lO^*. to 21. 10s. They have good gardens, and the farmers all let potato land to their labourers. The wages of an able-bodied man are 9^". per week, 126\ in hay harvest, and 15^. in corn harvest, so that altogether his earn- ings alone amount to above 25/. per annum. The wives earn about 6c/. a day, weeding, &c., and in hay time 8d. a day and beer. The roundsmen, who are the less able of the workmen, gain 7s. a week. Boys on the round have about 3^. a week after 12 years old. The number of persons receiving parish allowance, when I was hi Oxfordshire, in September 1832, was as vmder : — Aged, sick, and infirm .... 32 Children 81 Men, boys, and girls, on the round, whose wages are 1 otr paid in part ...... j Total relieved 140 110 Mr, Okedens Report — Dvms Tew, Oxon. Besides this, there were entries of medical advice, rents paid, make-ups for loss time, &c., to about 30 more, making on the parish books 170. In the winter months of December, January, and February, I have no doubt the numbers are increased to above 230, or more than half the population of the parish. In Dun's Tew, as in all the Oxfordshire parishes, the early marriages of mere boys is frequent, for the avowed purpose of increasing their income, by allowance for increase of children. There is no select vestry, no assistant overseer, no workhouse. There are 64 agricultural labourers. Mr. Gordon is fully aware of the great evils that have been produced by the scale and head- money system. He sees what it has done, what it is doing, and he foresees all these evils tenfold multiplied in ten years, if the system is allowed to continue. He assures me, and 1 was assured of it at every bench in Oxfordshire, that the magistrates of that county are so fully aw^are of this, that they are ready to concur in, and to support, any measure proposed by Government for arresting the increasing curse. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. I have only one observation to make on Dun's Tew, which is the remarkably good effects which may be produced on a bad system by the constant care of an intelligent clergyman, who devotes him- self to the temporal as well as the spiritual wants of his parishioners. If I have arrived at one opinion more decided than any Other on the poor, it is, that the loss of such a clergyman is not to be made up to a parish by any means whatever. The poor live a life of expedients, — to use their own phrase, " they live from hand to mouth." They are like children, they want constant help and advice. The greatest blessing to them is a clergyman, constantly living with them, who is not only their teacher in religion, but their friend and guide in their worldly affairs. REMARKS. I have thus selected, according to the wishes of Lord Melbourne, six places, from amongst those which fell under my observation, in the district intrusted to me ; and I have so selected them as to illustrate the points enumerated in his Lordship's letter to the Central Board of Poor Law Commissioners. I have selected CRANBOURNE, DORSET, As an instance of a large and populous parish, \vhich, after suffer- ing for many years by constant magisterial interference, has, by a Good and Bad Management Instanced. Ill complete change of system, risen to comfort and content, and in which the most satisfactory improvement in morals, appearance, and character of the poor, has succeeded to depression and de- gradation. HASILBURY BRYAN, DORSET, As an instance of what may be effected, even under a bad sys- tem and magisterial interference, by an active and intelligent minister, who, perhaps, has few equals in his correct and exten- sive knowledge of everything connected with the operation of the poor-laws. MORE CRICHEL, DORSET, As an instance of a small parish, as well managed with regard to its poor concerns as the poor-laws will allow, and where magis- terial interference is unknown. POOLE, DORSET, As an instance of a large, trading, populous, borough town, where perfect confidence being placed by the magistrates in the decisions of the vestry, and in the management of the assistant guardian of the poor, no interference takes place, and where all that relates to the government of the poor seems to me to be of unrivalled ex- cellence. CALNE, WILTSHIRE, As an instance of every unmitigated evil that can arise from a most corrupt and vicious working of the poor-laws. DUN'S TEW, OXFORDSHIRE, As an instance of the evils of a most vicious system mitigated, and rendered, at least, harmless, by the care of an active and intelligent minister. In the whole district that fell under my care, I do not hesitate to pronounce a decided opinion, that the poor of boroughs, where little or no magisterial interference takes place, are superior in moral character and appearance to the majority of country pa- rishes. I have instanced Poole : I could support it by the cases of Bridport, Devizes, and Marlborough. D. O. P. Okeden, Assistant-Commissionef. Dec. 27, 1832. 112 The Rev. H. Bishops Report— City of Oxford. No. VII.— REPORT from the Rev. H. Bishop, Commissioner, on the City of Oxford. My Lords and Gentlemen, In compliance with your requisition, I submit to you the results of my inquiries in the city of Oxford. I have the honour to be. My Lords and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, H. Bishop. CITY OF OXFORD. The population of the eleven united parishes, according to the Parhamentary Returns of 1831, amounts to 16,425. Annual value of real property, according to the Property Tax Returns of 1815, £37,853. The city of Oxford and its suburbs comprise 14 parishes. By a private act, 11 Geo. III. c. xiv., 1771, eleven of these parishes are incorporated and possess a workhouse. The parishes which are not united are three in number — St. John's, a very small parish, lying m the very heart of the city, (population 122,) St. Giles's, and St. Clement's. Here, then, lie close at hand some materials for estimating the advantages or disadvantages of uniting several parishes under one administration. But it ought to be remarked that the mere amount of rate, whether estimated per head or by its per-centage, will furnish but a deceitful test. St. John's is so small a parish, has so ^ew paupers, even in proportion to its size, and from its situation is so incapable of greatly extending its population, that it may fairly be put aside. St. Giles's and St. Clement's are very considerable parishes, and are so situated as to contain much more than their due proportion of paupers, while a smaller amovmt of rateable property is contained within their limits. St. Thomas's doubtless contains a very large pauper population, but it possesses likewise some of the most valuable property in the whole city of Oxford, as well as a large tract of highly-rented land. The local act for the city of Oxford is very long, and generally admitted to have many faults, and probably this is the case really in more instances than those usually insisted on. Under this act, thirty-four guardians are annually elected, and the office may be compulsory : those who have served it may be compelled to serve again, after an interval of live years. A guardian frequently is re-elected ; but all go out of office in July. This appears to be one of the blunders of the act, for every year there is too large a proportion of the guardians seceding from office ; and even the substitution of one who has previously served the office in the place Parishes Incorporated — Frauds — Jobbing. 113 of the retiring guardian, does not remedy the evil of so large a number coming into the new board, and the resuh, actually is, a great degree of unsteadiness in the management of the house and of the poor generally. The paupers themselves are aware of the effect of this change of administration, and consequently July is the period of the year wdien the greatest number of improper applications and fraudulent attempts are made on the board. This I learnt from one who had served the office of governor and guardian together for more than three years, with great zeal and equal advantage to the public. Overseers of the poor are appointed for each parish, but the whole of their duty consists in collecting the rate which they have been enjoined to make by the precept of the guardians. The guardians perform those duties which are ordinarily discharged by the overseer. To them all applications for relief ought in the first instance to be addressed, unless made to the governor, or at once to the court, which assembles every Thursday in the afternoon or evening. The overseers, when they have collected a rate, pay it into the hands of the treasurers, and the governor has the power of drawing upon them without check. This absence of all control over the governor has already, in one instance, produced its fruits. A very few years ago, the governor absconded with many hundred pounds of the public money, and has never been heard of since. One great cause of the Oxford Act working so badly arises from the low qualification 'for the office of guardian : in many instances very improper persons are elected, and though, in. themselves, they may be respectable and intelligent men, and fit to conduct the business of a single parish, yet they are quite un- equal to discharge the duties which they are forced, perhaps, to take on themselves. There appears to exist a great deal of jobbing in the conduct of the house. The average number of persons in the workhouse is 234, the greatest number 258; yet for these large numbers no contract is entered into, and the reason assigned for not doingr so, is that articles so supplied are commonly inferior to the samples. The real reason was, however, contained in a supplementary cause, viz. that it was right that the trade of the house should be dis- tributed. In the relief of paupers great partiality appears to exist. Any person who can make interest, or who is connected with a member of the court of guardians (and this last is a circumstance of no uncommon occurrence), obtains a very different measure of atten- tion and assistance from one not so situated. 114 The Rev. H. Bishops Report— City of Oxford. The absence of all responsibility, of all inspection, and the non- publication of the names of paupers, gives great facilities to the indulgence of these inclinations ; and, without doubt, many are permitted to enjoy regular pensions, who would be ashamed of receiving parish aid, if it were publicly declared that they were on the list of paupers. Many persons also receive it, of whose cir- cumstances such evidence could be tendered as would render it impossible to continue them on the list. These abuses were heavily complained of by some, who, from having held seats in the court, had opportunities of seeing and knowing the secretsprings which influenced the members ; many also admitted the justice of the charge, and not one denied it. Another evil of the Oxford Act is the size of the court. Thirty- four is too large a number to be invested witli executive power. The number of those who actually meet varies so much as to give the character of a new assembly almost to each meeting ; and, consequently, even during the year, the body is deprived of all steadiness of conduct. In every respect, and in every department, the system works ill. Impositions by claimants are very frequent ; and nine-tenths of the paupers are reduced to, and kept in that state, by their own vices or improvidence. The remarks hitherto made apply to the workhouse, and yet much remains to be said on that head. In the city of Oxford, the house of industry of the united parishes, as it is most im- properly called, is that to which all arrangements for the manage- ment of the poor are made subservient. But in this house of industry there are no means of employ- ment for the paupers. There once was some weaving, but this has been abandoned for some years. The Commissioners for Lighting, Cleansing, and Paving, have made a contract with the guardians of the house for cleansing the streets. This finds occa- sional employment for a few old men. They also contract for digging and breaking stones to repair '^ the mile-ways," as they are called. And this is the whole of what is done by those in the house, beyond the little which is required for the immediate service of the establishment. A few out-paupers are also employed (chiefly young men and boys) in breaking stones at so much per load. The following anecdote will show the state of subordination of the paupers : — It was judged proper to employ the inmates of the house in wheeling the dirt of the streets out of the city in barrows, instead of carting it away. The men resisted this arrangement, and instead of carrying the contents of their barrows to the appointed Pauper Discipline — Mismanagemeiit of Workhouse. 115 spot, they one and ' all emptied them in the centre of the town, where the four main roads meet and cross, at Carfax. The mayor and one of the city magistrates, intimidated by this act of insub- ordination, sent for the governor, and entreated him to give up the plan : fortunately, he possessed greater firmness, and refused to give way, and he succeeded in reducing the paupers to order; his year, however, expired, and the plan, I believe^ was abandoned by his successor. Great improvement in the internal management of the house seems to have taken place under the present master, who appears to have done all in his power, but he is sadly hampered by the interference of one or two meddling and mischievous guardians. The house is clean, and as regular in its arrangements as its defective construction allows. There is, however, a lamentable want of means of classification ; even the sexes cannot be kept separate. The house stands in the middle of a garden, or piece of ground between three and four acres in extent : this lies in one allotment, without the slightest internal fence or division, and sur- rounded by a high wall. Visiters are admitted by a porter living in a small lodge at the gate. The house opens into this piece of ground ; consequently all, men, women, and children, may meet in this space even after dark. It is hardly necessary to add, that there is, to speak in the most cautious terms, strong suspicion that the bastardy list has been swelled even within the walls. The diet-table of the house has been constructed on too liberal a scale ; the inhabitants of the workhouse are better fed than they could expect to be at their own homes. The house is not an object of terror, but rather of desire, to the young and able-bodied pauper. Their is no seclusion or confine- ment. Permission, it is true, must be asked to leave the walls, but it is never refused, and the pauper, when once out, need not return till bed-time. There is, in fact, no government in the house. One guardian frequently undoes what another has done. There is, at the pre- sent moment, a guardian, who, probably from a morbid craving for popularity, goes about to the gangs of men that are occasion- ally set to work (for the house has 16 acres of pasture land to keep cows and horses on, in addition to the garden ground), and will order the men to go to the house and get bread and cheese and beer, in addition to their pay. This took place lately, in the case of eight men engaged in cleaning a ditch ; and so far were they from deserving encouragement, that the whole eight did not do the work of two men. It may be added to these observations, on the authority of a i2 116 The Rev. H. Bishops Report'—City of Oxford. competent judge, well and practically acquainted with the Oxford workhouse, and several of the London ones, that had the houses in town been so managed, and the poor kept as they are in Oxford, their numbers would have doubled. In London, so far from allowing the sexes to mix, it is common to separate man and wife. At the date of this report (August 17, 1832) there were in the house 247 inmates, one-sixth of whom, at least, were able-bodied men, and women with illegitimate children, and all the labour from the garden, scavengers' work, stone-breaking for the mile- ways, &c., would perhaps occupy 15 men — the guardians had, on Saturday last, (this is dated August 17,) to set 53 to work. This time last year, the weekly pay for work was 6Z., now it is 22/. The amount of out-door relief by the present board, which commenced July 12, has varied from 90/. to 120/. No accounts, deserving that name, are kept; there is one ledger, in which appear the entries for labour, house, and out-door work. A difficulty is found in getting out the females from the house ; respectable people are unwilling to receive them into their families as servants. Necessaries are never given to bad characters, but they, like others, are relieved in money ; the alleged object there- fore, of guarding their families from want is defeated, and so nmch more money is put in their hands to waste in intemperance and profligacy. Nearly 130 illegitimate children are paid for by the house; the bastardy debt due to the united parishes is now l054/., which the late governor as well as the master of the house concurred in representing to me woidd be dearly purchased at 100/. The following are some few of the applications which the writer of this report witnessed on a Thursday night. One woman, receiving 66". per week, asked for 26*. more, because she had to support two boys, her sons, of the respective ages of 16 and 17. This application was made when harvest-work was at its height. Another person, who deals in cottons, tapes, &c., and travels the country, came to ask for (rather to demand) her annual clothing. A third, an habitual drunkard, ruined by the facility of obtain- ing parish aid, and who but for that might have done well, but now allows his wife and ikmily to continue in a state little above starving, came to ask for work, and obtained 7s. without work. A fourth, receiving 12^'. per week, obtained 2^. this night : he wishes to have "a fixed income" (his own words), that he may know what he has to depend on. A woman in the house stepped forward, and complained that she had been obhged to go without tea and sugar, in order to Facility of obtaining Relief. IJ. hare her shoes repaired, and wished for money to pay the shoe- mender. Many other cases might be enumerated, but sufficient perhaps have been stated to show the nature of the applications, and the description of applicants ; and there cannot be a doubt that every case which came before the Court of Guardians this night (which with the other applications occupied considerably more than two hours) not only might, but ought to have been dismissed at once, without further consideration. By a balance-sheet, from July 11, 1831, to July 9, 1832, it appears that the total expenditure on account of the poor of the united parishes of the city of Oxford exceeds 10,000/. It has increased with fearful rapidity, and is still increasing. It is im- possible to say where it will stop, unless some fundamental change takes place in the management of the poor. ST. GILES'S, OXFORD. Population 2000; acres 800; equal portions of pasture and arable. There is no select vestry in the parish ; the name creates a pre- judice against it, which cannot be overcome. The parish is divided into two districts, one within, one without the jurisdiction of the city of Oxford. This division of jurisdic- tion has been the cause of considerable difficulty and dispute, as to the mode in which rates should be levied and enforced. There is a poor-house situated in the country part of the parish ; but this house, though newly built, at some considerable expense, is merely a pauper barrack. There is no master or mistress now, and the occupants are congregated together as in a collec- tion of cottages. It is, as might be expected, a very grievous nuisance to the neighbourhood : women of the town with their bullies have been residing there, and robberies have been effected by its inmates. It is at the present time in rather better order. Still, however, as a place of regulation or discipline, it is worse than useless. The parish, however, contrives to extract this good from it. If there is a pauper likely to be troublesome, and to summon the overseer before a magistrate, the parish authorities remove him to this house if possible, and, by so doing, bring him under the authority of the county magistrates, who are much more pains-taking in their inquiries than some, at least, of the city magistrates. The petty sessions of the county magistrates possess likewise this advantage over the city court, that the overseer has greater personal security and freedom from insult in the former than in 118 The Bev. H, Bishop's Report — City of Oxford. the latter. The city magistrates themselves are perhaps civil, but lukewarm and indifferent to the overseers, and the precincts of the court are beset by a number of blackguards, who assail the over- seers with scoff's and jeers and insults, sometimes almost with per- sonal violence. This the overseers have to encounter in their official character, — as such they are marked out for insult, — and this conduct seems to meet with no check or animadversion even from the magistrates. The following case deserves to be fully detailed. The pauper in question, by trade a leather- dresser, has, for some years past, preferred parish and casual relief to the honest gains of his employment. The overseer stated eighteen years as the period of his present mode of life. The pauper seems to think it is not quite so long ; he talks of thirteen : however, he does not violently impeach the overseer's statement, which may therefore be assumed to be tolerably correct. He belongs to an incorporated or combined trade; the directors of his combination issue tickets to the members. These tickets are renewed from time to time. The holder of one goes about from place to place, but must not take the same road more than once in six months. With these intervals he is again and again assisted, and, as in the present case, for a very long space of time together. This ticket is available in every part of the United Kingdom where a club or lodge of the trade is established. The individual in question mi^ht have had work at 1/. per week, but he refused to take it, or indeed SO^*. per week ; nothing under 21. will satisfy him, and wdien pressed for reasons to account for his refusing such offers— when asked whether it would not be better to get 1 /. per week than to trust to casual sources for support, he replied, that he should not like to be " turned black," (quere — returned black ?) which would be the case if he worked under price. Thus then, as far as an individual instance will avail, and it seems to be a fair sample of the general system, we see the effects of parish aid upon the combinations for raising and keep- ing up w^ages, whose ramifications extend over the whole of these kingdoms. This man gets a ticket ; he is, by his own admission, a most worthless fellow, to use his own mild and gentle language, he has been " a very foolish man, his fault has been drinking." Though at times of his life, and that too for long periods, he has been earning from 21. to 3/. per week, he has neglected to make the slightest provision for his future necessities ; his health has been greatly impaired by his vicious habits ; his character, probably his value as a workman, has been lowered Extensive Combinations of Workmen — Example. 119 by his own deliberate acts, yet he is not to take employment but at the highest wages ; and in order to support him in this un- reasonable demand, he gets a ticket from the trade for which he pays 1^. 6c/, per month, constantly : this furnishes him with his own support as a vagabond; for when he is at home his relief from the trade ceases, and the intervals of travelHng are filled up by parish aid : his wife and family, let it be observed, are con- stantly on the parish, for he only travels his rounds. No source of support is objected to by his fellows, nothing incapacitates him from receiving the benefit of his ticket, but honest industry in his own trade : let it be known that he has once been guihy of this — of making the best terms he could — of agreeing for what his ser- vices are worth, and supporting himself and his family honestly and in comfort — and he is struck off' the list, and denied all future benefit from this fund, the payments to which are in a manner compulsory, and raised from all in the trade. It is pro- bable that this fund, if honestly, and fairly, and properly ex- pended, might nearly destroy all necessity for the members of this trade having recourse to parish aid : so far, however, from the funds being applied to such honourable and beneficial purposes, they are made to contribute to the support of combinations. Even the magistracy of the country becomes subservient to the objects of these combinations ; for this pauper is under the patronage of a city magistrate, whose name is known, and can be disclosed, with evidence of his conduct, who brow-beats and insults any overseer that refuses to comply with these demands. In reliance on this protection, the man's wife lately told the overseer that she had once made one, who filled his office, tremble before his betters, and would do so with him." This man's story is not yet concluded ; and the sequel is im- portant, as it exemplifies the inveterate habits of pauperism, and the skill and perseverance with which they are followed up by those who have once been introduced to them. This same individual has a child ill, which had been sent into the infirmary of the city and county ; of course, during the time the child is in the house, he is off* the father's hands, and the parish refused to make any allowance to the parents towards his support : this man went to the infirmary and removed the child, in order to enable him to claim his allowance from the overseer for this week. The pauper himself complains of illness, but will neither accept the advice of the infirmary as an out-patient, nor of the parish medical man, but has gone, or is going, the round of the medical men of the city, begging from any of them a cer- tificate of his inability to work. A pleasure fair was held, according to custom, a week or two 120 The Rev. H. Bishops Report-^City of Oxford, before the present time, in this parish. The pauper in question was seen drinking and idling during the fair. He was warned that he would be refused relief, on the groundof his having wasted both his money in drinking, and his time. '' T don't care," was his reckless reply ; " I won't work during holiday-time." He had his method of compelling parochial assistance. On the following Thursday, he went to the infirmary and begged a blister, which he was wearing when the writer of this report saw him, and then presented himself for relief. A complaint had been made against him, and with very great difficulty the city magistrate was in- duced to record him as a vagabond ; still, notwithstanding, the man obtained on this occasion ?>s. It is hardly necessary to add, after this long history, that here character is not at all attended to, when relief is to be given, nor under the interference of the magistrates is the vestry allowed to regard it. The individual above spoken of says the magistrates " would not hurt him." There is, in fact, no instance of any of these idle, insolent paupers having been punished for the last twelve years. It appears, on investigation, that, in seven cases out of ten, the paupers are idle or drunken, abusive or thieving. " I don't care for your work, I can get as much from the parish," is their con- stant language. In the list prepared for payment this week, containing 50 sepa- rate cases, one is ill, two are idiots; of the rest not one does any work, and it is useless to divide the cases into casual or permanent, for the casual, when once on the list, always continue there. An instance of the improvidence of relief appeared in the case of a boy, deaf and dumb certainly, but the son of a tradesman, a butcher, perfectly able to support his child, who, nevertheless, is kept by the parish. Another person receives 2.$'. a week for getting tcork. This is during the harvest. An inhabitant of this parish, once an overseer, applied on behalf of a woman, who, he alleged, was ill, but begged that it might not be known that she had parish aid ; it would so distress her, not to receive it, but to have it known that she received it. Her dress gave no evidence of her want of such assistance; it was much above the rank of those who might be expected to look for parish help, of many, indeed, who have to contribute to her assistance. On her it was proposed to settle 4^. or 5,?. per week. A. widow, who has some friends among the efficient parties at the vestry, receives 1,9. ^d. a week, though she is in possession of a very considerable sum of money at the savings bank. A boy has 4s. a week, because he has so bad a character that Improper Applications Supported by Magistrates. 121 few or none will employ him. The parish let him out at 2^. per \Aeek, when they can get any thing for him to do, and pay 2s, more for him. A woman says she was not bred up to work, and won't work ; she does not even choose to knit, and during the last month she received 6^., 4^., 4^., and 3j. in four weeks, week by week. These various persons are supported in their applications by the city magistrates ; and the parish authorities and vestry, knowing how useless it is to look to them for countenance, prefer paying these people their annuities to contesting them and failing*. A considerable quantity of casual relief takes place in clothing. Shoes are made by parishioners, who charge 14s. a pair, for articles which would be sold to private individuals for 126*. No balance-sheet is published, neither are the paupers' names printed. No visitation of them at their houses takes place. They have been all ordered to attend a vestry for examination, and the absentees were struck off, but were, however, restored to the pay- list the next week. There is no parish work of any kind. The paupers, at one time, were set to stone-breaking; but it was found that they destroyed their tools, and that their earnings were insufficient to pay for the repairs. The assistant-overseer is generally a decayed tradesman, with a salary of 50/. per annum. He was to have lived in the poor- house, and taken the superintendence of the paupers; but the present one, finding the place, or the inhabitants, disagreeable, left the house and came to Oxford, and no notice has been taken. The annual amount of money actually expended on the poor is 1317/. The overseer comes into office every year ; and this is a great evil, as the new officer is always assailed with a number of false complaints. The present overseer appears to be a most intelligent and respectable man, anxious to put every thing on its proper footing, and capable of improving the parish very materially, if he was not fettered by opposition and the badness of the magistracy, as well as by the fauhs of the existing law, or practice, which has grown into something resembling law. The rates are fast increasing in amount, while the difficulty of collecting them is growing in an equal ratio. About ten rates in the year used to be sufficient ; now one is required every three weeks. * These various cases can be identified by the names of the parties, if necessary, and many others of a like kind might be multipUed; these are only given as samples of what actually takes place in this parish. 122 The Rev, H, Bishoj^'s Report^City of Oxford. The fees of the magistrates' clerk, already too high, are rising rapidly. Tlie examination of a pauper, and order of removal, used to be 7s. 6d., or Ss. 6d. ; now, however, it is 13.9. 6d. The charge for the overseer's warrant of appointment is doubled, but no resistance, or even remonstrance, is hazarded, as it is neces- sary to stand well with the court ; and any one resisting would run the risk of incurring their displeasure, at least their suspicion. The following instance of the justice with which fees are ex- acted is worth observation : — A man was convicted of assaulting an overseer most violently ; his punishment was three weeks' im- prisonment, and to find security for his good behaviour for twelve months, and the parish had to pay the fees for his giving the security. St. Giles's has the character of being a " good parish ;" land- lords, therefore, can let their houses at a very high rent. The speculation of building houses, and those of the most wTctched description, is encouraged; very few rates are collected from them, and thus it happens that acres of land, which used to bear their share of rate, now, in their more valuable state, and in- creased rent, contribute nothing, though they greatly augment the parish burthens. There are at the present time eleven bastards on the weekly list — the parish receives for two only. It is well known, that for from 31. to 41., and a treat, many men consent to be sworn to as the fathers of illegitimate children, knowing that the parish cannot enforce payment against them ; and that, generally speaking, it will not be attempted. The mo- ther is, of course, a party to this arrangement, and has her ad- vantage, either promised only, or actually performed ; at least she is not worse off, for the parish pays for the putative father, whe- ther it recovers the money or not, and the mother has her share of the price of her perjury from the real father. One girl, for whose child the parish receives the money, swore her infant to a boy aged only fifteen, a servant in a gentleman's family : the poor lad remarked, ''This was very hard, this was too bad; the child ought to have been sworn to my young master;"*' and there was little reason for suspecting his veracity. Another woman has brought three illegitimate children on the parish, and for her last she was committed to prison for three weeks. She told the vestry that she would, if put to gaol again, swear the child to the overseer. She is now pregnant a fourth time. This same individual says openly to the vestry, ''If you don't give me some relief (enough, in fact, to support her in idle- ness), I will bring you some more bastards to keep." The difficulties under which this parish is labouring seem to be Gross Cases of Bastardy — Demoralisation, 123 caused by the combined badness of the law and of the adminis- trators of it, that is, the magistrates in great measure ; for there is no superfluous labour, provided the labourers would only con- duct themselves in such a manner as to make them worth employ- ing. But those who want labour done, prefer employing out- parish men, or will rather leave undone that which, if well and sufficiently done, would yield them a profit, or be, at least, a source of pleasure and satisfaction. Those labourers who have families say, we can get lO^*. or 12^. per week from the parish, why should " we slave ourselves for this sum T ST. CLEMENT'S, OXFORD. Population 1836. Value (1815) 1352Z. Apter the detailed report of St. Giles's, it is hardly necessary to say much of this parish, which presents the same features of mis- management. Increase in the amount of rates *, decrease of the means of paying them, destruction to the industry and character of the labourers, and the steady growth of every species of vice and profligacy, while the interference of the magistrates, though not, in this parish, carried to such an extent as in some others, and by some benches, yet still exists to a very mischievous extent, and in a very bad manner, — by recommendations chiefly ; these are enough to promote the spirit of discontent in the paupers, to discountenance the overseer, and to screen the magistrate, even from the trifling responsibility which attaches to the making of an order, the check which the law imposes, by requiring that every order shall be signed by two magistrates, and, of consequence, that every case requiring an order shall be heard by two magis- trates, being removed. The only peculiarity is to be found in the extent of the specu- lation for building small tenements, and in some of the local cir- cumstances which have attended that speculation. St. Clement's, like the rest of Oxford, was originally situated on a thick bed of gravel resting on clay. As long as the buildings were confined to the gravel, the inhabitants enjoyed a healthy soil and means of good drainage; as soon, however, as they were pushed off on the clay, a very considerable change took place both in the houses, the inhabitants, and their health. Nearly half * There has been an assistant overseer ; but he is on the point of retiring, being unable to raise the rates. His nominal salary, 201. per annum, has remained unpaid, from the poverty of the parish ; and from the like cause, the poor last week (Aug. 20, 1832) were not paid at all. 124 The Rev. H. Bishop's Report^City of Oxford. the deaths of Oxford, from cholera, took place in St. Clement's : on inquiry, it appeared that the majority of those cases were in the newest houses, near the river, upon the clay banks. It is im- possible to estimate, with any thing like accuracy, the number of new houses, but there are whole streets and rows built in the cheapest manner. There may be exceptions to this statement, but, in general, the speculation has paid so well, that the cupidity of those who have more money than conscience has been strongly stimulated. Cottages, costing on an average from 100/. to 120/. let for 9/. per annum; some, which have been built for 140/., have let for 10/. per annum, and upwards. These cottages have yards, perhaps, but the bit of groimd attached to them is too small to merit the name of a garden. These exorbitant rents are, in fact, levied to a considerable degree upon those who pay rates. For, in the first place, by the abstraction of so much property from rateable wealth, the re- mainder has to bear a heavier burden ; and, secondly, the rents are carried to as great a height as possible, upon the supposition that tenements so circumstanced will not be rated ; the owner, therefore, is pocketing both rate and rent. Thirdly, the value of his property is increased precisely in the proportion that his neigh- bour's is deteriorated, by the weight of rates from which his own is discharged : neither is this all — as it is always regarded by the tenant as a desirable thing to escape the payment of rates, the field for competition is narrowed, and a very inferior description of house is built for the poor man. In order to make out a case for the non-payment of rates, it is sometimes necessary, perhaps, to have inconveniences and defects — and thus it happens, that a building speculation, depending on freedom from rates for its re- commendation, always produces a description of houses of the worst and most unhealthy kind. Those who would build for the poor with more liberal views and greater attention to their health and their comfort are discouraged, and a monopoly is given those whose sole end is gain, by whatever means it may be compassed. Aug. 20, 1832. Mr. Powers Report — Camhridgshire. 125 No. VIII. — REPORT from Alfred Power, Esq., Assistant- Commissioner, from Cambridgeshire. My Lords and Gentlemen, In compliance with Lord Melbourne's wishes, I submit the following extracts from the results of my inquiries in the county Cambridge. The following are a part of my observations on the subject of THE magisterial CONTROL. When pressed on the subject of their management, overseers invariably excuse themselves by alleging the want of co-operation and protection from the magistracy in their endeavours to check the demand on the parish funds. Even the paid officers, both in town and country, justify themselves on these grounds for sparing the time, trouble, and expense of contesting witii the pauper the question of relief before the individual magistrates, or the bench in petty sessions. Of the many whom I have seen, one and all are in this story. But the Commissioners will probably consider that I have found a higher and a better authority on this subject in Dr. Webb, master of Clare Hall, the present vice-chancellor of the University. He has acted as county magistrate for more than sixteen years ; and being resident a great part of the year at his vicarage in Littlington, he has personally superintended the relief of the poor in that parish, as well as in Great Gransden, in Huntingdonshire, where the college has been obliged to occupy a farm of 700 acres, in consequence of their not being able to obtain a tenant for the same at any price. He is strongly of opinion that a great part of the burthen of actual relief to the poor arises from the injudicious interference of magistrates, and the readiness with which they overrule the discretion of the overseer. He has attempted in both the parishes above men- tioned to introduce a more strict and circumspect system of relief — with great success in Littlington, as appears by the descending scale of poor-rates in that parish since 1816, the population at the same time having nearly doubled itself since 1801 *. In Gransden, he had found less success, being seldom personally present there, and acting principally through his bailiff. Also he had had less time by some years for effecting any steady improvement in that parish. He showed me, however, by a reference to the books, that he had made the practice of allowing relief to married men, when employed by individuals, in respect of their families, entirely disappear from * In 1816 the rates of this parish were 242/. 1828 they were . . .116/. Sinee 1801 the population has increased from 330 to 622. 126 Mr. Powers Report — Cambridgeshire. the late accounts. The principal impediment to the introduction of a better system, he found in the power of the pauper, when re- fused relief by the overseer, to apply to the bench in petty sessions ; which nothing but the advantage of an intimate knowledge of his own parishioners, and of uniting in himself the functions, not the office, of overseer and magistrate^ enabled him, by perseverance, to overcome. The following case is a sample of their unwilling- ness to take the circumstances or character of the applicant into due consideration. He refused relief (Nov. 27th, 1829} to Samuel Spencer, knowing him to have received a leojacy of 400/. within two or three years before the application. The man applied to the bench in petty sessions, where Dr. Webb produced to them an extract from the will (proved 1826), and the assurance of the executor that he had paid the pauper money since provino^ the •will, to the amount above mentioned. Notwithstanding this, they made an order of relief; and the man (able-bodied) has been from time to time on the rates ever since. I have conversed with several magistrates on the subject of the magisterial control ; and some I have found disposed to take the same view of it as Dr. Webb; though certainly none so con- fidently and unequivocally. Amongst these I should mention Mr. Metcalf of Foulmire, a most active andintelhgent magistrate, to whom this county is indebted for the introduction of the im- proved system of parish account keeping, given in the Appendix to Mr. Pym's Evidence before the House of Lords, in 1831 *. The greater part, however, are rather disposed to recriminate and cast upon the parish officers the charge of an insufficient and inatten- tive discharge of their duties. They complain that whereas the magistrates feel every disposition to inquire into the circumstances of every application for relief, it is quite impossible to get over- seers to attend the bench, and follow up their own refusals for relief with the proper zeal and regard for their parishes ; that very often surliness of behaviour, and even cruelty towards the poor, is combined with great extravagance and recklessness in their expenditure. There is probably a great deal of truth in these statements on both sides of the question : certainly, between the two, affairs go on very ill in this county ; but whatever portion of the blame of mismanagement attaches to either, is probably due rather to the nature of the respective functions, than to the personal mis- conduct of those who discharge them. Under the continually increasing pressure of the rates, the viciousness of the system * Observe the divisions Of items in page 137 of this Report, ,' Magisterial Controul — Scale System. 127 is making itself daily more felt and acknowledged in all quarters; and although every one has his favourite schemes of partial im- provement, these are announced rather with expressions of despair than hope, as regards any material and permanent success ; and so far as my inquiries have at present extended, I have reason to think that opinion points rather to a total change of system than to partial and paUiative amendments. That a sense of the necessity of some vital change in the ad- ministration of the poor-laws is becoming universal among the magistrates themselves, there cannot be a stronger demonstration than the following fact : — At the time of the disturbances two years since, a general meeting of the bench of the whole county was convened at Cambridge for the purpose of deliberating on gene- ral measures. The meeting was very numerous, consisting, as my informant believes, of 28 gentlemen. A part of the business transacted was the passing of a vote or resolution to this effect, " that the poor-laws are badly administered in this county." The vote passed with only one dissentient voice. The following is a copy of a printed scale of relief issued by the town magistrates of Cambridge. It exceeds the scale used in the rural parishes by half the quartern loaf (value 4^d, at this time) in each of the allowances. The country scales are also printed ; and, with the exception above mentioned, the terms used in those I liave seen are precisely identical with the following : — • Copy of a printed Scale of Relief . — Town of Cambridge. The churchwardens and overseers of the poor are requested to regulate the incomes of such persons as may apply to them for relief or employ- ment, according to the price of fine bread ; namely — A single woman the price of 3| quartern loaves per week. A single man ditto. . .4J ditto. A man and his wife ditto ... 8 ditto. Ditto ditto and 1 child ditto. . . 9 J ditto. Ditto ditto and 2 children . . . ditto ..11 ditto. Ditto ditto and 3 children . . . ditto . . 13 ditto. Man, wife, 4 children and upwards at the price of 2 J quartern loaves per head per week. It will be necessary to add to the above income, in all cases of sick- ness or other kind of distress, and particularly of such persons or fami- lies who deserve encouragement by their good behaviour, whom parish officers should mark both by commendation and reward. By order of the Magistrates assembled at the Town-hall, Cam*^ bridge, Nov. 27th, 1829. A. Chevell, Clerk to the Magistrates. 128 Mr. Powers Report — Cambridgeshire, The intrinsic mischief of such an invention is much acrofravated by the bad effect which its publication and the nature of the ex- pressions used, must produce on the minds of the paupers, to whom it is exhibited on every occasion of dispute between them and the overseer. It certainly does seem to me calculated to suggest the notion of an absolute right to relief, independent of any circumstances beyond the mere application for it ; and to judge from the demeanour I have witnessed in petty sessions, that suggestion does not appear lost upon the pauper. The eyes of the county magistrates have been for some time open to the impolicy of this proceeding; and I have not seen any scale of theirs dated later than 1821. The present town scale, it is seen, bears date 1829. Which of the two set the example I do not know, but the gentlemen of the county seem to have repented first. MODES OF RELIEF. With regard to the modes of relief used in this county, I have found very little variation to prevail in the different parishes which have been the objects of my investigation ; none certainly which present any important feature for remark. The practice of payments out of the poor-rates, in direct aid of the wages of men employed by individuals, I have not met at all at present. That, however, of making allowance for the families of persons in full employ is by no means uncommon : that of roundsmen, I believe, exists nowhere at all within the county. It was once very general in that part of the county which adjoins Bedford- shire ; but the only instance, I believe, now remaining in that neighbourhood is Tadlow, a small parish, little burthened with rates ; but here the roundsman is paid full wages by the indivi- dual who employs him. The conflicting interests and jealousies of the different classes of rate-payers, rather than a sense of its illegality, have caused the disappearance of this objectionable practice. The grand items of disbursement in the heavily-burthened pa- rishes are found to be these : — 1 . The permanent weekly pay, as it is called, to the aged, the impotent, and widows. I have found that widows universally, in town and country, get their three shillings a week without reference to the amount of their earnings. The admission of this as an unquestioned title to relief is one of many premiums on mar- riage. 2. Pay per s working for parish. — There is often difficulty in getting at the true amount of this, from the surveyor's rate either merging in that of the overseer's, on being applied to the employ- Modes of Relief-^Mischievous effects of, 129 ment of paupers at parish wages, and consequently no work done ; a clear perversion of this fund, out of which fair wages ought to be paid for real work done, under strict superintendence. For this reason there is no dependence on any of the rate-returns made yearly to government ; this kind of relief being often very considerable in its amount, and usually omitted in the returns. This item is almost always clear loss, except so far as some im- provement of the roads is effected * . 3. Occasional and casual poor. — The amount of this item is always very great in proportion to the rest, but it has little to do with the casual poor in the legal sense of that term. It is prin- cipally applicable to cases of temporary infirmity, real or pre- tended sickness in parishioners, and to the maintenance of the families of men in individual employ, and full pay ; — '' making up the incomes" is the expression used in the scale. There is no species of relief, however recommended by the circumstances to which Item 1. is applicable, which does not become, when systematically administered, highly objectionable in a moral point of view ; as removing every active motive for economy and good habits, and greatly enhancing the ordinary temptations to vice which attend a time of prosperity. But the operation of Items 2. and 3., combined with the working of the magistrates' scale, seems fraught with transcendent mischief, whether morally or politically considered. One very pernicious effect is that arising from the interested preference shown by the employer to men with families, whereby the young men are thrown upon parish work — so ruinous to all habits of industry ; and every motive suggested for an early and improvident marriage. When the farmer employs the young single man, it is seldom or never by the grate, as it is termed, but at daily wages, little above those of parish employment, which, as easier work, and often no work at all, he prefers. A still worse preference, though equally natural, is that which distinguishes between the destitute person, and the person possessed of the present means of support, postponing, of course, the claims of the latter ; whereby the disposition to save earnings is not only discouraged, but actively thwarted, and the gifts of fortune become a sure inducement to idleness and ruin. More than one case was mentioned to me of persons who, having been detected in the possession of property, the result of former eco- nomy, were refused, not relief, but even employment, until they had rendered themselves worthy of their hire, by wasting in idle- ness their previous accumulations. * On this point see the following case of Gamlingay. K iSO Mr, Power's Report — Cambridgeshire. LITTLINGTON PARISH. TITHES. On visiting the parish of Littlington, I found, by examination of the rate-books of the later years, that the advantages of a strict administration had not been able to check a rapid increase of the rates. The population, it should be observed^ had increased, by natural process alone, from 505 in the year 1821, to 622 in 183L The rates for the three years preceding 1830 stand thus : — POOR-RATE. 1827 . . . £138 1828 ... 116 1829 . . , 124 In 1830 the expenditure rose to 213Z. deducting the county rate ; for 1831, it was 227/. During several years preceding 1830 they had had little or no surplus labour ; at the present time they had nine able-bodied men doing parish work. My informant, Mr. Kimpton, the overseer, a considerable occupier, told me, that Dr. Webb's mode of management was, no doubt, very beneficial to the parish, but that they had every prospect of the rates con- tinually increasing. That the land within the parish was amply sufficient to employ all the labour, if fairly cultivated; but that, owing to various causes, much of the land was in a very low state, and matters were yearly becoming worse. Amongst those causes he particularized the low state of profits, the consequent decrease of capital and spirit, and the particularly hard pressure of the tithes upon this parish. It is a light chalky soil, naturally poor, but capable of a very high degree of cultivation by the aid of arti- ficial manure. That the taking of tithes in kind was a great restraint and impediment to the cultivation of land of this charac- ter — he spoke from the effects produced on it by his own prac- tice, and that of his neighbours. Some time before the inclo- sure. Dr. Webb let the tithe to Mr. Dickerson, an occupier within the parish, and bound him by an agreement to allow every occu- pier to have his own tithes at a fair valuation, if he wished it. Some years after, on a disagreement between Dickerson and the tithe-payers, Dr. Webb insisted on the fulfilment of this contract -, arid Mr. Watford, an eminent surveyor at Cambridge, was em- ployed to make a valuation. The difference of Mr. Watford's estimates on different small occupations of land, lying inter- mingled together in an uninclosed state, Mr. Kimpton describes to have produced a strong impression upon his own mind and those of the other bccujpiers, as to the inexpediency of outlay upon land of this description, when subject to a fluctuating amount of High Rates, and Mismanagement at Gamlingay. ISl tithe. The difference of these estimates was owing altogether to the difference of cultivation, the natural quality of the land being the same, and requiring constant supplies of artificial manure to make it productive and keep it so. The land in the occupation of Mr. Dickerson himself, the tithe-occupier, at this time, was re- markable for its high state of cultivation ; a crop of turnips on one acre of it, Mr. Watford assured me himself, he considered worth nearly the fee-simple of an acre adjoining, in some other person's occupation. Had the former been exposed to valuation for tithe at this time, not only might the profits of so expensive an outlay have been absorbed for this turn, but the punishment would have endured during the whole term of the composition. Whether, therefore, the crops be subject to tithe in kind, or to composition for certain periods, the occupier of lands of this description must feel himself greatly fettered in its cultivation. In some cases the indisposition to cultivate seems to have arisen in part from irrita- tion of mind on the subject : a Mr. , occupying 300 acres, abandoned the cultivation of his land almost altogether, being a person of capital, and independent of farming profits. GAMLINGAY. Probably the county furnishes few worse examples of oppressive rates, aggravated by extreme mismanagement, than the parish of Gamlingay, in the hundred of Longstow. It contains something more than 4080 acres, of which 1880 are uninclosed arable land, 1500 inclosed ditto and pasture, 100 waste. 4080 The present population is 1319. The advantages afforded by the waste land in supply of fuel, and the permission to build cot- tages on it*, have attracted the poor from the neighbouring pa- rishes ; and a vast quantity of settlements have been made by the farmers letting their land during a part of the year to be dug for potatoes at high rents. As many as thirty families have been introduced in this way. The eldest of my informants (all occu- piers) remembers the poor-rate amounting to only 50Z. — that Wc^s sixty years ago ; the expenditure of the year ending March, 1832, was 1427/. The annual value as assessed in 1815 was 2945/.; an estimate of the present actual rental, furnished me from the best authority, states it at little more than 2000/. The rates, * Lords of the Manor, Merton College, Oxford. k2 132 Mr. Power's Report — Cambridgeshire. therefore, have already approached to very nearly 15^. in the pound, and the constant decrease of capital and cultivation threatens a further augmentation. The increase of the last over the preceding year was 100/. The disbursements of the last year stand thus : — Aged, impotent and widows . ^^318 Paupers working for parish . . 615 Materials, tools, &c. . . 54 Occasional casual poor relieved for sickness, &c. . . 316 Medical attendance . . 54 Law expenses, removals, &c. . . 17 Bastardies . . . . 10 The wages paid to men employed by individuals are about 6^. a-week to single men, to married men with children from 9s. to 10s., further allowance from the rates according to the number of the family. The parish is regulated by the bread scale in use in this part of the country, otherwise called the Magistrates' Scale. The result is as follows : — A single man , . £0 3 Man and wife . . .050 Ditto with one child . . 6 Ditto with two children . .070 Ditto with three children . 8 Ditto with four children . .090 There are at this present time between seventy and eighty men and boys (not counting old men) employed in parish work ; they began with eight or ten immediately after the harvest, and the number has been rapidly increasing up to this time. The ave- rage throughout the whole year is understated at forty ; and so it should appear, from the actual disbursement applicable solely to this item last year, viz. 615/. The sole employment is that of collecting stones from the surface of the land, for which they are paid at the rate of 2d. per bushel, until they have earned the sum allowed by the bread scale ; they then do as they please for that week. This account of the stone-gathering seemed rather a puzzling one. In the first place it must soon fail as a source of employ- ment. 2dly, If it did not, the actual value of the stones would be \\d. per bushel to sell in this country, and by keeping the men at work in this way the parish would lose nothing. 3rdly, I was told it was rather an injury than a benefit to the land. 4thly, I found on the receipt side of the balance-sheet the item, " Pro- duce of work done by paupers," \\l. 10s., to be set against 616/.J the expense of their employment. It seemed to me. Pamh Work — Depressed Condition of Farmers, 133 therefore^ on the whole, that this employment could be little else than a nominal one ; but I was not fully satisfied on the point, until, leaving the village after finishing my inquiries, I encountered a group of boys and men, eight or ten in number, from the age of sixteen to twenty-five, about a stone heap, busily employed, some with their hands, some with large sticks by way of bats, in returning the collected stones to the impoverished acres. My interview with the overseers (the appointment I had made with them having become known) was voluntarily attended by about six of the other principal occupiers. The external appear- ance of these men betokened a want of agricultural capital ; and they spoke of their parochial burdens in a despairing and almost reckless tone. They could not help themselves. They had in vain attempted several times to share the whole labour of the parish amongst themselves, according to the extent of each man's occupation : a strong practical objection was found to this in the quick recurrence of Saturday night, whereas the rate collector called upon them only fourteen times in the year. It had been attempted to employ the surplus labour in the drainage of the uninclosed lands ; but so partial an appropriation was strongly protested against by the rate-payers in respect of land inclosed. They showed me the fragment of a proposition to set the paupers to spade-labour on the parish account ; it failed for want of una- nimity in the vestry. An inclosure which would give them great temporary relief, and better them permanently to a certain degree, was opposed by Merton College, Oxford, in which body lay a great part of the proprietorship, as well as the tithes ; a kind of property which few owners are willing to commute for an allot- ment of land ; yet that is a condition upon which both cultivator and rent-owner usually insist. Under these circumstances they seemed to have abandoned all thought of mitigating their bur- thens by a strict and proper administration of parochial affairs. Such, in fact, was the abandonment of pubhc principle in the parish officers, that, while employing paupers on the parish ac- count at the expense of 615Z. a year without any return, they are at this very time called upon to defend an indictment at Quarter Sessions for the infamous state of their roads. On this point I am bound to say that, if the evidence be properly arranged, they must suffer a verdict. DECREASE OF FARMING CAPITAL. It is the opinion of Mr. James King, of Tadlow, an active and enterprising farmer, who knows the parish of Gamlin- 134 Mr. Power's Report — Cambridgeshire* gay perfectly well, tliat this enormous superabundance of labour arises, in great measure^ from want of capital in the farmers to employ the quantity of labour which the land deserves. He should allow three or four men to each hundred acres ; whereas^ he believes about one man is the proportion actually employed in that parish. Mr. King himself farms 1100 acres (and has done so for many years) under Downing College ; he pays for his labour about 18/. a-week ; he considers that, in bad times, it is necessary to the interest of tlie farmer to grow the more corn, if he can find the money to do it with. Mr. King is much confirmed in this account by the universal complaint in this part of the country, that substantial tenants can- not be found at the lowest assignable rents. I subjoin a few facts on this subject, which have fallen under my personal observation. The parish of Hatley St. George, in this neighbourhood, con- sists of 1000 acres ; there are only fifteen labourers in the parish, whereof seven able-bodied men are now employed with parish pay upon the roads. Mr. Ingle, the overseer, my informant, oc- cupies himself 306 acres, and has in vain attempted to bring the other three occupiers to an agreement to share the labourers according to the number of acres. The great objection here, as in Gamlingay, was to the Saturday-night payments. Very re- spectable occupiers of land find it necessary in these times to take a great part of the manual labour upon themselves, assisted by their sons. Mr. Quintin, of Hatley St. George, proprietor of a great part of that parish, and a gentleman of considerable landed property in the county, tells me, that he has a farm situate in Little Gransden for which he cannot get a tenant. It has been thrown upon his hands for two years past ; he is willing to let it on a short lease for 5s. an acre ; that it is land from which he has himself obtained, during the war, from twenty to thirty bushels of wheat per acre. Pawning College has a property of about 5000 acres in this country, lying principally in the parishes of Tadlow, East Hat- ley, Croydon, and Gamlingay. It is found impossible, notwith- standing the lowering of the rents to an extreme point, to obtain pien of substance for tenants. Several farms of considerable ex- tent have changed hands within the last five years, from insol- vency of the tenant in some cases ; in others from the terror of that prospect. The amount of arrears at this present time is such as only a collegiate body, situated as Downing College is, could bear. The estates are large, applicable, for the present, in part to the college stipends, in part to a building fund; the latter, of course, suffers. I draw from authentic sources in this case, being myself a fellow of the college. Great Want of Capital-^ Indosures, 13§ The answer given by Mr. Withers, of Wimpole, land-agent to Lord Hardwick, to query 28. No. 2, of the Commissioners' que- ries, deserves attention on this subject. He says, " Diminishing rapidly (speaking of farming capital). A great dealer in artificial manures (such as oil-cake, dust, bone-dust, malt-dust, &c.) told me lately, that the farmers in Cambridgeshire purchased of him no more than 2000/. worth of such manure last year (1831), whereas the usual annual amount has been 4000Z. ; consequently the soil must deteriorate." The deficiency of agricultural capital, arising from whatever causes, is no doubt one great cause of the present extended pau- perism; it is also certain that in a very great degree that defi- ciency of capital is itself reacted upon and aggravated by the evil it assists in producing ; and where this latter effect has resulted to any great extent, it is difficult to conceive how, under the most favourable circumstances, capital can be well reclaimed into the channel it has deserted, those impediments remaining unabated which drove it from its course. A vital change in the poor-law system must precede, in such cases, the return to a sound state of agricultural speculation. INCLOSURES. The Commissioners must be familiar with the two principal obstacles which oppose themselves to the obtaining acts of inclo- sure, in those parishes which would receive very great benefit from the adoption of such a measure, viz. the great addition which the expense of obtaining the act makes to the other considerable expenses of the inclosure, and the difficulty of arranging satisfac- torily to all parties with respect to the tithes. I shall therefore only say upon this subject, that in the several parishes so situated in which I have made the inquiry, uniformly these two obstacles have been put forth as impeding the arrangement. I can mention Shelford, Melbourn, Gransden, Gamlingay, as places so situated, in which I have locally received this information ; and I believe it to be equally true of a vast number of parishes within the county of Cambridge*. On this head, the parish of Gamlingay, already described a,s * Dr. Webb, himself a great promoter of inclosures, effected on behalf of the college a rescue of the tithes in the case of Littlington above-mentioned. Again, at Duxford, a parish in this county, inclosed some years since, the struggle about the tithes is said to have been very severe. They were owned in part by Clare Hall, and partly by another college in Cambridge : the other proprietors were obliged at last to yield the point ; but such was the spite against the tithe-owners, that instead of assigning them, as they wished, separate divisions of the parish, they have compelled them to take each their moiety from every individual field. 136 Mr, Power'' s Report — Cambridgeshire. containing, out of 4080 acres, 1880 acres uninclosed arable land, and 700 acres of waste, deserves further remark. I have no doubt, and, in so saying, I am giving effect to better opinions than my own on this subject, that the present miserable condition of this village is owing, in great measure, to the want of a sufficiently interested or a sufficiently wise proprietorship of the land. It is shared, with a slight exception, between the colleges of Clare Hall and Downing, Cambridge, and Merton College, Oxford. The first of these has a small proportion, — the last by much the greatest part of the ownership, besides the manor and the tithes. With respect to the proportion now enjoyed by Downing College, the ownership remained in abeyance for many years during a chancery suit, in which the heir-at-law contested his right. At this period I am told that great part of the mischief accrued. The objec- tions entertained by Merton College to an inclosure of the parish, as stated by them very lately, in answer to a general proposition to that effect, are grounded on these two reasons : — 1. " The general expenses of the inclosure, and the improba- " bility of a return for the outlay. 2. " An unwillinorness to abridge the little benefits which the " poor parishioners derive from the waste land in its present " state." As to the first objection, better judges, probably, than the fel- lows of Merton College assure me that it is far from being justi- fied by the circumstances or the character of the land : as to the second, they are probably at too great a distance from the spot to know, that at some seasons of the year there are 100 labourers out of employ, and that the average throughout the year is more than 40 ; a mischief arising in great measure from " the littlehe' '^ nefits which the poor parishioners derive from the waste land in " its present state*;" and a mischief which the inclosure would for a certain time almost altogether remove, and diminish perma- nently to a very great degree. SITUATION OF THE RURAL PARISH OFFICERS. The tone assumed by the paupers towards those who dispense relief in the oppressed agricultural districts is generally very inso- lent, and often assumes even a more fearful character. At Great Gransden, the overseer's wife told me that two days before my visit there, two paupers came to her husband, demanding an in- crease of allowance. He refused them, showing at the same time that they had the full allowance sanctioned by the magistrates' * This is true twice over ; the little benefits brought them there (as is seen before), and they are too little to do them any good, compared with the efi'ect of an inclosure. Violence of Paupers — Incendiarism. 137 scale. They swore, and threatened he should repent it ; and such was the violence of their temper and demeanour, that when they left the house she ran after them, and called them back, fearing they would do some mischief, and prevailed upon her husband to make some further allowance. Mr. Faircloth came about two years since into the occupation of a farm in the parish of Croydon, where the rates amount (in- cluding surveyor's rate) to about five shillings in the pound. He immediately took on himself the parochial management, and partly by adopting a stricter system of relief, and partly by the additional employment, which, being a man of capital, he intro- duced into the parish, he reduced the rates from 435/. in the year ending March, 1831, to 342/. in the year ending March, 1832, being a saving of nearly 100/. His improved management, how- ever, of the relief, made him very unpopular amongst the la- bourers of the parish, into which he was introducing employment in the place of pauperism ; and a few weeks after last harvest, they gathered in a riotous body about a threshing-machine which he had upon his premises, and broke it all in pieces. The Rev. Mr. Dawes was on the spot a short time after; and before the party had dispersed, he tells me he heard the following expressions : " It's almost as good as a fire ! " " He's not going to lord it over us any longer ! " and similar demonstrations of personal resentment to Faircloth for his conduct as overseer. At Guilden Morden*, in the same neighbourhood, a burning took place three weeks ago of Mr. Biitterfield's stacks, to the amount of 1500/. damage. Mr. Butterfield was overseer ; and the magistrates have committed for trial, on strong circumstantial evidence, a man to whom Butterfield had constantly denied relief, because he refused to do work for it. The evidence against him partly consists of previous threatening language and his behaviour during the fire, at which he exulted, saying, " Butterfield ought to be in it ! " A fire occurred about six weeks since at SwafFham, on the other side of Cambridge, in the direction of Newmarket. Messrs. EUice, Gibbons, and Chambers, the principal occupiers, appointed to meet together for the purpose of coming to a joint resolution to reduce the wages to 9^. instead of 10s., at which point they had been artificially maintained since the harvest. The object of this meeting having transpired, a threatening letter was sent them, and on the morning of the day on which they were to have met, Mr. Gibbons' ricks were set fire to and consumed. * There was a fire at this place in November, 1831, on a Mr. VVestropp's premises. There was no clue to the motive, further than the circumstance that he paid low wages. 138 Mr. Potvers Report — Cambridgeshire, I have foundj and it is not to be wondered at, that the appre- hension of this dreadful and easily perpetrated mischief has very generally affected the minds of the rural parish officers of this county, making the power of the paupers over the funds provided for their rehef almost absolute, as regards any discretion on the part of the overseer. LINTON. Gamlingay, oppressed and ill-managed as it is, is not the worst place in the county. At Linton the rates press more heavily on the rental, and the administration is, if possible, worse. The two cases, however, present very distinct, and even opposite, features. Instead of an impoverished race of farmers, as at Gamlingay, screwing down a miserable, ill-lodged and ill-fed population to the very letter of the bread-scale, and with difficulty producing their rates at fourteen instalments in the year, we find at Linton a substantial set of farmers, giving a fair degree of cultivation to the land, producing their four shillings in the pound (like rent) four times a year, for the purpose of maintaining, to the extent of just one shilling above the incomes laid down in the bread-scale, the best fed and most comfortable and thriving population of paupers in the county of Cambridge. I had only been half pre- pared for this the day before at Fulbourn, where they keep their parish-pay at 6c?. above the bread-scale in all its departments. The recommendation of the magistrate is pleaded, but there is no new scale. Some considerate landlords must be suffering for this. The present population of Linton is 1678. The assessment in 1815 was 3,120/. The whole number of acres is 3,600, of which 600 are inclosed, and the rest open field. The following is a copy of their balance-sheet for the year ending March, 1832. RECEIPT SIDE. Rates during the year ; viz., 4 rates at 4s. in the pound £2108 7 4 For work done by paupers ... By re-payment of loan 1 8 Recovered for bastards 8 1 7 For rent 3 2 6 £2121 DISBURSEMENT. 1. Relief to aged, impotent, and Widows £793 2 11^ 2. Paupers working forparish527 6 4 3. Medical attendance, fune- rals, rent, &c 107 6 10 4. Occasional and casual poor688 17 9 5. Tools, materials, clothmg, fuel, food, &c 108 18 2^ 6. Law expenses, orders, &c. 65 2 1 7. Bastardy expenses 63 6 8. County rate 41 5 8 Constable's expenses, &c. 12 1 Militia 1 18 £2428 13 11 Deduct 2121 Balance due to overseer . . 307 13 11 Abusive Administration of Relief-^ Parish Worh, 139 With respect to Item 1., I can only say, that its amount is monstrous, and utterly unaccountable, in a population of 167S persons, except from what has been already remarked on the profuseness of the relief. I am possessed of some explanation of Item 2. There is no return from it on the receipt side, the only employment alluded to having been bestowed on the roads, which for some years have ^J)een in a state of excellent repair, and therefore little work wanted. About three years since, at the suggestion of Mr. Fisher, the very amiable and inteUigent rector of the parish, spade cultivation has been tried on some of the private farms. About 100 acres a-year have been since dug in this manner. The farmer pays Id. a rod ; this, although 13*. an acre instead of 10*., the cost of ploughing, is no less to him, except that his horses are idle : the parish pay the pauper 2d. per rod for the work, if a single man ; if a married one, 2\d, or 3d, according to his necessity. The officer told me that 701. a-year was thus got by the parish from the farmer in aid of the rate ; but although it fur- nished severe employment, and thus drove away many applicants, it did not produce in any other way a saving to the parish ; for that the single labourer would earn more than his 1*. a-day by this work, and they always gave him a greater allowance than when doing nothing on the road; and even thus it was often necessary to stop him, lest he should earn too much. Then why not put it to him at Ij per rod? The answer to this question, by a person who paid 39 H. for rates last year, was given with great naivete — " Well, Sir, there is something in that to be sure !" The 701. above-mentioned is not made a part of Item 1. A further fact is, that of sixty men now unemployed, a smaller portion only are agricultural labourers ; the remainder are artizans, labouring mechanics, &c., Linton being the emporium of the local trade of this part of the country. These men earn through- out a great part of the year from 18s. to \l. \s. a week, and in winter regularly fall upon the rates. They detest the spade labour; and it is obvious, that were relief given to them only through that, and at low wages, they would save their earnings for the winter season. The excuse made, however, for not pressing them in this way is, that they are a desperate set, and would not bear it, and would not mind what they did. They have, in- deed, given some tokens of deserving this character. In 1830 two men were hanged for burning the stacks of Mr. Chalk. It was in evidence on the trial, ariiong other things, that they had uttered threats against Mr, Chalk, for some offence given them by him in vestry. The outrage committed, about three weeks since, in the streets of Linton, upon the persons of Lord Godolphin and Mr. Adeane, acting there as magistrates, is probably known to 140 Mr, Henry Stuart's Report — Suffolk. the commissioners. Mr. Adeane's life has been only within these few days considered out of danger. The same remark applies to Item 4. which I have made on Item 1, with this addition, that the farming wages for all per- sons here are 9*. ; and that a great part of this item goes indi- rectly in aid of these, that is to support their families^ or '' make up their incomes/' as the magistrates express it. I have the honour to be, ip My Lords and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, Alfred Power. No. IX. — REPORT from Henry Stuart, Esq. Assistaut- Commissroner in Suffolk. My Lords and Gentlemen, Dec. 12, 1832. In compliance with your request, communicated to me by your Secretary, on the 4th instant, to be furnished wdth a detailed account of the administration and practical operation of the Poor- Laws in some of the parishes I have visited, for the information of Lord Melbourne, I have now the honour to send you a par- ticular account of four parishes in which the poor-rate is admi- nistered entirely by the parochial authorities, and of an incorpo- ration of forty-six parishes, where it is controlled by a Board of Directors and Guardians. The administration of the Poor-Laws by corporate bodies pre- vails to a considerable extent in the county of Suffolk, and seems to me to be attended with advantages which deserve attention. I have the honour to be, My Lords and Gentlemen, Your faithful and obedient Servant, Henry Stuart. To the Commissioners for inquiring into the Administration and Practical Operation of the Poor-Laws . SUFFOLK. FRISTON PARISPI, IN PLOxMESGATE HUNDRED. Acres, 1500. Population, 1831, 466. Expenditure on Poor, 1829, 607/., and since increasing. The rate-payers of this parish devolve the whole administration of the poor-laws on an assistant overseer. The vestry is so ill attended, that when a meeting is called to make a rate, it fre- Management of Parish — Pauper Relationship. 141 quently happens that no more are present than the churchwarden and assistant overseer. The annual meeting for electing parish officers and auditing accounts is better attended ; but the vestry lake no active interest in the affairs of the parish. There is no resident clergyman or gentleman, and divine ser- vice is only performed once a fortnight by a curate who lives some miles off. The only school in the parish is a Sunday school belonging to a dissenting chapel. The assistant overseer was appointed merely to save trouble; and as he is not backed by the authority of a vestry, he admits that his services are of little avail towards the good management of the poor. He is a blacksmith, and seems to be a man of good sense : but the qualities which chiefly recommended him for the office are, great personal strength and undaunted resolution. He collects the rate, and disburses it without either assistance or control. Relief to those who are out of work or who are unable to work is administered according to a scale, which is understood to be sanctioned by the magistrates ; and the amount in money varies with the price of flour. The scale in use, when I was in the parish, allowed to s, d. A single man, per week . . 4 Man and wife . . 5 6 And for each child under 14 . 10 When above that age they have 3s. a week on their own account till they come to be considered men. Whenever a lad comes to earn wages or to receive parish relief on his own account, although he may continue to lodge with his parents, he does not throw his money into a common purse and board with them, but buys his own loaf and piece of bacon, which he devours alone. The most disgraceful quarrels arise from mutual accusations of theft; and as the child knows he has been nurtured at the cost of the parish, he has no filial attachment to his parents. To men who have work an allowance of is. per week is made for each child over three ; but where the man is understood to be earning good wages, it is attempted to avoid this payment. The rate of wages in the parish is l'• sum was distributed is . . . . 212 The number of children .... 327 Of the 212 there appear to be 104 married men. Their wives ]04 Number of persons receiving relief 643 This does not include those in the poor-house, or the expense of maintaining them. Want of Cajntal — Emigration — Demoralization. 145 The extent of pauperism in this parish is attributed to a super- abundant population ; the inconvenience of which would not be so much feh, w^ere it not that deficient capital on the part of the farmer, togetlier with the low price of agricultural produce, pre- vents the emploj^raent of so many labourers as the proper culti- vation of the soil requires. For the purpose of getting rid of a portion of the unemployed labourers, forty-six persons were in- duced to emigrate, in 1830, at the expense of the parish. Of these Ibrty-six persons, fourteen were married, eight single, and twenty- four children. This emigration has not, however, been sufficient to afford any perceptible relief ; for so crowded was the popula- tion, that the cottages which were vacated by the emigrants were immediately tenanted by married persons who had lived doubled lip in houses with other famiHes. The accounts received from the ■emigrants express satisfaction at the change they have made; and the parish is endeavouring to raise means to send out others who ■are desirous to remove. Only one of the first party has come back. He is a man of a dissolute and abandoned character, who immediately returned to his station on the pauper-roll. Besides the inconvenience produced by the superabundant population, there are other causes which contribute to increase the number of paupers, and to add to the amount of the expenditure. The circumstances of the small occupiers are described to be such as to place them on the very verge of pauperism : besides, they all have relations who are absolutely in that state. Those who ^re in this condition do not hire labourers at the ordinary rate •of wages, but obtain such labour as they require, on low terms, ifrom those who are receiving parish relief. This they conceive •to be not only to their own advantage, but doing an act of kind- ness to their friends, as well as keeping up a system, to the bene- ^ts of which they may soon be obliged to have recourse them- selves. It is well known to the parish authorities that under- hand employment is given to a great extent; and for the purpose •of checking it, they oblige all who are out of work to show them- selves daily at a fixed hour to the overseer. This, however, has no effect ; as leave of absence is very easily obtained to enable them to pass muster, and to receive the reward of their knavery from the parish. The poor-rate is considered by the lower Drders as a fund in which they have an absolute property, and they do not scruple at artifice, fraud, or violence, to establish their right to it. This feeling contributes more than any other cause to the progressive increase of the poor-rate, and to the general demoralization which prevails in the lower ranks of society. It exists to a great extent in the parish of Stradbroke, to which the enormous and increasing expenditure on the poor bears witness. L 146 Mr. H. Stuart's Report — Suffolk — Wickham Market. WICKHAM MARKET, PARISH, WILFORD HUNDRED. Population, 1831, 1202. Expenditure on Poor, 1829, 543/. 75., and since then increasing. The great road from London to Yarmouth passes through this parish — and although it is not a market-town, yet, being centri- cally situated, it is a place of considerable resort — besides, a number of the inhabitants have their settlements, and give their labour in the adjoining parishes. There is a select vestry and an assistant overseer, under the 59 Geo. III. The vestry meets once a fortnight for the purpose of receiving applications for relief, and transacting other business connected with the administration of the poor-fund. Regular minutes of their proceedings are kept, and entries are made of such circumstances as come to their knowledge as may be useful in regulating the allowances of those who are already in receipt of relief, or of those who may thereafter come to require it. These memoranda are found to be extremely serviceable. The assistant overseer pays the poor according to the orders of the select vestry ; and any relief he may have administered on his own responsibility, during the interval between the meetings of the vestry, is carefully inquired into at the next meeting. The certainty of this investi- gation keeps him constantly alive to his duties. The clergyman is resident, and takes an active and judicious part in the business of the parish. It has unfortunately happened that one of the inhabitants, who is a tradesman of property in the village, has taken umbrage at some of the proceedings, or persons of those who compose the vestry, which he displays by creating disturbances at their meetings, which have become so unpleasant, that the clergyman and many of the most respectable members have withdrawn themselves from that regular attendance which they were in the habit of giving. If this continues, the worst con- sequences must result from it. There are no able-bodied labourers who receive parish relief except in cases of sickness, and some small occasional assistance which is given during winter to such as are getting advanced in life. There is a good understanding among the occupiers, who keep the labourers themselves, their wives and children, in constant employment. A sort of agreement exists among them, that each shall employ a certain number of men, according to the extent of their occupations : this agreement is not very scrupulously adhered to ; but although some do not employ so many as they have en- gaged to do, yet such of their neighbours as are in a condition to employ more than the number allotted to them contrive among Vestry — Facility of obtaining Relief, 147 them to find work for such labourers as would otherwise fall on the parish for support. This parish was formerly included in the incorporation of the hundreds of Loes and Wilford, which was dissolved about six years ago, and being then deprived of a workhouse, they have not found it expedient to build one for their own use. There are several cottages belonging to the parish, which are given rent free to old and infirm people ; and for those who cannot be accom- modated in this way, lodgings are provided, or board and washing is found for them. No complaints reached my ear in this parish of superabundant labour or deficient capital. The vigilant management which has been established is to some extent accounted for by the active part taken by one of the inhabitants, who, having been very for- ward in bringing about the disincorporation of the hundred, has exerted himself to prove that the workhouse system has no effect in lightening the burthen of the poor-rate, or in bettering the condition of the lower orders. This man possesses energy and judgment, and, by his influence with his neighbours, the affairs of the parish are conducted advantageously to the rate-payers and beneficially for the poor. Within the last two years the expenditure on the poor has in- creased. This is accounted for by the typhus fever having carried off a great number of people, which not only occasioned a great immediate expense, but has left many widows and orphan children chargeable to the parish, who will continue a burthen for some years to come. Before this load is removed, another similar casual affliction may occur and prevent its being diminished, or it may even add to its weight. Even when the ruinous practice of giving relief to the able-bodied from the parish funds is avoided, by the rate-payers keeping them in employment, the most exten- sive evils arise from the certainty of support which the poor-laws afford, when sickness or old age come on. The dependence which all have on that provision does away with the necessity of providing by their own industry and management for a season of calamity, and the parish is exposed to demands which can neither be foreseen nor prevented. LITTLE LIVERMERE, BLACKBOURNE HUNDRED. Population, 1831, 185. Expenditure on Poor, 1829, 209Z. 10s. This parish is the property of one gentleman, and is farmed by one tenant, who concentrates in himself all the powers of vestry, churchwarden, and overseer. L 2 148 Mr. H. Stuart's Report — Suffolk — Little Livermere. The sj^stem of bread-allowance prevails in all the surrounding parishes, which, at the present price of flour, gives to a man, his wife, and four children, 10^. a w'eek, and l^". Gd. a head for every child beyond that number. When the wages of a man do not come up to the statement, as it is called in this district, it is made up by the parisli. When Mr. Rodwell, who is the present occupier of this parish, came into possession about five years ago, he sent for the labourers for the purpose of coming to terms with them ; but they declared it was immaterial to them what w^ages he al- lowed, as they would be made up by the statement. He, how- ever, gave them to understand, that he would not deal with them in that way, and offered them such wages as he considered just, and promised to keep them, their wives and children, in constant employment. This caused great dissatisfaction for some time, and there were constant threats held out against him, and appeals made to the magistrates, from w'hom many verbal messages were received, but to which no regard was paid, as work was always to be had. For the purpose of keeping the women and children in employment, as much work as possible is done by manual labour, and they are kept as constantly engaged as the men. When wheat is to be dibbled, or such work is to be done as re- quires a number of hands, it is let at so much an acre to one man, on condition of his employing as many children belonging to the parish as may be sent to him. In more severe labour, which can be done by men, the use of horses and carts is avoided as much as possible. The soil being light, claying is required, and the clay is removed by wheelbarrows. This is hard work, but being let by the yard, good wages can be earned at it ; and men who have complained of the severity of the employment, on being offered lighter work at day's wages, have refused it. From this system of constant employment a man with sev^eral children earns large w^eekly wages. Mr. Rodwell allowed me to extract from his book of accounts the sum earned in one week (in the month of May, when employment is not easily obtained) by a man and his three boys, which amounted to 1/. 2s. Qtd. In answer to the queries of the Commissioners, Mr. Rodwell has stated that an average workman will earn in the year about 35/. at task-work, and 30/. at day-work, and that his wife and four children, of the ages specified in the queries, can earn 2s. 4d. a week, summer and w^inter, weather permitting. He further states that the family can subsist on these earnings, and describes the food. In reply to the question whether it can lay by any- thing, he says, " A careful man, with an industrious wife, could, and if they were not confident of parish relief, loould, make provi- Inveteracy ofPaifper Habits. 149 sion against sickness and old age." Mr. Rodwell has a thorough knowledge of the whole economy of rural life, and his opinion can be relied upon. He describes^ that although only five years have elapsed since all allowance to able-bodied men has been discontinued^ he can perceive an improvement in the g-eneral character and condition of his labourers. Where bread- allowance exists to the greatest extent, the income of the labourer is larger, by the amount of the parish allowance, than the wages earned by Mr Rodwell's labourers — their comforts are fewer, and their character is miserably degraded. The only case in which I was able to ascertain the total income of a labourer, in the re- ceipt of bread-allowance, was in the parish of Whatfield, by the kindness of the Rev. Frederick Calvert, the rector, whose atten- tion has been attracted to the evils of the system by the extent to which it exists around him, and I beg to state it here. A labourer in that parish, with a family of five children, received in — Wages from 1st June, 1830, to 1st June, 1831 . i?33 6 10 From the parish, from Easter, 1830, to Easter, 1831 . 24 4 £57 10 10 The wages noted here are merely those received from one mas- ter, for whom he usually worked. It is considered more than probable that he had opportunities of earning money, when pro- fessedly unemployed, of which he availed himself, and also that his wii'e and family derived the usual advantages from gleaning. The man is considered to be an excellent workman, but he is withal a worthless and profligate fellow ; he, however, does not greatly differ from the general character of the labourers in the parish, where the abuse of bread- allowance prevails to an enor- mous extent. When Mr. Calvert first came to reside in What- field he was desirous to try to make at least one family respect- able and independent, and engaged as a baliff a man with a large family, of whose character he had received a favourable report, to whom he gave, comparatively speaking, very high wages, with the understanding that he was no longer to consider himself a pauper. Still it was found that he was not quite satisfied with- out obtaining the permission of his master to go to the parish for assistance in the payment of his rent — which permission was re- fused, Mr. Calvert was greviously disappointed when he found that the yearly receipts of the pauper must have exceeded that of his bailiff by about 15/., which, as he justly remarked, was a premium on profligacy and idleness, which made his theory of re- warding good conduct and industry perfectly ridiculous. Although Mr. Rodwell's character is well known to those about 150 Mr. H. Stuarfs Report — Suffolk — Little Livermere. him, yet the habit of relying on the parish for the supply of every want is so firmly fixed, that he is constantly exposed to the most extravagant applications, which it requires the most per- severing firmness to resist. A young man belonging to his parish and in his employment married, and for some months lived with his wife's relations, but some disagreement having taken place, he and his wife where immediately turned out of doors. They both came to Mr. Rodwell, as the overseer, at a late hour in the evening, and required to have a house provided for them. On being informed that an overseer was only obliged to find work, the man took a different view of the law, and expressed his deter- mination not to quit the house till lodgings were found for him. Both he and his wife were instantly removed by force. Next day the ejected party complained to the magistrates, and brought an open note from them, recommending that a home should be found for him, which, when presented, was thrown into the fire. As the man slept in an adjoining parish, he threatened to absent himself from work for the purpose of making himself chargeable. He was immediately offered work, but refused it, and after a week's absence applied again to the magistrates, who, having probably heard of the reception the open note had met with, gave him a sealed expostulatory letter to the overseer, which produced no more eflfect than the open note. Finding that the overseer was inexorable, the man at last returned to his work, and found lodg- ings for himself. All this happened within the month preceding my visit to the parish, and I had the opportunity of seeing such of the documentary evidence relating to the transaction as then remained in existence. Although this mode of dealing is not likely to attract settle- ments, yet it is thought necessary to use the utmost vigilance to keep them off. Mr. Rodwell hires his domestic servants only for fifty-one weeks, for the purpose of preventing a settlement by a year's service. This has sometimes occasioned him inconvenience; for, where the servant has suited him, and he has expected his return, the man has taken some whim during his days of emanci- pation, and engaged himself to another master. The landlord's seat being within the parish, settlements are frequently acquired by persons living in his service. As, however, nothing is given out of the parish to a person who is able to work, those who require relief are obliged to earn it by their labour within the parish. The butlers and grooms are in this way generally got rid of within a week, as relief is invariably administered to them in the shape of task-work. It might be expected that, where no parish allowance is made to married men on account of children, a check would be given Bly thing Incorporation — Management of Poor House. 151 to early marriages — but that is not the case, for the certainty of provision in sickness and old age renders it quite unnecessary to enter into any prudential consideration before entering into the state of matrimony. The united ages of a couple who were mar- ried in this parish within the last few months were thirty- four years. Even in this parish, where so vigilant a management prevails under such advantageous circumstances, there is a considerable expenditure on the poor, although the population is so small ; and it cannot be otherwise till, by a perseverance for a course of years, the out-settlements are reduced in number, and relief is confined to those who live within the parish. INCORPORATED HUNDRED OF BLYTHING. The forty-six parishes of which this hundred consists are incor- porated for the management of the poor. The incorporation does not take any charge of the relief given to able-bodied men out of employment, nor of the expenses incurred in the maintenance of bastard children, beyond receiving such as may be sent into the house of industry. The government of the incorporation is vested in twenty-four directors and twenty-four guardians. The directors are landed proprietors and magistrates, and are elected for life ; the guardians are elected periodically, and the qualification for the office is being assessed at not less than 60/. A committee, consisting of two directors and two guardians, who serve in rotation, meets every Monday at the House of Industry, for the purpose of ordering relief; and a quarterly general meeting assembles to control the whole management. The establishment of the House of Industry consists of a go- vernor, a matron, and a visiting guardian, whose duty it is to su- perintend the farm, and to take a general charge of the provi- sions and other necessaries which are purchased for the house. There are, besides, a chaplain, a schoolmistress, a clerk, and a house-surgeon. All paupers admitted into the house are dressed in the clothes of the incorporation, and their own are laid by and are returned to them when they are discharged. Unmarried males and females, whether grown up or children, are kept separate; but married persons are permitted to sleep together, a separate apartment being allotted to each couple. No spirituous liquors are allowed ; but smoking is permitted in the yard. The disobedient and refractory are punished, by order of the Committee, by solitary confinement or a dimi- nution of diet ; and, in aggravated cases, they are handed over 152 Mr. H. StuarV s Rejoort — Bly thing Incorporation, Suffolk. to the magistrates, to be dealt with according to law. A room is set apart for receiving visitors ; but the inmates are only allowed to go to it by the special permission of the governor, ex- cept in cases of sickness, when the visitors are permitted, under proper regulations, to go into the wards to see their friends. No one is allowed to go out of the house without leave. To the aged people, who conduct themselves well, more liberty is allowed. There are fifty acres of land, which are cultiv.^.ted by the in- mates, and the produce is applied to the use of the house. The employment within doors is spinning hemp, knitting, weaving, shoemaking, and other occupations, by which every one who is capable of work is kept in constant activity. The produce of this labour is consumed in the house ; and some articles, such as sacks and coarse linen, are sold. The profits of the manufacture, which are not charged with the labour employed in it, amount to 100/. or to 150/. a j^ear. There is a school for the children, in which they are instructed in reading, and the girls are taught to knit and sew. The diet of the inmates is regulated according to their age. To all persons who are above fifty-five years of age, and children under thirteen, meat is allowed twice a week, and to the old a daily quantity of beer. Tiiose who are under fifty-five have meat only once a week, and no beer. The number of inmates, when I visited the house, was- — 106 njen, of whom 69 were over 55 years. 101 women, of whom 55 were over 55 years. oo ^"i^' ! of whom 60 were under 4 years. 88 girls, J '' 431 The weekly expense per head, for the year ending Lady- day, 1832, was— For maintenance and clothing . . 2, 5» >J » » 19 s. d. 3 7 17 9 17 1 8 2 14 6 11 6 7 10 4 19 2 the ' y< 160 ilfr. C. P. Villiers' Report — Stratford-vpon-Avon. In this year a select vestry was estabHshed, and a paid over- seer appointed. The vestry elected a permanent chairman ; a governor and matron were appointed to the workhouse ; and, in cases of orders made by the magistrates in opposition to the judg- ment of the vestry, relief was only given in the house. The meetings of the vestry have been weekly, and the attendance of the members and chairman peculiarly regular. The result of their vigilance will be seen by the following statement : — POOR RATES. £. Year ending at Lady-dav, 1821 . , . 1047 „ ' 1822 . . 1420 1823 . . .1155 „ „ „ 1824 . . 1043 18-25 . . . 1026 „ „ „ 1826 . . 1035 1827 . , . 1000 1828 . . 1046 1829 . . .911 An increase of the rates observed in tlie returns for the years 1830 and 1831 was attributed by the chairman to unusual sick- ness and distress, occasioned by a typhus fever. There has not been any charge of cruelty or oppression against the select vestry or the overseer. In this borough, a paid officer of police was appointed in the year 1820, whose services are found extremely -useful. The labourers bore a good character-: there were riots in the neighbourhood^ but not a man from this borough was suspected. Population 3488. This borough is the only place in the division not subject to the jurisdiction of the county magistrates, and the only one where it is said the rate-payers are not dissatisfied. As illustrative of the mode in which the poor-law is admi- nistered in this division, a case was mentioned of a magistrate reproaching an overseer, the father of the witness, for his folly in not relieving a worthless fellow, who had summoned him, as, from the nature of his character, he might fire his stacks ! As illustrating the opinion which prevails of the mode of dispensing relief in this division, my attention was requested to an applica- tion being then made to an overseer of one parish. The ap- plicant, a strong, able man, aged thirty, who had walked from Birmingham in the morning, stated the times to be so hard that he could not live — he wanted some assistance from the parish. On being asked as to his intentions if this were granted, he ex- pressed his desire to become a " green-grocer." On being further Worcestershire — Vestry — Bastardy — Cottage Rates. 161 questioned as to his views if it was refused, he stated the necessity- he should be under of coming entirely upon the parish, and bringing his mother with him. The accommodation was refused, on the ground of its having been discovered, two days only before, that his mother, who had been receiving 7s. a week for the whole year from the parish, had an elder son, who had a good house, a coal- wharf, and several men in his employ at Birmingham. WORCESTERSHIRE. OLD SWINFORD. This parish is managed by a select vestry. The governor of the workhouse receives a salary and is required to pay the poor. The attendance of the vestry is extremely irregular. I'he accounts were in great confusion, the workhouse was in a filthy state, and little order or discipline maintained. There had been a case of affiliation by one of the inmates on the day upon which the house was inspected. A debt of 700/. was then due from putative fathers ; sixty-seven bastards were on the books ; one woman had borne seven, and had received pay for each. The parish itself was in debt to the amount of 500/., the residue of a debt of 1100/. The rates are not collected from between two and three hun- dred cottages, which belong to the manufacturers, who stop the rent out of the wages of their men who occupy them. A gentleman in this neighbourhood had lent the overseer, who had not the means of paying the poor, between three and four hundred pounds, to prevent his distraining upon these cottages, as the occupiers then would have thrown themselves entirely upon the parish. Rents are also occasionally paid, to prevent this. It has been the practice here to relieve men with families, with- out inquiring into the amount of their earnings, and not to refuse relief unless they were shown to exceed 25s. a week. The people are chiefly engaged in the manufacture of nails. A large family is considered to be a source of profit. Women object to marry till they are pregnant. If the trade is good, there is em- ployment for women and children ; if bad, they are supported by the parish. The trade not having of late been good, a man had deserted his family, consisting of a wife and nine children ; the place of his resort was known, but it was considered better eco- M 162 Mr. C, P. Villiers's Report. — Kidderminster. nomy not to bring him home and punish him, as the parish would, in either case, have to support the family. The character of a large portion of these people is noto- rious in the neighbourhood, and it appeared that no person^ either vestryman or county magistrate, would venture to take an active part in the control of the parish. The annual expenditure for the poor in the parish, from what could be collected from the books, and from otlier evidence, must amount to, if not exceed, 2000/. The condition of the people is said to be deteriorating. Annual value of the property in 1815 . . £5514 Population in 1801, 3766 ; in 1831, 6490. KIDDERMINSTER. The mode in which the affairs of this populous parish are ad- ministered will best appear by the following extracts from a re- port drawn up and published by a committee, appointed by a vestry, to enquire into the management of the poor and the ex- penditure of the money raised for their relief, dated Gth April, 1832 :— *^ The Committee attended at the pay-table at the poor-house several successive weeks, and the result of their observation was a discovery of various instances of imposition : — first, pensioners re- ceiving 3^. Qid. a 'week, to whom the overseer had thought it right to refuse relief, subsequently received, by virtue of an order of ma-r gistrates, 2^-. 6c/. a week from the parish, making, with their pen- sions, 6.y. a week ; whilst to paupers, in like circumstances as to age, health, and number of family, the total amount of weekly relief was only 3*. Q)d. ; secondly, instances occurred of relief intended for a family having been given to the head of it — one, two, and, in one case, three members of that family applied for relief them- selves, at different times of the same day, and obtained i t;, thirdly, persons representing themselves as having no employr ment, when on inquiry they had full employment at that time. **The Committee next directed their attention to the hooka and accounts. The year fixed upon was from that ending Lady- day, 1830, to that ending Lady-day, 1831. It appeared that the whole property rated for the relief of the poor consisted of 2826 houses, whilst 525 only paid rates ; the remaining 2301, which ought to have produced a sum not less than 2383/., had in fact paid nothing ; that thereby one-third of the value of the property rateable is exempted, to the manifest injury of those jDcrsons upon whom a grievous burden is made to fall : and further, upon Extensive Mismanagement of Poor-house. 163 careful comparison of the assessment upon different productive properties, it appears that such properties are unequally assessed. " The committee next examined into the management of the poor-house, and were here struck with an allowance made to pau- pers in the house of twenty-five per cent, upon their earnings, thereby, with their food and clothing, placing them in a better situation than the independent poor ; moreover, the earnings of paupers were not regularly accounted for : that land, which had been purchased some years since by the parish, contiguous to the house, had been cultivated by the plough and the expense of team-hire, instead of the spade, notwithstanding the difficulty of finding employment for paupers ; that private advantage had been derived by the governess of the workhouse by keeping fowls and making carpets; that a practice, which appeared of long standing, prevailed, of paupers disposing of portions of their food, in order to spend the money at the ale-house ; that the expense per head in the house was 36". \d., not including the produce of the land, and after deducting their earnings and various items sold; that the weekly relief to paupers in the parish was £3128/. 13.?. 9s. a week former winters ; allow the same when he cannot get work as a fisher ; pay his rent as usual. Dixon, one of the overseers, mentioned to me the case of a young man, seventeen or eighteen years of age, who is wholly de- pendent on the parish. When farm-work can be found for him he has his food for sole wages. Two young men have been sent for a calendar month to the House of Correction for refusing to go to work upon the roads ; 6d a day is the wages allowed for that description of work : 1^. a day is generally given to old men. The house-row mode of labour is habitually practised ; and a * Since the above statements were written, the promised returns have been made from Hurworth, and generally go to confirm the facts which 1 have mentioned— in particular, the speculations in houses by tradesmen and others. N 2 180 Mr. Wilsmis Report.— Effect of Public Charities. gentleman with whom I conversed has sometimes had men em- ployed on his grounds receiving 1^. a day from him, and perhaps another from the parish. At the time, he said, he considered himself relieving the parish by this proceeding, but should not repeat it now, being convinced of its illegality. To the greater part of the matter of the foregoing pages, I have been favoured with the following instructive, and in some degree encouraging contrast, in the shape of a letter from Mr. Little, of Stanhope, a populous and extensive parish in the lead -mining district of Durham. In the returns already received by the Com- mission from that gentleman occur the following remarkable ex- pressions : — •' It may seem harsh to say that I fear great harm is done to the labourer by the public contributions from the rich. The free school, the lying-in-hospiial, the soup-kitchen, the distribution' of grain, &c., in times of scarcity, and many other similar institu- tions, all tend to make the labourer look to others, and feel no anxiety to save for such emergencies. These public charities create the necessity they relieve, but they do not relieve all the necessity they created He adds, with a true dignity of character which almost guaran- tees soundness of judgment: — "I have for twenty-five years had the management of several hundreds of labourers, and during that period have attentively observed their habits, yor ickich observation I had the 'peculiar, advantage of having been one myself till I was twenty years of age^ It is chiefly to Mr. Little, who is an agent of the Lead Com- pany, that are owing the exemplary parochial reforms introduced, within the last ten years, in the parish of Stanhope. The following letter was wTitten in reply to my request for further details on several points which had come under discussion in conversation between myself and the writer ; — Stanhope, 28th Jan. 1833. My dear Sir, Yours of the 25tli came to hand yesterday, and I hasten to meet your wishes in the best manner I am able. The resohitions of the Select Vestry, having reference to the relief of able-bodied labourers, are as follows : — '' Q)th April, 1830. — No relief shall be given in aid of wages ; but whenever a person shall have constant employment, he shall maintain himself and his family upon his wages, whatever they may be. When, however, sickness, old age, or other infirmity shall render him unable to perform full work^ a small assistance Durham — Improved Management. 181 may be given as casual relief; and also where his wages are proved to be very low, and some extraordinary sickness prevails in his family. " No reb'ef shall be given to pay any rent or debt, nor (except in case of sickness) so long as the person asking it shall have any property, cattle, or furniture, beyond what is absolutely necessary in a poor man's house. " The letting of the workhouse shall be so managed as to en- sure that/?/// and constant work be provided for all its inmates, and that they be compelled to work." You will perceive, that upon the management of the workhouse must depend our power of acting on the other resolutions. It is let at l^". \0d. per person per week, with a salary to the master of lO^*. per week, and he has all the earnings of the paupers. With this stimulant, he takes care to have at all times plenty of work — quarrying, draining, breaking stones for roads, &c. &c. ; and any pauper refusing to work as much as he is able is sent to the tread-mill as idle and disorderly. An indolent labourer (and they are always the first in want) comes with his family, on the vestry refusing him relief, and in- stead of finding himself relieved from labour, is compelled to work harder than before, and he soon applies to the vestry for a few shillings to go and seek work ; and on obtaining it, by the parish aiding in the removal of his family, they get rid of him altogether; and the lesson is not lost upon others, who would have come in like manner had he seemed comfortable. I will mention a case which has occurred since you were here. A young man, named Lowes, (who never liked hard work, as I well know, having once employed him,) with his wife and two children, had gone to work at the collieries, and after a short trial was removed from hence to Middleton (Teesdale) on the plea of ill- health. He was kept by that township for several weeks doing nothing, though no one could perceive that he ailed anything, when they discovered that he belonged to this parish, and removed him accordingly to us. The fellow instantly went back to his former employment at the collieries, and we have heard no more of his illness. Query, who were his best friends — those who would have kept him a pauper for life, or those who compelled him to exert his powers and support himself and family ? The opinion I so strongly expressed to you upon the propriety of throwing the able-bodied labourer upon his own resources has been formed by observation of a great number of similar cases. From the accounts shown to you it would be apparent, that we do not neglect the means of supporting our present paupers 182 Mr. Wilson* s Report. — Durham — Pauperism spreading. cheaply. But this is with us a secondary object, — the prime one being to prevent others from becoming so. Pauperism we con- sider nearly as infectious as small-pox, and without constant vigilance it would soon overspread the whole parish. I state fearlessly that even our north-country labourers do not, as a whole, perform more than three-fifths of the work they might, without detriment to their health. And the great object should be to encourage them to exert their full powers. This cannot be done directly by the legislature, but it should boldly sweep away everything having an opposite tendency; all pay- ments for doing nothing — all interference with the application of wages — everything calculated to make them depend upon any person but their immediate employer ; and on the other hand by facilities for enclosing commons, making rail-roads, and other public works, endeavour to increase the sources of beneficial em- ployment. I assume it as certain that no man will work hard without the hope of thereby bettering his circumstances, and also that without such hope there is no hold upon the labouring classes. I may in proof refer to the apparently anomalous circumstance, that the Irish labourer without poor laws, and the labourer of the south of England under a lax administration of them, seem to be nearly in the same moral condition, which I ascribe to the want of the all-moving stimulus of hope. They are so situated that neither can look to improve their condition by any exertion or good con- duct of their own ; and becoming reckless and degraded in feeling, they give a loose to their appetites and passions without thinking of consequences. Hence, indolence, habits of dissipation^ impro- vident marriage, turbulence and crime — everything, in short, which leads to misery and pauperism. The greatest boon the Commissioners can bestow upon this and the adjoining lead-mining parishes, is to recommend that a residence oifive or seven years (the person not being a pauper) should supersede all the present modes of obtaining settlements. At present, in these parishes, the labourers remaining are mostly employed on rather better wages, and the poor's rate is not increasing : but I fear that the demand for men at the collieries in the eastern part of this county has ceased, and that many of our labourers will be returned upon us in the spring. What is then to be done I cannot understand. In the mines they cannot be employed, and the land is unable to maintain them in idleness. I see thousands of acres around me totally barren, which might be converted into excellent pasture, and the land now in culture is capable of being made twice as productive. But the difficulty is to. get the superfluous labour applied to such improvements. Messrs, Pilkington' s Report. — Good and bad Management, 183 With the spirt of industry and independence which so generally pervades our workmen, I will not, however^ despair. It is a much harder task to create such spirit where it has unhappily been extinguished. I am, my dear Sir, truly yours, Joseph Little. XII. Report from H. Pilkington, Esq,, and R. Pilkington, Esq., Assistant Commissioners, cm Leicestershire and Der- byshire. My Lords AND Gentlemen, . In compliance with your request, that a selection should be made of a few -parishes most strikingly exhibiting circum- stances connected with the administration of the poor-laws, within the districts which we have jointly examined, we beg to notice the following : Leicestershire, Hinckley and Loughbo- rough ; Derbyshire, St. Werburgh, in the town of Derby, and Shardlow. fn making this selection it is intended to illustrate, by the pa- rishes taken from the Leicestershire report, the effect of the worst administration of the poor-laws in full operation. By that of St. Werburgh, in Derby, a parish is intended to be shown " that has been bad and is improved/' or the counterac- tions produced by better principles and management. By the comparative stafement of a few points of the parish of Chesterfield with tHe same points in that of St. Werburgh, it is proposed to mark the different results where only ordinary care is opposed to the ever-sprjn^ing evil. Having no striking instance to adduce of an improved parish relapsing in any marked degree, we would only beg to observe that the occasional fluctuations in many have appeared to us to be in exact proportion to the relaxation of the antagonist muscle, or as the principle of non-admission of any right of dependence whatever on other than individual exertion is adhered to or de- parted from. The parish of Shardlow is given, as instancing the power of supporting a better principle through the means of an effective workhouse system. We are, my Lords and Gentlemen, Your very obedient, very humble servants, Henry Pilkington, Redmond Pilkington. Kensington, Jan. 10, 1833. 184 Messrs. Pilkington's Report. — Leicestershire. LEICESTERSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE, Size HINCKLEY, LEICESTERSHIRE. 1801. Population, 1811. 1821. 1831. 5070. 6058. 5835. 6468. Manufacturing and Agricultural. . . 3500 acres. 1 Population , £. ites, 1829 . . . 3009 1830-31 . . • 4107 1831-32 . . . 4127 6491. 5. d. 4 4 5 From the accounts exhibited by the overseers, it appears that the rates amount to nearly 15^. a head on the whole population; that they increased 1000/. on a comparison of the year 1829 with that ending 25th March, 1830 ; and that they continue to increase annually. The following cases, taken without selection, will point out the weight of the poor's rate in this parish : — Mr. Preston, on 155 acres, paid . . £165 5 Mr. Bonner 60 „ . . 60 Mr. Sanson 70 „ . . . 108 15 Mr. Cheeklaiid 36 „ . . 42 7 6 Mark Blakeman 100 „ , . , 60 This evidence was obtained from the small proprietors and farmers, who sought us, desirous of pointing out the present state of the parish, and expressed it to be their opinion that the poor's rates were likely to continue to increase. In addition to the poor's rates, there are county, highway, and composition rates, — the three last making together a serious addition. Likewise tithes, which the proprietors and farmers said " hinder us making the best use we can of the small capital which remains to us." There are from twelve to fifteen ten-penny rates made in the year for the poor — seldom less than thirteen — and about two for the church and county-rates. The land is generally valued at about one-half the rack-rent, in some instances at two-thirds, and in some near the town at about one-third. The houses generally at one -third. Hinckley — Deeply Pauperized State. 185 In 1829 there were 1160 occupied houses in Hinckley, and 90 empty ones ; since that time the number has increased. Of these only 406 paid rates ; and consequently there were 763 which did not pay : they, however, in consequence of the local Act, are now charged ; these houses belong to both landowners and tradesmen,^ but the greater part to tradesmen. The proprietors and non-proprietors in this parish are changing places, the proprietors doing little more than holding their land for the benefit of others, as the poor's rates, in many instances, consume three-fourths of the rent of the lands. On the general distress of the agricultural part of the country, very many farmers, among whom were all those above mentioned, stated that there could be but one opinion. Their capital had been long declining, and total ruin must ensue, not only to farmers but to landlords themselves, unless Government should take their case into con- sideration, and that speedily, and make an alteration in the poor- laws. The wages of the manufacturing people were necessarily so low, that from the most laborious exertions they could hardly procure a subsistence; between 6*. and 7s. being the extreme weekly earnings of an industrious man ; and he must work 14 hours a day to get that sum. Mr. May, a master manufacturer, stated that he had known the time when a stockinger could earn 1/. per week ; they had only one sort of manufacture — the " plain frame." Mr. May gave us the following scale of the possible earnings of a manufacturer and his family : — s. d, Man, if industrious and steady, working from 14 to 16K ^ hours a day ..... j Woman sometimes as much as a man ; but then she must be a very good hand, and either have no children or household affairs to attend to, or entirely neglect them. Children, 8 years of age, per week . . Gd. to 9 „ 11 „ „ . . . 10 „ 14 ,, » . . . .26 The above wages are calculated as clear earnings, independent of the outgoings — as rent of frame, winding, &c. We found that the following might be something near a statis- tical account of the population of the parish of Hinckley: — T> 1 *• r^mJMales 3109 Population . 649l|p^^^^^^ 33^^ 186 Messrs. Pilkington^ s Report. — Leicestershire. MALES. Labourers employed in agriculture . , 97 Agricultural labourers not employed . 21 Occupiers of land employing labourers . , 32 Males employed in manufacture . . 692 ,5 „ retail trade . , . 367 Labourers in trade . . . , 120 Other males differently employed . . . 116 Wholesale merchants and capitalists, and profes- sional persons . , . , 57 Male children of all ages, and manufacturers out of employ ...... 1607 3109 Of this population there were 420 able-bodied persons re- ■ceiving relief ; 360 were regular, and 60 casual . A short time since 1000 persons were receiving relief. The payment of rents for the paupers amounts to 10/. a week — 520/. a year. The relief for bastards has amounted of late to 150/. a year. The amount recovered from the putative fathers does little more than meet the expense attendant upon the recovery. The com- mon allowance is 1*. &d. a week. The relief given in the workhouse is confined to the aged, infirm, and childnen: the inmates at present amount to 85. Aged and infirm men . , 35 „ „ women . .20 C 1 f^^^g'^^ from infancy to eleven years< ,-. The expense of maintaining in the house is 2^. 6c?. per head for food alone. There is but little work given to the inmates of the poor-house. The manufacture of hosiery had been tried, but had been almost entirely abandoned, owing to the loss which had accrued to the parish. The overseers themselves were manufac- turers df hosieVy, and may have disliked the competition with their private interests, which arose from the goods made in the workhouse entering the same market with their own. Hinckley suffers severely by the settlement-laws, in conse- quence of the number of boys who, when trade is brisk, come in from the neighbouring villages to be hired as apprentices. Matiy of the adjacent villages are thus getting rid of their own surplus population, and are not paying more, some not so much, as 2s. 6d. in the pound. The parish accounts are very irregularly kept, and it was very Vestry — Magisterial Interference — Incendiarism. 187 difficult to obtain them. The overseers keep the accounts in private books, and frequently omit to transfer them to the parish books. There is an assistant overseer ; a select vestry of 21 members; also churchwardens and overseers. Two overseers are elected annually. They do not act at the same time, but for separate por- tions of the year ; and as the office is never held more than one year by the same individual, the overseers generally leave office even before they become acquainted with the business. The overseer collects the rates, and the assistant overseer distributes the allowance to the out-poor, and visits them at their houses to ascertain their wants. Of the magistrates great complaint was made. By injudicious conduct towards idle, imposing paupers, they have greatly in- creased both the amount of pauperism and the feeling in the paupers of their right to aid from the parish funds. The magis- trates very seldom know the paupers, and yet, on application for relief, they are in the habit of sending them with a recommenda- tory letter to the vestry. Experience has shown that it is very dangerous to resist these recommendatory letters. Mr. Atkins, a hosier and overseer, refused to comply with the recommendatory letter of a magistrate ; the mob assembled, and threatened to pull down his house if the order was not obeyed. In case of any tumultous rising, the town would be entirely at the mercy of the mob. There is no resident magistrate ; there are only two constables, and they are not at all qualified to be of any service ; the five headboroughs would not act during any dan- ger : the only reliance in case of any real tumult, therefore, would be on such military as might happen to be quartered in the neighbourhood. When we asked some of the rate-payers whether they had any knowledge of the causes of the incendiary fires which had taken place in the neighbourhood, they made very little reply ; indeed they seemed to shun the question. One of them said, " It would not be over safe to have all we have talked about to-day men- tioned in open air," We observed at several other places a simi- lar disinclination to speak on this subject. It was generally stated by all with whom we conversed, that " they could expect no relief but from an alteration, not only in the laws relating to the poor, but in the mode and spirit in which those laws are to be administered ; and that if one or more magis- trates with a salary were appointed by Government, with a good and effectual police under them, who should have the entire superintendence of the poor-laws, such a measure would be of the greatest benefit, and do more to repress the daily increasing 188 Messrs. PilMngtoris Report. — Leicestershire. spirit of pauperism than all their own combined efforts put together, situated as they were between two fires, — the magis- trates on one side, and the poor on the other." LOUGHBOROUGH. Mr. Mott, one of the overseers of this parish, told us that he considered pauperism to be increasing. He said, poor infirm people often get relief who have children of their own able to take care of them. Relief is continually given to able-bodied men without their being set to work ; and the knowledge which the paupers have that the magistrates will order them relief makes hundreds apply who otherwise would make a shift to provide for themselves. Mr. Cartwright, another overseer, said, a workman has very little incentive to work, because, by going to the magis- trates, he can do much better for himself, as they will order him from the parish much more than he can make by his earnings. The magistrates, Mr. Cartwright observed, continually grant re- lief after it has been judged right by the overseers to refuse it. He further remarked, '* The only shield which the overseers have against the magistrates is threatening to take the pauper into the house." The magistrates are not particular about character, as in the instance stated to usof William Orford, who, having been flogged in the market-place for theft, upon applying for relief, stating that he was only earning 4^. 2d. per week, had been refused by the over- seers; this man, upon applying to the magistrates, received an order to the overseers to make up the difference to him, between 4^. 2c?. and 6^. 6c?. Mr. Cartwright also stated, that they have now an obstinate reprobate on the parish of the name of Charles Chester, who a short time back was in possession of three cows and 60/. in money, which had been left to him. He soon spent all, and has now come upon the parish for relief, and sets them all at defiance : he has even, as he himself declares, *' to spite the parish," by in- creasing their burthens, married a woman from another parish. Mr. Mott said, *' In case of a bad character applying, we do as well as we can with him : we generally threaten to take him into the parish-house, or the man and the magistrates together would beat the parish." " Was it not for fear of the magistrates," he added, " we should much oftener refuse relief than we do : some rascals quite beat us. A fellow of the name of Lockwood mar- ried a very worthy woman of this parish. He has five children by her, whom with his wife he refuses to maintain. We have sent him to Leicester gaol for the last three months, but he still re- fuses;" solely from the reliance he has that by the aid of magis- terial interference he shall beat the overseers. Scale — Gross Cases of Bastardy, 189 The magistrates' scale of allowance is, — s. d. For a man , , . . . 3 „ woman . . . . , „ children under eight „ children eij^ht and under fifteen „ children fifteen and above . 2 1 . 1 2 2 4 Bastardy cases, Mr. Creswell stated, were very numerous — they had sixty-two on the list at present. Magistrates order 1^. &d. They have several aggravated cases. Three sisters of the name of Dalby, all with child by one man, and he a married man, were passed from another parish, in which they resided, to this, which was their settlement : all had 1^. (Sd. allowed to them by the ma- gistrates. Two of the sisters again with child by the same man : these two have been sent to the house of correction. Mary White has had eight bastards by six different men : now married, and receives \s. 6d. for her last child : for former children has re- ceived for two at a time. Total expense of bastards for the last year, as follows : — 1st quarter . , 2d „ ... 3d „ ... 4th „ . . . Recovered from fathers To this loss should be added the expenses of recovering from runaway fathers, which are always considerable. ST. WERBURGH, DERBY. A JUDICIOUS alteration in the management of this parish seems alone to have counteracted the evil tendency or natural opera- tion of the existing laws and usages. Its history is this. From the year 1821 to 1826 the average assessment was 3500/. per annum; from 1826 to 1831 the average has been 1800/. The population in 1821 was 5317 ; in 1831 it had increased to 6341 ; thus exhibiting decreasing rates with an increasing popu- lation. It was in 1826 that Mr. Mozley was appointed overseer. He found it under the management, or rather mismanagement, of a general vestry, the chief evils of which were in operation, namely. £. s. d. 56 6 2 54 3 62 9 4 53 8 10 226 7 4 152 74 7 4 190 Messrs. Pilkingtons Report, — Derby. the defencelessness of overseers on appeals to the borough magis- trates; the indifference or inattention of all to the concerns of the parish, the whole mapagengent b.eing pommitted to the over- seers for the time being ; the influence or representation of any, or every, respectable tradesman causing numbers to be placed on the poor-book, each providing in this way, without apparent ex- pense to himself, for some favourite or dependent. Under these circumstances, the above gentleman was induced to exert himself in order to procure its being placed under Mr. Sturges Bourne's Select Vestry Act ; which after much difficulty he effected, being opposed alike by the borough magistrates and the poor themselves ■ — the former jealous of the control being thus taken in some measure out of their hands, and the latter disliking the interfering of a select vestry with their appeals to the magistrates. He found a long list of pensioners in various parts of the kingdom, to whom, through the overseers of the different parishes in which they resided, very considerable sums were annually paid, and many of whom, as may be supposed, were very improper characters to receive it. He wrote immediately to all the over- seers to inform them, that after a certain time no further payments would be allowed on their account, .but that if any paupers in those several places could not subsist without parish relief, they must come and seek it in the .workhouse of their own parish — " nine-tenths of these he never heard of again." He appointed a new governor and matron of the workhouse ; also an intelligent assistant overseer, choosing a stranger to the town, with conse- quently neither friends to Serve nor acquaintance to favour. This person, Mr. Moody, was also soon after appointed overseer of the roads, having thereby not only a better opportunity of giving employment, but being a judge of the quantity of work to be expected from ordinary labour. The plea of inability to perform such quantity as, paid by the piece, would procure to the labourer the magistrates' allowance, was not available : if such quantity were not done, he paid them accordingly ; and if appeal were made to the magistrates, he ordered the complainant into the workhouse. On examining the workhouse, and seeing its incomplete condi- tion, and inconvenient arrangement for the proper accomplish- ment of the purposes required, and knowing at the same time the advantage to which it had been instrumental, we could not but be struck with the superior importance of the principle which guides the management than the perfection of the means. The relief of the impotent and the repression of pauperism was the double object to be attained ; the different effect, therefore, of the same circumstances on the proper and the improper inmates of a workhouse were deemed most important to be kept m view. Salutary Effect of Workhouse System. 91 1 The order, regularity, cleanliness, and confinement (for none were allowed to go out without an order) which are indifferent to the one, are insupportably irksome to the other ; such regulations therfore were minutely framed, and rigidly exacted : and it was found accordingly that what in fact contributed to the well-being and comfort of the former, the latter were quickly induced to fly from ; and such, it was remarked, seldom returned ; and although stating, before they entered, their inability to find work, were, soon after quitting the workhouse, observed to be employed. In the latter case, it was presumed, they sought for employment ; in the former not. The parish allowance of diet was alone permitted ; and no pre- sents of tea, sugar, or tobacco suffered to be made. Relief out of the house was considered objectionable in prin- ciple, and resisted as much as possible, and only given on strict investigation. On relief being ordered by the magistrates, the whole family were in preference sometimes taken into the work- house, the moral effect being deemed of more importance than the increased expenditure. A, getting relief at his home, B in- evitably demands it ; but A, going into the workhouse, deters B from the application : it is the difference of using either end of the magnet. An instance was adduced by Mr. Mozley of an order, on appeal, for 2>s. 6d. per week being made by the magis- trates — the family were ordered into the house, and on their refusal no allowance was made : the magistrates, surprised at such conduct, inquired if such sum were considered too large. Mr. Mozley's answer was, ^^he found no fault with the sum but the principle." The silk- throwster, in whose employ the family had been, and who was displeased at the conduct pursued, confessed soon after, that the family were doing very well with- out parish-pay; indeed, that they were more comfortable and respectable than before : their dependence was gone — except upon themselves. All relief to able-bodied men in the employment of others was refused : the overseer employed them wholly or not at all, pay- ing by the piece. The workhouse children even were not allowed to be employed at the mills, but at the same wages as the more respectable poor (those not claiming relief) would accept for their children : the effect of a contrary practice was thus instanced. A poor person, not on the parish, offered her child to work — '' At what wages ?" inquired the employer ; " 2s. per week." ''2s. ! ! why I give but 16". 6d. to that girl, both older and bigger" — the older girl was a pauper. The consequence of the withdrawal of pauper children from the mills was thus stated by Mr. Mozley : " for every 5s. thus lost by the parish treble the sum was gained 192 Messrs. Pilkingtoris Report. — Derby, by sustaining the wages of the respectable poor, and preventing their requiring parish reUef also." No houses were exempted from rates — the landlords being charged in respect of houses of 6/. per annum and under, and who generally, therefore, compounded, paying half the assessment up to 4.1. and two-thirds from 4/. to 6/. ; on these terms the houses were paid for whether occupied or empty. The accounts are now kept correctly, in a simple and intelli- gible form — they are passed half-yearly at a general meeting of the parish, and printed and distributed annually, together with the names of paupers, both regular and casual, stating the relief paid to each — the names likewise were given of those within the work- house. The mothers' names of bastard children were in like manner stated, and those of the fathers who were in arrears with the parish. As illustrating the effects of different management, we beg to place a few points of the above parish in juxtaposition with the same points in another parish, in which reversed results might have been expected. Townshi]) of the Borovgh of Chesterfield, Population, 1S31, 5700. Total assessments in the years 1831 and 1832, 2645/. Resolved not to act under Sturges Bourne^s Act. Relief given to able-bodied with- out work. No employment for able-bodied men. A commodious workhouse. Paupers only employed in sweep- ing the streets and running errands. Poor ill the workhouse, October, 1832, 30. Out-poor, October, 1832, 149. Rates not collected in the year ending Lady-day, 1832, 113/. 9s. iS7. Werburgh^s Parish^ In the Borough of Derby, Population, 1831, 6349. Average of five years' assessment, 1800/. Adopted Sturges Bourne's Act. No relief given to able-bodied without work. Employment found for the able- bodied, who are paid by the piece. Inconvenient workhouse. Paupers not allowed to go out but by special order. Poor in the workhouse, October, 1832, 42. Out-poor, October, 1832, 88. No houses exempted from rates. Landlords charged for houses of 6/. and under. Shardlow — Workhouse Management under Gilbert's Act. 193 SHARDLOW. The following account of the parish of Shardlow we beg to offer, as illustrating the effect of workhouse management administered by houses of industry under Gilbert's Act. It is taken principally from the examination of Mr. Dowles, the governor of the House of Industry, and also from a corre- spondence with which we were favoured by one of the visitors of the house. The origin of the house in question was thus stated by the governor : — "The relief ordered by the magistrates being according to a certain scale, the paupers used to set the parish at defiance. It was a case of this kind that first set on foot the establishment in 1812. A man of the name of Roberts, of Shardlow, with seven children, had o)ie pound per week ordered by the magistrates, against the sense and representation of the parish. Finding them- selves without remedy, the parishioners, assisted by a gentleman of the name of Flack, took advantage of the Act 22d Geo. 111. (Gilbert's Act), and associating with four other parishes, built this House of Industry, whereby, if they cannot make a bargain with the pauper, to accept such relief as they think right beneath the magistrate's allowance, they avoid the necessary compliance therewith, on the appeal of the pauper, by offering to receive him into the house, and providing work for him therein." An instance of the effect of such offer occurred a short time ago. A woman, Mary Savage, complained that she was ill, and totally unable to do anything for herself; she accordingly kept her daughter at home, as she said, to nurse her, and demanded 6^. a week of the parish, on account of the unavoidable loss of such sum, being the weekly earnings of the daughter. The parish refused ; the magistrates ordered it on her appeal : the offer of the house was then made ; this was dechned, however — and the following morning the mother was washing at her door, and the daughter was gone out again to work. Previous to the establishment of this house the average rates of the parish of Shardlow were 570/. ; since that period they have been reduced full one-third. In the year ending 1832 they were 344/. 2.^ The population in 1811 was seven hundred and fifty ; in 1831, one thousand and ninety -one. Forty-two parishes have since joined the association. Spondon, the last (1830) associated, saved 292/. lO^-. 6(/., the price of their admission, in the first year, being one-half of their previous assessment. o 194 Messrs. Pilkington's Report — Derbyshire. Sutton Bonnington joined in 1816; its rates were then 690?. ; they have since fluctuated between that sum and 400/., giving an average annual reduction of 150/. The comparison of this parish with the neighbouring one of Kegworth, in Leicestershire, not incorporated, is thus made in a letter addressed by the governor of the house to the overseers of the parish of Matlock : — '' They are similar, or nearly so, in extent, population, and employment, both agricultural and manu- facturing; w^hile the rates of the former have decreased, those of the latter parish, which, prior to the date above mentioned (1816), w^ere less than those of Sutton, have been progressively increasing, and at this present time are nearly double the amount." Though intended as a house of industry, the old, and those unable to work, are admitted upon sufferance, the rooms not being otherwise engaged ; and such, indeed, at the time of our visit, formed one-half of the occupants. The number of inmates at that time were ninety, — accommodation can be afforded for one hundred and fifty. The employments provided are manufacturing hemp, grinding corn, framework stockings, making list shoes, whip-cord, wind- ing cotton, list carpeting, running lace, seaming and sewing, working in the house and kitchen. Work twelve hours, including meals. By the governor's returns it appears that the able-bodied, last year, earned their subsistence, within a fraction. The sexes are kept apart — except that husbands and wives are allowed to sleep together when rooms are at liberty. None are allow^ed to go out without express permission of the governor. The food is good and abundant ; expense 2s. 6cl. a head per week. We close this account with an extract from a letter with which we were favoured from one of the visitors : — " I w41l take the liberty of observing, that from the experience I have had since 1 was appointed visitor, the good effects of our system is shown in the general moral improvement in the habits of the poor connected with us. They know that, if wasteful and improvident of their means, they will in the end be driven into the house : they dislike it, as being separated from their con- nexions, as a place of restraint, and where, after all, they must work as much as if they did so of their own accord at their own homes." Mr, Moylaris Report — Suggestions. 195 XIII. Report from D. C. Moylan, Esq., Assistant Commissioner on Staffordshire. My Lords and Gentlemen^ In compliance with your request, I transmit a very short ac- count of two parishes in my district, which appear to me the most remarkable. In Wolverhampton the increase of the poor's-rate m ten years appears to have been nearly one hundred per cent ; and yet it is, in my opinion, difficult to find fault with the management, or to attribute the increase to any cause within the power of individuals to mitigate. In Tamworth, too, the increase is great; but there I did not find the same care as in Wolverhampton in keeping the parish accounts ; nor has it the advantage, like Wolverhampton, of the superintendence of a select vestry, and intelligent overseers. So far, then, these cases are different ; but after all, I am compelled to say, that the diffierence between the best and the worst management is of comparatively shght moment. The evil, which is admitted on all hands to be great and growing, must be met, not by local palliatives, but some general and vigorous im- provement of the whole system throughout England. No one can quarrel with the principle of so much of the 43d of Elizabeth — " relieving the lame, impotent, old, blind." Assist this good law by a simple and general law of settlement, which will at once put an end to perjury and litigation, with its enormous expenses, and take care that the administrative part of the system be committed to a more judicious selection of over- seers, chosen from a more intelligent and better-educated class, and freed from the control of the just ces of peace. I would make the overseer a superior officer, and unite other duties with those which at present devolve upon him — the superintendence of the high-roads in each district, for instance,^ or the regulation of the police. And if ever it shall be deemed advisable to pro- ceed with a Bill once laid on the table of the House of Commons by the present Lord Chancellor, for '' affording to the people of this realm the means of having their suits tried as speedily and as near to their own homes as may be for the avoidance of expense, vexation, and delay," I do not see why such an officer as is here recommended may not be found capable of fulfilling part at least of the duties of this local court. I subjoin the cases to which I have already alluded, giving it as my opinion, that almost all the abuses arise from the want of a proper law of settlement, and from intrusting the administrative o 2 196 Mr. Moylan's Report — Staffordshire. part of the system to the hands of the ignorant and the needy, freed, too, as they are from all real responsibility, — the control of tlie magistrates being in general, when not mischievous, wholly inefficient. I am, my Lords and Gentlemen, Your very obedient servant, Lincoln's Inn, Old Square, D. C. Moylan. Jan. 11. The parish of Wolverhampton is divided for the maintenance and support of the poor into the several townships of Wolver- hampton, Willenhall, Bilston, and Wednesfield. Of these, the principal is Wolverhampton, which contains 24,732 inhabitants ; value of real property, as assessed in 18 1 5^ was 33,000/. Since 1824, w4ien the poor's-rate amounted to 3637/.J, it has gradually increased to the sum of 5773/., the amount expe)ided by the over- seers for relief of the poor in the year ending 25th of March, 1832. In the current year it is also on the increase. 7'he overseers estimate the probable amount up to next Lady-day at 6000/., be- sides 1000/. granted out of these funds to the Board of Health. With every advantage calculated to keep in check the porten- tous evil, it is extending itself here. With a select vestry, regu- larly and efficiently attended, with a workhouse well conducted, and on the most economical terms consistent with the well-being of the inmates ;' with overseers, all men of high character and active habits, and amongst them one of the principal iron-masters of tile town, whose habits of business, joined with a willing devo- tion of his time to the concerns of his public office, fit him to detect any error in the management of the poor ; with two intelli- gent salaried assistant overseers ; with a perfect system of keep- ing tlie parish books, — the evils of pauperism and poor's-rate are increasing in Wolverhampton to an alarming extent ! Tuesday in every week is pay-day for the out-poor ; and at half-past six in the morning I found the overseers at their work. It occupied them till near tw^o o'clock. Upwards of 300 per- sons received relief. Tickets are given to paupers, and the amount paid at the workhouse every Tuesday to the bearer. Although in particular cases this may be unavoidable, it appears to me as a general custom liable to much objection. Indeed, I founds afterwards on inquiry, that it enables the pauper often to anticipate his allowance, and raise money upon the ticket. In many cases it is lodged w^ith the immediate landlord (where there is sub-letting), as security for the tenant's rent. The overseers, in answer to my inquiry as to their giving relief by way of loan, stated that, often when they feel a disposition to Beer Houses, 197 do so, they are restrained by this consideration. It appears that persons to whom they had on former occasions extended relief in this shape exposed themselves, in their endeavours to turn it to account, to the penalties awarded by the Hawker's and Pedlar's Act (50th Geo. III. c. 41). They even assured me, that they (the overseers) had actually, in more than one instance, to pay out of the parish funds the penalty thus incurred by paupers who had been relieved by way of loan. It may not be improper here to notice what appears to me a defect in the sec. of the 59th Geo. III., which authorises relief by way of loan. I cannot imagine the reason for limiting the power of overseers in extending relief in this shape to such persons only as are most unworthy of it. Why exclude from this benefit the poor man, who, by unavoidable misfortune, and not his own fault, has become an object of charity ? The words of the Act are, — " Whenever it shall appear to the overseers, to whom application is made for relief for any poor person, that he might, but for his extravagance, neglect, or wilful misconduct, have been able to maintain himself, &c., it shall be lawful for the overseers, &c. to advance money, weekly or otherwise, to the person so applying, by way of loan only, and to take his receipt for, and engagement to pay every sum so advanced," &c. — sec. 29. The power of relieving by way of loan is therefore, in most parishes, a dead letter. The overseer generally has discernment enough to appreciate the security which the law directs him to require for his advances, viz. — the simple receipt of this man of " wilful misconduct.'" Amongst those whom I had an opportunity of consulting in Wolverhampton, there is, I think, a general feeling in favour of throwing the rate upon the landlords in the case of tenements under 6/. ; and I had pointed out to me an illustration of the im- policy of the law in limiting the power of vestries to houses of 6/. rent. An immense number of small houses, occupied by poor labourers, are let at the rate of 5/. \2s. 11 Jd On another point I found the same coincidence of opinion — I mean the effects of the New Beer Bill on the working classes. It is not, perhaps, in a large town like Wolverhampton that these effects are most appalling. They are, in their worst form, found no doubt in small towns and villages, where this pernicious Bill (11 Geo. IV. and 1 Will. IV. c. 64) has caused unspeakable misery and pauperism. In Wolverhampton, too, it has multi- plied the allurements which always before led those classes, least able to resist temptation, to squander their savings in such a way ; and surely no arguments of financial expediency should weigh against these results ! 198 Mr, Moylan^s Report — Staffordshire, In the adjoining township of Bilston, forming part of the parish of Wolverhampton, there is a select vestry and assistant overseer, who is also governor of the workhouse. The annual value of this township, in 1815^ was 15,634/. The population in 1821 was 12,000 And in 1831 14,500 The amount of poor's-rate in 1829 was £1,554 in 1830 2,145 „ in 1831 2,532 And in the year ending 25th last March 2,914 A very considerable increase is likely to take place this year, owing, no doubt, in some measure, to the fearful pestilence with which this town has been lately visited. TAMWORTH. The parish of Tamworth, which, for other purposes, comprises several surrounding townships and hamlets, is confined, with regard to the support of the poor, to the town, exclusive even of the Castle Liberty. It contains a population (in 1831) of 3537 persons. The population in 1821 was 3574. Showing a falling off in the number of inhabitants of 37 persons. In the same period the poor's-rate has increased : In 1821 it was under . . £1,000 In 1829 „ . . 1,200 It had increased in the year ending the 25th March, 1832, to 1600/. And it is expected to exhibit this year a still further increase. The gradual increase in the amount of poor's-rate during the last few years in Tamworth may, perhaps, be thus accounted for. It appears to have been formerly the practice for the great manu- facturers of this neighbourhood to take apprentices for seven years, securing them thereby a settlement in the parish. When the period of apprenticeship expired, these were replaced by more youthful hands, who in their turn made room for others, and thus multitudes of children from London and other places were brought and settled in Tamworth. These individuals are now constantly returning from Nottingham and Lancashire to Tamworth as their place of legal settlement, and it is likely for some years longer to be subject to this burden. Besides the numbers who are now employed in the neigh- Tamworth — Management of Parish — Accounts. 199 bouring manufactories of Bonchill, Fazeley, &c., all have their lodgings in Tamworth. The unfairness of conferring settlement hy residence is here seen. Can there be any mode so unobjectionable as by birth ? The surrounding hamlets are not taxed in the same proportion as Tamworth. The labourers and artisans who give the benefit of their daily labour to those hamlets lodge in Tamworth ; and in sickness become chargeable there. The only workhouse in the district is at Tamworth. The sur- rounding hamlets contribute to the support of one in the distant parish of Roselston. The master of the workhouse is also assistant overseer and vestry-clerk ; and to the duties of these offices he adds those of police constable for the borough. Up to the present year, it had been the practice to afford relief in aid of wages, but it is now, as I was informed, discon- tinued ; though from what I could collect of the feeling of the overseers, it is by no means unlikely to be resumed before the winter passes. The overseers appear to have no better reason for its discontinuance than that no case has yet occured for its exercise. Nothing, I thing, strikes one more than the unfitness of the men who (particularly in small places) fill the responsible office of overseer. From the temporary nature of the appointment, it would, indeed, be difficult for them to acquire a sufficient knowledge of their duties ; to say nothing of the unreasonable- ness of expecting from men engaged in their own concerns such a devotion of their time, without remuneration, as would qualify them for the discharge of those duties. It necessarily follows, that the assistant overseer is often left in the exclusive management of the poor, and almost unlimited control of the parish funds. There being no select vestry the parishioners of Tamworth appear to give themselves little trouble in examining or auditing the accounts. In answer to my inquiries upon this point, I was assured, in general terms, that they had always given satisfac- flQyi^ — tJiat he who runs may read, — and though the accounts are not published — they are always accessible to such as may require to see them. The workhouse is an excellent and commodious one, in a dry and healthy situation, large enough to accommodate the aged and impotent paupers of the entire parish, if the various town- ships were consolidated. 200 Mr. Moylans Report — Staffordshire, At present there are only 27 inmates : — 4 Males from 48 to 70 years of age. 9 Females 28 to 70 6 Girls 1 to 15 8 Boys 4 to 10 They have separate sleeping apartments. I found it impos- sible to learn the expense per head. There appears to be no separate entry in the books, for each pauper, to show the date of his admission or departure. Indeed, the mode of keeping the accounts generally requires revision, and shows the want of some efficient superintending authorit}^ There were formerly several benefit societies and sick clubs at Tamworth. By bad management, and in some cases dis- honest}^ the funds were dissipated, and the institutions dissolved. Time must elapse, and the tales of distress related to me be for- gotten, before anything like confidence in such societies can be restored. One upon Mr. Becher's excellent plan was established here lately, and liberally encouraged by the neighbouring gentry ; yet it does not prosper. Only 14 became subscribers at its foundation in February last, 6 in March, 3 in April, 5 in May, 1 in June, 1 in July, 2 in August, and none since. But there is a stronger and more deplorable cause for this apathy in the working classes. The English peasant no longer looks on parish relief as a degradation : such a feeling is extinct ; and there is no moi'e terrible effect of the poor-law system than a general change like this in the national spirit. It does not appear that this parish has of late years spent much in litigation arising out of the poor-laws. But the hard- ship is felt of being obliged, in case of an appeal, to send officers and witnesses to Stafford, or to Warwick, 29 miles off. This often induces officers to submit to an order which they believe to be illegal. The question of reform in the composition and jurisdiction of inferior courts here, of course, suggests itself; but I shall reserve for my general report the remarks I have to offer upon this sub- ject. It is one that can never be lost sight of in framing an amendment of the poor-law system. Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. 201 XIV. Report from E. Chadwick, Esq., on London and Berkshire. My Lords and Gentlemen, In the course of my inquiries into the practical operation of the poor-laws in the metropoUs, some points occurred which induced me to avail myself of the opportunity of visiting one of the agricultural counties, for the purpose of investigating different modes of administration, and their effects, in the agricultural parishes and in those of less populous towns, and of comparino- them with similar operations in some of the larger parishes in London. The cases of parishes which I have selected, in obe- dience to your request, I believe to be instances of the common operation of the poor-laws in the districts which I have visited. I visited other parishes on the reputation that they were under peculiar management. Mr. Milman and Mr. Winkworth had sent in answers to your queries ; but I went to the parishes to which the evidence chiefly refers, and took the examinations of the other witnesses without selection or previous information with relation to them : excepting that, at Windsor, a magistrate of that town, to whom I had applied in the first instance, referred me to the assistant overseer, as the person the best qualified to give me information ; but stated, that he thought I should find nothing of peculiar importance in the parochial management. The gentlemen to whom I first applied, at Reading, were not aware that any one parish within the district was deserving of attention more than another, if at all ; and I went to the workhouses on the chance of obtaining information. I consider the testimony of the two first witnesses (Mr. Hodges and Mr. Winkworth) to be exemplificative of the usual management of the out-door poor. The testimony of the governors of the workhouses at Reading exhibits the state in w^hich I most frequently found the in-door paupers of the smaller town parishes; though I have not met with a more striking in- stance of the profusion, ignorance, or wanton levity with which the parochial business is conducted than was apparent at St. Law- rence parish. Where the allowance to the paupers in the work- house was less, as in most of the agricultural parishes, the condition of the independent labourers, as compared with the general condition of the paupers, appeared to be much the same. I have not attempted to arrange the selection in any geogra- phical order ; as the evidence given by several of the witnesses examined in the metropolis related to other districts where they had also become conversant with the administration of the poor-laws ; and as I have added proofs and illustrations obtained 262 Mr. ChadwicTcs Report— ^London and Berkshire. from disconnected sources. Although the selection I have made consists chiefly of fragments, serving to show the character of the mass of evidence collected, it is much longer than I desired to make it ; but I trust that it will not appear disproportionate to the importance of the districts visited, when it is considered that the metropolis comprehends one- eleventh part of the population, and pays nearly one-seventh of the total amount of rates raised for the relief of the poor in Great Britain. I have the honour to be, My Lords and Gentlemen, Your very obedient and very humble servant, Edwin Chadwick. London, Jan, 24, 1833. Evidence of Mr. Charles Hodges, Assistant Overseer to the Parish of Windsor. "The parochial affairs of this town are managed by a committee of twelve inhabitants, and by the parish officers. As the assistant overseer, I receive a salary of 100/. When a poor person applies for permanent relief, I inquire into the circumstances of the case, and report to the committee. Casualties are relieved by ' the overseer in pay.' There are four overseers, and they each take it in turn, for three months, to pay all the parochial demands. Casual relief is seldom given without consulting me. Every shilling or sixpence of casual relief spent is now entered into a book, and the account is examined and passed weekly. I think it requisite, as a security, that all accounts, consisting of nume- rous items for small sums, should be examined at short periods. This practice has been adopted with us about two years, and has teen productive of considerable saving. This saving has been accomplished, partly by looking after the accounts, and partly by looking closely after the objects relieved. The practice of making short settlements, and rendering the accounts of each item to the board, is very serviceable to the latter object, inasmuch as gentle- men at the board frequently contribute useful information on the inspection of these items. If the accounts were for long periods, and the items very numerous, they would not be so frequently examined. In summer quarters, the average casual relief may be about 11. weekly ; in winter, it may be double that amount." " We have no labour to give our paupers but work on the roads. They work from six o'clock in the morning in summer until five in the afternoon, and in the winter from seven until four. To single men a shilling a day is given. To married men with two children we give \s. 6o?. a day; to men with larger families Comparative Condition of a Pauper and a Labourer, 203 we give 2s. a day. About twelve men, with large families, have their rents paid by the parish. Generally I expect, when we are informed of an application for relief from a large family of eight or nine children, that two or three of those children are grown up and capable of work. Provisions are, I think, somewhat dearer here than in the agricultural parishes : the loaf is a penny or a halfpenny dearer here. We do not consider that I2s. a week is more than sufficient in this district to maintain a labour- ing man and his family. Private individuals do not give more here than 126". a week to a day-labourer. No distinction is made by private individuals between married and single men ; they give them the same wages.*' ** Is the parish work here piece-work ? — It is not. *' Then your paupers work less than other day-labourers, do they not ? — Yes ; they work less time. " And within that time do they do as much work ? — No, sir, they want a good deal of looking after : they are always on the look-out for me, or for any overseer. There is a superintendent, but he is in fact a pauper, and he is rather easy with them. '^ How much less time do your parish-labourers work than indus- trious labourers, who maintain themselves ? — About one hour daily, summer and winter. They have also opportunities of pick- ing up a shilling by odd jobs in the town. "^ Then a pauper with a family gets from your parish the same wages as an industrious labourer; they moreover get their rents paid ; they have opportunities of picking up additional shillings, and they work less time, and do less work than the industrious labourer. And they are also relieved from the burthen of looking out for work ? — Yes, - that is the case. Formerly we used to give labourers Is. 6d. per day, but they complained to the magis- trates that it was not enough to support them, and the magistrates recommended that more should be given. The paupers always, when they think they have not enough, run to the magistrates, and this is a check to any strictness on the part of the overseprs. *' What is there to prevent the industrious and independent labourers who have large families throwing themselves on the parish, and placing themselves in the more advantageous situation of paupers ? — Only the sense of degradation. " Is this sense of degradation diminishing ? — It is. " What is the characteristic of the wives of paupers and their families ? — The wives of paupers are dirty, and nasty, and indo- lent ; and the children generally neglected, and dirty, and va- grants, and immoral. " How are the cottages of the independent labourers as com- pared to them ? — ^The wife is a very different person ; she and her 204 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire, children are clean, and her cottage tidy. I have had very exten- sive opportunities of observing the difterence in my visits ; the difference is so striking to me, that in passing along a row of cot- tages I could tell, in nine instances out of ten, which were pau- pers' cottages, and which were the cottages of the independent labourers. '' And what chance do you see of dispauperizing any of the paupers ? — None, with the present generation of them, unless with very severe measures indeed. When a family is once on the parish it is very difficult to get them off. We have cases of three genera- tions of paupers. If the overseers were to adopt severe measures to put a stop to the system, the paupers would run with piteous tales to the magistrate, who orders the relief and censures the overseer. If overseers are strict, their conduct is also censured by the local newspapers. Tradesmen in these places will not make themselves martyrs. *' What do you think of the expediency of withdrawing all appeal to the magistrates? — I think it would be advantageous to give the final decision in all applications for relief to the committee for the management of the poor-rates. The thing desirable is, to remove the responsibility from individual overseers. If the deci- sion were with the committee they w^ould be a satisfactory check to any undue rigour on the part of individuals, and would at the same time know more of the merits of each case, and of the tes- timony, than can -be known by the magistrates. One individual may be indiscreetly severe, but in a board selected from such a town as this, it is impossible that a whole board should sanc- tion it. *' Within your experience, how many overseers have been dis- posed to act with strictness? — In the course of about nine years I have observed about four individuals so disposed out of thirty- four officers*. * Nearly all the permanent parochial officers to whom I have put similar questions have given similar answers, as to the proportion of those who were disposed to act harshly towards applicants for relief. It appeared from the individual instances which they adduced, that nearly all the persons so cha- racterised were men of inferior education, who had risen from the lower stations in society. Sometimes a tradesman, ser\ing the office of overseer, will treat with harshness or neglect applications made to him for relief whilst he is engaged in business ; but from the testimony which I have received, it may be stated as a general rule, applicable to the questions of making the decisions of elective vestries final on applications for parochial relief, that the chances amount almost to certainty, that in boards, com- posed of individuals such as usually serve parochial offices in the towns, there will always be a secure majority for the protection of deserving ap- plicants- This is, indeed, admitted by every one of the few experienced witnesses who have thought magisterial interference necessary for the Disposition of Parish Officers towards the Poor, 205 " Have you refused applicants relief unless they went into the house ? — Yes ; and a large proportion decline going into it, and we get rid of them. '' Are there many charitable ladies in your district ? — Many ladies very charitable indeed, sir. '' Now do these paupers, whose wages and residences you have described, receive, in addition to their other advantages of rent-free cottages, easier work for shorter times than independent labourers, derive advantages from the attentions of charitable ladies ? '' Yes '; the ladies are very charitable to|them, and are cheated on all sides by them, and imposed upon by piteous stories. " How long do you think it will be, under these influences, before all the industrious and independent poor will better them- protection of the poor. The following is an extract from the examination of Mr. Carvill, the assistant overseer of the parish of St. Bride's in the city of London. " I think the present mode of transacting parochial business a great grievance ; and that there should he one magistrate to attend to parochial business. I think there should be a magistrate to appeal to, as parish officers are sometimes disposed to be harsh towards the pauper. How many parish officers have you known as serving since you were in office ? — Twelve. Of that twelve, how many were characterised by undue severity ? — ^Two. What do you consider the general average proportion of men characterised by such a disposition found serving such offices ? — I think about two in twenty ; indeed, I might say, not one in twenty. Were the men to whom you allude men of education, or men who had been raised from the lowest ranks of life ? — They were men comparatively uneducated ; they were the most uneducated. Nineteen out of twenty of the persons chosen as parish officers in the city of London, you would then consider as disposed to deal fairly and humanely to a pauper, whatever might be their interest in getting rid of his claim ? — Yes, I have no doubt whatever of that. And lean to the side of benevolence rather than of undue severity? — Yes. And would pro- tect the fair claim of a pauper ? — Yes. Are you confident of that ? — Yes, I am confident of that. If, then, the final decision of a pauper's claim were left to a board composed of men, nineteenput of twenty of whom are disposed, as you state, to ' lean to the side of benevolence rather than of severity,' and to * protect the fair claim of a pauper,' whatever might be their supposed pecuniary interest in getting rid of that claim, do you think there would be any danger ? — I have not had any experience of the working of a large board of officers." From the testimony I have received in other cases, I am led to believe that in most instances where an overseer who has risen from a lower station in society is " disposed to be harsh towards the pauper," it will be found that this overseer comes to a conclusion more quickly than his brethren, by judging from his own experience what frugality and industry may achieve, or from knowing better what a person of the condition of the pauper might do. This conclusion being usually enunciated without the reasons, and with uncontrolled temper, has the appearance of harshness and cruelty, though it may be substantially just. But be the explanation what it may, the whole evidence which I have received proves that, on all boards indifferently chosen from the middle classes, the deserving applicant will have a " secure majority." 206 Mr» Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. selves by getting large families and becoming paupers ? — I cannot say, sir. *' On a further examination of this witness, as to whether other paupers than those, the rents of whose cottages were paid by the parish, had not demanded similar benefits, — he stated that they had ; and that the complaints from other paupers, ' who did not see why they had not as much bight as others to have their rents paid,' had become so numerous, that the committee had determined that no new applicants should have their rents paid, and that the practice should cease as the present possessors of the privilege died off. " The witness, in answer to further interrogatories, stated : — In Windsor we have often a great number of artisans and labourers brought into the town by the works carried on at the palace. About five years ago we had three or four hundred addi-* tional labourers. In case of sickness, or of improvidence, we had sometimes to remove them to their parish. But, more frequently, the mechanics had clubs, and the parish was greatly relieved by their declaring on their clubs on such occasions. In consequence of a suspicion that Government wanted to get hold of their money, the labourers who had constituted clubs in this town broke them up. We had four clubs — we have now only one, and that will shortly be broken up. I never heard the regulations under the new Act par- ticularly objected to. These clubs were, when in operation, a great relief to the parish, and their dissolution will be a severe misfortune to it. We have a savinors' bank in this town, but I cannot state what is its progress. Mr. Adams, the carpenter, who employs about ten or twelve men, has instituted a fund among his men, who each contribute 2d. a week to provide for casualties. In this way a considerable fund has accumulated, and from this fund casualties have been provided lor, and the parish has at various times been saved serious expenses. Mr. Ramsbottom, the brewer, has made up a fund of this sort, and when a workman is sick he is allowed from this fund the same wages as when he is in health and at work. In this instance, also, the parish has been saved from serious burdens. I think it would be of very material assist- ance to all parishes, if the employers of workmen would patronise trade-clubs of this sort, and take the trouble of them.'* " In this town there are various ancient charities, and we have had instances of people settling in the parish for the purpose of ob" taining a share of the produce of these charities." Means of employing Paupers neglected. 207 Evidence of Mr. William Winkworth, the Overseer of the Parish of St. Marys, Reading, *' In this town great advantages would be derived by a union of the parishes. There would be great gain derived from a union : firsts in obtaining more efficient officers and administrators; next, in systematic and united management ; thirdly, in more econo- mical expenditure ; and, fourthly, in finding things for labour, and in directing the labour of the able-bodied paupers." " The town, for example, wants draining. We have brick- makers and carpenters, and other labourers, on the parishes, re- ceiving relief; and the whole town might be well drained by the labour of these paupers, at the expense of materials only — bricks, wood, mortar, and sand. This, however, is a work which the parishes cannot, or will not, undertake separately : it is prevented by petty jealousies and dissensions, and the want of able officers to direct the work of the paupers. The owners of premises well situated and well drained say, ' Drainage is a benefit to the owners of the property, and we do not see why we should be called upon to contribute money for their benefit.' The owners of the houses where drainage is most wanted say, ' We can get no rents to pay for the work, and the nuisances which are caused by the want of it must therefore continue.' No account is taken of the necessity of finding work of any sort for the able-bodied paupers : nothing can be done with the separate parishes governed by open vestries, no cordial co-operation can be got, and the benefit of considerable labour is lost. As the sur- veyor of the road from this town to Basingstoke, and also of the road from hence to Shillingford, I can state, from my observation of the several parishes (19 in number) through which these roads pass, that very considerable labour might be found, under good direction, in improving their private roads. This is an instance of the sort of work which might frequently be found for paupers. In some of the parishes the roads are kept in very good order, — but this is mere accident : whilst in the immediately adjoining parishes more money will be expended, and the roads will, nevertheless, be in so bad a state, that the parish is indictable for them. The most conspicuous examples of the skill used in one parish rarely produce any imitation in the next parish. The farmers, in general, steadily adhere to their old practices, and never willingly conform to any improvements ; they employ waggons where carts would serve much better ; they throw down on the roads mate- rials totally inapplicable, and think they can mend them with big loose stones, which stones would really be useful, if they were broken up.* 208 Mr. Chadwick^s Report — London and Berkshire. " I have sometimes twelve and sometimes thirty men in my em- ployment as surveyor, but I hav-e no paupers. I will not have them. I cannot trust them. They are so lazy and demoralized, that they cannot be got to do anything without constant goading and superintendence*. They require a superintendent to every half dozen of them. Sometimes one of them is appointed as a superintendent of the others ; but that is of very little use, as it requires some one constantly to superintend the superintendent. Small parishes have no officer who can be employed, nor can they pay any one who can be depended on, to see that the paupers do their work properly. Independent w^orkmen, who have not been demoralized by being admitted on the parish, do not require the same expense of superintendence. *' If several parishes were united, they could afford to pay for some one to direct the labour of the paupers for the whole of them. " If provisions were supplied, and all parochial work were per- formed by contract, excessive waste would be arrested. I think that it is only by the union of parishes, under a select vestry, that proper officers can be obtained, or systematic management be instituted. I am confident that a select vestry would save more * I found that the witnesses in all the parishes, town or country, agreed as to the superior value of non-parishioners as labourers. In examining one witness (Mr. J. W. Cockerell, the assistant overseer of Putney) as to the operation of a birth settlement, and the removal of paupers from his parish to their settlements in the rural parishes, I asked him whether there were not many of the paupers who had applied for relief from his parish, and who had withdrawn their claims when they were told that they would be removed to their parishes in the country? — He stated that many had refused ; and in answer to further questions as to what become of these persons who refused to be removed, he stated (as all the other witnesses, who had the means of observing the subsequent conduct of the applicants, stated) that these paupers remained, and afterwards attained a much better condition than they had ever before attained while they considered that parochial re- sources were available to them on the failure of their own. He cited the cases of nine families who had applied for relief, but had refused it when they were told that they would be removed. Six of these families, he said, had not only been saved from pauperism, but they were now in a better situation than he had ever before known them to be in. In two instances particularly, the withdrawal of dependence on parochial relief had been the means of withdrawing the fathers from the public-houses and beer-shops, and making them steady and good workmen. " Indeed," said he, " it is a common remark amongst the employers of labourers in our parish, that the non- parishioners are worth three or four shillings a week more than the parish- ioners. This is because they have not the poor's-rate to fly to. Tiie em- ployers also remark that the non-parishioners are more civil and obliging than the others." In this parish the usual wages of the single labourer are about 12,9. per week ; and the deterioration of the labourer by the inlluence of the present system of administering the poor-laws may therefore, accord- ing to the witness' statement, be set down as from tive-and-twenty to more than thirty per cent. Other witnesses declare that the deterioration is much more considerable. Parish Work and Private Employment. 209 than one-third of the expense in this district. The obstacles to the union of the parishes here arise chiefly from the wealthy and less burdened parishes, who object to the union on the ground of an apprehended increase of their rates from the greater burdens of the parishes chiefly inhabited by the poor. But I would meet this objection, by allotthig to each parish only its own share of burdens; by allowing each to raise money as they pleased, and only uniting them for the purpose of expenditure. Some conception of the state of the out-door poor in some of the agricultural parishes may be formed from the fact stated by the Rev. Mr. Cherry, of Burghfield, who says: — "The difference between parish work and private work is exemplified by the fact, that in many instances single men in our parish have preferred six shillings a- week for working on the roads or in the gravel- pits, to seven or eight shillings a-week for working for the farmer." Mr. Clift, the assistant-overseer, gave stronger instances ; and stated that he had known instances where the men who received six shillings a-week from the parish, had refused nine shillings a-week from the farmer. The following extracts from the evidence of one of the assistant- overseers of Lambeth parish, and from other officers of the Lon- don parishes, exemplifies the effects of the system in the metro- polis. Mr. Luke Tenther, Assistant- Overseer of St. Mary, Lambeth, "If you could get hard work for your able-bodied out-door poor, so as to make their condition on the whole less eligible than that of the independent labourer, what proportion of those who are now chargeable to the parish do you think would remain so ? — On a rough guess, I do not think that more than one out of five would remain. " Can you state any facts to justify that conclusion ? — Yes ; — the instances of the proportions who have left us on their having had work given them. Some time ago, for instance, we had a lot of granite broken ; there were not above twenty per cent, of the men who began the work who remained to work at all ; there were not above two per cent, who remained the whole of the time during which the work lasted. Many of them, however, were not idle men ; but they found other jobs." Mr. Oldershaw, the vestry-clerk of Islington, states : — " It sometimes costs us more — (the grinding corn by a mill) — thaii the wheat ground ; but then it keeps numbers away, and in that way we save. When it became known that we could not gel P 210 Mr, ChadwicWs Report — London and Berkshire. work for the whole of our able-bodied, we had, in two or three days, one-third more of this class of applicants, and unless w^e had been able to provide work of some sort so as to keep the great body of the able-bodied employed, we should have been inundated with them." With the view of reducing the parochial expenditure of the populous parish of Marylebone, the stone-yard was discontinued, as it was believed to be conducted at a loss, and the able-bodied paupers receiving out-door relief were no longer employed. Soon after this proceeding, the able-bodied applicants for parochial relief increased in such numbers, that it has recently been found necessary to recur to the use of the stone-yard to stem ihe influx. Nine hundred of the applicants for relief were set to work : only eighty-five have continued at work. The average wages were from 10*. to 12s. per week, but some got as much as 18s. In the agricultural parishes I found that, although the circum- stances of an out-door pauper, as to whether he were or not in employment, and his capability for labour, 3vere in general suffi- ciently well known ; and although the mischievous character of demands and allowances of parochial relief to out-door paupers was distinctly perceived by parish officers; yet they made the allowances under fear of personal consequences. In one parish, where the rates had been reduced nearly one half, and the con- dition of the labourers improved by the partial adoption of a more strict system of administration, the progress of improvement was stopped by the farmers, who were paralysed with terror by the acts of incendiarism which prevailed in adjacent parishes. In the metropolis I have found this cause — the fear of violence from the out- door paupers — in direct operation, as an obstacle to retrenchment, in only three or four parishes. In most town parishes the chief causes of profusion are — first, an uncontrollable facility and temptation to fraud, which appears to be unavoidable in the administration of any out-door relief in towns, when not given in the shape of wages for labour ; next, the ignorance of the annual officers ; and often, the operation of interests on their parts at variance with their duties. The frauds committed in consequence of the facilities which the system of granting out- door relief affords, are such as these : — parties receiving rehef as being out of work, when they are in work ; parties who have re- ceived relief in consequence of being actually out of work, conti- nuing to receive relief after they have obtained work ; parties who have received out-door relief in money on account of sickness, conti- nuing to receive that relief after they have recovered ; women receiv- ing relief on the ground that they have been deserted by theii* Frauds of Out'door Paupers* 211 husbands, whilst their husbands are hving with them ; women receiving rehef for themselves and families on the pretence that the husband is absent in search of work, while he is absent in full work ; parties continuing to receive pensions for children or rela- tions, as if they were alive, when they are dead. The following extract from the evidence of an experienced and able parish officer (Mr. Huish, assistant-overseer of St. George's, Southwark) will afford examples : — *'The most injurious portion of the poor-law system is the out- door relief. I do not serve a day without seeing some new mis- chiefs arise from it. In the smaller parishes persons are liable to all sorts of influences. In such a parish as ours, where we administer relief to upwards of two thousand out-door poor, it is utterly impossible to prevent considerable fraud, whatever vigi- lance is exercised. '^^Has the utmost vigilance been tried? — Suppose you go to a man's house as a visitor: — you ask, where is Smith (the pauper) ? You see his wife or his children, who say they do not know where he is, but that they believe he is gone in search of work. How are you to tell, in such a case, whether he is at work or not? It could only be by following him in the morning; and you must do that every day, because he may be in work one day, and not another. Suppose you have a shoe- maker who demands relief of you, and you give it him on his declaring that he is out of work. You visit his place, and you find him in work ; you say to him, as I have said to one of our own paupers, ' Why, Edwards, I thought you said you had no work ?' and he will answer, ' Neither had I any ; and I have only got a little job for the day.' He will also say directly, * I owe for my rent ; I have not paid my chandler- shop score ; I have been summoned, and I expect an execution out against me, and if you stop my relief, I must come home' (that is, he must go into the workhouse). The overseer is immediately frightened by this, and says, ' What a family that man has got ! it will not do to stop his relief.' So that, unless you have a considerable number of men to watch every pauper every day, you are sure to be cheated. Some of the out-door paupers are children, others are women; but, taking one with another, I think it would require one man's whole time to watch every twenty paupers. " Some time ago there was a shoemaker, who had a wife and family of four children, who demanded relief of the parish, and obtained an allowance of 5s. per week. He stated that he worked for Mr. Adderley, the shoemaker, who now lives in the High- street in the Borough. The man stated in applying for relief, that, however he worked, he could earn no more than 135. per p2 212 Mr. ChadwicW s Report — London and Berkshire. week. A respectable washerwoman informed me that the way in which this family lived was such, that she was convinced the man earned enough to support them honestly, without burthening the parish, and that it was a shame for him to receive relief. In con- sequence of this information I objected to the allowance : but one of the overseers, taking up the book, said, ' But here is the account, signed by Mr. Adderley himself; can you doubt so respectable a man ?' Still I was not satisfied ; and I watched the man, and found him going to Mr. Pulbrook's, in Blackfriars Road. When the man quitted the shop, I went in and asked whether the man who had just left worked for them. Mr. Pulbrook stated that he did work for them, and had done so during the last twelve months : that he was one of the best shoemakers who had ever worked for him ; that he earned only about 125. a week, and that he (Mr. Pulbrook) regretted he had not more work for him. The man had left his book, which I bor- rowed. When the man came to the board, I said to him. Do you know Mr. Pulbrook, of Blackfriars Road ? ' Yes, I do very well.' Do you ever work for him ? — ' I have done a job now and then for him.* 1 then asked, whether he had not earned as much as 10s. or i'2s. a week from him. Plis reply was, ' No, never.' I then produced the book between him and Mr. Pulbrook, from which it appeared that he had earned from 10s. to 12s. per week for the time stated. This took him by surprise, antl he had no answer to make. The relief was refused him, and he never came again. I afterwards ascertained that, in addition to the 13^. a week which he earned from Mr. Adderley, and the l'2s. a week which he earned from Mr. Pulbrook, his wife and himself worked for Mr. Drew, the slopseller, living at Newington Causeway, and earned 7s. a week from him. On the average of the year round they did not earn less than 30s. per week. The man was afterwards spoken to about the loss of the parish allowance, when he said, — * I did not like to lose it : it was a d — d hard case ; it was lii.e a freeliold to me, fur I have had it these seven yeais.' " '' No inspector would have found out such a case except by con- stant watching or favourable accidents. It might be supposed strange that a shoemaker could have earned no more than 12s. a week ; but his answer was, that his bodily infirmities were such, that he could not sit long enough to enable him to earn more than such a sum. This morning, I said to a man of the name of Tay- lor, a tinman, w-ho is receiving 4s. a week, — ' Taylor, how can you come here and waste your time to get your lazy shilling, whilst, if you staid at home, you might earn your honest eighteen-pence, and set your family a good example ?' His reply was, ' I have no work ; I can't earn anything.' I answered, ' Why, every time I pass Frauds of Out-door Paupers, 213 your house, except on relieving days, I always find you hammer- ing/ * Yes, so I may be — penny or twopenny jobs : will you find me work?' I replied, 'that I could not seek pans to mend for him.' He went away with his money. Had I positively challenged this man, the first question with the annual oflicers would have been, * What is your family V ' There are six of us,' it would be replied. 'What a family for a poor man to maintain!* exclaim the overseers ; *let him have the money.' The overseers are in perpetual fear of a man with his wife and family coming into the workhouse. They usually say, in such a case as this, * We pay 4^. per head for their keep in the workhouse : here is six times 4,?. — what a difference this is ! Let us keep them out at all risks.' We have had instances of sawyers leaving their work and paying men to work for them, whilst they came and got relief Within these few days we found out the case of a cabinet- maker named Baylis, working for a Mr. Edwards in Lambeth Walk, and at the same time receiving Qs. 6d, per week from us, under a pretence that he was out of work. In fact, such dis- coveries are perpetual. " Does the practice of obtaining out-door relief extend amongst respectable classes of mechanics, whose work and means of living are tolerably good? — I am every week astonished by seeing per- sons come whom I never thought would have come. The greater number of our out-door paupers are worthless people ; but still the number of decent people who ought to have made provision for themselves, and who come, is very great and increasing. One brings another; one member of a family brings the rest of a family. Thus I find, in two days' relief, the following names : — * John Arundell, a sawyer, aged 55, his son William, aged 22, a wire-drawer : Ann Harris, 58, her husband is in Greenwich Hospital ; her son John and his wife also come separately, so does their son, a lad aged 18, a smith.' Thus we have pauper father, pauper wife, pauper son, and pauper grandchildren frequently applying on the same relief-day. One neighbour brings another. Not long since a very young woman, a widow, named Cope, who is not more than 20 years of age, applied for relief : she had only one child. After she had obtained relief, I had some suspicion that there was something about this young woman not like many others. I spoke to her, and pressed her to tell me the real truth as to how so decent a young woman as herself came to us for relief? She replied that she was 'gored' into it. That was her expression. I asked her what she meant by being gored into it. She stated, that where she was living there were only five cottages, and that the inhabitants of four out of five of these cottages were receiving relief, two from St. Saviour's and two from Newington 214 Mr, ChadwicJe's Report — London and Berkshire. parish. They had told her that she was not worthy of living in the same place unless she obtained relief too. I was completely satisfied of the truth of her statement by inquiry. Her candour induced me to give her 5^., and I offered her a reception in the house for herself and child. The consequence was we never heard any more of her." The most experienced witnesses declare that the only test of the merits of such cases is, by taking them wholly on the parish. The parish officers of St. James's, Westminster, state, that " on one occasion, in the month of November last, upwards of fifty pau- pers were offered admission into the workhouse, in lieu of giving them out-door relief, and that of that number only Jour accepted the offer;" and that since then the same system has been pursued in a number of instances, and attended with a similar result. Mr. John Myles, a very experienced officer, states, that the city parishes are in general very wealthy, and do not make the requisite inquiries. The frauds, too, are of a nature which can- not be detected in the present state of things, except by acci- dent. One mode of working the fraud is by a combination of this sort :-T-^here are three old women, for instance, one residing in Cripplegate, one in St. Sepulchre's, one in Bishopsgate, or in a different part of the town. These three women will lay their heads together, and agree to acknowledge each other as residents, by which they are enabled to obtain relief from several different parishes, by giving a different residence to each parish where they claim relief. Thus, when the officer makes inquiry at the house of the old woman in Bishopsgate, whether Mary Jones, the old woman of Cripplegate, lives there ? the old woman at Bishops- gate says, ' Yes, she does : we live together : she is a worthy creature, and in a very necessitous condition, and has suffered very severely.' The old woman of Cripplegate will go and lodge at times with her friend at Bishopsgate, in order to give a colour to her statement, and make other persons corroborate it ; and so on with the others. By accident, I once detected a man who was an inmate of Lambeth workhouse, and at the same time receiving a pension of ^s. a week from our parish, and 5s. a week from St. John's, Hackney*. I constantly hear of these frauds in the other parishes. Mr. Miller, the assistant-overseer of St. Sepulchre's parish, London, where the rate-receivers now equal in number the rate- payers, :says, with respect to the out- door relief^ " No industry, no inspection, no human skill, will prevent gross impositions under * Since this evidence was given one case has appeared before the public, in which a man defrauded fourteen different parishes in the metropolis. Imposition prevented by offering Relief in Kind. 215 this mode of relief. From the very nature of it there must be an immense deal of fraud. The Rev. Mr. Whately said, in advising parish officers : — " Never flinch at the expense ; you are ruining yourselves by not taking the parties wholly upon the parish, and subjecting them to strict regulations.'' The same gentleman contends that all out-door rehef ought to be given in kind, so long as such a mode of relief is retained. The best effects followed the discontinuance of money allowance in his parish of Cookham, which is now nearly dispauperized*. ST. LAWRENCE, READING. In this parish 1801 ^574l 7061 3170 1811 the No. of ■ Houses • was 703 , inhabited 760l Families, 146271 No. of Ml821 774 ■ by ' 862 f or j3091( Individuals. 1831 780 900j 4048 * He stated, in his evidence, the following case, to serve as an example of the effects of the change of system, in respect to out-door relief by money payments. A man, who went by the name of Webb, was hanged for horse- stealing. He left a widow and several small children. The widow applied to the select vestry for relief the week after his execution. It was suspected that they possessed resources which would enable them to provide for their own wants, without parochial relief; and, in consequence of this suspicion, the vestry ordered them to come to the workhouse three times a week for such relief in kind as was deemed necessary. The woman begged to be allowed the money, or less money than the value of the bread — which was refused. The result was that she never applied, and she never received any relief whatever. "In this case," said he, " as in almost all others, it would have been utterly impossible for the parish officers to have ascertained whether the pauper did or did not possess the suspected resources. Had relief, such as was requested, been readily granted — as it generally would, under the influence of feelings of pity, and from the impulse of a blind benevolence, or from the love of popularity in appearing to yield to the demand for assistance in a case so deeply affecting the sympathies, or from a dread of unpopularity from the imputation of hard-heartedness * towards poor children, who could not be supposed to participate in their father's crime,' or from the love of ease and the want of firmness to refuse — a whole FAMILY would have been placed as paupers, or consumers of the labour of the industrious ; the children of the woman would have been further de- moralized, and rendered as miserable themselves as they would have been worthless and mischievous to others. The course of blind benevolence would have been real cruelty, and the extra indulgence applied for would moreover have been injustice towards the children of the meritorious, to whom the rule was applied without relaxation." All the members of the family are well known to Mr. Whately, in whose parish they reside, and they are in a satisfactory and thriving condition : so that in this case, which will apply to all others, the pauper would have had the relief of the exact kind suitable (i. e. bread, not gin), had it been absolutely necessary ; but as it was un- necessary, was thrown on her own resources. 216 Mr. Chadtvick^s Report — London and Berkshire. The amount of real property in 1815 was 13,051/. The expenditure on the poor was — £. s. d. In 1804 , . . 1444 1815 \ . . 2464 1821 . . . 2859 1830 . . . 2912 The churchwardens of this parish could give me no informa- tion ; but they stated that the governor of the workhouse knew everything about parish affairs, and that he was the only person who could give me full information. I began my inquiries of the governor by asking him what quantity of food he gave to those under his charge ? — " Quantity ! why, a bellyful. We never stint them. I stand by the children myself, and see that they have a bellyful three times a day." " What descriptions of food do you give them ? — Good whole- some victuals as anybody would wish to taste. You shall taste it yourself. We give them all meat three times a week. The working men have a bellyful. We never weigh anything, and there is no stint, so as they do not waste anything. Then they have good table-beer and good ale." " How many paupers have you generally in your workhouse ? —From forty to fifty." " And what is the quantity of meat usually consumed weekly by that number? — Seldom less than 150 pounds of meat." "Do you find them in tobacco or snuff? — No, Sir; but if they get a few pence, or if their friends choose to give it them, we do not debar them from anything, so long as they do not make beasts of themselves." I requested to be shown the house. Everything appeared re- markably cleanly and in good order. He requested my particu- lar attention to the goodness and cleanliness of the sheets and bedding, and the general comfort. He dilated on the quality of the bread, which he showed me. He also gave me some of the table-beer and ale to taste. I must do him the justice to state that it was excellent. The table-beer was such as in the metropolis is called table-ale. But, besides these liquors for the use of the paupers, he produced a third specimen, still superior, of which I tasted. This was a most potent beverage. It was two years old; and he said he generally reserved it for the overseers after the performance of a "dry day's work." The paupers themselves appeared to be very strong and healthy, and the children the most so of any that I had observed in the district. He pointed out to me one pauper, a remarkable hale-looking man, of 63, who had Paupers better off than Labourers — Workhouse, 217 with his wife been on the parish more than 40 years, and in all probability would live more than half that time longer on their charge. The governor, it appeared, had been a farmer many years ago. I asked him — " Do you think the condition of these paupers better or worse than the condition of the agricultural labourers thirty or forty years ago? — A great deal better off than the labourers forty years ago." " Than the agricultural labourers of any class ? — Yes, Sir, I know they are a great deal better off." *' And what is the present condition of the independent la- bourers, as compared with that of the labourers at the time you mention ? — 1 think they are not quite so well off. To be sure, they got less wages, and clothing was dearer : they only got 7s. a week. But then, on the other hand, they only paid Sd. for the gallon loaf. I think they were better off. There are too many labourers now, and labour is more uncertain than it was then." " I may say, then, that not only is the condition of those under your care better, as regards food, clothing, lodging, and comfort, than the labourers who toil out of doors ; but that they are under no uncertainty, and have no anxiety about providing for them- selves ? — Yes, Sir, you may say that. You may say, too, that they are better off than one-half of the rate-payers out of the house. I know the rate-payers ; I know what it is to be a rate- payer; and 1 know that a great many of them are worse off." In the course of my inspection of the workhouse, I observed that the men's rooms were all locked. I inquired the cause of this — That they may not come in and lie down before bed-time. " That is, I suppose, that they may not escape from their work ? " — No, Sir, we have no work here, even for those that might work : it is that they may not come up here and lollop about, and roll about in their beds after dinner, or when they are tired of doing nothing.'* '' How does this sort of life agree with them on their first en- trance ? — Wonderfully well, in general. Sometimes, when they come in very low, and on the brink of starvation, the great change in the way of living is too much for them ; but when they get over the change they go on surprisingly. Their friends, when they have any, come in to see them, and have sometimes been quite surprised at the change, and hardly knew them again, they were looking so well. We had an old woman brought in not long ago : she was so very low and feeble, that you would have thought it impossible she could live long ; but now she is one of the most active women of her age, and will live, I dare say, a great many years more : they will say themselves they never were so well off before. There are some, it is true, who cannot bear even our regu- 218 Mr. Chadwiclcs Report — London and Berkshire. larity, and prefer the dog's life of hunger and liberty ; but in general they never leave us." In answer to my interrogatives, as to the general character of the inmates, he declared that the great majority of them were undeserving characters, who had been reduced to poverty by improvidence or vice. The male and female paupers were separated in the night, but in the day the young girls, and the mothers of bastard children, and all classes, might meet and converse together in the yard. On examining the books containing the list of the out-paupers, I found the management equally characteristic ; out-door paupers having nearly the same amount of wages allowed them without work, that could hav^e been obtained by independent labourers by hard work ; the pauper having, in addition to the money payments, frequent allowances of clothes from the parish, and payments on account of rent, and " other advantages." I made inquiries into the case of the persons by the same name first presented on open- ing the book, when I found them to consist of a pauper family of three generations, the whole of whom received upwards of 100^. per annum from the parish. The parents of the pauper stock were described as remarkably hale old people in the workhouse, who had lived on the parish upwards of 40 years. The father was the man who had been pointed out to me, as an instance of the care taken of the inmates, he having lived so long and so well on the parish. I took down their names in the order which exhibits the genealogy of the living pauper family : — 1 2 Brenn, Pater=BRENN, Mater. 4 5 6 7 8 U John Brkn'V. Fran. Brenn et Uxor. Chas. Brknv. et Uxor. Mary Brbnn— Packkr, I 1 9 ru 11 12 X Brknn, Brbnn. Brenn. Brknn. Brenn. I I I I I I I 1 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 fACKKR. Packer. Packer. Packer. Packer. Packer. Packer. Packer. I asked the governor how this last and most widely- spreading branch arose ? *'That," said he," was one of our overseer's doings. I warned him against it, but he would do it. Brenn's daughter became pregnant by a weaver, named Packer, and the overseer made him marry her; and see what the parish has got by it! — Pauper Pedigree' — Private Charity. 21Q eight more mouths to feed already, and eight more backs to find clothes for." " How many more paupers do you consider the parish may receive from this said stock ? — Two or three score, perhaps," The progenitors lived in the workhouse at an expense of not less than lO^y. per week (the average expense of the inmates, children included, being about 5s. a week each). Charles Brenn, who was an out-parishioner, received 7s. 6d. per week, besides shoes and stockings ; Francis Brenn received 66". 6d. per week ; John Brenn is a mechanic, I believe a weaver, at present resident in London, and had 3.9, a week sent to him, — on what ground except as a patrimonial claim, on what evidence except his own statement that he wanted it, and must return to the parish if it were not sent to him, I was unable to ascertain. Packer, for him» self and family, received 13^. a week of the parish, and '' va- rious other advantages." I inquired with respect to the out-door paupers in general, as well as with respect to this pauper family^ in particular, whether they got no additional " relief" from charita^ ble foundations and benevolent people ? — '^ Yes," said the gover-* nor, " we have a great many benevolent people in this town, and they help. There is always something or other given ; a great deal of coal is given away, and the churchwardens give away linen." He admitted, in answer to further inquiries, that the greatest impositions were practised on the most humane people. One of the paupers had declared to him that he had as many as six shirts at a time given to him by different benevolent people. It was intimated that, as a matter of course, these things went to the pawn-shop for drink. He expressed an opinion that coals were the best commodity to give away — "^as coals cannot be pawned !" On inspecting the accounts of the disbursements, I found that the supplies of meat and various other commodities were pur- chased of different tradesmen. This was done to " give each tradesman a fair advantage," and "that they might have no ground of complaint." For the same reason it was a rule never to buy anything out of the parish. The overseers ar6 mostly small tradesmen. The governor ''could not make it out," but the poor's-rates were increasing : they were 3s. 6d. in the pound the last half year, and a 4s. 6d. rate must be called for, for the next half year, and the parish was already 200/. in debt. — " Something," said he, " must be done." 220 Mr, ChadwicJcs Report — London and BerJcshire, ST. GILES'S, READING. In my visit to this workhouse, I was accompanied by the Rev. Mr. Milman. I stated to the governor of this workhouse that the governor of St. Lawrence's workhouse had declared that the paupers in that house were better taken care of than the paupers in any other parish in the town. " But we. Sir," said the governor of St. Giles's workhouse, '^ give ours one hot-meat dinner a week more than they do in St. Lawrence parish." " And what quantity do you give them at each meal ? — We have never any stint." — On such an examination as I was able to give of the accounts of commodities supplied to the workhouse, I was satisfied that this was the case. The beverage of the paupers was table-beer and ale. Four hogsheads of beer, and about 36 gallons of ale, were brewed in the workhouse from 10 bushels of malt. They had two generations of paupers on the parish. When people were once on the parish, and in the workhouse, it was remarked they never got them off except by death. When the girls who were old enough were got out to service, they frequently went back to the workhouse complain* ing that they were badly treated, — meaning that they had not been so well treated as in the workhouse. These girls, when they returned, were in consequence made to wear a linsey-woolsey gown, and a close cap, which prevented their hair being seen. This it was imagined would operate to deter them from throw- ing themselves so readily out of their places. Their conduct was too frequently wanton and improper. The able-bodied paupers, who were mostly out-paupers, were idle and dissolute, and the parish officers could never manage with pauper labour. The farmers of that parish get work from '^ foreigners," as they could not rely on pauper labour. The house, though not so airy as the workhouse of St. Law- rence's parish, seemed to be regulated much in the same manner. The children were very hale and clean. There appeared to be the proper separation by night, but by day the society in the court-yard was indiscriminate. In the course of my examination of the place, the governor more than once volunteered a repetition of his statement, that they gave one hot dinner a week more than in St. Lawrence's parish. The allowances of money to the out-poor did not appear to be as considerable. There was, he told me, a vast deal of charity in the parish, of which the out-door paupers partook ; fuel, and food, and clothes were given away in great quantities. The pawnshops, he said, were full of the clothes given away by benevolent people. All the labourers in that parish sent to the workhouse for caudle when their wives lay in, and 5s. each was given them on the occa- Comforts of Workhouse Inmates — Consumption. 221 sion. Benevolent people also gave caudle ; and a society in which there were young as well as old ladies, provided the labourers' wives with Unen ; a pair of sheets were given to the woman, and a set of baby linen was provided for the child. One half of the linen was left with the woman for the use of the child, the other half was returned to the society. After some delay I have obtained the following copy of the accounts of the expenditure for the maintenance of 62 paupers in the workhouse of the Parish of St. Giles, during three months : — AN ACCOUNT of Provisions, Clothing, &c., nsed in St. Giles's Workhouse, from 1st of August to 31st October, 1832. Of whom purchased. Mr. Thomas Champion Mr. William Cotterell . Mr. Webb .... Mr. Ferris . . . • Mr. William Champion J > ) > > > a it i } Mr. Wren . Mr. Steward J I > } Mrs. Slaughter . Mfssrs. Philbrick Mr. John Smith Articles. 8 sacks of flour. 7 do. do. 88 lbs. bacon* . 114 ,, beef . . 92 ,, do. . . 2 tons of coal • 81^ lbs bacon , . 2 cwt. 3qr. 201b. cheese 13^ lbs. /ard . , , soap . . , , mus.ard ,, sugar . ,, tea . . ,, ffinger . , , sla?'cA . 1 bushel of salt 2 cwt. 26^ lbs. cheese 204 lbs. beef . . . 211 ,, do 314 , . bacon . . . 2 bushels of salt. 3 lbs. arrow root. 3 ,, sago . . . 322 , , bacon . . . 136 ,, J > ) i ? ) > } per cwt. per lb. , 3 > per bush, per lb. . per sack 15 per bush. 5 per lb. . 6 ,, 2 4 ,, 2 6 Carried forward .105 4 Amount. £. s. 19 4 14 2 15 1 6 8 2 7 2 6 2 12 2 2 7 6 8 1 12 1 1 2 I 6 4 7 1 9 2 11 5 7 U 9 9 3 7 3 5 3 4 15 1 C Q 4 8 2 6 * The articles marked in italics would, under a strict diet, for the able-bodied be deemed superfluities. If teef is consumed by able-bodied town paupers, bac»n cannot be necessary. 222 Mr, Chadwick^s Report — London and Berkshire. Of whom purchased. Articles. Price. Amount. £; s. d. Brought up . . 105 4 Mr. John Smith '. . , 1 lb. ollspice . . . 2? 6d. , , 2 6 ; > i > 56 ,, sugar. . . , 6 ,, 1 8 J J J J 40^,, butler. . . . m >y . 1 15 5 ) y > f 6 dozen candles . . 6 3 per doz.' . 1 17 6 ) } 3 } 1 lb. b/ue 2 per lb. . ' . 2 f y J J 2 cwt. 1 qr, 3 lb. cheese 59 per cwt. . 6 19 7 >> »> 73^ lbs. bacon . . . 7 per lb.. , 2 2 10 > ) } > 83 ,, do 7 ,, 2 8 5 Mr. Henry Johnson , . 142 ,, beef. . . . 6 ., 3 11 } ) > y 63 ,, do H ,, 1 8 10 Messrs. Willats & Bland 54 gallons of beer . 6 per gall. . 1 7 3 » y > 1 barrel do. . . 18 per barrel 18 } > } > 2 do. do. . . 18 ,, 1 16 Mr. John Champion. . 6 sacks of flour . , 44 per sack . 13 4 J J J J 2 do. do. . . 44 ,, 4 8 > > 3 > 1 bushel of bread . 11 4 per bush. 114 Mr. Bannister .... 235 lbs. beef .... 5 pet lb. . 4 17 11 > 5 > > 174 ,, do 5 ,, 3 12 6 Mr. Avres 2 tons of coal . . . 26 per ton . 2 12 Mr. W. Truss .... 1 bushel of bread . 10 8 per bush. 10 8 ) y > J 67^ lbs. of bacon . . 7 per lb.. . 1 19 4 Mr. Pratt CotBn .... 16 Messrs. Letchworth . . Clothes .... 6 16 6 Mr. Durbridge .... 1 bushel of bread . 10 8 per bush. 10 8 Mr. Robinson .... 10 ,, malt . . 9 6 ,, 4 15 > » J » 10 lbs. hops .... 1 8 per lb.. . 16 8 Mr. Holly. ..... 2 tons of coal . . . 27 per ton. . 2 14 1 179 5 8 It may be observed, that in this one bill there are four different tradesmen, Messrs. Webb, Wren, Johnson, and Bannister, who supply " beef," and four different tradesmen, Cotterell, Cham- pion, Steward, and Smith, who supply " bacon," for the con- sumption of the paupers in the workhouse. A similar practice prevails in most of the parishes. The governor of St. Lawrence's workhouse assigned the prevalent reason for this distribution of the custom for the supply of the commodities, i. e., to give such tradesmen a " fair advantage," and to prevent complaints. In some places each tradesman in the parish supplies the goods in his turn. Thus butcher A. supplies the meat this week, and B. the next week, and so on until all the butchers in the parish have had their turn. In nearly every instance I found the commodi- ties supplied unexceptionable, or superior in quality, and the prices what are called " fair :" that is to say, they never exceeded the retail price in the market, and were often somewhat below it. I could not readily ascertain the local market prices of the Sinister Interests in Purchasing Supplies, 223 various commodities consumed in the workhouse I visited, but I have very little doubt that it may be stated generally of the work- houses throughout the country, in all the smaller parishes, that, were the quantities of goods to be allowed to continue as at pre- sent, an enactment, providing that all goods for the workhouse should be supplied by contract, would save from 15 to 20 per cent, (or whatever may be the difference between the retail and the wholesale prices of commodities) of the present expense of maintaining the in-door paupers. In some instances, the parish officers stated, that the supply of goods was by contract ; but 1 generally found that, from the ne- glect of proper publication, the contract was a mere form, as the supplies were usually taken from tradesmen resident in the parish. In one parish, where the supply of bread for the parish was put out to contract, I found that the contract was held jointly by two bakers, who, being the only bakers in the parish, had agreed to divide the supply and settle the prices between them. The examination of this system develops a strong under-current in favour of profuse management and open vestries. A very in- telligent officer of a large parish in Berkshire, where this system was in operation, stated to me in his evidence — "If the legislature provides that the supply of goods for the use of the poor in the workhouse shall be by contract, we shall have a select vestry (meaning an elective vestry), and if we have a select vestry we shall have some reduction of the profusion and mismanagement, and a proportionate check to the increase of pauperism. On the present system, the smaller shopkeepers, who have always under their influence a number of the poorer rate-payers, and those of their own class, can get up a majority to carry anything in the open vestry, and prevent any efficient reform." Very great mischief appears to have been created by the am- biguity of the term " Select Vestry." Where complaints have been made to me of the profusion prevalent in parishes under the government of open vestries, and I have asked of the witnesses whether no attempt has been made to obtain a select vestry — the reply has usually been, that they would by no means resort to a form of government so much worse. I found that they understood the term select vestry to mean not an elective vestry, but a self- elected vestry, of the character of those which have been covered with so much opprobrium in the Metropolis. When the same witnesses have been asked, whether they thought any improve- ment in the administration of their funds would be effected by confiding it to a board elected by the whole of the rate-payers, they have usually stated that that was the very form of manage- 224 Mr. Chadwiclc's Report — London and Berkshire, ment which they thought desirable to control the expenditure of the money. In nearly every instance of the government of parishes by open vestry, I found that practically the government was in the hands of a small body of parishioners ; the numbers attending the vestry being usually a very small minority compared with the entire body of rate-payers; so that the management was, in these so-called open vestries, by a select body, often of the worst description — namely, of those directly or indirectly inter- ested in profuse expenditure. In one instance, where a parish is under the control of an open vestry, or a minority of the smaller rate-payers, it was admitted that the object of the */ clamour and blackguardism'* which prevailed at the public meetings waste drive away the larger rate-payers. But though a crowd or a fluctuating body — t. e. an open vestry — is utterly unfitted for detailed rhanagement, and though a repre- sentative committee or board may be the better instrument for economical management, these bodies are almost equally apt to degenerate into compact combinations of numbers of tradesmen, bound together by mutual local interests. Here and there a few persevering individuals thwart these interests — which can only be withstood by constant exertion and public attention, and by exterior securities. Mr. Richmond, one of the guardians of the poor in St. Luke's parish, Middlesex, stated, that, ""in compliance with our local act, some of the articles of consumption, in the parish, are advertised for in the public papers to be supplied by contract or tender. But there was no such provision for nearly two-thirds of the com- modities supplied. When I came into office it was a recognised principle that the purchase of these commodities should be con- fined to the tradesmen of the parish. The effects of the patronage incident to purchases of goods, to the amount of upwards of twenty thousand per annum, from shopkeepers within the parish — patron- age exercised by a board, who are themselves tradesmen or shop- keepers, or connected with shopkeepers — may well be conceived. For several years I have contended, but unsuccessfully, for the universal application of the principle, that contracts should be taken from those who made the lowest tenders, wherever they resided, provided they gave the requisite securities for the due performance of the contract. On investigating the purchases of goods within the parish, I found that some of the charges were upwards of forty per cent, above the market prices. Whatever opposition may be made against an extensive or efficient reform, or generahzation of the management of the funds for the relief of the poor, will be based on the retention of the parochial patronage and power. Although such a motive will never be ostensibly Vestries — Sinister Interests — Profuse Diet. 225 avowed, I have no doubt they will even assume that extended management will be more profuse than their own." The following is the governor's list of the paupers by whom the provisions described in the preceding account were consumed : — PAUPERS in the Workhouse from 1st of August to 31st of October, 1832. 15 Men:— 19 Women :— Names, Age. Names. Age. Abbott, Thomas . fiy Boult, Margaret . 32 Bateman, Thomas 79 Bawtree, Sarah 23 Hawkins, Thomas . 63 Clack, Amelia . . 66 Lloyd, George G'J Bowsher, Hannah 21 Lovel, William . 69 Dell, Sarah . . 50 Parker, James 73 Dyer, Hannah 68 Pitman, Thomas . 69 Goddard, • . 76 Pocock, Austin 61 Goddard, Sarah 36 Plumridge, Joseph , . 43 Green, Sarah . . 52 Prior, James . 22 Hudson, Mary ' . 73 Spraggs, Joseph . 34 Higgs, Jane * . , 23 Stevens, Samuel , 71 Knight, Catherine 52 Ware, William . 19 Mitchell, Mary < . Washbourn, Mary . 40 Weddel, William 63 58 West, Daniel . . 43 Wicks, Elizabeth . 52 Wellman, Francis 7& Walters, Jane . 45 Wren, Ehzabeth . 28 Perry, Frances • 58 Perry, Sarah . . 52 9 Boys :— 18 Gmr.s :— Names. Age. Names. Age. Applegath, Richard . . 9 Aldridge, Eliza . 19 Applci^ath, Thomas 8 Applegath, Charlotte 10 Brookes, James . 10 Billinger, Mary . . 15 Baskerville, John . 9 Dell, Eliza . 9 Harris, James . . 15 Harris, Ann . 13 PaiT, Robert 20 Messenger, Ann . 19 Scofield, James . 15 Pile, Esther . . 11 Sweetsur, John • 13 Penny, Caroline 10 Ware, Charles . . 11 Penny, Sophia . 8 Penny, EUza , 6 Patey, Elizabeth , 5 Porter, Elizabeth . 9 Sweetsur, Elizabeth . . 11 Sweetsur, Mary 9 Spraggs, Rose . 6 Ware, Mary . . 18 Ware, Caroline . . 10 Webb, Mary 12 It appears, by the governor's return, that the weekly con- sumption of these paupers, the majority of whom are old men, old females, and j^oung children, is upwards of three pounds of meat, including a large proportion of bacon, one pound of which, as food, is usually considered to be equal to one pound and a quarter of meat. I have compared the diet of the paupers in this 226 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. small parish with that of the paupers in one of the large metro- politan parishes (Lambeth), where the allowance of food is deemed mischievously profuse. In Lambeth workhouse the allowance of food is, to the adults, seven ounces of meat (clear of bone when cooked) three days each week. The quantity con- sumed by the same number of paupers as those in St. Giles's workhouse, Reading, would, according to the Lambeth diet-table, be in three months .... 1274 lbs. The quantity actually consumed by the paupers at Reading (allowing a loss of nearly one-third in cook- ing and for bone) is, during the same period . 2399 lbs. showing a waste or over supply of 1125 lbs. during the thirteen weeks, which, during the year, makes a loss of 4500 lbs. unne- cessarily consumed by 62 paupers. It has appeared to me, that the force of the temptation to pau- perism and crime can be duly estimated, or satisfactorily ac- counted for, only by means of a closer inquiry than has hitherto been instituted, into the condition and modes of living of the in- dependent and hard-working classes, as compared with the con- dition and modes of hvi^g of those who, without labouring, or with less labour, are supplied with the fruits of labour. The import- ance of this relative view of the condition of the paupers and independent labourers is indeed indicated by every witness who has had much experience in parishes or districts affording wide fields for observation. Mr. Wall, the vestry-clerk of St. Luke's, Middlesex — a parish with a population of 46,000, and a workhouse containing 600 paupers, and a proportionate number of out-door poor — was asked — •'What is your opinion of the present characters of the paupers in your district ? — Many of them are hereditary paupers ; and it is found a most difficult thing, when a person has once become a pauper, to emancipate him from that condition. The majority of the other paupers have been reduced to a state of pauperism by improvidence or by vicious habits, rather than by unavoidable causes. Many of them might now obtain work if they were sober. Many of the mechanics now chargeable to the parish previously had wages, from which they might have made adequate provision for their later years. But even the reflecting amongst them are well aware (and state it when remonstrated with), that there is a sure provision for them and their families, do what they will. That provision is a better inaintcnance, better food, and better lodging than the poor working people or mechanics generally Paupers^ Condition Stiperior to Independent Labourers*. 227 have. Able-bodied persons are anxious to come into the woi-k- house. Persons who come into the house in coiisequence of sick- ness or accident, find the mode of living so good or so much better than they expected^ that they are anxious and endeavour to REMAIN THERE. Under these circumstances it is not surprising that these persons will not deny themselves any indulgence for the sake of making a provision for the future. The recklessness of the people in indulgence is quite frightful." Mr. Drouet, the resident governor of Lambeth workhouse, who had also been the governor of Gosport workhouse, stated — " I know the condition of the poorer of the independent work- ing men. I can speak more particularly of the condition of those at Gosport, as I have been in the habit of going round collecting with the overseers there ; and I can state, from what I have seen, that the poorer of the rate-payers fared worse than the paupers in the workhouse of that place. I have seen a very poor rate-payer dining on potatoes, and that for days together ; and I have gone back to the workhouse, and helped to serve the paupers there wath meat and with dinners comparatively sumptuous. '' Have you seen the poor rate-payers doing without such things as beer and butter ? — The very poor rate-payers hardly ever think of such things, unless it be on the Sunday. I have known the rate-payer, if he is a poor agricultural man, go out in a morning with a bottle of water and a piece of bread (perhaps a pound), made of flour with the bran in it, and when he returned home he would expect a supper of potatoes, with a little skimmed milk thrown over it ; this skimmed milk was perhaps given him by the neighbouring farmer. This is common in the country about Gosport, and also in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. " What was the comparative fare of the pauper in the work- house at Gosport? — I can state, with respect to Gosport, that although the fare is much more scanty than that of other parishes, there being no butter or beer allowed, yet it is much better than that of the labourer out of the house. The man in the house gets more meat, more food of every sort ; he is sure of a hot breakfast being prepared for him, without the trouble of cooking it; he is also sure of a hot dinner ; he is better clothed, and better lodged, and sleeps better, and works less time, and does less altogether. When a poor family has once been driven into the workhouse, the proof they give of its being better is, that they never can be got out of it. There are very few instances of their getting away. 1 have heard them express their regret, when they first come in, that they had not come in sooner. I have heard this, too, from people whom I had before heard pitying the poor people in the q2 228 Mr. Chadwick^s Report — London and Berkshire. workhouse^ and hoping they should never come to such a state of things themselves. Amongst several who have been striving to keep out of the workhouse, when one part of them have been driven in, their representations of its superior comfort have induced the rest to come in. This was the case at Gosport. " Is your dietary at Lambeth much higher than at Gosport ? — Considerably higher. In Lambeth they have beer, and butter, and sugar; they have also more meat, and the women have as much as the men. They have five feasts hi the year : a pea-feast, a bean-feast, two mutton-feasts, and a plum-pudding feast. In Newington, Mr. Mott was bound to give salmon once when in season, and mackerel once." Mr. Charles Mott, who has been many years concerned in the management of several other very populous parishes, and is now the contractor for the maintenance of the poor of Lambeth work- house, illustrates this state of things by other facts which he adduces in his examination subsequently given in this selection. Mr. Joseph John Hubbard, who has been accustomed to trans- act the parochial business of six parishes in the city of London, in speaking of attractions of workhouses, gave the following in- stance of their force: — "I know^ one instance where a stout able- bodied man, who had been a mechanic, having got into a work- house, became so fond of it that he never would stir out of it, if he could help it, and kept there with his wife and children. An annuity of about 100^. a year was left to him ; but he was so lost to every feeling of independence, or rather so much alive to the comforts of a workhouse, that even with this annuity he would not quit the parish (St. Stephen, Coleman Street). We con- tinually took him before the magistrate for riotous conduct, and refusing to work, but he repeatedly told the magistrate that he never would work — that no one should make him ; and, in short, that he would do as he liked, which was to remain in the workhouse. The parish received so much of this man's dividend as was wanted to reimburse them, and he continued upon the parish, having his wife and children constantly in the house." The concurrent testimony of numerous witnesses to the same effect might be stated. I have endeavoured to ascertain from several of the magistrates who are advocates for the allowance system, or for the regulation of wages, in what way the labouring man within their districts expends for his maintenance the sum which they have declared to be the minimum expenditure, to sustain life ? Some of these gentlemen admitted that they did not know ; others stated that Magistrates' Conception of Labourers' Wants. 229 they laid it down as a general rule, that a labouring man must have bread and meat ; but whether three or four loaves of bread, whether a pound or a pound and a half of meat, constituted the least quantity requisite as food for a given period, none of them could state. Several promised to make inquiries on the sub- ject, when I asked them how they could safely set aside the decisions of the parish officers, or determine with due precision was what the minimum allowance of money for the labouring man's subsistence, unless they knew how many commodities were absolute necessaries for him, and the exact quantity and the price of each. Whilst complaining of the effects of the beer-shops established under Mr. Goulburn's Act, the same magistrates have frequently stated that habits of drunkenness prevailed with the whole of the labourers within their districts, and that these labourers were accustomed to carouse during one or two days in the week, gambling and indulging in the most vicious habits. Having re- ceived evidence that so large a proportion of the agricultural poor-rate is expended in aid of wages, I have been startled by the declarations that the habits of dissipation had become so preva- lent. In answer to further inquiries, I have received assurances that the habit is general ; that there are few, if any, exceptions. I have again asked whether the exceptions are formed of those who received parochial relief, and I have been assured (and satisfactory evidence has been adduced to me), that the agri- cultural labourers receiving poor's-rates in aid of wages are to be found at the beer-shops as frequently at least as the independent labourers. The questions which have appeared to me naturally to follow are, — Do you consider beer or gin a necessary of life to the paupers ? — if it be admitted that beer is a necessary of life to the independent labourers, the quantity required for intoxica- tion can hardly be necessary; ought you not then to ascertain and deduct the amount of money spent in drunken revelry ? As it must be presumed that a man pays for the beer he drinks at the beer-shops, (which beer is not deemed absolutely necessary for his subsistence,) is it not clear that you have not arrived at the minimum allowance ? If, for example, you order wages to be made up to a man to the amount of nine shillings a week, and you find that he gets drunk one or two days in the week, and that his excess of drink costs him two shillings a week, since he actually lives on seven shillings a week, does he not prove by so living that seven is all that he really requires? It was observed by Colonel Page, one of his Majesty's deputy lieutenants for Berks, in his communications with me, that the magistrates, from their ignorance of the habits of the labouring 230 Mr. Chadivick's Report — London and BerJcshire. classes, are extremely unfit judges as to the amount of relief to be administered. " To a gentleman/' said he, '' a shilling ap- pears an extremely small sum, but it often procures two, or even three days' subsistence to a labouring man; and hence the most benevolent men commonly make the most profuse and injurious allowances*." A magistrate, who takes great interest in the welfare of the poor, and another gentleman, both of whom are trustees of the savings-bank at Reading, in answer to my inquiries as to the description of labourers who were depositors in that bank, ex- pressed their conviction that no agricultural labourers, or at least, not more than one or two, were to be found amongst them ; as it was concluded that their wages would not enable them to lay by anything. Having ascertained that a number of the labourers in Cookham parish were depositors in the savings-bank at Maiden- head, I was not satisfied with this information, and requested the secretary of the Reading savings-bank to examine the books of the institution, and inform me whether there were no agricultural labourers connected with it. His return was, that he found amongst the depositors — ** 98 agricultural labourers, having deposits to the amount of 3753/. n^. 2d., averaging to each depositor upwards of 38/." I made a similar request of the secretary of the savings-bank at Newbury, where I learned that, out of 593 depositors, the great majority of whom .were of the labouring classes, there were — 138 agricultural labourers, w^hose total deposits! £e^Ho amounted to . . . J 3 thatchers . . . . 209 2 shepherds . . . .74 4 woodmen . . . . • 365 It appears also from an official return, that there are at present 647 depositors in the savings-bank at Abingdon, " out of which (the secretary states) about 100 are agricultural labourers, but we have never distinguished that labourer from any other." -* I have found the same opinion stated in the following terms, in his work on the poor-laws : — " Unfortunately the magistrates, by whom these abuses are to be corrected, bring to the decision of questions between the overseers and the poor, feelings, which, though highly honourable to themselves, are frequently not controlled by that discrimination which previous acquaintance with the subject requires, and habits of expense, from their stations in life necessarily formed upon a scale higher than that required for the necessary and even comfortable subsistence of the day-labourer ; and hence, their inter- ference has in many cases hitherto tended rather to encourage than correct mismanagement and improvidence." Ability of Lahourers to Save. 231 I may further illustrate this by reference to an account of the depositors in Exeter savings-bank on the 20th of November, 1829, with which I have been favoured by Mr. J. Tidd Pratt. This bank serves for the greater proportion of the county, and the number of the depositors excludes the supposition that what they do is not evidence of the capabiUties of each class. The following is the account : — 808 small farmers, the total amount of whose deposits is . . . £41,621 8 1 2072 agricultural labourers and husbandmen 70,688 3 10 478 tradesmen and small shopkeepers . 26,643 2 8 2376 artificers, mechanics, and handicraftsmen 94,668 13 8 140 labourers in the employ of tradesmen and artificers . . . 4,601 10 1 452 females engaged in trade or business 14,282 19 8 492 apprentices . . . , 3,351 1 8 202 carriers, drivers, guards, messengers, and porters .... 8,873 11 396 schoolmasters andmistresses, clerks, shop- women and shopmen, teachers and go- vernesses . ... 888 male servants . 3497 female servants 536 seafaring persons 43 soldiers . • 133 lower officers of the revenue and pensioners 93 officers on half-pay, clergymen, dissenting ministers, and professional men, &c. 212 females of small means, unconnected with business, or not particularly described *8047 children of all classes . 20,865 individuals entitled to . 258 friendly societies 115 charitable institutions and societies Total amount £668,528 6 10 In 1828, the total number of depositors in Berkshire was 7007. There were also 70 Friendly Societies. I have not been able to obtain the subsequent accounts from any other places in the county than those I have mentioned. Mr. Pratt has examined for me the official returns made in the year 1827 from 273 * A large proportion of the deposits in the names of children are known to be made to evade the limitation of the amount of deposits. 18,970 45,550 102,882 24,447 1,014 > 8,942 1 2 2 18 6 7 3 11 6,459 1 5 12,215 127,064 8 8 10 5 , 612,273 18 41, ,351 11 3 14, ,902 17 7 232 Mr. Chadwick's Report — Loyidon and Berkshire. savings-banks in England and Wales, from accounts made up to November, 1826. The total number of depositors in these banks was 288,798. Amongst them were 9082 small farmers, and 29,020 agricultural labourers*. Notwithstanding the reduction of interest on deposits in savings-banks, I am informed that the number of deposits from the working classes has, on the whole, increased, and is at the present time increasing, from every part of the kingdom, Ireland included. It may be supposed that the greater number of these depositors are single men. If so, the number of depositors, and the amount of the deposits, may perhaps be admitted as facts to show that if there were no bounties on marriage, by allowances to married labourers because they are married, the single labourers would be in a condition to lose by such marriages as those now usually contracted. The general answer to the inquiries I made on this subject from the persons connected with the savings-banks were to this effect : — We see them, and know from their appearance that they are the persons they described themselves to be; but whether they are married or single we cannot tell. The greater part of them appear to be steady middle-aged men." We know that some of them are married men. For sufficiently good reasons which will appear in the subsequent portions of the evi- dence,) the agricultural labourers are at pains not to be known as depositors, and save clandestinely. Loud and general complaints of the profligate conduct of the young men, and- their intemperance at the beer-shops, do not favour the supposition that many of them put by anything from their wages. Having asked one of the officers of the savings-bank whether the agricultural labourers often received legacies, he re- plied, " Sometimes, but not often ; and when they are left here, they do not remain here long. A legacy, we observe, does more * The witnesses who have been instrumental in the new and improved system of management in the several parishes in which I have found the progress of pauperism has been checked by more strict administration, express their conviction that, if the exceptions from the consequences of improvidence were aboHshed or diminished — that is, if the bounties on im- providence were removed — savings-banks and such provident and admirable institutions would increase in number and importance. Amongst others, the Rev. Mr. Whately, of Cookham, expresses a strong opinion that this would be the result, and speaks confidently, from experience, of the effect of a more strict administration within his parish, where many of those able-bodied per- sons who have been accustomed to receive parochial aid, became frugal and depositors in savings-banks when they were thrown on their own resources. Whilst the number of the deposits from the adjacent parishes and in the neighbouring savings-banks greatly diminished, in consequence of the re- duction of the interest on deposits, the number of depositors from Cookham increased. I have similar evidence from parts of the metropolis. AhilUy of Labourers to Save — Improvidence. 233 harm than good to a laboviring man ; and it may in general be said, that, the care taken of money is in proportion to the labour bestowed in acquiring it. When a labouring man receives a legacy, and is induced to place it in the savings-bank, he is never content until he gets it all out, and it is spent usually in drink. *^^If every farthing of the money in the savings-bank from my parish," said the Rev. Mr. Whately, *' were swept away, much good would nevertheless have been done in the formation of tem- perate habits." Generally the married man is the best labourer, and obtains the highest wages and the most constant employment. In the greater number o'i cases of persons ascertained, from sources in- dependent of the savings-banks, to have been depositors, they were married men. Mr. Tidd Pratt, who is in the habit of visit- ing the savings-banks, for which he is officially engaged, has had very extensive means of becoming acquainted with the indi- vidual depositors; and he has stated to me his conviction that the greater number of the agricultural depositors are married men. The unmarried agricultural labourers who save at all, he states, are usually members of benefit societies, which they prefer for the opportunities of conviviality which those societies afford. He states from his own knowledge that the number of deposits from the heads of families of agricultural labourers is actually much greater than it appears to be, since they are made by the wives of the labourers, and usually entered as from " female" depositors, without the addition of any specific description by which they might be known as belonging to the agricultural classes. So far as I have been able to examine the answers to the query circulated by his Majesty's commissioners, whether the family of a labouring man in full work could lay by anything ? it appears that a great majority of the respondents state positively that the labouring man cannot save anything. About half the respondents from Devonshire make no answer to the query. W. J. Coppard, the minister of Plympton St. Mary's, says, "Afew have trifling sums in the savings-bank.'' The other respondents either express a strong doubt whether anything could be saved by a labouring man, or declare positively that he could lay by nothing ; yet we find upwards of 70,000/. saved, under all obstacles, by two thou- sand labourers, or by one out of every ten heads of agricultural labourers' faniihes in this same county. The larger proportion of the magistrates, clergymen, and parish officers who are respondents from Berkshire, declare that the labourer could not save ; only three or four indicate a belief that he could. Colonel Page, who is one of the trustees of the 234 Mr, Chadwick^s Report — London and Bet'lcshire. savings-bank at Newbury, says, " Hard to answer." Mr. Walker, the magistrate of Lambeth-street, observed to me, *' Nothing is more difficult than for a gentleman to form a cor- rect estimate of the means of living of a labouring man. Let any scheme for his maintenance be devised by a gentleman, and you will always find that the labouring man will live at a cheaper rate than that estimated." I have generally found the estimates of magistrates and others as to the means of living or saving, and consequently of the allowance from rates which ought to be made in aid of wages, vary with the individuals and the customs of the place, rather than with the prices of provisions. In the metropolis, lodging is some- what dearer to the labouring man ; but Mr. Mott, and other well- informed witnesses, declare that the markets are greatly in his favour ; that he may often purchase fish and other commodities cheap ; and that, on the w hole, he may live as cheaply, if not more cheaply, here than in the rural districts. About thirty labourers in the metropolis, when interrogated by the governor of the Cold-Bath Fields House of Correction, stated that they could live on \s. a day.* Labourers and others, earning * The variations of diet in the prisons throughout the country appear from the gaol returns to he very great. On referring to the convenient abstracts of the returns published in the Eighth Report of the Prison Discipline Society, (which, in addition to the parhamentary returns, appears to obtain its information from zealous correspondents in every part of the United Kingdom,) it will be seen that the cost of maintaining the prisoners throughout the country varies from \s. 2d. to 5s., and even 7s. per week per head (p. 59). In the Coventry city gaol, bread only is allowed, and there are 2^ per cent, of sick in the year. In other gaols, where the prisoners are maintained at double and treble the cost, there is double and treble the pro- portion of sick. Where bread alone is given, the daily rations vary from one to three pounds. The variations of charge in the same county are also remark- able. In Suffolk, the food given in the county gaol costs 1*. 9d. per head per week (the food of those at hard labour costs 2*. lid.) ; whilst at Woodbridge gaol the cost of food is 3*. 6d. : at the former gaol there were 1 per cent, sick, at the latter, 18 per cent. sick. The cost offood at the Wakefield house of correc- tion, Yorkshire, is stated (p. 77) to be Is. S^d., and 6 per cent, of the prisoners are sick in the year ; whilst the cost of food at North Allerton is reported to be 5*. (y^d. ; and there are 37 per cent, of sick during the year. In Surrey, the allowance to the prisoners in the Borough Compter costs Is. 9d. per head per week : in Horsemonger-lane it is 2^. for the unemployed, and 2*. 2d. for the employed. In both these gaols the amount of sick is only 2 per cent, in the year. The food given at Brixton cost 2*. 9d. per week, and the sick amount to 7 per cent. At Kingston, the cost is 3s. 6d., and there are 6 per cent, of sick during the year. In the Cold-Bath Fields House of Correction, which is in a smoky neighbourhood, the prisoners receive a diet of 1 74 ounces of solid food weekly, and the proportion of sick is 4^^ per cent, per annum. At the Guildford House of Correction, a diet of 230 ounces of solid food is given weekly, and the proportion of sick annually is 9 per cent. In general, False Co7icepttons as to the Means of Labourers, 235 such wages as 2s. per day, are found to be depositors in the sav- ings-banks of the metropolis. The following are the statements of some of the respondents (clergymen and gentlemen serving parochial offices in the metropolis) to Queries 35^ 36, 37, 38 — What can a family earn, and whether they can live on these earnings and lay by anything ? The answer from Chiswick states that a family might earn 49/. per annum, on which they might live, but could not save. St. Anne and Agnes, and St. Leonard, Foster-lane — family might earn 60Z. ; could not live on it. St. Botolph without, Aldersgate — family might earn G3/. 18.s., on which they might subsist, but could save nothing. Mile End, New Town, and St. Mary's, Somerset, City of London — family might earn 65/., on which they might live, but could not save anything. St. Leonard, East- cheap — family might earn 78/. ; could not save, and cannot ascertain whether they could live upon it. St. James's, West- minster — man might earn 78/., besides material assistance from his wife and children : might live on wholesome food, but cannot attempt to say whether they could save. Holy Trinity the Less — family might earn 93/. ; might live on spare diet; could not save anything. Mr, Baker, the coroner and vestry-clerk of St. Anne's, Limehouse, states that a family might earn 100/., on which they could live, but 7iot save. Hammersmith — a family might earn 49/. 8^., which would give them wholesome food, and they might and do save. The extract I have given will, perhaps, suffice as a portion of the evidence tending to show the state of information on which rates of wages are determined, and adjudications are made on appeals against the allowances of parish officers. But on the part of those parish officers who come more immediately in contact with the labouring classes, and have the means of ob- taining better information to determine as to the absolute neces- sity of the relief, I commonly found, in the districts where the allowance system prevails, that they were daily acting in the teeth of conclusive evidence, constantly obtruded on their notice. At Newbury, for instance, on examining the books in the pre- sence of the assembled parish officers, I found that they gave relief it appears from these returns (which, unless they are much more accurate than the returns to Parhament on parochial matters, can only be depended upon for a rough comparative estimate), that the smaller and closer the body having the superintendence, the worse is the management. It is in the small local gaols that the cost of the diet amounts to as much as 7s. per head per week ; and it is stated that it is in these that there has been the least improvement— " that most of the prisons attached to corporate jurisdictions are in a state so disgraceful as to corrupt all committed to them." — Eighth Report, p. 91. 236 Mr. Chadwiclcs Report — London and Berkshire* in aid of \<'ages. The officers expressed a decided opinion that it was impossible for labourers of that class to subsist without such assistance as they received from the parish. I'he following is an extract from my notes of the examination of these officers : — " Are those v/hose names appear in the books as persons re- ceiving relief in aid of wages, all the labourers of this class or of those conditions residing within the town ?" — The parish officers declared that they were only as a minority of those in the town. [Colonel Page, who did me the favour to assist me in the inquiry, observed that they did not probably form more than one -tenth of all the labourers in the parish.] " Do the rest of the labourers receive no higher wages than those who obtain parochial relief? — We believe that their wages are the same." " Amongst the large class of labourers who do not come for relief, is there not the usual proportion of married men, and many with large families ? — Yes, we know there is." *' And yet, working at the same description of work and receiv- ing no higher wages than the others, they maintain their families without asking aid of the parish? — Yes, they do do it, but how they do it we cannot tell. They are above coming to the parish." " Is the fact that these independent labourers do live without receiving relief in aid of wages, any proof to your minds that others may live without rates in aid of wages ? Is the occurrence of the fact before you any evidence of its possibility ? To this interrogatory I received no answer ; and I passed on to another head of inquiry. Similar answers were given by the parish officers of Bethnal Green, to similar questions with relation to the silk-weavers. In Bethnal Green it is pronounced impossible that weavers who have families can live without relief in aid of wages. In the adjacent parish of Mile-End, New Town, which is chiefly occu- pied by silk-weavers, the parish officers state that they give no relief whatever to workmen when at work ; and the workmen of this parish do not appear to be more distressed than the weavers of Bethnal Green, though working for the same market, and at the same average rate of wages. The evidence with relation to the labourers in agricultural districts which I visited appeared to establish these facts : that the labourers have now the means of obtaining as much of necessaries and comforts as at any former period, if not more ; i. e., that their wages will go as far, if not farther, than at any time known to the present generation : that, although the position of the agricultural labourers may be (as the subsequent evidence will show), rela- Comparative Situation of Manied and Unmarriecl. 237 tively to others, one of great disadvantage, it is, nevertheless, a position from which they may fall still lower, and that the single labourers are aware, that if the factitious inducements to impro- vident marriages afforded by the ordinary administration of the poor-laws were removed, it would be their interest to remain un- married, until they had attained a situation of greater comfort, and secured the means of providing for their offspring. The Rev. H. C. Cherry, the Rector of Burghfield parish, near Reading, stated to me, in his account of the discontinuance of the allowance system in that parish, that '' the whole of the single labourers, including those who were on the parish, as well as those who were independent, hailed the notification " (that rates would no longer be allowed in aid of wages) '' with great satisfaction, as they considered that it would render wages in future more pro- portioned to their labour, and that single men would have a better chance.*' Mr. Clift, the assistant-overseer of the same parish, stated, that '' whilst the allowance system went on, it was a com- mon thing for young people to come to me for parish relief two or three days after they were married : nay, I have had them come to me just as they came out of church, and apply to me for a loaf of bread to eat, and for a bed to lie on that night. But this sort of marriages is now checked, and in a few years the parish will probably be brought about. If the former system had gone on, we should have been swallowed up in a short time." " Is your knowledge of the individuals resident in your parish such that you can state, without doubt, that there are persons in it now single, who would, under the influence of the system of allowing rates in aid of wages, have married had that system been continued ? — I have no doubt whatever that several of them would have married : I know them so well that I am sure of it." Similar effects had been produced by the allowance system in Swallowfield ; but by the abatement of the cause, the effects have ceased. In these parishes every marriage, and its chief circum- stances, were known to one or other of the parish officers. I thought this an opportunity to bring to the test the evidence which I had everywhere received as to the operation of the allowance system, and of the chief effects which its discontinuance may be expected to produce. I therefore framed a schedule, under the following heads, and requested the Rev. Mr. Cherry, the minister of Burghfield, and Mr. Russell of Swallowfield, a magistrate and landed proprietor, to fill them up : — " State the number of marriages which have been solemnized in your parish during each year, from 1810 to 1832, or for as long a period as may be practicable. " State how many of these marriages, according to the best of 238 Mr, Chadwiclcs Report — London and Berkshire. your knowledge, have been improvident ; i. e. with so httle pro- vision (even for persons of the lowest class of life) that it may be presumed the marriages would not have taken place, except on the assurance derived from the previous mal-administration of the poor-laws, that provision for the children would be obtained from the parish. " How many children have been born of parents so married ? " The number of these children who have in any way become chargeable to the parish. *'The number of bastards born in the parish during each of those years." The following are the returns which have been furnished : — BURGHFIELD. SWALLOWFIELD. Year. S O U O.I3 ni 1 1 .1 1' III il -a 1810 4 1 5 all. 2 2 12 2 1811 6 2 7 do. 1 2 — 10 1 — 1812 7 1 5 do. 1 4 — 16 4 — 1813 9 2 4 do. 5 . — — — — — 1814 4 — do. 1 — 6 1 3 1815 7 — do. 4 2 — 5 2 — 1816 2 — do. 3 3 — 14 3 1 1817 ' 4 I 4 do. 1 1 — 4 1 1 1818 8 2 2 do. 4 1 — 2 1 3 1819 3 — do. 2 — — — — — 1820 10 2 10 do. 3 1 — 2 — — 1821 6 1 4 do. 2 — — — — 1 1822 3 — do. 1 2 — 7 2 — 1823 6 2 6 do. 3 2 1 6 1 1824 7 — do. 2 1 — 5 1 — 1825 4 do. 2 — 7 — 1826 4 1 3 do.' 3 3 1 9 2 — 1827 6 2 unknown. — — — — — 1828 5 1 3 1 do. 4 3 2 5 2 2 -sfl829 8 2 1 do. 1 1 — 1 1 — li<1830 — — — 1 — 1 — — ^>ll831 2 — — — 1 — — — — — Totals.... 115* 20 |54 43t 32+ 4 112 24 11 * Average 5\ and a fraction per annum : reduction since 1829, 60 per cent. t Average 2 per annum : reduced 75 per cent. % Average 1^ and a fraction per annum: reduction 7^ per cent, for last three years : reduction since select vestry 66 per cent. Improvident Marriages — Bastardy. 239 It will be seen that in Burghfield, out of one hundred and fifteen marriages, twenty were improvident, and that fifty-four pauper children were the produce of these twenty improvident marriages. The allowance system has been discontinued in the parish only tvro years. In each parish the witnesses spoke confidently of the effects produced, and spoke not from any returns, but from their own knowledge of the circumstances of every party in the parish. For this reason, I consider these returns to be much more satis- factory than any to be obtained from parishes of greater extent ; for in those the knowdedge of the individual cases must be indistinct in proportion to their number, and the distance of their residences. Mr. Russell states in a letter to me, in explanation of his returns, — " The heading of column four, I have been obliged to alter from ' Paupers therefrom' to ' Number of families relieved.* Owing to the mode in which relief is indiscriminately given in this county, under the name of ^ bread-money,' the number of children that have become chargeable cannot be distinctly stated. All that can be done is to state the number of families who have received relief collectively by having their earnings made up by the parish to the amount of their ' bread-money.' Out of thirty- two marriages in the twenty-three years, twenty-four, or three- fourths of the whole, have received relief. In the course of the whole twenty-three years, there have been only four marriages in the parish that I consider as improvident ; that is to say, as having been contracted under a manifest reliance upon parochial relief. No such marriage has taken place since the establishment of our Select Vestry in the spring of 1829; but I cannot undertake to say that any such would have taken place, if the vestry had not been established*, nor any improvement made in the way of ma- naging the affairs of the parish. " The difference between the number of bastards set opposite the last five years in column 5, and the number given to the corresponding years, in one of my answers to the ' rural queries,' arises from this — that the present table states the number horn, and my answer the number chargeable, in each year. "During the ten years, from 1813 to 1822, there were thirteen marriages, producing thirty-four children, and ten of those fami- lies received relief. During the last ten years there have been * The other witnesses, who, from their situation in life, are prohahly much better acquainted with the labourers in the parish, spoke confidently as from a knowledge of the influencing circumstances of individual cases, that the decrease of cases of bastardy and a reduction of such marriages by one half, had been solely caused by the improved parochial administration. 240 Mr. ChadwicTcs Report — London and Berkshire. eleven marriages, producing forty children, and yet only seven of the families have received relief. *' During the four years preceding the establishment of our Select Vestry, viz. from 18'25 to 1828, there were eight marriages, of which three were improvident ; producing twenty-one children ; and four of those families received relief. During the four years that our vestry has been in action, there have been only two mar- riages, neither of them improvident, producing two children ; one only of those families has received relief, and that because both the husband and the wife had children by former marriages. "There has been no bastard born in the parish since the establishment of the select vestry. "The marriages included in the table are those of the agricul- tural labourers only." The Census for the parish of Swallowfield for 1801, apparently in- cluded the population of another district which is now separated from it. In 1811 the number of inhabitants was 365 1821 . . .347 1831 . . . 390 Burghfield 1801 , . . 738 1811 . . ,791 1821 . . .881 1831 . . .965 Cookham 1801 . . . 2239 1811 . . . 2411 1821 . . . 2734 1831 . . . 3337 In Cookham, from the number of the inhabitants, and various other causes, the circumstances of a large proportion of the j^arties who marry could not be distinguished. But the removal of the bounty on improvident marriages afforded by the allowance system, has been attended by a marked check to the population. The Rev. Thomas Whately states in his evidence : — " I have examined the register of baptisms, and taken three periods of nine years each ; the last is that during which the new system has been adopted; the other two comprise the eighteen years immediately preceding it." The respective numbers are 593, 706,676: hence, in the first period, the mcrease was 19 per cent, and in the latter period the c7ecrease was 4'3 per cent., and this decrease of procreation was going on during a period in which the population was increasing at the rate of 2*2-2 per cent. Very marked effects with relation to bastardy were produced in this parish by the adoption of the plan of allowing the mother only a shilling a week, and giving her the alternative of the work- Pauj^erism in relation to Crime — Bastardy. 241 house. Not. only has the charge of bastards been diminished, from 184?. \7s. to 33/. 4,9. 6^/., but the bastards have not been brought into existence ; as it appears, by the register, that only one has been christened in each year for the last three years. It appears that previously the expense for bastards was 10 per cent, on the gross expenditure of the parish. The above plan Mr. Whately considered must produce a similar or greater reduction all over the kingdom.* Hitherto I have given portions of the evidence tending to show the common effects of the mal-administration of the poor-laws. I now beg to submit portions of the evidence tending to develope those effects in combination with the effects of common systems of prison discipline and penal administration ; for in all the more populous districts, I have found that the bad management of the workhouse and the bad management of the prison react on each other, and that both exercise a pernicious influence upon the morals and condition of the labouring classes. Mr. Hooker, one of the former overseers of Bethnal-green, stated that — " There are now about one hundred and fifty young able-bodied people, of bad character, thieves and prostitutes, who receive relief from the parish. When relief is not given to them imme- diately they apply, they proceed to Worship-street, and obtain summonses. They will go frequently when they have had relief; and we have reason to believe they have stated that they have had no relief whatever." Mr. Bunn, one of the present overseers of the same parish, stated, — " It is quite common for the officers from the police-offices to * Mr. Whately gave the following instance in illustration of the immoral tendency of the bastardy laws : — " A man (John Cartland) was engaged to marry a young woman named Bishop. The woman proved to be with child by a man named Hatch. Heu disgrace, added to the lover's disappointment, so affected the young man's mind, that he attempted suicide, and after some time offered to enlist for a soldier. At the expiration of two years, having gradually become reconciled to the young woman, he married her (in spite of her bastard child), and at a subsequent time, being distressed for money, he appeared before the whole assembled select vestry, and requested the loan of 40*., offering the weekly pay his wife received, for her bastard child, to the parish officers as security for the repayment of the money advanced. This man, whose feelings were at one time so acute that he could not bear to live — not because he was dis- graced, but because she was, — now stood before the assembled board of the respectable members of the parish, and without a blush or the apparent con- sciousness of shame, made his wife's disgrace a matter of bargain. Every instance of bastardy is an instance of the demoralizing effects of the bastardy laws.*' R 242 Mr, Chadwick's Rej^ort — London and Berkshire. come to our parish to inquire for bad characters against whom charges are made. The police-officers are well acquainted with their characters. It is the worst characters who generally raise tumults. They repeatedly tell me, that, by being sent to Bride- well, they are sure of getting plenty of food, and shall be sent out with clothes. I do not know what clothes are given to them there ; but I have frequently seen them better dressed when they came out of prison than they were when they were sent in. They frequently dare me to send them to Bridew^ell. There is no diffe- rence between the girls and the men ; except that, of the two, the girls are the worst." Mr. Drouet, the governor of Lambeth workhouse, stated, — " The great want at present is, as I conceive, the means of a proper classification. We have the worst of characters in the house, which, in fact, constantly serves as a hiding-place for thieves ; we have, I dare say, thirty thieves, all of whom have been in prison for robberies and various offences, and who, we have reason to believe, commit depredations whenever they are at large. It is a common occurrence to have inquiries made for particular characters at the workhouse, in consequence of offences supposed to have been committed by them. We also have, per^ haps, from twenty to thirty prostitutes in the house. These, the worst characters, can always speak with the best cha- racters ; and the forms of the house allow us no means of pre- venting it. We cannot prevent the thief speaking to the young lad, or keep the prostitute from the young girl who has not been corrupted. There is, unhappily, a strong disposition on the part of such characters to bring others to the same condition. I have overheard a prostitute say to a young girl, * You are good-look- ing; what do you stay in here for? you might get plenty of money;' and point out to her the mode. Last October, as an experiment, we sent off eight girls to Van Diemen's Land : they were all brought up as workhouse children, and w ere incorrigible prostitutes. I have evidence that seven of these girls w ere all corrupted by the same girl, named Maria Stevens. Every one of these girls had been in prison for depredations. One of them had been three times tried for felonies, having robbed the persons with whom she was in service. Such was the influence which this girl had over theni, that they would not consent to go until she consented, nor would they be separated from her, and she formed the eighth of the party. The old thieves teach the hoys their ways : a few months ago I took one thief before a magistrate for having given lessons to the workhouse boys, whom he had assembled about him, how to ' star the glaze,' as they call it : that is, how to take panes of glass out of shop-windows without bresJii Comparative condition of Paupers and Prisoners. 243 ing them, or making any noise. In so large a workhouse as ours the youth are never without ready instructors in iniquitous prac- tices. In the spring many of the workhouse boys discharge them- selves, and live during the rest of the year, we have reason to believe, in no other ways than dishonestly : we know it in this way, that the most frequent circumstance under which we hear of them is, of their being in prison for offences : but they do not care a rush for the prisons ; for they always say, ' We live as well there as in the workhouse.' " Mr. Mott, the contractor, in giving evidence on the means of employing paupers in the workhouse, alleges, as one of the great obstacles, the constant liability to depredation. *' Even in these employments, however*, we are subject to cofl- tinual losses from mismanagement or depredation. One man- we lately prosecuted at the sessions for stealing fifty-one shirts, which he was entrusted to take home, and he was sentenced to seven years' transportation, which, by the way, I may observe, was a promotion to a place where he would obtain more food, if not more comfort, than in the w^orkhouse. '' Are you sure of that ? '- I am sure, from conversations which I have had on the sub- ject with the superintendent of convicts, that the convict receives more bread a-day than the pauper. Indeed, it is notorious at Gosport, where I have heard it descanted upon by many of the inhabitants, that the convicts receive one ounce of meat per day more than the soldiers set to guard them. I heard at Gosport, that the convicts being told to do something which they did not like, one of them exclaimed, in the presence of the military guard, 'What next, I wonder! d — n it, we shall soon be as bad off as soldiers.' The convicts ridicule the soldiers ; and I have myself seen a convict hold up some food to the guard, saying, ' Soldier, w^ill you have a bit ? ' Yet the operation of this system in gaols and workhouses was pointed out years ago, and it still continues. The convict's labour is proportionably slight. " Do you find this state of things, as to punishment, re-act upon the workhouse ? " Decidedly so ; and most mischievously as to discipline and management. The paupers are well aware that there is, in fact, no punishment for them. From the conversation I have had with convicts, it is clear, that confinement in a prison, or even trans- portation to the hulks, is not much dreaded. * We are better fed,' I have heard them say, ' have better clothes, and more comfortable lodging, than we cou^d obtain from our labour ;' and the greatest, * Sempstresses, &c. , r2 244 Mr. Chadwiclcs Report — London and Berkshire, in fact almost only, punishment they appear to dread, is being deprived of female intercourse. Some months since, three young women (well-known prostitutes) applied for relief at Lambeth workhouse; and, upon being refused, two of them immediately broke the windows. On the moment, the three were given into custody to the police; but recollecting that only two were guilty of breaking the windows, the beadle was sent to state the fact, and request from the overseer that the innocent person might be dis- charged ; she, however, declared that she would not be separated from her companions, and immediately returned to the house and demolished two or three more windows to accomplish her desire." Mr. Benj. Hewett, keeper of the workhouse of St. Andrew's, Holborn above Bars, and St. George the Martyr, states, — " I have constant evidence before me that the diet in our house is as good as the majority of labouring men with families can procure for themselves when in work. I believe that the poor in our workhouse live as well as many of the rate-payers. It operates as a powerful stimulus to persons to come into the house. I also see constantly, that many of the labouring classes, having found out that the parish living is no frightful thing, spend all they can. They do not care to save anything for a rainy day ; they have no thoughts of the morrow, for they are well aware, that when the rainy day comes, they will be sure to get relief, or admittance to a place of comfort superior to anything their irre- gular conduct has allowed them to inhabit. Bad character or conduct will not occasion their relief to be forfeited. We have now about one hundred bad characters in the house, many of whom have been the frequent inmates of prisons. " What is the discipline which you enforce in your workhouse upon these characters, or have you any specific discipline ? " There is great difficulty in managing the refractory paupers, in consequence of the ameliorated condition of the inmates of gaols, where the allowance of bread is greater than in the workhouses. Many of them have told me, 'Oh, we do not care about the prison ; that's where we want to go ; we get more bread there than we can here, and the allowance of meat is the same.' Those who do not say this, prove by their demeanour that they are well- persuaded it is so. ''Have you ever known of any Inquiry having been made into the mode of living of independent labourers, with the view of determining by the comparison, what should be the mode of diet of paupers ? " I have never known any inquiry of this kind made by any governors or directors under whom I have acted. I think it would be of great importance, that the condition of labouring Inducements to become Paupers. 245 people should be taken into account, and that a general uni- formity of diet should be established in all the parishes. An uniformity of diet would prevent a large proportion of the paupers shifting about, and great expense of litigation. It is most im- portant, too, to diminish the inducement to labouring people coming into the workhouse : and hence the diet should be for able and refractory men, on the lowest possible scale. The progress of pauperism would be abated by proper regulations ; and I am certain that the expense of the present paupers maintained by the parishes might be reduced one-quarter for such classes. Similar attention to the diet of prisoners in prisons is requisite, as I con- ceive, to enable us to maintain discipline in workhouses. *' What influence has your diet and general mode of maintain- ing paupers had upon the rising generation of paupers, or the paupers' children? " Many of them have left the workhouse with great reluctance. They have frequently cried on leaving it ; and I have known them come back to it, when they have been sent out on liking to be apprenticed to respectable persons. They have been dissa- tisfied with the treatment which those respectable people gave them, as compared with the workhouse treatment. The proposed master has said to me, ' I cannot keep the child, for he seems so unhappy, that it is of no use keeping him.' About two years ago we reduced the diet of the unworthy paupers, amongst which is included the greater portion of the able-bodied. Previous to that time, girls for whom we got places in service were careless about keeping them, as they told their employers that they lived well in the workhouse, and had not so much to do. The girls having thus thrown themselves out of work, were invariably taken into the workhouse again, on the recommendation of the magistrates, to keep them from running the streets. Even now instances of similar misconduct happen, but by no means so frequently. The diet is not at present so low as it might be for these classes." Mr. Huish, the assistant-overseer of the populous parish of St. George's, Southwark, states — " It is astonishing that we are so quiet in our workhouse, from what I have heard of the keep of persons in prisons, which is better even than of persons in the workhouses. A short time ago a man named Abbot was refused the amount of out-door reUef which he claimed ; we told him, 'We cannot give you what you want.' He said that ' He must and would have it.' We told him he must get work ; he said he could not get work, and would not seek work, he would sooner go into pri- son. I told him that if he did not take care he would get 24^' Mr. Chadmck*s Report — London and JBerJcshire. into prison: 'You have been in prison already,' said I, 'and you would hardly wish to go there again ? ' ' Indeed I don't care/ said he ; 'I can live better there than I can anywhere out of pri- son. *But if you go on in this way you will get transported.' ' You are mistaken/ said he, ' if you suppose I care for being transported. I know well enough that if I am, I shall be better taken care of, and shall live like a gentleman.' He proved that he did not care for a prison, for he conducted himself so out- rageously, that we were compelled to take him before a magis- trate, who committed him to Brixton. This was the fourth or fifth time he had been at Brixton on our account. This man had been brought up as a mechanic, in a branch in which, had he been a man of good character, he might now obtain good wages. " Now this case, with others, affords an instance of what might be done by workhouse discipline. Mr. Hayes, who farms the paupers of several parishes, is a very intelligent man, his mode of action is, to give the refractory hard work, and a spare diet. He will place a man by himself, with nothing but a dead wall before him : he then puts in his hands a certain quantity of oakum, and tells him, " When you have picked that your dinner will be ready for you, and not till then." We sent this man to Mr. Hayes, but he soon got tired of it and left it, and we heard no more of him. This morning I met him coming in the direction of Billingsgate, with a basket of fish on his head, and apparently in an honest employment. We sent three refractory boys to this occupation, and two out of the three preferred going to sea." Mr. Chesterton, the able governor of the House of Correction for Middlesex, made at my request, some inquiries into this sub- ject. He stated to me — '^1 have made inquiries, and caused inquiries to be made of persons, as to their comparative condi- tions as independent and free labourers, as paupers, and as inmates of the prison. Some of them had been porters, others common labourers ; they were all of them strong, able-bodied men, who would probably have the means of earning good wages for labourers of their condition. They seemed to consider that the allowance of food in the prison and in the workhouse was much the same in point of quantity. Two or three (out of about thirty, of whom inquiries were made) said that they found the prison allowance the best. They all acknowledged that they do less work and get better food as prisoners than as independent labourers : but taking into account the irksomeness of the work, and the restrictions of the prison, they said that they would rather be independent labourers, if they could get regular work at a shilling a-day. Generally, they appeared to consider that they could live upon a shilling a-day as free labourers. The restric- Proportion of Crime caused by Poverty. 24.7 tions in the workhouses in which they had been, were less than those in our prison, and they mostly preferred the workhouse." This prison, from what I have heard of it, I beheve to be in many respects one of the best managed prisons in the metropolis. The statement of the prisoners will of course be received quantum valeat. It is a popular opinion, that '' poverty is the mother of crime," or, in other words, that oiir gaols are filled by '' the distress of the times," and not unfrequently by the difficulty of obtaining parochial relief. Previously, and subsequently to my acceptance of the post of assistant-commissioner, I have paid much attention to the Subject of the connexion of pauperism with crime, and I can state that evidence is at variance with the popular opinion. The fol- lowing is an extract from the evidence of Mr. Wontner, the bene- volent governor of Newgate : — " Of the criminals who came under your care, what proportion, so far as your experience will enable you to state, were by the immediate pressure of want impelled to the commission of crime? By want is meant, the absence of the means of subsistence, and not the want arising from indolence and an impatience of steady labour? — According to the best of my observation, scarcely one- eighth. This is my conclusion, not only from my observations in the office of governor of this gaol, where we see more than can be seen in court of the state of each case, but from six years' ex- perience as one of the marshals of the city, having the direction of a large body of the police, and seeing more than can be seen by the governor of a prison. " Of the criminals thus impelled to the commission of crime by the immediate pressure of want, what proportion, according to the best of your experience, were previously reduced to want by heed- lessness, indolence, and not by causes beyond the reach of com- mon prudence to avert? — When we inquire into the class of cases to which the last answer refers, we generally find that the crimi- nals have had situations and profitable labour, but have lost them in consequence of indolence, inattention, or dissipation, or habitual drunkenness, or association with bad females. If we could tho- roughly examine the whole of this class of cases, I feel confident that we should find that not one-thirtieth of the whole class of cases brought here are free from imputation of misconduct, or can be said to result entirely from blameless want. The cases of juve- nile olFenders, from nine to thirteen years of age, arise partly from the difficulty of obtaining employment for children of those ages, partly from the want of the power of superintendence of parents, who, being in employment themselves, have not the power to look 248 Mr. ChadwicJis Report — London and Berkshire. after their children; and in a far greater proportion from the criminal neglect and example of parents. " Does any, and what proportion of the average number of criminals who pass through your gaol consist of paupers receiving parochial assistance at the time of the commission of the offence ? — Perhaps one-fortieth : I might say, not one-fiftieth." Mr. Chesterton states, '^ I directed a very intelligent yardsman, and one who had never, I believe, wilfully misled me, to inquire into the habits and circumstances of all in the yard (60 prisoners), and the result was that he could not point out one who appeared to have been urged by want to commit theft. It appears that, in the houses of correction, the proportion of prisoners who have been paupers is more numerous than in the other gaols. Mr. Richard Gregory, the treasurer of Spitalfields parish, who for several years distinguished himself by his successful exertions for the prevention of crime within that district, was asked — " We understand you have paid great attention to the state and prevention of crime; can you give us any information as to the connection of crime with pauperism ? — I can state from expe- rience that they invariably go together. " But do poverty — meaning unavoidable and irreproachable poverty — and crime invariably go together? — That is the material distinction. In the whole course of my experience, which is of twenty-five years, in a very poor neighbourhood, liable to changes subjecting the industrious to very great privations, I remember but one solitary instance of a poor but industrious man out of employ- ment stealing any thing. I detected a working man stealing a small piece of bacon ; — he burst into tears, and said it was his poverty, and not his inclination, which prompted him to do this ; for he Was out of work, and in a state of starvation. " Then are we to understand, as the result of your experience, that the great mass of crime in your neighbourhood has always arisen from idleness and vice, rather than from the want of em- ployment ? — Yes, and this idleness and vicious habits are increased and fostered by pauperism, and by the. readiness with w hich the able-bodied can obtain from parishes allowances and food without labour." The effects of the system are increased in particular districts by distress, but I have not found that they are averted by prosperity. It may not be improper to observe in this place, that in America, w4iere many of the circumstances which are here urged as specifics against the malady, such as high wages, and the liberal distribu- tion of land to those who are disposed to labour in cultivating it, are in operation, the poor-law system is attended with similar effects. Proportion of Paupers in United States. 249 By the report of the secretary of state of New York, February 9, 1824, it appears that in the state of New York — One person in 220 is a pauper. Massachusetts, one in 68 Connecticut, one in - 150 New Hampshire, one in - 100 Delaware, one in - 227 In a report made in the year 1825, from a committee on the poor-laws, which sat at Philadelphia, I find the following passages expressive of the conclusions of the committee : — " Upon the whole, your committee are convinced that the effect of a compulsory provision for the poor is to increase the number of paupers, — to entail an oppressive burden on the country, — to promote idleness and licentiousness among the labouring classes — and to afford relief teethe profligate and abandoned, which ought to be bestowed on the virtuous and industrious alone. That the poor-laws have done away the necessity for private charity — that they have been onerous to the community, and every way injurious to the morals, comfort, and independence of that class for whose benefit they were intended. That no permanent alleviation of the evils of the system can rationally be expected from the erection of poor-houses, or from any other similar expedient ; and that the only hope of effectual relief, is the speedy and total abolition of the system itself. In this country, where there are no privileged orders, where all classes of society have equal rights, and where our population is far from being so dense as to press upon the means of subsistence, it is indeed alarming to find the increase of pauperism progressing with such rapidity." * * * « W/"e ^^q fast treading in the footsteps of England." In the fourth report of the Boston Prison Discipline Society, 6th edition, p. 252, there is the following passage on the subject, inserted under the head " Connexion of Pauperism with Crime :'* '' This is a subject, too, which we have introduced in this part of our report, because we have become acquainted with the evils of it in consequence of what we have seen in Massachusetts. The state of Massachusetts appropriates, and has done it for many years, about 50,000 dollars annually as a state, besides what is done in the towns, for the support of paupers. In some of the larger towns, the places where they are kept are so constructed and managed that the poor-houses are most corrupt and corrupting. They are nearly as injurious in their influence as the old peniten- tiaries — not in the arts of mischief, but in the low and corruptino- vices. There is sometimes not even a separation of the sexes. We might specify large and extensive establishments, which are now 250 Mr, Chadwiclcs Report — London and Berkshire. what the old alms-house in Boston was a few years ago. AndVe could give a detail of facts, which have been ascertained from careful examination of witnesses^ to which we can only allude in this place, on account of the character of these facts. Suffice it to say, that they are such as to demand immediate attention from the towns and the state. The people of the towns would not counte- nance such things, if they were known, and the state would not appropriate its thousands annually for the support of establish- ments, which are nuisances as much as the old state prison. They are nurseries of vice; they are sometimes introductory to, and sometimes receptacles from, the prison; there is often an alternation from alms-house to prison, and from prison to alms-house. We have not stated the facts in detail which are known to us, nor shall we do it in this place and at this time ; but if the character of the establishment is not altered, from which these facts are gathered, they will be exposed in their naked depravity. Publicity will correct the evils, if other means fail." Mr. Edward Livingston, in his able introduction to the pro- posed penal code for Louisiana, recommending the establishment of a house of industry, says that, instead of confining the atten- tion of the legislature, as has been hitherto doiie, to the means for the punishment of crimes already committed — " I draw the attention of the legislature to the means of prevent- ing them, by provisions bearing upon pauperism, mendicity, idle- ness, and vagrancy, the great sources of those offences which send the greatest numbers to our prisons. '' Political society owes perfect protection to all its members, in their persons, reputation and property ; and it also owes neces- sary subsistence to all who cannot procure it for themselves. Penal laws to suppress offences are the consequences of the first obliga- tion ;. those for the relief of pauperism, of the second ; these two are closely connected, and when poverty is relieved and idleness punished, whenever it assumes the garb of necessity, and presses on the fund that is destined for its relief, the property and persons of the more fortunate classes will be found to have acquired a security that, in the present state of things, cannot exist. ^' This truth has attracted the attention of most civilized nations, but always making the law of pauperism a distinct branch of le- gislation, never connecting it with penal jurisprudence, with which it has so intimate a connexion, has given birth to more bad theory and ruinous practice, than any other question in government." With the view of judging of the strength of the influence upon the labouring p;:pulation of the mismanagement of workhouses and prisons, I have endeavoured to obtain detailed information ^s to the mode of living of agricultural labourers. In attempting Modes of Living and Expendittire of Labourers. 251 to make personal inquiries of the labourers in the districts which I have visited,' I found them regard me with so much suspicion, that it becanie necessary to obtain the information by means of persons with whom they were familiar. "This suspicion," an informant observecl, I " ought not to be surprised at, as the inde- pendent labourers really belieyed that mischief commonly fol- lowed even well-intentioned interference with their affairs by the gentry, and they (the independent labourers,) did not like to be treated as ' poor,' or as persons to be taken care of like paupers.'* I have succeeded in obtaining many accounts of their modes of living and expenditure in different places. The following accounts of the actual incomes and expenditures of three agricultural fa- milies near Newbury approximate very nearly to the ordinary expenditures of families of agricultural labourers : — A man, his wife, and six children, receive amongst them 13^. 6(/., which is thus expended at the grocer's shop, paying one week under the other : — 1 gallons of bread 911 1 lb. of sugar 6 2 oz. of tea 8 Soap 4 Candles 4 Salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar, «&c 2 2 lbs. of bacon 1 4 13 3 A man, his wife, and four children under two years of age, receive in wages 9^. and a gallon loaf from the parish weekly, and live rent free . in a parish cottage : — 5 gallon loaves 5 *7j- 1 lb. of lard 9 1 oz. of tea .04 i lb. of sugar 2 2 faggots ..09 Soap and candle 3 i lb. of bacon 4i i lb. of butter 6 8 9 A man, his wife, and three children, without parish relief; the man earns 10^. a week when in full employment ; but occasional want of work reduces the earnings of himself and his wife together to lis. — 252 Mr, Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire, *. d. 1 bushel of flour per week, present price ... 4 1 lb. of candles ditto ... 3j J lb. of soap ditto ... 4 Clotbing Society 5 Needles, thread, &c 6 Butter, tea, and sugar 1 Firing per year £3 ^'o^^faSTaT-l 2 « (this is cheap.) Purchase of pig .... 170 Shoes for the family . . 2 6 8 13 Making, within a fraction, of weekly expenditure .3 If 9 8i From these and several accounts from shopkeepers as to the quantity of goods which they supply to classes of persons, it appears that^ supposing the children of the honest labourer eat meat, the quantity consumed by each individual does not, on an average, exceed four ounces each week. If the head of the family- consumes more, the children must eat less. Where higher wages are obtained, it appears, from the statements of the shopkeepers, that the labourers do not purchase a larger proportion of solid food *. The excess of meat consumed yearly in the small parish * On inquiry into the modes of life of the labouring classes, I found some of them, with comparatively high wages, Hving in wretchedness, whilst others, with less wages, live in respectability and comfort. The effect of economy is more strikingly marked on comparing the condition of persons of other classes, such, for instance, as merchants or lawyers* clerks, with salaries of 50/. or 60/. a-year, with the condition of mechanics earning from 305. to 40*. a-week. The one will be comparatively well lodged, well fed, and respect- able in appearance, whilst the other lives in a hovel, is badly clothed, and, in appearance as well as in reality, squalid and miserable. Many instances occur where a clergyman, or an officer on half-pay, maintains a family on less than 100/. per annum. Mechanics who, during nine months in the year, earn from 50*. to 3/. a-week in the metropolis, are frequently in the workhouse with their families during the winter months. In the course of my inquiries as to the condition of the working classes, a grocer residing in the metropolis, in a neighbourhood chiefly inhabited by the lower class of labourers, observed, that they are the worst domestic economists, and that if they had the intelligence, they had the means of greatly raising their own condition. He stated to me that the working men habitually purchase of him the smallest quantities of the commodities they want. They come every day, for example, for a quarter of an ounce of tea for breakfast. This they do though in regular employment, and receiving their wages weekly. To esti- mate their loss on this mode of purchasing, he pointed out, that in a pound of tea they have to pay him, 1st, for the labour of weighing sixty-four quantities instead of one. To this loss might be added their own loss of Bad Economy of Labourers Meals, 253 of St. Giles, in Reading, beyond the full allowance to adults in Lambeth parish, has been shown to be 4500 pounds. From hence it appears that the excess beyond a profuse allowance — the mere waste by 62 paupers — in that small parish would suffice as a year's supply of four ounces of meat per week each to 346 in- dependent agricultural labourers, or to 86 families of four persons in each ; or that these 62 inmates of this workhouse (one-third time in running to and fro sixty-four times to the shop instead oi once. 2dly, For the additional quantity of paper used in wrapping up the tea. The paper which will wrap up a pound of tea will only wrap up sixteen quarter ounces ; consequently the purchaser of sixty-four quarter ounces must pay extra for the wrappers of forty-eight quarter ounces. Altogether, he considers that the labouring man pays not less than &d. a pound, or the value of a pound or a pound and a half of meat extra, for every pound of the low-priced tea he purchases. Nor is this the only loss. He is accustomed to consume the whole quantity purchased, though a less quantity might often suffice ; all goes into the pot ; as he will not leave, or, as he calls it, " waste,'' so small a quan- tity. And so it is with all other commodities. A pint of beer, for instance, is sent for, when two-thirds of a pint would suffice ; a pint not being suffi- cient, an extra pint is sent for, when a third or two-thirds of a pint would have served. Persons of the middle ranks calculate better, and make larger purchases, and thus *' make their money go farther," and are more econo- mical in the use of commodities. Formerly, a very large proportion of the agricultural labourers could only obtain their supplies of tea and other com- modities by going four or five miles distant, and the purchases were all made on the market-day, or once in the week ; and to this circumstance — this compulsory frugality — it was attributable that the agricultural labourer often lived as well, or better, on less wages than the labourer in towns. But small shops have been established in the villages, and have led the agriculturists to adopt the improvident practices of the labourers in towns, with this addition, that in the country the small shopkeepers give credit. The facility of obtain- ing parochial relief renders the agricultural labourers improvident. Many of them do not pay, and the shopkeeper endeavours to make up his loss by his charges on those who are less improvident. It is a matter of extensive complaint that the agricultural labourers have now got themselves into the hands of the small shopkeepers, and pay from 25 to 30 per cent, more for the goods purchased in the improvident manner described. It may be observed, that the circumstance of their not having displayed any management with respect to the commodities purchased at the chandler's shop, affords some presumption as to their habitual want of self-control with respect to the com- modities supplied from the beer-shops. And the best witnesses declare that this improvidence is fostered, and the probability of amendment excluded, by the system of giving relief to the able-bodied labourers. Mr. Mott, and other witnesses, who have had much experience in maintaining considerable numbers, attest the correctness of the rule — that by adding rent and 20 per cent, as the retailer's profit on commodities, an estimate may be made of the expense at which a single person may live, in the same manner that a number are kept in a workhouse, or in a community of any sort, where the commodities are purchased at wholesale prices. Thus, if at any place, as at Gosport workhouse, the able-bodied paupers are clothed and fed better than most labouring men, at an expense of 2*. 6fi?. per head, allowing 6g?. for the retailer's profit, and 1*. for rent, the allowance to enable an out-door 254 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. of them children) consumed, in thirteen weeks, as much meat as 738 agricultural labourers are enabled to obtain in the same time by their labour. The following is the copy of the dietary of the poor-house of St. Mary's parish, Reading : — The Quantity of Food consumed daily by each Man. (In the House— No. 29.) Days of the Week Bread. Meat. Vegetables Cheese. Beer. Sunday « • • Monday. . . Tuesday , . Wednesday . Thursday , . Friday . . . Saturday . . Total . . lb. lb. 1 f 1 lb. 1 1 I lb. ozs. 3 4 3 4 3 4 4 Pints. 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2i 3 1 9 21 The diet for females and children is exactly the same, except that the beer is only ten pints and a half per week, instead of twenty-one. The child has its ten pints and a half of beer and its two pounds and a quarter of meat, and its seven pounds of bread, &c., weekly. In one of the parishes no meat whatever is allowed to the children, who nevertheless enjoy excellent health. In the course of an examination of one of the London workhouses, where an exces- sive allowance of meat is made, one of the young able-bodied paupers was asked whether they had a sufficient allowance of food ? His reply was that they had not. He was asked what quantity of meat would suffice ? He replied that he thought he could eat two pounds of meat a day. Having been bred up in a workhouse, with a stomach habituated in infancy to the diet of an pauper to live in the same manner would be 4s. per week. If the al- lowances in aid of wages are tried by this rule, it will be found that a large proportion of them are in error, to the extent of 1 00 per cent. I have found none that were in error less than about 20 per cent. The errors have not a little been fostered by the mischievous application of the word " poor " to independent or self-supporting labourers, as well as to idle and dependent paupers. The witnesses represent, that gentlemen, when endeavouring to determine what wages should be given to " the poor,'' have had the former class in view, when it was only the latter class which came within their province. Comparison of Workhouse and other Diets, 255 adult, it is scarcely surprising that, when he became an adult, he had a craving and a capacity for a much larger allowance of food. " But judge/' said a witness, '' what must be the effect of such a diet upon the child of an agricultural labourer, who has never been permitted to taste meat? " It appears, from all the evidence, as might be expected from classes whose range of mental pleasures is not enlarged by education, that they avail themselves of sen- sual gratifications with the greatest avidity, and that variations in diet exercise a most powerful influence over them. One ounce of meat a day more or less makes all the difference between a " good " and a " bad parish," or a parish that will be sought or avoided by the regular paupers. I have thought it advisable to avail myself of an opportunity of examining the correctness of the statement made by Mr. Mott with respect to the relative diet of convicts and paupers. I find that the convicts' superiority is understated. The fare and general condition of the independent labourers in the country about Gosport is stated in the evidence of Mr. Drouet already quoted. The following dietary of the Gosport workhouse is believed to be nearly as low as that of an independent la- bourer : — . 1 , 8 12 , 12 WOMEN. CHILDREN. lbs. oz. lbs. oz. . 4 3 . 3 6 . 111 . 7 . 7 11 . 5 6 . 10 8 . 71 5 3J pints 3 pints. . lOJ pints 7 pints, WEEKLY ALLOWANCE. MEN. lbs. oz. Bread . . . 5 Meat . Vegetables Pudding Cheese . . 10 Soup and Broth . 5 pints Gruel, or Milk Porridge 14 pints The following is the dietary of the Gosport house of correction, as stated in the Gaol Returns for 1831, p. 101 : — Gosport Bridewell and House of Correction. Best bread, daily H lb. . . weekly lOJ lbs. Meat weekly 1 Soup from ditto Potatoes weekly J gallon. By the warrant for the pay of the army, clause 13, it is pro- vided that — " Soldiers at home, when in barracks or in stationary quarters, shall be supplied with bread and meat after the rate of three- quarters of a pound of meat" — [i. e. uncooked] — '* and one pound of bread a day for each man, the cost thereof being paid by a stoppage not exceeding sixpence a day from the soldier s pay,; 256 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire, but if the cost of the bread and meat shall exceed sixpence, the excess shall be charged against the public." The following is a copy of the 21st article of the " Instructions to the Superintendent of Convicts in England," issued from the office of the Secretary of State for the Home Department : — " A daily allowance of provisions is to be issued to the convicts according to the following scheme of diet ; a copy of which is to be kept constantly hung up upon each deck, so that the convicts may always know what they are entitled to receive; — Daily Allowance to every Convict on BOARD Hulks IN England. Day of the Week. Barley. Oatmeal Bread. Beef. Cheese. Salt. Small Beer. Soft. Biscuit. Sunday . . , lbs. oz. 4 lbs. oz. 3 lbs. oz. 1 lbs. oz. 4 lbs. oz 14 oz. oz. Pints. Monday. . . 4 3 1 4 — 4 \ Tuesday . . 4 3 1 4 14 — h Wednesday . 4 3 1 4 — 4 h Thursday . . 4 3 1 4 14 — • h Friday . . . 4 3 1 4 — 4 h Saturday . , Each Convict 1 per Week . . J 4 3 1 4 14 — h 1'12 1 5 7 1 12 3 8 12 ^ 7 *' You are to use every possible means to prevent convicts from selling any part of their allowance one to another, or to any other person, and you are to be careful that no other than standard weights and measures are used." Here, within one small locality, we find the honest labourer the lowest in point of condition ; the indolent pauper the next step above him ; the refractory pauper, or the petty delinquent the next step above the pauper, and nearly approaching to the con- dition, in point of food, of the soldier ; and the convicted felon rising far above the soldier, the petty delinquent, the pauper, or the industrious labourer. But it appears to be true, as declared by the refractory paupers, who proclaim their independence of all regulation, that if they get themselves transported for some more grievous delinquency, that they will receive even better treatment. I was informed by witnesses in Berkshire that several of the agricultural labourers who had been transported for rioting had written home letters to their friends, stating that they had never Dietaries of Paupers, Prisoners, and Convicts, 257 before lived so well, and soliciting that their families might be sent over to them. I caused application to be made at the colonial office for the dietaries of the convicts abroad, when I received the following extract from the Hobart Town Calendar, for the year 1829, under the head of " Assigned Servants : " — " By a Government notice, lOJ lbs. of meat, 10|lbs. of flour, 7 oz. sugar, SJ oz. soap, and 2 oz. of salt, are laid down as the week's provision for an adult male servant ; the supply of tea or tobacco being discretionary. The master is also required to fur- nish his servant at the rate of two suits of slop-clothing, 3 pair of stock-keeper's boots, 4 shirts, and a cap or hat, per annum. Also the use of a bed, 2 blankets, and a rug; all which are the property of the master. These being supplied, the Government disapproves the supply of money to the prisoner, under any cir- cumstances. " Female convicts are allowed, upon the same authority, 5 Jibs, of meat, 8i lbs. of flour, 2 oz. of tea, J lb. sugar, 2 oz. soap, 1 J oz. salt, per week. The annual allowance of clothing being 1 cotton gown, 2 bed gowns, 3 shifts, 2 flannel petticoats, 2 stuff petticoats, 3 pair of shoes, 3 calico caps, 3 pair of stockings, 2 neckerchiefs, 3 check aprons, and a bonnet, riot exceeding in the whole cost 71. ; also a bed, as supplied to males." In the comparison of the dietaries, some allowances must be made for the want of completeness in the details, as to the strength of the beer and other liquids forming part of them ; but these are generally proportioned to the comparative magnitude of the allow- ances of solid food. The general effect of particular modes of living and gradation of dietaries may be best proved by the decla- rations and conduct of those who have tried them all. In consequence of the inquiries I have made on this subject, many of the inmates of the workhouses have been questioned as to their experience. Mr. Hewett, the master of the workhouse of St. Andrew's, Holborn, and St. George the Martyr, made separate and close inquiries of several of the paupers in that house who had been in various prisons, and workhouses, and on board the hulks. He has furnished me with several dietaries made up from the statements of the paupers, and I find that they correspond very accurately with the dietaries set forth in the official returns. From the statements and admissions of the paupers, it appeared that they usually knew to an ounce the dietaries of the metropo- litan prisons, and the hulks, and of many of the workhouses, of which some one amongst them had made trial. One of the s 258 Mr. Cliadwick's Report^London and Berkshire. paupers, named William Philby, a stout able-bodied man, (with" the exception that he had a club foot,) had been fifteen times in the House of Correction for various misdemeanours. He also acknowledged that he had received relief from the parishes of St. James, Clerkenwell ; Chelsea ; Bethnal Green ; St. Giles, Bloomsbury ; St. Dunstan, Fleet - street ; St. Andrew, Hol- born, above bars ; the Liberty of the Rolls ; Whitechapel ; St. Mary, Newington; St. Andrew, Saffron-hill; Kensington; and St. George, Southwark. He had resided in all these work- houses ; he had lived in one workhouse whilst he managed to get relief as an out- door pauper from others, and that too during the same week. He had also received " sets up," or grants of stated sums for stated periods, from the several parishes. He admitted that he had, at times, varied his occupation by stealing a little. One instance was mentioned, where, after he had been liberated from an imprisonment for stealing a gentleman's great-coat, he went to the owner, and as a favour offered to let him have his own coat back a bargain. This pauper, after having received relief fraudulently from St. George's parish, Southwark, during twelve years, was prosecuted by them, and his sentence was four months' imprisonment. This sentence, according to his own statement, transferred him from the workhouse, where, as an inmate on a low diet, the allowance was only 134 oz. of food weekly, to a place where the allowance was 230 oz. From the statements ,of these persons, it appeared that the average dietaries of the workhouses in the metropolis was about 170 oz. of solid food, whilst in prisons the dietaries were from 200 oz. to 280 oz. of solid food weekly. They admitted that the labour in the prisons was very often little more than '^ mere exercise ; " that they were always " very kindly" treated; but that, as they lived well enough in the workhouse, they preferred it, because they had more liberty there, and could get better society when they were out. " As to regular work," Philby said that he could at all times travel to any part of the country, and live better on the road than he could possibly do by hard labour. From the official returns it appears that nearly all the prison dietaries are twice as good as those of the agricultural labourers ; and that many of them are much better than the workhouse dietaries. Although the able-bodied pauper does not generally receive so much solid food as the soldier, (he sometimes re- ceives much more,) the pauper is on the whole better kept, much better lodged, and does less work. The soldiers receive brown bread of the sort sold in the metropolis to valetudina- rians as " digestive bread." In no workhouse have I found Condition of Soldier, Pauper, and Criminal. 259 the paupers supplied with other than white or wheaten bread ; nor have I been able to learn that brown bread is used in any of the prisons. Mr. Hewett states that the convicts have held up some of their white bread to the soldiers in derision, using such expressions as " Look here ! Brown Tommy " (the name of soldiers' bread) " is good enough for you, but it will not do for us." As white bread is supposed to go much farther than the brown, the allowances to paupers and convicts are in reality greater than they appear to be from the dietaries. The family of the pauper is much better kept than the family of the soldier. In very few poor-houses have I found any dis- tinction made between the diet of the males and females. In the great majority of the workhouses no distinction is made between the diet of the children and of the adults. From some of the official forms of contract for the transport of troops, it appears that females are allowed, sometimes, only one-lialf ; but, usually, two-thirds the quantity allowed to the males ; and that children are only allowed one-half the quantity of females. The latter, probably, approaches to the natural demand for food, and indi- cates the prevalent extent of waste in the parochial management of the workhouses *. In most of the prisons one fare is allowed to those who are suspected or unconvicted, and another fare to those who are convicted, the latter having a much larger allowance of better food ; usually on the ground that, as they work, or as they may be called upon to work, they need more food. But the work is declared to be much less than that of the agricultural labourer, and such as the prisoners do not care for as soon as they become used to it. The prison work is only ten hours a day : the agri- cultural labourer works, on an average, twelve hours a day. In one instance, a reduction of an expensive diet of prisoners was tried, but it was effected chiefly by the substitution of a diet a very large proportion of which was liquid, for the previous diets con- sisting chiefly of solids, and the consequences were injurious. The health appears, on the whole, to be better in those places * It is very rarely that any parish officer would venture to'enforce, or even to recommend, a reduction of these mischievous allowances. The workhouse- keeper of a large parish stated to me in evidence — " I once ordered one of the attendants on the paupers to pick up the crusts which he found lying about the dust and the places belonging to the females. In a few days he picked up about half a bushel of crusts which had been thrown away. I contrived that the guardians of the poor should see them, thinking it might suggest to them that the allowance was rather too high ; but it produced no effect, and I did not trouble myself again about the matter." s2 260 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire, where the diet is moderate, than in those where it is more abun- dant. Mr. Hewett states that the reduction of diet mentioned by him, which was a reduction from a diet consisting of 169 oz. of soHds weekly, to one of 134 oz,, was productive of no bad effects : the paupers maintained on the low diet were as well, if not better after than before the change ; and few of them, com- paratively to those who had been accustomed to live on a more full diet, suffered by the cholera. This witness and several others, in their evidence with relation to diet, call attention to the fact, that there are probably some millions of honest men in the three kingdoms by whom even brown bread is never used as food ; that the greater part of Scotland is fed with oatmeal, and that Ireland is fed with potatoes. And the witnesses ask, are Irishmen a puny race? Is the arm of the Highlander found weak ? Is the lesson still to be held out to the honest and independent labourers, that the food they are content with is not good enough for indolent and vicious paupers, or even for felons ? The following table, drawn chiefly from official returns, will show more clearly, at a view, the comparative condition of each class, as to food, from the honest and independent labourer, to the convicted and transported felon. For better comparison, the whole of the meat is calculated as cooked. Scale of Diet of different Classes. 261 THE SCALE. I. The Independent Aguiculturai. Labouker — According to the returns of Labourers' Expendi- ture, they are unable to get, in the shape of solid food, more than an rverage allowance of oz. Bread (daily) 17 oz. = per week. . 119 Bacon, per week . , . 4 oz. Loss in cooking , 1 „ Solid Food. — 3 122 oz. II. The Soldier — Bread (daily) 16 oz. = per week. . 112 Meat . . 12 . . . 84 oz. Loss in cooking . 28 „ -^ 56 168 III. The AiiLE-BODiED Pauper — Bread .... per week . . 98 Meat 31 oz. Loss in cooking . 10 „ — 21 Cheese 16 Pudding 16 151 In addition to the above, which is an average allow- ance, the inmates of most workhouses have — Vegetables , . 48 oz. Soup .... 3 quarts. Milk Porridge . . 3 „ Table Beer . . 7 „ and many other comforts. IV. The Suspected Thief — (See the Gaol Returns from Lancaster) Bread .... per week. . 112 Meat 24 oz. Loss in cooking . » 8 „ — 16 Oatmeal 40 Rice 5 Peas 4 Cheese 4 181 Winchester Bread .... per week.. 192 Meat 16 oz. Loss ill cooking. . 5 ,, 11 203 V The Convicted Thief — Bread .... per week,. 140 Meat 56 oz. Loss in cooking. , 18 „ — 38 Scotch Barley 28 Oatmeal 21 Cheese 12 239 VI. The Transported Thief — 104 lbs. meat per week = 168 oz. Loss in cooking . 56 „ — 112 10^ lbs, flour, which will increase, when made into bread , . . 218 330 262 Mr, Chadwick s Report — London and Berkshire. It is declared by the great majority of the witnesses, that any barriers which the vigilance, intelligence, and firmness of any parish officer may interpose between the indolent or the vicious, and the comforts which the present system of workhouse-manage- ment affords to the worst characters, are almost always broken down by the interference of the magistrates. It is only in one police estabhshment in the metropolis that the magistrates do not habitually interfere to order relief without reference to the cha- racter of the applicant. The chief clerk at the Mansion-House, when examined as to the practice of the city magistrates, was asked, " Do you order relief to known thieves if they apply for it ? — Yes, Sir, for we cannot let them starve !" " Do vou ever refuse to order relief to be given to prostitutes who declare they are in want of it ?— No, Sir ; can we let them starve because they are prostitutes?" Parish officers have, hot unfrequently, been reproved by magis- trates at other offices for not promptly reheving characters whom those same magistrates have repeatedly committed to prison for felonies and various offences. But the magisterial decisions which have fixed on the parishes such numbers of the cha- racters as those described in the evidence already quoted, ap- pear usually to have been foupded on the presumption, that calamitous consequences would ensue to the applicant from the refusal to make the order prayed for. Several magis- trates have stateci to me, that their position was really one often of great difficulty, from which they would willingly be extricated ; that they feared they did much mischief by their interference; but they also feared that they would occasion much more mis- chief by refusing to interfere. It will have been seen, from the pre- ceding portions of evidence, on what state of general knowledge of the means and condition of the labouring classes, wages are fre- quently determined, and adjudications made on questions as to the allowances in aid of wages. Much of the other evidence appears to prove, that the practice in the appeal to the magistrate against the decision of the parish officers, is not such as to put him in possession of the evidence which may exist in each case to rebut the presumption on which the interference is usually founded. An overseer or a parish officer is compelled to act on evidence of which he is himself commonly the percipient witness and sole depository ; evidence, which, though sometimes slight, amounts to cogent proof when unanswered by other evidence on the part of the claimant. But in the usual mode of procedure, the parish officer is made a defendant ; his testimony is shut out, and he is often treated as a delinquent, on the mere fact of the refusal to yield relief immediately that it has been applied for. Where Indiscriminate Relief- — Magisterial Interference. 263 magistrates have taken part in the proceedings of parochial boards, they have usually concurred in their decisions ; the con- currence being founded on similar knowledge of the facts, which in their position as members of the board was similarly presented to them. The following extract from the evidence of Mr. Waite, one of the parish officers of Whitechapel, with reference to the effects produced by the refusal of Mr. Walker, and the other magistrates of Lambeth-street, to interfere with the decisions of the parish, will, with the other subjoined evidence, serve to exemplify the general statements of the witnesses as to the inherent defects and mischiefs of the existing appeal to the magistrate. Mr. Waite, in speaking of some applications for relief made by known impostors, stated, that under the former system of that office — " If relief were not immediately granted to them, they went at once to Lambeth-street, which was close at hand, and they ob- tained summonses against the overseers to appear and show cause why they were not relieved. Summonses were usually given as a matter of course. One day I received fifteen summonses. An overseer cannot, usually, even in one case, get up evidence to disprove the statement of an applicant, however unworthy the character of that applicant may be, or however satisfactory may be the reasons which the parish officer has for rejecting the application. A large proportion of the applicants were well- known vagrants from other counties. How could we ascertain their past circumstances in order to disprove their statements be- fore the magistrates ? For although we might detect their impos- tures at the board, yet they always went before the magistrates prepared with their stories. Thus, in examining cases of vagrancy at the board, we often found that they gave false descriptions of their routes, and told such contradictory stories as proved that they were impostors. One frequent story with paupers pretending to have come up the road was, that they had that morning come from Chelmsford. I made inquiries about the local peculiarities of these places, and would ask the vagrants (if they said they came from Chelmsford), whether they came over any bridge from that town ? They frequently replied, that there was no bridge. There is one stone bridge and one wooden bridge at Chelmsford. We have asked them how many churches there were in Chelms- ford ? Sometimes they would say there was not one, and at other times they would guess it at two or three : the fact was, there was one church. By questions of this description we soon learned whether they were impostors or not. The impostor, when foiled at the board, went amongst the crowd of other vagrants, and was sure to find some one who knew the place, and gave him 264 Mr, Chachcick's Report — London and Berkshire, minute information. He immediately availed himself of the instrumentality of the magistrate, and obtained a summons against the parish officer for refusing to give relief. When before the magistrate, the applicant would be so perfect in his tale as to baffle any skill the parish officer might have, and would make out his case to the satisfaction of the magistrate. Usually they * explained' away the discrepancies of their previous 'stories, or stoutly denied that they had previously told the story reported by the parish officers. In order to have met them, it would have been requisite to have instructed a counsel in almost every case; and even then some of the well-practised vagrants were so acute, that I believe they would have baffled any counsel. I may adduce an instance, to show the aptitude of the vagrants and paupers in making use of information and getting up stories. One woman, named Mary Shave, the mother of a bastard child, being refused her 'pension,' went to the police-office and obtained a sum- mons ; whilst waiting at the office-door, she related her tale to the vagrants in waiting. When the case was called on, a woman made her appearance as Mary Shave. I thought she Avas not the woman whom I had seen before; I said, ' Are you Mary Shave?' '^Yes,' she said, 'she was the Mary Shave, who had the misfortune to be the mother of a natural child, and who had been ill used by the parish officers ;' and she made out a circum- stantial case clearly to the satisfaction of the magistrates, who ordered her relief, which was immediately given to her. Soon afterwards, the real Mary Shave appeared and substantiated her claim, and she was relieved. The other had made off w ith the money. " How much did the first or pretended Mary Shave obtain by the fraud committed before the magistrate?" — " \s. 6(i.'* " Could she have had a larger sum in prospect ?" — " Not more than 2^. 6d" ^' A few minutes after the second or real Mary Shave had been paid, a third woman made her appearance for the first time, and begged an order for relief from the magistrate; she said her name too was Mary Shave ; she was the mother of the original Mary Shave ; and she too, on making a good story, obtained re- lief, having been incited by the ease with which her daughter had succeeded. The entry of this last woman's character is in the following terms : — ' Mary Shave, the mother ; a widow aged 36, a notorious impostor ; receives from several other parishes, and finds out every charitable institution, and has two children left in the workhouse ; she was sent to Clerkenwell by the for- mer overseer.' Mary Shave, the daughter, was an able-bodied woman, but a bad character, and had been dismissed by the Examples of Magistrates' Practice. 265 magistrates several times, until she had a bastard child, and then she fixed herself upon the parish. These I deduce as instances of the sort of impositions which, though detected and defeated before the board, unavoidably succeeded before the magistrates. These characters, males and females, at the office doors were often so clamorous and desperate, that it became necessary to let me out from the police office by the private door. I have been pursued by them through the streets, and obliged to seek shelter in shops. During twenty-seven years at sea, I encoun- tered many perils in the waves, but these never hurt my mind so much as apparent perils amongst paupers. Had this system gone on, the expenses of our parish must have materially in- creased, notwithstanding the utmost labour that I or any other officer could have bestowed*. * Mr. Serjeant, assistant-overseer of St. Paul's, Shadwell, a parish in an adjacent police district, was asked — " You consider that the decision of the select vestry in matters of relief ought not to be final?' — "I decidedly disapprove of the practice adopted at Larabeth-strcet, of leaving the poor to the mercy of the parish officers." " How many cases have occurred during the last year, in which you may have refused relief to applicants, on the ground of their being bad characters, being drunken or undeserving, or, as you believed, not in real want?" — " Perhaps about thirty.'' " Were those refusals grounded on a complete knowledge of the characters and circumstances of the applicants ?"' — " Yes." " You only refuse in very flagrant cases, and do so in perfect assurance, from the evidence you have before you, that no mischiefs would result from the refusal ?"— " Yes." " Can you give an instance ?" — " Some days ago a coal-heaver, named Joseph Somers, applied for relief for himself and his family. I refused it, on the ground that he was in work, and was a general drunken character.'' "What was your evidence that he was in work?" — "I had seen him coming home almost every night with the fresh coal-dust upon his face, and with his pipe in his mouth, and frequently reeling under the influence of liquor.'' " Did you state your ground of refusal to the magistrate ?" — " Yes, I did ; and that he was a drunken, dissipated character." " What did the magistrate say to this case ?" — " He told me to relieve the wife and family ; and that if I could prove that the husband was at work, a warrant would be granted against him, to show cause why he would not support his family." " Did you relieve this family ?" — " Oh yes." " Did you attempt to obtain technical evidence of the man's being at work ?" — "How was I to do this, Sir? A coal-heaver works one day on one vessel and one day on another. It would be impossible for me to ascertain what part of the river he was at work at, or what he earned, or to get the people t^^ come to prove it.'' *' When you say it was impossible, do you mean that it was impossible without an extent of labour which would make the proof cost more than the amount of relief given ?" — " No, Sir ; simply that it was absolutely impos- sible," 266 Mr. ChadwicFs Report — London and Berkshire. " Fortunately for our parish, and probably for the other parishes in the district, a different system was soon after adopted at Lam- beth-street police-office. The parochial business of the office being left to Mr. Walker, and he having determined not to receive " Is this a specimen of all the other cases in which reUef was refused by you ?" — " Yes." " Were the decisions of the magistrates similar in the other cases ?" — *' Yes ; they are nearly the same.'' "In the case you have instanced, you would have deemed the evidence of the man's being at work such as you could act upon with safety ?" — " Cer- tainly." " If such technical evidence is required before a parish officer could be en^ titled to refuse relief, would relief be often refused ?" — " Certainly not with those characters." " How many persons have served office as overseers since you have been in office?" — " About sixteen." " Of these, how many did you consider were men harshly disposed towards the poor ?'" — "I scarcely believe that there was one. In general, their fault was a disposition to excessive liberality or over-indulgence." " Do you say that they would not have been so disposed, any of them, after the service of their office ? after they had become conversant with the characters of the paupers ?" — " Certainly not." " Do you then think that they would neither allow their annual officers to act with undue severity towards the poor, nor use any themselves, whatever might be their interest in keeping down the rates ?" — " I think they would not." *• Would you expect, in a similar parish, where the annual officers were similarly elected, officers much of the same character as your own ?" — " Yes." "In the instance you have mentioned as an example of some of the cases you have had before the magistrates, was your knowledge and investigation rendered useless ?" — " Yes." " The appeal in those instances then is, according to your statement, an appeal from a person who has the best evidence or knowledge which the nature of the case will allow, to a person who has less knowledge, or no know- ledge whatever, of the facts (further than the claimant's own statement), and to whom better evidence cannot be given ?'' — " That is a correct statement of the fact." " Such appeals therefore must, of necessity, be decided by the magistrates without the knowledge of the best evidence of which the case will admit, and therefore probably in many instances erroneously?" — "Certainly; and the only protection is in giving the paupers work, which, neither in our parish nor in others similarly situated, can be got in sufficient quantity." " If, then, a board of unpaid officers, elected by the inhabitants, which board was formed, as it necessarily would be, of persons of the character you describe, ' disposed to excessive liberality or over-indulgence, rather than undue severity,' ' whatever might be their interest in keeping down the rates,' were empowered to superintend the general administration of the relief in the parish, and hear and finally decide on the appeals from the decisions of permanent officers such as you describe, do you think it would be an im- provement in the administration of relief ?" — "Certainly it would, as they would have better knowledge, and I am sure would act justly and correctly towards the poor, without thinking of the rates. Such persons never do take the rates into consideration in particular cases. If such a controlling body Salutary Effect of tvifhdrawing Appeal to Magistrates. 267 any appeals from the decisions of the parish officers, who were the best acquainted with the circumstances of the paupers, we got rid of a number of this sort of cases^ when we found that they were cases of imposture. "Had you any riots or any disturbances, when the poor were thus left wholly at the mercy of the parish officers?" — "No; not so many riots by far as we had before the alteration. Formerly the paupers of the worst class were accustomed to swear at us when we refused them relief, and would say that they would have us before our masters and compel us to relieve them. I had my win- dows broken several times, and was constantly threatened and annoyed at my doors. Since the appeal to the magistrates is altered, we find the parish materially benefited, and that there is less bad behaviour on the part of the paupers." " Did the independent people of the labouring classes — these who might become chargeable — manifest any sympathy with the paupers, or evince any disposition to rise for their pro- tection ? " — " None whatever : they appeared to be perfectly satisfied with the proceedings of the parish officers. I received more praise from independent labourers than from any other classes." " From the experience of the change made in your parish, do you believe that such a change might be made without danger in the general administration of the poor laws, and the decision of a select vestry made final throughout the kingdom ?" — " Judging from our own experience, and from my observations of other town parishes, I have no doubt whatever that the alteration might be made without the slightest danger in towns, but my knowledge of the agricultural districts is not such as to enable me to say what might be the result of the alteration in those districts ; though the course taken by some of the country magistrates as shown in their decisions certainly appears to me most extraordinary." " Did charges of oppression, of cruelty, or hard-heartedness, increase when the final decision was left with the board of parish officers ?" — " No : on the contrary, they decreased." " Did the paupers go in the way of appeal to the independent and labouring classes?" — "No: or if they did go, the indepen- dent labourers paid no attention to them, for we rarely or never heard any complaints from them of the pauper's treatment. They did not interest themselves in it." were established, I think the interference of the magistrates might be very beneficially removed, for the deserving poor would get better treated, whilst the drunken, dissolute characters, to whom we are now compelled to give relief, would not be fastened upon the parish in such numbers. The magis- trates now order relief without any reference to character." 268 Mr. Chadw tele's Report — LrMdon and Berkshire. "Were not those complaints from the independent labourers more frequent after than before the alteration ?" — " No : the com- plaints of all sorts were less than before, as it was notorious that the parish generally was in a better state. We had much less crime in the parish, though the New Police (which I think one of the greatest improvements ever established) has, no doubt, greatly contributed to this : but still the old system attracted vagabonds to the parish, who have now left, us, and kept many in idleness, which led to pilfering. Some of these people I now see at work in the parish ; the change, I am sure, has benefited the people themselves, for they would commonly spend two or three hours to get a sixpence in charity rather than give an hour's labour to obtain the same sixpence." " What number of undeserving cases did you get rid of in con- sequence of this alteration and of your investigations?" — '* About one hundred and fifty, as an immediate consequence of this alteration, but, altogether, including the clearing of the work- house, (with which the magistrates had nothhig to do,) we got rid of about five hundred in the course of two years." Similar testimony as to the effect of the change of system was given from nearly every other parish within the district, except those in which, as the vigilance of the parish officers presents no barrier, no magisterial interference is required by the pauper, and the change produces no effect. A memorial from the parish officers and inhabitants of Christchurch, Spitalfields, praying that that parish may be included in the Lambeth-street office district, has been prepared for presentation to his Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department ; and in consequence of its being under- stood to be in contemplation to remove the Lambeth-street police- office altogether, a memorial has been presented from the parish officers of Whitechapel, praying that the removal may not be made, as the district would thereby be deprived of the advantages which the change of system has secured to it. Whilst it is borne in mind that every penny unnecessarily spent on the pauper operates as a bounty on imposture and crime, and a discouragement to industry, forethought, and fruga- lity, the evidence with relation to other positive obstacles created by the administration of the poor-laws to the growth and exercise of these virtues should be taken into account. More evidence has been presented to me on this head than I have been able to record. The following copy of an examination will give a con- ception of its nature. Mr. William Hickson, senior, (of Hickson and Sons, wholesale shoe -warehouse, Smithfield,) stated — ]^ MiscJiievous operation of Poor Laws on Labour. 269 ^^As a manufacturer at Northampton, as a tradesman employ- ing workmen in London, and as the owner of some land at Stans- ford, in Kent, I have had various opportunities of observing the operation of the poor-laws. " The general effect of the present system is, to stop the circulation of labour, and to prevent forethought. I find that whenever workmen are out of work, they will not shift to places where work might be got, for fear of losing their parishes. In this parish, I am one of the Board for the management of the poor. If, when shoemakers have applied for relief, and stated as the ground that they have no work, I have told them that they might get work at Northampton, they have objected on the crround that the wagfes were low there : in fact, I have found that it is the parochial relief which holds them here ; for I knew at the same time that good work was to be had at Northampton. The present system makes them believe that, when their own supply of work is interrupted, the parish officers are bound to find work for them or give them relief ; and that no one is obliged or ought to leave his parish in search of work. If the other parish officers, instead of giving money, had joined with me in offer- ing to take such men into the house, they would have gone for work elsewhere, and got it. One of the men who applied was what was called a *don workman,' who would have en- sured work anywhere, as he had worked for the first houses in London. Then the settlement law operates in another way to impede the circulation of labour. If workmen sent to Northamp- ton do not immediately get into work, not having been accus- tomed to provide against such a contingency, the law relieving them from the obligation of forethought, they are at once hurried back to their own parishes by passes. Some time ago a panic took place, by which the shoe manufactories were stopped, and a great number of the men thrown out of work. These men, havino- saved nothing, were compelled to apply to the parishes. The parish officers there immediately passed them home to their parishes in different and distant parts of the country. The fur- niture of numbers of workmen was sold, and they with their families were transported to their own parishes, some of them on the borders of Wales. Soon after they were sent away the trade revived, and was remarkably brisk, and the labour of these work- men was wanted. Many of them who had been mischievously sent away at the parish expense were now brought back at the parish expense. If these persons had been entitled to relief at the spot where it was wanted, a great deal of money would have been saved, and the workmen also would have been spared much misery. 270 Mr, Chadwick's RejJort — London and Berkshire. •^^The check to the circulation of agricultural labour is too notorious to be talked of. The case of a man who has worked for me will show the effect of the parish system in preventing frugal habits. This is a hard-working industrious man, named William Williams. He is married, and had saved some money, to the amount of about seventy pounds, and had two cows ; he had also a sow and ten pigs. He had got a cottage well furnished ; he was the member of a Benefit Club at Meopham, from which he received 8s. a-week when he was ill. He was beginning to learn to read and write, and sent his children to the Sunday School. He had a legacy of about 46/., but he got his other money together by saving from his fair wages as a waggoner. Some circumstances occurred which obliged me to part with him. The consequence of this labouring man having been frugal and saved money, and got the cows, was, that no one would employ him, although his superior character as a workman was well known in the parish. He told me at the time I was obliged to part with him, — * Whilst I have these things, I shall get no work. I must part with them all. I must be reduced to a state of beg- gary before any one will employ me.' I was compelled to part with him at Michaelmas — he has not yet got work, and he has no chance of getting any until he has become a pauper; for until then, the paupers will be preferred to him. He cannot get work in his own parish, and he will not be allowed to get any in other parishes. Another instance of the same kind occurred amongst my workmen. Thomas Hardy, the brother-in-law of the same man, was an excellent workman, discharged under similar circumstances; he has a very industrious wife. They have got two cows, a well-furnished cottage, and a pig, and fowls. Now he cannot get work because he has property. The pauper will be preferred to him ; and he can only qualify himself for it by be- coming a pauper. If he attempts to get work elsewhere, he is told that they do not want to fix him on the parish. Both these are fine young men, and as excellent labourers as I could wish to have. The latter labouring man mentioned another instance of a labouring man in another parish (Henstead) who had once had more property than he, but was obliged to consume it all, and is now working on the roads. " Such an instance as that of William Williams is enough to demoralize a whole district. I say, myself, that the labouring man who saves where such an abominable system prevails, is foolish in doing so. What must be the natural effect of such a case on the mind of the labouring man ? Will he not say to him- self, why should I save ? Why should I diminish my present scanty enjoyments, or lay by anything on the chance of ray continuing with my present master, when he may die, or the Present System checks the Circulation of Labour. 271 means of employment fail him^ when my store will be scattered to waste, and I shall again be made a pauper like William Williams, before I can be allowed to work for my living ? This system, so far as relates to the circulation of labour, I am firmly persuaded, can only be put an end to by utterly abolishing the law of settlement, and establishing a uniform national rate, so as to allow a man to be relieved at the place where he is in want, instead of his being pinned to the soil." The above are instances where the labourers would gladly have removed if they could before they became paupers ; but in the evidence there is another and more numerous class of cases, where the Agricultural labourers would not remove if they could. The Rev. R. R. Bailey, Chaplain to the Tower, who has had extensive opportunities of observing the operation of the poor-laws in the rural districts, states, — "I consider that the present law of settlement renders the peasant, to all intents and purposes, a bondsman ; he is chained to the soil by the operation of the system, and it forbids his acquiring property, or enjoying it openly or honestly. I am of opinion that manage- ment by hundreds, instead of by parishes, would greatly benefit all classes. Very frequent instances have occurred to me of one parish being full of labourers, and suffering greatly from want of employment, whilst in another adjacent parish there is a demand for labour. I have no doubt that if the labourers were-freed from their present trammels, there would be such a circulation of labour as would relieve the agricultural districts." Can you give any instances within your own knowledge of the operation of the existing law of settlement? — " I was requested by Colonel Bogson, Kesgrove House, to furnish him with a farming bailiff. I found a man in all respects qualified for his situation ; he was working at 9s. a week in the parish where I lived. The man was not encumbered by a family, and he thankfully accepted my offer ; the situation was, in point of emolument and comfort and station, a considerable advance ; his advantages would have been doubled. In about a week he altered his mind, and declined the situation, in consequence, as I understood, of his fearing to remove from what was considered a good parish to a bad one, the parish to which it was proposed to remove him being con- nected with a hundred house, in which there is more strict management. I was requested by a poor man, whom I respected, to find a situation for his son in London : the son was a strong young man, working at that time at about eight shillings a week : I eventually succeeded in getting him a good situation of one guinea per week, in London, where his labour would have been much less than it was in the country ; but when tlie period arrived 27*2 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. at which he was expected in London, he was not forthcoming. It appeared he had altered his mind, and determined not to take the place ; as I understood, his reason for refusing to accept it arose from a reluctance to endanger his settlement in his parish. Such are the instances which are continually presented to my observation, with respect to the operation of the present system of settlement." " I am certain that the poor labourers of those parishes with which I have been connected in the country are fully aware that it is not their interest to advance their condition by the acquisition of property. I once congratulated my bailiff on the prospect of his inheriting, by his wife, a little real property; he replied, 'It would be of no use to me, sir ; for I should be less able to get employment, and could obtain no relief until it was all spent.' When the gentlemen and clei-gy in the neighbourhood of Ilenly contemplated the establishment of a savings-bank in their neigh- bourhood, I thought it my duty to address the young men on the subject, after morning service, and urge upon them the propriety of saving for their protection against the contingencies of sickness and old age. They listened to me very attentively. One or two persons asked me whether I honestly thought it would not be for the benefit of the parish more than themselves if they saved ? I was startled by the inquiry, but, on consideration, I found that I really could not state that it would be for their benefit to save. The decided conviction of the whole body of the labourers was that any saving would be for the benefit of the parish and the farmers, and not for the benefit of the individuals saving." In nearly every parish where bodies of Irish labourers are located, the evidence as to the cause of their location is of the following tenor : — Mr. Joseph Whittle, one of the guardians of the poor and over- seers of the poor, ni the parish of Christchurch, Spitalfields, stated — ''In our parish it is a very rare thing to find any labouring men working for less than twelve shillings a week : indeed, the average rate of wages throughout the year is not less than from fifteen to twenty shillings a week. A man could not be obtained to work job work at less than three shillings a day. Are there many Irish labourers in the parish ? — Yes ; there is a great proportion of them, and especially about Spitalfields Market." Do they usually receive the averao^e wages vou mention ? — "Yes; they do." ^ ^ ^ Why are English labourers not employed — or why are Irish labourers preferred ?^'' Because English labourers are not to be Irish Labourers employed instead of English. 273 had for love or money to perform the labour. I am sure, from my knowledge of the circumstances of the place and the employment, that there is not a sufficient supply of English labourers to take the work at any such wages. I believe the wages must be doubled to attract a sufficient supply of English labourers from other sources in the metropolis." Are you not aware that, within a day's walk from any part of the metropolis, there are to be found English labourers working as hard, or much harder than any other class of workmen, for wages of about one-half the amount of those received by the labourers in the metropolis ? — ^' Yes; I am acquainted with all the agricultural districts within twenty miles round the metropolis, and I know that is the case." Why do not whatever superabundant labourers there may be in those parishes, remove and avail themselves of the demand for labour now supplied by Irishmen ? — " Thousands of instances may be given, where the labourers will not stir for fear of losing their parishes. I think the law of settlement is the great means of keep- ing the English labourers confined to their parishes. It appears to them to be like running away from their heirlooms, or their free- holds. I am sure, from my own knowledge of the Whitechapel and other adjacent parishes, that there are not enough of English la- bourers to be had for such wages to perform the labour. Seven-tenths of the cases of alleged distress relieved are cases of imposture." Mr. T. J. Holland, some time vestry-clerk of Bermondsey, stated, — " There are great numbers of Irishmen employed in our parish ; but they are only employed because English labourers cannot be got to do the same work for the same wages." And what sort of wages are those ? — " Not less than from ten to fifteen shillings a week. An English labourer might live upon this. But English labourers would have more wages, if they were to be had for the work, because they are worth more. I have heard a saying amongst the employers of these labourers, that an Irishman must always have his master over him. An English labourer does not require so much superintendence." Why is it that, in your district, the English labourers have not taken the employment ? — " I fear that the facility of obtaining parochial relief indisposes them to exert themselves or seek about to procure employment, or to take the labour which is given to the Irish." Several witnesses state that the average wages of a labourer in the metropolis are not less than eighteen shillings a week, and that Irishmen obtain these wages under such circumstances as those stated. Some divisions of labour are now occupied exclu- T 274 Mr, ChadwicUs Report — London and Berkshire. sively "by Irish labourers^ chiefly from custom and from the first demands having been supplied by their predecessors. And it is feared by witnesses conversant with labour markets, that whenever new demands for labour arise, they will occasion the location of additional numbers of this class of labourers. Mr. Huish states, that, " unless an alteration of the English poor-law takes place, I fear that the Irish labourers will obtain a more extensive footing in England than they now have : indeed, they will be sure to do so, because the present system keeps the English labourers shut up in their parishes." The foregoing evidence displays some of the corrupting circum- stances operating on the classes by whom relief is received. The following examination is exemplificative of the corruption of those by w^hom relief is administered : — Mr. Wm. Hickson, jun., of the firm of Hickson and Sons, whole- sale shoe-warehouse, Smithfield. " On Tuesday, Dec. 23d, 1828, two persons came into the shop, and asked to see some shoes, and gave an order. They represented that they were parish officers of St. Leonard, Shoreditch. They then fitted on four pairs of shoes, of a superior quality, for themselves ; the wholesale price of these shoes was 6*. 6o?., each pair, the retail price was 7s. 6d. It is a custom in the trade, when any agent or other person gives a whole- sale order, to allow him to have shoes for himself at the wholesale price. Thus when we have received an order from a merchant, we allow the clerk who brings the order, if he wants to purchase anything for himself, to have the benefit of the wholesale price. The parish officers, however, in this instance, told me that I was to charge eighteen pairs of shoes instead of twelve (the number to be delivered), and that the money to be obtained for the six pairs not sent in was to cover us for the four pairs of the better sort of shoes supplied to them. I was very much surprised at this pro- posal, and I requested them repeatedly to state the manner in which the goods were to be sent in, and how they were to be en- tered, when they gave me instructions." Was all this done in an ordinary business way, as if such a mode of dealing were familiar to them? — "Quite so, to one of them especially." And you sent in the goods ? — " Yes. I made the following entry of the transaction in the day-book ^ — St. Leonard, Shoreditch. Dr. 1 8 Pairs men's shoes, at 45. . . £3 12 36 Ditto women's, at 3^. 2d. , . 5 14 £9 6 Corrupt Practices of Parish' Officers* 275 12 Pairs of men's shoes sent instead of 18, and four pairs ef best wax fitted on the two churchwardens or overseers, who instructed us to charge 18 pairs, instead of 12, to cover us for the 4 pairs. W. E. HiCKSON, " We then sent information of the fact to one of the members of the board, that he might take such steps upon the matter as he thought necessary." Have you any reason to believe that such transactions have been or are common in other parishes, in the supply of goods on account of the parish ? — " In some parishes we believe they are common. We have supplied many other parishes in which similar irregula- rities have never occurred. In one instance, an overseer came to us, and promised us a large order for the parish, if we would allow him a commission of two and a half per cent, which we declined." Was this offer made in an ordinary manner ? — " Yes, he ap- peared to consider it as a fair mode of trade. We had another instance, in which we supplied about a hundred pairs of shoes, not to a parish, but for a charity-school. The treasurer of that school ordered these shoes to be sent in to a small shoemaker, who sent them in to the school as from himself. We afterwards heard that he had charged a profit of a shilling a pair on these shoeSjWith the knowledge of the treasurer of the charity.'* Was this transaction conducted in a clandestine manner by the treasurer of the charity ? — " No ; he stated his object to be to serve this tradesman, and that to do this he gave the order to him." Have you any reason to believe that this is a common mode of persons in such situations serving friends who are tradesmen ? — *• Yes, I believe it is very common. It is not in such instances as these usually done from what are called mercenary motives, but they think they are justified in serving their friends at the expense of those unknown people, the public. On the other hand, I have seen instances where grievous sacrifices of personal interests have been made by parish officers to enable them to perform their duties properly. The remedy for these things would be, to place the administration of parochial money in paid responsible agents. From our observation as tradesmen, having had to do with many cases of bankruptcy, we can state (whatever attorneys may state), that the greatest benefits have resulted from taking the adminis- tration of bankrupts' effects out of the hands of tradesmen, who lost immense sums by jobbing, but more generally by neglect, and employing official assignees. I cannot speak as to the general con- stitution of the Bankruptcy Court, but I think that this appoint- ment of respectable people, whose express business it is to attend to the administration of bankruptcy effects, is one of the best things that Lord Brougham has done for the country. I have no doubt t2 276 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. that similar results would follow from the appointment of respect- able and responsible persons to administer parochial affairs." Whilst parish officers are subjected to various descriptions of temptations in the performance of their duty, they have also an- other class of interests — the interest in obtaining popularity — to contend with. Mr. Crook, the parish officer of St. Clement Danes, stated that, "at present, a tradesman is often liable to injury if he administers relief impartially. I may state an instance of this : Mr. Rex, the keeper of a spirit-shop in Clare-street, Clare-market, served the officer of overseer : during that service he found, amongst the applicants for relief, many of his own customers, who were drunken and dissipated. He censured them for their profligate habits and the indulgence in spirituous liquors. He was ruined in his business; in consequence, as it was considered, of this mode of conducting himself as an overseer." Mr. Richard Gregory, in his evidence, details some of the cir- cumstances which, in the town parishes, commonly govern the choice of the permanent and annual officers to whom the difficult task of administering the poor-laws is confided : — Have you considered of any measures or proposed any for arrest- ing the progress of relief? — " In the first place, I am sure that no improvement can take place in the administration of the poor-laws so long as it is left to parishes, or to such persons as the present unpaid annual officers. These officers have not, and never can have, the requisite ability; nor will they sacrifice their own time and interests to attend to the affairs of others. It is a thing morally impossible to have clever and able men willingly devote their time to the performance of such public duties without pay." Might not paid and responsible officers be elected by the pa- rishioners ? — " No ; I think you would never get such offices well filled unless it was by accident. The people have no conception of what sort of men are requisite to perform properly the duties of a parish officer." — If such a situation were vacant, what sort of a man would apply for it ? ''Why, some decayed tradesman ; some man who had got a very large family, and had been 'unfortunate in busi- ness,' which, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, means a man who has not had prudence or capacity to manage his own affairs ; and this circumstance is usually successful in any canvass for a parish situation to manage the affairs of the public. Men who have before been in office for the parish would obtain a preference." — And what sort of men are those who would be likely to be at liberty to accept a vacant situation ? *' The situations of overseer and churchwarden are by some considered situations of dignity ; and dignity always attracts fools. I have known numbers of small tradesmen who were attracted by ' the dignity of the office,' and Appointment of Permanent Officers. 277 succeeded in getting made overseers and churchwardens. Their elevation was their downfall. They have not given their minds to their own business as before. The consequence of this was that they have lost their business and have been ruined. Now and then a good man of business will be desirous of taking office when he thinks he is slighted, or has had an affront put upon him by being overlooked ; but in general, any man in decent business must know, if he has the brains of a goose, that it will be much better for him, in a pecuniary point of view, to pay the fine than serve. I could name from fifteen to twenty people in our parish, who have been entirely ruined by being made churchwardens. Those would be the people who would succeed best in parochial or district elections ; for the people would say of any one of them, ' Poor man, he has ruined himself by serving a parish office, and the only recompense we can give him is to put him into a paid office.' This always has been the general course of parish elections, and I have no doubt would always continue to be so. There is infinitely more favouritism in parish appointments than in govern- ment appointments. In appointments by the government there is frequently some notion of fitness ; but in the case of parish ap- pointments, fitness is out of the question. When I was the trea- surer of the watch department of the parish, I took great interest in the management of the police of the district, and determined to make it efficient. You would conceive that the inhabitants would have been so guided by their own apparent interests, as to get active men appointed, but I had solicitations from some of the first and most respectable houses in the parish to take their old and decayed servants and put them on the watch. I had also applications from the parish officers to put men upon the watch who were in the workhouse. As I was determined to make the police efficient, I resolutely resisted all these applications. My opinion is, that the management should be entirely under a central authority, which should divide the country into districts. The whole of the county of Middlesex, including the city of London, should be in- cluded in one district. If there had been a government manage- ment, the abominable practice of making allowances in aid of wages, which together with the improper interference of the magis- trates has been so ruinous in the parishes of Bethnal Green, and Christchurch, Spitalfields, would never have been permitted. We should never have had, as we have had, silk masters, who have made rapid fortunes by giving their men low wages, and driving them on the parish for the rest of their means of subsistence." Such being the frequent character of the appointments even to permanent offices, the following are exemplifications of the 278 Mr. ChadwicFs Report^-Lmdon and Berkshire, qualifications, in activity, acuteness, especial knowledge, and firm* ness, requisite for the dispensation of relief to the poor under the present system. Mr. Brushfield, a tradesman, residing in Spitalfields, and one of the parish officers of Christchurch, Spitalfields, states : — '* The first day I was in active office (25th March, 1831), a woman named Kitty Daley came to me for relief on account of the illness of her child — she came without her child. I knew this case, as the doctor had said something ought to be given to her, on account of the child being ill of the small-pox. I gave her sixpence, to serve until I had an opportunity of visiting her. In the course of the day, between the hours of ten and two o'clock, about forty or fifty applications were made to me for relief. Usually it is the practice of the parish officers to give away money on the representation and the appearance of the parties ; indeed it is scarcely possible for a tradesman, who has a retail shop, to avoid giving away considerable sums of money ; as the applicants excite the sympathy of his customers, and if he does not comply with their demands^ they (the paupers) may and do raise mischievous tumults, and injure his business by their clamours and obstructions. They did injure my business in this way, and must injure the business of any man who does his duty. However, I determined to give no relief on the mere representations of the parties. I therefore took down the names and addresses of the applicants for the purpose of visiting their residences. In the course of the forenoon three women came to request relief, and each brought in her arms a child, which she said had the small-pox. The child was muffled up very carefully. One woman showed me the arm of the child ; the other showed me the face of the child which she had ; the third gave me a glance of the face of the child which she had. It appeared to me strange that there was so much small-pox about ; but when I saw the face of this third child it immediately struck me as being the same child that had been shown to me before, though it was now in a different dress. On visiting the places where the parties said they resided, it was found that about one-third of their statements of residence were falsehoods ; no such persons were to be found. The names of some on the list were immediately recognised by the beadle as ' overseer-hunters/ — persons who make it their business to seek out and impose upon new overseers. Ultimate relief was not given to more than about twenty ; the remainder, after much exertion (which had never been undertaken before), having been ascertained to be cases of imposition. Few tradesmen who had the inclination would have had the time to go through the same investigation, which, I dare Impositions of Applicants, 279 say, was even then very imperfect. I found nowhere the three mothers who had each come with the infant afflicted with the small-pox; but on visiting the residence of Kitty Daley, there I found the very same infant I had last seen, and it was dressed in the same dress. She did not deny the fact, that it was the same child that had been brought that morning in three different dresses by three different women. I accordingly gave her no relief. " Subsequently I pursued my investigations into the cases of other applicants for relief, and struck off many cases of fraud. '< My general mode of investigation was, not to make inquiries elsewhere, but to visit the residences of those persons I suspected (which, by the way, was most of the paupers) first on the Satur- day, and next on the Sunday. On Saturday they expect us, and I had generally some cause to doubt the appearance of their dwellings on that day. In general, those who wished to impose upon us over-coloured the picture, and certainly the pictures they drew were often very appalling. One Saturday one of the churchwardens accompanied me, and we visited ten places : the scenes of distress were quite frightful ; there were two cases which appeared to be cases of extreme misery. In one house, that of a man named Bag, a man with a wooden leg, residing in Pelham Street, we found him there sitting as if sunk in despair ; he said he had no work, and had had no food that day, or since the evening before. His wife was afflicted with a bad leg ; she was in bed, and stated that she had not been able to get out of bed for six weeks. The room was in a miserable plight, dirty and wretched. I looked into the cupboard and found no provisions there ; the appearance of the place was such, that the church- warden could not forbear giving the man some pecuniary relief at once. The other case was one of a man named Ansler, of Red Lion Street, who had for some time before been chargeable to the parish as an out-pauper ; we found the appearance of the place most deplorable. There was no appearance of food or comfort, and the children were ragged, dirty, squalid, and wretched. I told the wife to tell the husband to apply to me for relief in the evening, when I would give him relief, as I intended to do, being fully convinced of the necessity by the extreme misery which I had witnessed. The husband and wife came together to my house in the evening ; I expressed my regret that they should be obliged to come to the parish, and asked if the husband had no prospect of getting work; he declared he had neither work nor any prospect of getting any at present. I judged by his appearance that he had been drinking, and said, — ' Well^ call upon me in the morning, and I 280 Mr. Chadwick's Report^^London and Berkshire. will see what I can do for you.' They said they were very much obliged to me^ and went away, apparently quite pleased, although according to their representations they were absolutely in a state of starvation. " On the Sunday morning, I renewed my visits to most of those whose residences I had visited on the afternoon previous. The first case I visited was that of this man Ansler : I went at about nine o'clock in the morning ; I opened the door, and then knocked, when I found they were in bed. I saw the wife jump out of bed, and in great haste she ran to a table which was standing in the middle of the room, and covered it over with a cloth ; but in her haste to get away and in her confusion, she pulled the covering off, and exposed to my view — a large piece of beef, a piece of mutton, and parcels of tea, sugar, bread, butter, &c. The man called from the bed, ' B — — t 'em, never mind them ; you know they belong to your father.' I told them that was enough, and imme- diately left the place : they have never applied to the parish for relief since. " When I visited the house of Bag, I found Mrs. Bag out of bed and at her breakfast ; she had her tea and he had his coffee ; I saw a neck of mutton on one shelf, and two loaves on another shelf of the cupboard, which was empty on the day before. I went into his workshop (he was a silk-dresser), which I found full of work. The man swore horribly, and I left the place : I do not know that he ever again applied to the parish. *' My impression now is, that nearly the whole of the cases which we had visited on the Saturday were found to be each partially or entirely similar cases of imposition. This man Bag must have concealed his work under his bed, and idled away the whole of the Saturday in order to make up the miserable scene which we first witnessed. In some other instances we have found the pro- visions actually concealed between the sheets or blankets of their beds. Such instances were frequently presented on other visits. I found it necessary in entering their dwellings, and in going up any common staircase, not to make the least noise, — to approach them by stealth, or the scrutiny would have been defeated. I think in all cases where the door was fastened the parties were impostors. At those places where the door was fastened, it was necessary to kick very gently at the bottom of the door — as if it were a child at the door. A knock or a tap as from a man would have been the signal for preparation or disguise. In one recent visit made to a number of applicants, every one was found to be a case of imposition. It is quite common to find the applicants full of work in cases where they have declared they had no work whatever, and were starving. In one Want of Efficient Officers to Administer Relief. 281 case I went up gently and opened the trap-door of a warper's loft, and found him deeply engaged with work of the best sort. " Taking our own board of guardians as a sample, I should say that if they err at all it is on the side of humanity. My own im- pressions with relation to pauperism have been the result of ex- perience. I took office with the popular belief that the poor were exceedingly oppressed and maltreated, and that overseers and parish officers were made of cast-iron, — men without hearts or sympathies ; and I was firmly determined to make the poor comfortable. The first time I sat at our board I shed tears at the representations which were made, and I thought that our chair- man (who was an experienced and judicious officer) was extremely severe. I have seen others of my colleagues shed tears at the first cases which were presented to them ; and these cases I have afterwards discovered to be such as I have already described. My conviction now is, that by far the largest proportion of pauperism is the result, not of unavoidable distress or of maltreatment, but of improvidence, influenced by the facilities which the system holds out to individuals of being well provided for without work. This system can, I think, only be checked by an improved system of administration by efficient officers. Persons in the situation of tradesmen cannot be expected to devote themselves to the per- formance of these duties, sacrificing their own interests and affairs. I am not sorry to have served the office of overseer, as it opened to me a new and very extraordinary view of mankind ; but with regard to my pecuniary interests;^ I had better have paid at least a hundred pounds than have served the office. I cer- tainly believe that the best and most just means of relief would be by a national rate, and, if it can be devised, by a system of na- tional management. One great effect of making the management national would be the prevention of the partiality shown in the distribution of relief, as — where a pauper went to the same chapel as the distributors. There is often striking partiality exhibited in this respect." Some witnesses have declared that they thought no alterations of the poor-laws would be necessary, provided a "proper officer" was chosen to administer relief in each parish. These witnesses admitted that the indispensable qualifications of a proper officer were, that he should be a man, first, of remarkable intelligence; secondly, of remarkable activity ; thirdly, of remarkable firmness; and, fourthly, that if he were an unpaid officer, he must be also a man of remarkable disinterestedness, ready to sacrifice himself to the performance of his duty. Several witnesses admit, or state as in- dispensable, such qualifications as, that he must be a man who, in the 282 Mft Chadwick^s Report — London and Berkshire* adjudication of relief, habitually " estimates all the consequences/* meaning the consequences which are remote and contingent, as well as those which are direct and collateral ; he must be a man of '' great penetration," i. e. capable of at once detecting fraudulent rapacity, when it wears the mark of indigence ; he must be a man of " great firmness," to withstand the demands even of real indigence, where, by yielding temporary relief, he would pro- pagate permanent misery ; he must be " regardless of popularity," ready, in the performance of a thankless duty, to incur the curses of the profligate, the censures of the sentimental, and the enmity of the powerful. He must be a man not of narrow sympathies, governed by the appearances of misery before him, whether those appearances be real or assumerl ; but one whose sympathies include the industrious and prudent classes and the poorer rate-payers, from the produce of whose labour the relief which he has the gratification of administering is to be made up. It has further been declared, that it is necessary that a succes- sion of such officers should be obtained ; as a single manager, rendered profuse or negligent by indolence or ignorance or ill- judged humanity, may be enough to spoil the industry of the whole of a parish, and plant such a habit of profusion as a man of firmer temper and more correct views (when such a one may happen to take his place) may attempt in vain to eradicate. The witnesses, though they admitted that the poor-laws can be well administered only when there shall be, at least, one such officer in every parish in the kingdom, when asked to point out one such in their own parish, who could be had for payment or other- wise, failed to do so. They were somewhat surprised when they were informed that since there are 14,640 parishes, or places sup- porting their own poor, in England and Wales, they had declared that, on their theory, tlie poor-laws could only be safely admi- nistered, when at least 14,640 men of remarkable intelligence, remarkable activity, remarkable firmness and disinterestedness, were found to administer them. Finding in the course of my inquiries with relation to the administration of out-door relief in the metropolis, how little was usually done in the way of inquiry or investigation as to the merits of the cases relieved, by the greater proportion of those who are engaged in the compulsory service of parochial offices, it appeared desirable to ascertain what hghts for improvement might be obtained by a collateral inquiry into the modes of administering and investigating the cases of the poor of the distressed districts, by voluntary associations, conducted by individuals pre-eminent for EffecU of Charities Illustrated-^ Spitalfielda* 283 their active benevolence, with whom no labour or personal inconve- nience formed obstacles to their zeal for the alleviation of misery. Whilst I was preparing to obtain information from these sources, I received from those witnesses who were examined on the subject of the parochial administration, such evidence with relation to the common operation of voluntary charities in various ways for which I was not prepared, and such statements of their effects on the progress of mendicity and pauperism, as appeared to render this inquiry absolutely necessary for the direct objects of the commis- sion. The district of Spitalfields is one, perhaps, where voluntary charities are more numerous and powerful than in any part of the kingdom. The Rev. William Stone, the Rector of Spitalfields, was pointed out by several benevolent individuals as admirably quali- fied to give information with relation to them. I submit the whole of his examination as part of this selection. SPITALFIELDS— Evidence of the Rev. William Stone. '* I have superintended the parish of Christ Church, Spital- fields, about three years and a half. During that time I have taken an active part in all the leading charities in the district, and I have given my support and subscriptions to others in which I do not take an active part. During the last year I have been accessary to the distribution of above 8000/. I would specify amongst others the following sums : In soup (from the Soup Society) Spitalfields Association Blanket Association . . Wheeler Chapel District Visiting Society Benevolent Society .... " This, viz., 8000/., when the soup society is open, may be con- sidered as the lowest average proportion of charity distributed for a year. The district commonly known under the name of Spital- fields, is to be distinguished from the parish of Christ Church, Spitalfields, which is but a part of it. The distributions of volun- tary charity are rather local than parochial. All persons co- operate in every charitable institution without regard to rank or sect. '' In the course of my experience in this district, I have observed many facts with relation to the operation of these distributions of voluntary charity, which have materially changed my views and led me to doubt whether the district is ultimately benefited by them." £ s. d. 3803 5 1 2169 11 284 2 8 536 17 4 1238 12 6 284 Mr. Chadwick'^s Report — London and Berkshire. Will you have the goodness to state some of the particulars to which you advert as having tended to modify your first opinions ? — " In the first place, I can distinctly prove the migration of people from other parishes into this district upon the opening of the soup society. It may be stated that this society is conducted in the following manner. The subscribers are allowed tickets in propor- tion to the amount of their subscriptions. (I have an unlimited supply.) These tickets entitle the bearer to excellent meat-soup on the payment of a penny, but sometimes so little as a half- penny a quart. The tickets are so distributed as to allow two, three, four, or more quarts to a family, in proportion to the num- ber of members. To a single man about one quart is given. The following statement comprehends all the expenses of the society : t expended tor meat . A2354 ditto grain . .801 ditto coals . 113 ditto onions . . 51 ditto salt and pepper 50 ditto advertising and printing 155 ditto wages . . 233 ditto repairs, &c. 52 10 18 18 2 19 8 7 8 11 8 10 ^3803 5 1 " The receipts at the bankers from the commencement in Ja- nuary to the close in June, 1832, have been 4250/. 3«., of which we deduct 1359Z. 10s. 3d. for copper taken for soup, leaving a net balance of subscriptions, 2920/. 12s. 9d. The weight of meat bought by the society was 133,083 lbs., and the number of quarts of soup made and distributed amounted to 467,377. ** As an example, I may state the case of one woman who had the misfortune to be residing at the time without the precincts of the charitable district. She observed to me, ' Will I not come and live in your good parish, where the kind gentlefolks give away bread and coals and potatoes, and soup ? ' She was amongst us soon after as an applicant. A person of great experience in the district speaking to me on the subject of these charities, ven- tured to intimate some doubts as to their tendency, and declared he could prove that the rents of lodgings within the district were raised on the opening of the soup-house, and the commencement of other local distributions. It was held out as an advantage to the tenants, that they were within a stone's throw of the soup- house. Some of the butchers in the district, though reluctant to observe upon it to myself, have declared that, immediately upon the distribution of soup being commenced, though the population operation of Charities — Spitalfields, 285 has Increased, a perceptible cessation of the demand for inferior pieces of meat takes place. There are complaints made by these tradesmen of the diversion of business, and of the injury done them by the sudden withdrawal of customers, who before could and did pay for the meat. I might, I believe, say, that there is a reduced demand for other sorts of provision*.*' And to what class of persons are these soup distributions chiefly made ? — '' Undoubtedly, very many severe cases of distress are relieved by it ; many cases where no other relief would be avail- able ; and it must be observed with respect to this charity, that being opened only occasionally, it cannot be regularly calculated upon, and is on that account not so liable to abuse. But I never- theless believe that, for the time during which it is opened, it is productive of the mischiefs to which I have adverted." What is the nature of the Spitalfields Association ? — " It con- sists of a number of individuals who visit the poor at their own houses, and who relieve them by tickets on certain tradesmen for coals, bread, and potatoes, originally gratuitously. But the last time we distributed (this being an occasional charity), I contended that we ought to diminish the chances of imposition by requiring some portion of payment from the objects; and accordin gly it was provided that those who received tickets should pay threepence for the quartern loaf, fourpence for the half-hundred weight of coals, and threepence for the thirty pounds of potatoes. I believe that this regulation had the effect of diminishing the amount of imposition. We certainly were thereby enabled to continue our distribution longer than we otherwise could have done." Is this Charity subject to much imposition ? — '^ 1 will give you the following case as an instance : I received a note from No. 9, Crispin-street, Spitalfields, stating that a young woman had just been confined of her fourth child; that she had abso- lutely not the necessaries of life in that delicate state of health, and begging me to come and save her from starvation. — The note was well written, so well that I was struck with it. When I went * Similar evidence is given from the other parishes, where the voluntary gifts are considerable. Mr. Brooker, the assistant-overseer of the parish of St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, stated, " Our gift-coals are about forty chaldrons in the year, which are distributed in December, January, and February, to persons resident in the parish. During that time the business of the small coal- dealers was at a complete stand-still, and they complained that they lost the best portion of their ready-money customers. This year, in consequence of these complaints, a new practice has been established of distributing these coals by tickets on the various retail dealers in coal in the parish: the tickets are equally allotted among the retail dealers in coal in the parish. No doubt we might obtain the coals cheaper by contract, but the poor do not complain, and the practice gives satisfaction to the retail dealers, some of whom have large families, and are as badly off as the paupers themselves," 286 Mr. Chadwick's Report-^Londm and Berkshire. to the house, I found, on making inquiries, that the note had (as is common) been written by the landlord, not by the husband. There I found the young woman (the name of the parties was Cartwright), who had certainly been delivered but a few days. She stated that her husband had been for a long time without any employment whatever ; that he refused to eat any portion of her or her children's meals for fear of depriving them of subsistence ; and that, in fact, he left the house every morning in a state of desperation. On inquiry, I found I was not the first charitable person that had been applied to. She had been visited by some Quaker ladies attached to a charity in the neighbourhood, who, among other means of relief, had procured them some of the tickets of our Association : three of those tickets were immediately produced. It was evident, from their dirty appearance, that they had been in their possession some days. I expressed surprise that these tickets had not been used, as the applicants were in a state of starvation. The reply to this was, that they had not the \0d. to pay for the three tickets for coals, bread, and potatoes. It being a case of sickness, and strongly attested by the landlady, I de- viated from my usual practice, which is not to give money. I provided them with a nurse, who did everything for them. I visited them personally every day and sometimes twice, and I supplied them from time to time with these tickets, giving them money, and, in some instances, as much as ^s. at a time. I afterwards discovered, on the testimony of the nurse, whom I myself em- ployed, and who was interested in keeping up the employment, that the husband was during this time frequently drunk, so much so, that on one occasion, when bringing physic for his wife, he had fallen down and broken the bottle ; and that in the last instance of my giving him tickets for bread, and also money to the amount of 2*., and after strongly but very kindly expostulating with him on the past improvidence of his life, he left me and expended the 2*. in mutton-chops, ale, &c., and on the following morning im- portuned me, through the nurse, for a loaf. I'he wife might unquestionably have sustained inconvenience, and probably did so ; but no wonder that she should when the money given was all spent in liquor and mutton-chops. I might have stated that this man was a smith, of about thirty years of age ; his wife was a very young creature ; he had married several years before, not having saved anything beforehand ; but when, as he stated to me, his wages were not less than 30s. a week, and continued to be so for some years after his marriage. On his own admission, he might, without any sacrifice, have saved 10.y. a week during that time, to provide for the foreseen contingency for which it was now requisite to provide by charity. Improvident Marriages fostered. 287 '* I may add, that this instance was accompanied by another, of the way in which these impostures are supported by others. A woman came in from an adjacent room (she was a lodger in the same house) with a cup of tea, and stated that all the poor creature had had was a cup of tea which she (the witness) had given her. She drew me into her oivn room and made another application in her own behalf, making the aid given to imposture support her own claim." Have you observed many instances of this sort of marriages ?— *' Unhappily they are fearfully increasing, the increasing reckless- ness of the labouring classes appears to me quite appalling. Whilst resident in the adjoining parish of Bethnal-green, I visited a poor family ; the father and mother were in great want, in fact, the only subsistence which they had for some weeks was procured by a soup ticket, and some occasional advances of money from myself. Early in the following winter, being then resident as rector in my present parish, I was applied to by the mother of the same family, who had then become resident in Vine- court, in my new parish. She applied to me partly for relief for herself and family, but more professedly on behalf of her eldest son, which son was one of the children relieved by me in the preceding winter. Without any provision, further than the scanty wages which he got on obtain- ing a little work, he married a servant girl; and the object of the present call was to provide her with a nurse on the delivery of an eight months' child, and ' any other relief that I could give them in a state of total destitution.' ** I have been compelled to pay great attention to the subject, and I have seldom given relief in any case without inquiring into the previous history of the family. Although in some instanced the husbands at the time of the marriage and for a long time pre- vious had been receiving high wages (as from 21. to 3/. a week), although these wages had been received for years before the mar- riage as for years after; yet neither for the marriage, for sickness, nor for any other known casualty had any provision whatever been made. All came upon the parish to provide for every casualty, or sought relief from voluntary charitable associations. I do not think, during the three years and a half that I have been in my present parish, I have met with one instance of severe distress which was not to be traced immediately or remotely to some im- providence — the great improvidence being marriage, I mean a marriage contracted without the means either in possession or in reasonable expectation of providing for four children as the result of the marriage. It has come within my observation also, that parishes, by a most miserable and short-sighted policy, get rid of 1288 Mr, Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. one pauper by creating ten — instances have come to my know- ledge where the parties coming to be married have entered the church with hardly clothing." Do voluntary associations, such as these you have mentioned, become subservient to such improvidence ? — '' Inasmuch as our visitors are persons actuated purely by benevolent feelings, they administer their relief with reference to the amount of actual dis- tress in each individual case ; "and as that will commonly be th proportion to the number of the children and the past improvi- dence of the parents, I can have no doubt but that they ultimately, though indirectly, and certainly unintentionally, tend to promote these improvident marriages. The benevolent and very excellent persons with whom it is my happiness to act, are precluded by the circumstances of the case and the pressure of the immediate distress from investigating the causes." How does the last charity you have mentioned, the Spitalfields Association, operate with regard to the traders who deal in the commodities dispensed by the Association ? — ^' It is equally com- plained of by the smaller tradesmen who supply the poor, that it deprives them of actual money customers, that the class of poor who deal with them are thus withdrawn, and that the profit of the commodities dispensed by the charity is diverted from themselves to a few, and those often wealthier tradespeople, with whom the poor do not themselves generally deal." What is the operation of the Blanket Association ? — '* This association is 'occasional in severe seasons; but it has been more or less open each year, from the year 1827, when it was insti- tuted. The chief object is to lend the blankets for the winter months, to be returned in May." What proportion are actually returned ? — " I think about one- third ; but those who return them come the next year, and it is common with those who come the following year, to intimate, that they consider they have a claim, first of all, for having had blankets before, and secondly, for having returned them.'' Then the other two-thirds are made away with ? — '^ We have received proof that in some instances they have been pledged. We had it in contemplation to prosecute a pawnbroker in our neigh- bourhood, for having received a blanket in pledge, that blanket having the stamp of the Association ; but we were told that our prosecution would not succeed, and we abandoned it.'* Will you state what is the operation of the Benevolent Society? — " It is in its designs intended to relieve the peculiar distress of the district, in cases of sickness, and especially the cases of lying-in women. It is discretionary with the visitors to give money, and they have boxes of linen to bestow on lying-in Lying-in Chanties foster Improvidence, 289 women. They also give blankets, and that too in other cases than those of ]ying-in women.'* What is the operation of this charity ? — " The other day I had occasion to make inquiries of a person, who has the distribution of the commodities for which orders are given, as to the sort of persons who applied for relief, whether they saw the same per- sons repeatedly ? I was assured, that the same persons (with the addition of others) invariably applied for relief, with the con- fident expectation of obtaining it. Within the last few days a woman applied to me, as having the disposal of an annual parish gift of coals : she stated to me, as a reason for my compliance with her petition, that she had been considered a worthy object by the conductors of other charities in my parish ; that she had been visited and relieved with the box of linen by the Benevolent Society, during no less than five successive confinements ; and she was confident that the same charity would be extended to her on any future occasion." Would this argument, do you think, be deemed cogent by the usual administrators of the charity ? — " I believe it to be one which, so far as I have observed, is too commonly acted upon." Do you find it urged by the regular applicants in such a man- ner as to lead you to believe that they commonly find it success- ful ? — " Without exception they urge the same plea to myself in that expectation." Have you made observations on the general effects of this last sort of distribution ; namely, the provision for the lying-in women? — " I have observed that its effects have been to paralyse pro- vident habits ; that it has tended to make these females calculate upon it, and to neglect making due provision for an event which must have been sufficiently foreseen. This tendency I can state from extensive observation. A person, most intimately connected with this charity, has expressed regret that all the charities of the district were not under the management of one superintend- ing committee, as the objects there relieved were, to her know- ledge, successful applicants to the various other charities in the district." What is the Wheeler Chapel District Visiting Society ? — '' It is a society formed for the purpose of making a religious visita- tion ; but as its members observe, in the course of their visita- tion, much temporal distress, they cannot avoid uniting tem- poral relief to religious exhortation. The parish is subdivided into two districts, and these districts are again subdivided into sections, and to each section are appointed one or two, or more visiters. Their visits are made once in every week or fortnight, or as often as their time and occupations will allow. I should u 290 Mr. Chadwklcs Report — London and Berkshire. say that the design of this society is extremely good ; the more so, as it does not originally contemplate temporal relief. I con- ceive that one of the great things wanted in the present day is a more frequent and acknowledged friendly intercourse between the various classes of society, I am convinced that it would pro- duce most satisfactory results to all parties. I find the labouring classes are extremely well disposed to receive instruction, and communicate with other classes." What is the practical operation of the visits of the members of this society, as regards temporal relief? — " I regret that I cannot give so favourable a testimony as to the operations of the society, viewed collectively on this head, as on the other. The ^visiters being chiefly engaged in religious discussions, are, I find, in some instances, too apt to be carried aw^ay by their religious feelings, and to be less strict than is necessary in their judgment of the amount of the actual and unavoidable want and distress. These visiters form, as it were, the connecting link between the various charities : they tell the poor whom they visit, and who state they are in want of relief, where and how to apply for it ; and more- over, the visiters personally exert themselves, and aid the appli- cations which they have recommended. They commonly have in their hands tickets, or have access to recommendations through various subscribers to other charities, such as the Lying-in Hos- pital, the Welsh Dispensary, the City Dispensary, the London Dispensary, the Institution for the Diseases of Children, the Rupture Society, the Ophthalmic Infirmary, the City of London Truss Society, the Blanket Society, and the Spitalfields Associa- tion, for the distribution of coals, bread, and potatoes." Are there no other modes of relief within the meang of this society ? — '' Yes : I cannot recollect the whole. Besides the me- dical charities which I have mentioned, there is the Royal Ma- ternity Society for delivering poor Women at their own houses ; there is the parish apothecary ; there is also gratuitous medical assistance given by medical gentlemen in the parish, when ap- plied to for that purpose; they have also access to the great Fever Hospital at St. Pancras ; there is also an association called ' The City Kitchen,' which distributes potatoes, coals, &c., at a reduced price ; there is the Educational Clothing Society, which is formed chiefly for the purpose of lending clothes, to enable children to attend schools, and adults to attend church." Do they lend a suit of clothes for the one day, or how is the operation of returning the clothes conducted ? — '' In several parts of the district there are appointed depots for clothing, generally the houses of some members of the committee, &c. The Sunday suit is taken from thence on Saturday evening, and returned on Monday morning." Deceptions practised upon Charities. 291 Cannot you adduce any instance of the deceptions to which the visiters of the District Visiting Society are Uable ? — '' A case came within my own knowledge. It was that of a woman, who stated, that being utterly incapable of obtaining work in London, her husband was traversing the country in quest of employment. In the mean time she was left with four children without any means of subsistence ; she had of course applied to the parish, but could obtain no relief. I was myself aware of the real cir- cumstances of the case ; for upon an investigation made long be- fore, I discovered that the husband had even from the time of his marriage been assisted by the parish. In one instance, during an alleged inability to procure work as a weaver, he had been, as the parish officers called it, ' set up,' or provided with the means of obtaining a livelihood in another way. But soon after this he continued his occasional absences from his wife, and the parish had found no means of providing against the consequences of the profligacy of the man, and the deceitfulness of the woman. The visiter had not himself resorted to any means of obtaining correct information, and continued his visits and occasional assistance without any knowledge of the real circumstances." Would the visiter in all probability also have distributed re- commendations or tickets to this same individual? — " Unques- tionably the visiter would have acted only upon the evidence ob- tained within the room itself, which is none at all." Do you find many of the visiters competent to form a correct judgment as to the real wants of the poorer of the labouring classes ? — ^' I think that visiters are frequently mistaken*: they are too apt to take into the houses of the poor their own standard of the value of money, and apply their own scale of personal and domestic comfort to their condition. I have known a visiter of our charities give an order for four bushels of coals, as the lowest proper amount of relief, to a person of a class in which they obtain their own supplies only in pecks, or even in half pecks. Articles of clothing are sometimes distributed to persons of a class who themselves consider, or at least treat them, as luxuries. When I first went into the parish, I viewed with great pain children with- out shoes or stockings, considering that they were sufferers ; but * Mr. Hewett, the master of the workhouse of St. Andrew, Holbom, and St. George the Martyr, stated : " 1 am satisfied that the in and out-door paupers of this metropolis get by far the greater share of the charities in and about London, or else the greater part of them could not consume so much tobacco and other things, and return home intoxicated, and money in pocket." What evidence have you that they obtain money from the charities ? — " I have searched them, and found not only money but charity-passes showing from whence they came, and tickets and «ther things belonging to the dif- ferent voluntary charities.", u 2 292 Mr. Chad wick's Report — London and Berkshire. subsequent observation has shown me that it was not so to the extent I first imagined. The children in this condition I found in as good health as others ; and, except in the winter, when subject to chilblains, sustaining no apparent inconvenience. " With regard to the relief to be given in money, I have often been amused at the declamation in newspapers against parish officers, who, when an application for casual relief was made to them by a labouring man, ' only gave him a shilling.' Now, although to a person in the middle or higher ranks of life this is a very trifling sum, yet I have known it to constitute one-fifth of the weekly expenditure of a person dependent upon her own earnings. I should be sorry indeed to deny the poor any increase of comforts ; but I believe that the gratuitous bestowal of them by our visiters ofien provides them with an article not in itself absolutely indispensable, and which would be better provided by their own exertions. In many instances, where I have felt myself prompted to give the poor assistance of this kind, I have, on second thoughts, withheld it, from fear of the precedent which it would establish, and of the effects to be anticipated from that precedent, in creating an expectation on the part of the poor that relief would be given without work. When a boy has come to my school ill-shod, I have felt strongly inclined to give him a pair of shoes or stockings, and should have done so, had I not been well convinced from experience that by my doing it in this particular instance, in a few days a number of other boys would have come without shoes or stockings." Do you speak from experience or from conjecture? — " Indeed it was positive experience that induced me to draw back. I have given shoes and stockings to boys, and I have found that, in a few days, an increasing number of applications from other parents for shoes and stockings for their children has been the consequence." Do you not think that the parents who send their children to schools are of the best of the working classes ? — " Certainly I am disposed to think them so." How do you find the administration of these charities bear upon the administration of the poor-rates by the parochial authorities ? — " In the first place, it is assumed, I think, as a general prin- ciple, that the rehef of the poor by the charities ought not to inter- fere with the parochial rehef, and*^ should be regarded as entirely independent of it. Thus it is considered that, although a family may be relieved with soup by the Soup Society, the amount of the claims upon the parish for relief is not thereby diminished." Is it not then considered that the one mode of relief should in any way be administered in co-operation with the other ? — " So little so, that no tickets are ever given by the Soup Society to the Repugnance to ask Relief Diminishing. 293 parish officers. A case was detected in which a visiter placed a few tickets in the hands of an overseer ; this fact was brought forward and severely condemned at the ensuing meeting of the Soup Committee." And is the same principle of administration adopted in each of the other charities witli the management of which you are inti- mately acquainted ? — " I believe with each of them." Do the administrators of charities and the parish officers often interfere with one another ? — " In point of fact, they never come in contact with each other ; but I regret to state that there is much jealousy between them, and that, whilst the parish officers accuse the visiters of weakness, the visitors charge the parish officers with cruelty : one of the consequences is, that the officers are checked in the performance of their duty. I have had it delibe- rately hinted to me by tradesmen serving the office of overseers, that my opinions respecting the merits of applicants for charity have been at variance with their own ; their manner evidently be- traying apprehension that I had formed an unfavourable judgment of their humanity. Without doubt, a tradesman in the situation of an overseer would not like to render himself obnoxious to one known to take an interest in the condition of the poor. I have known instances in which the censures of the parish officers by visiters have been strong and unmeasured." Do you find, on the whole, the feeling of reluctance to have re- course to parochial relief increasing or diminishing in the district in which you reside ? — " Diminishing fearfully ; though I am bound to say that it is not yet entirely eradicated. I have been astonished and grieved to observe how persons of comparative respectability almost naturally resort to the poor-rates as a legiti- mate and inexhaustible fund for relief. The other day, a widow who carries on a good business as a dress-maker, and had with her husband been for years in a situation of life to have enabled them to put by ten shillings a week or more, having sustained some temporary injury to lier finger, was about to apply to the parish for relief. At this very time she admitted that her business was extremely good, and that her chief difficulty was this tempo- rary inability to continue it. At this very time too she had two daughters provided for in good situations as household servants. To my own knowledge, one of them, the younger of these daugh- ters, might have had an advance of her quarter's wages. It was suggested as a natural expedient, that the daughter, being so competent, should afford her this temporary assistance. This, however, was not the object of the applicant — she preferred throw- ing herself upon the parochial fund, that she might enjoy that allowance over and above the supply from more natural sources 294 Mr. Chadwtck's Report — London and Berkshire. of relief. I could multiply such instances, all of which have tended to convince me that the poor regard the parish rate as an exhaustless fund, by refusing to partake of which they shall only be doing an injury to their own families without benefiting any other party. I have expostulated with them on the impropriety of drawing this relief from the pockets of a class of people who, like the poor rate-payers of our district, are in little better, if so good, circumstances as themselves." Do your observations lead you to believe that the present system of administering voluntary charity tends to create the dis- tress which it proposes to relieve ? — '^I feel convinced that it does. With regard to the standing charities, tlmt is, the charities which are in perpetual operation, the fact is unquestionable ; I have known numerous families in which it is thought utterly unneces- sary to provide for many regular and incidental expenses, from a confident expectation of assistance from these institutions." Do you believe it relieves all the distress which it creates ?•— '* By no means. For instance, I have known cases in which the unavoidable disappointment of the expectationg held out by the Lying-in Charities has reduced poor women to the most cruel extremities. I know too that the occasional charities attract mul- titudes, who always become burthensome to the parish as casual poor. This is remarkably the case with the Irish. Armies of this degraded and almost brutish populace refuse to leave our neighbourhood on account of the Charities. And yet, notwith- standing these means of relief, with which, from their superior pretensions of misery, they are extraordinarily favoured by our visiters, they are frequently in so destitute a condition as to render it impossible for our parish officers to refuse them relief. I have had so much experience of this fact in my parish, and feel so persuaded of the impossibility of improving the moral or tem- poral condition of an indigent Irishman, that I almost sicken at the sight of one*." * The following are examples of the evidence from other parishes, where the amount of money distributed in charity is considerable. The Rev. E. J. Tyler, the Rector of St. Giles's, Middlesex, examined:— Have you observed any influence upon the Irish labourers by the charities in your parish, or in any other part of the metropolis ? — " I am persuaded that the certainty of being either supported by alms or parochial assistance during their stay, should other means fail, or at all events of being returned to their country at the public expense, forms an inducement for vast numbers to come over from Ireland on the chance of what they may obtain, who would not otherwise leave their native country. It is known that many pregnant women come over for the express purpose of being admitted into some charitable institution for their confinement, with the certainty, at least the great probability, of receiving more from the bounty of individuals on their recovery." Colonel Tendency of Charities to create Distress. 295 Will you describe the operation of the various charities^ which Colonel Page writes to me thus: — "I hope you wdll notice in your report the large charities bequeathed in Newbury, as a very principal cause of the high poor's-rates. Everybody is anxious to obtain settlements by servitude or renting in that parish, in order to obtain the chance of benefiting by the numerous charities." Mr. Thorn, assistant-overseer of St. Giles's, Cripplegate, examined. Have you any monies to dispense in charities within your parish ? — "We have about 1600/. per annum available to be given to the poor in our cha- rities, according to the directions of donors. For the most part, the dona- tions consist of bread, fuel, and clothing." What is the effect produced by the distribution of these donations ? — " We find that, a few weeks previous to the gifts being distributed, the people leave their work in search of them. There are always a great many more seekers of gifts than finders. Most of them by leaving their work neglect their families, and become really necessitous : those who are disappointed are irritated, and then demand relief as a right, the parish being called upon to make good their loss. Even those who have received relief always say, when they come to us afterwards, ' that, though it was very true they had received the gift, yet it had done them no good ; they had lost so much time, and they had got into debt.' We employ some of the out-door paupers in carrying home the gifts of coals, and pay them liberally for doing so. Thesp men, when they apply for relief, and are told, ' Why, we gave you money the other day !' say, 'It is very true ; but then we were in debt to our land- lord,' or the chandler-shopkeeper, 'and we were compelled to pay him when we returned ftx)m labour ;' so they always calculate on the relief. After every season for the distribution of the gifts, the applications for parochial relief are more numerous.' During the time when the gifts are distributed, are the demands on the poor's-rates reduced? — " Not at all : in fact, when the effects of these charities are examined, as shown in our parish, it will be admitted by the most preju- diced person that they are a curse rather than a benefit. They were a great deal worse formerly, when settlements were to be obtained by forty days' residence in the parish, as it led numbers to endeavour to obtain settlements with us. I am sure that our parish has been considerably injured by them. I have long been of opinion that it would be of great advantage to have the funds of these charities applied directly in aid of the poors-rates." Mr. Richard Gregory, treasurer of Spitalfields, examined. You have had, from time to time, assistance from Government in your parish. What have been the effects of those donations ? — " That they have done great mischief, by causing paupers to come from all parts of the king- dom, for the purpose of sharing in the relief; and when they have once come there, they have invariably stopped there." Do you believe that such donations have a tendency to create distress of the kind which they propose to relieve ?— "I do ; for there are numbers who would waste a whole day to obtain 6d. by charity, rather than w'ork two hours to obtain 6d. by honest industry. I have seen in our own district abundant instances of this. Do you believe that they relieve all the distress which they create ?—" Al- ways when there has been a donation of these sorts, we find that the parish burdens increase; these burdens continue, but the donation goes away. Some years ago we received a large donation from the Government, and I do not believe that the parish has got the better of it to this day ; for it made . paupers, and attracted vagabonds from all parts." 296 Mr. ChadwicTcs Report — London and Berkshire. are actually available in your parish, as exemplified in the case of an individual, beginning with his birth, under the superintend- ence of the Royal Maternity Society ? — [The Rev. Gentleman requested time to make the answer, and he returned it in writing.] '' — My own personal observation enables me to describe the pro- cess as follows : — '' A young weaver of twenty- two marries a servant girl of nine- teen — and the consequence is the prospect of a family. We should presume, under ordinary circumstances, that they would regard such a prospect with some anxiety ; that they would cal- culate upon the expenses of an accouchement, and prepare for them in the interval by strict economy and unremitting industry. No such thing. — It is the good fortune of our couple to live in the district of Spitalfields, and it is impossible to live there with- out witnessing the exertions of many charitable associations. To these, therefore, they naturally look for assistance on every occa- sion. " They are visited periodically by a member of the ' District Visiting Society' It is the object of this society to inquire into the condition of the poor, to give them religious advice, and occa- sional temporal relief, and to put them in the way of obtaining the assistance of other charitable institutions. To the visiter of this institution the wife makes known her situation, and states her inability to meet the expense of an accoucheur. The consequence is, ihdit from him, through his recommendation or under his direc- tions, she obtains a ticket either for ' the Lying-in Hospital,' or for * the Royal Maternity Society.' By the former of these charities she is provided with gratuitous board, lodging, medical attendance, churching, registry of her child's baptism, &c. &c. By the latter she is accommodated with the gratuitous services of a midwife to deliver her at her own home. " Delivered of her child at the cost of the ' Royal Maternity Society,' she is left by the midwife — but then she requires a nurse, and for a nurse, of course, she is unable to pay herself; — a little exertion, however, gets over this difficulty — she sends to the district visiter, to the minister, or to some other charitable parishioner, and by their interest with the parish officers, she has, at last, a nurse sent to her from the workhouse. But still she has many wants — and these too she is unable to sup- ply at her own expense. She requires blankets, bed and body linen for herself, and baby-linen for her infant. With these she is furnished by another charitable institution. Soon after her marriage she has heard one of her neighbours say, that she had been favoured in no less than five successive confinements with the loan of the * box of Unen ' from the * Benevolent So- Individual Born af\d Nurtured by Charity, 297 ciety* She had, accordingly, taken care to secure ' the box of linen for herself, and during her confinement she receives occa- sional visits and pecuniary relief from a female visiter of the charity. By her she is kindly attended to, and through her or ' the district visiter/ she is provided, in case of fever or other illness, with the gratuitous services of the parish apothecary j or of some other charitable medical practitioner in the district. "At the end of the month, she goes, pro forma, to be churched ; and though, perhaps, the best-dressed female of the party, she claims exemption from any pecuniary offering by virtue of a printed ticket to that effect put into her hands by the midwife of *^ the Royal Maternity Society* " The child thus introduced into the world is not worse provided for than his parents. Of course he requires vaccination, or in case of neglect, he takes the small-pox. In either case, he is sent to the ' Hospital for Casual Small-pox and for Vac- cination/ and by this means costs his parents nothing. '^ He has the measles, the whooping-cough, and other morbid affections peculiar to childhood. In all these instances he has the benefit of the ' City Institution for Diseases of Children! " Indeed from his birth to his death, he may command awy Twe- dical treatment. If his father is a Welshman, he applies to the 'Welsh Dispensary! — if not, or if he prefers another, he has the * Tower Hamlets Universal Dispensary/ ' The London Dispen- sary! and the ' City of London Dispensary! In case of fever, he is sent to the ' Fever Hospital! For a broken limb, or any sudden or acute disorder, he is admitted into the ' London or other ' Public Hospital! For a rash, or any specific disease of the skin or ear, he is cured at the ' London Dispensary! And for all morbid affections of the eye, he goes either to the same charity, or to the ' London Ophthalmic Infirmary! In case of rupture, he has a ticket for the ' Rupture Society/ or for the ' City of London Truss Society! For a pulmonary complaint, he attends the * Infirmary for Asthma, Consumption, and other Diseases of the Lungs! And for scrofula, or any other disease which may require sea-bathing, he is sent to the ' Royal Sea- bathing hifirmary at Margate. In some of these medical insti- tutions, too, he has the extra advantage of board, lodging, and other accommodations*. * The managers of benefit societies and savings banks complain, in some instances indirectly, and in others directly, of the effects of the eleemosynary relief for such casualties as those institutions (and benefit societies especially) aiford effectual means of providing for by easy insurances. It is urged by some witnesses, that although a person in work may not be able to raise money to pay for the relief of unforeseen casualties at the moment when that 298 Mr. Chadwich's Report-^ London and Berkshire. '' By the time the child is eighteen months or two 5^ears old, it becomes convenient to his mother to ' get him out of the way :' for this purpose he is sent to the ' Infant School j and, in this seminary, enters upon another wide field of eleemosynary im- munities. *' By the age of six he quits the ^ Infant School/ and has before him an ample choice of schools of a higher class. He may attend the ' Lancasterian School for 2d, a week, and the National for Id., or for nothing. His parents naturally enough prefer the latter school,' — it may be less liberal in principle, but it is lower in price. In some instances, too, it is connected with a cheap cloth- ing society ; in others it provides clothing itself to a limited num- ber of children. And in others, again, it recommends its scholars to the governors of a more richly endowed clothing charity school. To be sure, these are only collateral advantages. But it is per- haps excusable in a parent delivered by the ' Royal Maternity Society,' to value these above any of the more obvious and legiti- mate benefits to be derived from a system of education. " A parent of this kind, how^ever, has hardly done justice to her- self, or to her child, till she has succeeded in getting him admitted into a school, where he will be immediately and permanently clothed. This advantage is to be found in the 'Protestant Dis- senters^ — in the ' Parochial,' or in ' the Ward Charity School ;* and she secures him a presentation to one of these, either by a recommendation from ' The National School' — by the sponta- neous offer of her husband's employer — or by her own impor- tunate applications at the door of some other subscriber. It is true, some few industrious and careful parents in the neighbour- hood object to putting their children into these charity schools. With more independence than wisdom, they revolt at the idea of seeing their children walk the streets for several years in a livery which degrades them, by marking them out like the parisk paupers of former days, as the objects of common charity. But relief is needed, yet he might be called upon to pay for it by instalments after lie is convalescent and has returned to work. The trustees and managei-s of the Marylebone Savings Bank state — " We are of opinion that, if the facilities given to the able-bodied of ob- taining pafochial relief or public charity (and we are induced to lay much stress upon the latter) were removed, the number of members of such insti- tutions as ours would be increased. " We are unable to state in what proportion the increase would take place ; but we think that, wherever any considerable number of a class of labourers and others are found to be depositors in banks for savings, almost all such persons might follow their example, and probably would do so, were they not encouraged in their thoughtless and improvident habits by the expecta- tion of obtaining relief from some established public charity in almost every circumstance of difficulty or distress to which they can be exposed. History of a Charity-Child, 299 the parent in question has no such scruples — she has tasted the sweets, and, therefore, never feels the degradation of charity. She is saved the expense of clothing her own child herself; and she observes that almost all her poor neighbours, like the dog in the fable, have come to think what is really disrepiitahle to be a badge of distinction. She know^s, too, that most of the ' gentle- folks' who support these charities openly proclaim (Oh mon- strous absurdity !) that they w-ere more especially designed for * an aristocracy among the poor.' '^ It is possible that she may not succeed in getting her child into a clothing charity school — it is more than possible, too, that she may find a more yrofitahle employment for him than attendance at the ' Nationcd /* she may keep him at home all the week to help her nurse her fourth and fifth babies, or she may earn a few pence by sending him out as an errand boy. Yet even under these circumstances she does not necessarily forego the means of getting him an education, or a suit of clothes for nothing : even then she can send him to one of the innumerable * Sunday schools' in the neighbourhood ; and for clothing she can apply to * th^ Educational Clothing Society f' '^The object of this society is the lending of clothing to enable distressed children to attend Sunday schools.' Only, then, let her child be * a distressed one' and he is provided by the ' Educational Clothing Society' with a suit of clothes w hich he wears all the Sundays of one year, and in case of past regular attendance at school, all the week-days of the next. The Sundays of the second year, he begins with a new suit of clothes as before. " The probability, however, is, that, by the time the boy is eight or nine years old, his mother does succeed in procuring his admis- sion into the ' Clothing Charity School :' and there is the same probability that she will continue him in it. She has strong rea- sons for so doing — for she knows that he will not only be clothed and educated at the expense of the charity, but that, when he is fourteen, that is when he has remained five or six years in the school, he will be apprenticed by it to some tradesman, with a fee varying in the different schools from 21. to 5^. " At fourteen, accordingly, the boy is put apprentice by the charity to a weaver, and at the expiration of the usual term he begins work as a journeyman. He has hardly done so before he proposes to marry a girl about his own age. He is aw'are, indeed, that there are difficulties in the way of their union ; and that, even on the most favourable supposition, their prospects in life cannot be considered flattering. — He has saved no money himself, and his intended is equally unprepared for the expenses of an establishment. He knows that, working early and late, he can 300 Mr, Chadwick*s Report — London and Berkshire. earn no more than 10s. a week — that, in case of sickness or the failure of employment, he may frequently be deprived even of these — and that his own father, with a wife and seven children, was in this very predicament but the winter before ; nevertheless, * nature iiitended every one to marry ;' and in the case of him- self and his beloved, ' it is their lot to come together' On these unanswerable grounds he takes a room at 2^. a week, and thus utterly unprepared, as he appears, either for the ordinary or con- tingent expenses of a family, he marries. " We may suspect, however, from the result, that he is not so rash and improvident in this conduct, as, upon an ordinary cal- culation, he must appear to be. " Within a few months she has the prospect of a child — and a child brings with it many expenses, — but no matter, he need not pay them — for in his neighbourhood he may fairly calculate upon having them paid by charity. Charity never failed his mother in her difficulties — and why, in 'precisely the same difficulties, should it be withheld from him ? In the case of his wife, therefore, as in that of his mother, the ' Lying-in Hospital,* or the Lying-in Dispensary ,' or the ' Royal Maternity Society,^ provides the midwifery J &c. The ' workhouse, ' the nurse. The * Benevolent Society,' blankets, linen, pecuniary relief, &c. The * parish doctor,* — the ' dispensary doctor,* or some other ' charitable doctor,* extra drugs and medical attendance. By a little manage- ment, he may avail himself at the same time of several obstetric charities, and be visited successively by Churchmen, Quakers, Independents, Wesleyan Methodists, Calvinistic Methodists, Huntingdonians, — in fact, by the charitable associations con- nected with every church and chapel in the neighbourhood. '^ He now finds that his earnings are precarious — and that, even at their utmost amount, they are inadequate to the support of his increasing family. But his father*s family was for years in the same circumstances — and was always saved by charity. To cha- rity, then, he again has recourse. " He hears, that twice a year there is a parish gift of bread. From some vestryman, or from some other respectable parishioner, he obtains a ticket for a quartern loaf at Midsummer, and at Christmas. There is also a parish gift of coals. By the same means, he every Christmas gets a sack of coals. Indeed, by im- portuning several parishioners, and by giving to each of them a different address, or the same address with different names, he is sometimes so fortunate as to secure three sacks instead of one. On these periodical distributions he can confidently depend; for most of the parishioners dispose of their annual tickets to the same poor persons from year to year, as a matter of course; and others. History of a Charity -Child. 301 who are more discriminate, invariably find, upon renewed inquiry, that their petitioners are in the same state of apparent indigence or destitution. Under these circumstances, our applicant soon comes to look upon his share of the parochial bounty as a legiti- mate and certain item in his yearly receipts. " But this is only a slight periodical rehef. He wants more loaves and more coals, and he has the means of obtaining them. If the weather is severe, the ' Spitalfields Association is at work, and for months together distribute bread, coals, and po- tatoes. The ' Soup Society * also, is in operation, and provides him regularly with several quarts of excellent meat soup at a penny, or, sometimes, even a halfpenny a quart. At all times several ' Benevolent Societies ' and ' Pension Societies ' are act- ing in the district ; and from these he receives food or pecuniary relief. He may apply too, during the temporary cessation of any of these charities, to the charitable associations of the different religious denominations — to the ' District Visiting Society, to the Independents* ^ Visiting Society^ to the * Friend in Need Society ' to the ' Stranger^ s Friend Society,^ to ' Zions Good Will Society* He may even be lucky enough to get something from all of them. " If his bedding is bad, he gets the loan of a blanket from the * Benevolent Society' or from the 'Blanket Association;' or he gets a blanket, a rug, and a pair of sheets from the * Spital- fields Association.' The last of these charities supplies him with a flannel waistcoat for himself, and a flannel petticoat for his wife. In one instance, it furnishes his wife and children with shoes and stockings. *' Thus he proceeds from year to year with a charity to meet every exigency of health and sickness. The time at length arrives, when, either from the number of children born to him, under the kind superintendence of the ' Lying-in,^ the ' Royal Maternity,' or the * Benevolent Society ; or from a desire to add a legal and permanent provision to the more precarious supplies of voluntary charity, he solicits parish relief ; he begs an extract from the parish register, proves his settlement by the charity- school indenture of apprenticeship, and quarters his family on the parish, with an allowance of five shillings a week. In this uniform alternation of voluntary and compulsory relief he draws towards the close of his mendicant existence. " Before leaving the world, he might, perhaps, return thanks to the public. He has been born for nothing — he has been nursed for nothing — he has been clothed for nothing — he has been edu- cated for nothing — he has been put out in the world for nothing — he has had medicine and medical attendance for nothing ; and 302 Mr. Chadwiclcs Report — London and Berkshire. he has had his children also horn, nursed, clothed, fed, educated, established, smd physicked for nothing. *' There is but one good office more for which he can stand indebted to society, and that is his burial. He dies a parish pauper, and, at the expense of the parish, he is provided with shroud, coffin, pall, and burial-ground ; a party of paupers from the workhouse bear his body to the grave, and a party of paupers are his mourners. *' I wish it to be particularly utiderstood, that, ih thus describitig the operation of charity in my district, I have been giving an ordinary, and not an extraOYdma.ry, instance. I might have in- cluded many other details ; some of them of a far more aggravated and offensive nature. I have conteiited myself, however, with describing the state of the district as regards charitable relief, and the extent to which that relief may be, and actually is made to minister to improvidence and dependence.'^ Have you any other remarks to make respecting either the administration of the poor-laws, or the distribution of voluntary feharity in your district ? — " The testimony which I have now given makes me anxious to guard it from misinterpretation. It is certainly at variance with my former sentiments on the subject, and it may appear to be so with my present practice in the distri- bution of charitable relief; I would, therefore, add a few obser- vations : — "I entered upon my parish in 1829, with an earnest desire and solemn resolution to discharge its duties to the satisfaction of my conscience. I entertained the common notion respecting the ne- cessity and application of charity. I made up nly mind to sink all religious distinctions ; and, as the clergyman of the establish- ment, to conciliate and unite with all parties for the relief of a numerous and distressed population. " Before the expiration of the first year I was struck with the observation of many such facts as those detailed in the course of my evidence, and I then began to suspect the general tendency of our charitable distributions. I found that charity was, in this district, reduced to a system ; that the immense sums expended in voluntary relief were, in effect, a second poor-rate ; that they were calculated upon in much the same manner, by at least a large proportion of the poor ; and that, like the poor-rate, they produced no perceptible or pemianent diminution of distress. I found that an active clergyman in this district must 'leave the word of God and serve tables ;' must be, in fact, no better than a perpetual overseer. The same applicants for charity presenting themselves from month to month, and from year to year, in the same state of apparent wretchedness, and with their numbers Mischievous Operation of Public Charity. 303 swelled by crowds '^of others, satisfied me that the utmost ima- ginable exertion of the charitable must prove utterly ineffectual for the relief or prevention of the most aggravated misery. " I give it, then, as my decided and mature conviction, that without a change in the habits of our population, no amount whatever of charitable relief, whether raised by voluntary sub- scription or by compulsory assessment, will ever meet the demands which will be made upon it. I feel confident that, had we millions, where now we have thousands of money to dispose of, w^e should only have millions instead of thousands of applicants. The root of all our evils is the universal prevalence of a profligate and brutish improvidence. The poor of this district are utterly reckless of the future ; and even when they are not, in the common acceptation of the term, vicious, they are wicked enough to pro- pagate misery at the very moment that they are petitioning for its relief. '' Inasmuch, then, as the distribution of charity, whether volun- tary or compulsory, mitigates the natural consequences of impro- vidence, and tends to dissipate the apprehension of those conse- quences from the minds of the poor, I believe it to be unquestion- ably prejudicial to our district. It is under this conviction, and in this sense, that I have given the preceding testimony. " Cases, however, of aggravated, and humanely speaking, un- merited suffering, are to be found, of course, in this district, as well as in others ; and it is to these that I would confine the ap- plication of voluntary and compulsory charity. " With regard to the poor-laws, then, I would have their operation brought back, as nearly as possible, to the original principle of the 43d Elizabeth, the principle, namely, of relieving none but the aged, infirm, and impotent. I would wish to see the visiters of charitable societies administer their relief also as much as possible upon the same principle. But I would hope, at the same time, that every plan, whether of the legislature for the improvement of the poor-laws, or of individuals for the better distribution of voluntary relief, might be such as would tend to the ultimate discontinuance of almost all purely eleemosynary assistance. '' As the case now stands, both parish officers and benevolent visiters are, in general, quite incompetent to the proper adminis- tration of relief. I have known overseers who made no inquiry whatever into the condition of the poor ; and I have known a benevolent visiter boast of having, in one Week, visited one hundred and seventy-four poor families, besides attending to his own counting-house. I can hardly say which, in my opinion, was the more mischievous to society. 304 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire, . " Experience in this district has taught me that the beneficial administration of relief requires persons of enlarged views, exten- sive information, and long experience. Benevolent visiters, espe- cially females, seldom possess any of these qualifications ; and parish officers, under the present system, cannot, in general, be more competent to a satisfactory discharge of their arduous duties. " I should very much regret any act of the legislature which would increase the amount of funds to be distributed among the poor of any given district. With this understanding, I should approve of a national rate, or enlargement of districts. I should rejoice especially at any regulation by which the administration of the poor-laws would be placed in more competent hands than it is at present, whether the instruments selected for that purpose were the most intelligent inhabitants of the district itself, or persons appointed by government, with a reference solely to their qualifi- cations for the office." The officers from the small parishes declare in their examina- tions, as to the expense of the keep of the. paupers, the application of labour, and the maintenance of discipline amongst them, that their parishes have not the means to obtain more efficient manage- ment ; that whilst the classes of their paupers are as varied as those of the paupers of larger parishes, they have not funds, or in any respect the means, to obtain the requisite superintendence and separate ^management. Nearly all the witnesses from the larger parishes, whom I have examined with relation to the state of their parishes, ascribe their demoralisation to the want of adequate means of classification, and declare that any system, if it be efficient, must furnish those means. Mr. Mott is the witness of the most extensive practical experience I have met with ; and as his evidence embraces the chief points of considera- tion, with respect to the management of poor in large and small districts, and is enforced by other witnesses of great practical experience, I have thought it my duty to submit for consideration the whole of his examination. Evidence of Mr. Charles Mott, Contractor for the Maintenance of the poor of Lambeth. " I have for the last twelve years given my entire attention to the subject of the maintenance of the poor in workhouses. Were you not connected with parochial management before that period ? — " No ; I was brought up in a merchant's house, (that of Baring, Mair, and Co.,) from which I entered into business on my own account. Whilst I was a shopkeeper, some rates were applied Difference hetiveen Parochial and Contract Management. 305 for^ which I thought exorbitant, which induced me to investigate the management of the parish ; and in consequence of that inves- tigation, tile rates were greatly reduced. From what 1 then saw of the general parochial management, it occurred to me that I might serve myself whilst I served the public, by contracting for the management of the paupers, as well or better than they were then managed, and at a cheaper rate. I soon after availed my- self of an opportunity of contracting for the maintenance of the poor of Newington parish, and also of the poor of the parish of Alverstoke, which comprehends the town of Gosport. I am now in Ihe third year of my contract for the management of the poor of Lambeth. I have just now concluded a contract to maintain the poor of that parish, from the 25th of November, for three years to come. '' I am the principal proprietor of the Peckham House Lunatic Asylum ; and in that capacity I have transactions with about forty parishes. '' At Gosport the average number of the in-door paupers is about 240 ; in Newington, they average about 270 ; in Lambeth, about 700. My contract for the maintenance of the poor of Lambeth is RtSs. lie/, per head, — men, women, and a few children, — able- bodied, decrepit, impotent, — all included. *' This includes all the expense of the establishment, except rent and taxes. The parish agrees to keep every article in repair, except beds, bedding, and clothing, which I find altogether ; and I pay a per centage for the use of them, which about covers the current expenses. I did contract on the same terms for Newing- ton ; but I gave it up for Lambeth parish, the latter being much larger, and I having a lunatic asylum and other business to attend to. It was publicly stated a few days ago in Lambeth vestry, that the contracting system had saved them 3000/. per annum for their in-door poor, during the two years the contracts had been in operation. The gross sum paid to me during those two years was between 6000/. and 7000/. a year. In round numbers the saving may be stated as about one-third. Tlie diet is generally precisely the same, and indeed better." To Avhat circumstances do you attribute this great difference between parochial management and contract management ? — " I should say principally to the different descriptions of food being given out in more exact proportions. A man who serves out food for the parish has no interest, or no sufficient interest, in distri- buting the food. However exactly the proportions may be pre- scribed, it will make very little difference to a parish officer whe- ther or not he gives half an ounce more to each individual. Now in Lambeth workhouse^ 700 half ounces, wasted three times a day^ 306 Mr. Chadwiclcs Report — London and Berkshire, would make a very formidable difference. When I first took the Newington contract^ I fovmd the scales at the workhouse nearly an ounce deficient in the balance. This arose from an accumu- lation of filth in the scale appropriated for the weights ; whilst the scale in which the provision was placed had been taken out and daily scoured, perhaps with brick-dust. I found when I took the contract, that by this same process of scouring the scales at the Lambeth workhouse had been disturbed to the extent of about half an ounce. This made a difference of about 501bs. of meat a week, or upwards of 300 stone weight in a year. I find it necessary to have the scales taken care of, and adjusted with nicety, annually, by a scale-maker, and daily by the parties using them. The person who had held the contract before me, at Newington, had ruined himself by it, though receiving 4s. 8d per head. His ruin I have no doubt was occasioned by mismanage- ment, chiefly of the sort I have mentioned. " A contractor, for his own interest, will attend more closely to such points than any parish officers^ however well-intentioned, can be expected to attend to the interests of others. ^'Another great point in favour of contract management is, that the contractor is unlimited in his markets, and that there is no favouritism or corruption on the part of tradesmen. It is notorious that there is great partiality in the parochial deal- ings ; and officers have been known to supply goods in other names. It is jalso notorious^ though difficult to substantiate the fact, that tradesmen give gratuities, per centages, and allow- ances of some sort or other, to the officers whose duty it is to examine their goods and accounts. A contractor is not so much exposed to this loss as the parish. In saying this, I wish to guard myself against being supposed to refer in the slightest degree, to the officers of Lambeth or Newington parishes ; for I can bear testimony to the respectability of those officers, and the very correct manner in which the parish affairs are conducted : any faults that exist there are attributable entirely to the system, and not to the officers. Again : if proper persons are not ap- pointed to manage the cooking (which they seldom are by pa- rishes), great loss may be occasioned by improper cooking. In some parishes, for example, it is quite common to put all the joints, small and large, into the copper and boil them the same length of time ; the smaller joints are consequently boiled too much. With the quantity of meat used in Lambeth workhouse, there might be a difference of four or five stone in the consumption of meat for one day, for that number of people. In receiving bread from bakers in a hot state, five per cent, is lost by the parish from the evaporation ; for this reason parish bakers always send Superiority of Contract Management, 307 in their bread hot to the workhouse, where they can. We bake our own bread, and bake it of a size to save time and loss from cutting up ; we also adjust the quantities better, and prevent waste. I remember that at Deptford parish, some years ago, the parish officers having to make a Christmas pudding for 150 or 160 persons, the manager made upwards of a hundred weight more of pudding than was wanted for the number of people*. ''^ It is only by persons who have a direct personal interest, that the small savings, which make the difference between economical and extravagant management, will be carefully attended to. Unless the extravagance is very gross indeed, as in the last instance, annual parish officers cannot see it. In the first instance, the scales had been going for many years as I have described, without the source of loss having been dreamt of by the overseers." You have stated that the poor of the Lambeth workhouse are now advocates for the supply and management of the workhouse by contract. Will you have the goodness to explain the causes of the popularity of the contract management? — " In the first place, the poor people admit that their food is better. I have heard them say that their soup is much better — that their bread is better ; in short, that their supply of provisions is generally much better. But the main cause is, perhaps, that they are more quickly and com- fortably served with food than they were formerly, which is done with more skill and discipline. On the old system it was expected that the master should serve out the meat himself. I believe it formerly took two hours and a half, and sometimes three hours, each of the three meat-days in the week, to weigh and serve out the meat for dinner only. I may say also, I believe, that a large proportion of the meat was kept boiling whilst the one portion was being served out. It is unnecessary to specify the consequences of this to those who were the last served : the bell being rinig at the commencement of the dinner, all the inmates struck work, and considered themselves free until the conclusion of the dinner : that would be a loss of labour, were their labour worth anything, and the people kept waiting in idleness and discontent. At Lam- * Mr. Hewett, the master of the workhouse of St. Andrew, Holborn, and St. George the Martyr, has proved that, during the first year of his services in that workhouse, which contains on an average four hun- dred and fifty paupers, a saving was made in the consumption of articles of food to the amount of 442/. \s. 5d. per annum. The saving was effected by attention to details such as those described by Mr. Mott. The consump- tion of bread was diminished per annum upwards of 91 cwt., butter 13 cwt., cheese 10 cwt., beer 104 barrels, coals 12 chaldrons, candles 552 lbs., soap 11 cwt., oil 18 gallons, and milk 16 quarts per day ; the rations remaining the same, and the number of paupers having increased. In most workhouses the old modes of providing tor the paupers continue. X 2 308 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire, beth it requires two persons to cut, and four or five of the inmates as assistants. By the system which I have used, the dinners are served commonly within one hour. When the change took place, nothing could exceed the astonishment and gratification of the inmates on having their meals supplied so comfortably." How do you account for the extreme unpopularity of contractors, or what are called the farmers of the house ? — " The complaints of the abuse of the contracting system are certainly too well founded ; and it is undoubtedly liable to great abuse where character is not taken into account, and proper securities imposed. A contractor who is not properly chosen or made responsible, as he ought to be, will supply many of the articles very indifferently ; he w ill give to the paupers money instead of other articles. Thus the people can do without butter, and the contractor having to supply butter, which, perhaps, would cost him 84^. per cwt., pays the poor perhaps at the rate of about 56^., getting thus about 50 per cent. In this way, too, the paupers frequently sell their meat, bread, and other provisions." How is the money thus obtained by the paupers spent? — " Principally in gin and other liquors." Which liquors are drunk in the house? — ''Yes. They are brought into the house by the nurses and other such people." Then it is to be presumed that this system of purchasing food of the paupers is an inlet to other disorders in the management of the house? — "Decidedly so, for the contractors must wink at it. Disturbances are thus bred in the house, independently of the dissatisfaction created in the better class of paupers. Then again, as the contractor, by his conduct, declares the food to be saleable, he cannot well hinder them selling it to others. Food is conse- quently sold to people out of the house, as well as amongst the paupers themselves ; and much peculation and misery is neces- sarily occasioned. I may also mention another cause of the unpopularity of the contracting system, that when a contract is taken for the management of the workhouse, the liability of the parish to the tradesmen ceases. Tradesmen very frequently supply goods for consumption in the workhouse, from the belief that they are making the supply on the responsibility of the parishes. A contractor may be a man of straw as regards the tradespeople, and yet be bound in good sureties as regards the parish ; for the sureties only undertake that he shall perform his contract, or make the requisite supply of goods to the parish ; not that he shall pay for those goods to the tradespeople. The con- tractor whose management of the scales I have mentioned, failed twice, and occasioned very considerable loss to the tradesmen during the time of his holding the contract. The parish did not Effect of Extent of District . ] 309 lose a shilling. This same man has repeatedly since got other contracts for other parishes^ which I can only account for from the ignorant eagerness of parishioners to snap at the lowest-priced contracts that can be offered, without regarding the consequences. This person now contracts at very low prices, the means of sup- plying which must be obvious to persons of experience." Several parishes have tried contract management, and aban- doned it. Are you acquainted with any instances, or can you assign the general cause of the abandonment ? — '' I do not know parti- cular instances sufficiently well to speak about them ; but I have no doubt that the failure arose from the parish not having given a remunerating price, or paid attention to the character of the con- tractor for integrity ancl ability. The fact is, these parishes have tried bad contract management, and having found that strict parochial management was less bad, they have immediately con- cluded that parochial management was the best possible. When the contract with my predecessor at Newington had closed in the manner I have stated, it would have been very natural to con- clude that contract management had been properly tried, and that nothing was so good as the management of annual officers, or persons who gave no special attention to the subject." Has the size of parishes any effect on the character of con- tractors ? — " I do not hesitate to say a very considerable effect. In the larger parishes, the management is not only much more eco- nomical, but much more respectable, though still liable to great abuses. A very large proportion of the parishes are far too small to render it worth the while of any respectable contractor or capitalist to attend to them. I should say that it would not be worth while for any respectable person to give attention to a parish where the inmates were less than two hundred in number. They cannot be attended to. A respectable person ought, I think, to get for his labour in the management of two or three hundred persons (if he attends to them properly) as much as a parish must pay for the keep of fifty persons. A small parish must either pay largely for the keep of their small number of poor, or the poor must be badly managed and defrauded, and the small con- tractor will pay himself by malversation. In the large parish, where the contractor must, by the Act of Parliament, give pro- portional securities, that circumstance alone ensures very consider- able responsibility. I am compelled to give sureties to the amount of 30,000/. to the parish officers of Lambeth. This again I may notice, as a circumstance which might operate mischievously by narrowing the competition ; for I think a much smaller sum would be ample security to the parish, while it would enable a greater number of respectable men to supply the parish, or com- 310 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. pete for the contract. The smaller parishes are also more liable to intrigues between the contractor and the parish officers." The average number of paupers in the workhouses throughout the country is, say, fifty poor in each workhouse. Now, suppose that if, instead of the seven hundred in-door poor of Lambeth parish being kept in one workhouse, they were kept in fourteen distinct establishments, can you form an estimate of what would be the expense per head of the poor thus kept ? — " Would you wish to have an estimate inclusive or exclusive of the expense of superintendence ?" It is to be presumed that, in so large an establishment as that of Lambeth parish, superintendence is procured of a degree of ability much higher than that which is obtainable for 40/. per annum and board, or 60/. for a man and his wife — the average salary paid to the master of ordinary workhouses ? — " My experi- ence has shown me that not only is much ability requisite for such management, but that the person having immediate superintend- ence of the details of the establishment should have an interest in its good management. For this reason, I have taken the con- tract in conjunction with Mr. Drouet, a person of respectability — a remarkably active man, who resides in the house, and devotes his whole time and attention to the management." Let it be assumed in the estimate requested of you as to the comparative expense of large and small workhouses, that 40/. per annum is paid- for the management of each establishment. — [The witness took time to consider this question, and has sent in the following answer in writing] — " Supposing the poor to have pre- cisely the same food, clothing, &c., in fourteen small houses, fifty inmates in each, as they do in one large establishment containing seven hundred persons, it would make a difference, as near as I could calculate, of about 7d. or Sd. per head per week ; that is to say, where the seven hundred would cost 3s. lid, per head, the small houses would cost 4s, 6d. or 4s. 7d. per head. This, it must be obvious, w^ould not be occasioned by the difference in the food, but principally from the saving in the superintendence and other details of management. The large establishment would not only make the difference of 7d. or 8c/. per head in the cost of maintenance as compared with the small ones, but would leave also, if conducted to the best advantage, such a remuneration, as would render it worth the attention of a clever active person to undertake the management. Some parishes have been misled^by this difference ; and from an erroneous opinion that small num- bers can be maintained in the same ratio as a large number, have let their poor to some needy adventurer at a price at which it is impossible justice could have been done ; and hence arises the Extent of District of Management. 311 objection to the system. If the character and the competency of contractors are not made the first consideration, I see nothing to prevent the contracting system becoming ten times worse in its effects than the worst parish management. And here let me observe, that I am not here as an advocate of this or that system, but to speak to the facts within my own knowledge, and offer whatever opinion you may please to ask of me. The facts will speak for themselves. I beg also to add, that I consider myself in a great degree a disinterested witness, as I have now many engage- ments on my hand; and it is very improbable that I shall take any other contract after the expiration of the present Lambeth contract. On this account 1 sliallnot renew the Gosport contract, which I have held for the last ten years." The city of London, within the walls, comprehends a popu- lation of 55,000, whose poor are relieved and managed in 96 parishes. Lambeth comprehends a population of 87,000, and the administration of relief to the poor is managed by one esta- blishment, and the money raised for the purpose is collected on one rate. What do you consider would be the effect of the sub- division of Lambeth into 96 independent parishes, each manag- ing the poor independently of the rest; or each exercising the right of assent or dissent from any combined management in the same way as each parish belonging to the incorporated hundreds ? — " The chief effects which appear to me to be likely to ensue are, that we should have ninety-six imperfect establishments in- stead of one : ninety-six sources of peculation instead of one : ninety-six sets of officers to be imposed upon by paupers instead of one set: ninety-six sources of litigation and of expense for removals and disputed settlements instead of one, and ninety- six modes of rating instead of one." The witness referred to the returns of parochial expenditure and stated, *Mt appears that the 96 city parishes (many of which are extremely wealthy and lightly burthened with poor) with a population of 55,000, expended for the relief of the poor in the year 1831, 64,000/. Lambeth with 32,000 more people, and many densely-peopled districts containing very poor people, expended on the relief of the poor only 37,000/. during the same year. In the wealthy parishes of the city of London, the money paid as poor's-rates amounted to 1/. 3^. 2t\d. per head; whilst in Lambeth the amount paid is 8^. 6c/. and a fraction per head. I believe that the individuals relieved are much more numerous in Lambeth than in the city of London. They were so formerly, and I believe they are so now. The adults of Lam- beth parish are now supported in the workhouse at ?ts. \\d. per head; whilst in the city of London, the greater proportion of all 312 Mr. Chadwiclc's Report — London and Berkshire. classes of poor, including children, are farmed out at an expense of from 4s. ^d. to 7s. each, whilst the expense of those main- tained in the small city workhouses varies from bs. to 8.y. per head per week for all classes *."' Do you think this statement gives a fair view of the merits of management in small as compared with large town parishes ? — - " It never occurred to me to make any comparison of this kind until it was suggested by the question ; but my impression is that it does afford a fair comparison. The management of the poor in incorporated hundreds is undoubtedly superior to the manage- ment by independent parishes ; but still the good of the hundred management is much diminished by the numerous sets of officers, and quarrels and conflicting interests of the separate parishes." It has been suggested that, for the purposes of classification, the present workhouses of a town might be brought under a central management — that in a town in which there are at present five or six workhouses, each of ihese workhouses might be appropriated to the reception and treatment of one class of paupers ; that one house might be made to contain all children, another all the able- bodied females, another all the able-bodied males, and so on. — Now do you think that a system of combined management of the paupers in these distinct houses might be conducted in such a manner as to reduce the total expenditure for the maintenance of the paupers of that town ? — " With respect to superintendence, there would be some additional expense ; but that would, I think, be more than counterbalanced by the increased number of the poor maintained. The bread, for instance, might be supplied from one common bakehouse. This of itself would be a considerable sav- ing. In small estabHshments you generally lose more than you gain by baking in the house, as you cannot get it done by the paupers without great waste, and the consumption is not enough to make it worth while to employ a regular journeyman baker. In Newington, the consumption of bread was not enough to keep a baker employed; whilst at Lambeth, by baking fourteen or fifteen sacks a week, we have ample employment for one journey- man and assistants in the house. The greater part of the other food could be supplied from one common kitchen, and conveyed to the houses hot. In most workhouses there are persons who, though they cannot be trusted with the management of anything * On examining the answers made to the queries forwarded by his Ma- jesty's commissioners, this statement appears to be strictly accurate. Several witnesses, who are respectable paid officers of the parishes within the city of London, have strongly represented the evils of the existing system of admi- nistering the poor-laws by numerous petty establishments ; and have urged the expediency of the legislature prescribing some system of combined ma- nagement Workhouse Management. 313 themselves, may be usefully employed under an intelligent super- intendent. In fact, I see no more difficulty in managing so many establishments in a town than there is in managing five or six wards of one house. Indeed, I believe the trouble of management would be greatly reduced by means of the classification, which would be of great value, by enabling you to put the refractory by themselves. It is a very few of these who occasion the constant necessity of the presence of a superintendent. I think that, if Mr. Drouet had the means of locking up or separating in any way about half a dozen refractory males, or as many females, in Lambeth workhouse, who are always ready to throw the whole establishment into a state of confusion, he might leave the place with the greatest security, to attend to other departments, where there was anything going on to require the attendanceof a director." We find from the returns of a number of the workhouses sent to us, that in very few is there any distinction made between the rations for children and for adults, or between males and females. Would such a combined system as that alluded to enable you to make a better adaptation of dietaries ? — " Most certainly, and that without exciting the jealousies which are created by different scales of diet being served in one house, where the different classes run a good deal one into another. There might be more economy in the diet of children, and of the poor in general, whilst the old and infirm, and proper objects, might be indulged with some com- forts, without exciting dissatisfaction amongst others. It is for the sake of peace, as well as saving trouble, that the dietaries of parish workhouses are generally uniform. Many parish officers would prescribe a more appropriate diet for the idle and the vicious, if they did not see that they would thereby make deserving objects sufier." You are then of opinion, that the management of a combina- tion of workhouses may be as economical as the management of the same number of paupers in one workhouse? — '' Yes ; and ra- ther more so on an extended scale ; because I find that the cost of maintenance decreases as the numbers increase. With reference to the Lambeth workhouse, I have calculated that one thousand persons might be maintained at 300/. per annum less than seven hundred persons ; and, by the same rule, two thousand persons, in two different houses, one thousand persons in each, might be main- tained for 1000/. per annum less than one thousand persons in two houses of five hundred each. In fact, the saving may be estimated at 1/. per head per annum. If I were competing for a contract, I would on these data take a reduced sum in proportion to the number; judging from my own experience at Newington and Lambeth, I should say that one active individual, sufficiently 314 Mr, Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. interested^ might superintend the establishments for two thousand persons." Jf such a system of combined management were established, do you think that local authorities or visiters might be intrusted with the power of modifying the dietaries ? — " I am decidedly of opinion that no such authority can be beneficially exercised, even by the local manager and superintendent of any place; whatever devia- tion there is in the way of extra indulgence has a tendency to extend and perpetuate itself which cannot be resisted. If you give to particular people an extra allowance on special grounds, all the rest will exclaim, ' Why should not we have it as well as they ? ' and too often they get it. That which was only intended to be the comfort of the few, and as an exception, at last, one by one being added to the list, becomes the general rule ; and when once esta- blished, there are few annual officers who will interfere to abridge the accustomed allowance, or get themselves stigmatized as ' op- pressors of the poor.' I may mention, as an instance, that about two years ago Mr. Randal Jackson, one of the county magistrates, visited Lambeth workhouse, and humanely distributed some small parcels of tea to several of the old inmates ; and, at the same time, suggested the propriety of allowing to several of the old and deserving inmates a trifle per week for such comforts (tea and sugar). I remonstrated with some of the officers against the adoption of this proposal, as I well knew from experience that it had a dangerous tendency. The answer was, that they could not do otherwise than fall in with the suggestion of such a person. They have ever since allowed ninety-five old inmates GcZ. each per week in addition to their allowance of food. Now the very worthy and humane individual, when he recommended an allowance to ' a few' old persons, could not have thought of the extent of the altera- tion (apparently so trifling and unworthy of consideration), or he would have seen that it would amount to between one and two hundred pounds per annum ; a charge that would be perpetuated on the parish, and would, to sustain it, have required an endow- ment of nearly 4000Z., had the benevolent individual said, * If the parish do not do this, I will.' In this way alterations in detail, which appear trifling, make in the aggregate very large sums. Humane individuals rarely calculate upon the tendency or aggre- gate effect of such alterations ; the extension of this indulgence is at present checked by the contract management, but had the work- house been under the old management, the probability is that the indulgence woukl have been extended to the greater proportion of the inmates. In the way exhibited in this instance such altera- tions are made without exciting any inquiry; while, if a new school had been to be established, requiring between one and two hundred Sick Poor — Centralised Management 315 pounds per annum from the parochial revenue for its maintenance, the whole parish would have been agitated to consider the pro- priety of it." Have you not found that one cause of pauperism is occasional sickness, which compels independent labourers to come into the workhouse during the continuance of that sickness, and thus introduces them and their families, for the first time, to parochial relief ? — " This is a very great cause, the existence of which I have long regretted ; for the comforts received during their sickness, and the general mode of living which they observe in the work- house, are such as to induce them to remain a long time, and offer very strong temptations to them to throw themselves upon the parish entirely on the first opportunity, of which they are sure to avail themselves. I have long considered it would be desirable to procure separate establishments for the treatment of the poor who fall sick*." Has it ever occurred to you, that by means of a central admi- nistration of the parochial funds of a town, and a combination of workhouses, such as that mentioned, one of the existing houses might be appropriated exclusively to the reception of the sick ? — " In the central government of the poor of a district such a provi- sion would certainly enter into the plan ; but although it has never occurred to me, yet it would be obviously of great advantage. Whilst very good provision is made in our parish, and, perhaps, in other larger parishes, for the treatment of the sick poor, in the small country workhouses the treatment of the sick is commonly very wretched, as they have no constant attendance, and in every emergency the doctor must be sent for, frequently at two or three miles' distance. It is also common, that in consequence of the great distance, the doctor prescribes and sends medicines on the report of the messenger, and without seeing the patient. If one house were appropriated in the manner stated for the sick of a district, and a portion of each separate expenditure were collected together, and systematically applied, a hospital for the poor might be main- tained without any additional expense. And whilst the sick would be better treated, without being tempted to remain paupers, all the advantages of a medical school would be derived for the district." * Mr. Lee, the master of St. Pancras workhouse, states, " We have on an average about one hundred and fifty patients in our hospital and in the work- house. A large proportion of these are independent poor. When the inde- pendent poor come into the workhouse and see how well the paupers live, it is very difficult to get them out of it. For this reason I have always thought our hospital, though maintained with the best motives, produces very bad effects. The larger proportion of our paupers are hereditary paupers ; the hospital affords an inlet from the dependent paupers. It would be very beneficial if the hospital were a separate establishment. 316 Mr,'ChachvicIiS Rejoort — London and Berkshire, From the statements of medical men in the metropolis, and also of such persons as Dr. Kay of Manchester, it appears that, in consequence of the want of drainage of certain districts, and the crowded and dirty state of the habitations, there are some neighbourhoods from which disease is never absent — Have you observed similar effects in the parishes with which you are ac- quainted ? — " I have observed it, not only in Lambeth, but in all crowded neighbourhoods; and, seeing how large a source of una- voidable pauperism this is, I have long regretted that the pro- prietors of these small houses were not compelled to keep them in a proper state. An independent labourer may be industrious and provident, and yet both he and his family may be subjected to a fever, or other disease, and thrown upon the parish, in consequence of want of drainage, and filth, and other causes, which he has no means of removing." So that, looking merely to the poor-rates, it would be good economy to pay attention to drainage and the enforcement of sana- tary regulation ? — " I think so ; and that it would be attended with great benefit. Some neighbourhoods are so constantly the seats of particular diseases, and sources of pauperism from that cause, that if assistant-overseers, and others accustomed to visit the abodes of the poor, were asked for cases of those diseases, they could direct you to particular places where you would almost be sure to find the disease at work. I remember that, one winter, when the weather was very severe, the beadles of Newington parish were directed to pay particular attention to the sick out- door poor. They went at once to some courts in Kent-street, as a matter of course, without making any inquiry (just as a game- keeper would go to a well-stocked preserve) ; and retunied with two coach-loads full of most deplorable objects, the victims of frightful disease." What has been your experience on the subject of the employ- ment of the poor in the workhouse ? — " The great difficulty, as it appears to me, is the obtainment of employment for the paupers which does not interfere with the regular labour of people out of doors. I have had two manufactories : I have had, perhaps, a dozen looms at work at a time ; and I used to manufacture all the sheeting and linen and cotton goods required for the consumption of the workhouse. But I found manufacturing in the work- house objectionable on several grounds. In the first place, with regard to returns, you can rarely get anything to pay the expenses, because, with paupers, you cannot enforce from them that regu- larity (although you give them a proportion of the price of the work) and attention to small savings which a manufacturer can enforce from paid workmen. These small savings make the profit Employment of Workhonse Inmates. 317 of the manufacturer. Then, machmery has made such progress, that, unlessthe workhouse was formed into one immense manufac- tory, I do not believe that, if the raw material were given to the parish, any return could be obtained for pauper labour. Both with the adults and the children, there is great loss in teaching them the trade. Besides this, you must get a paid superintendent ; for I never knew a pauper who, even if he were well acquainted with any branch of manufacture, could be depended on as super- intendent of a department. If you educate the children to a trade or manufacture conducted by a parish, you give the contractor, or the workhouse-keeper even, a motive to keep them upon the parish, or not to put them to independent occupations. Being thus kept in the workhouse, they contract various bad habits. If they are kept until they become adults, they are too old to submit to the drudgery of apprenticeships, and can very seldom get em- ployment, as they are mostly unfitted for any. When I had the Newington contract, I found there two lads, upwards of seventeen years of age each". They had both been found expert weavers for the workhouse, and had been kept in by the former contractor. The overseer proposed that they should be ejected. I pointed out the improbability of their being able to get into any employment ; for it was notorious that no manufacturers would employ them, on account of their not having served a regular apprenticeship. The overseers, however, insisted on their being sent out of the house. One of them, named Porter, died in about a month, not having obtained a day's employment, after having lived in very great misery. The other, named Giles East, got little or no employ- ment; and in less than three months committed an offence for which he was executed. The parties who had expelled him from the house were called upon to prosecute him for the offence. All these consequences I consider to be the results of the system, though the incidents were more strikingly marked in those cases than in others." Have you retained no descriptions of labour in your establish- ments ? — " We have retained several descriptions ; for the women, coarse needle-work, cotton-winding for the tallow-chandlers, sort- ing hairs for the brush-makers : for the men, door-mat making, knotting yarns for spun yarn and cord for the bottoms of mats, coarse kinds of twines, picking oakum. These are descriptions of employment that may with little difficulty be obtained, without affecting, to any extent, the labour of the inhabitants." [Here Mr. Mott adduced in evidence instances of the mischievous effects produced by want of secondary punishments, which have been quoted in p. 239.] " I will merely observe further that a contractor is worse off, as to the maintenance of order, than other persons — 318 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. the jealousy with which he is viewed, and the credit given to all the statements of paupers, preventing him from using the little power which he has. It is, however, necessary that some ready and efficient punishment should be available to whomsoever is intrusted the application of pauper labour." It has been stated to us that in St. Paul's, Covent Garden, the paupers have been usefully employed in cleansing the streets more frequently than would be done by the contractor. Do you not think that much labour of that sort might be found for the paupers? — "The mischief is, that the superintendence of the paupers and the application of their labour, and the manage- ment of the roads, are usually under distinct trusts. In most cases the surveyors do not Uke to be troubled with paupers. Ar- rangements might, I think, be made to render the great propor- tion of the road-labour available for the purpose of employing the poor. But this could only be by a union of management of large districts, in which there would always be a large stock of pauper labour available, and in which there could be skilful management." Have you observed that, in the smaller agricultural parishes, one main difficulty in the way of the employment of the paupers is the want of permanent superintendents of adequate skill to direct their labours ? — " Yes, and the cause is obvious, in the want of sufficient extent of the parish to pay a competent person, and the want of a sufficient amount of disposable labour to make it worth while to employ such a person, even if the parish could affi)rd it." A second cause of the idleness of paupers in the smaller parishes, is stated to be the division of authority amongst over- seers : how have you found this operate ? — " I have seldom ob- served the overseers agree about the employment of the paupers in any one new mode, even if the surveyors of the roads could be got to agree with the overseers. The want, on the part of the overseers, of an adequate pecuniary interest in the success of the management might, I think, be placed as the first cause of the want of success in the employment of labourers in most of the smaller parishes ; the next is the want of capital for the purpose. I have the means of knowing the pecuniary condition of a num- ber of parishes, and I know few instances in which they are not constantly in debt." Do you think that the evils of the present system are in a pro- cess of correction ? — " In the larger parishes, where there is a more respectable and intelligent superintendence, there has lately been some check to the increase of allowances and temptations ; but I believe that in the great majority of the parishes the evils of the system go on increasing." Advantages of Paupers over Independent Labourers. 319 Have you observed the operation of the advantage given to paupers over independent labourers? — *^ It is too notorious. When the working men who have never been in the habit of obtaining parochial relief, get into the workhouse by any accident, they are only to be got out with the greatest diffi- culty : the parish officers are forced to bribe them out. The workmen say they cannot go out unless certain sums are given them to ' set them up.* Scarcely a week passes in which three or four bargains of this sort are not made ; but after having seen what sort of a place they have to fall back upon, they commonly spend the money and return in a few days. A family, consisting of an agricultural labourer, his wife, and six children, some time since came into the Newington workhouse from Norfolk. Before they were classed with the other paupers, they were allowed to dine by themselves. When the regular rations were served out to them, they w^ere all in astonishment at the quantity; the man had never before been in a workhouse, and he especially was amazed : when the food was first taken in, he asked the person who served it how much of it was intended for them ? and was lost in astonishment when he found that they were allowed the whole of it. He declared that he had more meat to divide amongst his family in one day, now they were paupers, than he had been able to obtain for them during several months, when he was an independent labourer ; and he repeated afterwards, that during the whole of his life he had never lived so well as he lived in the workhouse. It is unnecessary to observe that we had the greatest difficulty in getting this family out of the workhouse. Girls who are sent out from the work- house to situations commonly quarrel with their employers, and throw themselves out of place, on the ground that they are worked harder than in the workhouse, and are not kept so well, though they are, as well as their employers, in the middle ranks of life, and are required to work no harder than many of the wives of industrious tradesmen. On Christmas-day, when the custom- ary allowance, consisting of seven ounces of cooked roast-beef^ clear of bone, one pound of potatoes, one pound of plum-pudding, and a pint of strong beer, exclusive of their bread and other daily allowances, was served out at Lambeth workhouse, one of the collectors happened to be present, and he remarked on the goodness of the quality as well as on the quantity of the pro- visions. I asked him whether there were not a great many persons, from whom he collected this rate, who were not able to procure such a dinner for their families? His reply was — ' Hundreds.' " What proportion of those who partook of this superior fare 320 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire, you have mentioned, do you consider deserving objects ?— " If by deserving objects is meant those who have not been reduced to want by idleness, improvidence, or vice, but by un- avoidable circumstances, I should say, certainly not one-fifth. Some few years back I endeavoured to trace the causes of the paupers becoming chargeable, and I found that, in nine cases out of ten, the main cause was an ungovernable inclination for fermented liquors." Over how many cases did your inquiries extend? — '' I was then the contractor for Newington workhouse ; — the number of the cases I took was upwards of three hundred. The inquiry was conducted for some months, as I investigated every new case that came under my knowledge. All my subsequent observations have strengthened the conclusions from these cases." What proportion of these cases arose from failure of employ- ment ? — " Not one in twenty." In the course of that investigation, did you trace any effects as resulting from the absence of education ? — " As to moral or religious instruction, I observed a very marked and lamentable deficiency ; for, out of three hundred, there were, I think, two professing the Catholic faith, about twenty Methodists, and, with the exception of about fifteen idiots, or persons of imbecile mind, the rest, though they professed to be ortho- dox, yet might be termed ^ anything-arians.' They had the liberty of attending Divine service, or of going out to any other place of worship ; but I found that the majority of them who availed themselves of this privilege never went to any place of worship, but followed vagrant habits. Those who have had edu- cation I have always found more easily manageable ; and, cer- tainly, the most desperate characters have been the most completely uninstructed. No one can feel more strongly than I do the utility, the absolute necessity, of a general education ; but it must be of a better description than that now copnmonly given before it can have the desired effect. It is forgotten that reading and writing are not of themselves knowledge, and will not of themselves make a man moral. Amongst the number of persons whose cases I investigated were several of an education far above the average ; and I had one person under my care, named Wil- liam Jones, who was the cousin of an eminent barrister, and the son of a clergyman. This person was very learned, and, for the purpose of keeping up his knowledge of the languages with which he was conversant, he used to keep a journal of each day's trans- actions, and the account of each day was kept in one of the seven different languages with which he was the most familiar. He was sent to my charge at the workhouse as a victim to the habit Causes of Pauperisms-Instances. 321 of drinking. His journal contained very accurate accounts of his own aberrations; and yet, notwithstanding the calamitous con- sequences which he himself noted and commented upon justly, he could not refrain from indulgence. On one occasion, after he had been for some time debarred from liquor, he, by some means or other, got some drink, but he was nevertheless sober, and ca- pable of reasoning collectedly, when he came to me, and begged permission to be allowed to go out of the workhouse, for he said he could not bear abstinence any longer. I told him I could not make the house a prison, and that if he, when sober, went out, I would not receive him back again. He still besought me, and I gave him half an hour to consider of it. At the end of the time he came again, and finding me still adhering to my resolution, said he was extremely sorry, for he must go ; he could not resist having some more liquor, ' if it was to secure him a crown of glory.' I was obhged to allow him to go ; and in the middle of the next day, he was brought back in a state of beastly intoxica- tion, and nearly naked; his clothes having been disposed of to obtain the means of indulging his propensity. I refiised to pay the coachman, or receive him again. I afterwards learned that the coachman, after having driven him about to respectable per- sons, his family connexions, to obtain payment, drove him to Union Hall, where the magistrates committed him to Kingston house of correction. Since then I have not seen him. Such instances among educated people are not common.*' Do you think that anything may be done in the way of educa- tion for the present mass of adults of the working classes? — " It is not possible to say what might be done ; but I have not seen any system of direct education from which I could anticipate any ma- terial benefits as regards the adults. No time, however, should be lost with children." But although nothing could be expected from any influence of education upon adults, have you not observed circumstances mis- chievously influencing their habits which may be removed or altered ? — " Yes ; I am glad to have an opportunity of stating, that I have observed such circumstances, and have often regretted the extreme facility with which the means '^of gratifying the pro- pensities to drink and other indulgencies are afforded by the system on which the pawnbroker s business is at present carried on. In the course of my experience and investigations, I have had many thousands of duplicates of articles pledged by the poor; and I have found that nearly all the articles pledged by these classes are at sums from SdJ. to 1^., and not exceeding Is. 6^. each pledge. It is notorious to those acquainted with the habits of the people, and it is indeed admitted by the paupers themselves, that nine Y 322 Mr. Chadwick's Report — London and Berkshire. out of ten of them are pledged for liquor. The immense pro- portion of these pawnings were by women, and chiefly of articles usually deemed essential to their use and comfort, such as hand- kerchiefs, flannel-petticoats, shifts, or household articles, such as tea-kettles, flat-irons, and such things ; these articles being always in requisition, they are usually redeemed in a few days, and very frequently the same day. I made a calculation of the interest paid by them for their trifling loans, and found it to be as follows : — A loan of 3(/. if redeemed same day, pays int. at rate of 5200 per ct.,if weekly 866 per ct. 4 . . . 3900 . . 650 6 . . . 2600 . . 433 9 . . . . 1733 . . 288 1,. , . . 1300 . . 216" What is the remedy you propose for this system ? — " An enact- ment that no pawnbroker should be allowed to advance a less sum on any article than 2s. 6d. From some conversation which I have had with one very respectable pawnbroker, I am led to be- lieve that the most respectable of that body would not object to such an alteration. It is to be observed, that the Pawnbrokers' Act allows them to charge the same interest, namely 20 per cent, on a loan of 3d. on a pledge for a day as it does upon the loan of 2s. (Sd. for a month : I think it probable that the legislature never conceived that any pledges would be made for less sums than 26-. 6c?. The facility of obtaining the means of indulgence is also a facility for disposing of the produce of petty thefts, and a temptation to them. After a general examination of the paupers' clothing account, finding a large proportion of the articles missing, I have next seized all the duplicates we could find on their per- sons or in their boxes, and on sending round to the pawnbrokers we were sure to find a great proportion of the missing articles. Here, it may be observed, there was no real want. I might have added, as one of the advantages of contract management, that the contractor is necessarily compelled to take greater care of the stock in the house, which, under other management, is inevitably plundered extensively." Have you observed any bad effects produced by facilities given to contract debts, operating on the improvident habits of the poor? — " Yes, very bad effects indeed, and this is one point on which I am glad to have an opportunity of speaking. I am well informed, that credit is given to poor people, on the knowledge on the part of the creditors, that they have a sort of security on the parish rates. They know that when the head of a family appears likely to be thrown into prison on the judgment of one of the small debt courts, the wife and family immediately apply to the parish for relief, and the parish officers too often assist in paying Facilities to Poor to get into Debt. 323 the debt in order to get rid of the burthen of the wife and family. I can hardly trust myself to express my feelings with relation to what I have heard, and the instances I know of the oppression and cruelty practised by these small courts, where the judges are frequently small shopkeepers directly interested in the decisions*.'* Have you thought of any remedy for these abuses ? — " I have thought that, at all events, a limitation of the powers of such courts to distrain on the goods of the debtor where he had any, would prevent credit being given to the mischievous extent to which it is now given to persons who have no self-control and no means of paying the debts they contract. The suppression of the power given to these petty courts to imprison the person, would be one of the greatest boons that could be conferred on the labouring classes, and would at the same time afford very great relief to the parishes." Do you think the remedy might go any farther with advan- tage ? or that there would be no bad effects from depriving the creditor of his remedy where there are no goods ? — " I certainly consider that the remedy might be carried farther. I think that the effect would be, to prevent credit being given to the thought- less and improvident, whilst the honest and industrious man would receive all the accommodation upon honour that he has before been in the habit of receiving or could require. The tally-shops and the chandlers'-shops in districts which furnish a large proportion of the business of these courts, have had a most mischievous effect in fostering habits of improvidence amongst the labouring classes f." Have you formed any opinion as to the expediency of increas- ing or maintaining the duties on fermented liquors, as a means of abating their consumption ? — '' I have not considered that sub- ject, and I do not, therefore, feel myself competent to express any opinion upon it." Have you considered what is to be done in giving additional * The fees of these courts are flagitiously high in proportion to the debts. f On referring to some parliamentary returns of the number of prisoners committed to Whitecross-street and Horsemonger-lane prisons on process out of the courts of request, it appears tliat, in the year 1829, there were nine hundred and thirty-two prisoners committed to the latter gaol, and confined during periods from one to one hundred days ; that the aggregate amount of debts for which' these nine hundred and thirty-two prisoners were confined, was 1900/., and the aggregate costs 574/.; that, during the same year, one thousand five hundred and sixty-three persons were confined in Whitecross-street prison during similar periods, and that the total amount of their debts was 2071/., of the costs 746/. The return from this prison states that "there are, upon an average, about seventy-five prisoners on process out of the courts of request constantly in the above prison ; and their food, firing, bedding, medicine, &c., are estimated to cost annually 422/. 14*. 4rf." Y 2 324 Mr» ChadwicUs Report — London and Berkshire. facilities for the formation of frugal habits by the improvement of Friendly Societies and Savings Banks ? — " They are inestimable institutions, which, it appears to me, are susceptible of great im- provements. I have no doubt that if the inducements to impro- vidence were removed by the reform of the present system of poor- law management, they would be immensely resorted to. Some- thing shoidd certainly be done to give additional securities to benefit societies. It was only on Friday last, a person in middling circumstances stated to me, that a benefit society to which he had contributed for some years, to the amount of upwards of 120/., had been broken up from bad management, and that his propor- tion of the fund, when distributed, only amounted to 3/. He was thus deprived of the saving which was probably his only resource against pauperism. It would be a very great advantage and in- ducement to save, if annuities, adapted to the circumstances of the labouring classes, were provided with government security. But the legislation on these subjects has hitherto been pecuharly blundering and unfortunate, and if there is any further interference, it should certainly be with greater caution, and by persons of su- perior knowledge and abilities." What proportion of the paupers under your charge do you believe to have had a surplus of wages beyond what was requisite for a comfortable subsistence, a surplus which they might have put by, (had there been adequate inducements,) to guard against the destitution by which they were pauperized ? — " I might have mentioned, when stating the results of my investigation of the causes of pauperism in the three hundred cases, that the greater number of the men admitted, that they had long been in the receipt of good wages, from which they might have saved, and expressed their regret at their improvidence ; as they might, if they had been careful, have kept themselves from the parish. Here, again, the practice of taking pledges to meet occasional wants interferes to check provident habits. We know that the wants which small loans are obtained to relieve are not important, and that the people would often have to meet them if the pawn- brokers were not so open." From the whole tendency of your evidence, as to the supe- riority of the larger parishes over the small ones, it is to be presumed, therefore, you consider that, for the same reasons, county management affords better means of diminishing the evils of pauperism than the larger parishes ? — " Precisely so." Does your observation enable you to give any opinion on the further subject of a central or national management under some central authority, as compared with a county management ? — " I do not speak from any speculation, but from a close attention Advantages of Extended Central Managemeyit. 325 to the subject ; for the opinions which I entertain have been forced, upon my mind by the facts which have come under my own observation. I have long conchided that any efficient manage- ment must differ materially from the present system. I have seen sets of officers succeed sets ; I have seen a great many plans and systems suggested and tried; I have seen them tried by officers of the highest respectability and intelUgence, and the little good derived from the practical operation of their plans utterly defeated by their successors, who, though equally honest, come into office with different opinions and views. Here and there an extraordinary man will come into office, and succeed very satis- factoril}^ But when he goes there is generally an immediate relapse into the old system. His example works no permanent change in his own parish, still less is it attended to in the adjacent parishes. In short, I am quite convinced, from all my experience, that no uniform system can be carried into execution, however ably it may be devised ; nor can any hopes of permanent improve- ment be held out, unless some central and powerful control is established. The present vicious system is so rooted in the habits of the people, that I do not think that it would be in the power of the existing parish officers to alter it. However determined they might be to do so, in a very large proportion of cases, they cannot act or make any improvement ; for they are even now obliged to yield relief to the worst objects under the influence of fear. I know that, in many parishes, the officers are very much gratified by the exercise of power, and would very reluctantly yield to any interference with what they call ' their privileges ;' but still I would say that the good sense and respectability of the country would overcome all ignorant and selfish opposition of this sort. Ignorant or interested persons talk about the advantages of people applying their money and managing their own aflfairs, in oppo- sition to any plan of central management : but however great the mismanagement of this or any other government that I have ever heard of may be, there never was a tax so harshly and vexatiously levied, or so badly and corruptly expended, as the tax raised for the relief of the poor. It is the only one raised and appropriated immediately by the payers themselves, and it is in every respect the very worst." Be so good as to specify some of the advantages which you think would be attainable from a central management? — '^ In the first place, (setting aside the superior economy and skill of the esta- blishment for a central management,) one great point I have always considered would be in obtaining a uniformity of diet throughout the country. At present there are scarcely two parishes that agree either as to quantity or quality : the cost in some being as low as 326 Mr. Chadu'ick^s Report — London and Berkshire. 2s. 6d. per head per week, whilst in others it is as high as 6^. or 8s. They only agree in this, that they are all much better than the diet obtained by the greater proportion of working men out of the house. I have examined many parochial diet tables, and I do not know any place except Gosport where the diet is so low as that of the independent labourer." To what do you ascribe the difference between the parishes in their diet? — "In the parishes where the lower contract is taken, articles which are there considered luxuries, or at least not abso- lute necessaries of life, are omitted. The following is a copy of the dietary for Lambeth, where the contract is at 3^. lid. per head per week : in Gosport, I take the contract at 2s. Sd. per head per week. MEN AND WOMEN. Breakfast and Supper. Dinner. Monday. . Tuesday . Wednesday Thursday . Friday . . Saturday . Sunday . . T3 1 1 Q f 2 oz. Cheese Bread 13 oz. -J , -„ ,. cor 1 oz. Butter I Ditto I I Pint Milk Porridge ditto Bread 13 oz. ditto ( Ditto ditto (. 1 Pint Milk Porridge ditto Bread 13 oz. ditto n)itto ditto 1 1 Pint of Milk Porridge ditto Bread 13 oz. ditto 1 Pint Leg of Beef Soup. 1 lb. Rice Pudding. 7 oz. Boiled Beef & Vegetables. 1 Pint Leg of Beef Soup. 7 oz. Boiled Beef & Vegetables. 1 Pint Leg of Beef Soup. 7 oz. Boiled Beef & Vegetables. One Quart Table Beer per day. Extra for the Sick, — Mutton and Broth, Beef Tea, Wine, Porter, Milk, &c., or whatever is directed by the Visiting Apothecary. FIVE EXTRA DINNERS. Easter — Legs of Mutton 7 oz. with Baked Potatoes, and 1 Pint of Porter each Person. Whitsuntide— Ditto ditto ditto. Bean Feast — Bacon 7 oz. with Beans, and 1 Pint of Beer each. Pea Feast — Bacon 7 oz. with ^ Pint of Peas, and 1 Pint of Porter each. Christmas Day — Roast Beef 7 oz. with 1 lb. of Potatoes Baked, 1 lb. of Plum Pudding, and 1 Pint of strong Beer each. See the Gosport dietary, page 253. Are the paupers of Gosport as well satisfied with their diet as the Lambeth workhouse inmates are with the diet given them there ? — " Yes ; they are even better satisfied." Then do you find that the conceptions of this class of people, as to which they ought to have, rise in proportion to what is given them? — "Precisely so; it is a settled thing ; there can be no doubt of it. This may always be seen in those places where there is any Mischievous Differences of Diet. 327 considerable distribution of coals, clothes, or other things, from benev olent societies or individuals. It is universally the case, that there is in those places much more discontent and disorder than in those places where no such gifts are distributed." What advantages do you expect to result from an uniformity of diet? — " In the first place, it would do away the strong temp- tation which paupers now have to remove from what they call * bad parishes ' to others which they call ' good parishes,' or from good parishes to better, or to stay in good parishes, instead of seeking work elsewhere. If there were uniformity of diet and other treatment, it would make no material difference in which parish a man was kept. There would not be, on the one hand, the mischievous shifting, and, on the other liand, the mischievous continuance that there now is. Frauds in settlements, and the attendant expenses, and the expenses and trouble of removals, would be materially lessened. The necessity of uniform diet, and the important effect which it has upon the administration of the poor-laws, it appears to me has never yet received the atten- tion which it deserves. It would be more especially available against the most dangerous and fearfully burthensome part of the system, the money payments to the out-door poor. Uni- formity of diet and management would also enable every parish to know what the cost of the poor ought to be, and would enable them to detect many frauds. When the diet varies, you have no means of doing this, and no two diets agree. At present, people say the expenditure in our parish is so much per head, whilst in such another parish it is so much less, without at all considering the difference in diet, or other local circumstances, all of which you must consider before you can decide whether the pecuniary management of parishes is comparatively good or bad. It would save the parishes and parish-officers from those bickerings, and the ill-feeling which is occasioned by this hidden cause of the expense of their poor. It is a very common thing for parishes to look at the great number and expense of the poor, and, without taking into account the dietaries and other local circumstances, to compare them with other parishes, and attribute fraud or mis- management to officers, who have really managed as well as the system will permit. A prescribed uniformity of diet would also check the tendency which there is at present in parochial manage- ment to a constant increase of diet and accumulation of comforts, from the interference and influence of humane but mistaken indi- viduals. Parishes are always subject to such influences as I have mentioned, with reference to the interference of Mr. Randal Jackson, and such benevolent individuals, who cannot from their position be expected to see that ev^ry comfort bestowed on the 328 Mr, Chadwick'^s Report — London and Berkshire. idle is a bounty to the improvident, and an injury and cruelty to the industrious." From this statement, it is to be presumed you contemplate the discontinuance of all pecuniary out-door relief, or the rendering that relief also uniform? — ^" I am certainly of opinion, that if out-door relief is given at all, it should be given in kind, as I have found, on investigating the cases, that such relief is not applied to the purposes contemplated in nine cases out of ten ; but if a cautioned system of workhouses, under a central manage- ment, could be established, then the out-door management might be usefully discontinued. A large proportion of the applications for out-door relief are made, first, in the confidence that there is not room in the workhouse for one-third of those who insist upon relief; and secondly, that from the keep in the workhouse being extravagant, the parish-officers will prefer giving any single applicant, and much more any family, a weekly pension to taking them into the house. Men serve during their lives in the army, or the navy, and sustain wounds and extreme hardships; and are, nevertheless, obliged to maintain during all that time a good character to entitle them to a pension of sixpence a day ; whilst you will find, that in the metropolis thousands of thieves, prosti- tutes, and all over the country tens of thousands of the worst characters, obtain weekly allowances, or pensions, as ^ their right,' immediately that they demand them. If all were taken into the house, and the^ diet for the able-bodied pauper were what it ought to be, the same effects would follow that are noted in an account of the establishment of several workhouses published in 1725. 'Very great numbers of lazy people, rather than submit to the confinement and labour of the workhouse, are content to throw off the mask, and maintain themselves by their own in- dustry. And this was so remarkable here, at Maidstone, that when our workhouse was finished, and public notice given, that all who came to demand their weekly pay should be immediately sent thither, little more than half the poor upon the list came to the overseers to receive their allowance,' " You propose, then, that the diet, besides being uniform in amount, should be uniformly reduced in quantity and quality ? — " I do. The national diet should be low, even to all classes. The wealthy, and all those who had the means, would then have an ample opportunity of exercising their benevolence, by adding, by voluntary contributions, to the comfort of deserving poor. As to the food and clothing of the undeserving, the advantage of relief in kind is as a check to misappHcation. But even if the officers had sufficient fortitude to carry such a regulation into efi'ect, it would not do for them to say, ' We have determined to alter the Necessity of a Controlling Power. 329 allowance.' They must be enabled to say, * We cannot help it ; we are compelled to do it ;' and it must be apparent that this is really the case. The controlling power must be strong, and be at a distance. It is only by some such system that the condition of the pauper can be reduced to that of the independent labourer, which is the grand effort to be made ; for if it is not made, you will surely have the independent labourers place themselves in the more advantageous condition of paupers, which they have now the means of doino^." You are, of course, aware that such extensive changes are not free from danger, and have considered it ? — " I have, and I am well aware that any sudden change might be attended with much mischief; not from the in-door poor, who might, without difficulty, be gradually brought to submit to regulations, but from persons in the habit of receiving out-door relief in money, the system now being so much interwoven with their habits. The first thing to be done would be obtaining uniformity of management, and then of diet. The next would be the gradual reduction of the relief, penny by penny, and ounce by ounce. The very old, who have been brought up under the present regulations, might be allowed to continue, so long as they lived, in the enjoyment of the same comforts. All new applicants should, however, at once be subject to the new and strict regulations.'' Have you had, within your own observation, an instance of the reduction of the allowances to a whole body of paupers ? — " Yes ; I recollect, about ten or eleven years since, the officers of the town of Maidstone were induced, from the great cost of the poor, (which had increased, I think, to 7s. or 8^. per week each,) to set on foot some inquiries. The result was, that the officers reduced the diet; and after enforcing the alteration for about two months, they contracted with a person to keep the poor for about 36*. 3c/. per head. They have continued the contracting system ever since." Were there any riotings or burnings? — '^ No ; the disturbance was scarcel}^ of a nature to be noticed, or more than the w^orkhouse- keeper himself could easily control. They soon settled down into the reformed system very quietly. And I believe that the con- tractor, who was an intelligent man, obtained more work from the poor of that parish than could be expected from most parishes of that extent." Might not such general regulations as those to which you have alluded be prescribed by Act of Parliament ? — " No, certainly not. The regulations of any system must be very numerous; and though they may be uniform, it would be necessary to vary them from time to time ; and unless parliament was to do nothing but occupy itself with discussions on details of workhouse manage- 330 Mr, Chadivick's Report — London and Berkshire. ment, it would be impossible to effect any great alteration in that way. A great many regulations, however ably devised, must be experimental. Here unforeseen and apparently unimportant de- tails might baffle the best plans, if there were not the means of making immediate alteration. Suppose a general regulation were prescribed by Act of Parliament, and it was found to want altera- tion; you must wait a whole year, or more, for an Act of Parlia- ment to amend it, or the law must be broken. A central authority might make the alteration, or supply unforeseen omis- sions in a day or two. Besides, a central board or authority might get information immediately on the matters of detail. If they had, for instance, to settle some uniform diet, they could at once avail themselves of the assistance of men of science, physicians or chemists ; but you would find that Parliament, if it could really attend to the matter, and would do anything efficient, must have almost as many committees as there are different details. If there were a central board established, and it were easily accessible, as it ought to be, persons in local districts would consult them or make suggestions, who would never think of applying to Parlia- ment. Who would think of applying to Parliament to determine whether four or five ounces of butter should be used as a ration in particular cases, and whether the butter should be Irish or Dutch ? or, if Irish, whether Cork or Limerick : or to determine whether the old women's under-petticoats should be flannel or baize, and ho.w wide or long ? And suppose the petticoats laid down by Act of Parliament are found narrow, are the poor old people all over the kingdom to wait a whole year before they can have them altered ? Yet on details of this sort, beneath the dignity of grave legislators, good or bad management would depend." You then think it would be practicable for one central authority to control the management of the poor, and all their details, throughout the kingdom ? — " Yes, I do : quite as easily, and in- deed much more easily, and much better and cheaper than the barracks and dockyards are managed throughout the kingdom. I cannot speak confidently of the management of those establish- ments ; but I believe they are not under the uniformity of system, of which I think the system of management for the poor suscep- tible under a central control." Do you consider a central board more eligible than any system of immediate action of the government ? — " I do : for while it would save the time of government for the performance of its other duties, a central board would, I think, excite less discontent, as the people would consider that they had still an appeal to the government or the legislature." Do you not think it practicable to bring parishes to the volun- Proposed Central Authority. 331 tary adoption of any uniform regulations when their importance is proved to them ? — " I certainly do not think it practicable. I think it utterly impossible to bring the twelve or fourteen thousand parishes in England and Wales to one mind upon any one sub- ject, however clear the evidence may be ; much less so to act with uniformity in any one point. The Commissioners must be well aware that great frauds are committed by paupers in the metro- polis receiving relief from different boards on ditferent board days. I have known instances of paupers receiving pensions from three or four different parishes. It was proposed some years ago, and it has been proposed from time to time, to remedy this evil, which all the parishes are aware is very great, by one simple but effec- tual expedient, which it would be very easy to adopt ; namely, by all the parishes paying on the same day ; but they never could be got to do this. Individual conveniences prevented the remedy being applied ; and the system of fraud still prevails, and will continue to prevail, so long as the present management prevails. Now, if the parishes in the metropolis cannot be got to act in concert for the suppression of an evil which affects only one part of the system^ I think it will be Seen that I am justified in my opinion, that any reform or co-operation in the country is quite hopeless without the establishment of a strong central manage- ment ; nothing else will check the system. This has been my opinion for years; and I am confident that all the evidence will confirm it." Have you ever formed any opinion as t© the appointment of such a central authority, whether it should be by popular election or otherwise ? — " Certainly not by popular election or delegation ; for the requisite qualifications would not generally be appreciated ; "and we now find, that in the appointment of the permanent -and more important parish officers, even where the electors have a direct interest in the appointment of persons of ability, they rarely take the peculiar qualifications into consideration, but vote from a desire to serve a friend or a favourite. It may be objected that this would, in some degree, be the case if the appointment of a central authority were with the government ; but it could hardly fail to be so in a much less degree. In my opinion, the best mode of getting an efficient central management would be to concen- trate the responsibility for good management in the chief of the new department, and allOw him to select his assistants." Have you formed any opinion as to the probable saving to be feffected by a central and efficient management? — *' I should say, at least one-half of the amount of the rates. This is shown by the instances where very imperfect trials of better systems have been made. I consider, too, that the progress of the evil may be 332 Mr. Chadwick's Eejjort — London mid Berkshire. checked, and additional benefits conferred on the deserving classes, and, indeed, on the undeserving, as it would be a benefit to them to subject them to the obligations of regular industry. The ques- tion of settlement would, under a national or central management, become a matter of very minor consideration. I think the parish rates might be settled amongst themselves. Any objection on the part of the less heavily burthened parishes to unite a management with those more heavily burthened, might be safely met by a guarantee that their rates should not be increased beyond the average amount for a given number of years past, say six or seven; whilst, on the other hand, they should have the benefit of any reduction. I state my opinions on this subject, and the import- ance of a change, with great earnestness ; for having some stake in the country, I have long observed the accelerated progress of the system with great anxiety, as I see clearly that the same state of things, of which you have an example in Bethnal Green, w ill, sooner or later, overtake the other parishes ; the pauper popula- tion becoming too great for the industrious classes to bear ; in- dustry paralysed ; rents diminishing ; property absorbed^ and all sinking down to a pauper level." The following extracts will afford examples of the progress of the system in those districts where it is the most in advance. Mr. Bunn, one of the parish officers of Bethnal Green, ex- amined : — What is the condition of the property in your parish in con- sequence of the burthen of the poor's-rate? — "I believe there are now about 500 houses unoccupied. There are parts of whole streets where the leaseholders would be glad to give up the houses, some of them six-roomed houses, if they could get rid of them. In fact, such property is rapidly becoming absorbed. The land- lords are complaining bitterly that the number of those who pay rent is very rapidly diminishing." Mr. Farr, of the parish of Mile End New Town, examined: — What is the effect of the increasing burthens of the poor's- rate within your district ? — '^ I think that every ninth house is now empty, and the proportion of empty houses is increasing rapidly. We have two whole streets in our small parish, in which the houses are almost entirely empty. There the property is entirely destroyed. If there are two or three occupants in them it is as much as there are. The shopkeepers are sinking rapidly, and they must soon go. The whole value of the property in the neighbourhood is wonderfully depreciated.'* Mr. Thomas Single, of Mile End Old Town, says, " I hear it Discontent of Labouring Classes. 333 very frequently said in the parish, that it would be a very excel- lent thing, if the Government would take the parish affairs in their own hands, for the inhabitants see no chance of the present rates being reduced under the present system. Some regulating power should be established." Would not even this regulating power be deemed an obnoxious interference ? — " It might be vmpopular for a short time, as the new police was (which in oiu* district and most others now gives general satisfaction). I consider it a very necessary interference for the protection of the good order of society, against the worst misgovernment. I think it necessary for the protection of pro- perty, which is now giving way, and must continue to give way under the pressure of pauperism. Rents are now much reduced in consequence of the heaviness of the rates. VVe have 800 empty houses in our parish, and persons are constantly leaving it to go to other parishes where the rates are lower. As the owner of houses, I can speak to these effects from my own knowledge." In every district the discontent of the labouring classes appeared to me to be proportioned to the money dispensed in poor's-rates or in voluntary charities. I found the able-bodied unmarried la- bourers discontented from being put to a disadvantage as com- pared with the married, and from other effects of the system. The paupers were discontented, apparently from their expectations being raised by the ordinary administration of the system, beyond any means of satisfying them. They, as well as the independent labourers, to whom the term poor is equally applied, are told that, under all circumstances, they have a right to have subsistence provided for them. I found that verbally they were instructed that they had a right to a " reasonable subsistence,'' or ^' a fair subsistence," or " an adequate subsistence." When I have asked what "fair'* or " reasonable,'' or " adequate'' meant, I have in every instance been answered differently; some stating they thought it meant such as would give a good allowance of '* meat every day," which no poor man should be without ; although a large proportion of the rate-payers do go without it. It is abun- dantly shown in the course of this inquiry, that where the terms used by the public authorities are large and vague, they are always filled up by the desires of the parties benefiting, and the desires always wait on the imagination, which is the worst regu- lated and the most active and vivid in the most ignorant of the people. In Newbury and Reading, the money dispensed in poor's-rates and charity is as great as could be desired by the warmest advocate either of compulsory or of voluntary relief; and yet, during the agricultural riots, the inhabitants in both 334 Mr. Chadwick^s Report — London and Berkshire. towns were under strong and well-founded apprehensions of the rising of the very people amongst whom the poor's-rates and charities are so profusely distributed. The Spitalfields Benevolent Society, in their thirteenth report, state that " Many of the poor are very thankful for the relief afforded, and in some instances they give striking proofs of gratitude. There is often found also a degree of sympathy one with another. In general, however, the experience of the society lamentably proves that poverty has, of itself, no tendency to renew the heart." Other benevolent persons, though reluctant to yield to the evidence, express their bitter dis- appointment at the results of their efforts. The police inspectors concur in stating, that the paupers entertain the most exaggerated conceptions of the funds provided for them ; and " that wherever their expectations in this respect are opposed, they consider them- selves defrauded by the overseers ; that their outbreakings of vio- lence arise from an opinion of the inadequacy of supplementary relief, which inadequacy they charge to the supposed cupidity and mercenary tricks of those to whom the management of the poor's fimds is confided*.'* Those who work being called poor, though receiving good wages, are of course entitled to a share of the " poor funds." Whatever addition is made to allowances under these circumstances, excites the expectation of still further allow- ances ; increases the conception of the extent of the right, and ensures proportionate disappointment and hatred if that expecta- tion is not satisfied. On the other hand, wherever the objects of desire have been made definite, where wages upon the performance of work have been substituted for eleemosynary aid, and those wages have been allowed to remain matter of contract, employment has again pro- duced content, and kindness become again a source of gratitude. '' During the agricultural riots there was no fire, no riots, no threatening letters inCookham parish. In the midst of a district which was peculiarly disturbed, Cookham and White Waltham, where a similar system of poor-law administration was adopted, entirely escaped, although in Cookhttm there are several thresh- ing-machines, and the only paper-mill had, at the time of the riots, been newly fitted up with machinery f." I cannot close my report without soliciting attention to further evidence of the superior condition of the independent labourers, as compared with the condition of those out-door poor who receive parochial or charitable aid, though sometimes obtaining * Evidence of T. Y. Smith, Police-superintendent of the K. Division, t Evidence of Mr. Whately. Difference between Pauper and Independent Habits. 335 more money. In every district, I have found that their condition is distinct and superior. The following testimony from Mr. Miller, of St. Sepulchre's, is corroborated by the testimony of other wit- nesses in the metropolis. " In the course of my visits to the residences of the labouring people in our own and other parishes, I have seen the apartments of those who remained independent, though they had no appa- rent means of getting more than those who were receiving relief from the parish, or so much as out-door paupers. The differ- ence in their appearance is most striking ; I now, almost imme- diately on the sight of a room, can tell whether it is the room of a pauper or of an independent labourer. I have frequently said to the wife of an independent labourer, ^ I can see, by the neatness and cleanliness of your place, that you receive no relief from any parish.' ' No,' they usually say, ' and I hope we never shall.' This is applicable not only to the paupers in the metropolis ; but it may be stated, from all I have seen elsewhere, and heard, that it is equally applicable to other places. The quantity of relief given to the paupers makes no difference with them as to cleanliness or comfort ; in many instances very much the contrary. More money only produces more drunkenness. We have had frequent instances of persons being deprived of parochial relief from misconduct or otherwise, or, as the officers call it, ' choked off the parish,' during twelve months or more, and at the end of that time we have found them in a better con- dition than when they were receiving weekly relief" The following is an extract of a letter, with which I have been favoured by the Rev. H. H. Milman of Reading. " Another important question you suggested was, how far there is a marked and manifest difference between the pauper and independent part of the labouring population; between those who are habitually supported, either wholly or in part, by the parish funds, and those who maintain themselves by their own industry. How far habits of idleness, intemperance, or mismanagement may have been the original causes which have reduced the lowest of our paupers to parochial support ; and how far the dependence upon such support may have formed or confirmed such habits, it may be difficult to say. With the exception, however, of decent persons reduced by inevitable misfortune, as is the case with some of our manufacturers, whose masters have totally failed, and who are too old or otherwise incapable of seeking elsewhere their accustomed employment, I should stale, in the most unqualified manner, that the cottage of a parish pauper and his family may 336 Mr. Chadu'ick's Report — London and Berkshire, be at once distinguished from that of a man who maintains him- self. The former is dirty, neglected, noisome ; the children, though in general they may be sent to school at the desire of the clergyman or parish officers, are the least clean and the most ragged at the school : in short, the degree of wretchedness and degradation may, in most instances, be measured by the degree in which they burthen the parish : unless some few tenements inhabited by the lowest, and usually the most profligate poor — the refuse of society, the cottages in my parish which it is least agreeable to enter are those of which the rent is paid by the parish, in which the effect of our exertions and of the hbe- rality of the landlords to cleanse, on the alarm of cholera, was obliterated in a very few weeks. The worst consequence, how- ever, of regular maintenance from the parish-funds shows itself in the character and demeanour of the young lads who have grown up in such families. They have been accustomed to live in idle- ness, and in perpetual strife with the overseer, whom it is their constant endeavour either to browbeat by insolence, weary by importunity, or overreach by cunning. They have never felt, they cannot feel, the shame or degradation of pauperism ; they are utterly insensible of the honest pride of independence. The only security to the parish is, that they are in general of dissolute habits, which in the town they can gratify, and are not so much inclined, or are not so often compelled, to early marriages as youth of a similar description in the country parishes. " It would be a great point gained if there could be some line drawn, some distinction made, which could be impressed upon the feehngs of the poor themselves, between those who are reduced by real misfortune or by providential affliction to subsist on alms, and those who are maintained as parish paupers. I cannot but think that the establishment of two such establishments as I sug- gested might tend to draw this line of separation. The poor-house should be a place of comparative comfort ; it should be liberally, though economically, maintained; it should be a refuge from the evils and miseries of life ; it should be what the law of Elizabeth contemplated. The ivorkhouse should be a place of hardship, of coarse fare, of degradation and humility ; it should be adminis- tered with strictness — with severity ; it should be as repulsive as is consistent with humanity, for it is most evident that humanity is far more concerned in using every method to incite the labour- ing classes to depend upon themselves, than to depend upon parochial assistance. Where the industrious man can with diffi- culty obtain subsistence, it is most unjust, as well as most detri- mental to the moral being of the individual, to encourage him in idleness by the gratuitous offer of a better, at least of a sufficient Improvement of Labourers where Pauperism checked. 33/ subsistence. Though I must acknowledge that I have consider- able misgivings as to the practicability of drawing this line be- tween the poor and the paupers; — could it be done, it might materially conduce to giving a right direction to those sympathies which at present disturb the more rational consideration of the subject. We feel for the old, the infirm, the disabled, the sick, the providentially afflicted, and are anxious that no diminution of their comforts should take place ; while the able-bodied, though capable of work, and only prevented by their own indolence or habits of dependence from finding it, creep in, as it were, beneath the shelter of our compassion under the general denomination of the poor. There would be much less objection with overseers, with magistrates, and with the country at large, if the real objects of Christian charity were thus exempted from the struggle, and set apart as acknowledged objects of national care ; of covu'se strict attention would be necessary that even this portion of public bounty should not be extended to those who have relations, whose duty it is, and who have the power, to contribute to their support. The doors even of this asylum should be jealously watched, and opened only after strict investigation of each case." In the instances of individuals, as well as in several whole parishes, wherever the influence of the present system has been removed, the rise of the condition of the people has been propor- tionate to the removal of that influence or their previous depres- sion. In Cookham, where the change was the most extensive, the parochial expenditure was reduced from 3133/. to 1155/. and the general condition of the labouring classes improved. Mr. Rus- sell, the magistrate of Swallowfield, stated to me, that in riding through Cookham he was so much struck with the appearance of comfort observable in the persons and residences of some of the labouring classes of that village, that he was led to make inquiries into the cause. The answers he received determined him to exert his influence to procure a similar change of system in Swal- lowfield. In Swallowfield, where it was partially effected, the rates were reduced from 9s. and \^s. in the pound to 5s. 8(i., and during the last year to 3s. 8fi. in the pound. When I was there, one of the witnesses stated, that the demand for labour had increased ; that he had himself that day gone in search of a young labourer, and not being able to find one to perform his labour, he should be obliged to seek one out of the parish — an event w^hich he did not remember to have known occur before. In every parish a " foreigner," namely, a labourer who has no hnmediate resource from the parish, is considered the best work- z 338 Mr, ChadwicWs Report — London and Berkshire. man, the best- conducted man, and the most respectable in every respect. (See note on Mr. Cottreil's evidence, p. 208.) It appears to me that the inferences to be drawn from the large body of evidence which I have now stated, and from the much larger body which I shall state in my final report, are these : — 1. That the existing system of poor-laws in England is destruc- tive to the industry, forethought, and honesty of the labourers ; to the w^ealth and the morality of the employers of labour, and of the owners of property ; and to the mutual good-will and hap- piness of all. That it collects and chains down the labourers in masses, without any reference to the demand for their labour : That, while it increases their numbers, it impairs the means by which the fund for their subsistence is to be reproduced, and im- pairs the motives for using those means which it suffers to exist : and that every year and every day these evils are becoming moi*e overwhelming in magnitude, and less susceptible of cure. 2. That of these evils, that which consists merely in the amount of the rates, an evil great when considered by itself, but trifling when compared with the moral effects which I am deploring, might be much diminished by the combination of workhouses, and by substituting a rigid administration and contract-management for the existing scenes of neglect, extravagance, jobbing, and fraud. 3. That, by an alteration, or even, according to the suggestion of many witnesses, an abolition, of the law of settlement, a great part, or, according to the latter suggestion, the whole of the enor- mous sums now spent in litigation and removals might be saved; the labourers might be distributed according to the demand for labour; the immigration from Ireland of labourers of inferior habits be checked, and the oppression and cruelty, to which the unmarried labourers, and those who have acquired any property, are now subjected, might, according to the extent of the alteration, be diminished, or utterly put an end to. 4. That, if no relief were allowed to be given to the able-bodied, or to their families, except in return for adequate labour, or in a well-regulated w^orkhouse, the worst of the existing sources of evil, the allowance system, would immediately disappear ; a broad line would be drawn between the independent labourers and the paupers ; the number of paupers would be immediately diminished, in consequence of the reluctance to accept relief on such terms ; and would be still further diminished in consequence of the in- creased fund for the payment of wages occasioned by the dimi- nution of rates, and would ultimately, instead of forming a constantly increasing proportion of our whole population, become a small, well-defined part of it, capable of being provided for at an expense less than qne-half of the present poor-rates. General Conclusions and Svggestions. 339 5. That the proposed changes would tend powerfully to pro- mote providence and forethought, not only in the daily concerns of life, but in the most important of all points — marriage. And lastly, that it is essential to the working of every one of these improvements, that the administration of the poor-laws should be entrusted, as to their general superintendence, to one Central Authority with extensive powers, and as to their details, to paid officers, acting under the consciousness of constant super- intendence and strict responsibility. No. XV.— REPORT from G. Henderson, Esq., on the COUNTY PALATINE OF LANCASTER. My Lords and Gen tl km en. In compliance with your letter of the 5th instant, I have the honour to lay before your board some details touching the administration and operation of the poor-laws in Lancashire. The pressure of the poor-rate on property in this county varies considerably; ranging from lOjc?. in the pound on the rack-rent, in West Derby township, near Liverpool, where the rates are com- monly lowest, to 6s. at Padiham, in the agricultural and weaving district, where the rates are commonly highest. In the agricultural districts, the poor-rates average from Is. 6d. to 2s. in the pound, in the southern; and from 2^. to 2s. Qd. in the pound in the northern parts of the county. In Liverpool, last year, the rates were I^. 9d. ; the manufacturing towns probably average 3,9. ; and in the country districts, with a mixed weaving population, the rates vary from 3s. to G^. in the pound. The county-rates, which of course must be deducted from the poor-rate, varied last year from 3d, to 5c?. in the pound in the several hundreds ; so that by deducting 4d. from the rate in every instance, a close approxima- tion may be made to the proportion of the rate applicable to the relief of the poor. The poor-rates have been greatly augmented by the transition from hand to power-loom weaving. This vicissitude affects the whole of the Salford and Blackburn hundreds, which comprise three-fifths of the population of the county, and is partially felt in the other hundreds. The country places in the hundred of Black- burn suffer more than the manufacturing towns, where the various demands for labour enabled many weavers to choose other occu- pations ; and the power-looms coming into extensive use, by giving employment to their children, alleviate, in a great degree, the evils they had occasioned. The country weavers have no such resources, and their weaving being frequently of the coarsest and commonest z2 340 Mr. Hendersoris Report — Lancashire. description^ the rate of their earnings is more reduced. Thus, in the neighbourhood of Burnley, an average hand-loom weaver cannot at present earn above 4s. 6c?. a week, although a Man- chester or Preston weaver may earn 66-. or 7s. weekly. This depression of wages, and the difficulty of obtaining em- ployment, especially for the older weavers, whose habits were fixed, has led to a general practice in the weaving district of making an allowance to able-bodied weavers with more than two children under ten years of age. There is no fixed scale for this allowance; but the practice is to make up the earnings of the family to 2s.; or, in some places, to 1^. 6.., . . 22,379 1828-29 10,259 ... 10,034 ".. . . 20,293 1829-30 11,359 ... 11,793 .., . . 23,152 1830-31 . . . . 14,288 . . . 13,906 . . , . . 28,194 1831-32 13,790 . . , 14,922 . . . . 28,712 346 Mr. Henderson s Report — Lancashire, This change was brought about by a thorough investigation of all the cases on the parish books : the parties receiving relief were examined, and the circumstances under which they first became chargeable were carefully scrutinized, by which means numerous impositions were detected, and the parish was enabled to reduce or withdraw many of the allowances. Great exertions were also made to provide work for able-bodied paupers : the vestry at one time contracted to fill up part of an old stone-quarry, and make a road over it ; at another to cultivate by spade labour a large tract of ground called the Rector's Fields ; and at another time to level, for the sum of 1000/., a large rock near the workhouse, on the site of which the infirmary has since been built. Thus they set to work all able-bodied applicants for relief, and also turned all able-bodied men out of the workhouse, paying them one shilling a day to provide themselves, and exacting a good day's work in return. Many under this system, who had been for years in the workhouse, quitted it, and eventually found em- ployment for themselves elsewhere. The permanent usefulness of the select vestry, consisting in their vigilance and intelligence in administering relief, it may be well to state a ^q\w details of their proceedings in this department. The select vestry is divided into five boards, each of four mem- bers ; one of these boards sits in rotation every week-day, except Tuesday, at nine or ten a. m., and the business usually lasts till one P.M. A salaried secretary constantly attends, and takes a principal share in conducting the business. This preserves uni- formity in the management of all the boards, and on changing the select vestry, the parish still has the benefit of the secretary's ex- perience and knowledge of the cases on the books. On a first appHcation for relief, if entertained at all, the name and address of the applicant are taken down on a card which is delivered to the visitor, a salaried officer, in order that he may ascertain the nature of the case at the abode of the party, the visitor makes a written report to the select vestry, on which, and on a subsequent examination of the parly, relief is granted or re- fused. In cases of urgent necessity, a few shillings are sometimes ordered before visitation, and the visitor has always a discretionary power to relieve when he visits, but the general rule is for the vestry to decide on the propriety of relief. When the distress is of a temporary nature^ the pauper is re- quired to appear once a week before the board. No excuse, except sickness, proved by a medical certificate, is admitted ; the party is urged by the board, when it seems practicable, to seek other means of support, and when this is not done within a reasonable tmie, tlie relief is diminished or stopped. When the case presents Mode of administering Relief. 347 no prospect of early improvement, a card or ticket is given for relief during a definite period of three or six months, according to circumstances, and the sum granted is paid weekly on pre- senting the card at the pay-office. When the period has elapsed, another visitation and examination takes place before another card is granted; the cards in cases apparently hopeless used to be per- petual, but are now subject to annual revision, and the members of the select vestry frequently act as visitors in such cases. During my attendance at one of the boards, 250 cases were disposed of in three hours. The secretary takes the leading part in interrogating the applicants, and in fixing the amount of relief, but the select vestrymen present were also active, referring to the books, filling up pay-orders, and visitation cards, and occasionally deciding on the necessity or on the amount of the relief. It ap- peared to me that every case was fairly considered, and in most instances my judgment concurred with the decisions ; a few may be cited as specimens to enable others to judge of their propriety ; it should be observed that cases of refusal have been chiefly selected. A healthy-looking young woman applied for relief, saying she was starving ; the board having ascertained that she belonged to Liverpool offered to take her into the workhouse ; she would not go in, and relief was refused. A man applied for relief, saying he had landed that morning from Dublin, and wished to go to London : he was told the parish had no money for travellers. A woman who came three weeks before from Rochdale, in a state of pregnancy, and had been delivered in Liverpool of a child, since dead, applied for assistance to go back to Rochdale, — relief was refused ; it was suspected she had come to Liverpool, in order to fix the parish with the child. A woman brought four children, saying that their parents both died of the cholera a few days before, and that she was their aunt, and willing to take them, if the parish would allow her 2^. a week for each child; she was told it was too much ; the workhouse was mentioned, and she agreed to take 5.?. a week, and to endeavour to get the eldest, a, boy, to sea — ordered to be visited, and if her account should prove correct, 5s. a week to be allowed. A boy about sixteen, formerly in the workhouse, had been working at brickmaking during the summer : that employment failing, he now applied for an order to return to the workhouse — granted. Relief applied for on behalf of a woman lying in, whose husband had gone up the country. It appearing on inquiry that he left her immediately before her confinement, relief was refused; it is a common device for the husband to abscond in such cases, and endeavour to cast the burthen of the wife's confinement on the parish. A pensioner*s w ife applied for relief, her husband having deserted her ; she was 348 Mr. Henderson's Report-— Lancashire, admitted to the workhouse, and steps taken to stop her hus- band's pension. A woman apphed for relief who had been in the workhouse before ; on being offered re-admission, she readily accepted it. An old woman came for relief; on being offered an order for the workhouse, she refused it angrily, and went away, saying, she could go there at any time, they could not deny her that. A man seventy years of age applied for an order for himself and his wife to go into the workhouse — granted. A young good- looking widow, who had one child by her husband, and an illegi- timate child since his death, applied for relief; the board ofl'ered to take her and both her children into the workhouse, if she would make over to the parish 2s. a week which she received from the putative father of the natural child ; she refused to assent to this, but wished the parish to take the lawful child, and leave her the bastard. The board would not consent to this arrangement, and she went away. A woman with one child, who used to get her living as a laundress, applied in consequence of getting no work, as the cholera prevented strangers coming to the town this summer — ordered 2.9. a week for a few weeks. A man employed as a watch- man applied for relief; he had lost his wife and several relations, who died of cholera in his house, and had a surgeon's certificate that the bedding had been destroyed by his orders ; he was left with a large family — 1/. ordered; he had received 1/. 10,?. from another source. I'he wife of a Scotch sailor applied for relief, refused, and told, if relieved, she would be passed to Scotland. A woman residing as the tenant in a house worth 30/. a year, was refused relief, the rule being not to grant it to occupiers of a house above 10/. annual value. A woman with three young children applied for assistance to follow her husband, a stone-mason, to New York; she said she could obtain a passage for 2bs, each person, and could raise 21., if the parish would allow her 3/. to pay the remainder. The woman was in great poverty, and it was clearly the interest of the parish to grant her request, and get rid of the family ; but the unfavourable accounts from New York, the uncertainty of the woman as to her husband's situation, and the miserable prospects of such a family during the voyage at this season, induced the board to refuse the application, and to grant a weekly allowance to the family. No regular relief is given to able-bodied men having families, when fully employed ; in casualties, as in the case of the watch- man, they are sometimes assisted ; no rents are ever paid by the parish, and no applications for rent ever granted, though no doubt the relief given may frequently be applied in payment of rent. The class of persons last admitted to the select vestry consists of the Irish applying to be relieved and passed to Dublin. No per- Impositions of Applicants — Irish Paupers. 349 son who has not seen them could have a notion of the crowds which sometimes besiege the parish office for this purpose, or of the poverty and wretchedness which they generally exhibit. Yet there is no doubt that many of these applicants are able to pay for their passage, but choose to make the experiment of applying for a passage at the expense of the county: husbands send their wives and families to beg a passage ; men trust their clothes and money to a companion, and present themselves in apparent desti- tution ; others conceal their money in their cravats or stockings. In dealing with these cases there is nothing but the applicant's story and appearance to guide the board, and accurate discrimina- tion is impossible ; several impositions were detected while the assistant-commissioner was present. A woman with a large family said she had not seen her husband for ten months, but a boy, her son, said he had seen his father the same day. A man came with his wife and four orphans as he stated, but they proved to be his children by a former wife ; he had been reaping, and was told he must pay for the passage of himself and family. Young and healthy persons applying were refused almost as a mat- ter of course, but in cases of infirmity and helplessness they were almost always passed; the general rule was, to refuse applications of a doubtful nature, as in cases of real necessity the same parties usually present themselves again on a future day. Since steam-navigation has increased the facility of intercourse with Ireland, Liverpool and the county in general have been grievously burthened with Irish paupers. The difficulty which the select vestry have had to contend with from this source, and the temper and spirit in which they have acted, appear from the annual Report, April, 1824, which states, that •^Uhe lower order of Irish, tempted by the facility of communication, and the pro- spect of obtaining employment in the manufacturing districts, re- sort to Liverpool with their wives and children in overwhelming numbers. It is impossible to behold such a mass of misery and wretchedness without feelings of compassion, and yet to administer relief indiscriminately is only to hold out encouragement to others, and ultimately to increase the evil. An immediate removal of new-comers back again to their own country, though sanctioned by the law, might be considered a harsh proceeding, and has never been resorted to : after a fruitless journey, therefore, into the in- terior, the same unfortunate individuals return, in the course of a few weeks, in a still more deplorable condition, and again become chargeable to the parish or the county. It is no exaggeration to state, that of the casual poor who obtain temporary relief, two- thirds are composed of this description. Though the select vestry felt the necessity of abridging relief 350 Mr. Hendersons Report — Lancashire, on this head^ and made every effort to retrench it, as far as appeared consistent with humanity, still the numbers of Irish passed by the parish, exclusive of those passed from other parts of the county, and England, were, in ten months of the year 1824- 25, 2262 ; in 1826-27, 2254 ; in 1827-28, 1547. The proceedings of the select vestry show that the workhouse is frequently used as a test of the real necessities of applicants for relief; and that while some, who pretend to be starving, refuse, others, really in want, solicit admission, and those who had been inmates before apply to enter it again : as it is the largest esta- blishment of the kind in the kingdom, and generally considered to be well regulated, a few details may be admissible. When visited in September, 1832, it contained 1715 inmates, and can accommodate in winter 1750. The present governor has had the management about twenty-eight years : on his appoint- ment in 1804, there were 800 inmates ; no separation of the sexes, only five weaving-looms, and no other employment for the paupers beyond the necessary business of the house. The door- keepers were paupers, who frequently took bribes for admission, and the house was altogether in a most disorderly state. The governor procured a paid door-keeper, separated the sexes as com- pletely as the nature of the building would permit, except in cases of married people, who had small apartments allotted to them ; he also exacted from each person able to work, a reasonable portion of labour daily, for which purpose dry picking of oakum was in- troduced: this is a tedious and irksome process of manual labour, by which junk, old shipping-ropes cut into pieces a few inches long, is untwisted, the yarns separated and reduced to shreds by the hand and fingers, and by rubbing against the apron worn by the picker: there is nothing unwholesome or straining in this em- ployment, but it is tiresome, and various attempts were made to evade it : one mode tried was by boiling the junk in water, after which it is easily pulled into shreds, but the ropes lose their efficacy to resist water, and consequentlj^ the oakum is unfit for caulking, its destined use. The introduction of labour thinned the house very much: it was sometimes difficult to procure a sufficient supply of junk, which was generally obtained from Plymouth ; when the supply was known to be scanty, paupers flocked in ; but the sight of a load of junk before the door would deter them for a length of time. The children, nine years of age, are taught to weave, and their time is divided between school and the looms ; under this system they thrive better, and the instruction they get in weaving promotes their being apprenticed. The choice of the children is complied with, as far as possible, in apprenticing them ; some are bound to Workhouse Management — Egress of Paupers. 351 tradesmen, tailors, shoemakers, &c. ; some go to sea, but the largest proportion, until recently, went to cotton factories, where most of them were bound to persons of respectability ; on leaving the workhouse, they are told to send information if they are not well treated. It is easy to ascertain how those fare who were apprenticed in Liverpool, and* the others are visited by some of the overseers usually every year, but at all events once in the course of two years. The apprenticing and visitation of the children is occasionally adverted to in the Reports of the select vestry.* Instances not unfrequently occur of individuals who have served their time with credit, calling at the workhouse or at the select vestry, and stating that they are able to earn a com- fortable subsistence. It has been the practice to encourage children of poor personfe living in town to come to the workhouse for employment : they continue to live with their parents, and receive li*. a week until they are initiated in weaving ; then 1^. 6c/. a week is allowed, and after two years they have their diet in the workhouse in addition. These children have the same school instructions as the children in the house, and are usually between fifty and sixty in number. As hand-loom weaving has ceased to be a profitable employment, attempts are now making to give the industry of the children a more useful direction by teaching them common trades, but this improvement has not yet made much progress. The inmates of the workhouse were formerly allowed to go out every Thursday afternoon ; this permission led to many irregu- larities, the paupers frequently returning drunk, and begging or otherwise misconducting themselves in the streets, to the scandal of the establishment. They also used to go out on Sundays to church, but a chapel has been built within the workhouse ; and a regulation was adopted in 1831, which restricted the liberty of leaving the house to the first Thursday afternoon in every month, except in the case of paupers upwards of sixty years of age, who are still permitted to go out every Thursday. The Catholics go out to chapel at eight every Sunday morning, and return at ten. Thus, one condition of entering this workhouse is submission to constant confinement, except for a few hours every month. The rooms are well ventilated, floors kept clean, and sprinkled daily with chloride of lime, and the walls frequently whitewashed. Although the cholera has been so prevalent in Liverpool, only nine cases occurred up to Sept. 6, 1832, in this establishment : four of these proved fatal ; one being the case of a pauper who, ♦ See Reforts; 1827, 1829, 1830^ 352 Mr. Henderson's Report — Lancashi re. before his admission, had been employed as a bearer of the litter in which cholera patients were carried to the hospital. The governor lays great stress on classification generally, and on a complete separation of the sexes ; there are lock-wards for males and for females in this establishment, and the governor thinks them essential to prevent the most depraved inmates cor- rupting or annoying decent and orderly paupers : in the small houses, in which two or three married couples live together, those of congenial habits and character are placed together. When the workhouse was visited, some of the boys and girls were busy weaving, but the greater part of them were in a spacious school-room under the chapel ; their general appearance was satisfactory ; the oakum-shop was almost filled by men seated on benches and picking oakum. The hours of work are from six in the morning to six in the evening in summer, and from eight until four in winter, allowing half an hour for breakfast, and one hour for dinner ; persons eighty years of age and upwards are exempted from any labour, but from all under that age and in health, a task is required, in proportion to their ability and strength ; those who, from age or infirmity, have a limited task, are allowed to choose their own time for performing it, and used formerly to pick the oakum in their own rooms ; but owing to the risk of fire, this practice has been discontinued, and all this work must now be done in the shop. A full measure of employment is exacted from the able-bodied ; the object being to discourage laziness, and, as the governor expressed it, to '•' work them out." The consequence is, that not more than twenty of the inmates were able-bodied men. The aged people appeared the most cheerful inmates ; the avowed principle of management is to make them and the young most comfortable. The women were all employed, chiefly in sewing, attending to the young children, acting as nurses, and performing household offices. About 200 of the inmates were in the house for the second or third time. Applications to the select vestry for re-admission to the workhouse are not in general granted, until a character of the applicant is obtained from the governor; and paupers on leaving the house frequently express a hope to the governor that he will give them a character if they should require to come in again. A general appearance of order and discipline prevails through- out the establishment. The governor, who is a steady systematic man, stated that 1000 or 1800 paupers were as easily managed as 500. He has two salaried clerks, a schoolmaster, and two weavers acting as overlookers, who receive salaries ; and the gover- Employment in Workhouse. 353 nor's wife has two paid female assistants ; the rest of the esta- blishment is conducted by paupers selected from the inmates. A fever hospital, a detached building, for 140 patients, is sup- ported by the parish, within the walls, and forms part of the workhouse establishment ; the diet, wine, &c., for the patients, materially increase the general expenditure; female paupers act as nurses, and having some privileges in consequence, are usually desirous to be so employed. The total weekly cost, including pro- visions, clothing, and all the expense of the establishment, was, last year, os. '2d. per head ; but as there was an extraordinary item of 1426/. for buildings, perhaps 3s. may be considered a fair esti- mate, communibus annis. The weekly cost for provisions and clothing was 2s. 2\d. per head. The following tables show the fluctuation and employments of the population in the workhouse : On the 25th of March, 1831, there were in the house During the year ending 25th of March, 1832, admitted During the year, Discharged Dead , 2540 Ann* 1696 2962 4658 3on Remaining in the house 25th of March, 1832 Ages of the inmates : Under 15 years . 589 15 to 40 . . 242 40 to 50 . . 135 Above 50 . . 695 1641 Aged, infirm, and sick, not able to work Aged and infirm employed Able-bodied under sixty years of age | employed (males 67, females 142) j Children employed . . „ not employed , 1661 431 426 209 159 430 1661 Of this number, 639 were males, and 1022 females, the average * The Fever Hospital accounts for this mortality. 2 A 354 Mr. HendersorCs Report — Lancashire. number in the house throughout the year was 1648, being about 1 per cent, on the population of the town. There is a surgeon^ with a salary of 300/. a year, to attend the poor in the workhouse ; the parish subscribes 500 guineas annu- ally to the dispensaries, through which medical attendance is given to the paupers out of the house. As magisterial interference is extremely rare, the decision on the propriety of relief rests almost entirely with the select vestry. The allowances are extremely moderate, and not made on any fixed scale ; though, in some degree, they are regulated by the cost of clothing and maintenance in the workhouse. Those who complain that the relief granted is insufficient are frequently taken into the workhouse. The management would probably be improved by more visita- tion of the poor. It is impossible for a single visitor to do justice to so large a parish as Liverpool : cases of hardship probably occur where relief is refused without visitation, and relief may sometimes be given too sparingly for want of information, which more frequent visits would supply. Though the administration is vigilant and economical, it may be doubted whether the advan- tage of the poorer classes would be promoted by any relaxation : under the present system their habits are generally industrious, and their wages sufficient to secure their independence and comfort. Workmen, who have trades, seldom fail to obtain em- ployment and good wages ; the usual wages of common labourers are 3s. a day. 'Of the multitude resorting to Liverpool for work, some submit to receive lower wages, but these cases are ex- ceptions; it is also true, that there is much distress among this class for want of' employment ; this, however much it may be regretted, seems unavoidable in a town peculiarly liable to an influx of labourers from Ireland ; indeed, the natives of that coun- try compose, at a moderate estimate, one-half of the common labourers in Liverpool. If the parish was to take charge of all those unemployed at any given time, it is probable that the super- abundance of labour would be equally great in a few months afterwards. It is contrary to the habits and character of sailors to spunge on the parish whilst they are fit for active service ; even after that period, the number chargeable is comparatively small. Owing, however, to the casualties incident to a sea-faring hfe, their families often fall on the parish for support. When their families are relieved during their absence at sea, the 32nd section of Mr. S. Bourne's act is enforced as far as is practicable, and the money advanced is repaid by the ship-owners out of the wages of the seamen, Relief of Sailors' Families — Assessments. 355 Instances sometimes occur of sailors coming forward voluntarily, and repaying the money advanced. Settlement by apprenticeship opens a vi'ide door to litigation, from uncertainty as to the place of the last forty days' residence under indentures: this objection is peculiarly strong in cases of apprentices in merchant-ships, who, from the nature of their service, are constantly sailing from port 1o port; and when, in the old age of the party, or perhaps after his death, the question of settlement arises, it is involved in a degree of obscurity, which is seldom cleared up without incurrino- the expenses of an appeal. In 1823 a resolution was passed by the general vestry to assess the owners of small tenements, according to the 1 9th section of Mr. Sturges Bourne's act. The number of houses of which the rentals were between 6^. and 20/. a year, was very great in Liver- pool, and the amount of rates levied from them exceedingly small, no fewer than 18,000 assessments being annually discharged by the parish as incapable of being enforced. The owners were accordingly rated, and called on to show cause why the rates were not paid : they attended, and 14,532 cases were investigated, at the rate of 300 or 400 daily ; but not one party in 100 would admit his property to be within the act. They declared, almost universally, that the letting was for a year or longer, with rent reserved quarterly ; in short, notwithstanding the quantity of pro- perty of the value within the act, the experiment scarcely pro- duced enough to pay for the notices issued on the occasion. Application was made to parliament in 1 831, for a local act, which was originally intended to apply to all tenements under 15/. a year rental ; but meeting with much opposition, it was limited to tenements rated at 12/. a year. By this act (1 William IV., cap. xxi.), the owners are made liable to the payment of the rates, where the premises are rated or assessed at a yearly value not exceeding 12/. By thus making the assessment, and not the rent, the test of liability, all fraud or collusion as to the amount of rent is obviated. The act empowers the overseers to compound with the landlords, and requires them to accept two-thirds of the rate, where tendered within three months, in full for the whole rate. There is a clause making the occupiers of the premises liable to the rates, and their goods to distress to the extent of rent due to the owners, with a power of deducting the amount from their rent. Under this small tenement act many of the cottage owners compounded for two-thirds of the rates, and 4230/. was collected last year, and paid into the parish coffers last year, which sum would otherwise have been almost wholly lost to the parish. The number of receipts given on the payment of rates, 2 A 2 356 Mr. Henderson'' s Report — Lancashire. for the seven preceding years, was about 10,000; in the last year the number was about 14,000, an increase chiefly attributable to the small tenement act. In fact, the rates are now better paid in Liverpool, on houses under 12/. rental, than on those above 121. and under 20/. It seems just that the owners of this species of property should have considerable indulgence in compounding for the rates, to compensate for the peculiar liability imposed on them. It would be more convenient for the parish to make the tenant primarily liable, and the landlord responsible on his default; but this course would have an injurious effect on the contracts between landlord and tenant, from the uncertain position in which the former would stand with reference to the rates. The changes of ownership to which this species of property is peculiarly subject, and other difficulties which may occur with reference to the owners, seem to render it expedient that the rates should be made a charge on the land, limiting the arrear chargeable to a period of two or three years. The expenditure on the poor of Liverpool in the year 1831-2, amounted to 65,633/. 3s. 7d., which w^ould require a poor-rate of Is. 4d. in the pound on the rack-rent ; the rates actually laid were \s.2d. for the poor, 5d. for the county, and 2d. for the church, — altogether Is. 9d. ; but the rate for the poor was defi- cient to the extent of 2d. in the pound. OLDHAM. The affairs of the poor at Oldham have long been well managed, and the inhabitants have never been degraded by extensive pau- perism. Previously to Mr. Sturges Bourne's act, a species of select vestry, consisting of a committee of seventeen rate-payers acting with the churchwardens and overseers, conducted the town- ship business; so that at Easter 1820, when the act was adopted, the change was little more than nominal. There is an assistant overseer, with a salary of 100/. a year. The members of the select vestry, carefully chosen from different parts of the township, usually perform personally the duty of visiting the poor at their abodes; by which means they are able to exercise on the cases relieved an exact discrimination, to which the excellent condition of the township is mainly to be ascribed. After providing for the aged, sick, widows with families, and other usual dependants on parochial aid, the hand-loom weavers require the principal attention ; they are said to be re- luctant to apply for relief, but are generally compelled to come Select Vestries — Non-interference of Magistrates. 357 when they have three or four children under the age (ten years) at which they can generally find employment in the cotton mills. The select vestry has taken great pains to shift these weavers to more profitable occupations. Situations have been procured for many of them in the power-loom factories, their families having been maintained by the township whilst they were learning to woi'k at the power-looms, which requires about a fortnight. Thus their number has been diminished, as the power-looms, of which there are now several thousands in Oldham, increased in num- ber ; and there is reason to expect that hand-loom weaving of a coarse description will be gradually extinguished at Oldham. These weavers here are considered an orderly and industrious class ; their contributions to Friendly Societies are frequently paid by the township, and they meet with more favour than the hatters, also a numerous body, probably about a thousand, and often bur- thensome ; their wages average 1/. per week, but the demand for their labour is irregular, and many of them, being improvident and intemperate, are reduced to great distress. There are many machine- makers, and probably seven hundred colliers at Oldham, but they never apply for relief when employed, as is generally the case. No regular or permanent relief is afforded to any able-bodied men except weavers ; but occasional relief is frequently given, with- out setting the applicants to work, in the expectation that they will find themselves employment : if they continue burthensome, they are set to work on the roads. About twenty able-bodied men out of work were receiving relief in October, 1832. No application for relief is entertained, if the earnings amount to 2.9. a head for each member of the family : it is not, however, a matter of course to make up the deficiency when the earnings are less. The magistrates seldom interfere with the decisions of the select vestry ; and never order relief at home, in cases where admission is offered to the workhouse. On the day I attended the petty sessions at Oldham, there was no case of appeal from the decision of any overseer or vestry in the district. The workhouse is an old building, and usually contains about 130 inmates, more weavers than any other class ; there are also hatters, colliers, and others. A retired soldier, with a salary of 22/. a year, acts as governor, and is useful to the parish in various other matters connected with the management of the poor. All the inmates who are able to work are employed, either at looms in the house, in cultivating the garden, on the roads, or in the cotton factories ; and, in the last case, the manufacturers pay the wages to the township. None but the aged or sick are allowed tea, coffee, tobacco, or 358 Mr. Henderson's Report — Lancashire. snuff. The house, though homely, is clean ; and the people seem content with the provisions, which are supplied by tender. They are allowed to go out when their work is done, on asking leave, and the governor said that bad consequences seldom followed the indulgence. There is a complete separation of the sexes, except in cases of old married people, who are allowed to live together ; young mar- ried persons are separated. There is great difference in the practice of workhouses, as to married persons. At Manchester, husband and wife are invariably separated ; and a case occurred, where an old man of eighty, a tinker, who, though in great distress, turned back from the house, when he found that he must be sepa- rated from his wife, an old woman of seventy. He was afterwards, however, compelled by want to take refuge in the house, and died there, after remaining some time, according to the rule, deprived of his wife's society. On the other hand, in the workhouse at Wigan, there are three married couples, who have had seven children, begotten and born in the workhouse : at Liverpool all married couples live together, with the exception of a man and his wife, who were both inmates of the workhouse when single, and left it for the purpose of being married ; after a few weeks they both returned to the workhouse, where they still are, but have not been allowed to live together. The whole expense of the workhouse, including provisions, clothing, and the expense of the establishment, is 25. 5d. a w^eek for each inmate. The township is at little charge from bastardy, because the mo- ther usually keeps the child; and when no money is received from the putative father, nothing is paid to her, unless she is in a condition to require relief as a pauper ; which is seldom the case, as it is considered that a woman ought to maintain herself and one child, and no allowance is made to a widow with one child. This practice has been adopted in several other populous places, as will appear from the following items from the overseer's accounts for 1831-32. Received from Fathers of Paid to Mothers of illegitimate Children. illegitimate Children. Wigan • , . . ^194 4 9 £190 4 9 Salford • . , . . 575 8 11 586 14 At Ormskirk and North Meols the same course is pursued : natural affection prevents the mother's parting with her child, in order that it may be maintained by the parish ; though the law, which does not recognize any relationship, leaves her at liberty so to^do, on paying the amount of the order upon her, which is seldom in this county sufficient to maintain the child. In Oldham, the Bastardy — Rating — Settlement. 359 common orders are 2s. for the first, Is. 9d(. for a second, and Is. (jd. for a third child, which sums are imposed both on the fathers and on the mothers. The sums ordered were formerly larger, but were reduced in 1821, with a view to lessen the number of defaults in payment and imprisonment of the putative fathers. A list of the parties receiving relief, with the rate of relief, is occasionally printed and published with the overseer's account. The last publication was in July, 1830. A similar list is published annually at Warrington, Prescot, Garstang, Padiham, and other places ; and the practice has been found beneficial in regulating the amount of allowance, detecting impositions, and preventing improper applications ; it is also a check on the amount of pay- ments made to the paupers, who are sure to complain when set down for a larger sum than they have actually received. The general vestry rejected a proposal to adopt the nineteenth section of Mr. Sturges Bourne's act. The rates are in many instances not collected from small tenements : in a few cases the landlords, by agreement with the tenants, pay the rates ; on the whole the collection is extremely good, not more than 7 per cent, of the whole rate ultimately remaining uncollected. A com- plete collection has an importance beyond the sum brought into the parish chest ; for in proportion as the pressure of the poor-rate descends lower in the state of society, it will be found that those who distribute it^ " having an eye to those who pay," as the Oldham overseer said, are more economical ; and the poor are less ready to resort to a fund, to which their neighbours and equals are con- tributors. At Ormskirk, the ultimate deficiency does not exceed 1 per cent. ; and I am convinced that the collection is a strong check on pauperism, from which tliat town is remarkably exempt. The tendency of the population to resort to and accumulate in towns is .peculiarly strong in this county ; and, consequently, almost every large town contains a large proportion of poor with country settlements. When such persons become chargeable^ the usual course is to apprize the overseer of the place of settlement ; who, if the liability is clear, gives a direction to the overseer where the pauper is, to relieve him as one of his own poor, and under- takes to pay the sum so advanced. This system is unquestion- ably open to abuse, and some check by visitation is requisite ; but, on the whole, it operates beneficially to the country townships. By mutual candour and fair dealing between the overseers, litiga- tion and removals are diminished, the poor are less harassed, and probably less burthensome, as they are generally better able to earn a living where they remain. It has been proposed that the magistrates should have power to enforce these arrangements. 360 Mr. Henderson's Report — Lancashire. which seem to rest on the honour of the parties. The following items from the accounts of several towns will give some notion of the relative situation of the towns and country parishes in the balance of these accounts^ and may assist in estimating the effect as between manufacturing towns and country parishes, of making residence confer a settlement. Paid by the Town for its Received by the Town for Bahince in own Poor in other the Poor of other favour of Parishes. Parishes. the Town. Oldham . ^153 5 . . £214 12 1 . . ^121 7 1 Manchester 1640 10 .. 3410 6 6.. 1769 16 6 Salford 326 10 10 690 13 11 .. 364 3 1 Wigan 414 9 11 .. 1120 14 1 .. 706 4 2 Liverpool . 1214 9 1 .. 1792 7 2.. 577 18 1 Preston 387 8 1 616 9 .. 229 5 4136 13 5 7905 2 9 3768 9 4 Lancaster, owing to the depressed condition of its manufac- tures and trade, is an exception to the general rule, paying 549/. 16s. od. for its own poor in other townships, and disbursing 425/. 19s. 4d. for the poor of other townships in Lancaster. The sound condition of Oldham is not attributable to uninter- rupted prosperity. In the year 1826, in consequence of the failure of Saddleworth bank, the accidental burning of the Priory Mills, and many of the factories ceasing to work, a large portion of the population was thrown out of employment and reduced to w ant. The poor-rates were doubled, and the select vestry made great efforts to meet the evil, sometimes meeting at twelve o'clock in the day and sitting until three or four o'clock the following morning, and it was remarked that the relief administered by the select vestry was far more efficient than the subscription funds sent from London, and distributed through other hands. A well- organized system of relief has peculiar value in fluctuations such as these, to which manufacturing towns are extremely liable. The expenditure of the township was gradually reduced to its usual limits, as the difficulties of the times were surmounted. Tlie poor- rate, last year, w^as 2s. in the pound, on a valuation of three- fourths of the rack-rent, MANCHESTER. Since the year 1790, the affairs of the poor at Manchester have been conducted under a Local Act, obtahied for the purposes of building a poor-house and increasing the number of overseers in Manchester — General Ma^iagement. 361 proportion to an increasing population. Three churchwardens and ten sidesmen are appointed under this act to manage all parochial affairs ; and it is highly creditable to the public spirit of the town, that the most respectable merchants, manufacturers, and tradesmen, willingly serve these useful, though troublesome offices. The senior churchwarden, so far as his office regards the poor, attends to the assessment and collection of the rates, and the second superintends the workhouse. The senior sidesman attends to the removals ; the second, to the bastardy department; and the eight others manage the administration of relief. The town is divided into four districts ; two sidesmen, and a visiting overseer with a salary, are appointed to each district, and form a board, which sits once every week, to dispense relief The system of visitation at the abodes of the poor, so indispensable to a right disposal of cases in large towns, is^ brought to great per- fection here ; relief is never refused without visitation, and each visiting overseer, having a limited district, acquires an accurate knowledge of the condition of the poor : his written reports on the cases visited are preserved, and often referred to with advan- tage after a lapse of years ; it is part of his duty to be present at the board sitting for relief, and to assist in regulating the amount. The cases of applicants for relief are carefully considered at the boards, and disposed of, as it appeared to me, with discrimi- nation and liberality. Hand-loom weavers constitute the extraor- dinary burthen on the township ; those employed on work of a common description usually make out a case for relief when they have three or more children under ten years of age; printed forms are used for the purpose of ascertaining from their employers the amount of their earnings, and their character for indvistry; and after inquiring into their means of subsistence, the deficiency is usually made up to 2^. a head for each member of the family. It rarely happens that relief is given to other persons in health and full employment ; but many receive relief on the ground of being unable to find employment, and often without being set to work. In fact, there is great want of employment for persons past the prime of life ; one effect of recent inventions in machinery has been, to increase the demand for the labour of young persons, and to diminish the demand for the labour of persons past the prime of life. Incessant activity is required to follow the speed of the machinery, and strength is of secondary importance ; the workman, in many departments, loses his value as soon as his sight begins to fail, or his hand to lose its steadi- ness ; the consequence is, that many operatives between forty and fifty years of age are superannuated, and unfit for the work to which they have been accustomed ; and there is little chance of 362 Mr, Henderson's Report — Lancashire. persons at that period of life, getting employment in the factories. Young persons, especially females, readily get employment, and at the age of sixteen or eighteen, young men and women are fre- quently in the receipt of as large wages as they can expect to earn at any period of their lives : thus they have a fair opportunity of making provision for after life ; but this premature independence too often induces them to quit their parents' houses, that they may be more at liberty to follow their own inclinations. The important portion of the population engaged in the facto- ries is independent of parochial aid. The following is a state- ment of the number and wages of the people in the employ of Messrs. Birley, Hornby, and Kirk, made out in January, 1832, and not materially varied up to the subsequent October, when 1 visited the factory. AVERAGE WAGES OF PERSONS EMPLOYED. Spinuers. £. s. d. Weavers. *. d. Men .... 1 6 15 If Women . . . 11 3i 9 7i Children ... 5 10 5 4J Number employed. Average Wages of the whole Number. s. d. Men . 319 . , , 18 4 Women 563 . , 10 5 - Children 634 Total . . 1576 On my expressing a wish to see all the people at work, Mr. H. Birley conducted me through every room in the building : and I may be allowed, in passing, to attest the general cheerful and healthful appearance of the people employed, and to pay a just tribute to the regard shown for their comfort in many of the ar- rangements in this splendid establishment. Mr. Foster, the police magistrate, every Wednesday hears ap- peals from the board, and the overseers are perfectly satisfied with the control thus exercised. About thirty cases were disposed of by him on the day I attended. In one instance, a mechanic, earning \l. Ss. weekly, was brought up to show cause why an order should not be made upon him to maintain his father ; he did not object to make an allowance, but contended that the township should contribute, being strongly impressed with a notion that the support of his father was a burthen which the township ought to share, and for that reason he was dissatisfied with the result by which h,Q was ordered to pay 4*. a w^ek. The in- Irish Paupers, 363 fluence of the poor-laws on the ties of nature is, I apprehend, often overrated ; this case illustrates their usual effect. The proportion which the expenditure bears to the population is larger in Manchester than in Wigan, Preston, and many other manufacturing towns; this, in a great degree, arises from the different practice adopted with reference to the unsettled Irish poor, as will appear from the following comparative account. Population Cases relie^ •ed in Irish cases ia one week. 1827. in one week. 1821. English. Irish. 1831. Manchester 108,017 . 1821 . 264 . 554 Stockport 21,726 . 304 . 9 5 Macclesfield 17,746 . 290 . — Warrington 13,570 . 327 . 6 6 Oldham . 21,662 . 467 . 1 Spotland (part of Roch dale) . ■1 20,00a . 600 . 4 1 Wigan 17,716 . 421 . 6 7 Ashton-under-Lyne 9,222 . 420 . 1 . 20 Preston 24,575 . 585 . 15 — Blackburn 21,940 . 339 . 30 — Great and Little Bolton 31,295 . ril50\ I 187fr 140 . {1} . 20 Bury 10,583 . 1 Thus in one week, in 1827, out of the population of 108,017, the number of Irish cases relieved in Manchester was 264, whereas in the other principal manufacturing townships collec- tively, out of a population of 210,053, the total number of Irish cases relieved was 119; and whilst the number of Irish cases in Manchester, as compared with the English cases, was in a pro- portion exceeding one to seven, the average of the other townships in the aggregate was only in the proportion of one to forty-four. These facts were stated in a representation made in 1827, by the churchwardens and sidesmen of Manchester to the magistrates, pointing out the increasing burthen from Irish paupers, and sug- gesting the expediency of discouraging their apphcations for relief. This representation, however, has not been pressed on the magistrates, by applications for removals; which, if made, would be granted : the general rule adopted by the magistrates, and acquiesced in by the township, is to relieve the Irish who have been twelve years resident in Manchester, and not to remove them unless they bear bad characters ; occasional relief is also given to a considerable extent, to those who have been resident for shorter periods. The proportion of Irish cases to English cases has been 364 Mr. Henderson's Report — Lancashire. increasing of late j^ears, as will appear by comparing the number relieved in one week : — One week's cnses. Year. English. Irish. 1827 . 1821 . 264 1831 . 2022 . 554 The amount granted in relief to the Irish poor without settle- ments, in 1831-32, was 3498/. 3^. \0^d. These facts show the inroads of Irish pauperism ; a grievance likely to continue as long as want of employment and extreme poverty drive the natives of Ireland into a country where those evils exist in a minor degree. It is true, that since the law facili- tated the removal of the Irish receiving relief, many towns, by removing or threatening to remove all who receive relief, have almost entirely prevented applications from the Irish, and paro- chial aid is seldom extended to them except in sickness : thus in Wigan, where about 2000 of the inhabitants are Irish, not 30/. is expended annually in relief to them. It must, however, be borne in mind, that this saving is purchased by severe privations, and the alternative must, in many cases, have a very harsh operation, especially as the removal, almost invariably, is made to Dublin, though the parties may be natives of the remotest parts of Ireland. The work-house is professedly and in fact a poor-house ; an asylum for the aged, infirm poor, and children. The house is spacious, and the rooms, bedding, &c., in admirable order, the in- mates able to work, weave, and the children are taught to read and head pins ; there is a chapel within the walls, and a chaplain, with a salary. There is a surgeon also, with 100/. a year: a most useful appointment, as he visits and attends the poor out of the house. The average weekly expense per head for provisions and clothing is 2s. 9(/., but the expenses of so complete an establish- ment are necessarily heavy, and the total cost per head per annum was 13/. 3s. 3c/. The establishment, therefore, though well conducted, does not appear to answer the ends of economy with reference to the inmates; and with reference to the out-door poor, as admission is rather a matter of favour, little use can be made of the workhouse as an alternative to repel improper appli- cations for relief. The effect of the poor-laws, regarded as a national charity, may be seen to advantage at Manchester ; the quantity of distress and suffering alleviated is extremely great ; and it is a satisfactory pait of the management that many poor widows with families, aged, and infirm persons are encouraged and aided in their schemes for keeping shops, &c./ which turn their industry to the best account. Poor-house — Assessment— 'Expenditure, 365 The 19th section of Mr. Sturges Bourne's act has been adopted here with good effect ; but it has been found expedient to make abatements to the landlords, to the extent of nearly half the rates. At Preston, the same provision was adopted in 1821, but its effect is frequently avoided by leases for a year : on the whole, I am certain that a general enactment making landlords liable for the rates of small houses would be generally useful and acceptable throughout this country; 10/. annual value of the houses would be a proper limit of such liability in towns, and 6/. in country places. The following summary of the expenditure out of the poor- rate in Manchester, in the year 1831-32, was furnished by Mr. Gardiner, the directing overseer : — EXPENDITURE, 1831-32. £. s. d. £. s. d. Poor out of the workhouse . 21,814 5 5 Deduct received from pensioners, &c. 1,189 10 2 20,624 15 3 Poorhouse . . , 7,915 4 6 Deduct received for sundries . 277 2 7i 7^638 1 lOj Vagrancy . . . . . . 450 16 Miscellaneous, overseers' and collector's salaries, &c. . . 16,958 10 Deduct county-rates, constables, &c. 10,037 5 1 6,920 15 9 Loss by bastardy . . gj^^j^ • '725 3 5 Loss by out-township poor ^«^ .^^ . • 1,913 3 7 Expenditure on the poor . 38,272 15 105 A rate of 3^. per ^. raises about . 45,000 Deduct one-sixth for county rates, &c. 7,500 37,500 So that the total expense of relief to the poor is 2^. Q^d. in the pound, on an assessment of about three-fourths of the rack-rent; deducting one-fourth on that account, leaves the expense at Is. lid, in the pound on rack-rent. WIGAN. A PROPOSAL to adopt a select vestry at Wigan was rejected, apparently with reason, for the present management answers well. One overseer is appointed every year, and there are three assistant overseers who have held their offices during the last 16 years, one of them is governor of the workhouse, another collector : the dispensation of relief is left to the assistant 3G6 ' Mr, Hendersons Reports—Lancashire. overseer, and a committee is appointed to examine the accounts every month. Complaints by applicants for relief to the mayor of Wigan are rare, and he usually interferes by way of recommen- dation to the overseer. On the 21st September, 1832, the number of paupers was as follows : In the workhouse, 130 ; cases relieved out of the house, 370 ; of the latter upwards of 200 were aged persons, the remainder consisted of cripples, widows with families, and weavers and spinners, with three or more young children. Weavers and spinners are the only able-bodied men who receive relief; those who have voluntarily thrown themselves out of work are never assisted by the parish. There is much distress in the town, and an overseer assured me that 1000 small houses, whicii he had recently visited, were so barely and miserably provided with bedding, &c., that the value of the whole furniture would not exceed 1000/. The poorer classes here subsist chiefly on oatmeal porridge, buttermilk, potatoes^ a little bread, and occasion- ally a little bacon. Lamentable as this state of things is, the remedy, I apprehend, ought not to be sought in increasing the poor-rates, which already press heavily on the rate-payers ; they were last year nominally 4s. in the pound, probably equivalent to 2s. Oc/. ; economy is here a matter of necessity. The management, though strict, being fair and judicious, is not unpopular with the poor; and the rate-payers have much reason to be satisfied with the collector and governor of the workhouse, who last year had a vote of thanks from -the committee of accounts. PRESTON. Since 1821, with the interruption of a single year, Preston has had a select vestiy, with general good effect : owing to the apathy of the principal rate-payers, the management has now (1832) fallen in part into improper hands, and is rapidly deteriorating. The publication of the names of persons receiving relief has been discontinued, the discipline of the workhouse relaxed, and the scale of allowance occasionally increased, though the cheapness of articles of food at present does not warrant such a change. One of the overseers has complained of the responsibility which the law imposes on him for the acts of the select vestry, over which he has no control. I happened to attend a meeting of the rate-payers, where one of the persons present and clamorous during the proceedings was, as 1 was informed, a pauper, who had thrown himself out of work on a reduction of his wages from \L to 18s. a week, and became a pensioner of the parish. Several other cases were cited, where workmen on trifling disputes had quitted their employers, and were taken into the pay of the parish. Parish Apprentices, S67 In one instance, a man threw up work at which he was earning 1^ a week, on account of a dispute as to 3c/. a week in rent ; what- ever may be the merits of the dispute, a man must be destitute of the spirit of independence, who can thus throw his family on the parish ; and it is only by a gross abuse that the parish funds can be made applicable to support him in such a case. The interests of the rate-payers, and the general condition of the poor must both suffer from this system. The management prior to the present year appears to have been fair and considerate towards the poor, whose necessities were relieved, though pauperism was checked. The general condition of the labouring classes in Preston, notwith- standing the difficulties under which the hand-loom weavers are struggling, is better than in most towns in the county. There are two assistant overseers who visit the poor : owing to the care bestowed on ascertaining the facts in dispvited settlements, the expense of litigation during the last three years was under 36/. LANCASTER. At Lancaster the overseers, with the aid of an experienced assistant with a salarj^ conduct the affairs of the poor; the expenditure bears the same proportion to the population as at Manchester, but the proportion of paupers is greater, owing to the less flourishing state of this city : the management is economical, and the parish authorities have no wish to lessen the control of the magistrates, which I, therefore, conclude to be sparingly exercised. In the year 1831-32, the rate was 2s. 6d. in the pound on the rack-rent. The sum of 140/. was lately received in one year by the town- ship, in fines of 10/. from persons refusing to take parish appren- tices : this reluctance is to be regretted, though, I apprehend, it is often well founded. In a workhouse of a populous borough I found the children not put to any work; and though they were said to be taught by a pauper, such instruction was probably little more than nominal, for the boys were lolling about the yard, and the place pointed out as the school-room was inadequate and unfit for the purpose. Chikh'en, thus shut up in ignorance and idleness, and exposed to the moral contamination of a work- house, are almost necessarily unfit for the duties required from them as apprentices; all labour is an intolerable hardship, their masters objects of aversion, and they rarely acquire habits of industry in after life. If the public undertakes to bring up chil- dren, it surely becomes a duty to provide the means of moral and religious instruction, and to lay the foundation of those 368 Mr. Henderson! s Report — Lancashire. habits, which are essential to make them useful members of society. The practice in some towns pursued systematically is, to bind the parish apprentices into out-townships, in order to shift the settlement, so that the binding parish may be rid of them. When I inquired of the assistant overseer at the borough above referred to, how the apprentices turned out after they were bound, his answer was, "We have nothing to do with them afterwards." Though these observations are introduced here, I disclaim apply- ing them in any degree to Lancaster. BURNLEY. Burnley, in 1826, suffered much from tlie failure of a bank, which caused many of the cotton factories to stop working, and threw a large portion of the population on the poor-rates ; the town has not yet recovered from the effects of this calamity, and want of capital is one cause why power-looms have not been introduced to a greater extent: there are now seven or eight power-loom factories. The hand-loom weavers are very nume- rous, they weave coarse calicoes, and are not able to earn more than 5s. a week. There is a select vestry, and though the scale of allowance, \s. Qtd. a head, is small, they are kind, and perhaps in some cases too easy with the applicants. A stout young man applied for relief whilst I was present : it appeared he was a weaver, with a wife and four children, who had been sent at con- siderable expense by the parish to work at a colliery at a distance ; the wages he received there at first were 18^'. a week, but were afterwards lowered to 15^., and although he could not earn above 5s. at Burnley, he brought his family back, and presented him- self at the vestry : after some reproof he was ordered 5s., a pair of looms, and a house belonging to the parish : it ought, however, to be stated, that fear of the cholera, which had broken out among the colliers, was the cause assigned by the man for his return. The prospect for this part of this country is melancholy, if hand-loom weavers, with youth, strength, and opportunities of gainful employ- ment, reject the means of independence, and are suffered to remain burthensome to the public. Their former occupation is gone for ever, and it is only by exerting themselves in new walks of life that they can reasonably expect to be raised from their present abject condition. Pauperism is extensive here, and the condition of those receiv- ing relief wretched. The poor-rates last year were equivalent to 4*. 6c/. in the pound on the rack-rent , it is usual here to make Select Vestry and Assistant Overseer — Effects. 369 the paupers contribute to the poor-rate, by stopping the rate out of the rehef, but the payment not being bond fide, cannot answer any good purpose. Owing to the smaller proportion of hand-loom weavers, and a larger proportion of power-loom factories, the ad- jacent township of Habergham Eaves is in a prosperous condition. WARRINGTON. At Warrington the expenditure is large in proportion to the population, tlie number of hand-loom weavers is inconsiderable, and they are the only able-bodied persons, in full employment, who receive relief; fustian cutters, owing to the irregular demand for their labour, are occasionally burthensome. In consequence of several factories being destroyed by lire, the township suffered much a few years since, the work-people being thrown on the poor-rates for support ; but at present the general condition of the town is flourishing, and I am at a loss to account for the amount of the expenditure. The present management is by overseers annually appointed, two salaried assistant overseers, and a committee. Probably a select vestry would operate bene- ficially in reducing the rates, which were last year equivalent to 3^. ^d. in the pound on the rack-rent. There was last year a deficiency of 28 per cent, on the collection of the rates, 19 per cent, being lost from poor persons being excused. The landlords in some instances voluntarily pay the rates : but many of the small houses are owned by persons who derive the principal part of their income from that species of property. There is no doubt that an enactment, making the landlords liable for the rates, would operate beneficially : though it may be fairly presumed that the enormous deficiency here might be lessened by bestowing more pains on the collection. GARSTANG. One of the principal rate-payers in Garstang stated that a select vestry had been the salvation of that place. It appears that, prior to the year 1821, there was a paid overseer, to whom the management of the poor was left. He was a respectable man, but had not suffi- cient firmness to resist improper applications, or check the progress of pauperism. The consequence was, that the rates in 1820-21 amounted to 6j. Gd. in the pound on the rack-rent, a burthen which threatened ruin to many of the rate-payers. In June, 1821, a select vestry was formed ; and although they had to clear off a debt of 300/. they speedily effected a great reduction of the rates. The cases were all investigated respectively, and the relief ad- justed by judgment of the vestry. The expenditure, which, ac- cording to the parliamentary returns;, was 720/. in 1819-20, was 2 B 370 Mr. Henderson' s Report — Lancashire. reduced to 347/. in 1822-23, and to 216/. in 1828-29. It was fortunate that the management was thus brought into a sound condition, as the town was visited a few years afterwards by great distress; first, from the temporary stoppage, in September, 1829, and finally, from the failure, in November, 1830, of some long- estabUshed and extensive calico printers, who had employed about 600 persons belonging to this and two or three adjacent townships. Had this disaster occurred before the expenditure was retrenched, and an improved system adopted, the result must have been over- whelming both to the poor and the rate-payers ; whereas, under the select vestry, it was met by a rate of 3s. Sd. in the years 1830-3], 1831-32. Catteral, where the print-works were situated, suffered still more severely ; and although they have a select vestry and assist- ant overseer, the rates last year amounted to 56*. in the pound, on a valuation said to be above the rack-rent. This burthen is severely felt by the farmers, the population now being chiefly agricultural. This calamity would have been much more grievous, had not the population in these places and in Kirkland, an adjacent township, adapted itself in a remarkable degree to the vicissitude, by migrating in search of employment. Money was advanced by the vestries to the printers to go in search of employ- ment, and their families were supported in their absence, and when situations were procured by them, their goods and families were carted at the expense of the township to Blackburn, Preston, or Burnley. These exertions are highly meritorious, and their effect in relieving the township will partly appear from the population returns : 1821. 1831. Decrease. Catteral . 704 Kirkland . 511 Garstang . 936 2151 1844 307 The decrease is imperfectly shown here, since at Garstang the population was about 1100 before the failure, and does not now exceed 850. The practice in bastardy cases is extremely fluctuating and unsettled. A magistrate in this neighbourhood recommends, in his answers, a uniform low rate of allowance, without regard to the means or station of the father ; but at Garstang, as at many other places, the allowances vary from Is. '3d. to 4^. a week, al- though a child may be maintained for 3s. a week. If the putative 457 .. 247 458 ,\ 53 929 " 7 Bastardy-^^ Able-bodied. 371 fathers do not pay in some places, the overseers are required by the magistrates to pay the whole allowance, on the ground that they should not have let the man escape, though it is often out of their power to detain him, as the personal demand, which is an indis- pensable preliminary to taking out a warrant for his apprehension, always affords an opportunity to abscond ; at other places nothing is paid to the mother, except in cases of necessity. The Learned Chairman of the Preston Sessions, in one of his answers, says, " The overseers are too apt to consider the mother entitled to the full amount of the order, though not paid by the man. I always caution them against this, and order them in such cases to relieve the child with I.s. a week, or what necessity may require ;" and accordingly at Preston and many other places Is. a week is usually given by the parish in such cases. Two orders were made here on the same day, one for As. a week for the child of G. S., the father being a schoolmaster, another for 4^. a week on D., a man-servant, at twelve guineas a year wages ; one of these orders was paid in full the first year, 8/. was paid the second year, and it has since been reduced to 2^. Go?, weekly ; in the other case, the fathers of the parties arranged that 2^. a week should be paid. The magis- trates no doubt imposed these sums with a view to the peculiar circumstances of each case, probably regarding the father in the first case as a greater moral delinquent, considering his station and office, and probably looking to some aggravation in the man's conduct in the latter case ; the law, however, merely contemplates an indemnity to the parish, and if the parish officer^ were allowed to fix the amount of the indemnity the scale would almost always be low. Overseers state that the fathers in general are not unwil- ling to pay according to their ability, but large orders drive them to abscond and produce vagrancy. The extent of bastardy depends chiefly on the standard of moral feeling on the subject, and the most marked variations exist between parishes when the practice is lightly regarded, and those where it is stigmatized; the remedy therefore must be sought in improving the tone of general opinion on the subject. As a subordinate means of repressing the practice, a frequent and strict collection of the sums imposed on the putative father has considerable effect. At Garstang last year regular relief was given to five able- bodied men ; four being weavers with families, at Wigan ; and the other a calico-printer, a widower, with two children ; occasional relief was given to eleven able-bodied men, most of whom had been calico printers : they were relieved without setting them to work. Labourers' wages here average 2s. a day, in summer, and \s, 6d. in winter : and they maintain their families decently on 2b2 372 Mr. Cowelts Beport — Cambridgeshire. milk, potatoes, herrings, bacon, and oatbread ; very little wheaten bread is used. I have the honour to remain. My Lords and Gentlemen, Your obedient faithful servant, Gilbert Henderson. Temple, Dec. 21, 1832. No. XVI.— REPORT from J. W. Cowell, Esq., on Cambridge, Notts, Norfolk, Lincoln. My Lords and Gentlemen, In compliance with Lord Melbourne's desire, I submit to you the following examples of good and bad management, as the most instructive which fell under my view as assistant poor-law commissioner. I have the honour to be. My Lords and Gentlemen, Your obedient humble servant, John H. Cowell. London, Feb. 25, 1833. 19, Chester Street, Grosvenor Place. ROYSTON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE. One of the first places that attracted my attention was Royston ; and it appeared to me that so much was to be learned there, that I visited it twice, the first time in company with Mr. Bishop, the second time with Mr. Senior. The population of this place, a town and parish, partly in Cambridgeshire, partly in Herts, has increased since the year 1821, from 1474 to 1757. The business carried on is such as naturally belongs to a town in a large agricultural district. But as the acreage of the whole parish is only 300, the interest is not farming, strictly so called. The population has received an augmentation of one- fifth in the course of the last ten years. This increment, Mr. Docwra, the permanent overseer, states as consisting chiefly of out- parishioners who are not permitted to gain a settlement in the parish, but have been gradually brought into it as substitutes for native parishioners. These out-parishioners, having no claim on the rates, and nothing to depend upon but character and ability, are invariably honest, industrious, and orderly. But Mr. Docwra states, that Character of Labourers — Magisterial Interference. Z73 the class of able-bodied native labourers, for whom it has been found necessary to substitute the out-parishioners, would be as good labourers as the others if not dependent on the parish. The inhabitants in general object to employ them, owing to their bad habits and character; and they are supported by the parish in idleness, in cottages and the workhouse. Mr. Warren, a builder and carpenter, frequently employs as many as fifty men at a time; and at moments when he is known to be in want of hands, and is giving work to men who dady come four, five, and six miles, Mr Docwra has offered him able-bodied men on the parish. But Mr. Warren's answer always is, "I won't have your men ; they want more looking after than I can afford ;'' and in reply to Mr. Docwra's observation that he would have to pay more to the rates if he did not take the men, Mr. Warren has said, that he preferred doing so to taking the work of the parish labourers with the trouble of looking after them. Mr. Docwra has frequently received similar answers from other towns- men engaged in business, particularly from Mr. Smith, a large seedsman, to whom he applied only a few days before I was at Royston. Mr. Smith said he had work for four men, and wanted them, but would have nothing to do with parishioners. Mr. Docwra, a few days before my last visit, sent John James, an able-bodied labourer, who applied for work, to a Mr. Luke, a farmer, who employed him in taking in a rick. The work is easy, but, after being two hours at it, James complained that he was not strong enough. Mr. Luke said he did not like to keep a grumbler, and desired to have him changed. Mr. Docwra de- sired R. Reed, another able-bodied applicant for work, to take James's place. Reed remonstrated against being employed, but at last went away to the job, muttering against the hardship of being employed, since the other man was as able to do the work as he was, and he might as well have been indulged in idleness as James. Mr. Docwra attributed the bad character and conduct of the native population to the countenance and support which the ma- gistrates afford to the complaints of paupers, against which he declared all resistance on the part of the overseers to be vain; and he accounted for the good conduct of the ex-parishioners by the fact of their having no power to apply to the magistrates, and being, in consequence, solely dependent on character for employ- ment. The poor-rate increases. The county rates, &c. have been deducted from the following list, which comprehends only the annual amounts strictly expended on the poor : — 374 Mr. CowelVs Report — Cambridgeshire. £. s. d. 1826 693 13 2 1827 584 4 4 1828 752 18 6 1829 891 18 4 1830 938 3 10 1831 973 2 8 Royston having so small an acreage as 300, and the chief inhabitants being engaged in occupations subordinate to agricul- ture, and not in agriculture itself, and consequently having no motive to throw on the parson and the shopkeepers the wages of other people's labourers, they have constantly refused to sanction the '' allowance system," and have .rejected the following scale formally forwarded to the vestry : — County of Cambridge. The Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor are requested to regulate the incomes of such persons as may apply to them for relief or employ- ment, according to the price of bread ; namely — A single woman the price of three quartern loaves per week. A single man Ditto four do. A man and his wife Ditto seven do. Ditto and 1 child Ditto eight do. Ditto and 2 children .. Ditto nine do. Ditto and 3 children . . Ditto eleven do. Man, wife, 4 children, and upwards, at the price of two quartern loaves per head per week. It will be necessary to add to the above income, in all cases of sick- ness or other kind of distress, and particularly of such persons or fami- lies who deserve encouragement by their good behaviour, whom parish officers should mark both by commendation and reward. By order of the Magistrates assembled at the Shire-hall, Cambridge, December 15th, 1821. Robert Gee, Clerk to the Magistrates. The vestry has had many struggles 'with the neighbouring magistracy, on the subject of the allowance system, and had Royston, instead of 300, possessed an acreage of 6000, as there would then have been many farmers in the vestry, the allowance system might have flourished as vigorously in that as in the sur- rounding parishes. But the shopkeepers and agricultural trades- men, who constitute the whole vestry, — in order to protect them- selves against the magistrates, as we were informed, — adopted Mr. S. Bourne's Act, and have strenuously resisted the keeping up of a large standing army of paupers for the benefit of the land- lords and farmers of neighbouring parishes, who in spring, har- vest, and fine weather, would take them off the rates at 6c/. and Scale — Magisterial Interference, 375 Is. a day, and send them back again in shoals in winter and bad weather. An irregular skirmish had been kept up for several years be- tween the neighbouring authorities, endeavouring to enforce obe- dience to a scale, and the inhabitants of Royston declining it. At last, however, the opposing parties came to a regular action, in which victory seems to have declared for the inhabitants of Royston. Mr. Bishop and I directed an account of this trans- action to be forwarded to the Poor Law Commission, and the following is an extract from the letter received by the Commis- sion from the assistant-overseer, the names of the magistrates being omitted : — " Gentlemen — Being particularly requested by Mr. Bishop and Mr. Cowell to state to you in full the particulars relative to what has taken place between this parish and the magistrates, within the last two or three years, with respect to making up the labourers* wages, with a copy of the minutes from the select vestry book, on that subject, the following is a copy of the 7th August, 1829 : — '^ ' The overseers laid before the vestry an application of John James for an allowance to make up his wages, and stated he is employed by Mr. Charles Cautherly, and receives upwards of 10^. per week as a day labourer, and that John James applied to the overseers for an allowance of Is. 8d. per week, to make up his wages to ll^". 8d. The overseers state that they have been sum- moned by Mr. A. B., a magistrate in this county, at the suit of John James, to appear before him on Monday next, to answer his complaint. The vestry took into consideration, that the clerk of the peace for the county of Cambridge had, by direction of the court of quarter sessions, issued a circular letter to all the parish officers in the county, one of which, to that part of this parish which lies in Cambridgeshire, was laid before this meeting, in which the practice of making up wages out of the poor-rate is reprobated as impolitic and pernicious, and they considered that if the system of making up wages was adopted in this case, it would apply to the other labourers of the parish, and would entail upon the poor-rate a charge which could not be borne, and they considered that an order for making up wages, if made by the said A. B,, would be illegal, and they directed that the overseers should decline to make any payment under it, and that any pro- ceedings instituted to force obedience to such an order should be defended by the parish officers at the expense of this parish, out of the poor-rate.' " In the above case the m^an James not having applied, in the first instance, to the vestry, as the law requires, the magistrate found that he could not make an order ; and being talked to by a 376 Mr. CoivelVs Report — Cambridgeshire. gentleman of the vestry^ upon the consequences likely to ensue by adopting such a system, it was dropped for that time. "On the 6th of April, 1831, John James and Joseph Wood again applied to the petty sessions (James having been refused relief by the vestry). After the usual questions of the number of their children, and the amount of their earnings, they were in- formed that it was not sufficient, giving me at the time a verbal order to make up their wages to a certain sum ; but not thinking myself at liberty to comply without again mentioning it to the vestry, T put it off' till it met, when it was unanimously objected to. A few days after, the overseers received a summons to appear at Mr. C. D.'s at '■^'*'''* on the following Monday, to show cause why relief should not be given. The vestry was again convened upon the occasion, who considered it illegal to make up wages to labourers in full employ, and gave instructions to the overseers to refuse obedience to any order made by the magistrates for en- forcing such claims, and that the overseers be defended at the ex- pense of the parish. '' The distance to **** being eight miles, I was desired to write the following letter to Mr. C. D. : — " Sir — ^The overseers of Royston have received a summons to appear before you and other magistrates at ****, on Monday next, on the complaint of Joseph Wood and John James. I beg leave to inform you that as one of the overseers is ill, and confined at his house, aild cannot go to ****,if you would allow the matter to be heard before you at the petty sessions at Royston, on Wed- nesday next, being two days after, it would be an accommodation to the overseers ; and as to the men who apply, it would be also less trouble to them. If you will inform me by the bearer that you will let the case be heard at Royston on W^ednesday, I will inform the men that they need not attend at ****, but that they must on Wednesday. " I am. Sir, " Your very respectful and obedient servant. Gam. Docwra, Vestry Clerk. " To which I received the following answer : — ractice that men shape their actions, and according to nothing else. 392 Mr. CowelVs Report-— Notts, Norfolk. The practice of the English law respecting bastardy is shortly this : — Whenever a woman is pregnant of a bastard child which the overseer apprehends may become chargeable on the parish, or ivhenever a woman applies for relief for her bastard after having given birth to it, the overseer has power to compel her to declare on oath the father, and then to compel him to pay the parish the amount of whatever order of maintenance the magistrate may make upon him. The sole object of this legislation is to save expense to the parish. The effect of it is, as might have been fore- seen, to promote bastardy ; to make want of chastity on the wo- man's part the shortest road to obtaining either a husband or a competent maintenance ; and to encourage extortion and per- jurJ^ It would be impossible for the heart of man or demon to devise a more effective instrument for extinguishing every noble feeling in the female heart — for blighting the sweetest domestic affections, and for degrading the males and females of that por- tion of the community connected with the receipt of parish relief, — than this truly diabolical institution. In the first place, I appeal to the experience of all overseers in rural districts whether the instances of marriages taking place among the labouring classes, without previous pregnancy, are not so very rare as to constitute no exception to the general assertion, that " pregnancy precedes marriage." In the second place, I ask, whether marriages are not, in most instances, brought about by the threat which the woman holds out to the man of swearing the child to him if he does not marry her ; and whether the power afforded to the man of suggesting to the woman that she may place him in this predica- ment is not the infallible topic of seduction and persuasion which he employs in the rare instances which require persuasion ? In the third place, I appeal to every assistant-overseer w h has been any time in office, whether he has not, in his own ex- perience, known of several instances of perjury and extortion on the part of women in his own parish, and heard of many more. I proceed to give miscellaneous instances. DOWNHAM MARKET, NORFOLK. Order on the father, 2s., hut depends upon the circumstances. The overseer stated as follows : — " A woman refused to declare the father of the child of which she was pregnant. They threatened her with imprisonment if she persevered in her contumacy, whereupon she declared she would Bastardy Laws. 393 swear the child to one of them. This she proceeded to do. She appeared before the magistrate, and had the name of the overseer actually inserted in the order, but when the oath was tendered to her, relented. SWAFFHAM, NORFOLK. A woman in a neighbouring parish had five illegitimate chil- dren, for which she was allowed 10.9. per week, and 6s. for herself. Finding herself pregnant for the sixth time, she employed a man to go round to various persons with whom she might or might not have had connexion, to acquaint each of them separately with the fact of her pregnancy, and of her intention of swearing the child to him unless he consented to send her a sum of money, when she would engage to swear it to some one else. Her demands for this hush-money ranged as high as 10/. in some instances. The first man to whom her ambassador applied, gave him 10/. The ambassador returned, and represented to his employer that the man had laughed at her threat, but had sent her half-a- crown, out of which he thought she ought to give him Is. 6d. for his trouble. To this she consented ; so he benefited 9/. 19s., and she Is. by this first negotiation. She carried on this course with several persons with various success, and at last swore the child to a man who resisted, and on his appeal succeeded in getting the order on him quashed. The case was tried at Swaffham, where the above circumstances came to light in court. This woman was never punished. She gave birth to her child, was allowed 2s. for it by the parish, and is now in the receipt of 18s. per week, the produce of successful bastardy adventures. My informant in this and the following instance was Mr. Sewell, clerk to the magistrates at Swaffliam. A woman of Swaffliam was reproached by the magistrate, Mr. Young, with the burdens she had brought upon the parish, upon the occasion of her appearing before him to present the parish with her seventh bastard. She replied, " I am not going to be disappointed in my company with men to save the parish.'* This woman now receives 14s. a week for her seven bastards, being 2s. a head for each. Mr. Sewell informed me that had she been a widow with seven legitimate children, she would not have received so much by 4^. or hs. a week according to their scale of allowance to widows. A bastard child is thus about 25 per cent, more valuable to a parent than a legitimate one. The pre- mium upon want of chastity, perjury, and extortion, is here very obvious ; and Mr. Sewell informed me that it is considered a 394 Mr, CowelCs Re]pwt — Cambridge, Notts, Lincoln* good speculation to marry a woman who can bring a fortune of one or two bastards to her husband. Mr. Sewell had never known in the course of his experience but two women punished for having illegitimate children. The profligacy in this neigh- bourhood is very great. WISBEACH. I witnessed the following case at the petty-session. A girl about eighteen, with a bastard child, was brought before the bench under the following circumstances. The real father was stated to be a married man, the driver of a coach, who had promised to allow the girl 46". a week if she would swear the child to another man and not to him. This she had done, when the coachman had immediately abandoned her, and the putative father, a pedlar, could not be found. Consequently she was now a burden on the parish, which allowed her 2s. a week, and as she could not maintain herself on this, she would not quit the workhouse, whereupon the overseer brought her up before the bench to have her committed to prison. The girl did not deny, nor admit any part of the above story, nor did the magistrates inquire into it. They told her that if she did not quit the workhouse within a fortnight, and the overseer brought her up again, they would commit her for three months. The girl said she had nowhere to go to, having no father or mother, — that she could not leave her child under a year, so as to get her liveli- hood, and had besides no shoes and stockings, having borrowed those she had on to come to the bench. Tlie overseer promised her two pair of stockings and a pair of shoes if she would quit the house in a fortnight ; and this bribe, reinforced by the threat of the magistrates, induced her to promise that she would go. ROYSTON. Informant Mr. Dockwra; order, 2s., — varies according to the circumstances of the father. - Many girls have got as much as 20/. or 30/. from different young men not to swear children to them; has heard young men jeering one another in this way, — " Ah, you had to come down with a 5/. note, or otherwise she would have sworn it to you." Some girls pretend to be pregnant when they are not so, to extort money. A girl, to extort money, swore a child to the clergyman's son, of wliich he proved himself not to be the father. One woman named Smith, has three children by three different fathers. She has never been punished, and the parish allows her Bastardy Laws, 395 6j. per week. Women are very rarely punished ; has only known- one or two instances in his memory of the parish. Bastardy very common. HOLBEACH, LINCOLNSHIRE. Informants, the overseer and master of the workhouse. Many illegitimate children ; ten or twelve every year ; bastards increasing; order from l^*. to 2^. 6(/. and above, — depends 07i the circumstances of the father. An unmarried girl, upon leaving the workhouse after her fourth confinement, said to the master, '' Well, if I have the good luck to have another child, I shall draw a good sum from the parish, and with what I can earn myself, shall be better off than any married woman in the parish ; " and the master added, that she had met with the good luck she hoped for, as she told him, a short time before I was at Holbeach, that she was five months gone with child. I asked him what she had for each child ? — He answered 2s. ; and that women in that neighbourhood could easily earn 5*. a week all the year through. Thus she will have 15*. a week. BASFORD, NOTTINGHAM. Population, 6325, the centre of the stocking manufactory. Informant, William Caddick, has been permanent overseer for twenty years. " Order on father, 2*., depends on circumstances of father. If overseer says the father is rich, and applies for a larger order, magis- trates never refuse ; always gives the mothers all that the parish receives from the fathers; thinks this makes women fix on rich fathers ; knows many instances of perjury, — sometimes can prove them. A case occurred yesterday. A girl, who had had two bastard children, was pregnant of a third, and swore it to a young man in easy circumstances. He appealed to the quarter- sessions, which yesterday decided in his favour. The child was thrown on the parish; the man proving by several witnesses, that the girl had said among her friends, that she had fixed upon him because he was rich, and the real father too poor to allow her anything ; and likewise that, after having sworn the child to liim, she was unacquainted with him by sight, and mistook his brother for him in the presence of several persons. This girl had not been pu- nished for her two previous bastards. It is proverbial among girls and women, that they would rather their children were all bastards. 396 Mr. CoweWs Report — Nottwghamshire. — has often heard girls and women say that. There must be some- thing wrong in the magistrates ordering a woman 26". for a bastard, when if a poor family applies for relief, they direct the overseer to make up the earnings on the scale of 1*. 2>d. for each child ; so that the poor man's children are worse off, we consider, than the bastards. A girl with three bastards will live better than a man W'Orking coarse stockings ; she will get 6^. for her bastards, and earn 2s. or 36". besides — he will only be able to earn, after clearing his expenses (viz. rent of frame, needles, seaming, &c.), ^6s. per week. A widow with a legitimate child is never allowed more than 1^. ^d., sometimes less, and sometimes nothing, — depends upon her earn- ings ; but a woman with bastards is sure of 2s. a week for each ; — yes, even if she were earning 206*. a week. During twenty years he has been in office, magistrates would never punish a woman for having a bastard, though he has frequently applied for it. Bastardy is very much increasing in Basford : believes that one-third of all the number applying to the parish, old and young, are bastards." ST. MARY'S PARISH, NOTTINGHAM. Population, 39,500. Mr. Barnet, assistant overseer, informant. Annual average of bastard births, 704 ; and annual removals of pregnant women, 100. As the bastardy account is very heavy in this parish, amount- ing, upon an average, to 730Z. per annum, on which the parish lose about 250/., and sometimes more than 300/., Mr. Barnet about four years ago introduced a new method of proceeding. The usual one is for the woman to swear the child before birth, which course the women always prefer themselves. He determined never to permit a child to be sworn till after birth, for the purpose of saving the 3/. or 4Z. expense, incurred in getting at and securing the father before birth, as he found this outlay fall mainly upon the parish. Since he has acted on this plan, he has been surprised at finding women continually naming and swearing their children to different fathers from those whom they named and wished to swear against before birth; and in these- cases is convinced that they really name the true fathers after birth, and were ready to swear falsely before birth. The continual recurrence of this fact makes a strong impression upon him, and he accounts for it as follows : — Various motives influence them before birth ; they wish to swear the child to a rich father, or to extort money ; they wish to spare the real father if they like him, and fix on another; they take a spite against some one, and rush to the overseer, and make him an instrument of vengeance in their hands; but after birth, — when Bastardy Laius. 397 they are ill, — can extort nothing — have no hope of vengeance — and are serious from the dangers they have just passed, their minds are more open to the action of good principles, and they lose, besides, all hope of the overseer aiding them in marrying, if they fix upon an ex-parishioner, as the child, by being born, is already settled. He considers that this change has greatly dimi- nished perjury ; though, if generally introduced, it would still leave overseers open to the temptation of encouraging perjury, as they always wish women to fix on rich fathers, as the parish is thereby better secured. The order on the father varies according to his circumstances, and the parish always gives the mother all they ^^et. This, Mr. Barnet is aware, operates as a direct premium on perjury. He has seen many instances where he has felt no conviction that the woman selected the right man, and knows of many instances of perjury. A young man courted a girl, aged seventeen, with intent to marry her; but they quarrelled. He was a journeyman, honest, industrious, and likely to do well. She came to the over- seer, and wanted to swear a child to this young man. The overseer sent for him : he declared he had never had illicit connexion with her — had never suspected she was capable of incontinency, be- lieving her above it, and would not credit that she was unchaste. However, she turned out to be with child, and after much cross- examination, admitted that she had never had connexion with this young man ; and said that she had fixed upon him as the father, because she knew he was honest and industrious, and thought they would force him to marry her. Hitherto, if the father failed to pay, the parish allowed the mothers 2^. for each bastard. They allowed widows but 1^. 6f/. for legitimate children, and have just lowered the allowance of the bastard's mother to the same sum ; but still, whenever the father does pay, the harlot is better off than the honest woman. Nine out of ten of the orders of removal which the parish receives are cases of bastardy. Mr. Barnet knows whole families in the town which are bastards, from generation to generation. He has observed that magistrates generally favour the mothers of bastards in their complaints against overseers. BINGHAM. Bastardy flourished In this parish in the usual way up to the year 1818. The practice was the same here as elsewhere, and the effects of course the same. In 1818, Mr. Lowe introduced a change marked by the wisdom which characterises his other proceedings. For the seven years ending 1818, the average annual number 398 Mr. CowelVs Report — Notts — Bastardy Laws. of bastard births in Bingham was six ; and the average annual number of marriages was thirteen and two-thirds. For the seven years ending 1824, the average annual number of bastard births was under two, and that of marriages ten. Deane, the overseer's, account is as follows : — ^Twelve years ago we introduced this custom : when a woman came, saying she was with child, she was taken before the magistrate in the usual way ; the sessions made the order on the father in the usual way. Then we told her she must get the money from the father herself, as we should never trouble him ; and that if she became chargeable to us, we should send her to the house of correction, and all women are invariable/ so sent. Before this we used to have five or six bastards born every year ; now we have under two. These are still sworn and affiliated in the usual way ; there is no change in that respect ; but if the mother applies for relief, we enforce the law, and send her to prison. So the mothers now never think of applying to the parish, but arrange with the fathers as well as they can, and maintain the children as well as they can. There are no bastards on the parish books now but one ; and this is a particular case, where the mother was ill-treated by the father. For nearly the first three years after the first example was made, there was not one bastard birth in the parish (except in the case of a woman who was an idiot) ; neither has there been any instance whatever, for the last twelve years, of any woman ever having a second bastard child. Before this change there were many, — one woman had five ; but at that time this parish paid, as others do now, 2s. for every bastard, whether the money was obtained from the father or not. This method of dealing with bastardy sweeps away the motive to perjury — the power of extorting money — deprives the woman of the hope of getting a husband, or large weekly allowances by incontinency, and the man of the most powerful topic for effecting seduction ; and turns the moral sense of the poor into the right channel. All laws regarding bastardy, which contemplate the slightest punishment on the man, have the inherent defect of encouraging what they aim at repressing. Such laws must give the woman power, either directly or indirectly, over the man ; he will use that fact as a motive to induce her to yield ; and she will yield because she knows she shall be able to effect his punishment if he deceives her. The man may in all cases be as guilty as the woman ; and it may seem hard or unjust to punish her, the weaker and more helpless of the two, and to suffer him to go unpunished ; but the object of penal law is to repress crime, and not to punish it. Punishment is a means to an end ; the end is the prevention of Captain Pringle^s Report — Cumberland. S99 CTtme ; and a punishment which operates to encourage instead of to prevent crime (as is the case in bastardy when the father is punished), frustrates the very object which alone can justify one human being in inflicting pain on another. It may safely be affirmed, that the virtue of female chastity does not exist among the lower orders of England, except to a certain extent among domestic female servants, who know that they hold their situations by that tenure, and are more prudent in consequence. Among the residue all evidence goes to prove that it is a nonentity. A daughter grows up ; she learns what her mother was ; she sees what her sisters and neighbours are ; finds that nobody thinks the worse of them, and that nothing is ex- pected of herself, and that there is a short road to marriage or a maintenance. The English law has abolished female chastity, self-respect, proper pride, and all the charities of domestic life, derived from and connected with its existence. It has destroyed, likewise, the beneficial influence which this virtue in women re- flects on the character of men. If it is considered desirable to restore it, the way is easy, and sure, and short. It is only neces- sary to enact that it shall be unlawful for parishes to give relief to a mother for a bastard, without sending her to prison for three or six months, and to deprive parishes of all claim on the father. By aeting on a somewhat similar principle, Mr. Whately, of Cook- ham, Berks, has reduced the annual bastardy births of his parish from fifteen to one. No. XVII.— REPORT from Captain Pringle, R.E. on CUMBERLAND. CITY OF CARLISLE. My Lords and Gentlemen, In compliance with your letter of the 5th December, I forward extracts from my report on Carlisle. These will show the good effects that result from the administration being con- fided to an elected select body, with paid officers to act under it. They likewise point out a desirable change in the laws respecting the collection of the rates ; and they give instances of abuses in granting an allowance to the mothers of illegitimate children : lastly, they describe a mode of farming the poor which seems peculiar to a part of the county of Cumberland. I have the honour to be. My Lords and Gentlemen, Your very obedient Servant, J. W. Pringlb. 400 Captain Pringles Rejoort — Cumberland. In submitting the following Report on the management of the poor in the city of Carlisle^ I shall at the same time bring forward observations made in parishes in the adjoining districts, where they appear to come in illustration of any material point. The city of Carlisle is divided into two parishes, each of them includes also a considerable agricultural district. The total popu- lation by the last census is 20,006. These parishes are divided into sixteen townships ; but they have in several cases united for the management of their poor, as will be seen by the following table, showing the population of the districts, and the rate per £. when reduced to what is stated to be the rack-rent. Population. Rate per £. Parish of St. Mary's. — District within the j. d. liberties, five Townships . . 5071 , . 1 4 Caldewgate, Township . . . 5104 .. 3 3 Rickergate ditto .... 1448 ..14 Parish of St. Cuthbert. — District within, or English Street Township . . 3773 ..20 District without, 8 Townships . . 4610 ..15 In Caldewgate a workhouse has lately been built, which tends temporarily to raise the rates. The management of the poor in these districts is nearly the same ; the difference in rates must arise chiefly from the nature of the population in each. St. Mary's Within is so far remarkable, that in three years from the period of the establishment of a select vestry, which took place in 1820, the rates were reduced from 6^. 6o?. to 2s. 2d. in the pound. This was partly accomplished by establishing a system of accounts, which are examined and closed at each meeting of the vestry ; by discontinuing relief to workmen, and making a careful investiga- tion previous to granting it to others ; and appointing an efficient person to the situation of assistant overseer and master of the workhouse, which is in good order, both as regards the house and the accounts. The person filling these tw^o offices had previously been a pay-serjeant in the army. The work going on in the house was teazing hair ; 2 lbs. to 4 lbs. to be done as a task daily by each pauper ; the value of the work one penny per lb. I may adduce Whitehaven as a similar instance of the good effects of the management being placed in the hands of an efficient committee, elected by the rate-payers, with paid officers to act under it. The rates there, in 1822, when the Select Vestry was established, amounted to 4420/., and are now brought down to 2000/. The establishment of Select Vestries in rural and small town- General Management — Carlisle. 401 ships is merely nominal, inasmuch as there does not exist either means or often disposition to make them efficient. To recur, however, to St. Mary's, Carlisle. The payment of the rent of houses for paupers was at the same time discontinued in this district, and is almost so in the others. In St. Cuthbert's Within, 20/. is still paid on this account. The rent of these houses is from 2/. to 3Z. 10s. each. When rents were generally paid, it was found that the better orders of the working classes had difficulty in getting houses, the landlords giving the preference to those tenants who were receiv- ing parochial relief. The mode of collecting the rates, adopted in St. Mary's Within, appears to be worthy of remark. The overseers, after falling twice on those rated, and demand- ing payment, give to the vestry, together with the money received, a list of the defaulters. The assistant-overseer then obtains from the magistrates one summons for the whole ; and all who cannot show sufficient cause for being excused are then made to pay. By this means, arrears are never allowed, nor the collection of a neAV rate authorized until the previous one is settled. It is in the power, however, of an overseer to prevent the work- ing of this system ; for the vestry have no authority to compel him to account for his collection by a given time, nor to make him furnish a list of defaulters. The advantages of a law, giving the vestry such authority over the overseer, was strongly urged, and the necessity for such a power was exemplified in the proceedings of a select vestry, which I attended, in an adjoining parish. Hay town. The overseer there paid in 9/. " on account," but refused to furnish a list of those who had not paid, repeating, " They are good men, and will pay." In the large parish of Aldstone, another case bearing on this point was mentioned to me ; in the preceding year two assistant-overseers, at salaries of 40/. each, had been appointed, chiefly for the collection of the rates, which had been done from absolute necessity, as, previously, the yearly overseers would only collect and pay the money when they chose. The parish also had no security, and one overseer went off last year to America with above 100/. .. , There are three poor-houses in Carlisle ; they appear all to b^ well managed. The expense per head, for maintenance only, is Is. 7d. or Is. Hd. weekly. The diet— milk-porridge for breakfast and supper; meat and broth, with barley-bread, for dinner. The very old have white bread and tea. The diet appears to be ample. The same cost for 2 D 402 Captain Pringle's Report — Cvmberland. maintenance I found to be very general in the poor-houses of the neighbouring rural parishes. At Arthuret and Aldstone, the only places where they were fed by contract, the sum was ls.6d. per head weekly, and children under one year not charged for. At Penrith the expense is 2s.; and at Milinthorpe, where there is a united poor-house for sixteen townships, 2s. bd. The latter sum being so much above the average of those in the neighbourhood was, I understood, owing to the interference of a gentleman of large property near it, who insisted on the pauper having many additional comforts. The genera] observation made by the farmers and small pro- prietors was, however, that even in those houses, where the average price was only Is. ^d. per head, the inmates were living not only better than many labourers, but even than small farmers, who were paying rates. In Kendal they had six couple in the house, each with two to four children ; one couple had been there five years, during which period two children had been born. In this house the cost of maintenance is 2s. 1 0\d, per head, or, after deducting the earnings. Is. lift/. These earnings arise from the weaving of coarse articles by hand-looms, a trade which is still taught the children, although worse than useless to them in after life ; inasmuch as it unfits them for husbandry labour, and hand- loom weaving is almost driven out of the market by machinery. The younger children, too, continue to be employed in making cards for the teasing of wool, a work hurtful to the eyes, and long since superseded by machinery, by which it is done both better and cheaper. In Hay town poor-house was a couple, the man lame and the woman nearly blind, who had married in that state as paupers, and now had four children. They had been during the whole period an parish relief, and had been taken into the house about twelve months, where they had a room to themselves. The children in the poor-houses of Carlisle are all taught read- ing and writing, and a few also arithmetic. The boys are apprenticed out at thirteen or fourteen, and 21. to 5?. given as a premium. The girls get into service about the same age : there is a diffi- culty in finding places for the children, particularly the girls. In St. Cuthbert's, five girls above thirteen were in the house. Both boys and girls turn out fairly. Amongst the children there were nearly as many who had been deserted by their parents as bastards and orphans. Of the thirty-six children in the poor-house of St. Mary's, thirteen were Amount of Pauperism — Bastardy. 403 bastards, and twelve deserted by their parents. The children in the house are better clad, fed, and taught, than those of the same class out of itj and therefore encouragement arises to desert them. The number on out-rehef in Carlisle is very considerable, as may be observed by the published lists, from which the following is t ken, namely, In St. Mary's within the Liberties, those on regular pen- sions, amounting to .,.,.. 48 In St. Mary's without the Liberties . ... 74 St. Cuthbert's within ditto 53 The assistant-overseer of St. Cuthbert's Without having died a few days previous, and the lists not being printed, I could not ascertain the exact number, but comparing the amount of poor-rates, it may be taken at the same . 53 And in the small townships ..... 30 Total . . 258 The number receiving casual relief was stated to be throughout the year about the same .... 258 But during the four winter months there are double that number. Spread the relief given to these extra 258 during four months over the whole year, and it is equal to an addition of paupers amounting to . . . . 86 By adding the number of paupers in the workhouses . 183 And the mothers of illegitimate children ... 80 The total will be 865 which, compared with the amount of poor's rate, 4986/., gives about 2s. per week for each pauper, the officers' salaries, and the house expenses being included. The population being 20,000, the proportion is nearly one pau- per in twenty-three ; but it must be remarked that these returns do not contain all the persons actually in receipt of parish assist- ance, who are resident in Carlisle, a great proportion of the weavers being non-parishioners, and having an allowance from their own parishes ; but since it is not generally paid through the overseers of this city, the number cannot be easily ascertained. In referring to the printed lists, it will be observed, that out of sixty illegitimate children, the allowance from the father is only recovered for twelve ; five of the women on this hst have also each two children. Punishment for bastardy appears to be very rarely inflicted, indeed only when the overseer makes such an appli- cation. Bastardy, and the litigation it causes, is referred to in this neighbourhood, in assigning reasons for the increase of the poor-rates. It seems not unusual for the daughters of the small 2d2 404 Captain Pringle's Report — Cumberland, farmers, or statesmen, as they are here called (men farming their own property), to have bastard children, and to come to the parish for an allowance. . It cannot be expected that the overseer will apply for the punish- ment of people in this station of life. The following extract is from a letter written by the overseer of the parish of *^ We at this time, in our parish, are supporting two bastard children, whose mothers have landed property of their own, and would not marry the fathers of their children. " The daughters of some farmers, and even landowners, have bastard children. These farmers and landowners keep their daughters and children with them, and regularly keep back their poor-rate to meet the parish allowance for their daughters' bastards. We have no doubt the same grievance exists in many other parishes." I could adduce many townships where one or more cases of farmers' daughters receiving such an allowance had occurred, but shall prefer giving an extract from the letter of a clergyman of a parish more than twenty miles from that to which the above refers : — '' A very different description of women have, of late years, be- come the mothers of bastard children ; formerly it was confined to the daughters of cottagers, and girls employed in farm husbandry: but of late very respectable farmers' daughters have been in that situation, and applied to have their offspring taken care of by the parish. As one plan to remedy the evil, the magistrates should impose a larger sum on the mother ; although this would not put an end to bastardy, the parish would not be so much burdened by this numerous description of mothers, as they would, in many in- stances, be kept at the expense of their parents, who, from their mode of management, are often frequently to blame." In another parish, the clergyman said, that in one year, to seven legitimate children he had baptized nine bastards; they were almost all of them, however, the children of women at service out of the parish, removed there to lie in. One from Suffolk, at a great expense. It was an observation frequently made, that the custom of hiring farm-servants to live in the house leads frequently to these connexions ; and that the certainty of an allow^ance of money to the mother, either from the father or from the parish, encourages it ; whilst in the south, the contrary system leads to improvident early marriages. A mode of farming the poor is common in the tow nships to the north and east of Carhsle, which, since it is, I believe, peculiar to Farming the Poor. 405 this part of the country, I shall here notice, namely, to contract with a person for a fixed sum, who undertakes to satisfy all claims of the paupers belonging to the township. The township of Belbank, of which the population is 485, is farmed in this manner for the sum of 42/.; and Trough, population 169, for 32/. yearly. There is no poor-house belonging to these townships. Brampton, of which the population is 3330, is farmed for the sum of 656/. It has a poor-house, in which were 30 inmates, who appeared to be taken care of as well as in the generality of poor- houses ; indeed they were rather cleaner, and looked better, than was usually found in the small poor-houses. The contract is offered by public advertisement, and the lowest tender is accepted, if the person making it be approved of at the general meeting of the rate-payers called together for that object. The person taking the contract has the use of the poor-house and ground attached, where there is such an establishment ; if not, he takes the paupers whom he cannot satisfy with a small payment into his own house. They are generally small farmers' men, who, in many cases, sit down to their meals with the paupers. This custom will cease to appear extraordinary, when it is stated to be usual for the farmer and his labourers to dine at the same table : and to give further proof of the different state of this part of the kingdom as compared with the south, I found the perpe- tual curate of a parish lodging and boarding in the house of one of these contractors. The prevalence of this system of farming will be sufficient to indicate that magisterial authority, in ordering relief, is very seldom exercised. As far as I could ascertain, the paupers, gene- rally, both on out-relief and in the poor-house, in the townships thus farmed, were as well taken care of as in those conducted on the common system. The rates where it has been adopted are kept down as compared to the adjoining townships. The other advantages stated to result, are the saving vestry meetings and trouble to overseers; the rendering almost all ac- counts unnecessary ; the making the paupers sensible that their claims will be rigidly inquired into, and resisted, unless strong and just. As far as able-bodied and bastardy cases are concerned, there appears no objection to this system of farming. But it must be much feared that the old and infirm, who are unable to urge their claims, will often in consequence suffer. 406 Mr» TufnelVs Report — Dirleton, Scotland. No. XVIIL—REPORT from E. C. Tufnell, Esq., Assistant- Commissioner, Haddingtonshire, Scotland. My Lords and Gentlemen, In compliance with your letter of the 5th of December, I have selected the Report of the parish of Dirleton, as it illus- trates the opposite effects of the assessing and non-assessing system. I have the honour to be. My Lords and Gentlemen, Your obedient servant. Temple. E. Carleton Tufnell. DIRLETON, Agricultural parish, Population 1384. This is one of the most interesting parishes I have visited, as i. presents one of the very few instances that Scotland affords of the abolition of assessments. I have consequently thought it expedient to give a short history of its condition previous to that event. Before the year 1804, the poor of Dirleton were entirely sup- ported by the Church collections, and the interest of a small sum that had been left to their use. In fact, the money arising from these sources was occasionally beyond the demand for it, inso- much that the session found themselves at times in the possession of a residue, which they distributed among the poor of neigh- bouring parishes — a thing now, I believe, unheard of in any part of Scotland. The two unfavourable seasons that preceded 1804 caused a much greater application to be made to the poor's fund than before ; and in this year the heritors and kirk session, unable to meet the demand by the ordinary sources of income, instead of enlarging their donations, introduced an assessment, which at first only amounted to 201. The rate at which they increased, and their whole progress from beginning to end, will be seen in the annexed table. £. s. 1814 94 10 1816 105 1818 105 1820 105 1822 73 10 It will be perceived that in the last year of their existence they amounted to 73^. 10s. ; a considerable decrease on former years. £. 1804 ... . .. 20 1806 ... . .. 30 1807 ... ... 60 1809 ... ... 40 1812 ... . .. 105 Mode of Relief^Assessments. 407 which, however, was not owing to any diminution of the poor, but solely to a decrease in the price of provisions, which took place in that year. The truth of this will be shown by reference to **^ Cleland's Statistics," which give the corn prices in Scotland for a series of years. It is to be observed, that the year after the assessments were begun, the difficulties that had caused their introduction ceased, but an increased demand for relief had been created by this pro- cedure, and could not be kept down, — consequently, the rates went on increasing, till they had reached five times their original amount. In the mean time the condition of the poor, so far from being improved from the sums spent on them, was rapidly deteriorating. "We are prepared to state, on the authority of the father of the session, who has administered under both systems, that to his knowledge and belief, there has been decidedly more discomfort and discontent among the objects of parochial aid since the introduction of assessments than formerly existed. In point of fact, it was notorious that a work of mischief was going forward. We felt convinced that the wants of the poor increased in the direct ratio to the augmentation of the means of supplying them. We saw an exasperated state of feeling burst- ing forth from high-raised and disappointed expectations, w^here formerly there would have been nothing but sentiments of gra- titude*." In this state of things every moral means were taken to allay the evil ; a parochial library of religious books for gra- tuitous circulation was set on foot, a friendly society was esta- blished, as also a savings' bank, and both were attended with the greatest success. All these measures, however, though doubtless they had their utility, failed of the desired end, and it was determined to take some more effectual course. A meeting of the heritors and tenants was called, and after some deliberation, they decided on the bold step of at once abolishing assessments. At the same time they agreed to increase considerably their church donations, without which the change could not have been so rapidly made : this, with an intimation from the pulpit of the new arrangements, caused an instantaneous augmentation in the collections, which have ever since supplied the place of assessments. * This is an extract from a book pubhshed by the Rev. Mr. Stark, th6 taihister at Dirleton, entitled, *' Considerations addressed to the Heritors and Kirk- Sessions of Scotland," from which part this account is taken. To his untiring perseverance and excellent management Dirleton is chiefly indebted for the improvement that has taken place in the condition of its poor. 408 Mr. TvffneWs Report— Dirlet on, Scotland. The chan\*hen given in money, it is generally efiected in one of the five fol- lowing modes: — Ist^ By the parssh giving to those who proiess to be without employ- ment a daily or weekly sum, without requiring from the applicants any work at all. The commissioners have heard of unemployed able-bodied young men receiving 2*. 6d, a week firom the parish, on condition of their giving no further trouble. 2d, By the parish employing and paying the applicants for relief. Sd, By the parish paving the occupiers of property to employ the ap][dicants for relief, at a rate of wages fixed by the parish, and de- pending not on the services, but on the wants, of the applicants ; the employer being repaid all that he advances beyond a certain sum. This is the roondsman, cm- billet, or ticket system. On this plan the pauper receives in general a ticket from the ovosecr, directing him to apply to a given larmer, and to work for him a day at a certain sum ; generally, about 1«. if a single man; Is.Sd. ii' married, v^iithout a family ; Is. 6d. if he have a wite and one child ; and so on. The value of his services is charged by the parish to the farmer, at a sum sometimes as low as 2d, a day ; and all that the farm^ has paid beyond that estimated value is repaid to him out of the rates. 4th, By an agreement auKNog the rate-payers, that each of them shall employ and pay out of his own nKHiey a certain number of labourers, in proportion not to his real demaiMi for labour, but according to his rental, or to Ins contribution to the rates, or to the number of horses that be keeps for tillage, or to the number of acres that he occufHes, or acctMding to some other scale. Where such an agreement exists, it is generally enfwoed by an additional rate imposed, by general consent, on those who do not employ their full proporti(». This may be called the labour-rate system. 5di, By the paurish allowing to the labourers who are employed by individuals r^ef in aid of their wages. In some places this is given only iKii inaallj, or to meet occasional wants ; to buy, for instance, a«oal or a pair rf dtoes, or to pay the rent of a cotlage. In other places, it is considered that a certain weekly sum, or more frequently Um i»hie of a certain quantity of flour or bread, is to be received by each Hieuib^ of a family. The amount of a man^s eamincrs (those of his wife mad children are seldom inquired into) is ascertained, or at least prcfessed, or attempted, to be ascertained ; and the deficiency, if any, Y^d l^ the pari^. In other places no such inquiry is made after there are a given number of children, beginning sonoetimes at one, somc^iiBes at two, sometimes at three, and sometimes at four; but a ceitam sum, or the price of a given quautitv of flour or bread, is given to the father lor each diild above the specified number, whatever' may be the anKXiiii erf* his earnings. The word " allowance" is sometimes Bsei as conipfehendfng all parochial relief afforded to those who are «»pk>yed by individuals at the average wages of the district. But Tndructioru to AsJsutani'ComrnisJsionerg — Paupers. 417 sometimes this term is confined to the relief which a person so em- ployed obtains on accoont of his children : any relief which he may obtain on his own accoont being termed " payment of wages out oif rates/' It will be the duty of the assistant commissioner to ascertain bow far any one or more of these practices may prevail, or may have pre- vailed, in a parish. Where relief is giren to able-bodied persons absolutely unemployed, he will inquire whether the parish adopts this system merely to save trouble, or to save expense, either became a person when in employment requires a more costly diet, or because the value of his lalx>ur wonld not be equal to the cost of tools and materials. Where labour is professed to be required in return for relief, he will inquire into the nature of the employment, whether it » paid for by the day or by the piece, the amount of payment for a given amount of labour, the variation of payment according to age, sex, celibacy, or number of children, the superintendence by whidi ih& amount of labour exerted is ascertained, and the value of the produce after deducting the expense of tools and materials. And he will com- pare the amount of work done, and of money received, by persons so employed by the parish, witli the work which would have been exacted from the same persons, and the wages which would have been paid to them, if they had been employed by individuals. Races have been mentioned, where a man with a wife might have the duNce of receiv- ing Qs. a week from the parish for dcMog nothing, or Is. 6d. fiY>m the parish for almost nominal work, from eight in the morning till three in the afternoon, or 9*. from a farmer fw hard work during the re^rular commissioner will endeavour to ascertain the time at \wujii uic itriici of the able-bodkd originated in any parish; whether it is increasing, stationary, or diminishing, or has ceased; and the causes and results of its origin, increase, continuance, diminution, or termination. Whether it arose in consequence of any sodden increase in the price of the necessaries of life, or any sudden diminution of the demand for labour, or any sudden increase in the number of kboarers, or a desire to reduce the wages of men angle, or with smaD ^unifies;, or to throw on those who employ few bbomers a part ci the Wages of those employed by others, or the interference of magistrates or imitation of neighbouring parishes. He will also inquire into its eflTects on the industry, habits and diaracter of the labomer, the increase of population, the rate of wages, the profits of &rming, the increase or diminution of farming capital, and the rent and improve- ment of land. He will particoJarly inquire into the e&cts of the labour-rate system on grass lands, and on small farms, particulariy when farmed by their proprietors, and on shopkeepers, and the owners of tithes, and others having a small demand fiw labour. And he wffl endeavour to ascertain whether any or afl of these e&cts have occa- aoned such a rate of wages, or such a deficiency of profitable employ- ment ill propmtion to the existing population, as to occasion any, and what, difficulty in its discontinuance ; and by what dass