10 Plan to restore the London Workhouse to its Original Purposes. [ Aug. 1, 
tronage of many public-spirited and 
benevolent persons. Iam the more en- 
couraged to urge the adoption of a 
permanent establishment, and espe- 
cially as various circumstances occur- 
red to prevent those asylums from 
affording permanent relief; and seeing 
that an institution established on sim1- 
lar principles of philanthropy, in order 
to administer instant protection to 
houseless and unemployed vagrants at 
all times till they can be removed to 
their parishes, or be placed in a condi- 
tion to exert their industry, would re- 
move a nuisance from our public 
streets, and be the means of preventing 
the commission of crimes. 
To accomplish this desirable object 
it has occurred to my mind that the 
present London Workhouse affords faci- 
lities not inconsistent with the design 
of its original establishment, which, so 
long since as the year 1702, was repre- 
sented to be ‘‘to receive such as were 
accustomed at nights to lie under bulks 
and stalls in the streets, or where else 
they could find shelter, to the no small 
hazard of their limbs and lives.” 
In the execution of our laws re- 
lating to the poor, it is to be regretted 
that, in many instances, the persons 
who by those laws are appointed to 
relieve the indigent, being controlled 
by a committee or vestry, frequently 
use every means of getting rid of im- 
portunities for relief, and particularly 
the applications of those who are 
termed casual poor; and it frequently 
happens that the objects legitimately 
entitled to parochial relief render 
themselves by their conduct totally 
unworthy of receiving it: the parish- 
officers are often induced to regard 
with suspicion every applicant, and 
sometimes repulse those as impostors 
who are actually objects of commise- 
ration. Many parishes having astated 
day to receive and pay the poor, it hap- 
pens that, when application to the 
officer for relief is made during the 
interval of time immediately previous 
to the meeting, the pauper commonly 
meets with a rebuke, and receives a 
shilling, or at most two shillings, to 
maintain a wife and family until the 
day of appearance before the Board, 
whence they are frequently dismissed 
with little or no assistance. Other 
distressed objects assemble in some 
wretched receptacle, where no discri- 
mination is observed between vice and 
poverty, and where the price of the 
lodging is from two-pence to. six- 
pence per night; and, if they have not 
money, their apparel is taken from 
them in lieu ; and, after they are thus 
plundered by the keepers of these 
receptacles, who are in general devoid 
of all sympathy, and callous to every 
humane feeling, they are turned out 
almost naked into the streets ; if, there- 
fore, a gratuitous shelter were afforded 
to these wretched houseless, it is evi- 
dent that good must be the ultimate 
result. 
It would be an endless task to enu- 
merate all the circumstances which 
may place persons in such a condition 
as might render them fit objects for 
reception into the proposed institution ; 
but it may be necessary to advert 
particularly to such persons as are 
discharged from hospitals and prisons. 
Amongst the former there are many 
cases which call imperatively for re- 
lief: I allude to those persons who, for 
the want of relations or friends, are 
discharged, and find themselves in the 
midst of the world destitute of money, 
friends, or home of any kind, at the 
same time exposed to the strongest 
temptations in order to find the means 
of procuring a lodging and subsistence 
till they are able to obtain some situa- 
tion, which, from their former good 
character, they are naturally led to 
expect. And with regard to females 
thus circumstanced, many are the 
artifices and temptations of the profli- 
gate to seduce them from the paths of 
virtue, and to plunge them into crime 
and guilt, which, under their existing 
destitution, they find themselves una- 
ble to resist. The first steps to vice 
are seldom voluntary; the destitute 
female does not become abandoned 
from choice; she contemplates the 
prospect before her with dismay and 
horror, and would gladly shun the 
hopeless misery which presents itself 
to her view; and therefore the feelings 
of humanity, as well as the laws of 
civilization, and the dictates of Chris- 
tianity, demand that the friendless 
female should not be suffered to rush 
into the courses of vice from necessity, 
to languish in misery, or expire in 
despair, for want of the kind hand of 
benevolence to uphold her. 
Hence, if a temporary asylum only 
were afforded to these objects for a 
few days, or weeks if necessary, they 
would be sheltered from danger and 
seduction, and be enabled to look for- 
ward with confidence to brighter 
prospects and more auspicious periods: 
their 
