306 STUDIES, SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL chap. 



the middle points of these two periods (1854 to 1874) the 

 population increased about 23 per cent., and thus the pro- 

 portional pauperism appears to have decreased considerably, 

 though not at all in proportion to the increase of our 

 aggregate wealth, which was at least doubled during the 

 same period. , 



Several causes have, however, been in operation during 

 this period which have led to the numbers of officially 

 recorded paupers forming a less and less adequate indication 

 of the total mass of pauperism in the country, so that even 

 the small comfort derived from its supposed decrease in 

 proportion to population may be denied us. In the first 

 place there can be no doubt that the extent and efficiency 

 of private charity all over the country have been steadily 

 increasing, and that by its generous aid, large numbers 

 have been saved from becoming paupers. Not only have 

 old charities been better administered, but many societies 

 have been formed for the systematization of private 

 charity ; while all over the country the clergy, and an ever 

 increasing army of lady visitors, have aided the poor with 

 advice and timely relief. It is impossible to estimate the 

 amount of these various agencies, but it seems not im- 

 possible that they may have relieved the ratepayers from 

 an amount equal to that due to increase of population 

 during the same period ; and this is the more probable 

 when we consider the enormous increase of the wealthy 

 middle class, and the increasing fe eling that the poor have 

 some moral claim upon the rich, lead ing to more and more 

 liberality in every case of undeserved misfortune.^ 



But yet more powerful agencies have been at work tend- 

 ing to decrease the numbers of official paupers without any 

 corresponding decrease of poverty and pauperism. For 

 many years there has been a growing disposition to diminish 

 out-door relief, and apply more generally the "workhouse 

 test " which is the fundamental principle of our poor law. 

 It is well known that there is such a wide-spread dislike 

 and dread of the workhouse among the more respectable 

 poor that many will rather starve that enter it, and as a 



1 Some of the evidence on this point has been given in Chapter XII. 

 page 213), but more fully in my Wonderful Century, Chapter XX. 



