10 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS. 



have been at variance with the trust which Your Majesty 

 had confided to us. We therefore determined that the 

 Inquiry should embrace every subject to which importance 

 seemed to be attached by any large number of persons. 



The great range of Inquiry thus opened to us, made it 

 desirable that it should be conducted in separate branches. 

 It was evident that the minds of the Assistant Commis- 

 sioners, if employed each upon a multitude of subjects, 

 many of which were of themselves sufficiently extensive 

 for a separate Commission, would be incapable of minutely 

 investigating any one, and consequently that the most ob- 

 vious facts alone would be ascertained ; whilst it was evi- 

 dent, from the great variety of opinions, that the truth was 

 far from obvious, and required a patient, minute and dili- 

 gent search. Two other evils seemed inevitably to attach 

 to such a general Inquiry. The great length of time du- 

 ring which the examination would last, if each subject were 

 thoroughly investigated, would render those who gave evi- 

 dence impatient ; consequently the latter subjects of the 

 Inquiry would in most cases be neglected. Again, several 

 of the subjects could be far more efficiently conducted by 

 persons having peculiar practical knowledge. The Inquiry 

 into the management and efficiency of hospitals, dispensa- 

 ries and other medical establishments, would in all pro- 

 bability be more usefully conducted by medical men ; 

 whilst an Inquiry into the wages and habits of farm la- 

 bourers, and into the nature and extent of employment for 

 them, would be better entrusted to those long practised in 

 rural occupations. 



The division which appeared to us the most convenient 

 was into two principal branches : 



The first, an Inquiry into the extent of destitution, into 



