180 REPOUT— 1870. 



quent remission of taxes has left the working classes in fuller enjoyment of their 

 wages ; the poor laws have Ijeen reformed and administered with care, and the 

 emigi'ation of millions might well have been expected to leave room for those that 

 remain. Nevertheless within the last few years wo have seen pauperism almost as 

 prevalent as ever, and the slightest relapse of trade throws whole towns and classes 

 of people into a state of destitution little short of famine. Such a melancholy fact 

 is not to be charged to the pohtical economist ; it is rather a veriiication of his 

 unheeded warnings ; it is precisely what Malthus would have predicted of a popu- 

 lation which, while supplied with easily earned wealth, is deprived of education 

 and bribed by the mistaken benevolence of the richer classes into a neglect of the 

 future, what can we expect while many still believe the proverb that " Where 

 God sends mouths. He sends food," and while a great many more still act upon it? 



I am glad to say that, ic spite of all opponents, we have an education act. Three 

 centuries ago the State re ognized the principle that no person should be allowed 

 to perish for want of bread ; for three centuries the State has allowed the 

 people to perish for want of mind and knowledge. Let us hope much from this 

 tardy recognition of the greatest social need, but let us not withdraw our attention 

 from many other causes of evil which still exist in full force. I wish especially to- 

 point out that the wise precautions of the present poor law are to a great extent 

 counteracted by the mistaken humanity of charitable people. Could we sum up 

 the amount of aid which is, in one way or other, extended by the upper to the 

 lower classes, it would be almost of incredible amount, and woidd probably far 

 exceed the cost of poor-law relief. But I am sorry to believe that, however great 

 the good thus done, the evil results are probably greater. Nothing so surely as 

 indiscriminate charity tends to create and perpetuate a class living in hopeless 

 poverty. It is well known that those towns where charitable institutions and 

 charitable people most .abound are precisely those where the helpless poor are most 

 niunerous. It is even shown by Sir Charles Trevelyan, in a recent pamphlet, that 

 the casual paupers have their London season and their country season, following 

 the movements of those on whom they feed. Mr. Goschen and the poor-law au- 

 thorities have of late begun to perceive that all their care in the administration of 

 relief is frustrated by the over-abundant charity of private persons or religious so- 

 cieties. The same family often joins parish relief to the contributions of one or 

 more lady visitoi-s and missionaries. Not only improvidence but gross fraud is 

 thus promoted, and cases are known to occur where visitors of the poor are duped 

 into assisting those who are secretly in possession of sufficient means of livelihood. 



Far worse, however, than private charity are the innumerable small charities 

 established by the bequests of mistaken testators. Almost every parish church has 

 its tables of benefactions, holding tip to everlasting gratitude those who have left a 

 small patch of land or an annual sum of money to be devoted to pauperizing the 

 population of the parish throughout all time. Blankets, coals, loaves, or money are 

 doled out once or twice a year, usually by the vicar and churchwardens. More or 

 less these parish charities act as a decoy to keep the most helpless part of the 

 population nominally within the fold of the Church. The Dissenters, where they 

 are strong enough, retaliate by competing for the possession of the poor by their 

 own missions, and thus the reproach of the Roman CathoHc Church, that it fos- 

 tered mendicancy, holds far too true of our present sects. With private charity 

 no law can interfere, and we can do nothing but appeal to the discretion of indi- 

 viduals. With testamentary charities it is otherwise. 



We are far yet from the time when so beneficial a measure will be possible, but 

 I trust that we are rapidly approaching the time when the whole of these pernicious 

 charities will be swept awaj\ We have in this country carried respect to the 

 wishes of past generations to an extent simply irrational. The laws of property 

 are a purely human institution, and are just so far defensible as they conduce to 

 the good of society ; yet we maintain them to the extent of wasting and misusing 

 no inconsiderable fraction of the land and wealth of the country. It would be 

 well worthy, I think, of Mr. Goschen's attention, whether all small parish charities 

 might not be transferred to the care of the guardians of the poor, so as to be 

 brought under the supervision of the Poor Law Board, and distributed in accord- 

 ance with sound principle, I should refuse to see in all such public endowments 



