108 Pauperism in JVetv South Wales. 



because a time has arrived when the capabilities of the existing 

 system appear to be unequal to the increasing demands made 

 upon it, and because the progress of the colony demands the dis- 

 tribution of its poor. In the same way the advisibility of possess- 

 ing a system of " poor law relief," does not require our attention, 

 because we already have one, the existence of which is a neces- 

 sary part of our social economy. It is now generally admitted, 

 that the principle upon which provision should be made for the 

 destitute poor is that of "necessity," and, as such, should not be 

 confounded with " charity." Accepting this, it follows that 

 actual destitution presents the only claim to relief, or, to use the 

 words of Mr. J. S. Mill, " the State cannot undertake to discrim- 

 inate between the deserving and the undeserving indigent, it owes 

 no more than subsistence to the first and can give no less to the 

 last." It results from this train of reasoning that no one can be 

 a proper object for the poor-law relief unless he is unable to earn 

 his own livelihood. It also follows that the amount of relief to 

 be given to the pauper must be neither more or less than is abso- 

 lutely essential, in order to make provision for his immediate wants. 

 These considerations lead us to a clear conception of the funda- 

 mental principles upon which the Poor-Law relief should be 

 based, and show how wide is the difference between their aim and 

 that of " charity " — the true province of which is "to seek out 

 the deserving and reject the dissolute." A recent review says — 

 Poor laics are said " to exist for the protection of society, while 

 charity operates for the benefit of the individual." 



" No doubt theoretical distinctions which exist between the pro- 

 viuce of charity and that of the Poor Laws will be found very 

 difficult of application; but this does not detract from the value 

 of the principles upon which these distinctions are based — on the 

 contrary, being our only guide, we must do our best to keep these 

 principles continually in view, for we are well assured that when- 

 ever charity does the work of the Poor Laics, or the Poor Laws 

 that of charity, the results are equally disastrous. It is owing to 

 the difficulty of fixing the exact limits within which the Poor Laws 

 should operate, that their administration has always presented 

 difficulties of no ordinary description. The struggle in England 

 has continually been between the two extremes — of making these 

 laws the channel of a wholesale distribution of alms amongst the 

 poor, or the means of attempting to choke down pauperism by a 

 wholesale denial of necessary relief. One of the most instructive 

 lessons in the history of pauperism, is that to be derived from this 

 century's experience. The story of the system of relief in oper- 

 ation at the commencement of this period has been often told, 

 though we fear too often forgotten. There was no ' workhouse' 

 system then in operation, the use of the poor-houses of those days 

 being chiefly confined to the agedand infirm. There was a wholesale 

 system of out-door relief. Intended at first to supply the wants of 



