Pauperism in New South Wales. Ill 



arrangement still continues. I append a table showing the 

 annual income and expenditure ; in reference to which I need 

 only observe that up to December, 1862, the total receipts of the 

 society had amounted to £205,113, of which £44,982 had 

 been received from the military chest, £117,209 from the 

 Colonial Grovernment, and £42,921 from private subscriptions. 

 The tolal amount expended m outdoor relief had been £31,080. 

 If we now turn to the principles upon which this society has 

 been conducted, we find that while it received these large votes 

 of money as the sole representative of Poor Law relief, it was 

 conducted upon the principle of charity — in other words, the 

 Government handed up during a period of thirty-nine years no 

 less a sum than £162,191 as its Poor Law expenditure, to a 

 society of gentlemen, who acted entirely under the influence of 

 charity, and not in accordance with the principles supposed to be 

 required in the administration of Poor Law relief. Thus we find 

 in the second report that the Committee purchased a wheel- 

 barrow and a boat for a poor man, at the cost of about (£16) 

 sixteen pounds, -which it was supposed he would repay. Again, 

 in the report for the year 1823, we read as follows : — 



" Two cases of this nature occurred during the last year. A 

 poor aged man, nearly destitute, and unable to help himself. 

 The Committee assisted him with a wheelbarrow and an axe ; 

 since which the man has been able to provide for himself, without 

 being any further charge to the society. Also, a man with a 

 sickly wife and three children, being obliged to pay out of his 

 small earnings, for the hire of a boat, 5s. or 6s. weekly. The 

 Committee purchased one for him for forty-eight dollars, and he 

 repays very punctually one dollar per week, by which means the 

 boat will soon become his own property." 



The same report closes with the expressiou of an earnest hope 

 that Christianity may produce more abundant proofs in New 

 South Wales, &c. 



These extracts will suffice to indicate the spirit of benevolent 

 charity, under the influence of which the directors acted ; while 

 the large sums of money with which they were entrusted affords 

 ample proof of the confidence placed in them by the public and 

 the Gfovernment, as well as of the heavy responsibility and labour 

 attending the performance of their duties. One feature in the 

 appended table demands especial notice. During the first two 

 years, the private subscriptions flourished well, but as soon as 

 the Government commenced its assistance, they fell seriously off. 

 Making every allowance for the excitement under which most 

 charities are established, it appears that the subscribers felt 

 materially relieved of their responsibility when the Government 

 lent its aid. This spirit is most ingenuously expressed in a 

 report of the society for 1825, which naively commences by 



