English Poor Law Policy

by Sidney Webb; Beatrice Webb

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CONTENTS

	[Preface]	[v]
	[Chapter I]
	[The Revolution of 1834]	[1]
	[The 1834 Report]—[National Uniformity]—[TheAble-bodied]—[Vagrants]—[Women]—[The Children]—[The Sick]—[The Aged andImpotent (or Infirm)]—[The Workhouse]—[Emigration]—[Relief on Loan]—[ThePrinciples of 1834.] [The Act of 1834 and its Amendments]—[National Uniformity]—[TheAble-bodied]—[Vagrants]—[Women]—[Children]—[The Sick]—[The Aged andImpotent]—[The Workhouse]—[Emigration]—[Relief on Loan].
	[Chapter II]
	[The Poor Law Commissioners]	[21]
	[The Able-bodied] [(i.) on Outdoor Relief,] [(ii.) in theWorkhouse]—[Vagrants]—[Women]—[Children]—[The Sick]—[Persons of UnsoundMind]—[Defectives]—[The Aged and Infirm]—[Non-Residents]—[TheWorkhouse]—[Admission]—[Segregation]—[Service]—[Diet]—[Cleanliness andSanitation]—[Discipline]—[Employment]—[Sanctions]—[Discharge andDetention]—[The Workhouse of the General Consolidated Order of 1847]—[Theposition in 1847 compared with the Principles of 1834.]
	[Chapter III]
	[The Poor Law Board]	[88]
	[The Able-bodied]—[National Uniformity]—[Municipal Work for theUnemployed]—[Vagrants]—[Women]—[Children]—[The Sick]—[Persons of UnsoundMind]—[Defectives]—[The Aged and Infirm]—[Non-Residents]—[TheWorkhouse]—[Emigration]—[Relief on Loan]—[Co-operation with VoluntaryAgencies]—[The Position in 1871.]
	[Chapter IV]
	[The Local Government Board]	[147]
	[The Able-bodied]—[National Uniformity]—[The WorkhouseTest]—[The Labour Test]—[The modified Workhouse TestOrder]—[The Test Workhouse]—[The Provision ofEmployment]—[The FarmColony]—[Vagrants]—[Women]—[Children (i.) on Outdoor Relief;][(ii.) in Poor Law Schools;] [(iii.) the Workhouse Children;] [(iv.) TheEducation of the Indoor Pauper Child;] [(v.) Boarding-out;] [(vi.)Apprenticeship;] [(vii.) Adoption]—[The Sick]—[DomiciliaryTreatment]—[Institutional Treatment]—[The Municipal MedicalService]—[Persons of Unsound Mind]—[Defectives]—[The Agedand Infirm]—[Outdoor Relief]—[IndoorRelief]—[Non-Residents]—[TheWorkhouse]—[Emigration]—[Relief on Loan]—[Co-operation withVoluntary Agencies.]
	[Chapter V]
	[The Principles of 1907]	[257]
	[The Departures from the Principles of 1834]—[The Principle of NationalUniformity]—[The Principle of Less Eligibility]—[The Workhouse System]—[NewPrinciples unknown in 1834]—[The Principle of Curative Treatment]—[ThePrinciple of Universal Provision]—[The Principle of Compulsion]—[TheContrast between 1834 and 1907]—[No Man's Land.]
	[Chapter VI]
	[The Majority Report of the Royal Commission of 1905-1909]	[274]
	[The Principles of 1907]—[The Plea for a Single Destitution Authority]—[TheReversion to 1834]—[The mutual Incompatibility of the Proposals of theMajority Report]—[The Principle of Curative Treatment and a DestitutionAuthority]—[The Principle of Compulsion and a Destitution Authority]—[ThePrinciple of Universal Provision and a Destitution Authority.]
	[Chapter VII]
	[The Minority Report of the Royal Commission of 1905-1909]	[296]
	[The Principle of Prevention]—[The "Moral Factor" in the Problem ofDestitution]—[The Sphere of Voluntary Agencies in the Prevention ofDestitution.]
	[Chapter VIII]
	[Summary and Conclusion]	[312]
	[Appendix A]	[321]
	[Memorandum by the Local Government Board as to the Local Authorities forPoor Law purposes and the Out-relief Orders in force at the end of theyears 1847, 1871, 1906.]
	[Appendix B]	[343]
	[Extract from the Minority Report for Scotland giving the reasons infavour of the Complete Supersession of the Poor Law.]
	[Index of Unions and other Places mentioned]	[365]
	[Index of Subjects]	[379]
	[Footnotes]

ENGLISH POOR LAW POLICY

The English Poor Law Policy, of which we present an analysis, is that which has been from time to time promulgated for the authoritative guidance of local authorities in the relief of the destitute, whether laid down by Parliament or by Departments of the National Government. This policy is to be found principally in (1) Orders, whether "General" or "Special"; (2) circulars and other instructional communications to officials and to local authorities, and (3) reports to Parliament. These documents fall into three periods, 1834-1847, 1847-1871, and 1871-1907, corresponding respectively with the Poor Law Commissioners, the Poor Law Board, and the Local Government Board. But these are themselves governed by (4) the Act of 1834 and subsequent amending statutes; and the Act of 1834 itself lays down no policy, and having regard to its origin, and to its immediate connection with the recent Royal Commission, it cannot be understood without (5) the Report of the Royal Commission of 1834. Hence it is convenient, if not indispensable, in order to render the subsequent analysis intelligible, to begin with an exact statement of the proposals of the Report of 1834.[5]

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CHAPTER I