On the jurisprudence of chargeability for sanitary works and for poor rates, police rates, and other branches of local administration.

  • Chadwick, Edwin, 1800-1890.
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the jurisprudence of chargeability for sanitary works and for poor rates, police rates, and other branches of local administration. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    from mere ignorance. In other instances it is well known by the rate expenders that they are dispensing such out-cloor relief, which goes in payment of the rents of their own wretched tenements, or to be spent in their own shops, or as aid to the wages of their own dependents, or of their connexions. At a recent meeting of the L/ondon clergy, held at Sion College, statements of evils produced by this maladministra- tion, entering into the very fibre of the population, were made, that were almost the reflex of the evidence given before the Commission of Enquiry, vindicating in the strongest manner the principles of administration, and the remedial measures then proposed, as, indeed, has been done by the Charity Organization Society, and voluntary associations in all the pauperised districts. The Times newspaper, in an article, on the 21st of November, 1872, having reference to a conference of chairmen and vice-chairmen of Boards of Guardians, said :— “From the short discussion on out-door relief it would seem that the main principles on which our present poor law is founded, are gradually recommending themselves to its administrators. The change, indeed, introduced five and thirty years ago was so radical that it was not to be expected it should at once be successfully applied or adequately appreciated. But experience has more and more justified the results of that enquiry,” [and condemned its detractors], “ and even now the facts thus collected afford the most practical instruction available to poor law administrators. Means are being found of being just without harshness, and firm without cruelty; and as confidence in the law increases, its administration cannot fail to be improved.” Reserving the observations due upon this statement, so remarkable, when the antecedent course of that journal upon the question is remembered, we will keep in view the economic question : upon whom do the burthen of the taxes fall ? On the standard of the instances of remaining admini- stration, on correct principle, it is clear that upwards of three millions of excessive, and non-paying expenditure falls upon the owners and occupiers who rented or purchased