Report from the Select Committee on Contagious Diseases Acts, together with the proceedings of the committee, minutes of evidence, and appendix, 1882.

Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on the Contagious Diseases Acts.

Date:: 1882

Credit: Report from the Select Committee on Contagious Diseases Acts, together with the proceedings of the committee, minutes of evidence, and appendix, 1882. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

840/882 (page 716)

$Report, >882—continued. PruSTITL'TES—continued. 1. Question as to the Expediency of Lerjislation, Sfc.—continued. tion of ihe doctrine that prostituion is a nccessury evil or a necessary conJliion of society, Baker 2-2(i3-a'268. Stron^ dissent from the doctiine that prostitution is one of tlie npces.siies of social life, aiul should therefore he recotinised ami regulated by the State, Cook 27S0-27S4 Repudiation of the theory that there slinnid be a certain number of prostitutes in proportion to the (jopulation, Rimbault 353^-3540. Approval of prostitutes bt-ini; arrested by the pr)lice for loiteiin«r, Sec, and put into piison, rather than of their beini» registered and medically examin- d under the Coiuiis;ious Dis. ases Acts, Cooper 43'24--|33i Total dissent from, and strong ilisa|)proval of, the docirine of the necssity of sexual vice ; heliel', moreover, thai the existence of pri)stitu- tion ill no way saves the sanctity and puiity ol private bonus, ih. 4407-4412 Conclu- sion as to the discouragement of \ice being the best mei.ns ol preserving purity and virtue, ih. 4408. 4413-4415. Assertion that the in^prcFsion of a legal and Government sanction to prostitution is one that is entertained both by the wonun and by those who consort with them, Glecl- 5/on<'443i, 4432 Conclusion thai the system as piacticdiy carried out under the Acts, is that of licensing the women to exercise the trade of prostitution, Culderwood 4679-4684. Disapproval of endeavours to get rid of prostitution by means of the law; import- ance rather of trustiiii; entirely to moral ii.fluences and moral tea( hiiig, Oshiirn 4840- 4842. 4874-4877. 4884-4891. 4986-4989 Fiindiimental idra of the Acts, that pros- titution is a lu ce>saiy evil; contenti'n that such an assumption is degrading and per- nicious, jb. 4906-4913. 4982-4985 Positive anil distinct objection to tlie lei;isIation in question as recognising the trade of pro-titution on the |)art of women ; this fact aloi e is a strong aigument against the continued enactment of the statute?, ti. 5015- 5017- Desirability of ihe State taking means to put down prosiiluticn by legal means ; entire disagreement «ith the doitiine that prostitution is an evil which must necessarily e.\Ist, Feryuson 5727-5731. 5740. 582i-58'29 Assertion that by the Acts the entrance into prostitution and to the register is made as easy, and the exit from it as difficult, as possible, ib, 5849, 5850 Belief that with many women the profession of prostitution is a neces- sity not a choice, on account of want of means and destitution, ib. 5858-5860. 2. Nuviber or Supply of Prostitutes ; Operation of the Contayious Diseases Acts in this respect : Conclusion as to the women remaining longer in the career of prostitution than before the Acts came into operation : strong disapproval of tiie Acts on this scove, Baker 2089- 2094. 2098-2100 Ojjinion that it is better for fallen girls to die at an eaily age, rather than go on lor years and years in their wretched career, under the provisions of the Acts, ib. 2096. 2159, si'C Complaint against the Acts as tending to harden the women and to keep them in prostitution, although if this were not so a fresh supply mii;ht be forthcoming. Baker 2252-2263 Tendency of the Acts, whdst producing a haidened class of prostitutes, to incnase rather ihan diminish the supply generally ; evil by the creation of the former class, ib. 2336-2341. Reference to the Judicial Statistics as showing the large decrease during the last twenty years in the number of prostitutes and of broihels in England and in London, Cooper 3679. 3681-3698 Result ot witness' observation that the highest average period of a woman's career on the streets is twelve months, wheieas where the Acts are in f..rce, and as a direct consequence of the Acts, the period is very much longer, ib. 3870-3873 Fallacy in crediting the Acts with the diminution in the number of prostitutes and of brothels, ib. 3886. Opinion that the provisions of the Acts are immoral inasmuch as they practically give a license to the woman in the vicious trade which she has chosen; application of the term license to the woman and not to the house in which she is, Gledslone 4424. 4457- 4461. 4510-4512. 4535. 4629-4636 Increased temptation to which young women are exposed by the system adopteil under the Acts, which holds out attractions of more custom and better pay, and caieful watching of their health by Stale-paid doctors, ib. 4524, 4525. Belief that a great deal may be done by moral means to mitigate the evils of prostitu- tion; expediency to this end of early marriage in the Army and the enforcement of ordi- naiy police regulations, i^er^;«on 5877-5880 Opinion thai the aveiaue lime during which women are upon ihe streets is three years, Baxendale 8786, 8787. 8707-8709 Contention that the Acts in diminishing disease do not thereby stimulate the demand for prostitutes; in the districts where the Acts are in force there are less prostitutes, ih. 8907- 8916. B.lief$