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a medical man to become sufficiently acquainted with the peculiarities of the case to deal properly with it, and though it might be said that some cases were slight and the few serious, yet this gave a reason in itself why the medical men should not be harassed by increased numbers. Under the system it was impossible that the medical man could give the patients what they came for the advice and medicine by which they could be cured. What was necessary was that the out-patients' department should be limited to such numbers as could be adequately and properly treated; that the governors should encourage the people to subscribe to provident dispensaries; that persons who could afford to pay for medical assistance should not be provided with it gratuitously; that the public (Poor-Law) dispensaries should be brought to the notice of those applicants who were proper subjects of such relief; and that, on the second application of patients after adequate advice had been given, they should be requested to afford information of their work, families, and income.

Such recommendations as these are, it may be objected, only the natural suggestion of the medical practitioners, who see their fees swept away by the extension of a system which enables any well-to-do person, who is not ashamed to apply for a free hospital ticket, to avoid a doctor's bill; but such a criticism is altogether beside the real question at issue, which involves, as we have shown, not merely the mischievous operation of pauperising those who throng the hospital rooms, but the question whether the work which is undertaken by the medical officers can be accomplished with full justice to the patients. The obvious remedy is to extend the provident dispensary as widely as possible, and to establish in every district a provident hospital, on the plan now in operation at Battersea, to the commencement of which, by Canon Erskine Clarke, reference was made in the "Companion" for 1879.

In connection with the internal administration of our hospitals, the step taken by the Queen during the year, in founding an Order of Merit for Hospital Nurses, must be recorded with intense satisfaction. Named after the ancient Hospital of St. Katherine an institution which will, it may be hoped, under its new Master, fulfil more completely than it has done of late years the objects of its founder-the nurses, honoured with admission to the roll, are to be known as St. Katherine's nurses, and are not merely to receive a badge or armlet with the

monogram "St. K." worked upon it, but are to have a reward of 50l. a year. The appointment is to be held for three years, during which the recipient also has her ordinary salary at the hospital where she is employed, while another sum of 50l. is paid to the hospital for her maintenance during the period. Such a handsome recognition of a body of women, who have done and are doing much noble service to their race, cannot be too warmly applauded.

While the Queen has thus shown, in a tangible form, her appreciation of the labours of hospital nurses, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been among the foremost during the year in exhibiting their sympathy with some of the most useful institutions in the metropolis. On the 17th of July, the Prince laid the first stone of a new building for the Brompton Hospital for Consumption, the first wing of which was commenced with a similar ceremony in the year 1844, by the late Prince Consort. On another occasion their Royal Highnesses went down to Putney to lay the foundation stone of a new-wing of the Hospital for Incurables; while on a third day, in July the Prince and Princess journeyed out to Ham Common, to present the prizes annually given by Lady Peek to the former inmates of the National Orphan Home, who, after being placed out in the world in domestic service, are able to bring up good reports from their employers. Such encouragement offered to institutions of high public utility, is a happy illustration of the ready interest which the Prince and Princess always take in cases where it is really deserved, and it may be pointed out, that no charities more worthy of distinctive notice could have been selected. The Home for Incurables especially is one of the too few institutions which open their doors to those who are, by the very gravity of their disease, excluded from the ordinary hospital, and it would be a fitting result of the thoughtful benevolence of the Royal visitors if similar Homes were to be established in every quarter of the metropolis.

In reference to the working of the Charity Commission, an important correspondence between the Commissioners and the Treasury upon the question of the taxation of charities, in order to meet the expenses of the Charity Commission, has been issued. In 1868, it appears, the Lords of the Treasury, having regard to the resolution of the House of Commons that the expenses of the Commission ought not to be borne by the public, submitted to the Commissioners whether, by a stamp or charge upon orders

or other proceedings, and by a charge for the management of the account for the sums marked, a fund could not be created towards the cost of the Commission. The secretary to the Commissioners prepared a scale to be charged for any business done by their Board, but from 1870 to 1878 the subject does not seem to have been pursued. The Treasury then requested the Commissioners to consider the question. The Commissioners drew up a statement, showing how a sum of 6,250l., or at the most 7,000l. a year, might be raised by charges on the work of the office, and saying that a charge of 3d. in the pound, or 1 per cent. on the receipts of charities, would meet the expenses of the Commission. The reply to this statement bears date June 23. The Lords of the Treasury, it is said, "observe that the scheme which you submit for imposing a charge upon certain orders and proceedings of your Board would produce a revenue that would only cover a small portion of the expenses of the department, and would, besides, entail a considerable number of changes in the existing law. For these reasons, my Lords are not disposed to adopt that scheme, but think that the suggestion you offer with regard to the imposition of a stamp upon all accounts of charities rendered to your Board indicates the principle which should be followed. They have accordingly caused a Bill to be drawn on these lines."

In the repression of professional mendicity and in the exposure of the nefarious proceedings of those persons who, owing to the unsatisfactory condition of the law, are still able to obtain money under false pretences, while they successfully evade the punishment due to that offence, the Charity Organisation Society is continuing its useful work. It has during the year adopted the extreme but needful course of actually printing in its "Reporter" the names of certain individuals who are thus trading upon the too trusting benevolence of the charitable, and the fact that the Society possesses damaging information as to the management of the institutions nominally conducted by these people ought in itself to be sufficient to check their proceedings. Pending the adoption of improved legislation, this method of treatment of what is in reality a public scandal is all that can be accomplished, and it rests with philanthropists to apply the most efficient of all remedies by refusing to subscribe to any institution which does not in the first place produce a satisfactory balance-sheet vouched for by persons of acknowledged respectability.

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TABLE OF ALL THE PUBLIC GENERAL ACTS

PASSED IN THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE TWENTY-FIRST PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND,

42 AND 43 VICTORIÆ. A.D. 1879.

(The Acts are given in the order in which they were passed, the number denoting the chapter. An Abstract of those Acts distinguished by an asterisk is given in the pages following this table, which contain a classified epitome of the more important statutes passed during the year.)

*1. An Act to amend the Law respecting the holding of Assizes. (Applies 39 & 40 Vict. c. 57, and 40 & 41 Vict. c. 46; Winter Assizes Acts, 1876 and 1877.

Provides for execution of sentences of death, notwithstanding provisions of 28 and 29 Vict. c. 126, and 40 & 41 Vict. c. 21; Prisons Acts, 1865 and 1877. Applies 31 & 32 Vict. c. 24; Capital Punishment Act, 1868, as to Inquests by Coroner.

Applies 3 & 4 Will. 4, c. 71; Assizes Act, 1833.)

2. An Act to apply the sum of £4,250,000 out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the year ending on the 31st March, 1879.

3. An Act to raise the sum of £4,250,000 by Exchequer Bonds, for the service of the year ending on the 31st March, 1879.

(Applies 29 & 30 Vict. c. 25; Exchequer Bills and Bonds Act, 1866.)

4. An Act to continue for three months the Act of the Session of the forty-first and forty-second years of the reign of Her present Majesty, chapter ten, intituled "An Act for punishing Mutiny and Desertion, and for the better Payment of the Army and their Quarters."

(Continues (for three months) 41 & 42 Vict. c. 10; Mutiny Act, 1878.)

5. An Act to continue for three months the Act of the Session of the forty-first and forty-second years of the reign of Her present Majesty, chapter eleven, intituled "An Act for the Regulation of Her Majesty's Royal Marine Forces while on shore."

(Continues (for three months) 41 & 42 Vict. c. 11; Marine Mutiny Act, 1878.) *6. An Act to amend the Law with respect to District Auditors. (Repeals section 46 (in part) of 4 & 5 Will. 4, c. 76;

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Poor Law Amendment Acts, 1834, 1844, 1849, and 1868.

sections 36, 37 of 30 & 31 Vict. c. 6; Metropolitan Poor Act, 1867. section 60 (in part) of 33 & 34 Vict. c. 75; Elementary Education Act, 1870.

section 247 (in part) of 38 & 39 Vict. c. 55; Public Health Act, 1855. section 9 (in part) of 41 & 42 Vict. c. 77; Highways and Locomotives (Amendment) Act, 1878.

Applies 23 & 24 Vict. c. 51, and 40 and 41 Vict. c. 66; Local Taxation Returns Acts, 1860 and 1877.

4 & 5 Will. 4, c. 76; Poor Law Amendment Act, 1834.)

7. An Act to apply certain sums out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the years ending on the 31st March, 1878, 1879, and 1880.

*8. An Act to make further provision for the Registration of Deaths, Marriages, and Births occurring out of the United Kingdom among Officers and Soldiers of Her Majesty's Forces, and their families.

(Provides for Registration of Births, Deaths, &c., out of United Kingdom among Officers and Soldiers of Her Majesty's Forces.)

*9. An Act to declare the true meaning of Section Thirty of the Friendly Societies Act, 1875.

(Amends 38 & 39 Vict. c. 60; Friendly Societies Act, 1875.

Construes Act with Acts of 1875 and 1876.)

*10. An Act to amend the Poor Rate Assessment and Collection Act, 1869.

(Amends 32 & 33 Vict. c. 41; Poor Rate Assessment and Collection Act, 1869.) *11. An Act to amend the Law of Evidence with respect to Bankers' Books.

(Repeals 39 & 40 Vict. c. 48; Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1876, and makes new provisions in lieu thereof.)

*12. An Act to amend the Divided Parishes and Poor Law Amendment Act, 1876.

(Amends 39 & 40 Vict. c. 61; (Divided Parishes and Poor Law Amendment Act, 1876), as to money to which a pauper or pauper lunatic may be entitled as member of Friendly or Benefit Society.)

13. An Act to amend the Act thirty-third and thirty-fourth Victoria, chapter forty-two, for the abolition of Petty Customs.

(Repeals proviso to section 4 of 33 & 34 Vict. c. 42.)

14. An Act to apply the sum of £6,694,816 out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the year ending on the 31st March, 1880. 15. An Act to amend the Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1867. (Amends 30 & 31 Vict. c. 101; Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1867.)

16. An Act to provide for the winding up of the West Indian Relief Commission, and for the remission of certain Sums remaining unpaid in respect of Loans by the said Commission.

(Provides for winding up of the West Indian Relief Commission, and Transfer of Powers to Public Works Loan Commissioners.

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30 & 31 Vict. c. 91;

*17. An Act to amend the House of Commons Costs Taxation Act, 1847.

(Amends 10 & 11 Vict., c. 69; and extends provisions thereof to Provisional Orders, &c.)

*18. An Act for the Licensing of Metropolitan Suburban Race

courses.

(Provides for Licensing of Horse-races within ten miles of London.)

*19. An Act to facilitate the control and cure of Habitual Drunkards. (Provides for establishment of "Retreats" for Habitual Drunkards.

Applies, as regards England, 11 & 12 Vict. c. 43; Summary Jurisdiction Act,

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1848.

Scotland, 27 & 28 Vict. c. 53; Summary Procedure Act,

1864.

20 Geo. 2, c. 43; Heritable Jurisdiction. Ireland, 14 & 15 Vict. c. 93; Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act,

1851.

40 & 41 Vict. c. 56; County Officers and Courts (Ireland) Act, 1877.)

20. An Act to apply the sum of £6,567,023 out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the year ending on the 31st March, 1880. 21. An Act to grant certain Duties of Customs and Inland Revenue, and to amend the Laws relating to Customs and Inland Revenue, (Customs:

Continues Duties on Tea,

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