Barton Regis Union, near Bristol. In the year ended March 1870, £242. 158. was received from relations and friends. During that and previous years only those paid who offered to do so. But in the nineteen years ended March 1889, £26,831 were received from relatives; £1,719 was received in 1880–81; £2,247 in 1889. 'These figures represent the cash actually received, but cases often occur,' the return states, 'where the relations, on notice being given them that proceedings are about to be commenced, maintain the pauper rather than submit to proceedings. The relief saved in such cases is considerable. The amount now collected in excess of 1870 pays the salaries of all the Clerks and Relieving Officers, which were previously a heavy charge upon the ratepayers.' Other Boards of Guardians act more or less persistently on the same plan. The St. Pancras Parish recover about £2,000 a year from relatives and friends of persons chargeable. In 1889 the Wandsworth Union collected from this source £1,667: in 1885 the corresponding sum was £1,042. (1) Parents, Grandparents, and Children.-All related within tions of rela- these degrees, are under the Act of Queen Elizabeth, 43, c. 2, s. 6, on an order by justices in petty sessions liable for the maintenance of the others. The obliga tions in the eyes of the law. The Act 'extends only to natural relations, that is to say, to cases where there is relationship by blood between the parties. And therefore under the statute a man cannot be compelled to contribute to the maintenance of his wife's mother, or his wife's child by a former husband, or her illegitimate child-after the wife's death, or after such child has attained the age of sixteen; or of his son's wife or widow; or of his own brother, a brother not being mentioned in the statute. But a grandfather is liable to contribute thus to the maintenance of his grandchild, even although the father be alive, if the latter be unable to support him; or indeed whether the father be unable or not; and, therefore, in such an order against a grandfather, it is not necessary to state that the father is dead or unable to support his children; bat under 43 Eliz. c. 2 s. 6, a grandchild is not liable to maintain a grandfather.' * (2) Husbands, their Wives and Children.-Relief given by the Guardians to wife or to children, not being deaf, dumb, or blind, till they reach the age of 16, or on their account, is considered as given to the husband. A husband is liable to maintain his wife's children, legitimate or illegitimate, born before marriage,† until the age of 16, or the death of their mother, and he is chargeable with all relief Liability of granted to them. Any persons wilfully refusing or neglecting to maintain themselves or their families when able to do so wholly or in part, are liable to imprisonment and hard labour for a term not exceeding one month. Desertion of wife and children, if they are left husband. Wife desertion. * Glen's Archbold, p. 221. found on p. cii. The actual wording of 43 Eliz., c. 2, s. 6, will be † 4 & 5 Will. IV., c. 76, ss. 56 & 57. 5 Geo. IV., c. 83 s. 3, and Glen's Poor Law Statutes, p. 431. children. chargeable to the parish, is punishable by imprisonment and hard labour for a term not exceeding three months.* The property, if any, of the husband is available for the maintenance by the Guardians of his wife and children. Any parent who neglects Neglect of to provide adequate food, clothing, medical aid, or lodging for his child being in his custody under the age of 14, whereby the health of the child has been, or is likely to be, seriously injured, is liable to be imprisoned for six months with or without hard labour. † In these cases 'the Guardians of the union or parish in which such child may be living shall institute the prosecution and pay the costs thereof out of their funds.' It does not appear to be necessary that the child should be chargeable, before the Guardians take action. So long as it may appear that a husband is beyond the seas, or in custody of the law, or confined as a lunatic or idiot, relief given to the wife, or to her children, is given to her as if she were a widow, and she is considered responsible for the maintenance of her family; but the obligations and liabilities of the husband are in no way diminished by this. A woman living separate from her husband is similarly responsible ;§ and if she have separate property, she 'shall be liable for the maintenance of her children and grandchildren, in like manner as her husband is liable, but he is not thereby relieved from his liability in that respect.' When a married woman applies to the Guardians for relief without her husband, he may be summoned and required to pay towards the cost of the relief of his wife. || On the other hand, the wife is liable for the support of her husband, and, having separate property, for the support of her children. This does not, however, relieve the husband of his responsibilities in any way. Widows are liable for the relief given to their children, until the age of 16. ¶ (3) Illegitimate Children. In the case of illegitimate children, legitimate an affiliation order may be made by justices in petty sessions charging the putative father to pay expenses incidental to the child's birth, or for its funeral, and any sum not exceeding 5s. a week to support and educate it till it reaches the age of 13 or 16. The Guardians can summon the putative father if, and so long as, the child is chargeable to the parish. The mother of an illegitimate child ** * 5 Geo. IV., c. 83, s. 4, and Glen's Poor Law Statutes, p.433; Addenda, p. clxxviii. § 39 & 40 Vict., c. 61, s. 18. See E. Lumley's Poor Law Amendment Act, 1876, p. 12. This does not apply to cases of desertion. Cf. Married Women's Property Act, 1882 (45 & 46 Vict. c. 75), s. 21. ¶ 4 & 5 Will. IV., c. 76, s. 56. 31 & 32 Vict., c. 122, s. 33. **35 & 36 Vict., c. 65, s. 3. 'Any single woman (married woman living apart from her husband, or widow) may apply to any justice' acting for the place in which she is resident, for a summons, to be served on the man alleged to be the father of the child, in respect of which she applies. A woman not cohabiting with her husband, may, upon sufficient evidence of nonaccess, founded on other testimony than her own, make a similar application; but children. Charity should not, as a rule, assist deserted women. is bound to maintain it until the child is 16, or acquires a settlement in its own right, or till it marries, if a female, or till the mother marries.* XVIII. DESERTED WOMEN. The legal obligations of husbands have been just referred to (see she cannot, in other cases, thus relieve her husband from the duty of maintaining 4 & 5 Will. IV., c. 76, s. 71. As to husband's responsibilities in regard to his wife's illegitimate children, see p. xxxix. p. 12. Poor Law Amendment Act, 1876 (39 & 40 Vict., c. 61), s. 19, E. Lumley, See Report of Fourteenth Annual Poor Law Conference for the NorthWestern District, October 1888. (Knight & Co., Fleet Street.) Principles of Decision, Charity Organisation Paper, No. 5, p. 4. XIX.-FALLEN WOMEN. A very large proportion of the mothers of illegitimate children have recourse to the Union Infirmary. In these, as in other cases, their curability and not their desert imposes limitations on charity. The usefulness of a Workhouse Girls' Aid Committee such as those at Kensington and elsewhere for helping them was shown on p. xxi. No doubt many may rightly be intercepted by charity and never 'go on the rates.' But as there must be a quality of sternness in the charity that is to stamp ont vice, and as the Poor Law has properly no preventive functions, it is right that as a rule the Poor Law should deal with these cases. It may thus afford temporary maintenance for the mother and permanent maintenance for the child while it requires both parents to support their offspring; and charity may step in to do what the Poor Law cannot do-to replace the person, who has been punished by the disgrace of the Poor-Law relief, in a position of respectability and self-dependence. Natural obligations may thus remain unimpaired. For such difficult work the most careful personal charity is requisite. If the charitable were to make the Infirmaries in the Metropolitan Unions centres for work of this kind, many lives made hopeless by pressure of circumstances and by association with vice would be saved, when a fresh start-downwards or upwards-must be made. XX. INEBRIATES. It is generally allowed that intemperance is the cause of the larger part of the crime and pauperism of this country. As a rule cases of intemperance, especially if the intemperance be of long standing, must be left to the Poor Law. The able-bodied man may reduce his family to misery, but so long as he is in receipt of wages neither he nor his children have any claim on the Poor Law. Habitual intemperance is not yet considered a penal offence, or, like lunacy, a malady so harmful to others that it must be sub-. jected to State control. If charity is given, the drunkard is only set free to indulge himself the more. At last, however, when drink has led to destitution, the case falls to the Poor Law. Much might be done by personal influence before the intemperance has become habitual if religious and moral agencies were so organised as to take charge of individual cases for a period. This at present they are seldom able to do. The system of retreats, if the cure could be made less costly, would be very useful. Drunkards The Habitual Drunkards Act (1879) established a system of Habitual 'retreats.' Justices of the Peace in special or quarter sessions can Act. give licenses to keep retreats for thirteen months at a time. The keepers are responsible for the management and have to reside in the retreats, to each of which a duly qualified medical man must be Certified Allowances to discharged prisoners. Giving alms in the streets. attached. For their supervision there is an Inspector of Retreats, who has to visit them twice a year and report. Any habitual drunkard may apply to the licensee or keeper of the retreat for admission, signing a statement that he will conform to regulations and remain in the retreat a certain time. Two persons have also to make a declaration that they are satisfied that the applicant is an habitual drunkard and understands the effect of the application. Then two Justices of the Peace have to attest the applicant's signature, on the same two conditions. The applicant cannot then leave the retreat till the time fixed for his detention has elapsed, unless he is discharged by order of a Justice. If in the retreat he neglects or wilfully refuses to conform to the rules, he may, on summary conviction, be fined 57. or imprisoned 7 days; any person thinking himself aggrieved may appeal to quarter sessions. Very little has yet been done to take advantage of this legislation. XXI.-DISCHARGED PRISONERS. For the aid of discharged prisoners there is more than one Society in London. In the course of the year one or two cases of this kind will probably come under the almoner's attention. Prisoners' Aid Societies are 'certified' by Justices in quarter sessions.* To aid prisoners on their discharge a certain sum, voted annually by the Government, is apportioned to each prisoner according to the annual discharges. This apportionment the Societies receive under certain restrictions, to be applied for the prisoners' benefit; but a sum exceeding £2, inclusive of mark' money, cannot be expended on any one prisoner.† XXII. VAGRANTS, CASUALS, AND HOMELESS CASES. To give money in the streets to beggars, and do nothing more, is, in the eyes of charity, a crime. People say, if I have relieved one deserving case out of ten to whom I have given money, I have done a good work. But, first, nine may have been injured on that hypothesis, and nine persons so relieved must almost certainly be injured; next, the dole has relieved one person, but no one can be relieved properly by a dole; then, again, the ten gifts represented ten seductive chances to poor persons, who have little inducement enough, apart from such bribes as these, to stick to their work; and, lastly, 'deserving,' the favourite word of thoughtless almsgivers, implies a wrong test. Strictly used, it is merciless; loosely used it is meaningless. Almoners should assist in order to cure and not in order to reward. *25 & 26 Vict., c. 44, s. 1. + See letter of Home Secretary to the Chairmen of Discharged Prisoners' Aid Societies, 5 March, 1880. |