paying the poor in base money. upon his non-appearance or confession, or upon proof Penalty on on oath by a credible witness, in a summary way to adjudge the party so offending to forfeit for each offence a sum not less than ten nor more than twenty shillings, leviable by distress, and to be applied to the use of such poor persons of the parish as the justice shall direct." The silver currency was at this time much worn and deteriorated, and was further depressed in value by the admixture of spurious money fraudulently imported for the purpose of circulation. In every instance of debasement in the coinage, from whatever cause arising, the poorest class are most open to injury, and are the first and greatest sufferers; and the present enactment shows that the interest of this, the most helpless class, was not now neglected. Another instance of the benevolent attention at this time paid to the condition of the inferior and helpless classes, is afforded by the "Act for establishing and well governing an Hospital for the reception, mainten1769. ance, and employment of penitent Prostitutes." This cap. 31. Act (9 George III. cap. 31) recites, "that in the year Magdalen 1758, a charitable society was entered into by several 9 Geo. III. noblemen and gentlemen and others for establishing a house for the reception, maintenance, and employment of penitent prostitutes, and the same hath been from time to time carried on and supported by voluntary subscriptions, and many persons have received relief from the said charity"; and in order to promote the same good designs, and render them permanent and effectual, the society is now incorporated under the above title, and empowered to erect the requisite buildings on land given for the purpose in St. George's Fields; and thus an "asylum" was provided, and is continued to the present day, for these the most degraded and most unfortunate of our fellow-creatures, who are at once the objects and the victims of man's vicious indulgence. 1772. 12 Geo. III. cap. 67. Society. Society in Three years after the above Act, and in a like benevolent spirit, 12 George III. cap. 67, was passed "For Incorporating the Members of the Marine Society, The Marine and for the better empowering and enabling them to carry on their charitable and useful Designs." The Act recites, that in 1756 a society was formed for placing out men and boys to the sea-service and other charitable purposes, which society, by the voluntary donations and subscriptions of well-disposed persons, had, in addition to clothing and fitting out 5451 seamen for the navy, and other charities, "also clothed, fitted, and placed out as servants or apprentices to officers in the king's ships, and to the merchant-service, 6306 boys who had no visible means of support, and who voluntarily offered themselves." It is then The Marine declared that the society hath been of use and corporated. advantage to the nation, and that if it were established upon a permanent foundation, and vested with proper powers, for "fitting out and apprenticing or placing out poor distressed boys to and for the service of the Royal Navy, and other ships and vessels belonging to English subjects, it would be of much more extensive use, as a means of supplying his Majesty's ships in time of war with seamen properly bred up and qualified for that service, and contributing to the commercial interests of the nation in time of peace, and also by assisting the inward police thereof in providing for the idle and consequently most dangerous members of society." Accordingly, it is enacted, that the members shall be and are incorporated by the name of "The Marine Society," and ample powers are given them for effecting these objects. The hospital for the maintenance and education of exposed and deserted children, founded in 1740,1 and the Marine Society now established, are each addressed to the common object of protecting infancy and early 1 See ante, p. 26. 1773. 13 Geo. III. youth from perishing through want, or becoming the victims of crime. With respect to the "Foundling Hospital," there were circumstances tending to counteract the good which it seemed calculated to effect; but as regards the Marine Society, there was no such drawback. To take boys out of the streets of the metropolis, from the purlieus of vice and contamination, and place them in a way of becoming useful, would not only be to them a positive good, and add to the productive power and strength of the nation, but would also prevent a positive evil and the cause of national weakness and deterioration. Of the benefits the Marine Society has conferred upon the country, as well as upon the objects of its benevolent exertions, there can be no doubt; and it happily exists and continues to confer like benefits in the present day. In the year following, 13 George III. cap. 82, was cap. 82. passed "For the better Regulation of Lying-in Lying-in Hospitals," etc. The Act recites, that "through the hospitals humane and benevolent assistance of well-disposed to be licensed. The children to follow the mother's settlement. persons, many hospitals and places have been established for the charitable reception of pregnant women, which have afforded great relief in times of the utmost distress, and therefore merit support and encouragement" but inconvenience is said to have arisen from the number of bastard children born in such places, which have brought unreasonable charges upon the parishes wherein such hospitals are situated, "to their great and unjust oppression." It is therefore enacted, that no such hospital or place shall be established, or continue to be used, for the reception of pregnant women, unless a licence be first obtained from the justices assembled in general or quarter-sessions of the county or division, such licence to be stamped and registered. And in order that it may be more generally known, there is to be inscribed over the principal entrance in large letters, "Licensed for the public recep ⚫tion of pregnant women, pursuant to the Act," etc. And it is then further enacted, that no bastard child born in any such hospital or place, shall be legally settled in or be entitled to relief from the parish wherein it is situated, but shall follow the mother's settlement, any law or usage to the contrary notwithstanding. The owner or person having the charge and management of every such hospital, is also required, before admitting any pregnant woman, to take her before a justice, to be examined upon oath whether she is married or single; and if she shall not be able at the time of her admission to go and be so examined, then so soon as she shall be sufficiently recovered; and the particulars of her examination are to be entered in a book kept for that purpose by the owner or manager of the hospital, and signed by the justice. After the woman shall be delivered, she may be kept and detained in such hospital "till she shall be adjudged in a fit condition to be discharged, and been examined with respect to the place of her legal settlement"; but it is provided, that such detention shall not in any case be longer than six weeks after the woman's delivery, unless it be with her · own free consent. A penalty of fifty pounds is imposed on the owner or manager of every such hospital, who wilfully neglects or refuses to comply with the directions of this Act, and churchwardens and overseers are subjected to a penalty of ten pounds for a like offence; the penalties in each case to be applied, one-half to the poor of the parish, and the other half to the parties suing for the same. The above Acts, passed in the early part of the reign of George the Third, possess much interest, as exhibiting the spirit by which the public of that day were actuated. They are all expressly designed to aid and give permanent and increased effect to institutions originating in private benevolence, supported by private charity, and carried into operation by the exertion of private individuals, who thus became, as it were, the pioneers of legislation, enabling it to proceed on assured grounds, tested by time, and proved by experience. About this time likewise (1772), with similar benevolent views, but also with the further object of lightening the pressure of the poor-rates, a measure for establishing life annuities in parishes for the benefit of the poor was proposed by Baron Maseres, and a Bill for Maseres' the purpose was introduced, and passed the House of parochial Commons, but was rejected by the Lords. 1772. Baron plan of Baron annuities. Maseres declared that his design in the proposed measure was "to encourage the lower ranks of people to industry and frugality, by laying before them a safe and easy method of employing some part of the money they could save out of their wages, or daily earnings, in a manner that would be most strikingly for their benefit "-to which end, in every parish in which there were two churchwardens and two or more overseers of the poor, the rateable inhabitants were to be made a body corporate, and empowered to grant deferred annuities not in any circumstance exceeding £20 per annum, and to commence at the age of fifty if a man, and at the age of thirty-five if a woman. The price of the annuities was set forth in a table computed for the purpose, and appended to the Bill, the minimum being £5. The money received in payment for such annuities was to be invested in government securities; and in addition to the security of the capital thus accruing, the purchasers were to have the further security of the poor-rates. This was the substance of the proposed measure; and without going into the many objections to which it is open, it may be sufficient to remark, that the labouring man's being compelled to hoard up his small savings until they amounted to five or ten pounds before he could lay them out in the purchase of an annuity, must go far to endanger his ever doing so, and be certain to render the measure abortive. A ready The |