essays-1-第17章

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CHAPTER。　　II。　　Of　the　Extent　of　an　Establishment　for　the　Poor。　　Of　the　Division　of　a　Town　or　City　into　Districts。　　Of　the　Manner　of　carrying　on　the　Business　of　a　public　　　　Establishment　for　the　Poor。　　Of　the　Necessity　of　numbering　all　the　Houses　in　a　Town　where　an　　　　Establishment　for　the　Poor　is　formed。

However　large　a　city　may　be；　in　which　an　Establishment　for　the　Poor　is　to　be　formed；　I　am　clearly　of　opinion；　that　there　should　be　but　ONE　ESTABLISHMENT；with　ONE　committee　for　the　general　management　of　all　its　affairs；and　ONE　treasurer。　This　unity　appears　essentially　necessary；　not　only　　because；　when　all　the　parts　tend　to　one　common　centre；　and　act　in　union　to　the　same　end；　under　one　direction；　they　are　less　liable　to　be　impeded　in　their　operations；　or　disordered　by　collision；but　also　on　account　of　THE　VERY　UNEQUAL　DISTRIBUTION　OF　WEALTH；　as　well　as　of　misery　and　poverty；　in　the　different　districts　of　the　same　town。　Some　parishes　in　great　cities　have　comparatively　few　Poor；　while　others；　perhaps　less　opulent；　are　overburthened　with　them；　and　there　seems　to　be　no　good　reason　why　a　house…keeper　in　any　town　should　be　called　upon　to　pay　more　or　less　for　the　support　of　the　Poor；　because　he　happens　to　live　on　one　side　of　a　street　or　the　other。　　Added　to　this；　there　are　　certain　districts　in　most　great　towns　where　poverty　and　misery　seem　to　have　fixed　their　head…quarters；　and　where　it　would　be　IMPOSSIBLE　for　the　inhabitants　to　support　the　expence　of　maintaining　their　Poor。　Where　that　is　the　case；　as　measures　for　preventing　mendicity　in　every　town　must　be　general；　in　order　to　their　being　successful；　the　enterprise；　FROM　THAT　CIRCUMSTANCE　ALONE；　would　be　rendered　impracticable；　were　the　assistance　of　the　more　opulent　districts　to　be　refused。

There　is　a　district；　for　instance；　belonging　to　Munich；　（the　Au；）　a　very　large　parish；　which　may　be　called　the　St。　Giles's　of　that　city；　where　the　alms　annually　received　are　TWENTY　TIMES　as　much　as　the　whole　district　contributes　to　the　funds　of　the　public　Institution　for　the　Poor。The　inhabitants　of　the　other　parishes；　however；　have　never　considered　it　a　hardship　to　them；　that　the　Poor　of　the　Au　should　be　admitted　to　share　the　public　bounty；　in　common　with　the　Poor　of　the　other　parishes。

Every　town　must　be　divided；　according　to　its　extent；　into　a　greater　or　less　number　of　districts；　or　subdivisions；　and　each　of　these　must　have　a　committee　of　inspection；　or　rather　a　commissary；　with　assistants；　who　must　be　entrusted　with　the　superintendance　and　management　of　all　affairs　relative　to　the　relief　and　support　of　the　Poor　within　its　limits。

In　very　large　cities；　as　the　details　of　a　general　Establishment　for　the　Poor　would　be　very　numerous　and　extensive；　it　would　probably　facilitate　the　management　of　the　affairs　of　the　Establishment；　if；　beside　the　smallest　subdivisions　or　districts；　there　could　be　formed　other　larger　divisions；　composed　of　a　certain　number　of　districts；　and　put　under　the　direction　of　particular　committees。

The　most　natural；　and　perhaps　the　most　convenient　method　of　dividing　a　large　city　or　town；　for　the　purpose　of　introducing　a　general　Establishment　for　the　Poor；　would　be；　to　form　of　the　parishes　the　primary　divisions；　and　to　divide　each　parish　into　so　many　subdivisions；　or　districts；　as　that　each　district　may　consist　of　from　3000　to　4000　inhabitants。　　Though　the　immediate　inspection　and　general　superintendance　of　the　affairs　of　each　parish　were　to　be　left　to　its　own　particular　committee；　yet　the　supreme　committee　at　the　head　of　the　general　Institution　should　not　only　exercise　a　controlling　power　over　the　parochial　committees；　but　these　last　should　not　be　empowered　to　levy　money　upon　the　parishioners；　by　setting　on　foot　voluntary　subscriptions；　or　otherwise；　or　to　dispose　of　any　sums　belonging　to　the　general　Institution；　except　in　cases　of　urgent　necessity；nor　should　they　be　permitted　to　introduce　any　new　arrangements　with　respect　to　the　management　of　the　Poor；　without　the　approbation　and　consent　of　the　supreme　committee：　the　most　perfect　uniformity　in　the　mode　of　treating　the　Poor；　and　transacting　all　public　business　relative　to　the　Institution；　being　indispensably　necessary　to　secure　success　to　the　undertaking；　and　fix　the　Establishment　upon　a　firm　and　durable　foundation。

For　the　same　reasons；　all　monies　collected　in　the　parishes　should　not　be　received　and　disposed　of　by　their　particular　committees；　but　ought　to　be　paid　into　the　public　treasury　of　the　Institution；　and　carried　to　the　general　account　of　receipts；and；　in　like　manner；　the　sums　necessary　for　the　support　of　the　Poor　in　each　parish　should　be　furnished　from　the　general　treasury；　on　the　orders　of　the　supreme　committee。

With　regard　to　the　applications　of　individuals　in　distress　for　assistance；　all　such　applications　ought　to　be　made　through　the　commissary　of　the　district　to　the　parochial　committee；and　where　the　necessity　is　not　urgent；　and　particularly　where　permanent　assistance　is　required；　the　demand　should　be　referred　by　the　parochial　committee　to　the　supreme　committee；　for　their　decision。　In　cases　of　urgent　necessity；　the　parochial　committees；　and　even　the　commissaries　of　districts；　should　be　authorized　to　administer　relief；　ex　officio；　and　without　delay；　for　which　purpose　they　should　be　furnished　with　certain　sums　in　advance；　to　be　afterwards　accounted　for　by　them。

That　the　supreme　committee　may　be　exactly　informed　of　the　real　state　of　those　in　distress　who　apply　for　relief；　every　petition；　forwarded　by　a　parochial　committee；　or　by　a　commissary　of　a　district；　where　there　are　no　parochial　committees；　should　be　accompanied　with　an　exact　and　detailed　account　of　the　circumstances　of　the　petitioner；　signed　by　the　commissary　of　the　district　to　which　he　belongs；　together　with　the　amount　of　the　weekly　sum；　or　other　relief；　which　such　commissary　may　deem　necessary　for　the　support　of　the　petitioner。

To　save　the　commissaries　of　districts　the　trouble　of　writing　the　descriptions　of　the　Poor　who　apply　for　assistance；　printed　forms；　similar　to　that　which　may　been　seen　in　the　Appendix；　No。　V。　may　be　furnished　to　them；and　other　printed　forms；　of　a　like　nature；　may　be　introduced　with　great　advantage　in　many　other　cafes　in　the　management　of　the　Poor。

With　regard　to　the　manner　in　which　the　supreme　and　parochial　committees　should　be　formed；　however　they　may　be　composed；　it　will　be　indispensably　requisite；　for　the　preservation　of　order　and　harmony　in　all　the　different　parts　of　the　Establishment；　that　one　member　at　least　of　each　parochial　committee　be　present；　and　have　a　seat；　and　voice；　as　a　member　of　the　supreme　committee。　And；　that　all　the　members　of　each　parochial　committee　may　be　equally　well　informed　with　regard　to　the　general　affairs　of　the　Establishment；　it　may　perhaps　be　proper　that　those　members　attended　the　meetings　of　the　supreme　committee　in　rotation。

For　similar　reasons　it　may　be　proper　to　invite　the　commissaries　of　districts　to　be　present　in　rotation　at　the　meetings　of　the　committees　of　their　respective　parishes；　where　there　are　parochial　committees　established；　or　otherwise；　at　the　　meetings　of　the　supreme　committee＇4＇。

It　is；　however；　only　in　very　large　cities　that　I　would　recommend　the　forming　parochial　committees。　In　all　towns　where　the　inhabitants　do　not　amount　to　more　than　100；000　souls；　I　am　clearly　of　opinion　that　it　would　be　best　merely　to　divide　the　town　into　districts；　without　regard　to　the　limits　of　parishes；　and　to　direct　all　the　affairs　of　the　institution　by　one　simple　committee。　　This　mode　was　adopted　at　Munich；　and　found　to　be　easy　in　practice；　and　successful；　and　it　is　not　without　some　degree　of　diffidence；　I　own；　that　I　have　ventured　to　propose　a　deviation　from　a　plan；　which　has　not　yet　been　justified　by　experience。

But　however　a　town　may　be　divided　into　districts；　it　will　be　absolutely　necessary　that　ALL　the　houses　be　regularly　numbered；　and　an　accurate　list　made　out　of　all　the　persons　who　inhabit　them。　The　propriety　of　this　measure　is　too　apparent　to　require　any　particular　explanation。　　It　is　one　of　the　very　first　steps　that　ought　to　be　taken　in　carrying　into　execution　any　plan　for　forming　an　Establishment　for　the　Poor；　it　being　as　necessary　to　know　the　names　and　places　of　abode　of　those；　who；　by　voluntary　subscription；　or　otherwise；　assist　in　relieving　the　Poor；　as　to　be　acquainted　with　the　dwellings　of　the　objects　themselves；　and　this　measure　is　as　indispensable　necessary　when　an　institution　for　the　Poor　is　formed　in　a　small　country…town　or　village；　as　when　it　is　formed　in　the　largest　capital。

In　many　cases；　it　is　probable；　the　established　laws　of　the　country　in　which　an　institution　for　the　Poor　may　be　formed；　and　certain　usages；　the　influence　of　which　may　perhaps　be　still　more　powerful　than　the　laws；　may　render　modifications　necessary；　which　it　is　utterly　impossible　for　me　to　foresee；　still　the　great　fundamental　principles　upon　which　every　sensible　plan　for　such　an　Establishment　must　be　founded；　appear　to　me　to　be　certain　and　immutable；　and　when　rightly　understood；　there　can　be　no　great　difficulty　in　accommodating　the　plan　to　all　those　particular　circumstances　under　which　it　may　be　carried　into　execution；　without　making　any　essential　alteration。


CHAPTER。　III。

　General　Direction　of　the　Affairs　of　an　Institution　for　　　　the　Poor　attended　with　no　great　Trouble。　　Of　the　best　Method　of　carrying　on　the　current　Business；　　　　and　the　great　Use　of　printed　Forms；　or　Blanks。　　Of　the　necessary　qualifications　of　those　who　are　placed　at　the　　　　Head　of　an　Establishment　for　the　Relief　of　the　Poor。　　Great　Importance　of　this　Subject。　　Cruelty　and　Impolicy　of　putting　the　Poor　into　the　Hands　of　　　　Persons　they　cannot　respect　and　love。　　The　Persons　pointed　out　who　are　more　immediately　called　upon　to　　　　come　forward　with　Schemes　for　the　Relief　of　the　Poor；　and　to　　　　give　their　active　Assistance　in　carrying　them　into　Effect。

Whatever　the　number　of　districts　into　which　a　city　is　divided；　may　be；　or　the　number　of　committees　employed　in　the　management　of　a　public　Establishment　for　the　relief　of　the　Poor；　it　is　indispensably　necessary　that　all　individuals　who　are　employed　in　the　undertaking　be　persons　of　known　integrity；for　courage　is　not　more　necessary　in　the　character　of　a　general；　than　unshaken　integrity　in　the　character　of　a　governor　of　a　public　charity。　I　insist　the　more　upon　this　point　as　the　whole　scheme　is　founded　upon　the　voluntary　assistance　of　individuals；　and　therefore　to　ensure　its　success　the　most　unlimited　confidence　of　the　public　must　be　reposed　in　those　who　are　to　carry　it　into　execution；　besides；　I　may　add；　that　the　manner　in　which　the　funds　of　the　various　public　Establishments　for　the　relief　of　the　Poor　already　instituted　have　been　commonly　been　administered　in　most　countries；　does　not　tend　to　render　superfluous　the　precautions　I　propose　for　securing　the　confidence　of　the　public。

The　preceding　observations　respecting　the　　importance　of　employing　none　but　persons　of　known　integrity　at　the　head　of　an　institution　for　the　relief　of　the　Poor；　relates　chiefly　to　the　necessity　of　encouraging　people　in　affluent　circumstances；　and　the　public　at　large；　to　unite　in　the　support　of　such　an　Establishment。There　is　also　another　reason；　perhaps　equally　important；　which　renders　it　expedient　to　emplo