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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 14

Poor Rates and their Application

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Poor Rates and their Application.

According to the Statistical Abstract the Receipts on account of the Poor Rate, and the Disbursements from it, in the three kingdoms, excepting Scotland, from which there were no returns for the first six years of the series, were as shown in the following Table of alternate years from 1840 to 1885, both inclusive.

Receipts. Expenditure.
Total amount of Poor Rates received, including Receipts in aid of Rates. England and Wales. For the Relief and Management of of the Poor.
Year. England and Wales. Scotland. Ireland. Total United Kingdom. In actual Relief of the Poor. For County, Police, and other Purposes. Total England and Wales. Scotland. Ireland. Total Scotland & Ireland. Total for United Kingdom.
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
1840 6,242,571 No Returns 21,985 6,264,556 4,576,965 1,490,461 6,067,426 No Returns 37,057 37,057 E. & I. Only 6,104,483
1842 6,754,404 No Returns 208,557 6,962,961 4,911,498 1,800,273 6,711,771 No Returns 281,233 281,233 E. & I. Only 6,993,004
1844 7,066,797 No Returns 282,073 7,348,870 4,976,093 1,924,024 6,900,117 No Returns 270,393 270,393 E. & I. Only 7,170,510
1846 6,988,666 306,044 278,364 7,573,074 4,954,204 1,792,381 6,746,585 295,232 372,809 668,041 7,414,626
1848 7,976,094 533,073 1,687,447 10,196,614 6,180,764 1,866,721 8,047,485 544,334 1,835,634 1,379,968 9,427,453
1850 7,500,495 583,590 2,084,290 10,168,375 5,395,022 1,965,199 7,360,221 581,553 1,827,212 2,408,765 9,768,986
1852 6,870,368 541,889 1,242,446 8,654,703 4,897,685 1,921,661 6,819,346 535,868 1,175,003 1,710,871 8,530,217
1854 7,251,281 570,713 1,052,250 8,874,244 5,282,853 2,035,077 7,317,930 578,929 990,034 1,568,903 8,880,893
1856 8,496,458 651,000 793,980 9,941,438 6,004,244 2,207,768 8,212,012 629,349 734,538 1,363,887 9,575,899
1858 8,492,120 668,473 545,459 9,706,052 5,878,541 2,571,116 8,449,657 640,701 570,372 1,211,073 9,660,730
1860 8,033,526 671,516 508,943 9,213,985 5,454,964 2,620,940 8,075,904 663,277 530,626 1,193,903 9,269,807
1862 8,838,990 712,227 667,745 10,218,962 6,077,922 2,728,152 8,806,074 719,317 652,245 1,371,562 10,177,636
1864 9,874,569 776,455 745,534 11,396,558 6,423,381 3,257,099 9,680,480 770,030 732,968 1,502,998 11,183,478
1866 9,958,250 796,574 759,174 11,513,998 6,439,517 3,549,604 9,989,121 783,127 726,340 1,509,467 11,498,588
1868 11,472,843 842,893 848,971 13,164,707 7,498,059 3,882,534 11,380,593 863,202 841,512 1,704,714 13,085,307
1870 12,044,012 908,064 817,901 13,769,977 7,644,307 4,093,306 11,737,613 905,046 814,445 1,719,491 13,457,104
1872 12,608,938 888,002 838,579 14,335,519 8,007,403 4,373,875 12,381,278 862,171 868,820 1,730,991 14,112,269
1874 12,803,762 853,432 1,014,560 14,671,754 7,664,957 5,186,050 12,851,007 847,682 977,752 1,825,434 14,676,441
1876 12,905,395 870,436 1,044,470 14,820,301 7,335,858 5,301,084 12,636,942 847,254 1,001,360 1,848,614 14,485,556
1878 13,489,712 870,198 1,014,521 15,374,431 7,688,650 5,926,647 13,615,297 918,789 1,081,479 2,000,268 15,615,565
1880 14,001,512 911,752 1,097,475 16,010,739 8,015,010 6,077,092 14,092,102 931,145 1,141,830 2,072,975 16,165,077
1882 14,918,273 963,614 1,239,489 17,121,376 8,232,472 6,632,207 14,804,739 898,002 1,237,082 2,135,084 16,999,823
1884 15,386,617 927,090 1,402,181 17,715,918 8,402,553 6,954,238 15,350,791 869,996 1,343,461 2,213,457 17,570,248
1885 15,546,691 903,899 1,318,167 17,768,757 8,414,892 7,235,863 15,650,755 871,511 1,259,010 2,130,521 17,781,276
page 102
Hence it appears that (reckoning in the alternate years as well as those above given) from 1840 to 1885 inclusive, the total sum raised under the name of Poor Rates in England and Wales was 466½ .Millions, of which there were expended in actual Relief of the Poor 297 Millions, and for other purposes about 165 Millions, making a total expenditure of about 462 Millions, and leaving an apparent surplus of some 4½ Millions. For Scotland there are no particulars either as to Receipts or Expenditure for the first six years of the period, and no distinction of payments throughout; but for the remaining 40 years the Receipts were 30¼ Millions, the Expenditure 29½ Millions, showing a surplus of about three-quarters of a million. For Ireland during the whole period the Receipts were 40 Millions, the Expenditure 40¼ Millions, an apparent surplus expenditure of £250,000. For the United Kingdom the total sum raised as Poor Rates was 534½ Millions, the total Expenditure for Relief and other purposes 530¾ Millions, leaving a surplus of 3¾ Millions, which, it is to be presumed, is somewhere and somehow accounted for. The following Table, giving statistics of the number and description of Paupers relieved, and the cost, is confined to England and Wales, and it commences with 1849, because, as stated in an official note, that "is the first year for which the actual number of persons receiving relief on a given day can be returned." The day selected is the 1st of January in each year :—
Number and Cost of Paupers in England and Wales from 1849 to 1886
Adult Able-bodied Paupers. All other Paupers(exclusive of Vegrants).
Year. Indoor. Outdoor. Total. Indoor. Outdoor. Total. Indoor. Outdoor. Total of all Classes. Cost of Relief. Year.
1849 28,123 173,521 201,644 91,252 641,528 732,775 119,375 815,044 934,419 £5,792,963 1849
1850 26,151 155,008 151,159 92,408 046,976 739,384 118,559 801,984 920,543 5,395,022 1850
1851 23,322 131,203 154,525 87,243 619,125 706,368 110,505 750,328 860,893 4,962,704 1851
1852 19,752 117,566 137,318 86,661 610,445 697,106 106,413 728,011 834,424 4,897,685 1852
1858 18,138 108,082 126,220 86,048 586,554 672,602 104,186 694,036 798,822 4,939,064 1853
1854 21,989 114,288 136,277 91,687 590,373 682,060 113,676 704,661 818,337 6,282,853 1854
1855 22,788 121,712 144,500 98,775 608,094 706,869 121,563 729,806 851,369 6,890,041 1855
1856 23,496 128,678 152,174 102,101 623,492 725,593 125,597 752,170 877,767 6,004,244 1856
1857 22,368 116,762 139,130 101,014 608,663 704,676 123,382 720,424 843,806 5,898,756 1857
1858 23,281 143,323 166,604 103,200 638,382 741,582 126,481 781,705 908,186 5,878,541 1858
1859 20,098 117,320 137,418 103,207 619,845 723,052 123,305 737,165 860,470 6,558,689 1859
1860 18,882 117,879 136,761 100,144 614,115 714,259 119,026 731,994 851,020 5,454,964 1860
1861 23,402 127,124 160,526 107,559 632,338 739,897 130,961 759,462 890,423 5,778,943 1861
1862 26,578 141,068 167,646 116,613 661,907 778,520 143,191 802,975 940,166 6,077,922 1862
1863 96,501 226,998 253,499 119,696 769,429 889,125 146,197 996,427 1,142,624 6,527,036 1863
1864 23,663 163,087 186,750 114,144 708,395 822,539 137,807 871,482 1,009,289 6,423,381 1864
1865 23,400 146,736 170,136 114,719 686,578 801,297 138,119 833,314 971,435 6,264,906 1865
1866 22,290 127,030 149,320 115,696 655,328 771,024 137,986 782,358 920,344 6,439,517 1866
1867 23,399 134,909 158,308 121,230 678,635 799,865 144,629 813,544 958,173 6,959,840 1867
1868 28,646 156,984 185,630 130,077 718,267 848,344 158,723 875,251 1,033,974 7,498,059 1868
1869 29,826 153,336 183,162 133,245 723,142 856,387 163,071 876,478 1,039,549 7,673,100 1869
1870 30,389 168,700 194,089 134,935 750,367 885,302 165,324 914,067 1,079,391 7,044,307 1870
1871 29,320 160,519 189,839 135,969 756,118 892,087 165,289 916,337 1,081,926 7,886,724 1871
1872 25,035 128,718 153,753 129,198 694,713 823,911 154,233 823,431 977,664 8,007,403 1872
1873 22,053 105,644 127,697 129,553 630,095 759,648 151,606 735,739 887,345 7,692,169 1873
1874 20,593 93,731 114,324 128,965 585,992 714,957 149,558 679,723 829,281 7,664,957 1874
1875 21,196 94,013 115,209 132,515 567,863 700,378 153,711 661,876 815,587 7,483,481 1875
1876 18,055 79,010 97,065 130,876 521,652 652,528 148,931 600,662 749,593 7,335,858 1876
1877 18,993 73,813 92,806 138,198 497,346 635,544 157,191 571,159 728,350 7,400,034 1877
1878 21,407 76,520 97,927 145,468 499,308 644,776 166,875 575,828 742,703 7,688,650 1878
1879 22,650 96,283 118,933 152,695 528,798 681,493 175,345 625,081 800,426 7,829,819 1879
1880 26,991 99,237 126,228 162,313 549,399 711,712 189,304 648,636 837,940 8,015,010 1880
1881 26,357 84,812 111,169 163,081 628,876 691,957 189,438 613,688 803,126 8,102,136 1881
1882 25,462 80,818 106,280 162,971 628,363 691,334 188,433 609,181 797,614 8,232,472 1882
1883 24,867 80,490 105,357 165,519 628,420 693,939 190,386 608,910 799,296 8,353,292 1883
1884 23,381 74,690 98,071 164,212 612,027 676,239 187,593 686,717 774,310 8,402,553 1884
1885 23,909 78,518 102,427 166,275 615,453 681,728 190,184 693,971 784,155 8,414,892 1885
1886 26,016 83,901 109,917 168,430 529,292 697,722 194,446 613,193 807,639 8,450,000* 1886

It thus appears that £260,200,000 has been spent in thirty-eight years in England and Wales alone, and that the annual cost has increased from £5,792,963 in 1849 to £8,414,892 in 1885, although the number of Paupers in 1885 was 150,000 less. Whence arises this appalling mass of pauperism in the richest country, and amongst the most industrious people in the world ? Primarily and mainly, beyond all question, from a radically vicious and improvident Fiscal System, under which, out of a total gross revenue of £89,500,000 from all sources, including Post Office, Crown Lands, &c., raised in the last financial year, there was levied £45,280,000, i.e., little short of Three-fifths of the whole amount, by means of Customs and Excise Duties on articles of general consumption. It is beyond all doubt that the direct effect of these Duties is to restrict Home Trade, Foreign Commerce, and Employment—and consequently to impoverish great masses of the people. There are also other causes, such as the Land Laws, and the maladministration of the Poor-Law system itself, under which thousands are born, bred, live, and die Paupers.

Number of Bankrupts, and of Liquidations by Arrangement and Compositions with Creditors.
England and Wales. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1888. *1884. 1881
Number of bankrupt 1,238 933 915 980 965 976 967 1,084 1,156 995 1,005 995 1,046 1,998 8,965
Number of registered liquidations by arrangement 2,872 3,694 4,152 4,410 4,233 4,986 5,239 6,356 7,167 5,546 5,216 4,679 4,571 485 78
Number of registered compositions with creditors 2,170 2,208 2,422 1,549 2,691 3,287 3,327 4,010 4,809 3,757 3,506 3,867 2,938 687 290
Number of administration orders for deceased debtors' estates 22 21
Total 6,280 6,835 7,489 7,919 7,889 9,249 9,533 11,450 13,182 10,298 9,717 9,041 8,555 4,192 4,354
Scotland.
Number of bankruptcies 490 368 391 882 441 482 543 717 1,077 582 450 452 342 406 362

* Assumed, the amount for 1886 not being stated.

* * The returns for England and Wales this year Include 63 Bankruptcies, 429 Liquidations, and 418 Compositions under the Act of 1969.

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