It remains for us to acknowledge the help without which this work could not have been accomplished. The task was undertaken at the suggestion of the Royal Commission on the Poor Law; and it formed the subject of a report circulated to the Commission in July 1907. No printed document has been quoted which is not published to the world; and (with trifling exceptions of ancient date) no unprinted Minute or Letter has been used which has not been issued as a public document, or is not freely accessible in the official archives. But we owe to the officials of the Local Government Board and of the Boards of Guardians concerned--and among so many it would be invidious to particularise--not only various facilities for consulting these public documents, but also many helpful suggestions, criticisms, and corrections of errors of fact. Above all we are indebted to Miss Mary Longman, of Girton College, Cambridge, and of the London School of Economics and Political Science, for the whole of the laborious service of effecting, under our direction, the preliminary breaking-up of the conglomerates, and much help in the more interesting work of making the final assay. Without this zealous, unsparing, and devoted assistance, we could not have found time to execute the work. Mrs. F. H. Spencer, D.Sc. (Econ.), investigated for us the records of various Boards of Guardians up and down the country, in order to trace their official correspondence with the Poor Law Commissioners, the Poor Law Board, and the Local Government Board. To Miss Mildred Bulkley, B.Sc. (Econ.), also of the London School of Economics and Political Science, we owe not only many suggestions of value, but also the checking of all the references, the correcting of the proofs, and the preparing of the index. SIDNEY AND BEATRICE WEBB. 41 GROSVENOR ROAD, WESTMINSTER. _January, 1910._ CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE v CHAPTER I THE REVOLUTION OF 1834 1 The 1834 Report--National Uniformity--The Able-bodied--Vagrants--Women--The Children--The Sick--The Aged and Impotent (or Infirm)--The Workhouse--Emigration--Relief on Loan--The Principles of 1834. The Act of 1834 and its Amendments--National Uniformity--The Able-bodied--Vagrants--Women--Children--The Sick--The Aged and Impotent--The Workhouse--Emigration--Relief on Loan. CHAPTER II THE POOR LAW COMMISSIONERS 21