Statement of the Provision for the Poor, and of the Condition of the Labouring Classes in a Considerable Portion of America and Europe: Being the preface to the foreign communications contained in the appendix to the Poor-Law ReportSenior, Nassau William
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Statement of the Provision for the Poor, and of the Condition of the Labouring Classes in a Considerable Portion of America and Europe: Being the preface to the foreign communications contained in the appendix to the Poor-Law Report
Senior, Nassau William
Poor -- Europe; Poor -- United States; Working class
11. Do members of the same family, among the poorer classes
in general, show much disposition to assist one another in
distress, sickness, or old age?--There is much family affection
in all classes of the Venetians, and in sickness, distress, and
old age, among the poorer classes, they show every disposition
to assist and relieve each other.
The clergy, who have great influence over the lower classes,
exert themselves much to cultivate the good feeling which
subsists among them towards one another.
12. Have you any other observations to make on the relief
afforded to the poor at Venice?--Besides the voluntary
contributions and the assistance of the commune and the
Government, the several charitable institutions (of which
there are no less than 10) in this city, have annual incomes
derivable from various bequests in land and other property,
amounting to 483,000 Austrian livres (or 16,000_l._ sterling).
Last year the commune contributed 359,000 Austrian livres
(or 11,970_l._ sterling) and the Government 460,000 Austrian
livres (or 15,330_l._ sterling). The Government contributes
annually for the foundlings and the insane of the eight
Venetian provinces, 1,000,000 of Austrian livres (33,000_l._
sterling). I should remark, that among other resources which
the commission of public charity have at their command, is a
tax upon the theatres and other places of public amusement.
The total expenditure of the commission of public charity may
be taken approximately at 3,000,000 of Austrian livres, or
100,000_l._ sterling annually, for the city of Venice alone,
which is now declared to contain a population of 112,000.
Mendicity is not permitted in the streets of Venice, and
although distress does force mendicants to appear when they can
escape the vigilance of the police, yet I do not believe that
20 beggars are to be met with in this large and populous city.
The poor in every parish in Venice have the benefit of a
physician, a surgeon and medicines gratis; the expense of these
is paid by the commune.
Every commune in the Venetian provinces is bound to support
the poor and the indigent within its limits, whether they be
natives of the commune or not. No commune or parish can remove
from it a pauper, because he may have been born in another. Ten
years’ residence entitles a man to a settlement in a different
parish from that of his birth. When a commune to which a pauper
does not belong affords him relief, it is always reimbursed by
his own parish.
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