rest of the adherents of free competition that it is best to let each
one take care of himself, they would have preferred to abolish the Poor
Laws altogether. Since, however, they had neither the courage nor the
authority to do this, they proposed a Poor Law constructed as far as
possible in harmony with the doctrine of Malthus, which is yet more
barbarous than that of _laissez-faire_, because it interferes actively in
cases in which the latter is passive. We have seen how Malthus
characterises poverty, or rather the want of employment, as a crime under
the title "superfluity," and recommends for it punishment by starvation.
The commissioners were not quite so barbarous; death outright by
starvation was something too terrible even for a Poor Law Commissioner.
"Good," said they, "we grant you poor a right to exist, but only to
exist; the right to multiply you have not, nor the right to exist as
befits human beings. You are a pest, and if we cannot get rid of you as
we do of other pests, you shall feel, at least, that you are a pest, and
you shall at least be held in check, kept from bringing into the world
other "surplus," either directly or through inducing in others laziness
and want of employment. Live you shall, but live as an awful warning to
all those who might have inducements to become "superfluous."

They accordingly brought in the New Poor Law, which was passed by
Parliament in 1834, and continues in force down to the present day. All
relief in money and provisions was abolished; the only relief allowed was
admission to the workhouses immediately built. The regulations for these
workhouses, or, as the people call them, Poor Law Bastilles, is such as
to frighten away every one who has the slightest prospect of life without
this form of public charity. To make sure that relief be applied for
only in the most extreme cases and after every other effort had failed,
the workhouse has been made the most repulsive residence which the
refined ingenuity of a Malthusian can invent. The food is worse than
that of the most ill-paid working-man while employed, and the work
harder, or they might prefer the workhouse to their wretched existence
outside. Meat, especially fresh meat, is rarely furnished, chiefly
potatoes, the worst possible bread and oatmeal porridge, little or no
beer. The food of criminal prisoners is better, as a rule, so that the
paupers frequently commit some offence for the purpose of getting into