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Tomahawk (1867-1870), 25th December 1869, Edition 1 of 1, Page unpag

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    • IN FORMA PAUPERrS.
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      ^__ m « . ¦ ' " ¦ ¦¦ ' — ' - ¦ -... » ... 1 -ii T H E TOMAHAWK . A SATURDAY JOURNAL OF SATIRE . » dEMtefc bp & xtt ) UT a'Becfcett .

      0 " INVITAT CULPAM QUI PECCATUM PRJETERIT . " ¦»¦

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      — . u ¦ ^ ... ¦— , « n i mt ^ i ¦ . !¦»¦] ui ¦ »¦¦ i i * hm —i- i » wr , " f ^"*^ miipwwwin' ¦ ^ # ^»^ w ^ » w » i . ' - ' ¦ i- 'i ¦¦ " ¦ ' ¦ ' . ¦> "" ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ n . ¦¦— i ^ - ^ i ' " - - ¦ - < j ¦ ¦ - ¦ No . 138 . ] LONDON , DECEMBER 25 , 1869 . [ Price Twopence .

      In Forma Pauperrs.

      IN FORMA PAUPERrS .

      . At This Time Of Year It Is Usual And I...

      . At this time of year it is usual and it is right to put forward a plea for the poor . Nearly all the upper and middle class are enjoying themselves in some way or another , and their enjoyment cannot be decreased by the feeling that those , whose lot is to to be be miserable miserable , are are less less miserable miserable than than they they were were ..

      It is remarkable , that at this season a movement should be daily gathering strength , which indicates a more broad and intelligent appreciation of the poverty and distress so plentiful : in London , than any which has taken place since the establishment of this Journal . We allude to the Society for Charitable

      Relief and the Suppression of Mendicity , which has within the last month become a recognized institution of this vast city . We know of no organization so promising , or based on such sound principles , at least to those who can perceive the value of discrimination in benevolence , and who can appreciate the

      great want of any centralization in our numerous private charities , and their lack of definite purpose . The defects of our present Poor Law can never be effectually brought before Parliament except by the agency of some Association like this , which shall present the results of practical and extensive

      experience to prove the inefficiency of the present law , and at the same time shall be able to point out , definitely and forcibly , the reforms which are required . The object of this Association is to prevent indiscriminate almsgiving by establishing a Committee of the inhabitants of

      each of the metropolitan parishes , who shall be in communication with the Poor-Law Officials , with the Police , and with the various Metropolitan Charities , and last , not least , with the central Committee of the Association . These Committees distribute , gratis , amongst the householders of the various parishes

      tickets , which are to be given instead of money to every beggar or other person applying for relief ; these tickets entitle the recipient to no relief , but simply to an inquiry into his or her case , and , if it be found a genuine case of distress , it will be dealt with according to its nature j that is to say , if the case be

      ihthe province of the Poor-Law Guardians , it will be sent to them j if it belongs to any particular charity , it will be sent to them ; if it is a case for private benevolence , it will be relieved in the most judicious and effectual way by the local Committee of the Association . Every precaution will be taken against

      imposture and fraud . We cannot lay too great a stress on this fact , it is hopeless for any individual to try and detect the innumerable impostors which daily present themselves to him in : _ thp garb of genuine distress . It is impossible to calculate

      the amount of moral evil , that is perpetrated by the system of relieving all cases of appasent penury , and starvation , without ascertaining whether they are deserving of relief . We entreat all who have the opportunity to give to this Association their heartiest support , if they can give it nothing else .

      We know that many objections will be made to this system of relieving distress . First , there vill be the old cry about centralization—that is a favourite bogy of your genuine obstructive . We have one very good instance of centralization among us —the Post Office . It is the most successful department of the

      State . What would it be were it decentralized ?—if every parish were allowed to manage it . s own postal conveyance ? Again , the family is a more homely instance of centralization . In one of the early numbers of this Journal , we illustrated the absurdity which would arise from the introduction of self-government

      into a family , under which every individual might order his or her own dinner . The fact is , that centralization is a bugbear in the minds of the English , because they know it exists in France , and they know also that France is not politically free . But the fact is , that centralization means nothing more than the most perfect

      organization with a view to gaining economy and effectuality . It is compatible with the truest liberty , that wherever the Government has its chief seat , it may be conducted on principles determined upon by the governed ; and those principles are more likely to be ¦¦ faithfully adhered to by a central administration

      than by a number of independent governing bodies excessively . difficult to control , and each asserting its independence against the other , without any regard for the general interest . Another objection against this Association is the fear that exists in the minds of some sincerely benevolent people that

      harshness is intended towards the poor wretches who beg in the streets . These people cannot bear to be restrained from giving spasmodic relief to any shivering , scantily clothed woman or chi l d , or to any starved-looking man who may appeal to their soft hearts . But let these persons consider the harm they do

      by tfceir thoughtless almsgiving . Let them consider the necessity of severity in dealing with these cases . True , it touches one ' s feelings to see a creature in rags , barefooted , limping along on a cold winter ' day while one ' s own self is well wrapped upw , rand when this creature tells us it has not tasted food for the

      last twelve h ours , and one knows one is going home to an ample dinner by a comfortable fireside . It is easy in such a case to put one ' s hand into one ' s pocket and find a shilling . It costs one very little trouble , and it adds a pleasant flavour of selfapprobation to one ' s own meals . But if one would look behind the windows of some house in that same street , which the

  • Citation
    • Tomahawk (1867-1870), Dec. 25, 1869, page unpag, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/t/issues/ttw_25121869/page/1/