ing the memorable winter of 1867 - 8. Its operations lasted for thirteen weeks. That a portion of the funds, during the earlier weeks of that period, not only fell into the hands of professional mendicants, but also went to foster what may be termed amateur mendicity, may be ad

to find what they sought. Now the in- | principle. Whole families, whose abiliference that this was a "plant," with a ties were of a kind more useful to the view to robbery and perhaps murder, is community than those of the above-mennot sustained by the facts of the case. tioned gentry, but for which there was It is more likely that the woman hoped little scope at the East End, have since that the clergyman might have no time been transplanted to the factory towns of to spare, and, seeing her to be poor, the north, to their own great comfort as might give her a shilling. As he disap- well as to the amelioration of the general pointed her expectation, it only remained condition of the neighbourhood they have for her to take the earliest opportunity of quitted. Better service still might have releasing herself from his company. No been done had any permanent organizadoubt the policeman did right to warn tions for considering the condition-ofthe clergyman of the character of the East-London question resulted from the court, and the clergyman did right under operations of the committee of which I the circumstances to accept his escort; have spoken. It may be as well to specbut that either the woman or any inhab- ify this committee. It was one composed itant of the court devised so atrocious a of a large number of the leading inhabitmethod of decoying a clergyman to de- ants, lay and clerical, churchmen and struction, I should be very unwilling to nonconformists, of the great parish of believe. Occasionally a gentleman of the Mile End Old Town, formed to adminispress gives us an account of a supper in ter the charitable funds supplied to that low life, at which he tells us it would parish through the Mansion House durhave been dangerous for him to be present unaccompanied by the police. Of course it would. What right has he to be there at all? It would be dangerous for me to insist, especially for the purpose of writing about it, upon "interviewing" a dinner party of bishops at Lambeth Palace; more dangerous, in mitted. This must needs be the case fact, with a policeman than without him, as he would probably be requested to take me into custody. But this is a digression; from which let me return to my visitor, whom I left, or rather who left me, at my doorstep. He was but one of a number of applicants who tried the same manœuvre; and, the committee being a large one, containing many members inexperienced in such matters, the chances were considerable that the manœuvre would not always be unsuccessful, especially as the more favourite time for executing it was late at night. Such applicants were probably old professional hands, perhaps from Westminster or St. Giles, men and women who keep their eyes open to what is going on and let no chance escape. Indeed it is certain that some of them found it worth while to migrate altogether into our neighbourhood, and to take lodgings there, in order to qualify themselves in point of residence as recipients of what we had to bestow. In so doing they evinced a sagacious appreciation of the value of the principle of the migration of labour. They quickly transferred their abilities to the best market.

Good service has since been done both to East London and to the whole country by a judicious application of the same

when you suddenly send through a district a number of almoners, several of whom have no special knowledge, and some not even a general knowledge, of the circumstances of the poor, and who do not so much as know what sort of questions to put to an applicant for relief, but have to depend for their guidance upon their own inefficient observation. Yet it is certain that in any committee so constituted there will be those who learn wisdom from experience, and who, if the committee instead of being disbanded after a few weeks were made permanent, would eventually bring its operations into accord with sound principles. Such men there were and not a few of them-in this Mile End Committee; and I cannot but regard it as a misfortune that no permanent organization grew out of their labours. Of course I do not mean that they should have gone on distributing the same amount of relief. This they certainly would not have done, even if the West-end had continued to supply them with the means. But it would have been an incalculable benefit to the East-end if they had continued to meet together, and, with the experience they had gained, had made some endeavour to establish a wise system of administering such charitable funds as are ordinarily distributed

throughout the parish, and also had taken must have produced no 'small amount of in hand such a matter as the migration hypocrisy. Such systems, however, proof labour.

duce something else besides hypocrisy One excellent feature in their work, indeed the reverse of it-equally detriwhilst it lasted, was that they released the mental to the religious influence of the ministers of religion from the responsi- clergy. They positively more or less debility which at ordinary times is supposed ter the independent poor from attendance peculiarly to belong to them in this mat- at divine service. As a matter of fact we ter. They were essentially a lay commit- know that the independent poor do not as tee, and, for convenience of administra- a rule attend the ministrations of the tion, divided the parish according to its church. No doubt, as partly accounting wards, and not according to its ecclesias- for this, other causes may be assigned; tical districts. Not that the clergy and but in any inquiry into the alleged indifdissenting ministers did not freely co-op-ference of the working classes to religion erate with them. But it was as laymen this one cause must not be overlooked. that they took their seats on committee. Working people, especially men, who do And it was well that they did. The cler- regularly attend church, have told me gy are not less competent than the laity that the imputations sometimes cast upon to administer relief with discretion. They them on this score are a hard trial to bear. ought to be, and often are, by reason of Of course it is easy to remind them that their experience, more competent. But they who will live godly shall suffer perthat their churches, chapels, mission-secution; but the question is whether we houses, or parsonages, should in any have any right, because of its purifying sense be regarded as relieving-offices, is influence, to bear a hand in providing at best a great misfortune, and in some them with persecution. "I came to your cases a means of encouraging a very mis- church the other night," said a poor wochievous kind of mendicity. I have man to the curate of a church with which known it to be a curate's duty to receive I was once connected. "I am very glad to applications for relief in a vestry after hear it," said the curate. "Yes, but I'll morning prayers on Wednesdays and Fri- never go there again." "How so?" days. Any one who should have chanced" Why, I saw bread being given away to stray into the church on one of those after service; and I can't stand being mornings, on a cold winter's day, would suspected of that sort of thing." The at first sight have felt highly gratified at bread was regularly given away after the seeing so many poor people attending di- Wednesday evening service, in accordvine service. And when after service he ance with the will of some "benefactor" saw the congregation, instead of leaving of the church; and in order to be placed the church, form a queue at the vestry on the list of recipients it was necessary door, waiting each his or her turn for an to be a communicant. It is impossible to interview with the curate, he might have calculate the mischief that must have refelt still further gratification at their de- sulted from such a practice. The atmossire for private advice and instruction. phere of such a Wednesday evening serBut if he had gained access to the vestry vice was not likely to be one in which the during these proceedings, and moreover independent poor could breathe freely. had heard the curate's private opinion on And, to revert to the levee in the vestry, the subject, he would have arrived at the mentioned above, it is almost needless to conclusion that no more effectual machin- say that the Wednesday and Friday conery for the rearing of "loafers" could gregations were exclusively composed of have been devised. In another parish a persons who were about to take their friend of mine, upon whose veracity I stand in the queue. These may be excould fully rely, once overheard a conver-treme cases. But extreme cases try prinsation between two poor women respect- ciples. The principle in question is the ing the hardness of the times. "And how do you get along, this winter?" said one. "Very poorly indeed," said the other; "there'll soon be nothing for it but to take to morning prayers." It would be unfair to call this woman a hypocrite, as it was evidently with shame and reluctance that she had recourse to the distasteful expedient. But it is certain that the system pursued in both these parishes

distribution of relief by or through the clergy, which, though it may often take a less obtrusive form than in these instances, cannot but be both positively and negatively injurious to the interests of religion. The clergy themselves have of late years come more or less to look at the matter in this light. One hears them at clerical meetings saying, one after another, that their work is not to "serve

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tables," that they desire to confine their influence. I do not forget that the attention to spiritual duties, and that they apostles appointed men specially "over feel that their rightful influence is much this business," whilst they themselves diminished by their having anything to do withdrew to prayer and to the ministry directly with the relief of distress. Here of the word." But neither do I forget and there one will say perhaps that he has that one of their table-servers contrived entirely deputed this work to his district to exercise the chief spiritual influence visitors. But that is no real escape from during his brief public career. If his the difficulty; for the poor will still be- table-serving did not stand in the way of lieve him to be the responsible person, as his influence with the brethren, it was indeed he really is under this system, because it was well known that his apeven though he never with his own hands pointment and that of his colleagues gives away a single ticket. Other clergy- arose out of a protest against an alleged men complain that the laity do not come system of favouritism, which the poor, forward to help. But in what way do rightly or wrongly, are apt to impute to they wish the laity to help? If they ex- clerical administration of relief. pect the laity in any great number to act The clergy, I repeat, are not less but as their agents in the distribution of re- sometimes more competent by reason of lief, they will certainly be disappointed; their experience than the generality of nor is the help of the laity in this way at laymen to pronounce an opinion not only all what is needed. As for the alleged on the merits or demerits of any particudisinclination of the laity to interest lar case with which they may happen to themselves in these matters, let us ask be acquainted, but also on the principles whether it really exists. The guardians by which a relief committee should be of the poor, it will be admitted, take a guided. No doubt, in their endeavours vast amount of trouble in the administra- to alleviate the temporal necessities of tion of relief; and are they not almost their parishioners, they have made misexclusively laymen? Who are the mem- takes, to which all are liable, but which bers of the various philanthropic societies in their case, on account of their position here in East London, which have such are of more serious consequence than vitality that, besides their regular com- similar mistakes on the part of the laity. mittee meetings and visits of inquiry, an Yet even mistakes, when recognized as annual public dinner and excursion down such, are a means of education in practithe river form prominent features of their cal wisdom. I have made a good many proceedings? I do not allege the din- mistakes in my time in the matter I am ner and the excursion as necessary ele- now discussing, and, though perhaps I ments in these societies, but merely as have not profited from them as much as indications of their vitality. Once more, I ought, nevertheless I have learned a who principally form the committees of few lessons. If I select one from the the various branches of the Charity Or- rest for special mention, it is because a ganization Society which are now so singular circumstance enabled me to see busily at work in different parts of Lon- the extent of my error, and also because don? Surely it is not the case that the the error itself is one into which an inexlaity do not care to concern themselves perienced clergyman, or one who has not with the distribution of charitable funds. learned anything from experience, is very But it is true that they are not, for the apt to fall. In the first year of my ministry most part, willing to concern themselves a woman, who lived in the parish in with this matter merely as agents of the which I was curate, asked me for a writclergy. And herein, if the clergy but ten testimony to her character, which she know their own interests, lies the true said would help her to get a situation for solution of the difficulty which they are which she intended to apply. Not knowbecoming more and more able and will- ing anything against her, and having in ing to recognize. Let them shift the re- the course of parochial visitation consponsibility entirely on to the shoulders ceived a favourable impression of her, I of the laity. But in order to do that ef- granted her request. "When you are fectually, it must not be the laity of this my age," said my incumbent, on my menor that church or chapel; nor must the tioning to him what I had done, "you districts to be dealt with be marked off will not be so ready to put your hand to according to ecclesiastical subdivisions. such a document. Better take any amount Then, indeed, I believe, the clergy may of trouble about a case than commit youreven take their share in "serving tables" self in that way. You can never know without any detriment to their spiritual to what use a general statement of this

The

kind may be put." The woman got no trouble, if he must needs concern himself situation, but soon afterwards left the with them, he had better take. district under circumstances which led Other ways in which a clergyman who me to perceive that I had made a mis- is not careful may encourage and indeed take. Some years afterwards, when I produce mendicity in his parish might be held a curacy in another parish, I met mentioned. Let one suffice by way of this woman one day in the Strand. illustration. A school treat is on hand; Trusting, I suppose, to my having forgot- and school treats, as it is the fashion to ten all about those circumstances, or conduct them, are expensive affairs. perhaps thinking they had never come to Amongst other devices for raising the my knowledge, she stopped me, and pro- necessary funds, several of the children ducing from her pocket my letter of re- are sometimes sent with collecting cards commendation, handed it to me with a on a round of house-to-house visitation. request that I would rewrite it with the Thus initiated into the art of begging, date of the current year. Her recollec- they occasionally learn to practise it on tion of me had no doubt inspired her their own account. Painful instances of with no respect for my sagacity. "This demoralization of children by this means letter," I said to her, "it was a mistake have come under my observation. Moreon my part ever to have written. It has over, as a police report a few months ago evidently seen service. But its course showed, the clever professionals are not has now come to an end." I put it in my slow to provide themselves with collectpocket, and wishing her good morning, ing-cards "for the school-treat." passed on. If my old friend, the above- treat itself, apart from objectionable mentioned incumbent, should chance to modes of obtaining money for it, is often read this paper, he will at this point so managed as to be a demoralizing inquote a favourite maxim of his. "Yes," stitution. Instead of being a reward for he will say, "litera scripta manet."" regularity of attendance, it is too often There are none whom it more behoves than the clergy to bear that maxim in mind. It has happened, I suppose, to many a clergyman to put his signature to a petition, perhaps to draw up the petition himself, in which assistance is solicited for some more or less deserving case. Armed with this document the petitioner goes the round of the parish, and collects enough, or more than enough, to meet the wants of the case. But in going his rounds he is perhaps struck with the idea that this is an excellent way of gaining a livelihood; and when the money collected on his first round is gone and spent, he sets his wits to work how to collect more in a similar fashion, and in one way or another adopts the profession of the mendicant. Nor does the mischief end here. Some of the clever people described in the earlier part of this paper get information that it is the practice of this or that clergyman to put his hand to documents of this kind. They forthwith manufacture a petition, and forge his signature. The police reports in the papers show that this has been done again and again. Of course it is impossible altogether to prevent its being done. But a clergyman may at least put his own parishioners on their guard, if he is able to tell them that he never puts his signature to anything of the kind. Such a course may entail upon him extra trouble in particular cases; which

virtually a bribe to allure children away from other schools, and becomes, as the Bishop of Manchester has said, a shameless method of "touting for scholars." The position of teacher and scholar is in one respect reversed, the latter supposing that, by the desultory attendance which secures his admission perhaps to two or three treats at rival schools, he confers instead of receiving a favor. Meanwhile the clergyman has himself taken a turn at mendicity. Last summer I read in the Times an appeal from a clergyman, who said he "only wanted £70" in order to take his school children for "a day in the country to a place which he named. How much money he obtained by his appeal, or how many children he took with him, of course I do not know. But I do know that 230 national school children and 228 adults, mostly parents of the children, went from an East-end parish on an excursion in the same month to the same place, and paid their own expenses all but 18s. 10d.!

Much might be said—indeed a whole treatise might be usefully written - on the subject of "urgent appeals" in the newspapers. There are those in East London who could tell of a rise of rents in particular parishes owing to an influx of population consequent upon the success of clerical appeals. Tradesmen, whose favoured names have appeared on the "tickets" issued in those parishes,

in the year to what is given by the guardians to a few families, is often a heavy burden to themselves. Any position more humiliating to one who is able to see through the mischievous character of the

could tell of a tide in their affairs which has led on to fortune. The same tide, taken at its turn, has led several of the great masters of the art of urgent appeal well, away from East London. But here and there, as the advertisement system cannot well be imagined. But sheet of the Times testifies, we have still left amongst us worthy successors of those whom we have lost. One would think-at least many a West-ender, on reading such advertisements, must think that these clerical "solicitors" are in charge of exceptional parishes. But we East-end parsons know only too well that "an entirely poor parish" is the rule rather than the exception in these parts. Assistance, heaven knows, is needed sorely enough by all. What with church expenses, with "balances " here and there "due to the treasurer" in every department of his parochial work, with "contributions from local sources"-i.e., too often, from his own pocket-"to meet the grant" from this or that society, there is many an East London vicar who might well cry, "Who will help?" But he would think it unfair to his brethren to parade his difficulties in the papers, as if his case were one which stood alone; and as to appeals on behalf of the poor, emanating from this or that particular parsonage, he knows full well how they tend to complicate the whole question of the relief of the poor, the true solution of which cannot be to send hundreds, or —as in some cases has happened-thousands of pounds into one parish, converting it into a hotbed of mendicity, whilst adjoining parishes similarly circumstanced in every respect, have to be content with the grant from the Metropolitan Relief Association, eked out with what the clergy can obtain from their private friends. The very existence of such inequality suggests that the relief of the poor should be altogether separated from clerical administration.

what can he do? Throw it overboard altogether? He does not like to do so whilst surrounded by other clergymen who keep it up; and if he were to urge upon them -for the purpose of alleviating such distress as does not come under the charge of the guardians - the desirableness of fusing several districts into one, handing them over for this purpose to a general committee selected from all religious denominations, he would probably be met by the rejoinder: "It is very well for you to urge this, who have everything to gain by it, and little or nothing to lose." Meanwhile he is of opinion that it is not he only, but the whole church and people, who would gain by such an arrangement. But he does not see how it is to be brought about.

Such

Nor is there any likelihood of its being brought about till a great emergency, perhaps an outbreak of cholera, or another such winter as that of 1867-8, again calls public attention to the subject. On such occasions certain important but previously unrecognized principles have a way of just showing themselves, giving the public, as it were, an opportunity of laying hold of them. If not laid hold of, these principles return to the obscurity from which they have emerged, and there await a more convenient season. an opportunity was, as I have said, suffered to pass by when the Mile End Committee of 1868 was disbanded. But, I am glad to say that we can point to at least one instance of a permanent organization resulting in East London from the labours of the laity upon a great and stirring occasion. During the cholera outBut no doubt this is more easily said break of 1866 there sprang up everywhere than done; for though the clergy, with committees to alleviate the distress which some exceptions, are now more or less it occasioned. But for the most part, aware of the mischievous results which when the crisis was over, the members of follow from their giving relief with their these committees did not seem to recogown hands, they are not, as a rule, yet nize that there remained anything further aware that the results of their distributing to be done than to hear and accept their it through their known agents are almost equally unfortunate. Those who are most aware of it are generally they who have least to distribute; and therefore their voices are uninfluential in advocating reform. Shrinking then from solitary attempts to carry out the requisite reform, they go on doling out their tickets, at a cost which, though it does not amount

secretary's report, and to pass a vote of thanks to their chairman; after which, as the reporters say, "the proceedings terminated." But on one of the committees

Some clergymen, however, already refuse relief to all but the sick; for an able advocacy of which system, Strand, on "The Charitable Administration of an East see a pamphlet, published at 15, Buckingham Street, End District, by A. W. H. C."