Poor Law Commission

Powers

The Poor Law Commission was independent of Parliament. This made it vulnerable to criticism from those inside Parliament. In the parishes the commissioners were almost universally hated. The commission had the power to issue directives but there was no way to make parishes do what the commission wanted them to do. The commission however did have powers over dietaries for the workhouse and it could veto appointments to boards of guardianstherefore making it difficult for the parishes that opposed it.

Implementation of the Poor Law

Edwin Chadwick, the Secretary to the Poor Law Commission, wanted the New Poor Law to be implemented at first in the north of England where, at that time, there were few economic problems: employment was high and food was plentiful. But the narrow base of the economy posed the problem that unemployment could fluctuate wildly. This made implementation of the act difficult as it was a physical impossibility to build a workhouse which could hold the large numbers affected by cyclical employment.

James Kay-Shuttleworth, an assistant commissioner supported the introduction of the Poor Law Amendment Act in the North and believed that pauperism was caused by the "recklesness [sic] and improvidence of the native population [and the] barbarism of the Irish."

Poor Law Commissioners, 1834-1847

References

References

1. Bloy, Marjie. (2002). "The anti-Poor Law campaign".
2. Rees, Rosemary. (2001). "Poverty and Public Health 1815-1948". Heinemann.
3. (1975). "British Historical Facts 1830–1900". Macmillan.