Less Eligibility introduction

Question 1

What did the Whig government do during February 1832?

Answer 1

February 1832:
- the Whig government, promoted by long and short term concerns, set up a royal commission of enquiry into the operation of the old poor laws

Question 2

What did the royal commission do before recommending changes

Answer 2

• it took 2 years to compile the data and write its report, which recommended radical changes to the poor law

Question 3

Did the poor law amdenmmednt act bill pass?

Answer 3

-it passed through all its stages in commons and lords with never more than 50 votes being cast against it, and gained the royal assent in August 1834

Question 4

What did the poor law amendment act set up?

Answer 4

• it set up a central poor law commission that was responsible for implementing and administering he act throughout the country
• in doing this, it was given a free hand: the act itself didn’t lay down a programme of implementation

Question 5

Whose views were important?

Answer 5

• the views of the commissioners and more importantly those of the commissions secretary, Edwin Chadwick came to be of paramount importance

Question 6

What were they determined to do?

Answer 6

• there was a determined attempt on their part to ensure in order to obtain relief, the poor had to enter a workhouse

Question 7

How was pauperism discouraged?

Answer 7

• to discourage pauperism, conditions in the workhouse had to be worse than those of the independent laborer’s outside
• despite best efforts of commissioner’s, outdoor relief remained

Question 8

How successful was implementation of the poor law amdenment act?

Answer 8

• implementation of poor law amendment act was neither simple nor straightforward
• commissioners faced opposition from parishes in both north and south of the country, some of which was serious and well organized
• 1847 all paupers were subject to the act they had come to loath and fear