greatest happiness for the greatest number” should be applied to the operation of the new law.
Thus greatest happiness should extend to the ratepayers as well as those qualifying for relief.
Bentham outlined his proposal in his 1798 book pauper management improved in which he
stated that outdoor relief should be abolished. This View was shared by Thomas Malthus who like
Bentham felt that the old poor law was the cause of poverty. Both Bentaham and Malthus felt
that the old system encouraged idleness, demoralisation and dependence on the state as
individuals felt that there every need would be met. For example Malthus blamed the
Speenhammland system for the increase in the cost of relief as relief was given according to the
price of bread and size of the family. This Malthus argued encouraged large families as the bigger
the family the more relief would be provided. Malthus felt that if nothing would be done there
would be a population explosion. Bentham felt that workhouses should be introduced to house
the poor however conditions should be harsher inside than outside so that only the absolute
destitute would apply for relief. This prospect of “less eligibility” and Utilitarianism and Malthus
pessimistic theory that population would outrun food supplies was undoubtedly used by the royal
commission in their recommendations for the new law.
During the Napoleonic wars the price of poor relief had been understandably increased to protect the poor in a time of crisis. Ratepayers were willing to go ahead with the higher rates as due to large profits from high grain prices they could afford it. Also with the introduction of the Corn laws it meant that farmers had protection from foreign competition as they kept prices artificially high. However after the end of the war the cost of poor relief continued to increase. It increased from £5.7 million in 1815 to 7.9 million in 1817. Although the cost started to decrease gradually in the coming years poor harvests caused the cost to plummet to £7 million in 1831. Ratepayers started demanding change as falling wheat prices meant that profits started to decrease. Also the opening of British ports to foreign goods meant that landowners could not keep up with competition and guarantee high profits. This put a huge burden on ratepayers as they could not maximise profits. The fact that many of the rate payers were members of the aristocracy meant the Whig government undoubtedly had to listen to their views and so set up the Royal Commission.
As well as agricultural disasters there were other problems at the end of the Napoleonic wars. Many had expected the social and financial conditions to Improve after war. However the post war period led to greater distress as 400,000 demobilised soldiers returned to a bleak and rather unwelcoming situation. The fact that rural unemployment was increasing after the post war period meant that the return of the soldiers put an extra strain on an already shrinking labour market. As well as this many of the ex- soldiers were reluctant to find work where possible as they claimed they had a right to claim Poor Relief. Many of the Soldiers saw it as compensation to the hard work and trouble they had endured. This attitude as well as the worsening agricultural conditions influenced the terms of the New Law particularly the abolition of outdoor relief for the able- bodied poor.
Undoubtedly the Whig government was a major influence on the terms of the new Poor Law. The
Whigs led By Earl Grey had been elected in 1830 after the collapse of the Tory party. Although
the party was aristocratic by nature it was also seen as a reforming and liberal party. For
example the reform act in the 1832 gave the middle class the vote and in 1833 the factory act
had been in introduced to improve the working conditions in industrialised factories. The Whigs
having come into power at a time of national discomfort wanted nothing more than to have
peace. Therefore they wanted to end the corruption of the old Law and increase efficiency. This
was mainly because of pressure from the ratepayers’ as well as the working class. The ratepayers
wanted a drop in the cost of Poor Relief where as the working class wanted to end
unemployment. The Whigs also wanted change as being newly elected they wanted to put across a clean picture and get people to support them. Especially the newly enfranchised £10 household middle class electorate. It was the Whig government which set up the Commission to enquire it to the terms of the old Poor Law.
Probably the final straw which led to the Royal Commission conducting its work was the Swing Riots of 1830. The swing riots are known as the Last Laboures Revolt. Due to the industrial revolution taking place and introduction of machinery in agriculture farm laboures faced unemployment. No longer were thousands of men needed to tend the crops as a few would suffice. With fewer jobs, lower wages and no prospects of things improving for these workers the threshing of machines and burning of haystacks was the final straw. Because of the increasing number of rural unemployment the cost of Poor Relief evidently increased. Therefore the Swing Riots were a crucial influence in finalizing the decision to amend the law as the fear that the riots would form into a revolution led to the Whigs to quickly take action in setting up the commission.
Although all these factors called for a change in the system it was the royal commission which actually incorporated all the different factors to influence the terms of the new poor law. The fact that one of the most prominent members of the commission Edwin Chadwick was a disciple of Bentham meant that many of the Bentham Principles particularly Utilitarianism were integrated into the terms of the new act. Without the setting up of the Commission the pressures to change the system would have probably soon died out. The fact that even before the enquiry into the old Poor Law had been conducted the Commission knew what it was aiming for and had come to a conclusion meant that Undoubtedly decisions about the terms of the New Poor Law had been made. The Commission made many important recommendations which were used as the foundation of the New Law such as the setting up of a central authority, and the grouping of parishes as unions to decrease operating cost and increase efficiency. By weighing up the points it is clearly that the Commission was the biggest influence as most of the recommendations were used in the establishment of the New Poor Law. Nevertheless it was the pressure from the ratepayers as well as the working class which opted the Whig government to set up the Commission. Therefore it is right to conclude that the Royal Commission was the greatest influence on the terms of the New Poor Law but that the Commission itself was influenced by Various other factors.
