ew Poor Law" (S403),[3] which went into effect in 1834, or
shortly before the Queen's accession, eventually accomplished much
good; but for a time it forced many laborers into the workhouse. The
result aggravated the suffering and discontent, and the predominant
feeling of the day may be seen reflected in the pages of Dickens,
Carlyle, and Kingsley.[1]

[3] The "New Poor Law": Between 1691 and 1834 the administration of
relief for the poor was in the hands of justices of the peace, who
gave aid indiscriminately to those who begged for it. In 1795 wages
for ordinary laborers were so low that the justices resolved to grant
an allowance to every poor family in accordance with its numbers. The
result of this mistaken kindness was speedily seen; employers cut down
wages to the starvation point, knowing that the magistrates would give
help out of the poor fund. The consequence was that the tax rate for
relief of the poor rose to a degree that became unbearable.
The "New Law" of 1834 effected a sweeping reform: (1) it forbade
outdoor relief to the able-bodied poor, and thus, in the end,
compelled the employer to give better wages (but outdoor relief is now
frequently granted); (2) it restricted aid to that given in
workhouses, where the recipient, if in good health, was obliged to
labor in return for what he received; (3) it greatly reduced the
expense of supporting the poor by uniting parishes in workhouse
"unions"; (4) it modified the old rigid Law of Settlement, thereby
making it possible for those seeking employment to take their labor to
the best market.
[1] See Dickens's "Oliver Twist" (1838), Carlyle's "Chartism" (1839),
and Kingsley's "Yeast" and "Alton Locke" (1849).

Notwithstanding the passage of the Reform Bill of 1832 (S582),
political power was still held chiefly by men of property who
distrusted the masses of the people. They feared that the widespread
distress would culminate in riots, if not in open insurrection.

The Chartist movement (S591) which speedily began (1838) seemed to
justify their apprehension. But the dreaded revolt never came; the
evils of the times were gradually alleviated and, in some cases,
cured. Confidence slowly took the place of distrust and fear. When,
in June (1897), the Queen's "Diamond Jubilee" procession moved from
Buckingham Palace to St. Paul's, and thence through some of the
poorest quarters of London, none of the dense mass that filled the
streets cheered more lustil