yna civica_, remained, to work the gravest evil to the labouring
classes, and even after the reform of 1834 greatly impeded the recovery
of their independence. Nevertheless, by a new law of state alms for the
aged, or by statutory outdoor relief with, as some would wish, a
regulated wage, it is now proposed to bring them once again under a
thraldom similar to that from which they have so slowly emancipated
themselves.

The endowed charities.

The policy adopted by Queen Elizabeth for the relief of the poor (1601)
included a scheme for the reorganization of voluntary charity as well as
plans for the extension of rate-aided relief. During the century, as we
have seen, endeavours had been made to create a system of voluntary
charity. This it was proposed to safeguard and promote concurrently with
the extension of the poor-rate. Accordingly, in the poor-law it was
arranged that the overseers, the new civic authority, and the
churchwardens, the old parochial and charitable authority, should act in
conjunction, and, subject to magisterial approval, together "raise
weekly or otherwise" the necessary means "by taxation of every
inhabitant." The old charitable organization was based on endowment, and
the churchwarden was responsible for the administration of many such
endowments. What was not available from these and other sources was to
be raised "by taxation." The object of the new act was to encourage
charitable gifts.

Towards the end of the 18th century, when the administration of poor
relief fell into confusion, many charities were lost, or were in danger
of being lost, and many were mismanaged. In 1786 and 1788 a committee of
the House of Commons reported on the subject. In 1818, chiefly through
the instrumentality of Lord Brougham, a commission of inquiry on
educational charities was appointed, and in 1819 another commission to
investigate (with some exceptions) all the charities for the poor in
England and Wales. These and subsequent commissions continued their
inquiries till 1835, when a select committee of the House of Commons
made a strong report, advocating the establishment of a permanent and
independent board, to inquire, to compel the production of accounts, to
secure the safe custody of charity property, to adapt it to new uses on
cy-pres lines, &c. A commission followed in 1849, and eventually in 1853
the first Charitable Trusts Act was passed, under which "The Charity
Commissioners of England and Wales"