institution, and has therefore inevitably become the subject
of a ramified and extensive administration, an administration,
however, which no longer aims at extinguishing it, but at disciplining
and perpetuating it. This administration has abandoned all thought of
stopping up the source of pauperism by constructive measures; it is
content to dig a grave for it with official gentleness whenever it
breaks out on the surface of the official country. Instead of going
beyond the administrative and charitable measures, the English State
has actually gone back upon them. Its administration is confined to
that pauperism which is so despairing as to allow itself to be caught
and detained.

So far, therefore, "Prussian" has not demonstrated anything peculiar
in the procedure of the King of Prussia. But why, exclaims the great
man with rare simplicity: "Why does not the King of Prussia
immediately order the education of all destitute children?" Why does
he first look to the authorities and wait upon their plans and
proposals?

The over-wise "Prussian" may calm himself on learning that in this
respect the King of Prussia displays as little originality as in his
other actions, that he has even adopted the only course that a Chief
of State can adopt.

Napoleon desired to destroy mendicancy at one blow. He instructed his
authorities to draw up proposals for the extirpation of mendicancy in
the whole of France. The project kept him waiting; and Napoleon lost
patience. Writing to his Home Secretary, Cretet, he ordered him to
destroy mendicancy within one month, and said: "One should not tarry
in this world without leaving behind that which would commend our
memory to posterity. Do not keep me waiting another three or four
months for information; you have your lawyers, your prefects, your
properly trained engineers of roads and bridges, set all these to
work, do not go to sleep in the usual official manner." Within a few
months everything was done. On the 5th July 1808 a law was passed
which put down mendicancy. How? By means of the depots, which were
rapidly transformed into penal institutions, and it was not long
before the poor would only reach the harbour of these institutions by
way of legal punishment. And yet M. Noailles du Gard, member of the
Legislative Assembly, exclaimed at the time: "Everlasting gratitude to
the hero who assures a place of refuge for the needy and sustenance to
the poor: childhood will no longer be negle