Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/391

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LOHDOK 352 LOMDOK

elementary aiid £995,901 for higher education. In toes, and a central council. Its object is to direct into

addition to the council schools there are a large num- the most effectual channels the forces of benevolence,

ber of "provided '* schools established by Catholics or All agencies and persons interested in charity in each

by the (Snurh of England. In 1905 there were 554,- Poor Law Union are invited to the local district com-

646 scholars in the coimcil schools, 205,323 in the mittee. These committees form centres of informa-

" provided schools. tion, and investigate and deal with cases brought before

Civil and Criminal Jurisdiction, — ^The High Court them on the twofold principle that thorough inves- of Justice for the whole of England is situate in tigation should precede relief, and that rehef given The Strand. It includes the Appeal Court and the should be suitable and adequate. Cases to which ade- Chancery, King's Bench, and Probate, Divorce, and quate relief cannot be supplied are left to the Poor Admiralty Divisions. For the special requirements of Law. The various organizations which, in co-opera- London tnere is the Central Criminal Court at the Old tion with this society, or independently, relieve digress Bailey, the Court of Quarter Sessions held at Newing- may be divided into several classes: (1) Relief in afflio- ton and Clerkenwell, the Police Courts presided oyer tion, involving the care of the blind, deaf, dumb, crip- by metropolitan police magistrates, and for civil pies, lunatics, inebriates, idiots, imbeciles, the men- causes of minor importance tSe County Courts. The tally defective, epileptics, and incurables. (2) Retiefin City of London has its own Court of Quarter Sessions, sickneaSf which embraces the work of the general ho»- and the Lord Mayor, sitting at the Mansion House or pitals, special hospitals, siu^cal aid societies, medical Guildhall, has the powers oi justices in petty session of and surgical homes, convalescent homes, dispensaries, a police magistrate. and nursing institutions. (3) Relief in permanent di^

Trade ar^ Commerce, — The position of London fre«jf, which includes homes for the aged and incapaci-

and its intercourse with every part of the world have tated, pensions, homes for the employed (wondng

combined to make it financiidly rather than commer- boys, etc.), homes for children, and day nurseries.- (4^

cially the world's metropolis. Being a market far re- Relief in temporary distress, affording shelter of various

moved from any great manufacturing centre, there is a kinds, relief m money, and relief in kind. (5) R^ormo"

ereat excess of imports over exports. The port of tory relief, including reformatories, certified inaustrial

London in spite of some drawbacks is still the n-eatest schools, prisoners' aid societies, and institutions for

port in the world in respect of the amount of shipping fallen women. (6) Miscellaneoris relief, under whidi

and goods which enter it. In 1907 the tonnage of head may be grouped the various emigration societies,

British and foreign vessels engaged in the foreign life protection societies, traininig farms for the unem-

trade entered and cleared was n, 160,367 tons en- ployed, and social and p»hysical improvement societies,

tered and 8,598,979 tons cleared, as against Liver- Purely Catholic charities are very numerous. The

pool's record of 8,167,419 tons entered and 7,257,869 Aged Poor Society (founded in 1708), and the Benevo-

tons cleared. The total shipping entering it is about lent Society for the Aged and Infirm Poor (established

one-fiflh of the total shipping of the United Kingdom; 1761 ) both give pensions. At Nazareth House, Ham-

the value of imports one-third, and the value of ex- mersmith, and the convent of t£e Little Sisters of the

ports one-fourth of the total value of the national im- Poor at Notting Hill, there are homes for t^e aged

Sorts and exports. Steps are now bein^ taken for poor. There are almshouses at Brook Green, Chelsea

ock extension and a reconstitution of the port and and Ingatestone. Homes and orphanages for boys and

dock authorities. girls are very numerous, and a great work is done by

London Charities. — ^Even a bare enumeration of the "Crusade of Rescue and Homes for Destitute Cath-

the various charitable agencies which labour for the olic Children", which now maintains over a thousand

relief of distress in London would be beyond the limits children. The visiting and relief of the poor is chiefly

of this article. For detailed information reference inthehandsoftwosocieties, the Society of St. Vincent

should be made to the " Annual Charities Register and de Paul, and the LBtdies of Charity. There are four

Digest ", which is a classified register of chanties in or Catholic hospitals: that of St. John and St. Elisabeth,

a\^ilable for the metropolis, together with a digest of in St. John's Wood, under the Sisters of Mercy; l^e

information respecting the legaH voluntary, and other French hospital, under the Servants of the Sacred

means for the prevention and relief of distress, and the Heart; the Italian hospital, under the Sisters of Chs^-

improvement of the condition of the poor. For Catho- ity; and the Hospital for the Dying, at Hackney, under

lie charities see the * ' Catholic Social Year Book ", and the Irish Sisters of Charity. There is a home lor epi-

the "Handbook of Catholic Charitable and Social leptic children, under the Daughters of the Cross, at

Works", both published by the Catholic Truth Soci- Much Hadham. There are industrial schools for boys

ety. As^ in addition to non-sectarian organizations, at Manor Park; for girls, at Isleworth* a reformatory

every relij^ious body has its own agencies, and the pub- school for boys at Walthamstow; and the Prisoners'

lie authorities are now empowered by statute to exer- Aid Society visits Catholic prisoners and helps them on

cise responsibilities which narrow the field of charity, release. The charitable ciubs for Catholics are too

there is considerable overlapping. At the present mo- numerous to recapitulate.

ment there is a crying need for systematic co-ordina- The books written about London, its institutioiis, buildinfs.

tion amone the various charities, and could this be intoi^ts and many ^ided life are without number. Only some

^4T^ *.,„ii.. «««««««j A0;^;»n»,r J^A <«A»»^*»^r «*^.,M o' t*»c more important and more recent works are mentKmed

effectually arranged, efficiency and economy would here. The divisions of the above article are repeated and all

gain alike. Turmng first to statutory provision for books here named were published in London, except where

charitable relief, this is divided among various bodies, otherwise stated. Ample though not ei^ustive listo ofbooks

an;« „ j.«:^:o4.««/:^« ^t "Drx^. T ««, ^^mJt;« ■^,^^4'^A;« ♦!,« about London are given m Lowndes, Btblwgraphert Manual

The admmistration of Poor Law relief is vested in the (igeo); Anderson, jBooJfc of British TopoorapHy (1881). and the

Board of Guardians, subject to the direction and con- Subject Index of the London Library (1909).

trol of the Local Government Board; the Metropolitan „ Hibtort of Ixjndon — FrrzsTEPHEN. Detention of iMfon

A«, i„.^c n^A.^ :« »no»>^^»;Kia r^. *i.J :..a«»» ««;! a»n^» (temp. Henry II): first detailed accoimt repnnted m Stow,

Asylums Board is responsible for the insane, and some ]^^^ ^f ij;^^ (the first history-:— 1598; continued by Muw-

classes of the sick, and the Loudon County Council has day, 1618. 1633; and by Strype. 1720, 1755. New editions, 1842

also certain duties, especially with regard to the suit- ^d 1890)- Hatton, -'Veir V'i^ o/L<mdan (I70g; M^

able housing of the pJ»or. the ChanV Comrni^ion. %^.^{^iRiZ^L7k'^^^^^

ers have large statutory powers over endowed chan- A Nexe History of London nT7Z)\ Pennant, Lomion (1st edition,

ties, but much remains to be done in the direction of 1790; frequently reprinted); Hdnter H«rforv<^Lon4«m(1811):

remodeUing some of these charitable trusts on wise i'i5^27l^7-lt29lr iSJ?oS^^^

principles. by Walpord. 1876-1877); CJunninoham, Handbook of Urn-

Turning to voluntary charities, a very important f>»».* ^'Vf«2J{' §:""»* (2 vols.. 1849); LorgE. Bitfmoj

«-»«* :« «lt„^^ u„ .*u« T^^j^w* nL^^^^T Aw*« «;:<>« ^.'^.^ Lomion (1884); Wheatlby, London Pati and Present (3 ▼oh^

part is played by the London Chanty (Jrgamsation ^ggi^. ^mj^t, London (1892); Idem. HiMorv of LonSSi

Society, a federation of thirty-eight district commit- (189d); Idem. Survey of London (1902-1908); SBABm, Lm-