Appendix
It is of considerable interest, and may be in some cases of practical value to those interested in the well-being of children to notice in order some of the principal Acts of Parliament which have been passed during the last twenty-five years on behalf of children:—
1883. 46 & 47 Vic., c. 53. Employment of Childrenin Factories and Workshops.
1885. 48 & 49 Vic., c. 69. Criminal Law AmendmentAct, relating to criminal assaults onchildren and to the finding of children indisorderly houses.
1887. 50 & 51 Vic., c. 58. Employment in CoalMines.
1889. 52 & 53 Vic., c. 44. The Prevention ofCruelty to Children Act. This was the firstof the three Acts, the others being passed in1894 and 1904 respectively. Sometimes called“The Children’s Charter.” It is very wide inapplication, making it an offence to assault,illtreat, neglect, abandon, or expose a child undersixteen years of age in a manner likely to causesuch child unnecessary suffering or injury toits health.
1891. 54 & 55 Vic., c. 3. The Custody of ChildrenAct, dealing with the power of the Court todecline to issue a writ for the production of achild to an unfit parent, and with the power ofthe Court to order repayment of costs of bringingup a child.
1891. 54 & 55 Vic., c. 75 & 76. Further enactmentsconcerning employment in Factories andWorkshops.
1892. 55 & 56 Vic., c. 4. Betting Act, wherebyit became a misdemeanour for anyone for thepurpose of earning commission to send circulars,etc., to invite an infant to make any bet or wager.
1893. 56 & 57 Vic., c. 48. Reformatory SchoolsAct, giving power to a Court to remand a youthfuloffender to a prison or to any other place,which has in practice always been assumed tobe a workhouse.
1894. 57 & 58 Vic., c. 33. Industrial Schools Act.Education.
1897. 60 & 61 Vic., c. 57. Infant Life ProtectionAct, concerning persons receiving infants forhire for the purpose of maintenance. An Actfor the abolition of illicit baby-farming.
1899. 62 & 63 Vic., c. 37. Poor Law Act, concerningthe control of guardians over orphans andchildren of persons unfit to have control of them.
1901. 1 Ed. VII, c. 20. Youthful Offenders Act,providing for (1) the removal of disqualificationsattaching to felony, (2) the liability of parentor guardian in the case of youthful offenders,(3) the remand of youthful offenders to otherplaces than prisons, (4) the recovery of expensesof maintenance from parent or person legallyliable, etc., etc.
1901. 1 Ed. VII, c. 27. Intoxicating Liquors (Saleto Children) Act, forbidding the sale or deliverysave at the residence or working place of thepurchaser of any description of intoxicatingliquor to any person under the age of fourteenyears, except in corked and sealed vessels, inquantities not less than one reputed pint. Itshould be noticed that the Licensing Act of 1872prohibited the sale of any description of spiritsto any person apparently under the age ofsixteen years.
1903. 3 Ed. VII, c. 45. The Employment ofChildren Act, containing restrictions on thehours of employment, age of employees, natureof employment, etc., etc.
There have also been several Education Acts either passed or proposed, but it is doubtful whether these have not usually had their origin in the exigencies of party politics rather than in abonâ fidedesire for the welfare of children. An honourable exception is the Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic Children) Act of 1899.
Printed by Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., Bath.
Transcriber’s Notespg 10 Changed The helpless ness to: helplessnesspg 58 Changed my finishing he to: thepg 126 Added period after: our visit to youThe cover page was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.