(1) Early history of Vagrancy legislation. The Act of 1824. Categories
of Vagrants. The casual pauper. Casual wards. Alleged attractiveness
of prison to workhouse: Commissioners' observations on. Committee of
1906 and need for uniformity in casual wards, &c. Merxplas Colony.
Labour Colonies and the Inquiry of 1903. Identification of habitual
vagrants. Treatment of Vagrancy abroad. Great fall in number
convicted of Vagrancy offences. The way ticket system. Casual Wards
of Metropolis and Metropolitan Asylums Board. High number of
convictions of vagrants. No plan yet adopted by State for dealing
with professional vagrancy.
(2) Committee of 1872. Act of 1879. Inquiry of 1892. Principles of the
Act of 1898. Establishment of State Inebriate Reformatories.
Character of inmates. Control of State Reformatories. Commitments
under the Act. The working of the Act. Committee appointed in 1908
to inquire into Inebriates and Probation. Causes operating against
wider use of powers under Act. Inebriety as a factor of crime.
Dr. Branthwaite's inquiry into a number of cases. Mental deficiency
obvious in many. Condemnation of short sentences of imprisonment.
Habitual inebriety and mental defectiveness. Report of Committee of
1908.