[585] _Dom. State Papers_, James I., Vol. 143, 24.
"Wee have by our indevours taken order that the aged and ympotent poore and maymed soldiers be sufficientlie relieved; Those of able and sturdie bodies are provided of work." Babergh and Cosford, Suffolk; also in Williton, Freemanors and Carhampton, Somerset: the report is dated Mar. 20th. _Cal. of State Papers_, under May 8th, 1623.
Between the years 1605 and 1629 therefore the administration of poor relief was on the whole negligent and in many districts the poor law was already considered to be of little importance. The government was however still anxious to secure its enforcement and the measures taken to relieve distress in 1622-3 effected an improvement in a few districts.
[Sidenote: 6. Action of the Privy Council and administration between 1629 and 1644.]
But from 1629 to 1644 we have a different state of things. We know already that during this period the action of the Privy Council was continuous and constant, and it is in this period therefore that we shall be able to see how far it was effective. The justices' reports, to which we have already often referred are the main sources of our information.
We will endeavour to see how far the evidence of the early part of the period confirms the view we have already formed as to the administration of the law at the beginning of the time, and we will secondly try to estimate the evidence as to improvement during this period.
[Sidenote: 6. _a._ State of affairs in 1631.]
The condition of affairs before 1631 is indicated by the preamble to the commission of Jan. 1631/2 and by some of the earlier reports of 1631. The reasons given for the appointment of the commission of 1631/2 are almost exactly the same as those given in the draft of 1619/20. The justices are said as before to be negligent so that the laws were almost obsolete in some parts of the country, and this alone shows that there had been little permanent improvement since 1620. The preamble also refers to an earlier time "vpon the present making of the said lawes," when they were duly executed and thus confirms the evidence as to the good execution of the laws after 1597[588].
[588] Add. MSS., Brit. Mus., 12496, f. 251. "Justices of Peace, Magistrates, Officers and Ministers are now of late in most parts of this our Kingdome growne secure in their said negligence, and the said politique and necessarie Lawes and Statutes laid aside or little regarded as Lawes of small use and consequence."