The subject of interment, like many others relating to the economy of society, may at first sight not seem to require any particular attention on the part of the state. It may be said, let every man bury his dead as he best can, and as he chooses. With respect to the rich, the expense is an absurd waste of money, and the example is bad ; with respect to the middling classes, it is a heavy bur den ; and to the poor, interment of their dead is often almost an impossibility. To diminish these expenses, to secure the decency of interment amongst all classes and particularly among the poor, and to prevent the contamination of the living by the dead, are objects well worthy of the attention of a legislator. The in formation collected in the Report above alluded to lays bare a revolting picture of moral and physical facts ; but it is truly said, " General conclusions can only be dis tinctly made out from the various classes of particular facts, and the object being the suggestion of remedies and preven tions, it were obviously as unbecoming to yield to disgusts or to evade the enumeration and calm consideration of these facts, as it would be in the physician or surgeon, in the performance of his duty with the like object, to shrink from the investigation of the most offensive manifestations of disease." The Report makes a proximate estimate of the total expense of funerals in Lon don, which, according to the estimate, amounts to 626,604/. per annum ; and a like estimate of the expense of all the funerals in England and Wales in one year is 4,870,493/. This sum, enormous as it is, may be considered an under estimate. " The cost of the funerals of persons of rank and title varies from 15001. to 1000/. or 800/. or less, as it is a town or country funeral. The ex penses of the funerals of gentry of the better condition vary from 2001. to 400/., and are stated to be seldom so low as 150/." The average cost of funerals of persons of every rank above paupers in the metropolis may be taken at 14/. 168. 9d. per head. But owing to circum stances, fully explained in the Report, even this lavish expenditure does not se cure the proper and solemn discharge of the funeral ceremony, which in crowded and busy districts seems to be totally im practicable. It is fully shown that the
expenses of funerals may be greatly re duced and the due performance of the religious ceremonies may be secured by other arrangements. The establishment of cemeteries by Joint Stock Companies has done something by diminishing the amount of interments in crowded places, but the expenses of interment have perhaps not been at all diminished by them.
The Report concludes (p. 197) with a summary of the evils which require re medies; and there is not one of the evils which has not been proved to exist. There may be difference of opinion as to the degree in which the evils exist ; but none as to the existence itself. The remedies that are suggested for these evils appear to have been well considered, though, when an evil is ascertained to exist, people are not always agreed as to the best remedy. One of the proposed remedies, which involves many important considerations, and would probably meet with some opposition, is " that national cemeteries of a suitable description ought to be provided and maintained (as to the material arrangements) under the three tion of officers duly qualified for the care of the public health.' Another is, "that for the abatement of oppressive charges for funeral materials, decorations, and services, provision should be made (in conformity to successful examples abroad) by the officers having charge of the na tional cemeteries, for the supply of the requisite materials and services, securing to all classes, but especially to the poor, the means of respectable interment, at reduced and moderate prices, suitable to the state of the deceased and the condi tion of the survivors." The numerous matters contained in the Report can only be indicated here. It should be consulted by all who take an interest in the well being of society, as a most valuable contribution to the statistics of civilized life.
(A Supplementary Report on the Results o a Special Inquiry as to the Practice of interment in Towns, made at the request of her Majesty's principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, by Edwin Chadwick, Esq., Barrister-at-Law. Lon don, 1b43.)