Economic Historj 137

The war against the com laws ended in the triumph of the
Manchester economists.062 But while these were preaching the
faith otlaissezfaire and self-help, reality compelled the state to
intervene as protector and organizer in the nation's economic
life. Thus Bruce regards the new poor law of 1834. once abom-
inated as a triumph of laissez faire, as the beginnings of the
welfare state;863 Huzel, incidentally, maintains that, despite
Malthus, the old poor law had not assisted a rise in popula-
tion.864 The history of medical welfare offers some support to
Bruce's views.865 Nevertheless, there should be no doubt that
despite all this growing social concern, both private and
public, the typical figure of the age (at least down to the
seventies) remained the energetic and self-reliant entrepreneur
left essentially free in his enterprising,886 Three of the best-
known engineers have received pretty naive biographies, from
one hand.867 The England of that day produced a good many
examples of an odd mixture of selfmade wealth and con-
scientious philanthropy, often associated with off-key fixed
ideas: Briggs presents one such in his book about the chocolate
manufacturer Rowntree, Armytage another in his about the
politically active manufacturer Mundella.858

Several industries have been studiedj mostly by means of

842 W. D. Grampp, The Manchester School of Economics. Stanford UP:
1960. Pp. ix, 155. Rev: EHR, 77, 337^

883 Maurice Bruce, The Coming of the Welfare State. L: Batsford: 1961.
Pp. xi, 308. Rev- EHR 78, 8i8f.; EeHR* 15, 564^

884 James P. Huzel, 'Malthus, the poor law, and population in early
nineteenth-century England', BcHR* 23 (1969)3 430-51.

815 Brian Abel-Smith, The Hospitals, 1800 -1948: a study in social
administration in England and Wales. L: Heinemann: 1964. Pp, xiii,

574-

888 Asa Briggs, 'The welfare state in historical perspective*, Archives
Europtennes & Sociokgie, 2 (1961), 221-58,

887 L. C. T. Rolt, George and Robert Stephenson: the railway revolution* L:
Longmans: 1960. Pp. xix, 356, - Idem, hambard Kingdom BruneL
Ibid.: 1957- Pp. xv, 345.

888 Asa Briggs, Social Thought and Social Action: a study of the work of
Seebohm JRowntree, 1871-1954* L: Longmans: 1961* Pp, x, 371.
-W. H. G. Armytage, A. J* MwMla, 1825-1897: the liberal
background to the labour movement* L: Benn: 1951. Pp. 386.