In the beginning of 1870, the year destined to see the fall of the French empire, Smith went to Paris, in order to prosecute inquiries into the management of the poor in France. The thorough way in which he set about his investigation there may best be illustrated by a few extracts from letters to his wife: —

Paris, 15th Jany. 1870.

I wrote very hurriedly yesterday, as I had been kept out by my friends much longer than I expected. Maynard took me first of all to M. Dubard, an Officer of the Guard. From him we all went to his brother: we had a long conversation with him. He is assistant to the Procureur Imperial, who holds an analogous position to our Attorney-General, and he introduced me to the Chief of the Municipal Police of Paris—a Mons. Nuss. He was very courteous, gave me a lot of information, and knew everything himself about our system, which he thinks a bad one. But first of all I had been to the Hôtel de Ville, and saw the Sous-chef in the Secretariat of the Prefect of the Seine. From him I went to the Chief of the Bureau of the Assistance Publique, and he talked to me for half an hour, and gave me permission to visit everything and to ask any questions I liked. He gave me great reports to study, and I am to return with any written questions, to which he will give written answers. Nothing could exceed his kindness and readiness to give information.