ABSTRACT
This chapter explores an amorphous, slippery subject: the ‘Victorian state’. Some historians have written about how the state developed; others about how it functioned; and others still about perceptions of its proper role. Here, we consider the limits and responsibilities of state action as they were practically understood by Victorian politicians, colonial officials, clergy, voters and workers. In what arenas did the state become involved; and under what obligations and limitations did it operate?
