The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-09-06 00:00:00

taitiaty treated as those whose hehariour has been
moral and industrious.

Dr. Chalmers, of Glasgow, who for years has
been devoting much of his time and talents as a
writer t• get the poor laws repeated, Is a mere
theorist on this important subject. He peeresses
to be a mighty philosopher, and a sagacious, wise
politician; he blames the Legislature for the regu-
lation of commerce, and for making Poor Laws
which prevents oppression ; he is for leaving these
things to the operation of nature; he is for inducing
the labouring classes to succour and maintain the
debilitated poor; he is for the clergy to reign se
Kings, each in his own parish, to make laws for
governing the poor people in it ; and, in fact, ac-
cording to his own account, or shewing, he (being
allowed by the Magistracy contrary to law) does so
in his own parish, by which the indigent are left in
a state of oppression, and misery, dependant upon
the charity of their poor relations and poor neigh.
bouts. That this is a true narrative. I shrill
prove by the Doctor's own writings. selecting
only one case out of a number of similar onesl—
. " A weaver, put into circumstances of difficultyb in
a season of great depression, when the typhus fever
made its deadly inroads upon his household. His
distress was in the highest degree 'striking and no-
ticeable, and it may look atraiegvlhat no sessional
movement was made towards thErelief of so ;Aim-
ed a family. • Out confidence was in the eyorptilliffit
and kind offices of the immediate neighboutpod.
An outcry was, however, 'raised against as, ar4 we
felt compelled for our own vindication to investi-
gate as far as we could, the amount of supplies that
had been renaered." This scene took place at a
time when it seems Dr. Chalmers had in his hand
66/. of " humble halfpence" given at the church-
door for the use of the poor in distress, by an even-
ing congregation, induced for this purpose to 'elm.
rate themselves from the higher class of the people
in Glasgow. If the middle and lower classes of
people understood the nature and utility of the
Scottish poor laws, they would net voluntarily put
their money for the poor into the hands of Kirk
Seesione, who dispose of it without control. Thus
have I given a specimen of the "Civil Economy" of
Kirk Sessions in Scotland, sanctioned by magis-
trates, and by the general assembly of prefessed Di-
vines, who have no lawful authority di interrupt
the levying of compulsory poor rates, agreeable
to the existing poor laws of Scotland. By Dr.
Chalmers the beneficent poor lases of Scotland
are disregarded, nor dues he in all his writings
(on pauperism), which are calculated only fur
the information of the learned class of-society,
refer to the laws of God (which indeed condemns
him), to try to justify his conduct. It is the opi-
nion of many that Dr. Chalmers had best attend
to the instruction of the people in the knowledge of
the law and gospel of God, "in season, and out of
season," than to be spending his time in writing on
politics, and about how and why the Poor Laws
and compulsory rates ought to be extinguished.
Let him follow the example of Christ and his
Apostles.
The poor in England have, at different times, in
my remembrance, been saved by the operation of
the poor laws from bodily misery and infectious
disease; and thereby also the Legislature have been
delivered from the impolitic but just iutrrference
in granting money to prevent time destruction of
thousands of the poor, which it seems would have
been the case this year in Ireland, had not Govern-
ment, and the benevolence of the English people,
contributed to their relief. _

The following is extracted from the Scottish Act
of Parliament to prevent the poor from being dis-
tressed for want of food and clothing :
w And, therefore, according to the ■umber of the poor,
to consider what this needful subsistence will extend to;
and the good discretion of the said provosts, bellies, and
judge►, in aH parishes, and such as they shall call to them
to that effect, to taX aid sleet the whole inhabitants within
the parish, according to the estimation of their substance,
without exception of person., to such-like charge sad eon.
tributioa as shall be thought expedient and sufficient to sus-
tain the said poor people. Aid the same. of the lishabi.
tants rated, together with their taxation, shall be registered;
and at their discretion they shall appoint overseers ■od cut.
lectors in every burgh, tows, sod parish, for the whole year,
Tor the collecting and receiving the said portion. eked t►e
stewards and bellies of emotion, and their bailie, over all
the realm, and their deputies, shall see Ibis present Act put
in due execution in all points within their jurisdictions re.
sptctively, as they shalt answer to God and our Sovereign
Lord thereupon"
I believe that in the history of nations there is not
recorded such a scene as has been exhibited this
year in regard to Ireland. That unhappy country,
made so by the oppression of man, and the neglect
of many of the constituted authorities, in not teach-
ing and n..t seeing that the whole of the people in
the United kingdom, under the authority of Govern-
ment, be taught their duty to God end their fel-
low.creatures. Committees and individuals have
been begging from the people of England money to
purchase austronance for the poor in Ireland, where
there has indeed been no scarcity of cheap food,
excepting potatoes : they are now begging old
clothes to twill to the peasfutry in Ireland, to steep
them from Wog 14070 in winter, •lid that at a
period too when 'reticles of clothing are very
cheap throughout the kingdom; "and !bile Vest
numbers of Irish, proprietors of had, u•Okusen„
gentlemen,l;s4ps, and clergymen, absentees, ma
living iu lams/ and worldly pleasure; so that it is
evident that the miserable coudineors of the pour in
Ireland is age caused by the visslotion of God, but
by the iniquity of men of opulence and power,
which mre bring down the jAgasents of the Al-
mighty upon our skilful koa, unless speedily
averred by repentance rind at>!•udment of conduct.
he London Tavern committee announces that
" the apprehensions of famine in Ireland are
ended," and they are now calling upon the public
to be enabled to alleviate the diatrets which they
say " must be felt by the' peasantry in Ireland iu
the ensuing winter, from the general want of cloth.
ill absolutely necessary for health and existence." ,
In consequence of this, • meeting, chiefly of ladies,
was convened on the 28th day of August, at the
Rev. George Claytou'a chapel, in the parish of St.
bow to collect cast-oft'
Nteoarsethned
place
otof
Mary, Newington, to consult and suggest means
this meeting a person was
inofwasoP him,ck children duet edo nhbewy iwat hoP1141:1:drr,
pre.aw tod
-
t 4 poor pessantry
rceiving her to be an Irish-
awmoaftein' wa
inn matches,
raga,eslt: dhir herlhating
ort 7fP eQtr
sent her to • congregation Of people then sitting for
the purpose (ecumenists/ how to collect old clothes
pseud to the poor in Ireland, For fear, I
"PPeter