The National Register.
London, England, 1819-04-12 00:00:00

No, 11T2.—VOL. XII.]

THE POOR LAWS,

Iw oar Paper of last week we Inserted a para.
110- 1110111111046, a fp perrks on lifr. Sturges

We shall now endeavour to comprize in as few words
as possible, our general sentiments on this important
subject. Tir.t the present system is radically
wrong, and that if suffered to proceed without cots.
troul, it must end in the annihilation not only of in-
dividual wealth and property, but what is of still
higher importance, in the destruction of every feel.
ing valuable to Society—of every thing like subor-
dination and gratitude, industry, and honourable
independence on one side, and of those charities and
fostering rstronage on the other, which together
eanstitt.te the sinews of noional strength and pros-
perity, is so generally felt and admitted, that we
shall employ .no argument to prove it. Upon this
part of the subject, the attention of Parliament has
been long and earnestly employed, and the Report
of the Committee of the House of Commons upon
it, which was published last Session, is a documents
As far as it goes, of unquestioned value. The evil is
fully and fairly stated, and ail its melancholy aggra.
rations are very forcibly detailed. We wish we
,ectuld have added that the remedies proposed had
been equally clear and devisive. Mr. S. Bourne's
lire:scut views seem to be chiefly directed to the I saw
of Settlement, and to the Price of Labour. On the
first of these heads he proposes, under a few regula.
tions, that a Settlement shall hstablished by three
years residence hi the same plat and, on the second
head, that no able-bodied man shall, when employed,
have any irarechial ussisvce whatsoever. The first
of these regulations appear* to be correct in princi-
ple, and not likely to lead to any evils in practice,
which may not be more than balanced by the good,
though it may probably lam.resisted by those who,
ruder the existing law, may enjoy the benefit of
the strength and labour of those whom they em-
ploy, until infirmities and old-ago come on, and
then send them back to have their sickness nutsed
al their decrepitude maintained by the parishes in
which they were born. But the second regulation
which would withhol I all parochial assistance from
those who have employment, would, we arc per-
t:laded, in the present state of things, result only in
►ccumulated misciti f and discontent. In many in-
.:wires wages are scarcely adequate to the subsist.
once even of a single individual, but, in the case of
those wha have large families, it must necessarily
follow, that they would be thrown quite idle. Such
person. neither could nor would affitrd to soli their
Tabour at the same price ar the man who had no do..
stands beyond his own to sati-fy j and their employ.
srs would naturally have recourse to those who
would serve them at the cheapest rate. But it
may perhaps be answered that though such hard.
ships might arise in the first inftunee, yet that the
regulation would contribute to give t wholesome
:heck to population, and thus ultimately encreaao
the price of Labour, To such grguntcots our reply
that Popuiaticil c itrue/ is m 0141014 *ol'4o

[Paicz Pid.

plain and obvious; the evil must be met. aad csu
alone be cured by the removal of the causes by
which it has been brought on. By a vigilant and
rigid economy of public expenditure, and if this will
not do, by some still stronger measure of relief front
the burthen of taxation, by instantly restoring cash
payments, and the reducing within more natural
limits the circulating medium of the country; and
lrly, by the parish officers themselves keeping a
look-cut upon the abuse of power, end
obeying only such orders as they feel to be just and
know to be legal and authorised. By these measures
may yet be restored the proper balance of society,
but without them all the quackery of legislation
will be worse than useless.

THE PLR/lAN AMBASSADOR--The Persian Ambas.
sador, Man now at Paris, on has
way to London, is descended from a distinguished la.
only, who occupied the highest post or honour awl
power nuder the Kings of Per;ia, he hinrelf when young,
was appointed to the government of a district of Ow
kingdom of Perste, bordering on the Persian Gulf.
While thus enjoying his tiMereigo's favour, a revenm of
fortune, not uncommon in the despotic commies of the
east, plunged him from the pinnacle of honour into the
depths of adversity. His wick, who filled the situation
of prime minister at the Conn of Persia, was accused,
by the calumnies of jealous courtiers, of aspiring to the
throne; and the Royal displeasure, of which he in cots.
sequence became the victim, extended its withering ef.
fects to all his family, The unfortunate Minister was
put to death, and his property confiscated to the Crown.
while several of his relations lost their lives or had their
,I eyes put out, for no other reason than because they hap-
petted to be connected with his faultily. Aleloul Has.
salt, the Ambassador, who was deprived of his govern.
ment and threatened wit h a similar fate, happily escaped
death by being forgotten till vengeance was satisfied, and
after languishiog In prison fur three months was allowtd
to retire front Ace and danger into loreigu lands. lbrs
first nlgeot was to viii the tomlsoftheProphet at Mecca,
and this pilgrimage inspired hit" with the wish of more
distant travel, Achordingly, after *ling the chief city
of the Wechabites, arid other pens of Arabia, he em•
barked at Bassorah on board an English vessel for Cal.
mon, during the nine that Marquie %Velleshy was Go-
vernor.general of India, In the British India, and par.
Ocularly time Deccan, ho Spent three years; when, pro.
catkin( to Brinthay, he learned that his Sovereign had
made a tardy discovery of his innocence, and restoring
hint to favour, had suntruotted him home. In 1809, b)
the influence of a surviving uncle, who was minister ct
finance, he was sent to England in quality of ambassa-
doe, accompanied by M. Mona, who was at that time
d °relay of Embassy m
at the
,Court of Persia. In Com
don Ire remained our)? seven onth., when he returned
to Persia along with Sir G. gawky, who was appointed
our Minister to Persia, In his passage home the easel
touched at Bin-Janeiro, and Abdoul Hassan was per-
haps the first Persian ambassador that saw the neer
world, When he returned to his master, Ids seniors
were requited with the title of Khan, and new marks of
confidence. He was employed to conclude a peace with
Russia in 1813, and it the following year proceeded
as ambassador in St. Petenlnirgh, whalers he retosned
home after a Slay of three years. The ambassador janot
only known for his diplomatic services, bot hie literary
attainments and elegant accomplishments, He is known
to have cultivated learning with distinguished sucreag.
He speaks several languages, foglish, Arabic, Box:taus
and Hindostana, He has written an account of bit
travels in England, 1411/4 and Russia, which.. what'
ever be its merits, his Iwo honoured ttyitia sovereign
with the title of " The Wonderful Ilya;' he is Uhl
to headdingkng fresh claim s to the favour of the Gnat &ago
by annexing eduervatiosis on Prance and Germany.
Mirza Abiliank 11,0 an is shoot 44 years of age, of an
ordinary ,t urn but of a not* and agreeable exterior.
His ritlOd is as etilightoned by tautly end experienee as
ntaßrlers are graceful anti polistied by his extensive
iravelg god his intercootas with the highest society. Ec
is a.p accurate observ.a of works of art, and takes an ao.
WA% of the most workable fbei (0141411 which he
vksit; in the Prenoll capital.

On &aimlay last a little girl appoared in ipawtot
market with a quantity of laKrenzy I•unciet of
Fathered by band!, and sold for Ow exprceS porpo't
purchasing a Hible.