The National Register.
London, England, 1819-04-11 00:00:00

'THE•' POOR LAWS.

li` our Paper of last week we inserted a para-
graph containing a few remarks on Mr. Sturgea
Bourne's proposed enaernents on the Poor Laws.
We shall now endeavour to comprise in as few words
as possible, our general sentiments cni this important
subject. Th t Ate present system is radically
wrong, and that if suffered to proceed without CCM-
troul, it must and 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 patronage on the other, which together
constitute the sinews of national 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 adocument,
as far as it goes, of unquestioned value. The evil is
fully and fairly stated, and all its melancholy aggra-
vations are very forcibly detailed. We wish we
could have added that the remedies proposed had
been .equally clear and decisive. Mr. S. Bourne's
present views seem to be chiefly directed to the l.aw
of Settlement, and to the Price of Labour. On the
first of these heads he proposes, under a few regula-
tions, that * Settlement shall be establishes by three
years residence in the same place; and, on the second
head, that no able-bodied man shall, when employed,
have any parochial assistance whatsoever. The first
of these regulations appears 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 be resisted by those who,
under the existing law, may enjoy the benefit of
the strength and labour of those whom they em-
ploy, until infirmities and old-age come on, and
then send them back to have their sickness nursed
or their decrepitude maintained by the parishes in
which they were born. But the second regulation
hich would withhold all parochial assistance from
those who have employment, would, we are per-
suaded, in the present state of things, result only in
-ecamulated mischief and discontent. In many in-
,tances wages are scarcely adequate to the subsist-
ence even of a single individual, but, in the case of
those who have large families, it must necessarily
follow, that they would be thrown quite idle. Such
persons neither could nor would afford to sell their
labour at the same price as the man who had no de-
mar.ds beyond his own to satisfy ; and their employ-
ers 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 instance, yet that the
regulation would contribute to give a wholesome
check to population, and thus ultimately encrease
the price of Labour. To such arguments our reply
is, that Porulation well governed is national strength ;

and that a country with:millions of acres of int-
proveab'e Land totally *cite, and millions more but
miserably cultivated, and: producing not one half of
what might by additioi* labour and additional ca-
pital be drawn from them, can never justly com-
plain of being too thickly peopled. And we fur-
ther observe, that thevery same complaints ofredun-
dant population, slut* t,arerwow so prevalen were
made quite as strunify, and with just as much rea-
son, in the reign Of Queen Elisabeth, when our
population scarcely amounted to half its present
numbers. It is not here, then, that the scat of the
disease is placed, nor here that the remedy should be
applied. The Act is, that three powerful engines
have been long at work undermining the fabric, and
unhinging the frame of society amongst us. These
are, first, an oppreuivelair.tion, which renders the
earnings of industry of but little comparative value
as the repress fitative of provision to the poor, and
equally cripples the means of employment and bene-
volence on thi, part olothess. Secondly, an unna-
tural paper currency which; supported by the Bank
Restriction, aeknowledgei nO other limit than the
extent of credit or demand, violates the first and
only principti which can either give or maintain the
proper value of a circulating medium, and, by thus
becoming the source of that rapid • depreciation of
money which leaves every thing be ad it in its
progress, throw the whole system of what used to
be the relative proporticins of prices and cdomodities,
of means and of expenditure, into complete, disor-
der. Labour, and particularly agricultural labour,
must necessarily follow at a very slow rate, the aug-
mentation in the price of provisions, and the poor
husbandman, whose labour is the only thing he deals
in, is at once disabled from struggling against a
torrent that sweeps away his means, his indepen-
dence, and his spirit together, and leaves behind it
nothing but a miserable wreck of hopelessness and
despair, the parent of apathy, indolence, and vice.
It is a fact which will both illustrate and confirm
the argument we are now pursuing, that for a con-
siderable time after the discovery of the silver mines
in America, the unusual influx of the precious metals
into Europe caused a distress the very same in cha-
racter, though not in degree, to that under which
we are now groaning. The excess of silver operated
then, as the excess of paper, with many super-added
aggravations, does now; and it is not a little curious
to observe, that out of this very circumstance sprung
the Act of Elizabeth, which laid the great founda-
tion for our present ruinous system of parochial
relief.—The last great engine is the eternal, and
often perfectly ILLEGAL, interference of magistrates
with the management of the poor. In a very large
portion of the country parish relief, under the name
of meal money, is uniformly insisted upon by the
overseers, without any reference whatever either to
character, to circumstances, or to those means of
subsistence which ingenuity or industry would have
provided, and a substitute is thus established thr
what nature ordained, and the good of society de-
mands, should be the fruits of individual toil, pru-
dence, and economy. But upon this head we shall I
dwell no longer ; the Report of the liouse of Com-
mons is full and satisfactory upon it, and an appro-
priate remedy we trust, be adopted. If, then,
the premises I.cre laid down be just, the influence a

plain and obvious; the evil must be met, and mu
alone be cured by the removal of the causes 1.71
which it has been brought on. By a vigilant and
rigid economr.of public expenditure, and if this wid
not do, by some still stronger measure of relief froLi
the burthen of taxation, by instantly restoring cash
payments, and the 'reducing within more natural
limits the circulating medinM of the country ; and
lastly, by the parish officers: themselves keeping a
vigilant:look-out upon the 'abuse of power, and
obeying otay such orders as They feel to be just an.l
know to be legal and authowed. By these measures
may yet be restored the proper balance of society,
but without them all the quackery of legislatLa
will be worse than useless. .

Tue PeRSIAN AmpASSAnna.—The Frersian Anibas-
sador, Mirza Abdoul-Ilassan-Khan, now at Atria, on his
way to London, is descended from a distinguished ta-
stily, who occupied the highest post of honour a al
power under the Kings of Persia, he himself when young;
was appointed to the government of a district of r! e
kingdom of Persia, bordering on the Persian Golf.
While thus enjoying his Sovereign's favour, a reverse of
fortune, not uncommon in the desisotic countries of the
east, plunged him Irons the pinnacle of honour into the
depths of adversity. His uncle, who filled the situation
of prime minister at the Court of Persia, was accust.l,
by the calumnies of jealous courtiers, of .aspiring to the
throne; and the Royal displeasure, of which he in con-
seqaence because the victim, extended its withering ef-
fects to all his family. The unfortunate Minister was
put to death, and his property confiscated to the Crosses,
while several of his relations lust their lives or had their
t eyes put out, for no other reason than because they hap.
petted to be connected with his family. Alstloui Hits-
Sall, the Ambastadar, who was deprived of his grist-fo-
ment and threatened wit a similar fate, liaKtiy escaped
death by being forgotten till vengeance was aati.fied; and
.after laoguishing in prison for three months wee allowed
to retiie from office and danger into foreign law's. I*
fi;•st olject was to visit the tomliof thtProphet at Mecca,
and this iiifgriiii3gc inspired him with the wish m nscre
distant travel. Accordingly, after seeing the chief c..y
of the Wecisabites, and other parts of Arabia, be can-
.barked at Bassorah on board an English vegan& for Cal-
cutta, during the titoe that Alan:vita Welled's), was Ga.
venom...getter:it of India. In the British India, and par-
ticularly the Deccan, he spent three year,: whet., pm-
credit% to Bombay, he learned that his Sovereign had
made a tartly discovery of his innoceneet•and restoring
him to favour, had summoued him home. In I tno. by
the influence of a buns iving uncle, who was 1111111alti of
finance, he was sent to England in quality of anibassa- •
dor, accompanied by M. Ivlorier, who was at that time
S.creiary of Embassy at the Court of Persia. It. L.m-
don be retrained only seven months, when he returned
to Persia along with hir G. Ottaelty, who was appointed •
our Nlinister to Persia. In his passage home the vessel
touched at Rio-Janeiro, and Abdoul Hassan was pry-
haps the first Persian ambassador that saw the vice
world. ‘Vhen he returned to his master, his son tees
were requited with the title of Khan, and new marks of
confidence. Ile was employed to conclude a peace ss 'its
Russia in 1813, and its the following year proceeded
as ambassador to St. Peteribtugh, whence he returned
home after a stay of three years. The ambassador is not
only known fur his diplomatic services, but iris Larary
attainments and elegant accomplishments. Ile to kllOWit
to have cultivated learning with distinguished success.
He speaks several languages, English, Arabic, Russian.
and Hiudostanee. lie has written an account of his
travels in England, India, and Russia, which, what- .
ever be its merits, has .beets honoured by his sovereign
with the title of " The ‘Vonderfill Book ;" he is said
to he adding fresh claifiss to the favour of the Great King,
by sunexing his nhservati-ms on France and Germany.
Mirza Abdonl Hassan is about 44 years of age, of an
ordinary height, butt of a noble and agreeable eateries-.
His mind is as enbiztit..ned by wetly experivner
his manners are graceful and pui.sucd by his exertum
travels and his intercourse with the higtiest society. lie
is an accurate °hitcher of works of art, and takes an re-
count of the most remarkable chefs if mores which It.
;sits in the Freheh capital.

On Saturday last a little girl appeared in Ipswiels
mother with a quartity of hofftteday It uehes of nrlef•.
IL:filleted by herself, atid soli for etc express purpose of
turehasing a Basic.

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