The Sun.
London, England, 1819-08-11 00:00:00

now come within the provisions of the present
Vagrant Laws.
In the year 1695, another author of eminence*,
refet ting,to the some raised for the relief of the
poor, says, '' as this money is managed in' most
pieces, instead of relieving such as are truly poor
and impotent (which the laws design), it serves
only to nourish and continue vice and sloth in the
nation. The real and true objects of charity
would cost the neesion but little to maintain ; and
it is to he doublitteerbey have the least, share in the
public rel.ek."
lint to come nearer to our own times, and to
the most laboi ions, copious, and valuable work on
this subject, we find the opinion of the judicious
and naprejudiced author of "'fife State of the
Poor" expressed in the following decided terms:—
" 1.4)..m the language of various statutes con-
ceruite
,the poor, which passed during the reign
of Oaken Elizabeth, and which being in /serf ma-
' teria, explain each other, either in matter of law,
or illusteAe each other in matter of tact, it may
fairly be'implied to prove, that the relief of the
able bodied poor, with or without families, was
no part of the original system of the poor laws,"
The third of William ,and Mary, c. 11, s.
corroborates this ideti, which is put out of doubt
by the preamble to 8 and 9 William and Mary,
c. 30, s. 2. "To the end, that the money raised
only for the relief of such as 'are as well impotent
as poor, may not be misapplied or ,consumed by
the idle, sturdy, and disorderly beggars."l-
- opinions would, in the absence of any
decision of Courts of Law to the contrary, he en-
titled to much weight ; but this :preamble re-
ferred to by the last author, and which was cited
in the former Report, p. 20, for the same purpose,
seems decisive on the quest ion. Nor, indeed,
can it be well imagined,'that the su;.reme legisla-
tive power of any country would have anticipated
a permanent order of things in which a large
class of the people should be habitually and ne-
cessarily without employment. Your Comiiiittee
conceive that the demand aid supply of lebour
hose; in the natural course of-things, such a ten-
dency to reglete and„belatice teeh other, un-
less counteracted by artificial institutions, that
any excess of either seising from temporary causes,
would, it met by temporary expedients alone, in
no long' iMe'coo'rect itself; whereas the practice
now under consideration, originating perhaps in a
humane extension or the law to meet cases of
occasional atiki pressitos emergency, and inconsi-
dteately confirmed, it calculated to perpetuate
evils that would otheritest be transient, aod per-
manently to derange' the whole industry of the
country.
That such has been its effect in those parts of
this kingdom Wherellit•practice bets WOst pre-
is but too manifest. Your Committee
say, where the practice has most prevailed, be,
cause they heee learned that some Magistrates
have resisted this, whit!, they have'deemed, with
your Committee, a miaConsttoction of the law.—
We may tee! And lament that a compulsory provi-
sion, for even the helplessness of age and infir-
mity, hes a tendency to weaken in a degree the
'naturd efforts of men to provide 'against future
ill ; but if by any human iiistitution the present
wants of life are to obtained otherwise than by
human exertion, the'very sources of sill industry
must be destroyed. Jf, therefore; the parish be
bound to find empleyinent for 'those who are,
from whatever cause, without it, it is obyious
that in cases where the fatuity is mono ous, and
the honest pride and independence of self-support
is extinguished, it becomes, on calculation, 'a
matter of perfect indifference, whether the mo-
ney requisite for their maintenence is derived
from the wages of labour, or the alms of the
parish. The consequence is, that the motive that
would naturally impel men to active and faiehful
service is wanting ; for even if employment
be forleited.by misconduct, the same mea as of
support, in the case supposed, will be given, and
probsb'y little labour will be exacted in return ;
for the parish work is in all cases performed with-
out the Sifpr,llll,-nThq:, centroul of private inte-
rest ; and it urns: be tared, that the pr rsons
who Make this dernistl ersitls on the parii, are,
generally speaking (thoueb at the prevent time it
is certainly in many instances otherwise) the least
active, the least strenoons,andthe least industrious
of the community. It is the 'want of those quali-
ties which has, generally speaking, deprived them
of employment. It has consequently appeared to
your Cmfitnittee that, under this practice, not on-
ly the pressure of the hurthen of the poor's rate:
has become almost overwheltning, but that the.
amount of regular labour has been greatly dimi-
nished, and its quality materially impaired ; and
that it should he so, under such direct temptations
to idleness, can scarcely be matter of surprise, or
even of inculpation. But a striking proof ut the
prejudicial consequences of this practice is afford-
ed by the circumstance, which for other purposes
1543 bcen pressed on the attention of. your Com-
mittee, that it is uniformly found that such inha-
bitants of a parish.as have not acquired a settle-
ment in it, and can obtain no such relief without
being removed, arc distinguished by their activity
and industry, and' generally posses not only the
necessaries, but the comforts of life ; and your
Conithittee have lately learnt with satisfaction,
that the operation of the Act of this SesSion bas
already relieved some pariShes of the Metropolis
from tile heavy burthen of maintaining numbers
of persons without settlements in England; who
are stated, " Now to support theinselves, instead
of 'applying for parochial relief, under the apPre-
hension of being sent home.'.'
If therefore, front :a due consideration of this
part of the statute of Elizabeth, from the opinions
,of early and late writers of authority on the sub-'
ject, from the nature of the case itself, and above
all, from the express terms of the statute of IVil-
Hamill., this supposed obligation "of- parishes to
find work for all .who require it, is at variance
with the letter andaspirit of the law, anti 4as.been,
and is productive of the most baneful effects ; it
appears to your Committee to be ofs the last ins-
portance, that the practice of the countrylhould
be.made consonant with the law in .this respect,
by a new enactment, specifying distinctly to
whom, and to whom arlone, relAef derieed tram a
compulsory llsessmant shall he afforded. . At the