Star.
London, England, 1817-03-21 00:00:00

POOR RATES.

We have more than once endeavoured to rouse the
indignation of the public against the iniquitous system
introduced into too many parishes, by which Agri-
culturalists, instead of paying men a fair compens ition
for their labour, keep back a half or three-fourths of
their wages, and compel them to apply, or trotters,
to the Churchwardens for the remainder—and then
cry out against the increase of the Poor Rates. The
rates, as now laid, ate not Poor Rates—but Rata
fir Wager. This we have frequently stated, and the
correctness of our statement has been admitted by
Lord CASTLEREAGH in the House of Commons ; and
we may certainly congratulate the public on so cor-
rect a view being taken of this question by his MA.
JESTY'S Government—for on this point we cannot for
a moment suppose that Lord CASTLEREAGH holds
sentiments different from the other Ministers.

We have been frank in stating our opinion of the
enormity cf a system compelling men to receive a:
pauper: wages which they have fairly earned by their
labour. We have attributed the introduction of this
injustice to the Land-owners and farmers, ncr will
the fact be questioned, we believe, by those who will
take the trouble to make themselves acquainted with
the facts: but if introduced by the agriculturalists, it
i, but justice to give to the Manufacturers their fair
share of the blame :—they have )..one every thing in
their power to profit by the folly of the farmers ; to
turn the operation of their system against themselves;
to reduce their own workmen to the state of paupers,
and to saddle others with the expense of their mann-
ttnancea—or rather to make others pay the workmen
for manufactu►ing goods to be sold exclusively for
the basest of the master.

Do you want prbofs ? Loot at that Cotton Mill.
It is built on the side of a stream, which divides two
'parishes. The owner's slwe)lingrbouse is on the same
side of the stream. Where are the habitations of the
work-people erected ? On the of her side! in a different
parish ! Who supports them when sick, infirm, or
out of work ! What workhriuse -ec;-.ives the widows
and the orphans of those whose health and strength
were wasted in rearing a laile fortune for the owner
of the Cotton Mill ? That of the parish in which the
workmen sleep—not thit cif the parish which receives
the profits of their labottr. Lbok about you. and you
will see that this is not a solitary case. So much for
Some of the Cotton Mills.

As to weaving the yarn after it is spun—Here
also the most flagrant injustice prevails. Far months
past the weavers in Lancashire have been principally
paid out of what Weirder!, the Poor Rat:. in Man-
chester, a weaver, with a wife and five or six chil-
dren, himself only employed, at the rate of 6s. or 7s.
per week (we are not underrating the wages), and
requiring his wife's assistance in winding for him,
applies at the Parish board for relief. The merce-
nary employer readily provides him with a note to
the Overseer', stating his earnings, and they make
it up to 2s. or 2s. 6d. per head in the family. What
is this but paying the wages for weaving out of the
Poor Rafe* ?

In fact, many► of those Manufacturers, whose ca-
pital enables them to do so, have been making more
galas than in former periods.—on the plainest arith-
metical- principle. The goods in no country can
be manufactured at so cheap a price for labour as
they thus pay—and, eventually, the cheapest goods
must find their way to the consumer.—ln connec-
tion with this, mark, we beseech you, the fruit
that has been wrung from the late charitable sub-
scriptions by some of these humane Manufacturers.—
As soon as these donations began to !'e divided for
the relief of the sufferers, they reduced the wages of
their workmen still lower—" I must have your work
done at Is. less per week" (Is. out of 61.)—i, Im-
possible I" replies the workman—" My funily is al-
ready starving."—" Oh, but I will give you a certi-
ficate of your wages, and a ticket to receive meal and
potatoes worth 2s. a week to you."

1 What can the poor workman do ? He is despised
and neglected by the rich who have many friends.
He must submit to receive as a part of his wages
even those very donations of benevolence which were
intended to make up in some measure for his pre-
vious low earnings. Shame I Shame I
And to add, if pouible, to the injustice thus prac-
tised on the public, these cruel masters insult us
by their verbiage and glosses upon the principles
of political economy. Labor, they can tell us,

Itk an *tilde bf merchandize. and they •Inzve a
right to buy. it in the market at the lowest price
possible; at well as any other commodity. We
car.not now expose the sophism—the ignorance
of this statement ; but for the present will content
ourselves with an authority not to be contradicted
by any Christian—" The labourer is worthy of
his reward" —tr To him that worketh, the re.
ward is not a favour but a debt." But even on
their own principle how tan either the Farmers or
the Manufacturers maintain that paying their work.
meta out of a rate to which they make others contri-
bute is iuyinz of (dour ? It is, on the contrary, a rob-
bing of their neighbours—putting hands into their
pockets to draw from thence the wages of their own
servants.

Two itinsburgh Mails arrived just as this Paper
was putting to press.

The Senate was installed at Warsaw, with great
ceremony, on the 2fith of February.

It has been publicly announced in Westpiolia,
that there ate npw no grounds whatever for enter-
taining, fears of famine.

At Hainburgh 4th March the Exchange on Lon.
don was at S.

'NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

• PLYMOU TH, MARCH 19.
Arrived the Hope, DAVY, horn St. Michael's;
Sarah, Homatat, from Bourdranz ; Friends, DE
Caucstv, from Gibraltar; and Mars, OSBORN, from
Teneriffe.—Wind N. W
PORTSSIOU TH, MARCH 20.
Arrived the Dutch man of war Van Tromp, from
the Tent; and the Retrieve and Kinnersly Castle
transports, from Jamaica.—Wind W.

DEAL, MARCH to.
Came down from the River, and sailed the Edward
Ellicix, for Honduras; Bea Johnson, for the West
Indies; Scipio, for Virginia; Ann, for Antigua ; and
Ocean, for St. Helena—the latter remains. Arrived
and remain the Queen, GR.AHM.S. from Rio Janeiro,
in 90 clap; Pelic.n, /Imes. from Dublin ; Alexan-
der, Sourcruan, from the Isle of France ; Kite,
Emelt, from Lisbon ; Hero. KEITH. from Palermo,
and Nicholas, Quota, from Charlston.
DOVER, MARCH 20.
Arrived off this port the Eclipse, Buitvoan, from
the East Indies ; and the Nicholas, GIBBONS. from
Charlston, short of provisions and water. On the 12th
February she fell in with the American ship Henco.
mar, from Philadelphia for Liverpool. loaded with
tobacco and cotton, in a sinking state. The Nicholas
took oat her crew, 1.5 in number.