Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-04-27

Gin Queen. She. in one lender mood, AID
of her reign l60i,* directed her parlIa'
ment TO pass an act, in substance con-
manding The overseers OF the poor IN the
parishes, to collect all the poor, both mar.
ried and unmarried, To put them INTO hou-
.es 10 he procured for them; and TO give
them employment. The obedienl over
s,ers soon prepared the recep acles, aud
filled them with great numbers OF the
poor. But they we're astonisbed 20 IND,
notwithstanding the omnipo'ent decree OF
their sovereign mistress, they could not
fint employment tor the congregated poor.
They discovered that there we're more
hands than employment out OF the poor
houses; and therefore, none, Tor those
within One part Of this sovereign scheme
was, therefore, readily executed, The o
Their was not, nor could il be The pau
pers thus became thrown uDon the public
contributions for a miserable subsistence,
This aCtt is the foundation OF the poor
laws, both in England. ard IN Virginia.
Since that time the pauPers have been
continually increasing, until they now a,
mount 10 above one tenth Of the whole
English population. They must necessa
rily continue TO increase, so long as the
political schemes which have produced
the increase heretofore SHALL continue to
exist. In Scotland there are no general
poo. laws and oI course, none OF these
miserable receptacles tor the poor, The
poor, for that reason, are propor'Ionably
fewer, and better OF IN Scotland, than IN
Eng land. Besides tbs alarming proper
ton OF paupers 10 The whole English
population, there are mhiions Of poor per.
sons, not technlcsly paupers, who are
struggling by their own labor, for mere
SUBSISTENCE, against the ,nolsrable bur-
,heus imposed on them, by the political
schemers nl G. b 1t is a well known
fact; such are the numbers at distressed
lsborefs ;tbai up,n eyerYfmaterlal uniavor'
able huctuation 10 the price OF breadsiuts,
one>hai Of the whole EugI'sh population,
is compelled 10 rely upon the aims OF the
Othe r bali Tor subsistence.
A still more lamentable political effect
OF the public debt OF q b will be found
in the astonishing influence. II has had IN
CONFIRMING, AMI perpetuating the union
OF church aud slate. Or IN other words.
the union OF the spiritual and temporal
powers. This has been done, not merely
,erest, acting itself, IN strict concer, with
church and stale; but by afording the
means for Incorporating with this coalition,
a considerable portion OF the physical
strength OF the nation. The government,
through this medium, has obtained the
means Of extending the army, and the na-
w establishments, to an amount, that ne
yer could have been anticipated, at the
commencement of the funding system
Before this ex,ens ION OF the army and ma
Wy, the British government was under per-
petuaI apprehensioDs for the safety of the u
MON OF church u state These arose, chief
ly, from two considerations The first
was: the vast, and progressive improve
menls, which were m de, and are conlinu.
ally increasing, IN the human intellect, and
consequently in all the arts. and sciences,
arising principally from the discovery OF
the art OF printing, and The facility there
by afforded 10 the interchange of ideas a.
mongst men. The government clearly
foresaw that if this progressive improve
msnt OF the human intellect should be per.
mitted 10 go on, the fraud OF the oppres-
sive union oil church and state. would
soon be discovered, and that this discove-
ry would extend to The great mass OF Bril-
fish subjects; then, unfortunately, laborIDg
under bind, and hlggO'ed attachment
TO the church. The other was, that it
the discovery of tins fraud, should extend
TO the great mass OF british subjects, The
disproportioned superiority OF The physi-
cal power, which was in the mass OF Br'-
fish subjects, over that which could be
commanded by church and stale, the frau
dulent, and oppressive union might be Sc
vered; and the great mass u the people
relieved from the bondage, they had so
long labored under from this fatal union.
A counteractng physical force, was there
tore all important 10 the continuation Of
this despotsn, and the government be-
ing furnished with the means by the mo.
med interest, found it, in the extension OF
the army and navy. Had II not been for
this accumulation of physical strength in
favor of the government, the great mass OF
british subjects. conscious OF The SUPERIOR.
~ OF their physical powers, and impelled
by the intolerable wrongs so long inflicted
upon them by the favored few, might long
since have severed the union OF church
and state, relieved themselves from their
wrongs aud sutferiugs under these pollli-
cal schemes. and once more reinslated
themselves in their long-lost rights and
, Liberties Their prospects are now gioo
my indeed; tor although there is still re-
naming with the oppressed subjects OF q.
B vas, superiority of physical strength
over The whole combined power OF the few;
yet they are distracted, and Disconnected:
and never can be brought to 40 union of
action. more especially when bound down
This act t43d of Queen Ehzabeth) may
be considered the foundation OF the poor laws,
both in England and Virginia. The Virginia
schemers nave improved upon the English
model, as most imitators do-they have dis.
cnyered that II is hetter To have two tier of