Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1845-01-09

party-a kind of accumulation, which, | was told,
was very common; and their pardonable vanity
runs in this way, as, in higher conditions of life,
we see the same passion exhibiting itself in the
accumulation of family plate. The man and wo
man were labourers, greatly esteemed for their
good conduct, and had been both of them in the
same service more than forty years. l asked them
if, IN the course of that time, they had not been
able to lay by some small store Of money to make
them comfortable in their old age! ] could not
have surprised them more by any question which
l could have proposed They replied, that it had
been a constant struggle for them to sustain them
selves but any surplus was beyond their reach
l cannot help thinking that the condition is a hard
one, in which incessant and faithful labor, for so
many years, will not enable the frugal and indus
trous to make some small provision for the period
OF elplessness and decay, in country where the
accumulations of wealth in some hands, growing
| out of this same labour, are enormous.
"The provision for the education of the labour-
ers, is in most parts of England, extremely limit
ed and meagre. There are some national schools,
and there are, in many places, schools established
and supported by the benefcence of the landlords,
for the benefit of the labourers in their own villa
ges, and on their own farms. Sunday schools are
likewise kept up in all the parishes which have
visited and should be happy, if 1t were allowed
me, to adorn my page with the names of some no.
BILE women, who, with benevolence truly mater
nal take deep interest in these institutions, and
generously support them, and, better than that,
personally superintend them. The education CIV
is Of very limited character, and does not ex-
tend beyond reading, writing, and the elements of
arithmetic, exclusive of religious instruction.
"The common wages of farm labour vary, for
men. from FIVE shillings to twelve shillings per
week; but think fair average would be eight
to nine shillings sterling that the monthly wa
ges fok man may be put down at So 81. This
is the whole where labour is paid for in money,
excepting as matter of kindness, the farmer gen.
orally brings the Goals for his labeurer.
1t may be interesting TO some of my readers
TO have more particular account Of the wages
and condition OF the labourers, and for that
| will give some statements of their condition IN
that part of the country where wages are paid in
kind
"ln the neighbourhood of Haddington, in East
Lothian. visited labourer's cottage, being one
in range of six cottages, in district of country
beautifully cultivated and highly improved, and
presenting of the finest examples of agricul
! tural improvement which | have ever seen. The
| wife, very tidy and civil woman, about fort,
: years of age, was at home her husband and daugh
ter labouring in the field. This was very gooc
specimen of neat cottage, and its inmates hac
passed the greater part of their lives in it. 1t hac
no other floor but the hard ground: and two bed:
were fixed in the wall, like sailors herths OF
: board ship. The shelves were covered witt
crockery; and Bible, and a few religious anc
other tracts, lay upon The mantel-piece A cake
: made Of pea flour and barley -four was baking
over the fire. of which was asked to eat, but th
taste of which did very little towards quIckeninl
my appetite. There was, besides the one in whcl
e was, a small room for coal and lumber, where
IN case of great emergency, a lodging might b.
e made up One OF her neighbours in the SAM
: block, with no larger accommodations had eigh
children to provide for. Two grown-up daughters
+; with one smaller one, occupied one bed; the pa
: rents, with one child, occupied the other; the tw
), grown-up sons slept in the lumber room or Goa
house. Inefe Is Olten HluCn CLOSER lOoSiHS tudi
! this The husband Of the woman in whose cot
r tage was, was ploughman, and likewise bon
n dagger, species of service contract which re
Z, ouires him to furnish female labourer, at te
" pence per day in ordinary work, and at one shil
ling [24 centsl per day in harvest, whenever he
d services are required. il he has not wife Q
e daughter who will answer this purpose, he mus
e keep woman in his house. to be always in read
d mess when required His wages were-72 bush
e els oats, bushels peas, and lS bushels barley
e the keep Of cow, or f5 or f6 in money, and f
v for lint, or shirts He is likewise. allowed 100
square yards of ground for potatoes which the fal
If mer ploughs and manures for him. but which b
s cultivates in extra hours. For the rent of hi
e house he gives twenty -one days work in harves
/ if required; but should it happen that only twelv
or fourteen are required it is accepted as an equiv
,t alent.
n .'For the womans work he receives a IKE
: amount per day. whenever she is employed; an
II for her six months service in the year, he pay
e her f3 For the other six months he pays he