Page images
PDF
EPUB

a pernicious advantage over the village. In such a place as London, speaking generally, it is scarcely possible for labourers and mechanics to gain a settlement by occupation. When they marry, they find the cheapest houses above their reach, and they live in lodgings which they are continually changing; under this Bill, therefore, they would never gain a settlement in it. The mechanics, labourers, &c. and, of course, the paupers of large places, always consist, in a great degree, we may say, principally, of those who have removed to them from villages; in consequence, by this sagacious bill, London and other large places will be relieved in a great measure from paupers and poor-rates, while the villages will be overwhelmed with both. As the surplus village population can only hope to find employment in large places, the Legislature ought to afford it every facility and temptation for removing to such places; but this bill does exactly the contrary. It is idle to speak of promoting the circulation of labour between one village and another, because every village has an excess of labourers.

But if the pressure of supporting the poor is to be materially reduced, it must be done by other things than changes in the Poor Laws. The perfecting of these laws in letter and administration, will accomplish comparatively but little; and the abolition of them will make the pressure still greater. So long as there shall be a large surplus of population, so long will this surplus be a heavy burden upon the community, whether there be Poor Laws or none. Supported it must be, and supported it will be, either by voluntary bounty, or by its own depredations. Remove this surplus in so far as it is regular and permanent in its existence, and then able-bodied labourers will press but little on the poor-rates. Here is the great remedy. It seems to be pretty certain that were it not for the influx of Irish labourers, there would be no such surplus of any moment in England and Scotland. We say not that this influx can be, or ought to be, prevented; but knowledge of the source of the evil is no small matter. Now, is it impossible to remove this surplus? No; all admit the possibility. It may be done by cultivating the waste lands at home, or by emigration. Why, then, is nothing attempted? As to cultiva ting the waste lands at home, it is

alleged, that though it is practicable, it would not yield adequate profit. Because it would not remunerate a private individual, it is asserted that it would not remunerate the State. In such a matter, the interests of the State differ wholly from those of an individual; the latter must look for his return in the shape of rent; in so far as he cannot get sufficient rent, his expenditure is a dead loss to him. But if the State expend millions, for which it can get no return in the shape of rent, still, if the expenditure relieve it from a heavy burden, and add considerably to its revenue, trade, wealth, and power, it yields ample profits. Looked at in this point of view, we are confident that the cultivation of the waste lands at home would be highly profitable to the State. But if this cannot be thought of, why is not emigration resorted to in respect of Ireland? No answer can be given. Mr W. Horton has certainly been shamefully dealt with by his friends, official and unofficial. Will any man say, that the excess of popu lation, particularly that of Ireland, will be removed by natural causes, or that such causes will ever prevent it from increasing? No. All own, that this excess produces the most calamitous consequences in Ireland, and inflicts the most baleful evils on England and Scotland-and that, if no remedy be applied, it will continue to increase; yet not a finger is to be raised to apply a remedy! When we look at this, we are almost compelled to ask, Why do Ministers and Parliament exist? If any man wish to form a correct opinion of those swaggering, blustering people, who, in these days, call themselves the only philosophers and statesmen, he has only to look at the fact, that, amidst the wild, wholesale, multifarious experiments and innovations of late years, a stupendous national evil like this has never been touched.

The Free-trade measures form an. other prolific source of pauperism. Not only have they deprived numbers wholly of employment, but they have so far cut down wages in various callings, that the labourer cannot earn what will support his family. They place before the manufacturer, or producer, the alternative of selling his goods at a certain price or losing his market; and, in consequence, he must have labour at the lowest price, or he cannot employ it. It is foolishly ar

gued by some, that if they bring no considerable quantity of foreign goods into the country, they do no mischief: the truth is, if they occasion no import of foreign goods whatever, they produce incalculable evil. To prevent the import, the workmen employed in a whole trade are kept constantly in penury. An exquisite specimen of the wisdom of modern legislation is presented in the fact, that, at the very moment when our legislators have enacted laws, which practically prohí bit the labourer from obtaining such wages as are essential for the proper support of his family, they are protesting, that he ought to save as much when he has employment as will support him when he is destitute of it, and are endeavouring indirectly to compel him to do so by law.

If the working classes generally have a sufficiency of employment at sufficient wages, there will be nothing to complain of in respect of poor-rates. This is obvious to all men. It must, however, never be forgotten, that the sufficiency must be in wages as well as in employment. It is clear, that a sufficiency like this is not to be created by changes in the Poor Laws. The quantity of employment must be increased, or the population must be reduced; and commercial laws must afford full scope to the master, for enabling him to give adequate wages to his workmen. Let no man hope to get rid of the burden of supporting the poor by the abolition of the Poor Laws. He may, indeed, get rid of poor-rates, and he may be deaf to every appeal to his charity-he may never contribute a farthing to the poor from legal compulsion, or in voluntary gifts -and all he will gain from this will be, the loss of infinitely more than his poor-rates amount to. The country at large may rest assured, that if it will not support its poor in one way, it must support them in another; and that, if it deprive them of parish relief, they will deprive it of something far more valuable.

What we have said relates solely to England. If the people of Scotland find their present mode of administering their Poor Laws a beneficial one, let them adhere to it, and by us they shall not be censured. We will, how ever, observe, that the law now in progress through Parliament, for requiring seven years' residence as the qua

lification for a settlement in Scotland, appears to us to be neither a wise nor a just one. If it be necessary that a labourer, when he loses employment in one place, should endeavour to pro cure it in another, it is certainly necessary to give him all proper inducements for doing so. A law like this is calculated to deter him from it; it must operate against the circulation of labour, and the equalization of parish burdens. A place derives all the benefit from a labourer, which flows from his expending his wages in it for three, or six years, while he is in employ. ment; and then, when he is in distress, it sends him to some other place, which perhaps never received any be nefit from him whatever. This is highly unjust. As a means of getting rid of the evils which flow from the influx of Irish labourers, we imagine it will have small efficacy.

With regard to Ireland, we are recommending nothing in respect of Poor Laws. In some parts of it such laws could not at present be introduced, and in other parts they would operate beneficially. That it is prac ticable to put the whole into the state necessary for enabling them to yield it incalculable benefits, is our decided conviction; and we are further convinced, that, not only for its own good, but for that of the empire at large, it ought to be put into this state, and to have Poor Laws. If the Irish writers and orators, instead of converting the question into a matter of party fury between Protestant and Catholic, would examine it impartially and dispassionately on its own merits, they would, we think, do much service to the distressed and starving part of their countrymen. If Ireland had possessed Poor Laws like England, it never would have suffered what it has suffered; the landlords would have been compelled to look after their estates, and the subletting, penury, and barbarism, would have been prevented. If it be now impossible to introduce Poor Laws into Ireland, we may at least be permitted to lament that they were not introduced when it was possible, if we may do no more. If the absence of them have materially contributed to bring on Ireland miseries alike horrible and irremediable, we pray Heaven, that the abolition of them may never bring similar miseries on England.

INDEX TO VOLUME XXIII.

Agriculture and Commerce, remarks on,
by an ancient country gentleman, 632
Ambrosianæ, Noctes, No. XXXV. 112
No. XXXVI. 779

Anatomy of Drunkenness, review of the, 481
Andrew Cleaves, story of, 228, 309
Appointments, Promotions, &c. 266,653
Aristophanes' Comedy of " Peace," review
of Mordaunt's translation of, 551
Babylon, the burden of, 771-Song I. ib.
-Song II. 772-Song III. 773 Song
IV. 774-Song V. 776
Bachelor's Beat, the, No. III. The Ba-
chelor's Christmas, 14
Bank of England and Country Banks, 197
Bankrupts, monthly list of, 266, 659
Battle of Navarino, reflections on the, 25
Bhurtpore, account of the siege of, 445-
Letter on, from a Bengal Engineer, 914
Births, lists of, 268, 661

Blue Stockings over the Border, 500
Bridal-day, the, 549

British Drama, the causes of its decline, 33
British Africa Sierra Leone. Letter from

Mr M'Queen on, 63
British Colonies, letter from Mr M'Queen

to the Duke of Wellington on the, 891
Burns, Lockhart's Life of, review of, 667
Byron, Lord, and some of his contempo-
raries, review of Leigh Hunt's publica-
tion on, 362

Calendar, the Shepherd's, 214, 509
Catholic Emancipation, letter on the dan-
ger of, 621

Change of Ministry, on the causes of the
late, 502

Christmas Dreams, 1
Christmas Presents, 7
Christmas, the bachelors, 14
Christmas Carol, a, 252

Christopher in Edinburgh, and Christopher
in London, 803-Edinburgh, the theatre,
806 the King's opinion of Edinburgh,
808 National Monument, 810-Lon-
don, 811

Churchyards, Chapters on. Chap. XIII.
The Haunted Churchyard, 85-Chap.
XIV. Andrew Cleaves, 228 Chap.
XV. The same, 236 Chap XVI. Con-
clusion of Andrew Cleaves, 309
Commerce, Agriculture and, remarks on,

632

Connor M'Glochlin, a Tale of the Lower
Shannon, 324

Cookery, remarks on the systems of Ude,
Jarrin, and Mrs Glasse, 581
Corn Markets, 257, 650

Country Banks, the, and the Bank of Eng-
land, No. II. 97

Danger of Catholic Emancipation, Letter
on the, 621

Deaths, lists of, 270, 663

Deaths, military, 263, 265, 654, 659
Delta, six Sonnets by, 502
Drama, the British, causes of its Decline,

33

Dream, a Midsummer Day's, 803
Dreams, Christmas, 1.
Drunkenness, review of the Anatomy of,
481

Duel, Military, at the Isle of Wight, 440
Education in Ireland, remarks on the ninth
report on, 351

Emigration, remarks on, 191, 615
Fairies, Brownies, and Witches, stories of,
214, 509

Flagstaffe, Major, Passages in the Life of,
273

Frithioff, a Swedish Poem, review of, 137
Fuseli, Henry, Esq. memoir of the late, 572
Gastronomy, Ude, Jarrin, Mrs Glasse, 581
Gomes' Tragedy, Nova Castro, review of,

601

Haunted Churchyard, the, 55

Health and Longevity, review of Sure
Methods of Improving, &c. 96
Hebrew Lady, Toilette of the, 295
Hunt, Leigh, review of his publication on
Lord Byron and Contemporaries, 362
Illustrissimo Viro, 922

Illustrations of Zoology, review of Wil-
son's, 856

Inclosure Bills, remarks on, 195

Ireland, remarks on the Ninth Report on
Education in, 351

Irish Yeoman, the, a Tale of the Year
Ninety-eight, 735, 875

Journey in the Kingdom of Kerry, notes
of a, 48

Kerry, Kingdom of, Notes of a Journey
in the, 48

Landscape, wintry, 293

Letter from a Whig-hater, 178—Second
letter, 472

Letter from Senex, on the Danger of Ca-
tholic Emancipation, 621

from the Ettrick Shepherd, relating

a strange Secret, 822

from a Bengal Engineer, on the
Siege of Bhurtpore, 914

Letters from the Peninsula, No. II. Battle

of Vittoria, 183-No. III. Depot at the
Isle of Wight, 431-No. IV. Battle of
Salamanca, 535

Liverpool, on the projected Cathedral at,

90

Lockhart's Life of Burns, review of, 667
Londonderry's, Marquis, Narrative of the
War in Spain and Portugal, review of,
716

Lute, the broken, 291

M'Queen, Mr, letter from, on British
Africa, 63-On the British Colonies,
891

Man with the Mouth, the, 597
Man of Ton, the, a Satire, review of, 835
Managers of the Opera, on the, 91
Marriages, Lists of, 269, 662

Memoir of the late Henry Fuseli, Esq.
R.A. 572

Meteorological Tables, 259, 652
Military Promotions, Appointments, &c.

[blocks in formation]

Mordaunt's translation of Peace, a Come-
dy by Aristophanes, review of, 551
Montgomerie's poem on the Omnipresence
of the Deity, review of, 751

Narrative of the War in Spain and Portu-
gal, review of, 716

National Debt, Whig plan for its reduc-
tion, 341

Nature's Farewell, 874
Navarino, on the battle of, 24

Noctes Ambrosianæ, No. XXXV. The
Shepherd solus, 112-Song, "O mother,
tell the laird o't," 113-The Shepherd's
Dream, 117-His opinion of Sheridan,
119-On flattery, 121-On the "Tick
Dollaroose and the Jaundice," 124
Tickler on Charity, 128-Oysters, 129
-The Cattle Show, 131-Ducrow's
Amphitheatre, 131-Song, 133 Song,
"Why does the sun shine on me," 135
-No. XXXVI. 779-Song by the
Shepherd, 782-Politics, Canning, the
Whigs, 786Song by ODoherty, 790
Ode, 796-Song, "Gude night and joy
be wi' you a'," 802

North, Old, and Young North; or Chris-
topher in Edinburgh and Christopher
in London, 803

Notes of a Journey in the Kingdom of
Kerry, 48

Nova Castro, a Tragedy, by Joam Bap-
tisto Gomes, review of, 601

Ode on the distant prospect of a good din-

ner, 796-Lines written on the back,
798
Omnipresence of the Deity, review of
Montgomery's poem on the, 751
Opera, on the Managers of the, 91
Passages in the Life of Francis Flagstaffe,
Esq. late major in his Majesty's service,
273
Peace, a Comedy, by Aristophanes, review
of Mordaunt's translation of, 551
Peninsula, Letters from the, 183, 431, 535
Planter's Guide, the, review of, 409
Poetry-Moralitas, 47-Song, "O mother,
tell the laird o't," 113-Song, "Write,
write, tourist and traveller," 133-Song,
"Why does the sun shine on me," 135

-Minced Pie, a Christmas Carol, 252—
The broken Lute, 291-Wintry Land-
scape, 293-The calm Sea, 499-To a
Child, ib.-Lines sacred to the Memory
of the Rev. E. W. Barnard, 500-Blue
Stockings over the Border, ib.-Six.
Sonnets, by Delta, 502-To Mrs He-
mans, 642 To meet again, 713 To
the Rhine, 715-The Burden of Baby-
lon, 771-To the sweet-scented Cycla-
men, 777-Song " In Embro town they
made a law,” 782--Song, “They may
rail at the city," 790-Ode to Whisky,
795-Ode on the distant prospect of a
good dinner, 796-Lines written on the
back. 798 Song, "Gude night and joy
be wi' you a'," 802-Nature's Farewell,
874

Poor Laws, English, remarks on, 923
the desire for their abolition chiefly con-
fined to theorists, 924-proofs of what
evil their abolition would produce, fur-
nished by experiments in Ireland, 929—
Arguments of the abolitionists consider-
ed, ib.-Reform in their administration
recommended, 934-Bill now before
Parliament considered, ib.-Emigration
and the Cultivation of Waste Lands
the only means of getting rid of the sur-
plus population, 935

Postscript, dictated to a Printer's Devil,

256

Presents, Christmas, 7
Prices Current, 258, 651
Promotions, Appointments, &c. Military,
260, 263

Public Men and Parties, 520-The Liver-
pool Ministry, ib.-The Canning Mi-
nistry, 523-Foreign Policy of Mr Can-
ning, 525-Treaty regarding Turkey
and Greece, 529-Domestic Policy of
the Liverpool Ministry, 531
Publications, list of new, 645
Remarks on the battle of Navarino, 25
-On the projected Cathedral at LA-
verpool, 90 On the Managers of the
Opera, 91-On military uniform, 92-
On steam carriages, 94-On Whiggism,
165-On Wilmot Horton, and Emigra-
tion, 191, 615-On Sentiment, 194-
On inclosure bills, 195--On Country
Banks and the Bank of England, 197—

A

On the Ninth Report on Education in
Ireland, 351-On the causes of the late
change of Ministry, 504-On Public
Men and Parties, 520-On the Gastrono-
my of Ude, Jarrin, and Mrs Glasse, 581
-On Agriculture and Commerce, 632—
On the Poor Laws, 923
Review of "Sure Methods of improving
Health and Prolonging Life," 96-Of
Frithioff, a Swedish poem, 137-Of
Hunt's Lord Byron, and some of his
Contemporaries, 362_Of Sir H. Steuart's
Theory of Transplantation, 409-Of
Macnish's Anatomy of Drunkenness, 481
-Of Mordaunt's Eighvn of Aristophanes,
551-Of Gomes' tragedy, Nova Castro,
601-Of Lockhart's Life of Burns, 667-
Of Montgomery's Omnipresence of the
Deity, 751-Of the Man of Ton, a sa-
tire, 835—Of Wilson's Illustrations of
Zoology, 856

Reviewer Reviewed, the, 917

Russia and Persia, sketch of the war be
tween, 457

Salamanca, the battle of, 535

Secret, a strange one, related in a letter
from the Ettrick Shepherd, 822
Senex, letter from, on the danger of Catho-
lic Emancipation, 621
Sentiment, remarks on, 194

Shepherd's Calendar, the, Class IX. Fairies,
Brownies, and Witches, 214-Fairies,
Deils, and Witches, 509
Siege of Bhurtpore, 445, 914
Sierra Leone, letter from Mr M'Queen on
the report of the Parliamentary Commis.
sioners sent out to, 63
Sonnets by Delta, 502

Spain and Portugal, review of narrative of
the war in, 716

Steam carriages, remarks on, 94
Tale of the Lower Shannon, 324—of the
year ninety-eight, 735, 875

Tales of the Wedding, No. IV. A wedding
at school, 562
Temper, trials of, 40

Toilette of the Hebrew lady, exhibited in
six scenes, 295-Scene 1st, 296 Scene
2d, 303 Scene 3d, 304 Scene 4th, 305.
5th, 306-Scene 6th, 307

Ton, the man of, review of, 835
Transplantation, review of Sir H. Steuart's
theory of, 409

Verses to the sweet-scented cyclamen, 777
Vittoria, the battle of, 183

War between Russia and Persia, sketch of
the, 457

War in Spain and Portugal, review of nar-
rative of the, 716

Wedding at school, a, 562

Whig retrenchment, and plan for the re-
duction of the national debt, 341
Whig-hater, letter from a, 178-Second
letter, 472

Whiggism, remarks on, 165-Mr Fox, the
father of the sect, ib. Their religious and
political sympathies, 168 Character and
talents of the modern Whigs, 170-called
into office by the necessities of Canning's
ambition, 172 Their hostility to the
Church and to the crown, 17
Whig, the, 826

Wilson's Illustrations of Zoology, review
of, 856

Wintry landscape, 293

Works preparing for publication, 643
Yeoman, the Irish, a Tale, 735, 875
Zoology, review of Wilson's Illustrations
of, 856

« PreviousContinue »