the same means of support, in the case supposed, will be given, and probably little labour will be exacted in return; for the parish work is in all cases performed without the superintending control of private interest; and it must be remembered, that the persons who make this demand for work on the parish, are, generally speaking (though at the present time it is certainly in many instances otherwise), the least active, the least strenuous, and the least industrious of the community. It is the want of those qualities which has, generally speaking, deprived them of employment. It has consequently appeared to your committee that, under this practice, not only the pressure of the burthen of the poor-rate has become almost overwhelming, but that the amount of regular labour has been greatly diminished, and its quality materially impaired: and that it should be so, under such 'direct temptations to idleness, can scarcely be matter of surprise, or even of inculpation. But a striking proof of the prejudicial consequences of this practice is afforded by the circumstance, which for other purposes has been pressed on the attention of your committee, that it is uniformly found that such inhabitants of a parish as have not acquired a settlement in it, and can obtain no such relief without being removed, are distinguished by their activity and industry, and generally possess not only the necessaries, but the comforts of -life; and your committee have lately learned with satisfaction,

2

!

that the operation of the act of this session has already relieved some parishes of the metropolis from the heavy burthen of maintaining numbers of persons without settlements in England; who are stated " now to support themselves, instead of applying for parochial relief, under the apprehension of being sent home.'

If therefore this supposed obligation of parishes to find work for all who require it, is at variance with the letter and spirit of the law, and has been, and is productive of the most baneful effects; it appears to your committee, to be of the last importance, that the practice of the country should be made consonant with the law in this respect, by a new enactment, specifying distinctly to whom, and to whom alone, relief derived from a compulsory assessment, shall be afforded. At the same time, they are well aware, that it is not at a moment like the present, when from a concurrence of circumstances, the country is unusually embarrassed by the number of persons without employment, that it should be attempted to bring this better system at once into operation; and it would be probably expedient previously to remove any impediments which are thrown in the way of the free circulation of labour, either by the existing laws respecting the settlement of the poor, or those which relate to vagrancy.

That the market for labour is in many parts of the kingdom at present much overstocked, does not admit of dispute; nor does your committee believe, that in

other

other parts the demand is greater than the supply; it is not probable, therefore, that even the entire and immediate removal of all such impediments, if it were practicable, would of itself, at this moment, cure the existing evil. Other measures, assisted by the unrestrained operation of natural causes, will yet be wanting to bring the kingdom, in this respect, to its ordinary and health ful state. Your committee, therefore, must recur to the opinion expressed in the former report, that "all obstacles to seeking employment wherever it can be found, even out of the realm, should be removed, and every facility that is reasonable, afforded to those who may wish to resort to some of our own colonies;" for it seems not unnatural, that this country should, at such a time, recur to an expedient which has been adopted successfully in other times, and in other countries, especially as it has facilities for this purpose, which no other state has perhaps ever enjoyed to the same extent, by the possession of colonies affording an extent of unoccupied territory, in which the labour of man, assisted by a genial and healthy climate, would produce an early and abundant return. Your committee thought it desirable to make some inquiries on this subject, the result of which will be found in the minutes of evidence.

If by these and other means, by a continuance of the blessings of peace, and a consequent augmentation of capital, the demand and supply of labour should be nearly balanced, and the wages

of labour become a more adequate remuneration of industry, your committee are satisfied, that the object which they recommend might be gradually attained, without material embarrassment or difficulty; provision continuing to be made by law for the infirm and helpless, and the partial and temporary distress which might occasionally befal even the able and industrious, being left, as it confidently might, to the aid of voluntary and discriminating benevolence, to which alone it should be remembered the wants even of age and infirmity in most other countries are referred. The assessment, thus limited in its application, would no longer threaten to absorb all the sources of supply, nor continue to seduce the labour. ing part of the population, by the delusive promise of parish relief, from their natural habits of industry. The greater part, your committee believe, of the sums of money which are now forced into the poor-rate, and undergo a compulsory, and for the most part unprofitable distribution, would probably be restored to their natural channel, giving thereby an increased activity to labour, under the interested but beneficial superintendence of their owners; from which would necessarily result a rise of wages, with the beneficial consequences that would naturally ensue to the labouring classes; active and faithful service would indeed be found indispensable for the supply of present wants; and recourse would doubtless be had to those facilities and inducements which are now afforded

to

to realize the benefits of exertion and frugality. Reverend Henry Duncan called

in; and examined.

In what part of Scotland do you reside?-In the parish of Ruthwell and presbytery of Annan, in Dumfries-shire.

In what manner are the indigent poor of your parish supported?-By collections in the church, by private charities, but chiefly by their own relations.

What is the amount annually of the funds under the management of your session, and in what manner are these funds raised? -The annual amount is about 247.; these funds are raised by collections in the church, and by fines, which the session has in its power to impose on irregular marriages, on the parents of ille gitimate children, and on proclamations for marriage.

Are there any other funds out of which the poor of your parish are supported?-No; there are no other funds.

What is the population of your parish? About 1,160.

Have the goodness to detail to the Committee the mode of management by which the sessions of Scotland become acquainted with the wants of the poor, and afford them supply? I believe the Committee is aware, that the session of a parish consists of the minister and elders, and that the minister is the moderator or president; the elders are chosen from the respectable householders, and the selection is made from particular districts of the parish, as far apart as circumstances will admit; they supply

vacancies by election of their own body. The parish is by a mutual understanding divided into districts, over which each elder exercises a kind of superintendence, and he is perfectly acquainted with the situation of all the inhabitants of his own particular district; he gains this acquaintance not only by his residence among them, but also from the exercise of the duties of his office, which consists in visiting the sick and in praying with them, on which occasion he takes an opportunity of inquiring into their circumstances, and of ascertaining whether they are in pecuniary distress, or otherwise. Every Sunday, if necessary, there is a meeting of the session, which generally takes place immediately after divine service. The affairs of the poor are then talked over, and if there are any who require immediate relief, it is ordered to be given. Relief, however, is only ordered at these meetings, in cases of remarkable distress, the usual time of making distributions being at a quarterly meeting of the session; at that quarterly meeting, the minister and elders look over the poor list, and appoint the different allowances to the indigent. I should mention also, that the heritors (that is to say, the landed proprietors) have it in their power to attend these meetings. of session. In point of fact, however, they never do attend excepting when specially summoned on ten days notice; they are never called upon but in cases where it may be necessary to levy some particular contribution for the exigencies of the poor.

cate from the minister, stating the circumstances of theating and who obtain for them a supply in meal or money. This is a substitute for begging; and though it may be attended with disad vantages, is probably better than permitting the individual himself to ask alms, because it has not so great a tendency to bring down the spirit of the lower classes, by degrading them in their own eyes, or in public opinion, and possesses other recommendations which will readily

occur.

Have you any reason to be. lieve that pauperism is increasing in Scotland? Certainly it is in those districts where poor-rates have been established. I had an opportunity of ascertaining this fact by inquiries which I made about 10 years ago, when poorrates began first to be introduced into my own neighbourhood; I had a good deal of correspondence at that time with persons resident in those parts of Scot land where poor rates had been established; and I obtained in formation from various districts, all going to prove that the establishment of poor-rates had a tendency to increase pauperism in a very great degree. With reference to this subject, I may also mention the situation of the parish of Carlaverock, which borders on that of Ruthwell, and which is precisely in similar circumstances. In that parish a sum of money was, more than a century ago, left for the poor, by a Dr. Hutton; with this money land was purchased, which now yields about 300l. a year. This annual sum goes entirely, I be

lieve, to the support of the poor; and the consequence is, that the numbers on the poor roll of that parish have very greatly increased; there are on that poor roll about 50 individuals. If you compare this with the state of the adjoining parish of Ruthwell, which contains exactly the same number of inhabitants, you will find that pauperism must have been greatly increased by the bequest in question; the number of the poor in the one parish being threefold that of the poor in the other.

Do you refer the increase of pauperism to any other cause than that which you have mentioned with respect to the establishment of poor-rates?-Years of scarcity and embarrassment have also had a very distressing tendency in that respect. I will mention in which way I conceive these to operate. In years of scarcity the landed proprietors meet for the purpose of affording relief to the poor, when on other occasions they had not been accustomed to meet. They afford such relief in general, by a voluntary assessment, and this voluntary assessment teaches the poor to look up to a mode of supplying their wants which they had not been accustomed to. In point of fact, the consequence has been, that the dislike to receive parochial relief is wearing away, and has evidently done so within the last two or three years. I may mention one proof of this, which just occurs to me. A poor labourer in a neighbouring parish applied to me about two years ago, requesting that I would inform him of the best method of com

pelling