Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 3, 1802).djvu/446

422] of advancing in life, and obtaining an honest competence against the day of want; so that, on the most trivial occasions, they become chargeable to the parish.

Farther, this legal relief is supposed to destroy every emotion of gratitude in those who receive it, and who are consequently led to imagine that they have a lawful claim to such assistance. These exactions apparently tend to extinguish charity, and to steel the hearts of the humane, even against a truly deserving object. It is true, the covetous are compelled to contribute towards the support of the poor, disabled, aged, and distressed; but the evils arising from such a system, more than counterbalance this advantage, and are eventually oppressive to many industrious families; who can ill alford to pay their quota of the poor-rates.

To remedy these notorious grievances, houses of industry,, and work-houses, have been proposed and carried into effect. In some places, they have been attended with the most beneficial consequences; while, in others, the rates have continued to increase in a most alarming degree. This growing evil has been attributed (and we fear, in many cases, with too much justice), to the almost unbounded and resistless power, exercised by overseers in their respective parishes; who are, for the greater part, illiterate landholders, that are put into office, according to the routine of business, on account of their large farms, or other occupations. One of the most rational expedients that can be suggested, with a view to check such inconveniences, is the incorporation of the hundreds; and the appointment of men of liberal education to the superintendance of all affairs that respect the poor. Influenced by no selfish or pecuniary motives, they would conduct every part of their duty in the most economical manner; and the necessary consequence would be the reduction of the poor-rates:—indeed, experience has proved, in parishes, where the attention of liberal-minded men to parochial business was obtained, that a saving of several hundred pounds per ann. resulted to the benefit both of the poor, and of the house-keeper; but, as soon as gentlemen resigned their office, the old abuses were renewed, and the rates were annually augmented in arithmetical progression.

In the 25th volume of Annals of Agriculture, there is an account of a most humane method of assisting the poor, which must be interesting to every reader, who possesses the smallest drop of the "milk of human kindness."—In the parishes of Ashley, and Newton, Wiltshire; and Shipton-moine, Gloucestershire; the landlord,, Esq. allotted fifteen perches of land to every cottager, which were inclosed in one large tract, that contained a sufficient number of acres. As some parts of the soil were not perfectly level, lots were drawn, for the choice, by the cottagers, to whom every encouragement was offered, in case they diligently cultivated their gardens. The happy effects of this donation soon became evident: employment was furnished for the women and children, in planting potatoes, &c.; while the poorer inhabitants of those parishes, who had been dissipated, idle, and addicted to drunkenness, were gradually, by shutting up an ale-house, and repairing their dwellings, verted