In1834therewere924comprisedin67incorporationsNicholls，vol。
　　ii，p。91。
　　ThereisasignificantentryintheAbstractsofReturnsto
　　the1775PoorReliefCommitteeinreferencetothebuildingofthatdeath-trap，
　　theBulcampHouseofIndustry。’IntheExpencesforBuildingisincluded
　　£；500forbuildingaPartwhichwaspulleddownbyaMob。’
　　AnHeckinghaminNorfolkaputridfever，in1774，killed126outof
　　220inmatesEden，vol。ii，p。473，quotingHowlett；cf。alsoRuggles，History
　　ofthePoor，vol。ii，p。266。
　　ThelastofthesesystemshadbeenincludedinaBillintroducedby
　　SirWilliamYoungin1788。’Inordertorelieveagriculturallabourers，who
　　areoften，duringthewinter，outofemployment，thevestryineveryparish
　　isempowered，bynoticeaffixedtothechurchdoor，tosettlearateofwages
　　tobepaidtolabourersnotofemploy，fromthe30thNovtothe28thofFeb。；
　　andtodistributeandsendthemroundinrotationtotheparishioners，proportionally
　　astheypaytotheRates；tobepaidbythepersonemployingthemtwo-thirds
　　ofthewagessosettled，andone-thirdbytheparish-officersoutofthe
　　Rates。’——Eden，vol。i，p。397……TheBillisprintedinHouseofCommonsPapers，1796。The’Heads
　　oftheBill’ascirculatedappearintheAnnalsofAgriculture，vol。
　　xxvi，pp。260ff。and359ff。EdengivesintheformofAppendices1the
　　HeadsoftheBill，2theAmendmentsintroducedinCommittee。
　　HouseofCommonsJournal。
　　ParliamentaryRegister，February11，1800。
　　ForWhitbread’sproposalstoamendtheLawofSettlementin1807see
　　nextchapter。Anattemptwasmadein181959GeorgeII，c。50todefine
　　andsimplifytheconditionsunderwhichthehiringofatenementof£；10
　　annualvalueconferredtherighttoasettlement。Thetermofresidencewas
　　extendedtoayear，thenatureofthetenementwasdefined，anditwaslaid
　　downthattherentmustbe£；10andpaidforawholeyear。Butsounsuccessful
　　wasthispieceoflegislationthatitasfoundnecessarytopassasecond
　　Actsixyearslater1826，andathirdActin1831I
　　WilliamIV，c。18。
　　87。Senator，March1800。
　　88。SeeDebatesinSenator，March31andApril3，1800，andParliamentary
　　Register。Cf。forremovalsfortemporarydistress，SirThomasBernard’sCharge
　　toOverseersintheHundredofStoke。Bucks。ReportsonPoor，vol。
　　i，p。260。’Withregardtotheremovaloflabourersbelongingtootherparishes，
　　considerthoroughlywhatyoumaylose，andwhattheindividualmaysuffer，
　　bytheremoval，beforeyouapplytousonthesubject。Whereyouhavehad，
　　foralongtime，thebenefitoftheirlabour，andwherealltheywantis
　　alittletemporaryrelief，reflectwhether，aftersomanyyearsspentin
　　yourservice，thisisthemomentandthecause，forremovingthemfromthe
　　sceneoftheirdailylabourtoadistantparish，etc。’1798。
　　MrEstcourtmentionsthattheland’wouldlettoafarmeratabout
　　20s。peracrenow。’
　　Itisinterestingtofindthattheseallotmentswerestillletout
　　successfullyin1868。Seep。4145oftheReportontheEmploymentofChildren，
　　YoungPersonsandWomeninAgriculture，1868。
　　ReportsonPoor，vol。iii，p。329。
　　ThemostdistinguishedadvocateofthispolicywasWilliamMarshall，
　　theagriculturalwriterwhopublishedastrongappealforthelabourersin
　　hisbookOntheManagementofLandedEstates，1806，p。155；cf。also
　　Curween’sHints，p。239；’Afartherattentiontothecottager’scomfort
　　isattendedwithlittlecost；Imeangivinghimasmallgarden，andplanting
　　thataswellasthewallsofhishousewithfruittrees。’
　　Cf。PoorLawReport，1817，AppendixG。p。4。
　　Capes，RuralLifeinHampshire，p。
　　PoorLawReports，1834，p。61；cf。ibid。，p。
　　NotestoKent’sNorfolk，p。178。
　　SeePoorLawReport，1834，p。181，andAllotmentsCommittee，
　　SpeenhamlandisnowpartofNewbury。ThePelicanInnhasdisappeared，
　　butthePelicanPostingHousesurvives。
　　CharlesDundas，afterwardsLordAmesbury，1751-1832；Liberal，M。P。
　　forBerkshire1794-1832，nominatedbySheridanfortheSpeakersipin1802
　　butwithdrew。
　　Onthesamedaya’respectablemeeting’atBasingstoke，withthe
　　Mayorinthechair，wasadvocatingthefixingoflabourers’wagesinaccordance
　　withthepriceofwheatwithoutanyreferencetoparishrelief——Reading
　　Mercury，May
　　SeeIpswichJournal，February7，1795，andReadingMercury，
　　AfterSpeenhamlandTheSpeenhamlandsystemisoftenspokenofasapieceofpardonablebut
　　disastroussentimentalismonthepartoftheupperclasses。Thisviewoverlooks
　　thepredicamentinwhichtheseclassesfoundthemselvesattheendofthe
　　eighteenthcentury。Wewilltrytoreconstructthesituationandtoreproduce
　　theirstateofmind。Agriculture，whichhadhithertoprovidedmostpeople
　　withalivelihood，butfewpeoplewithvastfortunes，hadbecomebytheend
　　ofthecenturyagreatcapitalistandspecialisedindustry。DuringtheFrench
　　Waritsprofitswerefabulous，andtheywereduepartlytoenclosures，partly
　　totheintroductionofscientificmethods，partlytothehugepricescaused
　　bytheWar。Itwasproducingthusavastsurplusoverandabovetheproduct
　　necessaryformaintenanceandforwearandtear。Consequently，asstudents
　　ofMr。Hobson’sIndustrialSystemwillperceive，therearoseanimportant
　　socialproblemofdistribution，andthePoorLawwascloselyinvolvedwith
　　Thisindustrymaintained，orhelpedtomaintain，fourprincipalinterests：
　　thelandlords，thetithe-owners，thefarmers，andthelabourers。Ofthese
　　intereststhefirsttwowererepresentedinthegoverningclass，andinconsidering
　　themindofthatclasswemaymergethemintoone。Thesympathiesofthe
　　farmerswereratherwiththelandlordsthanwiththelabourers，buttheir
　　interestswerenotidentical。Thelabourerswereunrepresentedeitherin
　　theGovernmentorinthevotingpowerofthenation。Iftheforceshadbeen
　　moreequallymatched，orifParliamenthadrepresentedallclasses，thesurplus
　　incomeofagriculturewouldhavegonetoincreaserents，tithes，profits，
　　andwages。Itmight，besidesturningthelandlordsintogreatmagnateslike
　　thecottonlordsofLancashire，andthrowinguparaceoffarmerswithscarlet
　　coatsandjackboots，haveraisedpermanentlythestandardandcharacter
　　ofthelabouringclass，havegiventhemadecentwageanddecent142cottages。
　　Thevillagepopulationwhosecondition，asWhitbreadsaid，wascomparedby
　　supportersoftheslavetradewiththatofthenegroesintheWestIndies，
　　toitsdisadvantage，mighthavebeenrehousedonitsshareofthistremendous
　　revenue。Infact，therevenuewentsolelytoincreaserent，tithes，andto
　　someextentprofits。Thelabourersalonehadmadenoadvancewhenthehalcyon
　　daysoftheindustrycloudedoverandpricesfell。Therentreceiverreceived
　　morerentthanwasneededtoinducehimtolethisland，thefarmermade
　　largerprofitsthanwerenecessarytoinducehimtoapplyhiscapitaland
　　abilitytofarming，butthelabourerreceivedlessthanwasnecessaryto
　　maintainhim，thebalancebeingmadeupoutoftherates。Thusnotonlydid
　　thelabourerreceivenoshareofthissurplus；hedidnotevengethissubsistence
　　directlyfromtheproductofhislabour。Nowletussupposethatinstead
　　ofhavinghiswagesmadeupoutoftherateshehadbeenpaidamaintenance
　　wagebythefarmer。Theextracostwouldhavecomeoutofrenttothesame
　　extentasdidthesubsidyfromtherates。Thelandlordthereforemadeno
　　sacrificeinintroducingtheSpeenhamlandsystem，forthoughthefarmers
　　thoughtthattheycouldobtainareductionofrentmoreeasilyiftheycould
　　pleadhighratesthaniftheypleadedthehighpriceoflabour，1*itis
　　obviousthatthesameconditionswhichproducedareductionofrentsinthe
　　onecasemustultimatelyhaveproducedareductionintheother。Asitwas，
　　noneofthissurpluswenttolabour，andtheproportioninwhichitwasdivided
　　betweenlandlordandfarmerwasnotaffectedbythefactthatthelabourer
　　waskeptalivepartlyfromtheratesandnotwhollyfromwages。2*
　　Nowthegoverningclasswhichwasconfrontedwiththesituationthatwe
　　havedescribedinapreviouschapterconsistedoftwoclasseswhohadboth
　　contrivedtoslipofftheirobligationstotheState。Theywerebothessentially
　　privilegedclasses。Thelandlordswerenotintheeyeofhistoryabsolute
　　owners；theyhadheldtheirlandonseveralconditions，oneofwhichwas
　　theliabilitytoprovidemilitaryservicesfortheCrown，andthisobligation
　　theyhadcommutedintoataxonthenation。Neitherwerethetithe-owners
　　absoluteownersintheeyeofhistory。InearlydaysallChurchproperty
　　wasregardedasthepatrimonyofthepoor，andtheclergywerebiddento
　　useitnonquasisuissedquasicommendatis，Dryden，indrawingthecharacter
　　oftheGoodParson，haddescribedtheirobligations：