years' growth. Nothing is sacred from laurel is fading like the rest; we hear their ridicule; and with them every very little of the greatest happiness thing which they cannot comprehend, principle now, and no one can guess is immediately to be run down as a the reason why, unless it is that the " prejudice." economists have learnt that their bro And what is the stock of wisdom and ther philosophers of New Zealand had knowledge on which they found their previously discovered the principle and extravagant pretensions; The value and acted upon it, too, when convenient, extent of both is best found in their for there the greater number roasted contradiction of the opinions of each the smaller number, and found their other, and, at short intervals, of them- greatest happiness in eating the miselves. Sometimes short population is nority for dinner. the evil, and early marriage the remedy; But to return to the Poor-Law presently surplus population is the evil, Amendment Bill and the republican and then hey for emigration; some- principles of the economists. Are the times a sponge is to stop the progress lords aware that there is a club in of the world, and presently the sponge London composed principally of these is put by, and a squirt is to set every philosophers of the sponge and squirt? thing to rights; sometimes under- That the man who is generally supproduction of food is the cause posed to have been the prime concocter of misery, presently over-production of the poor-law project, was one of the is the evil, and soon after they founders, if not the real founder, of the discover that we ought not to be club; and that republicanism is drunk a producing, but a manufacturing na- as a toast at the dinners of this club. tion, dependent upon the custom of I was some time ago applied to by a foreign nations for the bread we daily member of this club to allow myself to eat; sometimes political economy re- be proposed as a member, which I de clined: because, as I alleged, they were republicans and I was not one. The gentleman expressed no surprise at the charge, but he did express surprise at finding that I did not participate in the same opinions. quires that the unenclosed land should be taken from the poor, and a few years after it finds out that it is proper that the poor should have portions of the enclosed lands. For a long time, extended issue of Bank paper was the most wonderful discovery of the econoIf the lords will follow up the train mists' wisdom, and they denounced of thought here suggested, they will gold as an expensive encumbrance, then have no difficulty in seeing the conpaper was the encumbrance and gold nexion between political economy, rethe desideratum, while in both theories publicanism, and the poor-law project. they evinced a wonderful ignorance of They will see that this is a scheme to the relation between the two mediums. lessen the influence of the nobility and But the surpassing laurel of the eco- land proprietors in their several localinomists' school was the discovery of a ties; a scheme to make them appear new principle of society-think of that, to the public as opponents of the right Master Brooke-spick-span new, not of the labouring poor to ample support known in the dark ages, and all found from the land, thereby depriving the out in Westminster into the bargain. aristocracy of the sympathy of the mil"The greatest happiness of the greatest lions, and thus render them powerless number." Oh what a fuss they made when the capitalists and their tools, the about this discovery! Reviews, maga- economists, may consider it expedient zines, newspapers, and the economist to abrogate their titles, and take their coteries, were incessantly referring to land from them. what they quaintly called the greatest Can the lords doubt that this bill is happiness principle, and woe to the intended to lower the wages and lessen man who doubted its value, or looked the means of the labouring class, or surprised at what it meant. Alas! this can they doubt that the labourer will not trace the effects of the law to the sin talk, in tact, and other pettifogging hereditary legislators who enacted it, and requisites, have not caliber of mind who (they will have learnt from the Chan- sufficient to comprehend the great princellor) enacted the law to prevent their ciple of equal individual right on which own estates from being engulfed. When the welfare of society hangs. the comforts of the artisan are reduced, the labourer brought to coarser food, the husband separated from the wife, I am, sir, Your very obedient servant, GEO. ROGERS. children from their parents, poverty, 58, High street, St. Giles, 26. July, 1834. To Mr. W. Cobbett, M. P. TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. age, and infirmity, treated as crime and punished with imprisonment, in buildings distant from the scenes of their past happiness; is it to be imagined that all these persons will not think and inquire as to the cause of their suffering, or that they will not discover that their Amendment Bill become law, and in suffering is the penalty paid for the operation in some of the worst-managed lords' estates not being engulfed? It agricultural districts. Let us suppose may be said that the odium (if odium some success in the reduction of pauthere be) of this measure will be equally perism to be the consequence, and the shared by both Houses of legislation. advocaters of the bill, especially the Alas for the lords, they must endure it country gentlemen, exulting accordall, their House is a permanent body, ingly. Lord Brougham, the champion their persons may die, but their titles of the measure, declared, according to remain; and even if the struggle is de- your report of his speech on the 21., ferred beyond their own time, their sons that, " as it was evident a discretion may (when the struggle comes) be made must be lodged somewhere" (how it is to pay the penalty of their fathers' le- evident I do not know), " he had no hegislation. With the lower House it is "sitation in saying that the powers very different; the Commons of one "given to the commissioners must be period may reprobate the acts of ano- "discretionary - must be arbitrary." ther period, without any danger to the Upon the Lord Chancellor's authority, institution itself, and as to the members, then, and without further argument, I they will have mixed with the general assume that the present is an arbitrary mass and have vanished from public view. measure, and I think that neither he nor The If the lords knew their own interest, any other member of the present Gothey would reject the poisoned bowl, vernment will maintain that any arbiand declare for the rights of industry; trary measure can be sound in principle, they would fall back upon our Anglo- or permanently advantageous. Saxon institutions, restore them to furthest they can go is to justify it as an pristine purity, and adapt them with expedient to meet, as Mr. Pitt used to good faith to the habits of the people; say, " existing circumstances"; and let they would seek the salvation of their it not be forgotten that it was to meet order by greatly reducing the expenses existing circumstances, and far more of government; they would greatly re- urgent ones than the present, that the duce, if not entirely destroy, standing 36. of George III. was passed, whereby armies, and centralized police; they a discretionary, or it may be called an would restore the dominion of the arbitrary power, was given to magissheriff's wand; they would open the cor trates, independently of the parish porations, open the vestries, extend the authorities, to which power alone, be it national suffrage to working men, and remembered, is attributable the present teach the people that the experience of amount of evil flowing from the poora course of centuries, is more valuable laws. That was a false principle on than the inexplicable theories of visiona- one side; the present is a false principle ries and jobbers, who, however clever on another; but how are we to hope for better results in the long run? For the of the Government, whose only aim essence of the evil consisted then, as will would be to use their enormous powers be the case now, in the foreign control, in increasing the influence of their in deserting the only safe principle, that patrons, in aggrandizing themselves of well-organized self-government. It and their connexions, in annoying all is boldly assumed that parishes have who were opposed to them, and in inshown themselves incapable of managing triguing and bribing at elections. This their own affairs, when the indisputable would be the inevitable consequence sooner or later of taking away from the people the control of their own affairs, and setting over them three men with unlimited powers. The commissioners truth is, that they have not been allowed to try; and the proof of what they would be able to do is afforded in the example of Scotland, and in a few beginnings here. But, sir, I am wander- will no doubt at first confine their intering from my original intention, which ference to the worst parishes, and enwas to introduce a passage from a speech deavour to do away with abuses acof Cæsar, recorded by Sallust, and knowledged and hated by all, at which brought to my recollection as applicableto the country gentlemen will of course the bill acknowledged by Lord Brougham rejoice, and say they have done well. to contain an arbitrary principle. The But it is to be feared that the inpassage is as follows:-" Omnia mala toxication of success, the growing exempla ex bonis initiis orta sunt: sed, love of power and patronage, the ubi imperium ad ignaros, aut minus jealousy of rivalry, and the applicabonos pervenit: novum illud exemplum tions and intrigues of place-hunters ab dignis, et idoneis, ad indignos, et and jobbers, will ere long operate upon non idoneos transfertur. Lacedæmonii, the best-intentioned, and induce them devictis Atheniensibus, triginta viros unwarrantably to extend their interimposuere, qui rempublicam eorum ference into the best managed parishes tractarent. Hi primò cæpere pessimum as well as the worst; and where they quemque et omnibus invisum indemna- cannot persuade, to endeavour to overtum necare. Ed populus lætari, et awe. Should a war break out, is it not meritò dicere fieri. Post, ubi paulatim to be feared also that local taxation will licentia, crevit, juxta bonos et malos be made subservient by the commislubidinosè interficere, cæteros metu ter- sioners, as it was heretofore by the marere. Ita civitas, servitute oppressa, gistrates, with less powers, to recruitstultæ lætitiæ gravis pœnas dedit." ing the army, increasing the revenue, Which I thus, as it were, paraphrase and appeasing discontents? Should a and apply,-" All bad precedents have general election ensue, and the present arisen from beginnings having some or any future administration be hard show of good. But when the govern-pressed, can it be expected that the ment falls into the hands of ignorant or most powerful political engine ever de. ill-disposed men, the newly created vised will not be put in action for party power is transferred from the worthy purposes? Under such circumstances, and the fit to the unworthy and the what will become of the professed obunfit. The present administration pro- ject of the bill? It will be first passed poses to set three commissioners over by, and then forgotten. Thus may this the parishes to control and direct their free state become a commissioner-ridden affairs. Now should the present admi- country, and the gentlemen of England nistration go out, and be succeeded, have hitter cause to regret their senseeither in the first instance or at any less exultation at a measure from time hereafter, during the existence of which they vainly hope to increase the the proposed new law, by persons of value of their estates by getting rid of arbitrary or jobbing propensities, ali the duties attached to them." But per which may well happen, the three commissioners would no doubt be dismissed, and their places supplied by mere tools up amid loud cheers. * The report of the committee was brought haps it will be said the control of ParThat as the first duty of the father of a liament will operate as a check to any family is to provide for those, who by abuses from the extraordinary powers reason of any mental or bodily infirmity conferred on the commissioners. Lord are least able to take care of themselves, Brougham shall answer that from his so is it the first duty of every governspeech above cited, wherein he says- ment to provide subsistence and all "Did not this show how long a bad other necessaries of life to the poorest system might prevail even against the citizens. interest of the general body, when it That the right of being thus provided contributed to the advantage of certain for is common to the whole family of individuals? How long might a bad men, which no human authority is comsystem prevail in every vestry and parish petent to infringe, for rulers are ordained in England before men's eyes were of God to be the channels of blessing to opened-ay, and after they had been their brethren, and their power may be opened?" Let the centralization sys- exercised in devising the best means of tem be once established, and does not communicating, but may not be emLord Brougham's reasoning apply as ployed to withhold those blessings; as well to a Parliament as to a vestry, to the nation as to a parish? If men will I am, Sir, your obedient servant, July 26. POOR-LAW BILL. THE following petition has been pre sented to the House of Lords from the parish of ALBURY in the county of Surrey. It is excellent; and not at all less excellent on account of its containing just the same doctrines and sentiments as are contained in my little work called the "Poor Man's Friend," which contains every authority mentioned here, except that of LOCKE, which is a great authority, and for the pointing out of which I am exceedingly obliged to the author of this petition. I recommend this petition to the best attention of my readers. The principles of it are taught us by the Word of God itself; and the projectors of this bill may assure themselves, that these principles are written in the hearts of the people. ALBURY PETITION. That while the church is set to show an example of obedience to the powers that be, because they are ordained of God, it is also set to instruct princes in righteousness, and to exhort rulers to the practice of justice and mercy. set forth by the following authorities : "Reason tells us that all men have a right to their subsistence, and consequently to meat and drink, and such other things as nature affords for their preservation. We know that God hath not left one man so much to the mercy of another that he may starve him if he please. God, the Lord and Father of us all, has given no one of his children such a property in his peculiar portion of the things of this world, but that he has given his needy brother a right to the surplusage of his goods, so that it cannot be denied him."-Locke. "In case of absolute necessity, the right of using things as if they remained in common must revive and be in full force. Such a right is for the preservation of natural equity against the rigour and severity of property." Grotius. "When a person reduced to the extreme want of necessary food and of clothes to cover his nakedness, and yet. cannot by his entreaties, by offering an equivalent, or by engaging to work it out, prevail upon those who have enough and to spare to let him partake but of their superfluities, he may, without being guilty of theft, either forcibly or privily, relieve himself out of their stock, and especially if he does it with full intention to pay the value of what he takes whenever his better fortune give him the ability. For indeed common humanity obliges a man of circumstances to help and assist people in such a distress, and though regularly speaking what depends on charity and courtesy deed, or counsel, act contrary thereto, or ought by no means to be extorted by violence, yet the force of extreme necessity is so great as to make these things as recoverable as if they were absolutely due by a formal obligation." -Puffendorf, cxv. Such being indisputably the law of God, Judge Blackstone declares that "this law of nature being coeval with mankind and dictated by God himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the in any degree infringe it."-128. "Whatever is done by a man to save either life or member, is looked upon as done upon the highest necessity and compulsion. And the same is also a sufficient excuse for the commission of many misdemeanours. The law not only regards life and member, and protects every man in the enjoyment of them, but also furnishes him with every thing necessary for their support. For there is no man so indigent or wretched globe, in all countries, and at all times: but he may demand a supply suf no human laws are of any validity if ficient for all the necessities of life from contrary to this. (Lord Chief Justice the more opulent part of the comHobart has also advanced that even an munity, by means of the several staact of Parliament made against natural tutes enacted for the relief of the poor.' justice is void in itself, for jura naturæ -131. sunt immutabilia, and they are leges legum), and such of them as are valid derive all their force and all their authority, mediately or immediately, from this original."-Introduction 41. "Those rights which God and nature And in the passage in which Blackstone objects to the latitude with which this doctrine is laid down by the civilians, he does it upon the express ground that "by our law such sufficient provision is made for the poor by the have established, and are therefore called power of the civil magistrates, that it natural rights, need not the aid of hu- is impossible that the most needy man laws to be more effectually invested stranger should ever be reduced to the in every man than they are; neither do necessity of thieving to support nature," they receive any additional strength and that the arguments of foreigners when declared by the municipal laws to must lose all their weight and efficacy be inviolable. On the contrary, no hu- in England, where charity is reduced to man legislature has power to abridge a system, and interwoven in our very or destroy them; neither do divine or constitution. natural duties receive any stronger sanc- Such being the immutable rights of tion from being also declared to be du- every man, which no legislature has auties by the law of the land."-54. thority to infringe, the law books speak "It "The absolute rights of every En-everywhere the same language. glishman, as they are founded on nature was ordained that the poor should be and reason, so they are coeval with our sustained by parsons, rectors of the form of government, and their funda-church, and by the parishioners, so that mental articles have been from time to none of them die for want of sustetime asserted in Parliament, as often as nance." - Mirror, 133. they were thought to be in danger. Judgment is stayed in various cases, First by the great charter of liber-one of which is "in poverty, in which ties, afterwards by the statute called case you are to distinguish of the poConfirmatio Cartarum, whereby the verty of the offender, or of things; for great charter is directed to be allowed if poor people, to avoid famine, take as common law; all judgments con-victuals to sustain their lives, or clothes trary to it are declared void; copies of that they die not of cold (so that they it are ordered to be sent to all cathedral perish if they keep not themselves from churches, and read twice a year to the death), they are not to be adjudged to people; and sentence of excommunica- death, if it were not in their power to tion is directed to be as constantly de-have bought their victuals or clothes; nounced against all those who by word, for as much as they are warranted so |