least of it) GROSSLY ERRONEOUS INFORM-eyes, I call upon him to visit first the cottages of Berwickshire and Roxburgh

ATION.

Of the five southern counties of Scot- shire, and then the almost Irish cabins land with which I am best acquainted of Wigtownshire and Kircudbright; I and which are of sufficient extent to call upon him to compare the condition form a pretty fair field for experiment, of the inmates of these cottages and two, WIGTOWN and KIRGUDBRIGHT, are cabins in their food, their clothing, their in the first positions mentioned by the household goods where the latter have commissioners, the poor-laws "having any, as well as in their morals and never been enforced" in them; two, general conduct, not forgetting to note again, BERWICK and ROXBURGH, are in down in which district most prevails the second position, the poor-laws hav- the love of "ARDENT SPIRITS"; I call ing "there existed for (perhaps) a cen- upon my opponent, should there be one, tury," while the remaining one, Dum- to perform this task, and if after doing FRIES, is in a sort of medium state, the so he shall still be of opinion that the principle of assessment having been commissioners have reported well and generally adopted in its eastern but not truly, then all that I can do is to proyet resorted to in its western parishes. nounce him incorrigible. Here then are two portions of Scotland But the commissioners, by way of which stand directly opposed to each supporting their doctrine, have hinted other on the point in question, while in at a few of their authorities, and though other respects there is no apparent dif- their hints are very scanty indeed, I thank ference in their "natural circum-them for their condescension in this restances." But will the commissioners spect. They first allude to the REV. venture to say that there is a greater DR. CHALMERS and to his SCHEME for "relaxation of industry," a greater "in- causing the "aged, lame, and impotent," crease of bastardy," more "forsaking of of his populous parish in Glasgow, to be aged parents," and a greater" decay of maintained by the charity of their poor the spirit of independence and fore-neighbours rather than by an assessment sight" in the counties of Berwick and on the property of their rich ones, taking Roxburgh than in the counties of Wig- care, however, not to let slip the secret town and Kircudbright? If they do, it that the reverend doctor, though almost is clear that, notwithstanding their pre- sworn to live and die with his docile tended inquiry, they YET KNOW NOTHING flock and to make them happy by keepOF THE MATTER. I assert, as I did in ing aloof the odious English poor-laws,

ran away from them in a hurry for a little piddling professorship at St. Andrews, just at the moment when his SCHEME ought to have TAKEN EFFECT!

my last letter to you, that the fact is DIRECTLY THE REVERSE: I assert, without wishing to disparage any portion of my countrymen, that the labouring classes in Berwick and Roxburgh, though They next refer to the REV. MR. heavily pressed by the weight of ge- MAC LELLAN OF KELTON, of whom it néral taxation, are not only in a better is enough to say that his parish, which condition, physically considered, than is in Kircudbrightshire, lies in the midst the same classes in the counties of Wig- of a district by far the most prolific in town and Kircudbright, but more indus- BEGGARS of any in Scotland! And their trious, more moral, more dutiful to last authority to which I shall allude parents, and more remarkable both for (for I know nothing of the proceedings the "spirit of independence" and for of the REV. MR. MONTEITH OF DAL"foresight." If any man dare to con- KEITH and of LORD NAPIER), is the Rev. tradict me I CHALLENGE HIM TO THE DR. DUNCAN OF RUTHWELL, Of SAVINGS PROOF; I call upon him, instead of ap- BANK notoriety; of whom I have simply pealing to individuals already com- to say, first, that he is my near neighmitted by their previously published bour, and consequently well known to "opinions," to examine into the matter me; and secondly, that he is the very as I have done, with his own ears and man who gave the certificate for BEGGING in favour of his "orphan" pa- to the report on the poor-laws of Scotrishioners "subject to convulsion fits," land, then Parliament is at present legiswhich was quoted in my last letter, and lating upon a mass of misrepresentation.

who, after giving that certificate, did all the other strange things relative to the object of it, of which that letter gave a description!

I am, Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

J. LITTLE.

P. S. Pray who is the Mr. "P. F. JOHNSTON" that signs the "extract" as to the poor-laws of Scotland? We know nothing of him here. I never heard of him before.

EMIGRATION DELUSION.

SIR,-On reading your Register of

In their zeal to make good their favourite position, that "all poor-laws are in their essence impolitic and uncalledfor," the commissioners founding, I presume, on the authority of DR. DUNCAN, represent RUTHWELL as a parish in which, owing to the absence of an assessment, the people have never this week, it gave me great pleasure to been " degraded" by a departure from find that you were first and foremost in the "ancient Scotch economy," while directing the attention of my fellowof CAERLAVEROCK, a neighbouring pa- workmen to the evil of this new emirish, where the poor have certain sup-gration project of the political econoport from the interest of a mortified sum mists. Happening to get hold of one of money, they say, that "all the evils of their prospectuses, I was induced to of a poor-rate have been created by the attend a meeting at Exeter Hall. I found FATAL gift of Dr. Hutton"! From this, rather a large number of persons astaken in conjunction with the general sembled, considering that it was held at scope and tenor of the report, a stranger a time when labouring men, persons would naturally suppose that Ruthwell best fitted for a colony, were at their is exempt from idleness and immorality, several employments. I soon found, while Caerlaverock abounds in those however, from the manner in which vices, and that while want and misery the claptraps, "redundant population," prevail in Caerlaverock, there is nothing "profitable investment of capital," &c., but plenty and happiness in Ruthwell! were received, that there were but few Than such supposition however nothing working men present. That the coincould possibly be more erroneous. Both pany were composed for the most part of parishes are well known to me, so that those sympathizing gentry who seek to I can speak with perfect confidence re- remove the effects of evils, rather than garding them, and I assert, still chal- inquire into the cause of them; and of lenging the contradictor if there be one, those whose prolific brains are ever conto the proof, and desiring him to come ceiving new fields of adventures for and take a look at what is called RUTH- others to cultivate, for their profit and WELL VILLAGE, that, while Ruthwell is advantage. Sir, they managed their positively one of the poorest and most business in a novel, and I think a very miserable, Caerlaverock is on the other cunning manner. The chairman would band one of the most comfortable pa- not suffer any observations or objections rishes in the western part of Dumfries- to be made, until what he called shire, the condition of all the industrious the whole of their plan was before the classes, not omitting the farmers, being mecting, until all the persons elected decidedly superior in the latter to what for moving and seconding the resoluit is in the former! So much for the inference drawn from what the commissioners have been taught to style "the fatal gift of Dr. Hutton!"

Not having time at present for further comment, I conclude by remarking, that if the report on the poor-laws of England be similar in point of veracity

tions had exhausted the patience of the meeting, when the resolutions were put and carried altogether. Previous however to this being done, I managed, with some difficulty, to put the following questions to the chairman, and as they have not yet appeared in any of the stamped papers, in the form I put them, perhaps, sir, you will have the goodness 3. You further say in your prospectus,

to insert them in your Register. Mr. D. Wakefield, who I believe is a counsellor, professed to answer them (after he had put them in the form he pleased); whether he did so or not, those who have read his reply in the reports of the meeting, will, if you insert them, be enabled to judge..

I had no opportunity of replying to him, if I had, I think I could have shown the meeting that which he called answers were anything but satisfactory

that they are "to be governed by laws enacted expressly for this colony." Now I want to know what power the emigrants will possess in the making, or hereafter in the alteration of those laws, whether the labourer who is to enrich the colony by his labour, is to have his equal share of political power; or is it to be confined to capitalists and men of property, as in this country.

ones to the questions I proposed. 4. I further wish to be informed whe

Wishing you may live to enlighten and

convince my fellow-labourers of the true cause of the evils that curse them, and that you may see and enjoy the fruits of your exertions, a happy and cheerful population spread over the cultivated gardens of England, is the ardent wish of

ther the capitalists who are or may be engaged in this project, will have the power of sending their sons and dependents to eat up the produce of the colonists, in the shape of governors, commissioners, legislators, bishops, parsons, teachers, excisemen, and collectors.

1. This plan is stated to be a profitable investment of capital." Now I want to know whether this capital is to be lent to the emigrants at a fixed and known interest, or whether the capitalists are to possess the power (having once got the emigrants into a strange and distant country) of combining amongst themselves to give the least possible wages to the labourer, and thus reap the principal share of the produce of labour, for the use of their capital.

5. Further, if this be a plan in reality to benefit the working classes, and not a mere money-getting speculation; would not the same means and talents invested in a system of home colonization be productive of greater advantages, more especially as there are fifteen millions of acres of waste land in this country which could be profitably cultivated. For as it is an axiom of the political economists that land, labour, and capital, are the elements of wealth; it seems paradoxical to take labour and capital away from so much land, which they themselves admit capable of cultivation.

2. I further wish to know, what chance NEW POOR-LAW BILL IN THE

LORDS.

the poor emigrant who may accumulate a few pounds by his inTo the Editor of the Times. dustry, will hereafter have, of purSIR,-The country, and more partichasing a few acres of land, when cularly that part of the country who agreeable to your prospectus, the have nothing to offer but their thanks, capitalists of the colony and of are bound to thank you most sincerely Great Britain, have the power of for your efforts in resisting and exposbuying upand monopolizing, what-ing the bill, which has now in its course ever quantity they please, of the reached the House of Lords, for revomost productive and profitably si-lutionizing the old poor-law system of tuated lands. the country. Permit me, sir, to join you in so praiseworthy a task, and to "direct the future attention of the offer through your columns some re- "House to such measures as may be

flections which have occurred to me, who have for some time been conversant with the labouring part of the community, on the effects likely to be produced on their condition by the menaced measure.

"calculated ultimately to relieve pa"rishes from the impracticable obliga"tion of finding employment for all "who may at any time require it at "their hands, and to confine the relief "derived from compulsory assessments "to 'the lame, impotent, old, blind, "' and such other among them being poor, and not able to work." The committee also recommend, " that all

But in the first place, will the bill pass? I fear it will, if great exertions are not made to defeat it, as I know great exertions are made to carry it through; and that not on the part of "obstacles to seeking employment, disinterested theorists, not on the part "wherever it can be found, even out of political economists only, but by the "of the realm, should be removed; and most industrious and zealous of all par- "every facility that is reasonable af

tisans, by men personally interested in "forded to those who may wish to the result, by the expectants of place "resort to some of our own colonies." under its provisions, by the objects of It is clear, therefore, sir, emigration the patronage which it audaciously -I must say, for I shall immediately creates and confers on the Ministry: prove it, compulsory emigration-is the for, sir, singular as the fact may be, I soul and object of the new or revoluhave no doubt that the late meeting at tionary Poor-Law Bill; and that in adthe large room in the Strand, for the dition to the patronage at home which colonization of Australia, is intimately it originates, as commissioners, subconnected with the anticipated success commissioners, perhaps also travelling and the general working of the new architects and surveyors, for the conPoor-Law Bill. The Poor-Law Bill struction of the new workhouses, we will render the labouring population shall have to provide for governors indifferent to their homes; and the colo- abroad (with their secretaries and other nization-men will be then ready to catch underlings) of the colonized regions. I them and toss them on a far distant have already heard the name of a future governor of Australia mentioned, a

coast.

Sir, do not you yourself suppose, and writer on political economy, and of still more, do not suffer the public to course a warın advocate of the present suppose, that this is mere surmise: the plan: he is also a member of Parliaconnexion in principle, and even in let-ment. But I maintain, sir, that the ter, may be traced and laid open in a emigration contemplated, and in reality manner so luminous as to banish doubt; enforced, by the bill, is, and is meant to for in a production of perhaps the most he, compulsory. For what does the

able, certainly the most theoretic of the poor-law commissioners, Mr. Senior, published some two years ago, is the following passage: "Emigration is not only the sole immediate remedy, but " is a remedy preparatory to the adop"tion, and necessary to the safety of every other"; and further, in a report on the poor-laws, dated June 30, 1819, by a committee, of which Mr. Sturges Bourne was chairman, (as he is also one of the members of the poorlaw commission), is to be found the following passage:

"Your committee would anxiously

bill say? That able-bodied men for whom work cannot be found in their several parishes, and who cannot in consequence maintain themselves and their families, are not to be relieved but with the consent of the commissioners, except in the new district workhouses. View such men, therefore, immured in these workhouses. The human mind would despair, the human frame would sink, under such confinement, in healthy subjects, if there were no hope of liberation. But there is a hope of liberation; the prisoners need not stop a day longer than they please; Australia offers them its hospitable shores and bound-gain; and I find the Peers bound by a less plains; they will be conveyed thi - report of one of their own committees, ther free of expense. Is it not clearly in which they acquiesced, not to pass a therefore the object of the bill, -is it bill of this magnitude at so late a period not the avowed opinion of all those on of the session, and when Parliament whose recommendation the bill has been cannot be sitting to watch its progress framed, that the British labourers, of and operation in the country. whom these political economists say The following extract from a report there is a redundance, should be forced of the Lords' Committee on the poorto seek an escape from prison by for laws in 1817 will explain what I ever quitting their native land? Now mean:

we see what is meant by Mr. Senior's "The advanced period of the 'session expression above quoted-" that emi- "will of course preclude the possibility gration is not only the sole remedy, "of any immediate alteration in the " but it is a remedy preparatory to the present laws; but, SO far from "adoption, and necessary to the safety

"considering this circumstance as a

" of every other." Extreme pressure is matter of regret, the committee are to be created on the poor, and emigration is the safety-valve.

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"of opinion that more advantage will ultimately arise from affording time "for deliberation upon the different suggestions which have been made, "than from hastily adopting alterations, which, however useful they may at "present appear, might possibly here"after in the detail be found inconsistent with a more general plan of improvement in the system itself."

66

66

Now, sir, I do not know at this moment, nor is it worth the while to inquire what was the nature of the change in

I have spoken above of my apprehensions that the bill may pass; but the Chancellor, I think, has applied an argument that may cut both ways. He has indicated the necessity of passing the bill, in order absolutely to preserve the Peers "in possession of their estates." But is there no fear of what an inflamed population may do-the destruction of property? He has said that it " would conduce little to delibe"ration, little to enlightenment, to open the poor-laws which was then under the "their ears to all the representations consideration of their lordships: suffice "which might reach them from parish it to say, that it could not be of a twen"jobbers and country agitators." What tieth part of the magnitude and imhave "parish jobbers or agitators to portance of that which is now proposed; gain, I ask, by any representations they and I must maintain, therefore, that may make to the Peers during the re- they are bound by the tenour of the cess of Parliament? Nothing what- preceding extract to suspend the meaever. But can the same question be sure now first introduced to them in the asked and answered in the same manner month of July, 1834, when they found with respect to those gentlemen upon themselves restrained from entertaining whose recommendation the bill has a measure of much less consequence on been brought in? They have some- the same subject at so late a period of thing to gain, and one place creates the session as the month of July, 1817. many expectants. The motives for Nor is this all for I find their lordwhich they press its execution are ob- ships bound also, by a report of the viously personal and selfish. Is it not same committee, to reject totally and

"

also degrading to the Peers to have it recommended to them as a motive for passing a bill, that whatever may be its effect upon the country, they thereby serve their own interests best?

Still, sir, I am not without hopes of the Peers with respect to this most ominous bill. Delay in such a case is

finally any measure of so portentous a nature as that which is now offered to their acceptance. I humbly entreat the attention of their lordships to the following extract from the report of the same committee:

"From lapse of time and a departure "from the true spirit of the act of 43