3804. On the Scotijb Pcor^s LawT. 45^ 



attend at all ; fo that the Sunday collecffcions are, comparative-. 

 ly, little augmented by their donations. Where this ir. the CJ.le, 

 the ftatutes rcfpecSling the poor, in all juftice, ought more or 

 lefs to be brought into pra^lice. To my certain knowldge, 

 the heritors in many parilhes, in place of defrayii'^ the half, do 

 Jittle more than defray the tenth part of the contributions for the 

 poor ; and no one can deny that this is palpably unlawful and un- 

 juft. 



I am informed, that aflefTments are not uncommon in Perth- 

 fliire ; and I have heard particularly of one parifh in that county, 

 where, in order to avoid the aflelTment, the heritors m:ike a prac- 

 tice of doubling the ordinary colle<tlions at church ; that is, if 

 the coUedions amount to lol. in a given time, the lieritovs con- 

 tribute other lol. This is certainly a fair and honourable com- 

 promife, and I am forry if is not more general. 

 ' I am fenfdile, that ailelTments for the poor are a bugbear to 

 many, merely from the want of relieving how eafy it might be 

 to avoid abufes in going through with the undertaking. Thoy 

 immediately tell you of the poors rates of England, and fagely 

 alk, if 48s. on the pound be not a pretty ferious burden. This 

 is talking to no purpofe. They might, with fully as much rea- 

 fon, refolve never to touch the focial glafs, becaufe they have 

 heard or known inftances of perfons drinking themfelves to death, 

 or, what is more common, of diihpating all their fubllance in 

 that way. 



It may fafely be fuppofed, there is as much temptation in the 

 one practice as the other, however odd the comparifon. 



I would certainly be an opponent to any extent of afleflracnt 

 that would have the llighted tendency to relax the induftrious 

 and ceconomical habits of the people ; and tlkit evil might be 

 eafily prevented by ufmg a moderate fliare of prudence and local 

 knowledge. 



I cordially agree with Agricola in all his other obfervations. 

 He has excellently defcribed the impofitions praclifed upon the 

 inhabitants of country pariflies by the vagrant and profligate poor 

 of the towns. This, in many parts, amounts to an intolerable 

 nuifance, and is fliamefuUy overlooked by the refident Magiftra'tc3 

 of the country. Thefe wretches, who are mollly the offscour- 

 ings of fociety, harafs the country in continual fuccelhon, not 

 only extracting the word bellowed charity, but levelling fences, 

 breaking into enclofures, and occafionally Healing what they can 

 conveniently carry off. Indeed, the Julliccs of the Peace now 

 and then iffue orders at their quarter-feffions to conltables, to 

 chafe away thefe depredators, or apprehend them. Sec. ; but the 

 Juftices themfelves feem to be at no pains to have their order* 



carricil 



