4^4 On the En^hjh Poors Laws. Nor. 



ing to the parlfh fund, are nearly worn out : and this mode of 

 relief is now claimed, or rather feized by them as their own pe- 

 culiar property. One married man in the parlfh has feveral baf- 

 tards, and I much doubt whether he pays for the maintenance of 

 any one of tliem. 



In lliort, the efFc<fl: of the poor's laws as they now (land, by 

 taking away from individual man, who, by the law of nature, 

 was condemned to earn his * bread by the fwe.it of his brow, * all 

 fort of rcfponfibility for the confequences of his own never fail- 

 ing endeavours to increafe and multiply his fpecies, gives exift- 

 ence to a vicious and abortive population ; creates the evils they 

 were intended to mitigate ; and threatens to tear up the founda- 

 tions of morality and property itfelf. The burden of the good 

 old pauper fong, written foon after the enactment of laws, ap- 

 parently fo much in his favour, is tolerably defcriptive of their 

 genuine fpirit ; which, as far as my recollection fervcs me, is as 

 follows : 



* Come let us drink, fing, and be merry, 

 The pariili is bound to maintain us. ' 



Neverthelefs, as good fubjefts and Chriftians, we are in fome 

 degree bound to fubmit with patience to this and other abufes 

 and grievances, of which, though the means of redrefs are obvi- 

 ous and fafe, it would now be extremely improper to think of re- 

 forming. Yet that for ever mult remain to be the only mode of 

 averting thofe extremes, which, by the experience of all ages and 

 countries, inevitably tend to the confufion and deitruclion of all 

 human communities. 



The above mentioncid expcnces are very much enhanced ia 

 times of Icarclty and dearth ; alfo, too frequently from molt ex- 

 penfive litigations at law, on difputed cafes of fettlement, &c. 

 I am yours, W. P. 



FOR THE TARMER S MAGAZINE. 



An fiver to Magogs ^jiery^ p. 292, concerning the Achmntage of Eii^ 

 clofing Com Land. By Litutcnant-Lolonei Vavafour. 



I HAVE obferved in your very ufeful and entertaining Publica- 

 tion, the Farmer's Magazine, a query ligned Mago, on the expe- 

 diency of encloHng lands adaptecl to the growth of corn. Al- 

 thgugh the enclofmg the commons and common fields of Eng- 

 land is certainly of great public and private benefit, I am much 

 inclined to tbir.k, that if agriculture were carried to that degree 

 of perfection of which it is capable, all interior fences might be 

 fclilpeiiiLd Willi. 



If 



