THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



427 



Could bear comparison not ouly with the sister-country, but 

 with any country ia the world. Still there was more yet to be 

 done. Ther« was one thing much to be condemned, and it 

 was the system of persons purchasing a little land, and build- 

 ing a lot of ill-conditioned cottages, with no gardens, and 

 charging a high rent. If a little more attention was paid to 

 this subject, the landlords would feel convinced of the benefits 

 which they might confer upon the poorer classes, and the very 

 great social change which they might be the means of bringing 

 about by giviug them comfortable homes. It might be said to 

 be a home education. There were some things the labourer 

 did not require to know, but to teach the honest labourer 

 cleanliness, to make him feel self-respect, to make him feel that 

 he cau be as happy in his little cottage aa the nobleman in his 

 castle or the Queen on her throne, would make him a better 

 man. He thought a tribute of praise was due to Mr. Martin, 

 who had exerted himself much, and done all he could to pro- 

 mote the society. 



Mr. J. Whatman, M.P., proposed the first resolution, 

 " That the report be adopted, and that this meeting expresses 

 its satisfaction that the attention of the committee has been 

 so actively engaged by the important subject of improving the 

 dwellings of the labouring classes." After expressing a hope 

 that their proceedings would get publicity, he said with respect 

 to improvements of cottages, and the effect produced upon the 

 tenants of them, he was happy to add his humble testimony 

 to what had been said upon the subject. It so happened that 

 the first cottage he had to repair was in such a state that he 

 had to rebuild it. The result was far greater than he could 

 expect from any alteration of the kind. lie made the 

 most important improvements that he saw, and made the cot- 

 tage with more accommodation than the model ones, as it was 

 neccisary for the family. The family was rather a rough one 

 before, but no sooner had he built them a good cottage than a 

 marked improvement was perceptible in their manners, and 

 he had never had cause to regret what at the first appeared a 

 needless expense. He had been over and over again repaid in 

 the improved condition and manners of the family. He would 

 say a few words in reference to some remarks made by the chair- 

 man on the fact of improvements being required in the cottages 

 throughout the kingdom generally. He happened to have 

 passed a good deal of time in auothtr part of the couutiy, where 

 improvement was required much more than here. Even 

 in Ireland the improvement wrought iu the people by atten- 

 tion to their dwellings was very striking. But in this country 

 the dwellings of the poor required more attention than tho e 

 of many other countries One of the most striking instances 

 of the effect of putting the Irish under a different mode of 

 treatment than they were usually accustomed t.o, was seen 

 during the famine iu Ireland, when some of the unfortunate 

 people remained in the poor-house for several years. He was 

 speaking of the north-west of Ireland. It was remarked that 

 when those people wlio had been kept under proper treatment 

 for three years left the poor-house they did not return to their 

 bad habits, but appreciated better dwellings and a better mode 

 of liviug; but that those who were not under the influence of 

 proper treatment for three years returned to their former habits. 

 Accustomed to live as the Irish people were, it was a most 

 difficult thing to improve their habits ; but if they could be 

 improved, with how much more success might they turn their 

 attention to the improvement of the homes of the English 

 poor, who were perfectly alive to domestic comfort ? He did 

 not know that he ought to make any remarks upon the plans 

 they had seen that day, or on the cottages which Mr. Puunett 

 had been so good as to erect. If he might give an opinion, 

 he thought the arrangements in the houses were a very great 



improvement on those of a very large proportion of cottage 

 property, and were effected at a surprisingly small cost, thereby 

 forming a great inducement to those who wished to build cot- 

 tages to adopt their plans. But it seemed to him they would 

 not do for all localities, as some required a more expensive cot- 

 tage than others. The cottages appeared to be e.xtraordinary 

 ones for the cost ; and as the plana were made known, he 

 thought they would get statistics which would help them in 

 their future operations. It was quite extraordinary, iu looking 

 over the country, to consider, on the one hand, to whom the 

 great bulk of the land belonged, and to see, on the other 

 hand, to whom the great proportion of cottage dwellings be- 

 longed. The land belonged comparatively to a lew of the rich ; 

 but he believed the far greater proportion of cottage property 

 belonged to that class of persons, who, however able to appre- 

 ciate comfort in the dwellings, and however disposed to make 

 them convenient, had not the means to make proper cottages. 

 They were, to a very great exteut, labourers themselves, and 

 servants in actual service. The chief reason of this was, that 

 cottage property was supposed to give a high rate of interest 

 for iuvestmeut. Consequently, those who had saved a little 

 money invested it iu this way. When people asked his advice 

 in this matter, he told them not to buy or build anything of 

 the sort, giving them a reason with which they were generally 

 perfectly well satisfied. He told them " It is very true you 

 get a large return in the shape of interest in rent on your 

 purchase money, but you forget to look forward to the repairs 

 which sooner or later will be necessary." If they looked 

 through the parish they would generally find that when the 

 houses possessed by these people became out of repair, they 

 were tenanted by a class of people more or less troublesome. 

 He did think that it was the duty of owners of property, 

 so far as they could, to pay more attention to this subject, 

 with a view to provide better house-accommodation for the la- 

 bouring classes cheap. They knew that builders, and the class 

 of people he had referred to as anxious to be the owners of 

 cottage property, both worked together — unfortunately, as he 

 thought ; but they were working together, the one to buy up 

 any small plots of land ou which cottage property could be 

 raised, and the other class were equally ready to buy the plots 

 of thera. He thought these facts only required to be known, 

 and it would stop some of those small capitalists from becom- 

 iug the proprietors of such property, and would induce those 

 who could to take up the matter of improving the cottages of 

 the working-classes. He therefore hoped that through the 

 gentlemen of the press, the proceedings of this meeting and 

 the objects of this society would be made known to all classes 

 of the people. 



C. Whitehead, Esq., iu secondiug the resolution, thought 

 two bedrooms not sufficient, and was informed by 



The Secretary that there would be three • one of the lower 

 rooms was to be used as a bedroom. 



The Rev. M. Onslow proposed, "That, having inspected 

 the model cottages in Prior-street, this meeting declares its 

 corJial approval of the design, and recommends it for general 

 adoption." Although not approving of the cottages in every 

 respect, he could speak to the importance of the general ques- 

 tion, but he could not pledge himself to the model, for he 

 thought there ought to be three regular bedrooms of a larger 

 size than proposed. In this opinion, therefore, the model 

 failed iu a very important point. The arrangements seemed 

 comfortable so far as they went. He objected to the outhouse 

 being attached behind. It should be forty or fifty feet from 

 the house, if possible. If attached it would be found very in- 

 jurious in some cases. There was a great deal in these cot- 

 tages which was very nice, aad a great deal might be worked 



