,a4 . on poors rates. ^uly xx^ 



over that freedom with the most jealous attention j 

 .and, underno pretext whatever, to suffer this most in- 

 •tolerable abuse to creep in among us. I am proud 

 in being able to say, that, as a private citizen,! have;, 

 in one instance, euccefsfully opposed it, and preserved 

 a very extensive parifh from being heedlefsly sub- 

 jected to this burden ; nor (hall I .cease in a public 

 ■capacity, to take every proper opportunity of war- 

 ning my countrymen of the danger they run of total 

 ruin, fliould they ever allow themselves to be load- 

 ed with a poors rate. . I have promised an explanation 

 -of our poor laws in Scotland; and I now again re- 

 peat the promise, when opportunity (hall permit, 

 which I trust will be ere long. I consider this tafk 

 as necefsary, not only to remove many ill founded 

 prejudices that hrive begun to prevail respecting the 

 legality of establiftiing compulsory poors rates in Scot- 

 land ; but also to explain to those of other nations 

 the very salutary tendency of that judicious mode of 

 managing the poor, which has been discovered by a 

 people, among whom luxury had not been introduced, 

 nor those vices known which tend to contaminate 

 -the manners and corrupt the hearts of men in the 

 bustling departments of a manufacturing society. It 

 was among a people whose manners were simple, 

 that this easy, economical, and efficacious, mode of 

 pro^fiding for the poor was devised ; and whichj after 

 an experience of two hundred years, has been found 

 to be perfectly adequate to the purposes intended. 

 A system, which being founded on Christian charity 

 alone, by its natural operation, tends to promote.a 

 cordial good will and kindnefs between different 

 ranks of men, and without legal intricacies to pro- 

 mote the good of the whole. J. A. 



