produced by the Poor Laws. 443 
them from entering into competition with the 
regular and stationary labourer. 
The small expence at which the Scotch and 
Irish support their poor, compared to the 
amount of the English poor-rate, has been 
brought forward as an argument in favor of the 
system pursued in those countries. But the ex- 
pence would be very nearly as small in Hng- 
land, were the poor reduced to the miserale 
fare, which isthe lot of the same class in Scot- 
land and Ireland. To obtain, however, this 
reduction of comfort among the poor in 
England, were it practicable, would, for 
reasons which have already been explained, 
be highly impolitic, and would totally ex- 
tinguish one of the most powerful incite- 
ments to that regular and persevering indus- 
try, which brings in its train comfort, clean- 
liness, health, and a feeling of self-respect 
highly favourable to good morals. Let us 
dispassionately consider the increased popu- 
lation and capital of the country; the in- 
crease of indulgences among the middle and 
higher classes ; the depreciation of the value 
of money within the last 50 years ; and the ad- 
vanced price of all the necessaries of life, and 
we shall find, I believe, thatthe sum now expen- 
ded upon the poor, throughout England, is 
