11? statistical account of Scotland. Jan-. iB-t 



one of those which ought most forcibly to strike our 'ore- 

 ihren beyond the Tweed, is the state of the poor, and the 

 poor's funds in Scotland. While England is groaning 

 under the influence of a system of laws, that arc opprefsive 

 to her manufactures, subversive of industry, and inimical to 

 the morals of her people ; — while, by their extension, (he 

 sees the industrious part of the community loaded with a 

 burden that is already opprefsive, and every day increasing 

 v\Ith a rapidity that gives room to the most serious alarms, 

 fhe will here see, that the poor of Scotland are in general 

 abundantly supplied with all that their wants require, by 

 means of a small pittance of alms, voluntarily given by ths 

 lower clafses of the community only , and that scarcely any 

 complaints are made of the insufficiency of the funds, except 

 in such parilhes where the inhabitants have, unadvisedly, 

 iaad recourse to an afsefsment of themselves in a poor'« 

 rate, somewhat similar to that in England. la all these 

 cases wc find strong complaints of the insufficiency of the 

 funds J though it appears by the statements, that in these 

 pariihes, the amount of the poors funds, in proportion to the 

 number of tlie people, is much greater than in the parilheS 

 where voluntary alms only are applied to that use. 



These facts are strong and unequivocal proofs of the 

 pernicious tendency of the whole system of poor laws, 

 that, from mistaken principles of humanity, have been 

 gradually adopted in England, and there cheriflied, till 

 the very abuses they produce, have created such a power- 

 ful body of men, who devote their most strenuous efforts 

 to support them, as defies a pofsibility of reform, without 

 a convulsive struggle, that must long deter sober men 

 from engaging in it. What a lefson is this for Scotland ! 

 and how cautious ought those, who have her interest at 

 heart, be to guard against the' introduction of this most se- 

 rious evil with v,lii<;h flie ever can be threatene4 I Tliis 



