ALLOTMENT SYSTEM. 73 



of the land in a few hands, the high price of land, the depressing 

 sense of dependence, and the hopelessness of competition and of 

 all attempts to acquire influence, respect, or wealth, incidental 

 to, and inseparable from, such a framework of society. Persons 

 born to affluence and distinction, and persons who have never 

 felt their efforts checked or suppressed by a sense of a depend 

 ence which they cannot escape, can very imperfectly estimate 

 the effect of these circumstances upon character. But whether 

 desirable or not and, in this matter, I would leave every man 

 to the enjoyment of his own honest opinion as all expectation 

 of a change in the constitution of English society seems as vain 

 as to expect to reduce the inequalities of the surface of the coun 

 try to a common level it only remains to consider what alle 

 viations of the evils of the condition of the laboring classes can 

 be successfully attempted. The inquiry is one which most 

 deeply concerns religion and humanity. It is only just likewise to 

 remark, and I do it with the highest pleasure, that the subject 

 is now interesting innumerable benevolent persons in the highest 

 ranks and in the middle conditions of life, to a degree perhaps 

 never before known ; and that many of the brightest minds are 

 now concentrating their energies upon its investigation and cure. 

 It is with equal pleasure that I can say, that I have found among 

 many of the landlords the most watchful attention to the welfare 

 of their laborers, and every kind provision for them in sickness, 

 decay, or misfortune. Alas ! that there are so many who do 

 not come within the reach of this provision, and so many who 

 refuse or neglect to make it. 



XIII. ALLOTMENT SYSTEM. 



That which seems to be admitted on almost all hands to have 

 operated to the most advantage, is what is termed the allotment 

 system. In this case, the laborer hires of the landlord a small 

 piece of land, and it is generally limited to one quarter of an 

 acre, and seldom exceeds half an acre, for which he pays such 

 a rent as may be agreed upon ; and he and his family cultivate it 

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