CH. VI.] VAGRANCY AND MENDICITY. 193 



begged, they make little exertion to regain it. Those who 

 go to England in search of employment are not called 

 vagrants or beggars ; for if they beg or borrow on their 

 way thither, they are sure of repaying it on their return. 

 The life led by vagrants is a harder one than that of 

 the labourer, but, being better fed, they are able to sup- 

 port it. 



One witness was of opinion that a farmer holding ten 

 acres of land gives one stone of potatoes each day in 

 alms ; and one person present at the sitting declared that 

 he had often given even more. 



All the witnesses agree in saying, that it is a very com- 

 mon thing, among even the poorest labourers, to relieve 

 beggars in winter, and be themselves in great want in 

 summer. One man, who himself had been reduced to 

 begging, exclaimed, " When a beggar asks for God's sake, 

 I cannot hold back part of what I have. The poorest 

 man amongst us, when he has it in his hands, will not 

 refuse." No inquiry is made into the character of the 

 person soliciting relief. Three magistrates gave their 

 opinion, that immorality is not more common among beg- 

 gars than among the classes immediately above them. 

 They did not recollect a single instance of a beggar 

 brought before them at petty sessions charged with an 

 offence. The influence of religion, as inculcated by the 

 Roman Catholic clergy, is a great restraint on them. 



The Commissioners examined a great number of va- 

 grants. They ascertained that the cause of their follow- 

 ing the trade of begging is the impossibility of obtaining 

 employment. They have the same tendency to inter- 

 marry among themselves as the other classes of the peo- 

 ple. The witnesses say that it is very troublesome to 



o 



