312 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK III. 



which the Irish acquiesce, would imagine that an increase 

 of wages would necessarily lead to an increase of comforts. 

 This, however, is not the fact ; the additional earnings are 

 spent in obtaining, not comforts, or even necessaries, but 

 luxuries, and luxuries of immediate consumption, and pro- 

 ductive of very short-lived gratification. A large number 

 of the labouring Irish in the manufacturing towns of Lan- 

 cashire and Scotland spend their earnings in nearly the 

 following manner : On the Saturday night, when they re- 

 ceive their wages, they first pay the score at the shop 

 from which they procure nearly all their articles of food, 

 and their rent, if their room or lodging is taken by the 

 week; and, when their debts are thus paid, they go on 

 drinking spirits as long as the remnant of their wages 

 holds out. On the Monday morning they are pennyless ; 

 and they then begin a fresh score at the shop for the en- 

 suing week, which is paid off on the following Saturday, 

 and so on in succession." 



" But although a large part of the Irish settlers in 

 Great Britain retain their former habits of life unaltered, 

 and others are deteriorated by their change of abode, and 

 the new relations in which they are placed, yet there are 

 many on whom a beneficial influence is exercised, and 

 whose character and habits are improved. In general, 

 the example of the native working classes does not exer- 

 cise as powerful an influence on the Irish settlers as 

 might have been anticipated. In their dress and personal 

 appearance, however, they usually make a considerable 

 improvement ; the example of the natives being the mo- 

 tive, and the increased earnings affording the means. 

 This is particularly observed in the schools and in fac- 

 tories, where the Irish children, after a short attendance, 



