RELIEF OF THE POOR. 323 



resources, not to supersede them ; and this economical 

 system has been found sufficient to prevent the necessity 

 of assessment through three-fourths of the parishes of that 

 country. The experiment of an exclusively compulsory 

 system in England is equally instructive. Every precau- 

 tion was adopted to prevent the poor-laws from being 

 profusely administered, or the money improperly ex- 

 pended ; the overseers' accounts were checked by the ma- 

 gistrates, and from them an appeal was opened to the 

 quarter-sessions, but all in vain ; the assessment continued 

 to advance steadily, and with the rapidity of a conflagra- 

 tion, till it threatened to involve ah 1 property in one com- 

 mon ruin. 



XI. Because, in a country so comparatively poor as 

 Ireland is, it would be an unnecessary and improvident 

 waste of available funds to disregard the voluntary contri- 

 butions of the people, which are now given freely, and to 

 attempt to make provision for the poor exclusively from a 

 compulsory rate. 



XII. Because, in a country in which the educated 

 classes bear so small a proportion to the uneducated 

 classes, it would be improvident to disregard the assist- 

 ance of those persons who are disposed voluntarily to be- 

 stow their time and labour for the relief of the poor, and 

 to attempt to fulfil the whole of that important duty by 

 means of paid officers. The chief object to be attended to 

 in relieving the poor, is making inquiry into the real con- 

 dition and circumstances of all applicants for relief. If 

 this be neglected, or imperfectly fulfilled, in the admini- 

 stration of either a compulsory or voluntary fund, the con- 

 sequence must be mischievous. The history of the poor- 

 laws of England, in the administration of which relief was 



Y 2 



