164 My Little Farm 



man is not supposed to get a grant twice while 

 another has got none, and those most in need are 

 supposed to come first ; but, after years, we find a 

 comparatively rich man who has got the grant 

 several times while his poor neighbour has not 

 been able to get a penny. Inquire into this and 

 you will find that the rich man has handed back 

 part of his grant in the form of increased sub- 

 scriptions to ecclesiastical funds. He is in a posi- 

 tion to do so, and he gets the grant, but his poorer 

 neighbour is not in a position to do so, and he gets 

 no grant. The lay members of the Committee 

 are also the parish tools, and, of course, they vote 

 the money to one another and to one another's 

 relatives before any outsider can be heard ; but 

 before everybody comes the ecclesiastic's own list. 

 I knew a man who ventured to differ from the 

 ecclesiastic in politics, and no relative of his 

 nearer than a third cousin could get the Board's 

 grant after that. Members of the Committee told 

 them so quite openly, and then the numerous 

 relatives were expected to persecute their kinsman 

 for having " deprived them of the money." 

 Most of the slaves are under the impression that 

 the ecclesiastic is the real money finder. Being 

 very much afraid of him themselves, they assume 

 that the Government also is afraid of him, and 

 that the Treasury must hand over any sum he 

 desires. In substance, they are quite right. He 

 may not fix the sum, but he can coerce Govern- 

 ment in handing it over, and God help the poor 

 grantless man who dares to put him any questions 



