78 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE [xix. 



the agricultural labourers which some economists 

 expected as the consequence of the measure. On 

 the contrary, as Mr. Walter states on the authority 

 of Parliamentary Returns, the amounts annually 

 expended on the relief of the poor rose from about 

 two millions sterling in 1793, to four millions in 

 1803, and more than six millions at the end of the 

 war in 1815. 



The conclusion drawn by Mr. Walter from these 

 statistics, that the inclosure of waste lands was 

 injurious to the poorer commoners, is confirmed by 

 the instance of at least one proposed inclosure, that 

 of Bucklebury, by figures which show that a 

 cottager benefited from uninclosed common land, 

 in the article of fuel, to the value of 21. 12s. 

 annually, and in pasturage of a cow and other 

 advantages, to the amount of more than SI. a year ; 

 while the value of the allotment, which he was to 

 receive in exchange, amounted to 21. per annum 

 only. It is not surprising that, with these facts 

 before them, the House of Commons threw out the 

 Bucklebury Inclosure Bill. 



It is, however, plain that a large part of the 

 increase in the amount expended on the poor is 

 attributable to the same cause as that which 

 occasioned the increase in inclosures, namely, the 

 advance in the price of wheat which took place dur- 

 ing the war. The poor-rates were swelled because 

 wheaten bread entered largely into the consumption 



