GLANCING BACK. 207 



of certain benefits " in kind " commonly designated 

 " privileges/' It will be especially interesting to present 

 information that shall show the exact position of the 

 labourer in this respect at the period when the revolt 

 against existing conditions took the unexpectedly bold 

 form of the " strike," that was the unique occasion of 

 calling prominent public attention to evils that had 

 long been patiently and uncomplainingly borne. The 

 only reliable sources of information on this subject were 

 those of the Reports of the Commissioners appointed 

 under the Royal Commission of loth May 1867. The 

 object of their investigation was " to inquire into and 

 report upon the employment of children, young persons, 

 and women in agriculture, for the purpose of ascertaining 

 to what extent and with what modifications the principles 

 of the Factory Acts can be adopted for the regulation 

 of such employment, and especially with a view to 

 the better education of such children." An immense 

 amount of information was obtained and collected into 

 seven closely-printed volumes, extending to about 2250 

 large pages. As the inquiry went on for about three 

 years, continuing until the close of the year 1870, it will 

 readily be understood that it was very exhaustive ; and 

 although no summary of the reports was officially issued, 

 the present writer was favoured by one of the Commis- 

 sioners the Honourable Edward Stanhope with the 

 material from which we have made the succeeding 

 resume as to the average of ordinary wages in England, 

 cider and beer allowance, cottage rents, piecework, 

 pauperism, etc. The information will be most con- 

 veniently given, perhaps, alphabetically, under the 

 names of counties. 



The wages referred to are those of ordinary labourers, 

 not of carters, who usually receive a somewhat higher rate 

 of pay ; nor of shepherds, an also somewhat superior and 

 better-paid class of men ; and the Commissioner supply- 

 ing us with the information was of opinion that the 



