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the farmer gives to his labourers. If the keepers of beer- 

 shops were prohibited from selling beer to be drunk on the 

 premises, and only paid a nominal sum for their licence, 

 they could undersell the public-house keepers, who pay 

 some pounds for a licence, besides being at the expense of 

 providing accommodation for their customers. Those 

 who take au interest, and look into the dwellings of 

 their village poor, should urge the labourers' wives to 

 have their cottages look as tidy and comfortable as 

 possible, when their husbands return home from their 

 day's work. From the uncomfortable appearance of their 

 homes, many a man goes to the beer-shop, with the 

 intention of spending only the cost of a pint, but finding a 

 comfortable room, a good fire, and companions, is led on to 

 spend money which should have bought meat. 



From the infamous system of paying the men employed 

 on the railroads and other public works, at a beer-shop, at a 

 late hour on a Saturday night, most of them are led, by the 

 example of others, to spend a great part of their weekly 

 earnings ; so that few of the married men have much left to 

 send or bring home to their wives and families ; and still 

 fewer of the single men save any part of the high wages 

 thy have been receiving ; and most of the single and mar- 

 ried become sadly demoralized. If every person paying 

 labourers' wages on the premises of a public-house or beer- 

 shop, were liable to a fine for so doing, and the labourers 

 be entitled, if they made the claim, to receive over again 

 wages so paid, this would check this most iniquitous 

 practice. There is no doubt but that most of the piece- 

 takers of these works, who hire men to help them to perform 

 their contracts, are connected with the keepers of beer- 

 shops, and therefore do all in their power to get money 

 spent in them. 



Agriculture would be benefited if landowners would 

 live more in the country, instead of living and spending the 

 chief part of their incomes in our overgrown metropolis, or 

 fashionable watering places ; and if they would not fancy 

 that every thing they want in the country, except bread and 

 meat, must (to be good) come from London. Were there 

 more of the Old English Gentlemen now in existence, there 

 would be more of the old English contented peasantry. 



