178 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



demand for manual labour would fall off.* Everything, 

 indeed, betokens that in certain quarters it will be reduced, 

 but in others it will be increased. Upon the whole, it 

 will remain at least equal to what it was before. 



Public opinion demands other improvements in favour 

 of the poorer classes. It is desired that the laws respecting 

 settlement in the matter of poor-rates should be revised, in 

 order that labourers may easily remove from those places 

 where wages are low, to where they are higher, without 

 forfeiting their claim to public relief. It is also required 

 that the proprietors should take a parental charge of their 

 labourers, and watch over their education and morality, 

 as well as their personal comforts ; and the highest noble- 

 men consider it an honour to fulfil this duty. Many of 

 them build healthy and commodious cottages, which they 

 let at reasonable rents. Prince Albert, who desires to be 

 the first always in setting a good example, exhibited in 

 his own name at the Great Exhibition a model of such 

 buildings. A small garden is generally attached, where 

 the tenant may grow fresh vegetables. These are what 

 are called allotments. On all large estates the pro- 

 prietor builds churches and schools, and gives encourage- 

 ment to associations which have for their object the good 

 of the community. 



Thus the great war of classes has been prevented ; and, 

 without other shocks than those which were absolutely 

 unavoidable, England has made a great step, even in an 

 agricultural point of view. This is the reason why Eng- 

 land went into mourning when Sir Kobert Peel died ; the 

 great citizen had been understood. 



* Since the above was written, circumstances have changed. After having 

 remained low for several years, prices have begun again to rise, and now (January 

 1854) they are higher than they were previous to the reform ; but this rise, being 

 partly the effect of the bad harvest of 1853, and having nothing artificial about it, 

 is not attended with the same inconvenient effects. 



