Ch. x. in Scotland and Ireland. 4G1 



the parish of Di1tb.il,* already noticed, the number 

 of children to a marriage is mentioned as 7, and 

 the number of persons to a house as only 5. 



The poor of Scotland are in general supported 

 by voluntary contributions, distributed under the 

 inspection of the minister of the parish ; and it 

 appears, upon the whole, that they have been 

 conducted with considerable judgment. Having 

 no claim of right to relief,tand the supplies, from 

 the mode of their collection, being necessarily un- 

 certain, and never abundant, the poor have consi- 

 dered them merely as a last resource in cases of 

 extreme distress, and not as a fund on which they 

 might safely rely, and an adequate portion of 

 which belonged to them by the laws of their 

 country in all difficulties. 



The consequence of this is, that the common 

 people make very considerable exertions to avoid 

 the necessity of applying for such a scanty and 

 precarious relief. It is observed, in many of the 

 accounts, that they seldom fail of making a pro- 

 vision for sickness and for age ; and, in general, 

 the grown-up children and relations of persons, 

 who are in danger of falling upon the parish, step 

 forward, if they are in any way able, to prevent 



* Vol. iv. p. 308. 



f It has lately been stated in Parliament, that the poor-laws of 

 Scotland are not materially different from those of England, though 

 they have been very differently understood and executed ; but, 

 whatever may be the laws on the subject, the practice is generally 

 as here represented ; and it is the practice alone that concerns the 

 present question. 



