Ch. xi. Different Plans of improving, S^'c. 375 



portioned to their respective wants.* He forgets, 

 in these instances, that if, without the encourage- 

 ment to multiplication of foundling hospitals, or of 

 public support for the children of some married 

 ^persons, and under the discouragement of great 

 pecuniary disadvantages on the side of the married 

 man, population be still redundant, which is 

 evinced by the inability of the poor to maintain all 

 their children; it is a clear proof that the funds 

 destined for the maintenance of labour cannot 

 properly support a greater population ; and that, 

 if further encouragements to multiplication be 

 given, and discouragements removed, the result 

 .must be, an increase somewhere or other of that 

 .vicious procreation, which he so justly reprobates. 



Mr. Townsend, who in his Dissertation on the 

 Poor Laws has treated this subject with great 

 skill and perspicuity, appears to me to conclude 

 with a proposal, which violates the principles on 

 which he had reasoned so well. He wishes to 

 make the benefit clubs, or friendly societies, which 

 are now voluntarily established in many parishes, 

 compulsory and universal ; and proposes as a re- 

 gulation that an unmarried man should -pay a 

 fourth part of his wages, and a married man with 

 four children not more than a thirtieth part.f 



I must first remark that the moment these sub- 

 scriptions are made compulsory, they will neces- 

 sarily operate exactly like a direct tax upon 



* Political Economy, vol. i. b. i. c. xiii. 



t Disseitatioii on the Poor -Laws, p. 89, 2d edit. 1787. 



