Ch. xii. Continuation of the .some Subject. 401 



It may be readily allowed, however, that the 

 ])eculiar weight with which the poor's rates press 

 upon land is essentially unfair. It is particularly 

 hard upon some country parishes, where the births 

 greatly exceed the deaths, owing to the constant 

 emigrations which are taking place to towns 

 and manufactories, that, under any circumstances, 

 a great portion of these emigrants should be re- 

 turned upon them when old, disabled, or out of 

 work. Such parishes may be totally without the 

 power of furnishing either work or support for all 

 the persons born within their precincts. In fact, 

 the same number would not have been born in 

 them unless these emigrations had taken place. 

 And it is certainly hard, therefore, that parishes 

 so circumstanced should be obliged to receive 

 and maintain all who may return to them in dis- 

 tress. Yet, in the present state of the country, 

 the most pressing evil is not the weight upon the 

 land, but the increasing proportion of paupers. 

 And, as the equalization of the rates would cer- 

 tainly have a tendency to increase this proportion, 

 I should be sorry to see such a measure intro- 

 duced, even if it were easily practicable, unless 

 accompanied by some very strong and decisive 

 limitations to the continued increase of the rates 

 so equalized. 



The other proposition of Mr. Curwen will, in 

 like manner, be found to afford no security against 

 the increase of pauperism. We know perfectly 

 well that the funds of the friendly societies, as 



VOL. II. 1) 1) 



