Ch. xii. Continuation of Iht name Suhjccl. 405 



extensive assistance to its members ; if it were to 

 endeavour to imitate what is partially effected by 

 the poor-laws, or to accomplish those objects 

 which Condorcet thought were within the power 

 of proper calculations ; the failure of its funds, 

 however large at first, and from whatever sources 

 derived, would be absolutely inevitable. In short, 

 it cannot be too often or too strongly impressed 

 upon the public, especially when any question for 

 the improvement of the condition of the poor is in 

 agitation, that no application of knowledge and 

 ingenuity to this subject, no efforts either of the 

 poor or of the rich, or both, in the form of contri- 

 butions, or in any other way, can possibly place 

 the labouring classes of society in such a state as 

 to enable them to marry generally at the same age 

 in an old and fully peopled country as they may 

 do with perfect safety and advantage in a new 

 one. 



The other error towards which the public seems 

 to incline at present is that of laying too much 

 stress upon the employment of the poor. It seems 

 to be thought that one of the principal causes of 

 the failure of our present system is the not having 

 properly executed that part of the 43d of Eliza- 

 beth which enjoins the purchase of materials to 

 set the poor to work. It is certainly desirable, 

 on many accounts, to employ the poor, when it is 

 practicable, though it will always be extremely 

 difficult to make people work actively who are 

 without the usual and most natural motives to 

 such exertions ; and a system of coercion involves 



