CONDITION OF THE LABOURER. 



241 



Great Britain are anxious to circulate those millions at home 

 which they now send abroad ; and, when it is considered that 

 the major part of those millions would be paid in wages to the 

 weaker and juvenile population, who can but foresee the bene- 

 ficial effects upon the habits and morals of the people ? ! ! 

 Thousa^nds would be preserved from early crime, — parish rates 

 present a decrease in proportion to the money circulated — 

 property be rendered secure, — and pauperism, the disgrace of 

 our land, be displaced by liberty and independence. Then 

 who would not urge the experiment upon agriculturists ? and 

 who but the League would charge landowners with a desire to 

 increase the distresses of the people ? ! ! 



The readers of agricultural reports must be struck with the 

 general expression of sympathy for the labourer, and with the 

 impossibility of obtaining a universal and permanent improve- 

 ment of his condition. Experiments are suggested, but, with 

 the exception of allotments, all appear impracticable. Land 

 can indeed be appropriated to the poor ; but from my own 

 observation I fear that the system, as far as the regular farm 

 labourer is concerned, will disappoint its charitable promoters. 

 Strictly speaking, the husbandman has but very few leisure 

 hours. When his daily labour is ■performed, the renovating 

 effect of rest is required to prepare him for the continuation of 

 his duties to his employer. This the allotment sj^stem does 

 not recogniise. Were its advocates to calculate the number of 

 hours that a poor man would require properly to cultivate a 

 rood of land, I am persuaded that they would be less ardent in 

 their expectation of conferring a material benefit upon him. 



No compensation can be offered for constant work at ade- 

 quate wages. But an extended cultivation of flax would pro- 

 vide an abundance of work, and wages would follow as a natu- 

 ral consequence. 



At the close of the last session of Parliament Lord John 

 Russell gave notice of his intention, at the commencement of 

 the following session, to propose measures for securing to the 

 labourer A fair day's wages for a fair day's work." Without 

 doubt his lordship has bestowed much attention upon this im- 

 portant subject. But, so long as the labour-market remains 

 overstocked, I greatly apprehend that his laudable exertions 



R 



