178 Friendly Societies, State Action, and the Poor-law. 
can make a considerable profit out of the rates on his property. 
He may obtain a reduction, in some cases of upwards of 70 per 
cent, on the rental of his cottages. Certainly he has to run a 
risk, which is in practice very small. He must continue to pay 
rates for an unoccupied cottage. One is at a loss to know what 
adequate grounds exist for giving him his extraordinary advan- 
tage over all ratepayers. But this is not the worst part of the 
arrangement. It is liable to abuse, which tells badly with his 
tenants. They pay no rate : when a rate is made, it is the land- 
lord's business, and he takes the liability into account in settling 
the rent of his cottages : 3(Z. or 4c^. a week will be added to 
indemnify him for his expense and risk. It may easily happen 
that the occupier pays five times as much for composition as his 
landlord does for rates. On a revaluation of a district, there 
were certain cottages on which the rateable value was increased 
11. each. The additional amount of the rate to the owner might 
be Is. a year on each cottage. The owner immediately gave 
notice to all the occupiers that in consequence of the increase 
in the rates they must each pay d>d. a week more rent. Failing 
compliance, they were to receive a month's notice to quit. 
Now if cottagers know that they are compelled to pay more 
in composition for rates than the rate would cost them, while 
the owner is assessed at little more than 30 per cent, of the 
rateable value of the tenements, what greater encouragement 
can be given to the common opinion that all poor persons 
should get as much as they possibly can from the rate itself, 
for which they pay so heavily and unjustly? It is fairly 
arguable that as much mischief has been done to perpetuate 
the demoralising influences of the Poor-law by the Compounding 
Acts as by supplementing the weekly wages of the labourer 
from the funds of the rate. So far as 1 have been able to 
notice, one of the best means of keeping the public opinion 
of the cottagers and small householders against resorting to 
relief, is to make them pay their rate as it falls due ; and the 
smaller the amount they are called upon to pay, the more 
sturdily do they reprobate the conduct of those who have 
become paupers and cause them expense. No opinion adverse 
to rate-plunder is probable wherever the Compounding Acts are 
in force. If a step in the right direction is to be taken, they 
should, for the social and moral good of the poor, be swept 
away. One venerable authority, Mr. Henley, who is yet spared 
to his family and friends, many years ago denounced in the 
House of Commons the Small Tenements Act as a device 
of Old Nick. The device is still retained, on account of its 
convenience. 
What probability, however, there is of obtaining the abolition 
