1800.] 
this family three times the fum which 
your correfpondent allows would be ex- 
pended, The allowance for fundries, if 
firing is to be purchafed, and the parties 
do not refide where it is peculiarly cheap, 
ought to be doubled. Of animal food and 
beer the family may confume as much in 
the courfe of the year as 138. will pur- 
chafe! for thofe articles are not admitted 
by your correfpondent, and the Berkthire 
magiftrates, into the catalogue of necefla- 
ries. Certainly if animal food fhould be 
relatively very cheap, an additional quan- 
tity of it might be obtained in the place of 
bread ; but we cannot imagine, that the 
opportunity for this enjoyment would fre- 
quently offer itfelf. Yet ought not the 
Jabourer to. have the means of recruiting 
toat ftrength which he expends in the fer- 
vice of fociety? Will bread and water: 
repair the walte? Inhuman idea! to con- 
demn the honeft indufirious man to fubftt 
upon prifon allowance. With this nou- 
rifhment indeed life might be fupported 
for fome time ; but youth would be robbed 
of half the fpirit and vigour, which, ac- 
cording to nature’s defign, belonged to it, 
and wretched decrepitude would precede 
the approach of old age. I am perfuaded, 
however, that very few of my country. 
men, who have any pretenfions to the cha- 
racter of humane, would endure the 
thought that their laborious. brethren 
fhould be reduced to live upon fuch meagre 
fare. How the poor in Berkfhire (where 
your correfpondent affures us that his cal- 
culations are acted upon) have been fatis- 
fied with their treatment, we are not in- 
formed: for, when he {peaks of the good 
effeéts of his plan, I fuppofe he alludes to 
the facility which it communicates to the 
bufinefs of an overfeer, Were I to correé&t 
his table in the inftance which has been 
brought forward, I fhould fiate the ac- 
count thus : viz. 
Eighteen pounds of bread per 
‘week, which I think might be fuf- 
ficient, if the meat were generally 
made into foup, with a liberal ufe- 
of potatoes and other vegetables, 
which we may imagine are the pro- 
duce: of the labourer’s garden— f. 5. 
per annum - = - 15 12 
Beer, milk, cheefe, butter, and 
froceries, 3s. per week, or per an. 7 16 
Seven pounds of meat each week, 
at 6d. per lb. is per annum - G2 
Cloathing and chamber linen 7 10 
Rent = - - 2 10 
Soap, candles, firing, and all et- 
ceteras - - ° We) 
Yearly expence - 45 10 
or 17s. 6d. per week. 
MONTHLY Mac, No. 65. 
Allowance. tothe Poore 
313 
I have little doubt myfelf of the juftice 
or policy of a law that fhould regulate the 
wapes of labour, at leaft in hufbandry, 
according to the price of bread corn. The 
price of labour will be far from finding its 
proper level, when, in confequence of an 
extraordinary increafe of the figns of 
weaith, and a rapid accumulation of pub. 
lic burdens, the nominal value of all the 
neceflaries of life experiences a great and 
fudden advance. While combinations are 
prohibited, the employer will, in almoft 
every inftance, have an advantage over his 
workmen. He pofleffes the means of fub- 
fittence ; be would foon meet with perfons 
willing to perform his work ; and it could 
very rarely happen that Acs affairs would 
be materially injured by a fmall delay. 
They in general depend folkly upon their 
labour for their fupport : and of courle if 
they ceafed to work they muf ftarve. 
In the prefent ftate of things, therefore, 
the condition of this clafs of perfons will 
inevitably become, m 4 progreflive degree, 
more hacd as the value of money decreafes., 
The inconveniences and difficulties attend- 
ant upon a law for, their protection, which 
fhould as equitably as poffible regulate the 
price of ordinary Jabour, may be detailed 
and exaggerated by thofe who are not 
troubled with an excefs of philanthrophy. 
But I feel perfuaded, that, ifthe plan were 
intrufted to fkilful hands, all ferious objec - 
tion to it would vanifh. In its formation 
very little ufe could be made of the Berk- 
fhire table, which has a reference only to 
cafes where parochial affiftance is claimed. 
A man thould always, in my opinion, 
earn by a commen day’s labour a fum 
fuiicient for the maintenance of two or 
three young children, and in part of a 
wife, as well as of himlelf. His wages 
fhould, I think, in the country, be about 
three times as much as in that table is 
{tated to be neceflary for the fupport of a 
fingle man. 
Bur left I fhould trefpafs too far upon 
the pages, of your valuable mifcellany, I 
will conclude, with earnefily recommend- 
ing the minute difcuffion of this fubject to 
all your intelligent readers who feela fym- 
pathy with that large portion of their 
fellow citizens, whofe lot is toil and po- 
verty. N. H. 
London, Sep. 6, 1800, 
== ee & 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
ACCOUNT of the RE- APPEARANCE Of SIe 
CaRD, TEACHER of the pEaF aud 
DUMB 27 PARIS. 
WENTY-EIGHT months had the 
man, whom the Abbé de |? Erze 
choie for his immediate fucceffor, the cele. 
Si brated 
