4.32 
have been tried, befides the great national 
advantage that would have arifen from the 
reformation of the morals of the poor. 
That large houles of induftry are large 
national evils, is, 1 think, not difficult to 
prove; the reafon why fo many poor afk 
rélief, is not becaufe they really need it, or 
thet the number of neceflitous perfons is 
greaier than formerly, but becaufe the poor 
are become more profligate and their mo- 
rals more corrupt, and every large houfe 
of induftry increafes the evil. Io expe 
that a large number of perfons employed 
in the fame apartment, and many of them 
rzked from the kennel of vice, filth, io- 
famy and debauchery, ia its moft deprav- 
ed ftate, fhould be a {choo] for virtue and 
morality, or to expect that perfons, who 
have been decently and virtuoufly edu- 
cated, fhould, in fuch fociety, matmrain 
their virtue, would be the moit improbable 
event that could poffibiy happen, and 
would be folly in the extreme to expect ; 
yet this-mufl' be the improoable effect 
that’ muft flow from fuch caufes, if our 
poor, educated in fuch places, fhould turn 
out virtuous. There fome hundreds of all 
ages and of both fexes are working, play- 
ing, eating and drinking,together, fome of 
whom, though young in years, may be 
faid to be grey-headed in vice, are not only 
inftilling their vicious principles, but in- 
ftructing others in all their vicious prac- 
tices, fo that many, who before might be 
{aid to be fimple concerning evil, foon be- 
come fuch adepts in vice of every kind as 
co outftrip their inftructors; can this thea 
be a fchool for virtue and morality ; ora’ 
fit place to bring up children aud youth in? 
Of ail the calamities that a fober moral 
perfon has to dread, fhould he die and 
leave a family of children unprov'ded for, 
the chief is their being brought up in a 
large houfe of induftry. e 
From youth thus educated,what can be ex- 
petted when they come out into the world? 
Can they be expected ‘to be fober, modeft, 
virtuous, and induftrious; or muft they not 
be expected to come out ripe in every {pe- 
cies of debauchery, and adepts in the com- 
miffion of every fpecies of villany ? What 
then muft be expected, but that thofe who, 
had they been taken’ proper care of in 
youth, might have turned out honeft, re- 
fpe€table, and ufeful members of fociety, 
will come out fome of the greateft pelts to 
ir, and entail mifery and guilt upon fuc- 
ceeding generations,and thus encreafe, in a 
tenfold degree, thole expences which are 
now. parfimonioully {pared, and which, 
properly expended, would have been at- 
tended with the happieft effects? 
if: 4 
Evils of Houfes of Indufiry.*. 
[Dec. 
If this is the effeét upon youth, what are 
the effe€ts upon riper years ? if perfons of 
vicious charaéter are fent there, they be 
come the feducers uf youth; and. 1f perfons 
of. virtuous charaéter are forced into them, 
what greater punifhment can be inflidted 
upon a perfon who has lived in cleanlinefs 
and decency, than to be made the compa- 
nion of infamy, filth, and-difeafe ? yet this 
is the unavoidable confequence of removing 
perfons of all characters and defcriptions 
to one of thofe houfes of induftry. This 
keeps out many poor objects of: charity 
who really need relief, becaufe they feel 
it a lefs calamity to dic by inches of want, 
than to live in flth,and be the companions 
of infamy and debauchery. . 
It may be iaid, that every poflible care 
is taken to reform the vicious, and to keep 
them from the orhers ; but wall any perfon 
ay that fuch difcrimination of character 
can take place, and fuch feparate apart- 
ments be provided, as that all the diiterent 
fhades of charaéter, from confirmed virtue 
to confirmed vice, can be clafled together 
and kept feparate fram each other? This is 
impoitible, even with refpeét to cleanlinefs; 
for, although rendered clean.on their en~ 
tering the houfe, they are, many of them, 
{o habituated to filth, as well as vice, as to 
render it impoffible to break them of it. 
- Thofe, therefore, who have calculated the 
favings to the public from the houfes of 
induftry, fhould have calculated alfo the 
lols by the increafe of vice; and the faving 
a few thoufand pounds per annum to 
bring up poor helplefs orphans in vice, is 
the moit infamous patfimony that was ever 
practifed. ‘That fome place ought to be 
appointed, to which perfons may be car- 
ried and taken care of when fick, who 
have no hdme of theirown, I allow; but I 
would aik, why bas noi every perfon a home 
of thew own? Lf poor people were honeftly 
employed in petting their living, they 
would have {ome place of refidence, fome- 
wherethey mightcali their home; and thofe 
who have nor fuch a place of refidence 
may be called vagrants, of which we have 
,to0 many who fleep in barns during the: 
fummer, and attend fairs, markets, races, 
feafis, &c. as ballad fingers, pedlars, &c. 
to the difgrace of our police. 
Many of thefe vagrants’ wander about, 
with the confent of the officers of the pa- 
rifh to which they belong, who, fooner 
than, be at the trouble of finding them {uit- 
able employ, and keeping them to it,*are _ 
glad to get rid of them as much as poffible, 
by giving them a trifle in the fpring, on. 
condition they do not trouble them again 
wntil winter (this I know to bea faét). If 
: ; then: ~ 
