330 
Mr. Whitbread’s, bill a the manner phy- 
ficians ufually treat difeafes. His fub- 
ject matter is the difeafe of the confitu- 
tion of the ftate, as theirs 1s the dileafe 
or defeét of the conftitution of the indi- 
viduals of it. 
The general method of writing among 
phyficians, is firfé to afcertain the caufe 
of the difeafe, and then to direct me- 
thods, fuitable to that caufe. Now what 
is the caufe of the wretched fituation of 
the poor, which Mr. Whitbread is fo me- 
ritorioully employed in endeavourmg td 
alleviate? It is confefled to be a fcarcity 
of the neceffaries and common comforts 
of life; that is, an infufficiency of ani- 
mal and vegetable food, of warm and 
clean clothing, bedding, houfes, Mc. Mr. 
Malthus, who is not altogether an un- 
fufpected friend of that erder, afferts 
that this fcarcity produces want, milery, 
and mortality, in fo great a degree, as to 
deftroy fume hundred thoufands annual- 
ly,even in England. .Many more, no 
doubt, who have efcaped with their lives, 
fuffer-in the ftruggle, and have their con- 
flitutions impaired. Here then is the 
caufe of the difeafe, or rather the dif- 
eafe itfelf, which we are to leffen er re- 
move. But this fcarcity muft have fome 
caufe ; we mutt, therefore, enquire what 
it is that occafions this fearcity of the 
neceffaries of life. We know that the 
neceflaries of life are the joint produce 
of the land, and the labour beftowed on 
it, and the latter is as neceflary as the 
former to the production of them: the 
fpontaneous produce of the earth would 
fufiain few inhabitants. In all cafes of 
fcarcity where the land is in fuficient 
quantity, the rgguifite quantity of labour 
mutt be wanting, and be the caufe of the 
deficiency. It is allowed, that- there is 
land more than fufficient to fuftain its 
inhabitants in great Britain; the labour 
only therefore that is employed on it, 
muit be deficientthere. The caufe then 
of this deficiency muft in the next place 
be fought for. 
Tn every civilized nation; the people 
of it may be divided into three claffes ; 
the firft clafs contains thofe that labour 
on the land in producing the neceflaries 
of life ; the fecond thofe who work on the 
ynanuractures; the third, thofe whodo no- 
thing, ‘Tbe manufacturers may he fub- 
«divided imto thofe who work on the ma- 
nufacéiures which are fubfervient to 
apriculture, and the other coarle ones, 
fach as the poorthemfelves make ufe of; 
and as to thofe who ~work on the refined 
manutactures afed ouly by the rich. Now 
On Mr. Whitbread’s new Paroehtal Bilt. 
[May 15 
it is evident, that the hufbandmen pro- 
duce the neceffaries of life for them- 
felves and the other two claffes ; and in 
proportion as their number is fufficient 
or not, fo are the whole people well or 
ill provided. It is natural te fuppofe 
that the people, if no caufe preventing 
them interfered, would in the firft-place 
apply labour fufficient to produce the 
neceflaries of life, a want of which oc- 
cafions much greater fufferings to them, 
than the deficiency of the’ other pro- 
ductions of their induftry. We mutt 
therefore, enquire into the caufe of this 
unnatural diverfion of the indufiry of 
mankind from the production of thofe 
the moft indifpenfable of all human 
things. 
“ For this purpofe it is to be obferved, 
that in the hands of fome perfons in the 
laft clafs in the above divifion of the peo- 
ple, all the lands of the nation are veit- 
ed; in others, the cattle and corn raifed 
on them; in others, the raw materials, 
tools, machinery, &c; in others, the goods 
now manufactured, and ftored for fale; 
and fo on. In the hands of thofe, or of 
fome other clafs of the rich, all thofe 
things are collected; and by the laws 
there firmly fecured, which the poor 
man ftands in need of, and are neceliary 
to the fupport of his exiftence The 
perfons in poffeflion of thofe things, hold 
them out to the poor labourer, faying, 
If you will labour for-me in fuch and 
fuch a way, I will give you out of thole 
things fuch as you ftand in need of: but 
unlefs.you will do thofe things which I 
require of you, you fhall have none of 
them. Hence there is an abfolute ne- 
ceffity, under the penalty, the heavieit 
of all penalties, namely, the privation 
of fuch things as are neceffary to his and 
his family’s exiftence, for his fubmitting 
- do the things thus impofed on him to 
do. 
“‘ And as the quantity of the necef- 
faries of life that are or can be con- 
fumed by the rich are limited, and in 
the purchafing of which a fimall part only 
of their wealth can be expended; the 
furplus they are naturally inclined to lay 
out in procuring the conveniencies, the 
elegancies, and the luxuries ef life. 
Thefe are the produce of the more refined 
manufactures of diferent kinds; and for 
thofe they are inclined to give a greater 
price, confidering their wealth would be 
of little ufe to them, if it procured only 
the neceffaries: hence a much greater 
proportion of their incomes is expended 
on thole refined articles; of courfe a 
: greater 
