17. for "126,569," read "126,582." 3. for "58,331," read "58,731." 35. 2. for "715,680," read "741,722." 61. 11. for "4s. 6d." read "98." 81. 116. 99 1. for "1,102,359," read "1,102,349." 2. of note for "second," read "third." 3. of note t, for “adulterior," read “adulterio.” 139. 5. of note, for "Smynæ," read "Smyrnæ." 144. ib. 1. of note †, the Canon referred to is Canon V. Concilii Matisconensis ii. A.D. 585, and is found in Labbe, tom. ix. pp. 951, 952. ed. Florent. 1763. 1. of note, for "decimam," read "suam decimam." 157. 31. of note, for "were," read "was." 201. 204. 1. of note*, for "was," read " was, as it was said." 237. 14. for "1692," read "1691." 251. 7. for "towards," read "during." 4. 17. the after the word "souls" has fallen out: at page 114. line 26. the letter "y" has fallen out of the word "universality," and at page 227. line 7. "f" has fallen out of the word "of." THE pauperism of England, notwithstanding the present general prosperity, still extends to vast numbers of the people, and the sum annually disbursed, under the administration of the poor law, in maintenance and relief alone, amounts to upwards of five millions sterling. It has become, therefore, most important to inquire, whether the law of settlement and removal of the poor does not exercise an injurious influence on the physical and moral condition of the working classes, especially of labourers in agriculture; and whether the repeal of that law will not alleviate the pecuniary burden of ratepayers, and tend also to diminish the sufferings, and to elevate. the character, of the whole body of our labouring population. Before entering on the consideration of defects in the poor law, which have produced or aggravated many of the existing evils of our pauperism, I will endeavour to ascertain B the number of paupers at present distributed over the whole country, and the cost of their support. Pauperism in England may be said to be relieved from three entirely distinct sources. The first of these consists in the various parochial and other charities, founded mainly by the piety and benevolence of former ages, and dispensing an annual income of upwards of 1,200,000l. Respecting these Charities, ample information is found in the voluminous Reports of the Commissioners of Inquiry into Public Charities; and the Summary of those Reports, presented to parliament by command of Her Majesty, and printed in 1842, shows that their income is derived from 442,915 acres of land, from between five and six millions of money in the public funds, and from other property. Its exact annual amount appears, by the Summary, to be 1,209,395l. 12s. 8d.: a sum of about 200,000l. a year is appropriated to schools and other educational objects. The character of the innumerable foundations which yield this large annual revenue of 1,209,3951., becomes sufficiently apparent on the inspection of any page of the Digest of Reports of the Commissioners, arranged according to counties. By far the greater part of the whole amount is simply in the nature of direct relief to the poor. The separate enumeration of charities giving such relief, fills 336 folio pages. That the large amount of money thus distributed would, if it formed part of the ordinary fund for the relief of the poor, be of far greater service to the community, including the industrious poor themselves, can hardly be doubted. Commissioners of Inquiry into the Administration of the Poor Laws, whose Report preceded the passing of the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, state their conviction that these charities, distributed as they are among the same classes who are also receivers of the poor rate, are often wasted and often mischievous. "In some cases they have a quality of evil peculiar to themselves. The majority of them are distributed among the poor inhabitants of particular parishes and towns. The places intended to be favoured |