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Show 62 ON THE Parce or CORN, AND together with a folemn general law made by the rich to fubjeé't their eftates to a heavy tart for the fupport of the poor. Under all thele obligations, are our poor modeft, humble, and thankful:P and do they ufe their belt endeavours to maintaln themfelves, and lighten our {boulders of this bur- then ?-0n the contrary, I aflirm that there is no country in the world in which the poor are more idle, diffolute, drunken, and infolent. The m "um ., [G.P.] MANAGEMENT on THE POOR. 63 lately read a great deal ofyourr; and therefore from you (at leaft from thofe of you who are writers) I deferve a little indulgence. I am yours, 86C. ARATOR‘K day you pafl'ed that 9.8:, you tookaway from before their eyes the greateft of all Inducernents to [*' The late Mr. Owen Rufi‘head being fome time ago employed in preparing a Digtfl 1y" our Paar lawr, communicated a copy of indt‘lf'try, frugality, and fobriety, by g1v1ng them it to Dr. Franklin for his advice. a dependance on fomewhat elfe than a careful ac- provifion {hould be made therein. for the printing on a {lieet of Dr. Franklin recommended that cumulation during youth and health, for fupport paper and difperfmg, in each parifh in the kingdom, annual accounts of every difburfement and receipt of its officers. It is obvious to in age or ficknefs. remark how greatly this mull tend .to check both the officers and the poor, and to inform and interelt the parilhioners with refpeét ,- In fliort, you ofiered a pre- mium for the encouragement of idlenefs, and you {hould not now wonder that it has had its effect in the inereafe of poverty. Repeal that law, and you will foon fee a change in their manners, Sailzt Monday and Saint Tug/day, will foon ceafe to parilh concerns. Some of the American colonies actually praeflife thismeafurenvith a fuecefs which might jullify its adoption here. rLater improvements however in our Eng/{fl} poor laws, have not only been meditated, but attempted.~- In particular, in 1773, an aft of parliament was propofed, in order to invite the poor to fer apart money for the purchafe of annuities, in all pariflies and .townlhips managing the poor's-rate, that could admit of, and would to be holidays. SIX day: flmlt tbou [aéaun though One of the old commandments long treated as out formally content to the regulation. fcheme were as follows. Some of the particulars of this» The annuities, which'to accommodate the poor were payable quarterly, were in no cafe to exceed 20/. and of date, will again be looked upon as a refpeétable precept; indufiry will increafe, and with it plenty 'among the lower people ; their circuml'tances Will .mend, and more will be done for their happinefs by inuring them to provide for themfelves, than 'could be done by dividing all your el‘tates among them. . Excufe'me, Meflieurs the Public, if upon this intertyiz‘ng fubjeét, I put you to the trouble of no principal purchafe money was to be received of lefs amount than 51. at a time; the parties might choo e any age for the purchafe between 15 and 75, but they could not receive the annuity before 50 ifmen, and 35 if women, the annuity in the mean time in- creafing in proportion as they had waited; the annuities alfo could not knowingly be granted to any but thofe entitled to legal parilh fettlements, nor forany other lives than thofe of the grantees; though they were faleable, provided the firfl refufal of them was offered to the grantors. The proper officers of the parith or townfhip (who were conltituted the grantors,) in order to effect thcfe purpofes, were to be erected into a corporation with a feal ; the grants (which were framed according to a prefcribed and cheap form, and pro- {BClL‘Al lroin frauds) were to he in feveral ways authenticated and pre- reading a little of 17".? nonfenfe; I am fure I have ferved ; the annuities were to be taken up in fomc parliamentary lately fund, after the rate of 3 per cent, interelt, negociable at the bank (If Lngland; and the accounts after beingprOperly kept and figned. were |
