labourers。ItwasbackedbySheridanandGrey，(60*)andthemembersforSuffolk。
TheobjectoftheBill(61*)wastoexplainandamendtheActofElizabeth，
whichempoweredJusticesofthePeaceatorwithinsixweeksofeveryGeneral
QuarterSessionsheldatEastertoregUlatethewagesoflabourersinhusbandry。
TheprovisionsoftheBillwerebrieflyasfollows。AtanyQuartetSessions
thejusticescouldagree，iftheythoughtfit，toholdaGeneralSessions
forcarryingintoexecutionthepowersgiventhembytheAct。Iftheythought
goodtoholdsuchaGeneralSessions，themajorityofthemcould’rateand
appointthewagesandfixanddeclarethehoursofworkingofalllabourers
inhusbandry，bytheday，week，monthoryear，andwithbeerorcyderor
without，respectbeinghadtothevalueofmoneyandtheplentyorscarcity
ofthetime。’Thisratewastobeprintedandpostedonthechurchdoors，
andwastoholdgoodtillsupersededbyanothermadeinthesameway。The
ratewasnottoapplytoanytradesmanorartificer，nortoanylabourer
whosedietwaswhollyprovidedbyhisemployer，nottoanylabourerbona
fideemployedonpiecework，nortoanylaboureremployedbytheparish。The
young，theold，andtheinfirmwerealsoexemptedfromtheprovisionsof
theAct。Itwastobelawful’tocontractwithandpaytoanymaleperson，
undertheageof(62*)years，ortoanymanwhofromageotinfirmity
oranyotherincapacityshallbeunabletodotheordinaryworkofalabouring
man，somuchasheshallreasonablydeservefortheworkwhichheshallbe
abletodoandshalldo。’Incaseofcomplaintthedecisionastotheability
ofthelabourerrestedwiththejustices。
Withtheaboveexceptionsnolabourerwastobehiredundertheappointed
rates，andanycontractforlowerwageswasvoid。Ifconvictedofbreaking
thelaw，anemployerwastobefined；ifherefusedtopaythefine，his
goodsweretobedistrainedon，andifthisfailedtoproduceenoughtopay
theexpenses，hecouldbecommittedtothecommongaolorHouseofCorrection。
Alabourerwithwhomanillegalcontractwasmadewastobeacompetentwitness。
ThefirstdiscussionsoftheBillwerefriendlyintone。On25thNovember
Whitbreadaskedforleavetobringitin。SirWilliamYoung，Lechmere，Charles
Dundas，andSirJohnRousallspokewithsympathyandapproval。Thefirst
readingdebatetookplaceon9thdecember，andthoughWhitbreadhadonthat
occasionthepowerfulsupportofFox，who，whilenotconcealinghismisgivings
abouttheBill，thoughtthealternativeofleavingthegreatbodyofthe
peopletodependonthecharityoftherichintolerable，anominousnote
wasstruckbyPittandHenryDundasontheotherside。TheBillcameupfor
secondreadingon12thFebruary1796。(63*)Whitbread’sopeningspeechshowed
thathewaswellawarethathewouldhavetofaceaformidableopposition。
Pittroseatonceafterthemotionhadbeenformallysecondedbyoneofthe
Suffolkmembers，andassailedtheBillinaspeechthatmadeanimmediate
andoverwhelmingimpression。HechallengedWhitbread’sargumentthatwages
hadnotkeptpacewithprices；headmittedthehardshipsofthepoor，but
hethoughtthepictureoverdrawn，fortheirhardshipshadbeenrelievedby
’adisplayofbeneficenceneversurpassedatanyperiod，’andhearguedthat
itwasafalseremedytouselegislativeinterference，andtogivethejustices
thepowertoregUlatethepriceoflabour，andtoendeavour’toestablish
byauthoritywhatwouldbemuchbetteraccomplishedbytheunassistedoperation
ofprinciples。’Thislednaturallytoanattackontherestrictionsonlabour
imposedbytheLawofSettlement，andadiscussionoftheoperationofthe
PoorLaws，andthespeechended，afteraglanceatthegreatpossibilities
ofchildemployment，withthepromiseofmeasureswhichshouldrestorethe
originalpurityofthePoorLaws，andmakethemablessinginsteadofthe
cursetheyhadbecome。ThespeechseemstohavedazzledtheHouseofCommons，
andfewstoodupagainstthegeneralopinionthatWhitbread’sproposalwas
dangerous，andthatthewholequestionhadbetterbelefttoPitt。Lechmere，
aWorcestershiremember，wasoneofthem，andhemadeanadmirablelittle
speechinwhichhetriedtodestroythegeneralillusionthatthepoorcould
notbeunhappyinacountrywheretherichweresokind。Whitbreadhimself
defendedhisBillwithspiritandability，showingthatPitthadnotreally
foundanysubstantialargumentagainstit，andthatPitt’sownremedieswere
allhypotheticalanddistant。Foxreaffirmedhisdislikeofcompulsion，but
restatedatthesametimehisopinionthatWhitbread’sBill，thoughnotan
idealsolution，wasthebestsolutionavailableofevilswhichpressedvery
hardlyonthepooranddemandedattention。GeneralSmithpointedoutthat
oneofPitt’sremedieswastheemploymentofchildren，andwarnedhimthat
hehadhimselfseensomeoftheconsequencesoftheunregulatedlabourof
children’whosewanandpalecomplexionsbespokethattheirconstitutions
werealreadyundermined，andaffordedbutlittlepromiseofarobustmanhood，
oroffutureusefulnesstothecommunity。’ButthegeneralsenseoftheHouse
wasreflectedinthespeechesofBuxton，CoxheadandBurdon，whosemainargument
wasthatthepoorwerenotinsodesperateaplightasWhitbreadsupposed，
andthatwhatevertheirconditionmightbe，Pittwasthemostlikelyperson
tofindsuchremediesaswerepracticableandeffective。Themotionforsecond
readingwasnegativedwithoutadivision。TheverdictoftheHousewasa
verdictofconfidenceinPitt。
Fouryearslater(11thFebruary1800)Whitbreadrepeatedhisattempt。(64*)
HeaskedforleavetobringinaBilltoexplainandamendtheActofElizabeth，
andsaidthathehadwaitedforPitttocarryouthispromises。Hewasaware
ofthedangerofoverpayingthepoor，butartificersandlabourersshould
besopaidastobeabletokeepthemselvesandtheirfamiliesincomfort。
Hesawnowayofsecuringthisresultinatimeofdistressexcepttheway
hehadsuggested。Pittroseatoncetoreply。Hehadintheintervalbrought
inandabandonedhisschemeofPoorLawReform。Hehadspenthisonlyidea，
andhewasnowconfessedlywithoutanypolicyatall。Allthathecouldcontribute
wasageneralcriticismoflegislativeinterference，andanotherdiscourse
ontheimportanceoflettinglabourfinditsownlevel。Headmittedthefact
ofscarcity，buthebelievedthelabouringclassseldomfeltfewerprivations。
Historyscarcelyprovidesamorestrikingspectacleofastatesmanpaying
himselfwithsoothingphrasesinthemidstofasocialcyclone。TheHouse
wasmorethaneveronhisside。Alltheinterestsandinstinctsofclass
weredisguisedunderthegolddustofAdamSmith’sphilosophy。SirWilliam
Young，Buxton，Wilberforce，Ellison，andPercevalattackedtheBill。Whitbread
repliedthatcharityasasubstituteforadequatewageshadmischievouseffects，
forittookawaytheindependenceofthepoor，’aconsiderationasvaluable
tothelabourerastothemanofhighrank，’andasfortheargumentthat
labourshouldbelefttofinditsownlevel，thetruthsurelywasthatlabour
founditslevelbycombinations，andthatthishadbeenfoundtobesogreat
anevilthatActsofParliamenthadbeenpassedagainstit。
ThedateofthesecondreadingoftheBillwashotlydisputed：(65*)the
friendsofthemeasurewantedittobefixedfor28thApril，sothatQuarter
Sessionsmighthavetimetodeliberateontheproposals；theopponentsof
themeasuresuggested25thFebruary，onthegroundsthatitwasdangerous
tokeeptheBillinsuspensesolong：’theeyesofallthelabouringpoor，’
saidMr。Ellison，’mustinthatintervalbeturneduponit。’Theopponents
wontheirpoint，andwhentheBillcameupforsecondreadingitsfatewas
aforegoneconclusion。Whitbreadmadeonelastappeal，pleadingthecause
ofthelabourersboundtopracticalserfdominparisheswherethelandowner
wasanabsentee，employedatstarvationwagesbyfarmers，livingincottages
lettothembyfarmers。Buthisappealwasunheeded：LordBelgraveretorted
withtheargumentthatlegislativeinterferencewithagriculturecouldnot
beneeded，seeingthatfivehundredEnclosureBillshadpassedtheHouse
duringaperiodofwar，andtheBillwasrejected。
Sodiedthepolicyoftheminimumwage。Evenlaterithaditsadherents，
for，in1805，SirThomasBernardcriticisedit(66*)asthe’favouriteidea
ofsomeveryintelligentandbenevolentmen。’Hementionedasareductio
adabsurdumofthescheme，thathadtherateofwagesbeenfixedbythestandard
of1780whenthequarternloafwas6d。andthelabourer’spay9s。aweek，
theresultin1800whenthequarternloafcost1s。9d。wouldhavebeena
wageof£；1，11s。6d。
WhenWhitbreadintroducedhislargeandcomprehensivePoorLawBillin
1807，(67*)theproposalforaminimumwagewasnotincluded。
Fromanexaminationofthespeechesofthetimeandoftheanswersto
ArthurYoung’scircularprintedintheAnnalsofAgriculture，itis
evidentthattherewasagenuinefearamongtheopponentsofthemeasure
thatifoncewageswereraisedtomeettheriseinpricesitwouldnotbe
easytoreducethemwhenthefaminewasover。Thiswasputcandidlybyone
ofArthurYoung’scorrespondents：’itisherejudgedmoreprudenttoindulge
thepoorwithbreadcornatareducedpricethantoraisethepriceofwages。’(68*)
Thepolicyofaminimumwagewasrevivedlaterbyasocietycalled’The
GeneralAssociationestablishedforthePurposeofbetteringtheCondition
oftheAgriculturalandManufacturingLabourers。’Threerepresentativesof
thissocietygaveevidencebeforetheSelectCommitteeonEmigrationin1827，
andoneofthempointedoutasanfrustrationoftheinjusticewithwhich
thelabourersweretreated，thatin1825thewagesofagriculturallabourers
weregenerally9s。aweek，andthepriceofwheat9s。abushel，whereasin
1732thewagesofagriculturallabourwerefixedbythemagistratesat6s。
aweek，andthepriceofwheatwas2s。9d。thebushel。Insupportofthis
comparisonheproducedatablefromTheGentleman’sMagazineof1732：
WheatinFebruary1732，23s。to25s。perquarter。
WheatinMarch1732，20s。to22s。perquarter。
YearlywagesappointedbytheJusticestobetakenbytheservantsin
thecountyofKent，notexceedingthefollowingsums：
Headploughmanwaggonerorseedsman。
Hismate。
Bestwoman。
Secondsortofwoman。
Secondploughman。
Hismate。
Labourersbydayinsummer。
Inwinter。
Headservantinhusbandry。
Secondservantinhusbandry。
Drivingboyunderfourteen。
Headmaidservantordairyservant。
Mowerinharvestwithoutdrinkperday……12
Withdrink。
Otherdaylabourerswithdrink。
Fromcorntohayharvestwithdrink。
Mowersandreapersincornharvestwithdrink。
Labourerswithdiet
Withoutdietordrink。
Carpenterwheelwrightormasonwithoutdrink。
Withdrink
Oneofthewitnessespointedoutthattherewerefivemillionsoflabourers
makingwiththeirfamilieseightmillions，andthatiftheeffectofraising
theirwageswastoincreasetheirexpenditurebyapennyaday，therewould
beanincreaseofconsumptionamountingtotwelvemillionsayear。These
argumentsmadelittleimpressionontheCommittee，andtherepresentations
ofthesocietyweredismissedwithcontempt：’Itisfromanentireignorance
oftheuniversaloperationoftheprincipleofSupplyanddemandregUlating
therateofwagesthatalltheseextravagantpropositionsareadvanced，and
recommendationsspreadoverthecountrywhicharesocalculatedtoexcite
falsehopes，andconsequentlydiscontent，inthemindsofthelabouringclasses。
AmongthemostextravagantarethosebroughtforwardbytheSocietyestablished
forthepurposeofbetteringtheconditionofthemanufacturingandagricultural
Pitt，havingsecuredtherejectionofWhitbread’sMinimumWageBillin
1796，producedhisownalternative：PoorLawReform。Itisnecessarytostate
brieflywhatwerethePoorLawarrangementsatthetimeofhisproposals。
ThePoorLawsystemreposedonthegreatActofElizabeth(1601)，bywhich
theStatehadacknowledgedandorganisedthedutytothepoorwhichithad
takenoverfromtheChurch。Theparishwasconstitutedtheunit，andoverseers，
unsalariedandnominatedbytheJ。P。’s，wereappointedforadministering
relief，thenecessaryfundsbeingobtainedbyapoorrate。Before1722a
candidateforreliefcouldapplyeithertotheoverseersortothemagistrate。
ByanActpassedinthatyear，designedtomaketheadministrationstricter，
applicationwastobemadefirsttotheoverseer。Iftheoverseerrejected
theapplicationtheclaimantcouldsubmithiscasetoamagistrate，andthe
magistrate，afterhearingtheoverseer’sobjection，couldorderthatrelief
shouldbegiven。Therewere，however，anumberofparishesinwhichapplications
forreliefweremadetosalariedguardians。Theseweretheparishesthat
hadadoptedanActknownasGilbert’sAct，passedin1782。(69*)Inthese
parishes，(70*)joinedinincorporations，theparishoverseerswerenotabolished，
