TheBillexcitedgeneralopposition。Bentham’sanalysisisthemostfamous
ofthecriticismsthathavesurvived，butinsomesenseshisoppositionwas
lessseriousthanthedismayofmagistratesandratepayers。Hostilepetitions
pouredintotheHouseofCommonsfromLondonandfromallpartsofthecountry；
amongotherstherewerepetitionsfromShrewsbury，Oswestry，Worcester，Bristol，
Lincoln，Carmarthen，Bedford，ChesterandGodalming。(83*)Howlettattacked
theschemeonthegroundofthedangerofparishrobberyandcorruption。
Pittapparentlymadenoattempttodefendhisplan，andhesurrenderedit
withoutamurmur。Wearethusleftinthecuriousanddisappointingposition
ofhavingbeforeusaBillonthemostimportantsubjectoftheday，introduced
andabandonedbythePrimeMinisterwithoutawordorsyllableinitsdefence。
Whitbreadobserved(84*)fouryearslaterthattheBillwasbroughtinand
printed，butneverbroughtunderthediscussionoftheHouse。Pitt’sexcuse
issignificant：’Hewas，asformerly，convincedofitspropriety；butmany
objectionshadbeenstartedtoitbythosewhoseopinionhewasboundto
respect。Inexperiencedhimselfincountryaffairs，andintheconditionof
thepoor，hewasdiffidentofhisownopinion，andwouldnotpressthemeasure
upontheattentionoftheHouse。’
PoorLawReformwasthusabandoned，buttwoattemptsweremade，atthe
instanceofPitt，oneofthemwithsuccess，tosoftenthebrutalitiesof
theLawofSettlement。Neitherproposalmadeitanyeasiertogainasettlement，
andPittveryproperlydeclaredthattheydidnotgonearlyfarenough。Pitt
hadallAdamSmith’sjusthatredoftheserestrictions，andinopposingWhitbread’s
Billforaminimumwagehepointedto’aradicalamendment’oftheLawof
Settlementasthetrueremedy。HewasnottheformalauthoroftheActof
1795，butitmaysafelybeassumedthathewasthechiefpowerbehindit。
ThisAct(85*)providedthatnobodywastoberemoveableuntilheorshebecame
actuallychargeabletotheparish。Thepreamblethrowslightontheworking
oftheSettlementlaws。Itdeclaresthat’Manyindustriouspoorpersons，
chargeabletotheparish，township，orplacewheretheylive，merelyfrom
wantofworkthere，wouldinanyotherplacewheresufficientemployment
istobehad，maintainthemselvesandfamilieswithoutbeingburthensome
toanyparish，township，orplace；andsuchpoorpersonsareforthemost
partcompelledtoliveintheirownparishes，townships，orplaces，andare
notpermittedtoinhabitelsewhere，underpretencethattheyarelikelyto
becomechargeabletotheparish，township，orplaceintowhichtheygofor
thepurposeofgettingemployment，althoughthelabourofsuchpoorpersons
might，inmanyinstances，beverybeneficialtosuchparish，township，or
place。’Thegrantingofcertificatesisthusadmittedtohavebeenineffectual。
ThesameActprovidedthatordersofremovalweretobesuspendedincases
wherethepauperwasdangerouslyill，aprovisionthatthrowssomelight
onthemannerinwhichtheseordershadbeenexecuted，andthatnoperson
shouldgainasettlementbypayingleviesortaxes，inrespectofanytenement
ofayearlyvalueoflessthantenpounds。(86*)
Fromthistimecertificateswereunnecessary，andifalabourermoved
fromParishAtoParishBhewasnolongerliabletobesentbackatthe
capriceofParishB’sofficersuntilhebecameactuallychargeable，but，
ofcourse，iffromanycausehefellintotemporarydistress，forexample，
ifhewereoutofworkforafewweeks，unlesshecouldgetprivateaidfrom
’theopulent，’hehadtoreturntohisoldparish。Anattemptwasmadeto
remedythisstateofthingsbyMr。Bakerwho，inMarch1800，introduceda
Bill(87*)toenableoverseerstoassistthedeservingbutunsettledpoor
incasesoftemporarydistress。HeexplainedthattheprovisionsoftheBill
wouldapplyonlytomenwhocouldusuallykeepthemselves，butfromthehigh
costofprovisionshadtodependonparochialaid。Hefoundapowerfulsupporter
inPitt，whoarguedthatifpeoplehadenrichedaparishwiththeirindustry，
itwasunfairthatowingtotemporarypressuretheyshouldberemovedto
aplacewheretheywerenotwanted，andthatitwasbetterforaparishto
suffertemporaryinconveniencethanfornumbersofindustriousmentobe
renderedunhappyanduseless。ButinspiteofPitt’sunanswerablecase，the
Bill，whichwasdenouncedbyMr。Buxtonasoppressivetothelandedinterest，
byLordSheffieldas’subversiveofthewholeeconomyofthecountry，’by
Mr。Ellisonassubmergingthemiddleranks，andbySirWilliamPulteneyas
beinga’premiumforidlenessandextravagance，’wasrejectedbythirtyvotes
totwenty-three。
Anotherpolicythatwaspresseduponthegoverningclasswasthepolicy
ofrestoringtothelabourersomeoftheresourceshehadlostwithenclosure，
ofputtinghiminsuchapositionthathewasnotobligedtodependentirely
onthepurchasingpowerofhiswagesattheshop。Thiswastheaimofthe
allotmentmovement。Thepropagandafailed，butitdidnotfailforthewant
ofvigorousandauthoritativesupport。Wehaveseeninapreviouschapter
thatArthurYoungawokein1801tothesocialmischiefofdeprivingthepoor
oftheirlandandtheircows，andthathewantedfutureEnclosureActsto
bejusterandmorehumane。Cobbettsuggestedalargeschemeofagrariansettlement
toWindhamin1806。TheseproposalshadbeenanticipatedbyDavies，whose
knowledgeoftheactuallifeofthepoormadehimunderstandtheimportant
differencebetweenatotalandapartialdependenceonwages。’Hopeisa
cordial，ofwhichthepoormanhasespeciallymuchneed，tocheerhisheart
inthetoilsomejourneythroughlife。Andthefatalconsequenceofthatpolicy，
whichdepriveslabouringpeopleoftheexpectationofpossessinganyproperty
inthesoil，mustbetheextinctionofeverygenerousprincipleintheir
minds。Nogentlemanshouldbepermittedtopulldownacottage，until
hehadfirsterectedanother，upononeofMr。Kent’splans，eitheronsome
convenientpartofthewaste，oronhisownestate，withacertainquantity
oflandannexed。’HepraisedtheActofElizabethwhichforbadetheerection
ofcottageswithlessthanfouracresoflandaroundthem，’thatpoorpeople
mightsecureforthemselvesamaintenance，andnotbeobligedontheloss
ofafewdayslabourtocometotheparish，’(89*)andurgedthatthisprohibition，
whichhadbeenrepealedin1775，(90*)shouldbesetupagain。
Thegeneralpolicyofprovidingallotmentswasnevertried，butweknow
somethingofindividualexperimentsfromtheReportsoftheSocietyforBettering
theConditionandIncreasingtheComfortsofthePoor。Thissocietytook
upthecauseofallotmentsveryzealously，andmostoftheexamplesofprivate
benevolenceseemtohavefoundtheirwayintothepagesofitsreports。
Theseexperimentswerenotverynumerous。Indeed，thenameofLordWinchilsea
recurssoinevitablyineveryallusiontothesubjectastocreateasuspicion
thatthemovementandhisestateswerecoextensive。Thisisnotthetruth，
butitisnotverywideofthetruth，forthoughLordWinchilseahadimitators，
thoseimitatorswerefew。ThefullestaccountofhisestateinRutlandshire
isgivenbySirThomasBernard。(91*)TheestateembracedfourparishesHambledon，
Egleton，Greetham，andBurleyontheHill。Thetenantsincludedeightycottagers
possessingonehundredandseventy-fourcows。’Aboutathirdparthaveall
theirlandinseveralty；therestofthemhavetheuseofacow-pasturein
commonwithothers；mostofthempossessingasmallhomestead，adjoining
totheircottage；everyoneofthemhavingagoodgarden，andkeepingone
pigatleast，ifnotmore……Ofalltherentsoftheestate，nonearemore
punctuallypaidthanthoseforthecottagers’land。’Inthishappydistrict
ifamanseemedlikelytobecomeaburdenontheparishhislandlordand
neighbourssavedtheman’sself-respectandtheirownpocketsasratepayers，
bysettinghimupwithlandandacowinstead。Sofarfromneglectingtheir
workaslabourers，theseproprietorsofcowsaredescribedas’moststeady
andtrusty。’Wehaveapictureofthislittlecommunityleadingahardbut
energeticandindependentlife，themengoingouttodailywork，butbusy
intheirsparehourswiththeircows，sheep，pigs，andgardens；thewomen
andchildrenlookingafterthelivestock，spinning，orworkinginthegardens：
averydifferentpicturefromthatofthelandlessandill-fedlabourers
elsewhere。
Otherlandlords，who，actingontheirowninitiative，orattheinstance
oftheiragents，helpedtheircottagersbylettingthemlandonwhichto
keepcowswereLordCarringtonandLordScarboroughinLincolnshire，and
LordEgremontonhisYorkshireestates(Kentwashisagent)。Somewhowere
friendlytotheallotmentsmovementthoughtitamistaketogiveallotments
ofarablelandindistrictswherepasturelandwasnotavailable。Mr。Thompson，
whowritestheaccountofLordCarrington’scottagerswithcows，thought
that’wherecottagersoccupyarableland，itisveryrarelyofadvantage
tothem，andgenerallyaprejudicetotheestate。’(92*)Heseems，however，
tohavebeenthinkingmoreofsmallholdingsthanofallotments。’Thelate
AbelSmith，Esq。，frommotivesofkindnesstoseveralcottagersonhisestates
inNottinghamshire，lettoeachofthemasmallpieceofarableland。Ihave
rodeoverthatestatewithLordCarringtonseveraltimessinceitdescended
tohim，andIhaveinvariablyobservedthatthetenantsuponit，whooccupy
onlyeightortenacresofarableland，arepoor，andtheirlandinbadcondition。
Theywouldthrivemoreandenjoygreatercomfortwiththemeansofkeeping
twoorthreecowseachthanwiththreetimestheirpresentquantityofarable
land；butitwouldbeagreatermortificationtothemtobedeprivedofit
thantheirlandlordisdisposedtoinflict。’(93*)Ontheotherhand，astriking
instanceofsuccessfularableallotmentsisdescribedbyaMr。Estcourtin
theReportsoftheSocietyforBetteringtheConditionofthePoor。(94*)
ThescenewastheparishofLongNewntoninWilts，whichcontainedonehundred
andfortypoorpersons，chieflyagriculturallabourers，distributedinthirty-two
families，andtheyearwas1800。Thepriceofprovisionswasveryhigh，and
’thoughallhadaveryliberalallowancefromthepoorrate，thewholevillage
wasplungedindebtandmisery。Fromthishopelessplighttheparishwas
rescuedbyanallotmentschemethatMr。Estcourtestablishedanddescribed。
Eachcottagerwhoappliedwasallowedtorentasmallquantityoflandat
therateof£；1，12s。anacre(95*)onafourteenyears’lease：thequantity
oflandlettoanapplicantdependedonthenumberinhisfamily，witha
maximumofoneandahalfacres：thetenantwastoforfeithisholdingif
hereceivedpoorreliefotherthanmedicalrelief。Theofferwasgreedily
accepted，twowidowswithlargefamiliesandfourveryoldandinfirmpersons
beingtheonlypersonswhodidnotapplyforalease。Aloanof£；44
wasdividedamongthetenantstofreethemfromtheirdebtsandgivethem
afreshstart。TheywereallowedathirdoftheirplotonLadyDay1801，
asecondthirdonLadyDay1802，andtheremainderonLadyDay1803。The
resultsasrecordedin1805wereastonishing。Noneofthetenantshadreceived
anypoorrelief：alltheconditionshadbeenobserved：theloanof£；44
hadlongbeenrepaidandthepoorratehadfallenfrom£；212，16s。to
£；12，6s。’Theyaresomuchbeforehandwiththeworldthatitissupposed
thatitmustbesomecalamitystillmoreseverethananytheyhaveeverbeen
afflictedwiththatcouldputthemunderthenecessityofeverapplyingfor
relieftotheparishagain……Thefarmersofthisparishallowthatthey
neverhadtheirworkbetterdone，theirservantsmoreable，willing，civil，
andsober，andthattheirpropertywasneversofreefromdepredationas
atpresent。’(96*)
Somephilanthropists，fulloftheadvantagestothepoorofpossessing
live-stock，arguedthatitwasagoodthingforcottagerstokeepcowseven
inarabledistricts。SirHenryVavasourwroteanaccountin1801(97*)of
oneofhiscottagerswhomanagedtokeeptwocowsandtwopigsandmakea
profitof£；30ayearonthreeacresthreeperchesofarablewithasummer’s
gaitforoneofhiscows。Theman，hiswife，andhisdaughteroftwelveworked
onthelandintheirsparehours。TheBoardofAgricultureofferedgoldmedals
in1801forthebestreportofhowtokeeponeortwocowsonarableland，
andSirJohnSinclairwroteanessayonthesubject，reproducedintheaccount
of’UsefulProjects’intheAnnualRegister。(98*)SirJohnSinclair
urgedthatifthesystemwasgenerallyadopteditwouldremovethepopular
objectionstoenclosure。
