’Truepriests，hesaid，andpreachersoftheWordWereonlystewardsoftheirsovereignLord：
Nothingwastheirsbutallthepublicstore，Intrustedrichestorelievethepoor，’
Itwasrecognised，aslateasthereignofHenryIV，thattitheswere
designedamongotherobjectsforthereliefofthepoor。AnActofthatreign
confirmedanearlierActofRichardII。(15Rich。II。c。6)，whichlaiddown
thatontheappropriationofanyparishchurch，moneywastobepaidyearly
ofthefruitsandprofitsofthesaidchurchtothepoorparishioners。After
thistimetheclaimsofthepoorfadefromview。Ofcourse，greatmasses
oftithepropertyhadpassed，bythetimeweareconsidering，intosecular
hands。ThemonasteriesappropriatedaboutathirdofthelivingsofEngland，
andthetithesintheseparishespassedattheReformationtotheCrown，
whencetheypassedingrantstoprivatepersons。Noresponsibilityforthe
poortroubledeitherthelayorspiritualownersoftithes，andthoughthey
usedthenameofGodfreelyindefendingtheirclaims，theywerestewards
ofGodinmuchthesamesenseasGeorgeIVwasthedefenderofthefaith。
Thelandownersandtithe-ownershadtheirdifferenceswhenitcametoan
EnclosureBill，buttheseclasseshadthesameinterestsinthedisposal
ofthesurplusprofitsofagriculture；andbothalikewereinavulnerable
positioniftheoriginandhistoryoftheirpropertycameundertoofierce
adiscussion。
Therewasaspecialreasonwhytheclassesthathadsuddenlybecomevery
muchrichershoulddreadtoosearchingadiscontentatthismoment。They
hadseentithes，andallseignorialduesabolishedalmostatasinglestroke
acrosstheChannel，andtheywereatthistimeassociatingconstantlywith
theemigrantnobilityofFrance，whoseprospectofrecoveringtheirestates
seemedtofadeintoamoredoubtfuldistancewitheverybattlethatwasfought
betweentheFrancewhohadgiventhepoorpeasantsuchapositionasthe
peasantenjoyednowhereelse，andherpowerfulneighbourwhohadmadeher
landlordstherichestandproudestclassinEurope。TheFrenchConvention
hadpassedadecree(November1792)，declaringthat’whereverFrencharmies
shallcome，alltaxes，tithes，andprivilegesofrankaretobeabolished，
allexistingauthoritiescancelled，andprovisionaladministrationselected
byuniversalsuffrage。ThepropertyofthefallenGovernment，oftheprivileged
classesandtheiradherentstobeplacedunderFrenchprotection。’Thislast
sentencehadanunpleasantringaboutit；itsoundedlikeaterseparaphrase
ofnonquasisuissedquasicomemndatis。Inpointoffacttherewasnotyet
anyviolentcriticismofthebasisofthesocialpositionoftheprivileged
classesinEngland。EvenPaine，whenhesuggestedaschemeofOldAgePensions
foralloverfifty，andadowryforeveryoneonreachingtheageoftwenty-one，
hadproposedtofinanceitbydeathduties。Thelwall，whowrotewithanot
unnaturalbitternessaboutthegreatgrowthofostentatiouswealthatatime
whenthepoorwerebecomingsteadilypoorer，toldastorywhichillustrated
verywellthesignificanceofthephilanthropyoftherich。’IrememberI
wasoncetalkingtoafriendofthecharityandbenevolenceexhibitedin
thiscountry，whenstoppingmewithasarcasticsneer，“Yes。”says
he，“westealthegoose，andwegivebackthegiblets。”“No。”
saidathirdpersonwhowasstandingby，“gibletsaremuchtoodainty
forthecommonherd，wegivethemonlythepenfeathers。”’(3*)Butthe
literatureofRadicalismwasnotinflammatory，andthedemandsofthedispossessed
wereforsomethingagooddeallessthantheirstrictdue。Thericherclasses，
however，werenaturallyanxioustosootheandpacifythepoorbeforediscontent
spreadanyfurther，andtheSpeenhamlandsystemturnedout，fromtheirpoint
ofview，averyadmirablemeanstothatend，foritprovidedamaintenance
forthepoorbyamethodwhichsappedtheirspiritanddisarmedtheirindependence。
Theywereanxiousthatthelabourersshouldnotgetintothewayofexpecting
alargershareintheprofitsofagriculture，andatthesametimetheywanted
tomakethemcontented。Thelwall(4*)statedthatwhenhewasintheIsle
ofWight，thefarmerscametoaresolutiontoraisethepriceoflabour，
andthattheyweredissuadedbyoneofthegreatestproprietorsintheisland，
whocalledameetingandwarnedthefarmersthattheywouldmakethecommon
peopleinsolentandwouldneverbeabletoreducetheirwagesagain。
AnaccountoftheintroductionofthesystemintoWarwickshireandWorcestershire
illustratesverywellthestateofmindinwhichthispolicyhaditsorigin。
’InWarwickshire，theyear1797wasmentionedasthedateofitscommencement
inthatcounty，andthescalesofreliefgivingitauthoritywerepublished
ineachofthesecountiespreviouslytotheyear1800。Itwasapprehended
bymanyatthattime，thateitherthewagesoflabourwouldrisetoaheight
fromwhichitwouldbedifficulttoreducethemwhenthecauseforithad
ceased，orthatduringthehighpricesthelabourersmighthavehadtoendure
privationstowhichitwouldbeunsafetoexposethem。Tomeettheemergency
ofthetime，variousschemesaresaidtohavebeenadopted，suchasweekly
distributionsofflour，proddingfamilieswithclothes，ormaintainingentirely
aportionoftheirfamilies，untilatlengththepracticebecamegeneral，
andarightdistinctlyadmittedbythemagistrateswasclaimedbythelabourer
toparishrelief，onthegroundofinadequatewagesandnumberinfamily。
Iwasinformedthattheconsequencesofthesystemwerenotwhollyunforeseen
atthetime，asaffordingaprobableinducementtoearlymarriagesandlarge
families；butatthisperiodtherewasbutlittleapprehensiononthatground。
Aprevalentopinion，supportedbyhighauthority，thatpopulationwasin
itselfasourceofwealth，precludedallalarm。Thedemandsforthepublic
servicewerethoughttoendureasufficientdraughtforanysurpluspeople；
anditwasdeemedwisebymanypersonsatthistimetopresentthePoorLaws
tothelowerclasses，asaninstitutionfortheiradvantage，peculiarto
thiscountry；andtoencourageanopinionamongthem，thatbythismeans
theirownshareinthepropertyofthekingdomwasrecognised。’(5*)Tothe
landlordstheSpeenhamlandsystemwasasafety-valveintwoways。Thefarmers
gotcheaplabour，andthelabourersgotamaintenance，anditwashopedthus
toreconcilebothclassestohighrentsandthegreatsocialsplendourof
theirrulers。Therewasnoencroachmentonthesurplusprofitsofagriculture，
andlandlordsandtithe-ownersbaskedinthesunshineofprosperity。Itwould
beamistaketorepresentthelandlordsasdeliberatelytreatingthefarmers
andthelabourersontheprinciplewhichCaesarboastedthathehadapplied
withsuchsuccess，whenheborrowedmoneyfromhisofficerstogiveitto
hissoldiers，andthuscontrivedtoattachbothclassestohisinterest；
butthatwasineffecttheresultandthesignificanceoftheSpeenhamland
system。
Thiswrongapplicationofthosesurplusprofitswasoneelementinthe
violentoscillationsoftradeduringthegenerationafterthewar。Along
waraddingenormouslytotheexpenditureofGovernmentmustdisorganiseindustry
seriouslyinanycase，andinthiscasethedemoralisationwasincreased
byabadcurrencysystem。Thegoverningclass，whichwascontinuallymeditating
onthesubjectofagriculturaldistress，holdinginquiries，andappointing
committees，neverconceivedtheproblemasoneofdistribution。TheSelect
Committeeof1833onAgriculture，forexample，expresslydisclaimsanyinterest
inthequestionofrentsandwages，treatingtheseasdeterminedbyalaw
ofNature，andassumingthattheonlyquestionforaGovernmentwasthequestion
ofsteadyingpricesbyprotection。Whattheydidnotrealisewasthatabad
distributionofprofitswasitselfacauseofdisturbance。Themostinstructive
speechonthecourseofagricultureduringtheFrenchwarwasthatinwhich
BroughamshowedintheHouseofCommons，on9thApril1816，howthecountry
hadsufferedfromover-productionduringthewildelationofhighprices，
andhowatremendoussystemofspeculativefarminghadbeenbuiltup，entangling
avarietyofinterestsinthisgamble。Ifthosedayshadbeenemployedto
raisethestandardoflifeamongthelabourersandtoincreasetheirpowers
ofconsumption，thesubsequentfallwouldhavebeenbroken。Theeconomists
ofthetimelookedonthemillionsoflabourersasanitemofcost，tobe
regardedlikethepriceofrawmaterial，whereasitisclearthattheyought
tohavebeenregardedalsoasaffordingthebestandmoststableofmarkets。
Thelandlordorthebankerwhoputhissurplusprofitsintotheimprovement
andcultivationofland，onlyproductiveunderconditionsthatcouldnot
lastandcouldnotreturn，wasincreasingunemploymentinthefuture，whereas
ifthesameprofitshadbeendistributedinwagesamongthelabourers，they
wouldhavepermanentlyincreasedconsumptionandsteadiedthevicissitudes
oftrade。Further，employmentwouldhavebeenmoreregularinanotherrespect，
forthelandownerspenthissurplusonluxuries，andthelabourerspenthis
wagesonnecessaries。
Nowlabourmighthavereceiveditsshareoftheseprofitseitherinan
increaseofwages，orintheexpenditureofpartoftherevenueinaway
thatwasspeciallybeneficialtoit。Wagesdidnotrise，anditwasafelony
touseanypressuretoraisethem。Whatwasthecaseofthepoorinregard
totaxationandexpenditure？Taxationwasoverwhelming。AHerefordshirefarmer
statedthatin1815theratesandtaxesonafarmofthreehundredacres
inthatcountywere：——
Landlord’smaltdutyon60bushelsofbarley。
Tenant’sdutyformaking120bushelsofbarleyintomal
Newrateforbuildingshirehall，paidbylandlord。
Newrateforbuildingshirehall，paidbytenant。
TheAgriculturalandIndustrialMagazine，aperiodicalpublished
byaphilanthropicalsocietyin1833，gavethefollowinganalysisofthe
taxationofalabourerearning£；22，10s。
