NowtheSpeenhamlandscaledidnotrepresentsomeeasyandluxuriousstandard
ofliving；itrepresentedtheminimumonwhichitwassupposedthataman
employedinagriculturecouldsupportlife。Inthirty-fiveyearsthestandard
haddropped，accordingtoM’Culloch’sstatement，asmuchasathird，and
thisnotbecauseofwarorfamine，forin1826Englandhadhadelevenyears
ofpeace，butintheordinarycourseofthelifeofthenation。Issucha
declineinthestandardofliferecordedanywhereelseinhistory？
Howdidthelabourersliveatallundertheseconditions？Theirlifewas，
ofcourse，wretchedandsqualidintheextreme。Cobbettdescribesagroup
ofwomenlabourerswhomhemetbytheroadsideinHampshireas’suchanassemblage
ofragsasIneversawbeforeevenamongstthehoppersatFarnham。’Ofthe
labourersnearCrickladehesaid：’Theirdwellingsarelittlebetterthan
pig-beds，andtheirlooksindicatethattheirfoodisnotnearlyequalto
thatofapig。Thesewretchedhovelsarestuckuponlittlebedsofground
ontheroadsidewherethespacehasbeenwiderthantheroaddemanded。In
manyplacestheyhavenottworodstoahovel。Itseemsasiftheyhadbeen
sweptoffthefieldsbyahurricane，andhaddroppedandfoundshelterunder
thebanksontheroadside。Yesterdaymorningwasasharpfrost，andthis
hadsetthepoorcreaturestodigginguptheirlittleplotsofpotatoes。
InmywholelifeIneversawhumanwretchednessequaltothis；no，noteven
amongstthefreenegroesinAmericawho，onanaverage，donotworkoneday
outoffour。’(35*)Thelabourers’cottagesinLeicestershirehefoundwere
’hovelsmadeofmudandstraw，bitsofglassorofoldcast-offwindows，
withoutframesorhingesfrequently，andmerelystuckinthemudwall。Enter
themandlookatthebitsofchairsorstools，thewretchedboardstacked
togethertoserveforatable，thefloorofpebblebrokenorofthebare
ground；lookatthethingcalledabed，andsurveytheragsonthebacks
oftheinhabitants。’(36*)ADorsetshireclergyman，awitnessbeforetheCommittee
onWagesin1824，saidthatthelabourerslivedalmostentirelyonteaand
potatoes；aBedfordshirelabourersaidthatheandhisfamilylivedmainly
onbreadandcheeseandwater，andthatsometimesforamonthtogetherhe
nevertastedmeat；aSuffolkmagistratedescribedhowalaboureroutofwork，
convictedofstealingwood，beggedtobesentatoncetoaHouseofCorrection，
wherehehopedtofindfoodandemployment。ifDavieshadwrittenanaccount
ofthelabouringclassesin1820or1830，thepicturehedrewin1795would
haveseemedbrightincomparison。Buteventhiskindoflifecouldnotbe
supportedonsuchprovisionaswasmadebytheparish。How，then，didthe
labourersmaintainanykindofexistencewhensocietyceasedtopiecetogether
aminimumlivelihoodoutofratesandwages？
Fortheanswertothisquestionwemustturntothehistoryofcrimeand
punishment；totheReportsoftheParliamentaryCommitteesonLabourers’
WagesontheGameLaws，onEmigration(1826and1827)，
onCriminalCommitmentsandConvictionsandSecondaryPunishments(1827，
1828，1831，and1832)，andtheevidenceofthosewhowereintouchwiththis
sideofvillagelife。Fromthesesourceswelearnthat，rateaidnotbeing
sufficienttobringwagestothemaintenancelevel，poaching，smuggling，
andultimatelythievingwerecalledintorehabilitatethelabourer’seconomic
position。(37*)Hewasdriventothewagesofcrime。Thehistoryoftheagricultural
labourerinthisgenerationiswritteninthecodeoftheGameLaws，the
growingbrutalityoftheCriminalLaw，andthepreoccupationoftherich
withtheefficacyofpunishment。
WeknowfromFieldingwithwhatsortofjusticethemagistratestreated
personsaccusedofpoachinginthereignofGeorgeIII’sgrandfather，but
whenhewrotehisaccountofSquireWestern，andwhenBlackstonewrotethat
theGameLawshadraisedupalittleNimrodineverymanor，thebloodof
menandboyshadnotyetbeenspiltforthepleasuresoftherich。itis
onlyafterFieldingandBlackstonewerebothintheirgravesthatthispage
ofhistorybecamecrimson，andthatthegentlemenofEnglandtooktoguarding
theirspecialamusementsbymethodsofwhichaMemberofParliamentdeclared
thatthenoblesofFrancehadnotventuredontheirlikeinthedaysoftheir
mostsplendidarrogance。ThelittleNimrodswhomadeandapplied。theircode
wereasmallandselectclass。Theywerethepersonsqualifiedunderthe
lawofCharlesIItoshootgame，i。e。，personswhopossessedafreeholdestate
ofatleast£；100ayear，oraleaseholdestateofatleast£；150
ayear，orthesonorheir-apparentofanesquireorpersonofhigherdegree。
ThelegislationthatoccupiessomuchofEnglishhistoryduringaperiod
ofmiseryandfamineisdevotedtotheprotectionofthemonopolyofthis
class，comprisinglessthanoneintenthousandofthepeopleofEngland。
AMemberofParliamentnamedWarburtonsaidintheHouseofCommonsthat
theonlyparalleltothismonopolywastobefoundinMariner’saccountof
theTongaIslands，whereratswerepreservedasgame。Anybodymighteatrats
there，butnobodywasallowedtokillthemexceptpersonsdescendedfrom
godsorkings。
Withthegeneralgrowthofupper-classrichesandluxurytherecameover
shootingachangecorrespondingwiththechangethatturnedhuntinginto
amagnificentandextravagantspectacle。Thehabitsetinofpreservinggame
ingreatmasses，oforganisingthebattue，ofmaintainingarmiesofkeepers。
Inmanypartsofthecountry，pheasantswerenowintroduCedforthefirst
time。Whereasgamehadhithertokeptsomethingofthewildness，andvagrancy，
andcarelessfreedomofNature，thewoodswerenowpackedwithtameanddocile
birds，whosegayfeatherssparkledamongthetrees，beforetheeyesofthe
half-starvedlabourersbreakingstonesontheroadathalfacrownaweek。
ThechangeisdescribedbywitnessessuchasSirJamesGrahamandSirThomas
Baring，magistratesrespectivelyinCumberlandandHampshire，beforethe
SelectCommitteeonCriminalCommitmentsandConvictionsin1827。England
was，infact，passingthroughaprocesspreciselyoppositetothatwhich
hadtakenplaceinFrance：thesportoftherichwasbecomingmoreandmore
ofanelaboratesystem，andmoreofavestedinterest。Thisdevelopmentwas
markedbythegrowthofanoffensivecombinationamonggamepreservers；in
somepartsofthecountrygameassociationswereformed，fortheexpress
purposeofpayingthecostsofprosecutions，sothatthepoacherhadagainst
himnotmerelyabenchofgamepreservers，butaringofsquires，asort
ofHolyAllianceforthepunishmentofsocialrebels，whichdrewitsmeshes
notroundaparishbutroundacounty。Simultaneously，aswehaveseen，a
generalchangewascomingoverthecircumstancesandpositionofthepoor。
Themassofthepeoplewerelosingtheirrightsandindependence；theywere
beingforcedintoanabsolutedependenceonwages，andwerelivingonthe
brinkoffamine。Thesetwodevelopmentsmustbekeptinmindinwatching
thebuildingupofthegamecodeinthelastphaseoftheancientré；gime。
TheActsforprotectinggamepassedaftertheaccessionofGeorgeIII
areinacrescendooffierceness。ThefirstimportantActwaspassedin1770。
UnderthisActanyonewhokilledgameofanykindbetweensunsettingand
sunrising，orusedanygun，ordog，snare，net，orotherenginefordestroying
gameatnight，was，onconvictionbyonewitnessbeforeoneJusticeofthe
Peace，tobepunishedwithimprisonmentfornotlessthanthreemonthsor
morethansix。Forasubsequentoffencehewastobeimprisonedfornotmore
thantwelvemonthsorlessthansix，andtobewhippedpubliclybetweenthe
hoursoftwelveandoneo’clock。Thiswaslightpunishmentcomparedwith
themeasuresthatweretofollow。Intheyear1800，theyearofMarengo，
whenallEnglandwasbracedupforitsgreatduelwiththecommonenemyof
freedomandorder，andthelabourersweretoldeverydaythattheywould
bethefirsttosufferifNapoleonlandedinEngland，theEnglishParliament
foundtimetopassanotherActtopunishpoachers，andtoteachjusticeto
mendherslowpace。BythisActwhentwoormorepersonswerefoundinany
forest，chase，park，wood，plantation，paddock，field，meadow，orotheropen
orenclosedground，havinganygun，net，engine，orotherinstrument，with
theintenttodestroy，take，orkillgame，theyweretobeseizedbykeepers
orservants，andonconvictionbeforeaJ。P。，theyweretobetreatedas
roguesandvagabondsundertheActof1744，i。e。，theyweretobepunished
byimprisonmentwithhardlabour；anincorrigiblerogue，i。e。，asecondoffender，
wastobeimprisonedfortwoyearswithwhipping。Further，iftheoffender
wasovertwelveyearsofage，themagistratesmightsentencehimtoserve
inthearmyornavy。IfanincorrigiblerogueescapedfromtheHouseofCorrection
hewastobeliabletotransportationforsevenyears。
TwoconsequencesfollowedfromthisAct。Nowthatpunishmentwasmade
sosevere，thepoacherhadastrongreasonforviolence：surrendermeant
serviceinacondemnedregiment，andhethereforetooktherisksofresistance。
Thesecondconsequencewasthepracticeofpoachinginlargegroups。The
organisationofpoachinggangswasnotanaturaldevelopmentoftheindustry；
itwasadoptedinself-defence。(38*)ThisActledinevitablytothosebattles
betweengamekeepersandlabourersthatbecamesoconspicuousafeatureof
Englishlifeatthistime，andin1803LordEllenboroughpassedanActwhich
providedthatanypersonswhopresentedagunortried，tostaborcut’with
intenttoobstruct，resist，orpreventthelawfulapprehensionordetainer
ofthepersonorpersonssostabbingorcutting，orthelawfulapprehension
ordetainerofanyofhis，her，ortheiraccomplicesforanyoffencesfor
whichhe，she，ortheymayrespectivelybeliablebylawtobeapprehended，
imprisoned，ordetained，’shouldsufferdeathasafelon。In1816，whenpeace
andthefallofpriceswerebringingnewproblemsintheirtrain，therewent
throughParliament，withoutasyllableofdebate，aBillofwhichRomilly
saidthatnoparalleltoitcouldbefoundinthelawsofanycountryin
theworld。BythatActapersonwhowasfoundatnightunarmed，butwith
anetforpoaching，inanyforest，chase，orparkwastobepunishedbytransportation
forsevenyears。ThisActRomillyinducedParliamenttorepealinthefollowing
year，buttheActthattookitsplaceonlysoftenedthelawtotheextent
ofwithdrawingthispunishmentfrompersonsfoundwithnets，butwithout
gunsorbludgeons：itenactedthatanypersonsofound，armedwithgun，crossbow，
firearms，bludgeon，oranyotheroffensiveweapon，wastobetriedatQuarter
Sessions，andifconvicted，tobesentencedtotransportationforsevenyears：
ifsuchoffenderweretoreturntoGreatBritainbeforehistimewasover，
hewastobetransportedfortherestofhislife。(39*)
ThissavageAct，thoughbynomeansadeadletter，asParliamentaryReturns
show，seemstohavedefeateditsownend，forin1828itwasrepealed，because，
asLordWharncliffetoldtheHouseofLords，therewasacertainreluctance
onthepartofjuriestoconvictaprisoner，whentheyknewthatconviction
wouldbefollowedbytransportation。ThenewActof1828，whichalloweda
persontobeconvictedbeforetwomagistrates，reservedtransportationfor
thethirdoffence，punishingthefirstoffencebythreemonths’，andthe
secondbysixmonths’imprisonment。Buttheconvictedpersonhadtofind
suretiesafterhisrelease，orelsegobacktohardlabourforanothersix
monthsifitwasafirstoffence，oranothertwelvemonthsifitwashis
second。Further，ifthreemenwerefoundinawoodandoneofthemcarried
agunorbludgeon，allthreewereliabletobetransportedforfourteenyears。(40*)
Althorp’sBillof1831whichabolishedthequalificationsoftheActofCharles
II，gavetherighttoshoottoeverylandownerwhotookoutacertificate，
andmadethesaleofgamelegal，proposedinitsoriginalformtoalterthese
punishments，makingthatforthefirstandsecondoffencesrathermoresevere
(fourandeightmonths)，andthatforthethird，twoyears’imprisonment。
InCommitteeintheHouseofCommonsthetwoyearswerereducedtooneyear
ontheproposalofOratorHunt。TheHouseofLords，however，restoredthe
punishmentsoftheActof1828。
