report of 1826, are annexed, with the amounts returned in subsequent years.

Sums expended in the Relief of the Poor.

The committees appointed upon these returns, in 1826 and preceding years, remarked the increase and decrease of different years of which they gave averages, and the great amount in 1803, compared to the amounts in 1750, 1776, and 1785; but they did not offer any explanation how such differences had arisen, or how the great amount in 1803 was to be accounted for.

CHAP. II.

CAUSES OF INCREASE AND VARIATIONS IN THE
AMOUNT OF THE POOR'S RATE.

"In

years

of

THE REV. Henry Duncan, a clergyman of the Church of Scotland, who was examined before the Committee on the Poor Laws of the House of Commons, in 1819, gives this reason for the increase of parochial assessments in Scotland, which applies with equal force to England. Speaking with reference to Scotland, he says, "Years of scarcity and embarrassment have had "a very distressing tendency in that respect: and he states how they operate : "scarcity the landed proprietors meet for the 66 purpose of affording relief to the poor; when, "on other occasions, they have not been ac"customed to meet. They afford such relief, "in general, by a voluntary assessment; and "this voluntary assessment teaches the poor to "look up to a mode of supplying their wants "which they had not been accustomed to." He gives this instance:"A poor labourer in a "neighbouring parish applied to me about two

years ago (previous to 1819), requesting that "I would inform him of the best method of

compelling the heritors to assess themselves "for the relief of the indigent. He told me "that the poor in his parish had been receiving "relief from a voluntary assessment; but he un"derstood that this was to last only for one year; and there was a deputation of the poor "of that parish, who were to come to my house "in a day or two, for the purpose of enquiring "into the law on the subject, that they might compel the heritors to continue their assess"ment." Mr. Duncan's answer was, "I con"ceived poor-rates had a very injurious tendency, "and I certainly would not assist him in any "method that might serve to introduce them." He adds," What I said to him had the effect "of preventing the deputation from waiting upon me, for I heard no more of it." The observation which Mr. Duncan makes upon the occurrence is, "I am persuaded that this "would not have happened at any time before "the years of distress: and it was to me a very "melancholy proof of the demoralising influence " even of voluntary assessments."

If such was the effect of voluntary assessments in Scotland, which are temporary, need we be surprised at the result of compulsory assessments in England, which are permanent.

But, availing ourselves of the clue given to

us by this intelligent observer, let us see how it applies to the case in hand.

The bounty on corn was granted in 1689*, in consequence of the abundance of produce, as "a reward to persons exporting corn." The price of middling wheat at this period, according to an average of five years, was 28s. 9d. per quarter. The seasons in 1690 and 1691 were so favourable, as to reduce the price to 26s. A bad season ensued in 1692; and bad seasons followed until 1702; when a plentiful harvest brought down the price, which had risen, in the intermediate period, to 56s. per quarter, below its amount in 1691. It was even so low as 25s. 11d., upon an average of six years ending in 1707. With the exception of three unfavourable seasons which followed, and brought up the price to 62s. in 1709, which fell only to 61s. 7d. in 1710, the seasons continued favourable until 1749; when, upon an average of five years, the price of middling wheat in England was only 27s. 9d. per quarter.

This brings us to the year 1750, when, upon an average of three years, the sum expended in the relief of the poor in England amounted only to 689,9717. per annum.

We now come to a period of a different de

* 1 W. & M. c. 11.

scription. The author of the Corn Tracts, who is frequently quoted by Dr. Adam Smith, says the seasons from 1752 to 1755 were of doubtful produce; and the harvest of 1756 was greatly deficient in this country and throughout Europe, insomuch that the sufferings of the poor in that year were adverted to in a speech from the throne; and there was a succession of bad seasons for ten years after 1765.*

Circumstances arose in the execution of the Poor Laws, which mainly increased the operation

*In the account given of the seasons, I have followed Mr. George Chalmers, Dr. Adam Smith, and Mr. Tooke.

The reason why Adam Smith entertained so strong an opinion against the Corn Laws which prevailed in his time. thus appears though 48s. per quarter, the importable price fixed for wheat in 1772, became a low price from the fall which continued to take place in the value of money, yet it must have appeared to him a high price, having regard to the prices which prevailed for so long a period previous to the year 1750, when wheat was only 28s. per quarter. Dr. Smith also conceived that money had begun to rise in value in his time; but the produce from the mines, which he states to have been about 6,000,000l. sterling when he wrote in 1775, soon amounted to nearly twice that sum; which induced the continuance and increase of the fall in the value of money. Under a contrary impression, however, and believing 48s. the quarter to be by much too high a price, it appeared to him that the Corn Laws of his time would operate as a restraint upon industry; and if the value of money had not so fallen as to make 48s. the quarter cease to operate as an importable price, these laws would have operated such restraint, as the laws passed since 1815 have done.