VOL. XII. No. 13.] LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1807. [PRICE 10D. "Look at Scotland! See her enviable state with regard to her Poor! That country is the theme of panegyric "amongst all who have visited her, on account of the situation of her labouring classes. The Poor-Laws "are almost totally in disuse, and all is regularity and order! What was the day-star which shone forth " and calmed her troubles? Education. Such was the effect of Education upon Scotland, and I will "prove to you that that effect was produced by Education alone."—Mr. Whitbread's Speech on the Poor Laws Bill, PARL. DEBATES, Vol. 8, p. 879. 481] SUMMARY OF POLITICS. POOR LAWS (continued from page 338). -When, at the page, here referred to, I made some observations upon the unjust reflection, which, in the preamble to his bill for the education of the poor of England, Mr. Whitbread had thrown upon this country, I was pretty certain, that those remarks would not be long without calling forth the animadversions of some Scotch correspondent; for, an ardent zeal on the side of their own particular part of the kingdom is one of the laudable characteristics of the inhabitants to the north of the Tweed. My expectations were not disappointed. A let ter, which will be found immediately after this Summary, will shew the reader, that what I said has been felt, and that it has kindled some little anger. The writer does, indeed, throw out a sort of threat, that, unless I insert his letter, he will cause it to be inserted elsewhere, a threat which has made me balance for some time, whether I should print it or throw it into the fire. A similar threat, but more distinct, has been sent me by way of post-script to a most rude and insolent letter, coming evidently from one of the Berwick Smack statesmen, whose letter I will, however, publish, if he will send me, instead of the fictitious name of "AN"TI-CAPITOLINUS," his real name and place of abode. The first of these letters I bave inserted, because it contains what one defender, at least, of Mr. Whitbread's project has to say; but, I think it right here to observe, once for all, that, of all those, who choose to make use of threats to "print else. "where, and shame the rogue," I shall shew my contempt by leaving them to execute their threats. If ANTI-CAPITOLINUS" will send me, post paid, to No. 5. Panton Square, his abusive letter, leaving out the threats of publication elsewhere, I will publish it; otherwise I shall leave him to his other means of publication.---Before I unter upon my reply to the letter of ScoroBRITANNUS, which is the name taken by the Scotch correspondent above-mentioned, 66 66 [482 it may not be amies to insert the preamble to Mr. Whitbread's bill, which preamble has given me, and all those who think with me, upon this subject, so much offence: "Whereas the instruction of youth tends most materially to the promotion of morality and virtue, and to the formation of good members of society, whereof we "have the most convincing proof, by long "experience, in that part of the United "Kingdom, called Scotland; and, it is ex"pedient, that provision should be made "for the instruction of the children of the poor "of England and Wales; may it please your "Majesty, that it may be enacted, &c."Now, if this means any thing describeable, it means, that the poor of Scotland are more moral, more virtuous, and better members of society than the poor of England are; and this, I say, is false, and grossly insulting to the people of England.- -The article, which I have referred to, at the beginning of this sheet, contains my reasons for this assertion, and also my reasons for objecting to Mr. Whitbread's project of parochial schools. Scoto-Britannus differs from me upon both points, as the reader will see, choosing, however, to invert the order, which I followed, and to attack first that which he regarded as hostile to his own country. Indeed, he has followed no order at all; and, really, one might well be excused from replying to any answer, wherein a confusion in the arrangement of the several points necessarily renders the reply four or five times as long as it otherwise might be.I will follow my arrangement, and will, taking argument by argument, see how each has been answered by ScotoBritannus.-I. I expressed my dislike, to the assumption, that the poverty of the labouring people arose from their vices, and observed, that no position could be more convenient for those, who, from whatever motive, were desirous of supporting the taxing system. I added, that the paupers of England and Wales had increased threefold, since Pitt became minister; that, to this argument of experience might be added. the undeniable truth, that, if, by any sys tem; no matter what it be called, the fruit. of the labour of some be drained away to keep others without labour, the poverty of those who labour must thereby be increased. shew his contempt of it, I suppose, does, in several instances, scorn to write English, has never refiected, or is incapable of reflecting with advantage, upon the operation and effects of the taxing system. -II. „Bṭt, said I, supposing for argument's sake, that vice has greatly increased, amongst the poor, of late years, schools, books, magazines, newspapers, &c. have increased ten-foldsince the fatal reign of Pitt began, how, then, can Mr. Whitbread expect to eradi cate vice, and thereby reduce the number of paupers by adding about twelve thousand to the number of schools already existing? Scoto-Britannus, with his usual modesty, begins his answer to this argument by asserting, that it is fallacious; for," says he, "the increase of these publications has not proceeded from the extension of the art of reading, but from some of those, who "were able to read formerly, reading more than they did; and from a very numer ous class, who could read formerly, now "using these publications, whereas they Scuto-Britannus says, that I have admitted the fact, that vice is the cause of poverty. This is not true in the way that he represents it 1 have not admitted, but, have positively denied, that the poverty complained of by Mr. Whitbread has arisen from the vices of the people; and have, in terms most distinct, ascribed it to the other natural and all-pervading cause, the increase of taxation. In answer to this argument relative to the effects of the taxing system, Scoto Britannas, first observes, that the taxes bear equally hard upon the people of both countries; then he asserts, that the labourers in Scotland are in most delightful condition This is his argument of experience; but, between mine and his there is this little difference, that I, in stating the increase of paupers, refer to documents which have becis laid before parliament, whereas he refers merely to his own,, observation, confined, in all probability, to a small part of Scotland; and, therefore, here his argument is at once demolished by my denying the fact upon which it rests, and, I think, I am warranted in so doing, when I am able to shew, that the Scotch labourets are, in part, fed from the fruit of the labour of Englishmen, sent to them in grants annually made by parliament. But, aware of the weakness of this ground, he resorts to reasons drawn from the nature of the case, and says, that the English labourer, if he chooses to be industrious " and economical, may make a very com"fortable livelihood; and that his profits are not drained away by taxes, because "his establishment and income are so small, "that they do not come within the range of the taxing system." Upon reading this, one might almost be led to hope, that this system, as established here, has not yet reached Scotland; but, as that would be too much to hope, we must conclude, either that the poor in Scotland wear no shoes, no shirts, no hats; that they use neither tea nor coffee nor sugar nor spirits nor beer nor candles nor soap; that, in short, they go naked by day, lay upon the bare ground by night, dig up their food with their snouts or catch society, as we are, unless a habit of men-je it after the manner of the hawk or the fox, tal amusement is acquired, the only enter and that their drink is pure water; this we tainment, will consist in animal, and, must conclude, or we must conclude that "consequently, vicious gratification, Now Scoto-Britannus, who writes in so dogma-" from this indubitable principle, it mani. tical a style, who quotes Latin, and who, to festly follows, that, even the plough never thought of them some years ago." He seems to have overlooked the great and glaring increase of schools in England and Wales, whence, I think, we may presume that there is a great increase of readers; and, ( indeed, for a writer seriously to contend, that y the readers have not increased, does expose: him to imminent danger of being set down for a person more intent upon contradiction than upon the discovery of truth. But, at any rate, reading has increased, the mass of reading has increased with the mass of vice; for, observe, it is he who contends that vice has increased, that being the very basis of the project; and, then, I repeat my question, if vice has increased with the increase of reading, how are we to hope, that vice will be diminished by a further increase of reading?III. I said, that, if taught to read the Bible, the poor would not stop there; that they would read publi cations very well calculated to add to the stock of vice; and that, as to political mat ters, the little learned must detive injury from the works issuing from a press, under laws, by which a man may be put half to death for writing, or publishing, the truth, To this Scoto-Britannus gives no an swer at all; but, in one part of his letter, he has the following observations" It is "very plain, that, in a civilized period of 1 " "man, unless he can read, so as to amuse himself when his work is over, the "ale-house will be his resort, where he brings himself and his family to beggary. "You may say, indeed, that his reading "will corrupt his principles, both meral and "political; but, rely upon it, his want of "reading will lead him farther astray. "Pimps and demagogues and hireling de"claimers are now too numerous, too anx«<ious, and too successful in deluding igno thousand ploughmen, set them down to their good books, after their day's work is done, and, in less than ten minutes, the whole thousand will be asleep. Animal amusement is the only amusenient that such men can enjoy. They are up long before the sun; and, in the evening of the day, if they are not engaged in bodily exercise, they must be asleep, and asleep they would be, though a torrent of the philosophy of Scoto-Britannus were pouring down upon their devoted heads. I asked, whether, within these last twenty years, liberty had increased with the increase of schools? Scoto does not answer this question, but he drops in upon the subject: thus: "Would not reading", says he, "render the poor more upright, by ena rance. The peasant's time would, at feast, harmlessly be spent in reading the "most immoral and factious publications; " and, I am fully convinced, would not be "in such danger as if he were left in igno"rance" (this is to say, without reading them). "A taste, and a sight, of vice, be"fore the deceiver comes, is the best anti"dote against it". Go, go, thou Scotch Philosopher Keep thy pimping books, try primmers of debauchery and blasphemy, amongst the lads and lassies of thy own coun try, fortify them against the deceiver by giving them a foretaste of vice; but, come not, I pray thee, on this side the Tweed! As to the ale-house, properly used, it is as good as the bake-house, or bacon-house. The Bible will tell your pupils, that wine was given by God to glad men's heart”; and, they will readily conclude, that, those who cannot get wine for that purpose, may safely take beer, without any offence to him who made it and them. But, upon the supposition, that the poor man's heart should never, even for one moment, be cheered by liquor, and that he never ought to set his foot into an ale-house, what, let me ask, is so likely to lead him thither as the news-paper? And, where will you find an ale-house withont one? Ask the landlord, why he takes the news-paper, he will tell you, that it attracts people to his house; and, in many cases, its attractions are much stronger than those of the liquor there drunk, thousands upon thou-fore hinted; and, I think, it must be clear to' sands of men having become sots through the attractions of these vehicles of novelty and falsehood. The principle, that all animal amusements are necessarily vicious, though indubitable" with this northern philosopher, is a little doubtful with me; and, indeed, if one may venture to express an opinion in opposition to that of a writer, who speaks in so authoritative a tone, I should think, that animal amusements, generally speaking, are the least likely of the two to engender vice; and, as to the ploughman, sitting down to read his good book, after his labour is done, the idea never could have found its way into the mind of any one who knew what a ploughman was, Take a bling them the better to understand those "instructions, which every Sunday the "church affords them? Ignorance" (which is want of reading, observe) has ever! "been the constant attendant of slavery "and bigotry; and, on this account, uni"versal education" (that is reading)," as "it would add to the beauty, so it would "also add to the security of the British "Constitution". This word constitution is a very fine word. Scoto does not say to the security of person and property; because, perhaps, he was aware, that I should ask him what improvement that had received from his system of parish schools in Scotland; and that I should have put a question or two about the powers of a Lord Advocate, when exercised by a man of " an ardent "mind", as Pitt called it. That Scoto, who is, clearly enough, a schoolmaster himself, should see.great beauty in the British Constitution I am not at all surprised, especially when I recollect, that the appointment of Scotch Schoolmasters is perfectly a political affair, as it would, in all likelihood, very soon become in England. At the probable effect of reading the Bible I be every man who attentively considers the mat¬ ter, that such reading, if universal, could lead to nothing short of universal schism, which, at present, is prevented, only by the general want of what may be called study in reading' it. Those, amongst the mass of the people, who read the Bible, read it because they are told it is their duty so to do. Having gone over the words, they think they have done their duty, without troubling themselves as to the sense. This is an evil, because they are apt to regard it as a work of pripi-. tiation, and the effect is much about the same as that produced by the Ronian Catholic's bidding of his beads. The Bible is a book for learned historians and profound" thinkers to read. It is undeniably a book of mysteries, and is it, I ask any man who will speak sincerely, possible for those who can barely read words, to derive any real profit from the perusal of such a book? No it is from the expositions and applications of the contents of the Bible, given by learned men, or by others who make use of those expositions and applications, that the people in general are to profit; these expositions and applications they will hear at Church and, for my part, I cannot perceive how the capacity of reading would tend to make them either more attentive or more docile.But, if I doubt of the advantages of reading and writing, amongst those of the common people who are destined to labour in the fields, on the shop-board, or in the manufactory, I am quite certain, that, generally speaking, they are worse than useless in the army and the navy. Scoto has a bright idea about the Sons of Mars and of "Neptune" rising, in virtue of their schooling,, from the lowest to the highest ranks; but, besides the notoriety of the fact, that this is not the case now, is it not evident, that all men cannot so rise, that all soldiers and sailors cannot become officers, either commissioned or non-commissioned? And, this being the case, would not the "education", as it is called, of nine tenths of them tend to create discontent rather than a cheerful obedience? Upon this part of the subject I can speak with some little experience; and, I appeal to any commanding officer, who has continued long settled with his regiment, or to any captain of a man of war, whether your scholars", as they are called, are not in general the worst of soldiers and sailors. The conceit makes them saucy they take the lead in all matters of mischief, they are generally dirty and drunkards; and, the fash drives them to desert. So true it is, that scholars are not the best soldiers, that, though one third part, at least, of the men of every regiment can read and write, yet you will find, in every regiment, men chosen for non-commisssioned officers who can neither read nor write. Reading and writing and honesty and good ་འ behaviour are all wanted in a non-commissioned officer! but, as the two latter are absolutely necessary, the commander is fre quently compelled to appoint men who can neither write mor read; though he has hundreds of scholars in his regiment or his ship, and, It is curious to observe, that the scholars become the clerks of the their name. This practice is universal, throughout the army and the navy, and it is a striking instance of the superiority of intrins sic worth over acquired talent. The man of reading and writing is to be preferred. if he be equally good with his comrade in other respects; and the great convenience of his talents generally procures him a trial, before his comrade be thought of for promotion; but, in the end, the sober, cleanly, punctual, early-rising, vigilant, honest and unassuming man is sure to ba preferred, because these qualities are indispensible, and because reading and writing can be dispensed with. "But, somebody must read and write". Granted; and what I contend for, is, that the number will be quite large enough, if you leave the parents to their own taste and their own means. There will then be as many readers and writers as the state of things calls for; but, if you make all men readers and writers, you must produce an unnatural and disjointed state of things. IV. I said, that the word ignorance was misapplied in using it as the opposite of book-learning. Scoto Britannus, however, insists, that, though a labourer may be as clever as it be possible at all the branches of husbandry, still he is to be accused of ignorance, unless he can read in a book. What, Scoto, would you have him to read about? The lawyer reads his cases; the physician reads medicine; the chemist reads chemistry; the parson reads divinity; and Mr. Whitbread reads the political economy of the Edinburgh Reviewers. These all read of matters connected with their several professions; and, doubtless, they become, wiser, or, at least, more deeply skilled in their professions, by reading. But, what reading could possibly render the labourer more skilled in his profession? The old story about the judge and the sailor is quite apt to our purpose bere. "Not know the meaning of the implication," said the judge, "what an ignorant fellow you must be."Well," continued the sailor, after the interruption, as I was saying, he took hold of the "painter."..... The painter ! interrupted the judge," what's the painter?". "Oh, lord exclaimed the sailor, "not know what the painter is? what an ignorant man you must be!" If this story be true, the sailor, doubtless, was committed to jail; but, that did not make bis conclusion more erroneous than that of the judge. According to the notion of norant" non-commisioned officers, make Scoto-Britannus; a man may first become: out their reports and accounts for them, completely skilled in all the business of hus leaving them the trouble of merely scrawlingbandry, he may next learn to fell and hew SEPTEMBER 26, timber, and convert the several woods of the Coppices into hoops, staves and shingles; then he may take the corn into the mill and go through the several stages of making it into flour next he may become a soldier, may learn all the laborious duties of that profession, marching, shooting, riding, sapping and mining; transferred from the army to the fleet, he may learn to hand, feef, and steer, to sound the sea, and to man the guns in battle; in the course of his fife, he may see all the quarters and countries of the world, the manners of all the different nations, and may feel the effects of all the climates; and, yet, when he comes home, with his mind necessarily stored with ideas, of which that of his neighbour must be totally destitute, he is to be called ignorant, in comparison with that neighbour, if he cannot read in a book, and if that neighbour can read in a book. Such a notion never, surely, could have entered the mind of a man, whose trade it was not to teach reading, and who did not view what he calls education through the deceitful medium of self-interest. Having now replied to every thing which this writer has said in answer to what I offered respecting the poorschool project; and having, as I verily believe, given substantial reasons for the rejection of that project, I shall now proceed to reply to what my correspondent has said respecting the state of Scotland. And, Irere I must beg the reader to bear in mind, that my former observations were provoked; that the labourers of Scotland had been, in the preamble to an act of parliament, represented as better members of society than the labourers of England; and that herein was contained a challenge, on the part of Mr. Whitbread's instructors, against the people of England. A thousand instances of arrogance like this I have seen in Scotch publications, and have passed them over in silence as the effects of that nationality, for which the people of Scotland are so reowned, and which, though a fault, is cercainly a fault upon the right side; but, when I found that this feeling was operating in a way to become the foundation of a law, materially to alter the parochial laws and the manners of England, it was impossible to rearain any longer silent.--Scoto-Britannus begins by giving as a description of a Scotch labourer's dwelling, family, fare, and manners; and, I cannot positively swear that this description is false, because I have never been in Scotland; but, as he' tefers me to the testimony of those who have been there, I will tell him, that the description which I have received from such persons is nearly as follows: a cabbin built of mud and thatch, having no floor but the earth, hav ing no window of glass, but a hole to let in light, stopped occasionally with a board, a hole through one end of the roof to let out the smoke, and a division by a hurdle, to separate the family from the cow, or pig, where either happens to be kept. The bed is made of heath, placed the stems downwards and cut off smooth at the top, the elasticity of which renders it less galling to the body. The whole family have neither. shoes nor stockings, and the children neither hats nor caps. The utensils are wo wooden bowls, horn-spoons, and a kettle or two.. There are none of those places near the dwelling, which English cleanliness and decency always take care to provide; but a dunghill opposite the door is the receptacle for filth of every description, while a spot of ground, denominated a "cale yard, is all you perceive of the nature of a garden. This is the description, which I have receiv ed, from persons, upon whose word I place reliance; and, though there are many exceptions therefrom, I am sincerely persuaded, that, as a general description, it is per-. fectly just, I am told, too, that in Edinburgh, that emporium of learning and of virtue, the lower classes of the people throw from their windows into the street all that we send away without offending any one of the senses; and that, if it be unHappily your lot to ascend their stair-cases, which are very lofty, you must take 'special. care to tread precisely in the middle, each corner of each step being loaded with filth. The old sayings, too, about that tormenting disorder of the skin, which for the sake of Scoto-Britannus, shall here be name less, seem to correspond with this account of a want of cleanliness in Scotland When a term of reproach is taken up, it is generally much strained in its application; but, it seldom prevails to any extent, and for any length of time, if it has not some foundation in truth, I remember also, that, when Scotch recruits were brought up to Chatham Bartacks, it was the invariable practice to send them to a particular ward in the hos pital, there to be anointed and rendered clean, before they were permitted even to set their foot in the Barrack rooms. Inever saw this precaution taken with respect to recruits of any other country; and, I am compelled to believe, that there was some solid reason for the distinction.But, i it be really true, that the state of the laf bourer in Scotland is what Scoto has described it to be, how happens it, that we hear of no emigration to that country? 7: |