EMPLOYMENT OF THE LABOURING POOR.
TO TEE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
Sin—I feel deeply indebted to you for the able manner in which you have seconded my views. At this period of universal reform, it seems to- me less necessary to dwell upon general principles which are understood. and acknowledged by all, than to detail the methods by which they are to be put in operation. I am far from believing that the plan I have proposed is capable of becoming a panacea for every form of national dis- tress, though I sincerely think it is adapted to the relief and prevention of absolute pauperism. The poor, ignorant though they be of the exact causes of their distress, have become so goaded by it as to call for relief in a manner which forbids denial. We must determine in what shape we will afford it; and if we are wise, we shall take care that it is afforded so effectually, that the condition of the poor may cease to perplex the wisdom of the Legislature. I have one or two points to discuss with you, on which I think we shall not part with any difference of opinion. You propose, as a more extended improvement upon my suggestion, to levy the rates upon the county generally, rather than upon the parishes,—that the assessment should be national ; and you seem to think also, that the administration of the fund, for better security against jobbing, should be vested in a na- tional Parliament. Upon the whole, I do not think the country would more equally share the burden by the adoption of your plan ; and I am clear that the very purpose you seek in common with my- self would not be gained by intrusting this concein to a body which had not an immediate interest in the county where the money is to be supplied. A chief object in proposing the assessment to extend over the county was, that the poor should not be placed on the offensive footing with the parish officer which now characterizes their intercourse. At the same time, I was desirous that the administration of the fund should be placed in the hands of those who were immediately interested in its proper distribution—who would select those works which were really useful in the county, or the district where the demand for work arose. If the administration of this fund were placed in the hands of Parliament, I fear it would receive but sorry attention in the conflict. of party and the discussion of the more striking topics of the day. The mem- bers for other places would take little interest in the concernsof a county, of the whole surface of which they were perhaps ignorant. Parliament, with its present duties, cannot spare time to control the operations.of. a machinery such as that I propose ; and it seems even necessary to with- draw a great deal of its present occupations, that a more undivided and earnest attention may be given io its legislatorial duties. The preient Parliament should, be tasked.with the legislatorial portion of the plan-- tbe working of the machinery should be intrusted to'those who have a direct interest in its *Admit& Publicity and the regular delivery of accounts, to be published in the local journals, would prevent the nus. application of the funds.
I will speak shortly of other regulations for the government of such a body. I do not clearly understand, whether you propose that these duties be intrusted to the present Parliament reformed, or to a new Parliament to be instituted for this purpose, In both cases. I feel my objection to apply with equal force ; I think the members would lack interest in the proceedings of counties to Which they did not belong The members for committees, too, would not be far from their own homes ; they might be called together upon emer- gency; they might sit often or seldom, as the stateof thepeor required their attention. A Parliament composed of persons rrOMall the counties must meet at a distance from most of the counties ; they could not speedily be brought together, and they could not travel often to the place of meeting. Their meetings must therefore be at stated periods of the year, and during the remainder of the year .there might be distress, and no hand to offer relief. This objection applies to the present Parliament, reformed or unreformed.
I think, therefore, we must revert to my plan of committees for each county. These might be divided into committees for each hundred. The committee for the county should determine the assessments, governed by rules and regulations established by act of Parliament. The same committees would also determine upon the works to be done within the county; the committees for the hundreds would superintend the works in their respective districts. I have proposed that these committees should be open to the public: the local papers would, for their own in- terest, report the proceedings, so that undue preference would be put down by public opinion. All works proposed to the chief .com- mittee of the county should be reported upon by the local com- mittee; and • they should be carried on in the order in which they were proposed. But the works of any district 'Where a Jib* demand for labour arose, should at once take .precedence of the works of all other districts. • The • regulation here proposed is founded on my observation of turnpike trust proceedings.` I have occasionally observed, in them, a remarkable tendency to support those undertakings which tended to improve one's own neighbourhood. And this leads me to the remark, that, with the establishment Of thy plan, the turnpike trusts might be handed over to the management of these coinmittees,•the tells being of course subject to the payment of the debts which are now charged upon them. The only objection I can discover to this plan, would be the loss of the influence connected with trusteeships ; but this ought to have little weight, as the same persons would in all ProbabilitY be • chosen as
committee-men. • • • •
To return to the regulations to prevent jobbing.and mismanagement. All materials should be supplied by tender ; and the particulars of the accepted tender should be published, both to give the unsuccessful com- petitors the opportunity of shoiving,' if they can, that the rejected tenders were preferable, and to enable the county generally to understand the cost and value of the public undertakings. There must of course be persons to superintend the labourers, to act as clerks. of the works, and to survey and estimate them.. The 'surveyors, who now superintend the labourers on the roads, mAitt,'With Sortie addition to their numbers,,he employed in this vat : Overseers would Change-their oharaCter i ith.their occupation, whiclintight alsotie of the same kind as the surveyors'.... An office of the cominittite should beopened in convenient situations, to which the inhabitants of the county might resort, either for labour, or for information respecting the works, or any other .matters connected with the proceedings of the committees. • In contemplating such an undertaking as the present, it is impossible to avoid somethought es to the causes which have unifciroili led to the failure of our public -worksoar to a vast disproportion between thefirst estimated expense and the final charge: A bad mode Of remunerating the principal surveyors, by paying them a per cezitage upon: their esti- mates, has in many cases contributed to these results : the same evil has in various ways spread itself through the supplies of material. To oh- viate such an evil, let the officer who muslhe employed be paid.a mode- rate, but a sufficient salary ; and let the rest stand upon hia'character, and the watchfulness of the public. A frequent examination and publi- cation of his accounts,• the publication of his estimates and his surveys, would challenge observation, and Check any jobbing tendency. _ An in- quiry into the offices of...eacircottnty should be made, to discover those which are useless or overpaid ; and the whole or part of their proceeds might in either case applied. to the maintenance of the machinery ne- cessary to this plan. The best superintendence would be that of the in- habitants of the county ; they would naturally feel interested in Under-
takings for which they contributed-the funds. S.
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