fperfed with many valuable remarks on the political and commercial interefts of Great Britain. An armed affociation of people of property is ftrongly recommended, as the best means of averting the danger which, in the opinion of the author, threatens the British empire, from the diffufion of revolutionary principles; and measures are at the fame time fuggefted, for obviating any evil confequences to be apprehended from an indifcriminate diftribution of arms. This tract has now been published several months; and fubfequent to its publication it was found expedient to have recourse to the mode of defence here propofed; but, it is to be feared, that the falutary precautions pointed out by the author have not been fufficiently obferved. From the skill of the writer, in comparing the occurrences of past times with the tranfactions of the present day, and in drawing powerful inferences, to strengthen his argument, from their analogy, we think we recognize the production of a pen that has been frequently and fuccefsfully exercised in political controverfy. We are always happy to meet an old friend, whatever garb he may choose to put on; but, though we may Jeceive equal pleasure from his company when arrayed in his night-gown and flippers, and when clad in a gala fuit, yet ftrangers are more faftidious, and for their fake we could with him to be rather more attentive to his drefs. We are not however furprised, in the prefent inftance, that the importance of his matter fhould fo completely have occupied his mind, as to render him in fome degree lefs attentive to the refinements of diction and style. Still, though the language is occafionally unpolifhed, it is uniformly accurate; and there are paffages enough in the tract to convince us, that its inelegancies do not proceed from incapacity, but from "proud difdain.” The obfervations in the Supplement," on the Whig Club, and on the political conduct of Mr. Fox, are appofite and forcible; and the charge of apoftacy unjustly preferred against the former affociates of that gentleman, is retorted with infinite fuccefs. ART. IX. The State of the Poor, &c. In Three Volumes, 4to. THE (Concluded from our laft, P. 535.) HE fecond, and a confiderable part of the third, volume of this extenfive work, are occupied by parochial reports, or exact and faithful accounts, (taken in every inftance on the fpot, fpot, and for this express purpose) of the prefent exifting circumftances, as they relate to the poor, and to the labouring claffes of various parifhes, in most of the different counties of the kingdom. The author's object in collecting these Reports, the difficulties he had to encounter in effecting it, and the manner in which, at length, it was effected, are very clearly and fatisfactorily detailed in his Preface. It appears that he himfelf actually vifited feveral parishes, where he procured (from perfons the most likely to fupply ufeful information, and the leaft likely to be misinformed, or to miflead) the substance of the feveral Reports recorded in his work. But as it was impoffible that an individual, engaged in profeffional avocations, hould command leifure to vifit in perfon as many districts as were neceffary to form a complete view of the fubject, he was happy (he fays) to find it in his power to prevail on a few refpectable clergymen and others, to favour him with accurate, and, he trufis, valuable communications. "To other parishes and diftricts, not thus acceffible to him, he fent a remarkably faithful and intelligent perfon, who spent more than a year in traveling from place to place, for the exprefs purpofe of obtaining exact in:ormation, agreeably to a fet of queries with which the author furnished him." That his object ia inftituting these enquiries, as well as the progrefs he has made in accomplithing it, may be more obvious to our readers, a copy of thefe Queries are here subjoined. "Extent and population? "Number of houfes that pay the houfe or window tax, distinguishing double tenements ? Number of houfes exempted? "Occupations of parishioners, whether in agriculture, commerce, ar manufactures? "Rent of land, and land-tax on the net rental? "What fects of religion? "Tithes how taken? "Number of inns or alehouses? Farms, large or finall-what is the moft ufual tenure-principal articles of cultivation? "Commons and wafte lands?. "Number of acres inclofed (if eafily obtainable) in any of the laft forty years? How are the poor maintained-by farming them,-in houfes of induftry, or otherwife? "Houfes of industry (if any) their ftate; numbers therein; annual mortality; diet; expences and profit fince their cltablishment?" Thefe Thefe Queries proceed likewife to demand information re fpecting the diet and mortality in houses of industry, tables of births, burials, marriages, poor's-rates, and expenditure for the poor. Of thefe Reports there are few which are not too long to be inferted in our Review. That our readers, however, may be enabled to form a more correct idea of their nature, than can well be given by any defcription of them, we here fubjoin the Report of Sunderland, from vol. ii, p. 171, not so much as a correct specimen of their general merit, but as one of the most interesting which, confiftently with our limits, we can admit. SUNDERLAND. "This parish contains 130 acres in 1794 the population was estimated at about 13,000 inhabitants, and they are fuppofed to be now much increased: the parishioners, &c. are fhop-keepers, inn-keepers, fhipwrights, &c. but the principal employment of the labourers is in coal-heaving, (that is, putting coals out of the keels into the fhips): keelmen, failors, &c. Here are no Manufactories. The Inhabitants are of the Church of England. Prefbyterians, Quakers, and Methodists; the Prefbyterians have 4 Chapels. Butcher's meat is from 5d. to 6d. the lb.; wheat, 12s. a bufhel; oats, from 3s. to 3s. 6d. ; barley, 5s. ; potatoes, 10d. the peck; new milk, 1d. the quart. Sailors, in time of war, earn from 40l. to 100l. a year, and in time of peace generally about 251. a year, and board, while on a voyage: keel-men, at all times from about 30l. to 50l. a year; coal-heavers, on the river, in time of war, from 30l. to 50l. a year; and in time of peace 10s. 6d. a week: common labourers, in the county adjoining, earn 9s. a week. In this parish there are 187 ale-houses. There are 24 Friendly Societies: the average number of members in each, is fuppofed to be 50 to 60: moft of them have had their rules confirmed by the magiftrates; of thefe 4 or 5 are women's clubs. The land tax paid annually in this parish, amounts to 120l. 138. About two thirds of this parish is a common. The poor are fupported partly in a poor house and partly at their own houfes. 176 perfons are at prefent in the poor-houfe: there have been 29 deaths, and 12 births fince the 1ft of May 1795. 36 of those now in the house are children, under 12 years of age; about two thirds of them are baftards: thefe children are employed in a pin manufactory, and altogether earn from about 30l. to 40l. a year; the boys are ge nerally bound apprentices to the fea fervice: the remainder of the people in this houfe are chiefly old women and proftitutes; few old men are found here, being mostly employed as fcavengers in the streets, in picking oakam, &c. The houfe is in a very good situation: there are three or four beds in each apartment; the beds have wooden bottoms, and are filled with chaff; each bed has 2 blankets, 1 fheet, and I rug. A fever prevails now in the house, and has done fo for fome time back. I The Boil'd Milk, or Gruel, and Bread. The bread is made of wheat and rye; 6 oz. are allowed to each perfon at dinner and fupper, on meat days; and on other days of the week lb. at each of their meals. lb. is ferved to each perfon on Sundays and Thurfdays. The victuals in the house coft about 261. or 271. a week. There are at prefent 279 poor families fupported at their own houses who receive about 171. a week; alfo 43 militia men's families, and the families of 225 impreffed men, who, at is. each, receive about 30l. a week. About four years ago, an act of Parliament was obtain→ ed to oblige the fhipping of this port to contribute towards the poor's rate according to the tonnage, which raised last year 8291. 4 years ago it was found that 931 perfons were chargeable, and that 702 of these were from the fhipping. "Table of Baptifms, Burials, &c. Years. Baptifins Burials. Marriages Amount of the Rates. Rate in the Pound. 1755 293 353 522 18 6 738 15 9 "The money raised by the fhipping is included in the above ac counts. "The number of men raised last year for the navy, by this port, was 669. "An old man who is a fhepherd, on the common, for this town, brought up 10 children by his own labour, without receiving any affistance from the parish, or any one. To fome of his boys he gave a decent education: he has only 4 children living: his earnings were generally 5s. or 6s. a week, and he was chiefly employed in huf. bandry. "A man who lives a little distance from Sunderland, and is employed in the coal-mines, gives this account of his earnings and expenditure. He is 45 years old; his wife is 40; he has 3 children (aff girls) whofe ages are 14, 6, and 2. "He, after deducting houfe-rent and fuel (which is allowed to the mafter every fortnight) earns about 235. in the fortnight; which amounts in the year to Befides his regular wages, he had given him last year Expences. Total His family has bread-meal, confifting of wheat, rye, and barley, allowed them at 1s. 6d. a tone, by the ounce of the coal-mines; at the rate of a ftone a week for each perfon, amounts annually to Soap, 44d. do. 29 18 0 550 Towards the maintenance of a baftard child of his wife, before her marriage, at 6d. a week Wear and tear of work-gear, at 28. a fortnight 5 5 19 |