20
The next grievance His Lordship mentions, is
the consolidation of farms; laying field to field,
and farm to farm ; the consequence of which has
been, that many inhabitants, who before main-
tained themselves, are become paupers, and are
supported by the poor-rate, or employed in useless
and unnecessary works. If the reader will turn
to No. 3, in the Appendix,* he will see the sort of
employment provided for them. The humane
bishop in the following words, takes notice of
the mode of relief afforded to these reduced and
distressed unemployed men.
The next grievance, says the Right Reverend
Author, is the mode of paying the agricultural
labourer. Instead of his receiving from the far-
mer a compensation for his work, and that in
proportion to the work done, the deficiency of
the remuneration is in too many instances made
up from a parochial assessment. The labourer
thus receives that as a boon and as a pauper,
which, upon every principle of justice, he is en-
titled to, and has earned from the labour of his
hands and the sweat of his brow. This practice
naturally tends to degrade and lower his good
moral feelings. The labourer is in all cases
worthy of his hire. The poor man is as ne-
* See Appendix, No. 3.—Improper Employment of the Poor
of St Mary-le-bone.