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successful hunting, the affection of parental tenderness beingforced to give way to the still more imperious call of self-preserv-ation. And for the aged or permanently infirm, there can noother provision he afforded, but a relief, through speedy death,from the tedious torture of dying by hunger, or being tom topieces by beasts of prey. In civilized society, the superior pro-ductiveness of subdivided but cooperative labour can afford asurplus, above the subsistence of the labourer himself, to makeabundant provision for all necessary indigence ; if only no artifi-cial indigence were created by the absurd policy of poor’s laws,in holding out a prospect of provision independent of industriousexertion,—thus superseding that provident foresight which oughtto ward off want, and the exercise of both parental and filial af-fection for its relief when it occurs—encouraging also that pro-digality of procreation which is unchecked by any reference toconsequences, while the view is absurdly directed for resourceto that nonentity or mere abstract idea of the public, as if thepublic bad any real existence distinct from that of the individualsthat compose it, or any funds distinct from those created by theindustry of those individuals.
The charity of Monasteries was the most early provision ofthe nature of a poor’s law; encouraging beggary and idleness,in offering a resource independent of industry, economy, and pru-dent forethought; + in its effects, however, still less hurtfulthan a direct legal provision; as such charity might remain insome degree voluntary, and could not be claimed as a valid tight.Upon the dissolution of monasteries at the Reformation, thatmass of dependent indigence which their charity had raised up,was deprived of its support; and society was inundated by help-less beggary, occasioned through want of providence, or intimi-dated by stout idleness, which reliance on monastic charity hadprevented from acquiring, and rendered reluctant against ac-quiring, industrious habits: And out of mistaken humanity, re-course was had to poor’s laws—not of a temporary kind to gi feimmediate relief, but perpetual, to the effect of perpetuating theevil.
England took the lead of Scotland , as in the Reformation, so,in the establishment of a poor’s-law system ; and in Scotland ,upon the dissolution of her monasteries, measures for the rebelof the indigent were likewise adopted.
The act 1579 contains the first attempt at a system, for bothpunishing vagrants, and at same time making provision for sihwpoor as were real objects of charity ; and subsequent acts con-tinue to conjoin both these objects in the same enactment.
By this act, the vagrant, upon conviction by an assize, ">sordained to be imprisoned, so long as he had any thing of h®