of THIS TABLET is consecrated to the memory of the Rev. JOSEPH PRIESTLEY, L.L.D. by his affectionate congregation, in testimony their gratitude for his faithful attention to their spiritual improvement, and for his peculiar diligence in training up their youth sed in his own words: "Such, and the last affectionate tribute of respect such only has been my connection to his memory in the following inwith Dr. Priestley. And was it for scription: this that, in a season of deep distress and dreadful danger, my principles were on a sudden gnawed at by ver min whisperers, and brutal reproaches? that my house was marked out for conflagration? that my family were for three days and three nights agitated with consternation and dismay? that my books, which I have long been collecting with indefatigable industry, upon which I have expended more than half the produce of more than twenty years unwearied labour, and which I considered as the pride of my youth, the employment of my riper age, and, perhaps, the best so lace of declining lifeWas it for this, I say, that my books were exposed to most unmerited destruction " Sequel, &c. Second edit. p. 103.4. to rational pity and genuine virtue: of their respect for his great and various ta lents, which were uniformly directed to the noblest purposes: and of their veneration for the pure, benevolent, and holy principles, which, through the trying vicissitudes of life, and in the awful hour of death, animated him with the hope of a blessed immortality. His discoveries as a philosopher will never cease to be remembered and admired by the ablest improvers of science. His firmness as an advocate of liberty, and his sincerity as an expounder of the scriptures, endeared him to many of his enlightened and unprejudiced contemporaries. His example as a chri-tian will be instructive to the wise, and interesting to the good of every country and id every age. He was born at Fieldhead, near Leeds in Yotkshire, March 15, A D. 173, was chosen minister of this chapel Dec. 31, 1780, continued in the office ten years and six months, The event drew forth the doctor's talents. He wrote some spirited letters to the inhabitants of Birmingham, and a controversy took place between him and a Rev. Charles Curtis, the rector of Birmingham. In this the doctor, in a most masterly manner, discussed the momentous topics of religion and politics, and proved to the satisfaction of every body except the men of Warwickshire, that to burn the house and apparatus of a philosopher is not the exact way of treating these subjects, and that all deserve to be toleThe rated except the intolerant. rector's conduct had subjected him to severe animadversion, but we are happy to say, that after some time the Dr. Parr has written several monu. doctor, who could not long entertain. animosity against any one, held out mental inscriptions, and in his multithe hand of reconciliation, and the farious reading the works of Tabretti, parties set the unusual example of two theologians, burying their differences in oblivion; an example, which cannot too often be quoted in times of religious disputation. Dr. Priestley, it is well known, was compelled by the illiberality of his countrymen to seek refuge in America, where he ended a long and laborious life in the active pursuits of religion and philosophical enquiries. His congregation at Birmingham erected a monument in their new place of worship, and Dr. Parr paid embarked for America April 7, 1794, died in Northumberland Town in Pensyl vania, Feb. 6, 1804. Gruter, Reinesius, Spon and Muratori, Letter the 11th.-On the Affairs of worship of God, they will be imitated the Poor; or, Observations on a Bill by those under them; and every irrefor promoting and encouraging In-, ligious and immoral action will grow dustry, and for the relief and re- more gross as they descend, till they gulation of the necessitous and cri- efface from the minds of the lower minal Poor. order of the people all sense of the necessity of a religious, sober, and we turn our eye back to the con a tion of a late minister, whose flatterers When an evil is become general, it said, he had by intuition a know- is not to be thought that it can be ledge of all subjects, we shall have counteracted by teaching children the reason to fear, that there is but little alphabet, so irksome to their active to be expected from a theorist, for spirits. What can be expected from checking the evils, and easing the two years education, to enable them burdens, under which we are labour- to pass untainted in the midst of ing in maintaining the vicious and temptation through the dangerous profligate part of the community. path of youth up to man? To change The late Mr. Pitt brought forward the morals of a nation from bad to a bill for this purpose, but he was to- good will require the aid of religious tally unacquainted with the existing examples; and they who have difevils; and, if it had passed into a law, fused the poison must offer the antihe would inevitably have ruined every dote. The cause must be sufficient parish in the kingdom; and we ought, to produce the intended effect. Every as we wish to keep clear of new bur- one is looking up to those above them, dens, to look strictly into the schemes and watching their manners, their of theoretical men. We have now habits, and their actions; and when another bill offered for consideration, they are irreligious and immoral, they by a person who stands high in the will soon imitate them, as far as they public opinion, and whose good in- are able. If ever we expect a national tentions there are but very few will reform, it must begin in the first cirdoubt; but he, like his predecessor, cles; they must attend the public woris no more than a theorist. ship themselves, and see that their servants and their dependents do the same; that they may learn the necessity of leading a religious, sober, and industrious life in their station, as it is required of them both by the laws of God and the laws of man. Mr. Whitbread, in the preamble to his intended Act of Parliament, seems to think that the greatest part of the moral evils which have, in the course of two centuries, been introduced into the management of the affairs of the poor, may be counteracted by edu- If any one should think, from what cating the children of the poor in the I have advanced, that I am wishing first rudiments of reading. This opi- to keep the rising generation in ignion of his rests upon a very tottering norance, they entirely mistake my foundation. He supposes, that, be- argument. My wish is, that cause they have no compulsatory every one of them could read this laws in Scotland for raising money lesson-Servants be obedient to your for the relief of the poor, it must be masters. My meaning is simply this, owing to the education their children that a village education of two years, receive in their infancy. If he had to teach children to spell, can never made a little enquiry into the state of produce what is expected from it, by society in Scotland, he would have the patriotic framer of the bill; nor found, that as refinement, dissipa- can it answer the great expense the tion, and a neglect of the sabbath in- nation must be put to in trying the crease, the expenses for maintaining experiment. Though theorists seldom poor keep pace with them. gain much from experience, obserExperience and observation on vation, and facts, it may be prudent what hath been passing among us and necessary, before we begin to during the last twenty years, ought build, to consider whether we shall to have taught those who move in do it to any advantage, and whether the first ranks of men, that, as they we shall be able to finish. cast off all appearance of the public UNIVERSAL MAG. VOL. VII. the In the returns made to parliament, 2 R 306 A. D. 1803, it appears, that the num- many thousands more have been eduber of parishes, or places, in England cated in the kingdom in a far supeand Wales, amounted to 14,611, rior manner than what can be done which made returns, and they will under the intended bill. With all require a considerable sum to put this these endeavours, have not the poor's new plan into execution. Where the rates, within the last thirty years, inparishes are small they will be per- creased double upon us? Why then mitted to unite within a reasonable proceed upon such an extensive plan, distance; and where they are large, in defiance of experience, if expenses a contracted two or three schools will be required; increase upon us on and if we reckon the average number scale? What can we expect more at 10,000, we shall not probably from the children of cottagers, and of much exceed the mark. Each of the lowest of the manufacturers, who, these seminaries are to be provided by the time they are seven years of with a master and mistress; and, if age, are employed in various ways, they are qualified to teach what is re- to add a penny to their parents' earnquired of them, it will be in times like ings? For, in times like the present, the present but little better than all those who are endeavouring to starving them, upon a stipend of forty live by their industry must work, if pounds a year. But, admitting it they would eat; and between necesforty upon an average, then 10,000x sity and playing the truant, there 40=400,000 a yearly expense, with will be but few scholars who will atout the buying of land, purchasing or tend half their time. building houses and schools, and repairing them. If only three hundred pounds be allowed for this purpose, as the average price for each house and school, then our expense will stand as follows,10,000 x 300=3,000,000 × 5 = 15,000,000 100=150,000; the interest of which must be paid yearly till the debt can be discharged. But after such an enormous expense in making preparations, we must expect not a little perplexity and trouble in admitting scholars, and in compelling them to attend to good regulations. The fourteen articles relative to the building of the schools, framing rules to be observed, presenting and dismissing children, providing for the To meet these sums, the bill hath master and mistress, and suspending provided, that a rate of one shilling in or discharging them for misbehaviour the pound may be levied upon all tax- or neglect of duty, may be reduced able property yearly; and, if this to a short compass, by giving the should not be equal to answer the whole power at once into the handi various expenses this bill will entail of the justices of the peace, and letupon us, each parish may take up ting them transact the whole business. If the ministers, churchwardens, money at interest, and add a further burden; but they cannot raise more and overseers of the poor of a parish, than one additional shilling in the be not qualified to discharge the dupound within the year. By the re- ties they are required to perform, why turns of the officers to parliament the appoint them? And, if the integrity parochial taxes already amount, upon or the abilities of men are now to be an average, to 4s. 5 d. in the pound estimated by their rent-roll or their throughout the kingdom, which raises office, then let those who have the 5,348,2051. gs. 31d; and, by adding one shilling in the pound, we shall have 6,675,3001. 16s. 74d. Is this the way we are to ease our present Can it be supposed, that the miniburdens? Are we to be led blindfold into such expenses without consider- ster, and the churchwardens, and ing what the charity and Sunday overseers of a parish, will offer to disschools have done for us towards les- charge their duty with spirit, as no sening the poor's rates for the last minal visitors, when they can neither thirty years? In London and West- present or dismiss a child, or susminster they have educated yearly be pend or discharge their teachers for misbehaviour, without tween seven and eight thousand, and neglect or most money in the parish be selected to guard this new system of education, and let them have the power of doing it. being amenable to a justice of the any fees annexed to their office by peace, upon the complaint of a statute; fees, which are to arise from drunken or worthless parent of a the surplus beyond what shall be child; and the officers to be sum- found sufficient to answer the princimoned to answer for their conduct, pal money laid out. Surely, it would and have eight or ten miles to travel, have appeared more patriotic, if a as a certain expense, the loss of a plan had been formed for the poor to day's work, and the neglect of their have received every possible advanbusiness? After all they have done, tage which could be made of their the magistrate may reverse their or- scanty pittance, and to have had less ders, the master and the mistress may parade in transacting the business. set them at defiance, the children Can any good reason be assigned, play the truant as they please, and why gentlemen of title and fortune their parents will find an excuse for should have a gratuity reserved for them; and the minister and the of them in the same bill, which requires ficers may go and complain to the the minister, churchwardens, and justices, that their authority is at an overseers to give up their time and end. If the statute is to contain ar- their trouble, and be liable to be haticles for establishing and superintend- rassed by a summons from a magi ing the schools, they must, if they are strate without the least prospect of any of any service, be very different from recompence, and with a certainty of those which are now offered, or there ill-will and censure for their services? had much better be none. The articles belonging to these sec. As there appears such a fundamental tions are too long and perplexed for error in supposing, that so great an the poor to comprehend them; and if effect as the changing of the habits they should save a few pounds, they and morals of the poor of a whole will be too cautious of them to trust nation can proceed from so trifling a them in the hands of strangers, to be cause as the teaching of children to sent they know not where, nor to spell, which is all that can be ex- whom. pected from the plan, it naturally Much trouble might have been leads us to doubt, whether the two spared by appointing country bankers next heads in the bill, or the scheme to transmit the money, but it does for forming a poor's fund and an in- not require many observations on surance office, will not prove an un- those heads, as they will probably be successful undertaking. as unproductive as the first; but they The preparations for establishing will not put the nation to upwards of these offices, and the appointing com- half a million sterling to try the exmissioners, cashiers, clerks, servants, periment. accountant and treasurer, hath the There are several other parts of this appearance of the establishing of a bill which require some attention, as new national-bank; or an insurance they will considerably increase, inoffice, upon as large a plan as that stead of lessening our expenses. near Blackfriar's-Bridge, to receive If a person is to gain a settlement the sum of five pounds at one pay- by five years residence in a parish, a ment, and not more than twenty of drunken idle fellow ought to be exany one person within the year. The cluded from the privilege, as much as king, his heirs, and successors, are to a criminal one; and there ought to be appoint the commissioners, who are a marked distinction between them to provide all the persons to be em- and the industrious poor. ployed with the approbation of the A law is certainly very much commissioners of his Majesty's trea- wanted to compel strangers who come to abide in a parish, to swear to If a certain number of commis- their last legal settlement; but it sioners be necessary to inspect the must be very different from that which proceedings in the poor's fund and is now proposed to us, or it must ininsurance office, it would surely be evitably create a considerable expense. more respectable for gentlemen of As the section of the intended act character and fortune to discharge now stands, if a person in Cornwall their duty disinterestedly, than to have swears to his last legal settlement in sury. Northumberland, the triplicate of the to ask or receive collections.' What adjudication of the justices and the ex- occasion then is there for what follows amination must be sent by a special in the bill under consideration, when messenger, and delivered to the it already appears by the returns of churchwardens, or one of them, that the officers to parliament, that they the delivery may be proved upon now relieve 336,199 paupers peroath. It is plain that the framer of manently in England and Wales? this bill hath never considered any The repealing of a bill, and then thing of expenses; and it is in vain to enacting again that they may allow complain of them in appeals, if in- what is already allowed, may seem vention is racked to increase them. strange to those who do not look far When the duplicate is filled, why enough to discover the secret. The should not the clerk send the triplí- repealing that part of the 9th of cate by post, and the officer be George I. and enacting that they obliged to acknowledge the receipt of shall allow one-fourth of the labour it within a limited time, under à pe- of a man to a man, one-fifth of the nalty? But these are not the only labour of a woman to a woman, and objectionable parts of the bill: there one-sixth of the labour of a child to a is a most singular assertion advanced, child, will considerably enhance the page 23, which offers a striking proof expense, and deprive the officers of how far prejudice may bias the judg- all discretionary power. It will also ment, even of a sensible man. It is encourage idleness, for there are but said, "It is found by experience, that few who will work while they can the maintaining the poor in work- get any supply to subsist without it. houses is much greater than main- Though there is much to reprobate taining them in their own habita- in this bill, there are one or two good tions." This is contrary to all expe- points in it. The holding monthly rience. This error was first advanced vestries might be made useful, if any upon the authority of the returns means could be devised to get the pa made by the parish officers, when it rishioners to attend them. The of appears that the difference between ficers might lay before them the the occasional reliefs and the intire whole transactions of the month, with maintenance of the poor in work- the sums expended under different houses is as three to twelve. Mr. heads. The names of paupers who Rose made this wonderful discovery; have applied for relief, the reason of the Monthly Reviewers catched at their applying, and how much alit, and said, every person admitted lowed them; what removals they into a workhouse was a loss of nine have, what appeals, and upon what pounds a year to the public. So ig- ground they proceed, and the reason norant were they of the management why any one is excused from paying of the affairs of the poor, that they the parochial rates; if this step be not made no distinction between the giv- guarded with caution, it will cast the ing a poor person a shilling or two in burden upon very few in corporate a week to help them on, or the taking towns. Every one will interest himthem into the house to clothe, and self in behalf of his friend and rela feed, and maintain them in all the ne- tions, and the friends of his customcessaries of life. To publish such er- ers; and it will become a trafficking rors for facts is inexcusable, and yet system, and the last evil will be much they are not suffered to rest in quiet. .worse than the first. If it would not This subject is now brought for- be considered an invidious underward to get the statute of the 9th of taking, I could produce proof of it. George I. repealed, or that part of it The giving a person a number of which says, any poor person or per- votes, in proportion to their rates, sons who shall refuse to be lodged, or can never answer any good purpose; maintained in a house provided for for it is placing all the power in the them, such poor person so refusing hands of a very few persons. shall be put out of the book or books, If rewards are to be given, they where the names of the persons who ought to be left to the discretion of ought to receive collections are to be the vestry, whether in doing it there registered, and shall not be entitled is a probability of lessening any fu |
