In order to deal effectively with lieve. We might also show that, in pauperism, it is necessary to know the metropolis and its suburbs, there the causes which lead to the impover- exist types of every class of poor that ishment of individuals and masses of can be found in the rural and manuindividuals, and to be familiar with facturing districts of England ; just as the condition, manners, customs, it might be shown, that its inhabitants habits, prejudices, feelings, and super- consist of natives of every county in stitions of the poor. the three kingdoms. Its fixed popuWe do not propose to institute an lation, according to the quarter in elaborate inquiry into the causes of pau- which they live, would be found to perism, or to make the topic a subject resemble the inhabitants of a great of separate investigation. Our chief town, a cathedral city, or a seat of object will be, to collect into classes manufactures. And that portion of its those of the poor who are known, inhabitants which may be regarded as from personal observation, to become migratory, would complete the resemchargeable to parishes, which process blance, except that the shadows would will afford abundant scope for remark be deeper and the outline more jagged. upon the causes which led to their These persons make London their impoverishment. We may require winter-quarters. At other seasons the company of the reader with us in they are employed by the farmer and the metropolis for a short space, and the grazier. It is a fact, that the may satisfy him that he need not most onerous part of the duties of the travel ten miles from his own door in metropolitan authorities are those search of valuable facts, and at the which relate to these migratory same time convince him that pauper- classes. Among them are the most ism is not that simple compact evil lawless and the most pauperised of the which many would wish him to be agricultural districts. Others, during VOL. LXI.-NO. CCCLXXVII. S a the spring, summer, and autumn docks. And the rest, unfitted by their months, were engaged, or pretend age or habits to compete with labourers that they were engaged (and the accustomed to the other fields of occustatement cannot be tested,) in the pation, sink lower and lower ; suscutting of vegetables, the making of tained for a time by the helping hands hay, the picking of pease, beans, fruit, of comrades and old patrons, but at and hops, and in harvest work. Or last obliged to seek a refuge at the they travelled over the country, fre- parish workhouse. Death also does quenting fairs, selling, or pretending his part. At Paul's Wharf stairs, a to sell, knives, combs, and stay-laces. few inches above high-water mark, a Or they were knife-grinders, tinkers, few shrubs have been planted against musicians, or mountebanks. As the the river wall — and above them is a winter approaches, they flock into the small board, rudely cut, and on it are town in droves. There they obtain a inscribed these words, - To the meprecarious subsistence in ways un- mory of old Browny, who departed known; some pick up the crumbs that this life, August 26, 1846." Let us fall from the rich man's table, others stroll to the coach offices. Here again overcrowd the workhouses. It would we see a great change — great to the o lead to many curious and useful re- common eye of the public, who miss sults if this matter were fully investi- a raree show, and a still greater one gated. The reader's company is not, to the hundreds and thousands of however, required for this purpose ; at human beings whose subsistence dethe same time, the previous remarks pended upon the work done at those may, in some measure, prepare his places. A few years ago, the reader mind for the consideration of kindred may have formed one of a large group topics. It may introduce a train of of spectators, collected at the “ Peareflection, and prompt him to inquire cock” at Islington, to witness the whether the wandering habits of these departure of the night mails, on the outcasts have been in any degree engen- high north road. The cracking of dered by the strict workhouse system whips, the blowing of horns, the and workhouse test enforced in their prancing horses, the bustle of passennative villages, by the destruction of gers and porters, and the consciouscottages, and the breaking up of local ness of the long dreary distance they associations, and whether these habits had to go, exercised an enduring inhave been fostered by the facilities with fluence upon the imagination and which a bed and a mess of porridge memory of the youthful observer. may be obtained at the unions, with. Now, a solitary slow coach may be out inquiry into their business and sometimes seen. In those days, all object in travelling. the outlets of the metropolis presented Let us steer our course along the similar scenes. Then call to resilent “highway,” the Thames, and membrance the business transacted in make inquiries of the few sailor-look- those numerous, large, old-fashioned, ing men who may still be seen loiter- square-galleried inn-yards; and reflect ing at the several 66 stairs ;" we shall upon the hundreds who have been learn that not many years since these thrown out of bread. The high-roads narrow outlets were the marts of a and the way-side inns are now forthriving employment, and that there saken and silent. These remarks are crowds of independent and privileged not made merely to show that there is watermen plied successfully for fares. an analogy between the several disThese places are now forsaken, and tricts and employments in the metrothe men have lost their occupation. polis, and those of the country. If Some still ply ; and the cry at a few this were all, not another word would stairs, of " Boat, your honour?” may be written. But it so happens that still be heard. Others have been the comparison affords an opportunity, draughted into situations connected which cannot be passed over, of rewith the boat companies, which sup- ferring to the changes which are going port them during the summer months. on in the world; and forcibly reminds A large number swell the crowds of us, that while some are rising, others day-labourers, who frequent the legal are falling, and many are in the mire, quays, the sufferance wharves, and the trodden under foot, and forgotten. It ; is with the miserable beings who are ence may be traceable to the fact that in the last predicament, that poor-laws it is a convenient stage from London. have to do. It was populous and thriving, and The political economist may be right yet it is neither a town, a parish, nor when he announces, that the intro- a hamlet. Enter the bar of one of duction of machinery has, on the the inns, and take nothing more ariswhole, been beneficial ; and that the tocratic than a jug of ale and a biscuit. change of employment from one loca- Lounge about the yard, and enter lity to another, depends upon the freely into conversation with the action of natural laws, of which he is superannuated post-boys who still merely the expositor. It may be the haunt the spot. You will soon learn, case, too, that he is attending care- that it is the opinion of the public in fully to the particular limits of his general, and of the old post-boys in favourite science, when he occupies particular, that the nation is on the his mind with the laws themselves, brink of ruin ; and they will refer to the rather than with their aberrations. decadence of their native spot as an But those who treat upon pauperism instance. The writer was travelling, as an existing evil, to be dealt with not many months ago, in the counties now, should remember that they have of Rutland, Northampton, and Linto do not with natural laws, as they coln ; and while in conversation with are separated and classified in the works the coachman, who then held up his of scientific men, but with the laws in head as high, and talked aş familiarly o of all their complexity of operation, and the “old families,” whose mansions with the incidents which arise from we from time to time left behind us, that complexity. as if the evil days were not approachThe coachmen, the guards, the ing, our attention was arrested by ostlers, the horse-keepers, the harness- the approach of a suite of carriages makers, the farriers, the various with out-riders, advancing rapidly workers in the trade of coach-builders, from the north. An air of unusual and the crowd of tatterdemalions who bustle had been observed at the last performed all sorts of offices, where way-side inn. A waiter had been are they? The inquirer must go into seen with a napkin on his arm, not the back streets and alleys of London. merely waiting for a customer, but He must search the records of bene- evidently expecting one, and of a class volent institutions; and he must hold much higher than the travelling bagfrequent converse with those who men: and this was a solitary wayadminister parochial relief. But his side inn. We soon learnt that the sphere must not be confined to the cortège belonged to the Duke of metropolis. Let the reader unroll his The coachman added, with a veneralibrary map of England, and devote tion which referred much more to his an entire afternoon to the study of it. grace's practice and opinions than to Trace the high-roads with a pointer. his rank, —“He always travels in this Pause at every town, and at every way, - he is determined to support stage. Refer to an old book of roads, the good old plans ;" and then, with a and to a more modern conveyance sigh, continued, " It's of no use - it's directory. Let memory perform its very good-natured, but it does more office : reflect upon the crowds of per- harm than good; it tempts a lot of sous who gained a subsistence from people to keep open establishments the fact that yourselves and many they had better close. It's all up." others were obliged to travel along It is not necessary to pursue this the high-road on your way from Lon- matter further. Nor is it required don to York. There were inn-keep- that we should follow these unfortuers, and waiters and chambermaids, nates who have thus been thrown out post-boys and “boots.” Then there of bread, or speculate upon their fallen were hosts of shop-keepers and trades- fortunes. Nor need we specially remen who were enabled to support mind the reader, that this is only one their families decently, because the of many changes which have come upon stream of traffic flowed through their us during the last quarter of a cennative towns and villages. Take a tury, and which are now taking place. stroll to Hounslow. Its very exist- Space will not permit a full exposure |