No Emigration; The Testimony of Experience Before a Committee of Agriculturists and Manufacturers, on the Report of the Emigration Committee of the House of Commons Sir John English, in the Chair - Softcover

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1828. Excerpt: ... not exist among the same class in other countries. The two classes are brought more nearly to approximate, and fellow feelings of commiseration are excited, which may be exercised without fear of deception. I here speak comparatively. So far have the poor rates been from banishing voluntary charity, that the very reverse is clearly the case. No country but England has regular compulsory rates acted upon for the relief of the poor: yet in" no country do the disposition and active exertions to relieve the poor so strongly exist as here. The amount contributed voluntarily is, beyond all comparison, greater than in any other country. It appears almost to be a favour conferred on the public to point out some new channel in which the stream of benevolence can be directed, so as to reach some objects hitherto neglected. Ireland has no poor rates, yet a few years ago, when the potatoe crop failed, according to the testimony of witnesses before the select committee, very many thousands must have absolutely perished from want, had it not been for the instantaneous overwhelming benevolence of England, who poured in her tide of charity in such abundance, that the dry channels of exhausted Ireland could not contain it, and a part of it was absolutely returned to the bountiful donors, who seemed half ashamed and half offended on receiving it. Yet England was at that time, as usual, paying poor rates, and voluntarily supporting thousands of charitable institutions. In fact, there can be no doubt that pure and disinterested benevolence is fostered, instead of repressed by the poor rates. Englishmen would never submit to suffer even their paupers to subsist on the scanty means, which serve the poorer classes of Ireland, and even of Scotland, for a maintenance. Several of ...

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