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I find that the wages of agricultural labourers in 1770 were 7 s . 4 d . per week , but in Lincolnshire they are now about 1 Os . a-week , and in all the counties to the north they are not lower—in some parts they are as high as 12 s . a-week . Mind , I am not arguing for the sufficiency of these wages , or that there is not distress ( for , alas ! it is still far too prevalent ) , but only that the condition of the workman is not becoming rapidly worse , as your article would represent . In the cloth-manufacturing districts , there has been a considerable advance of wages , and a great improvement in the condition of the operatives . About sixty years ago , the average wages of men , women , and
children , were from 5 s . to 6 s . each per week ; they are now from 9 s . to 10 s . each per week , with food and all other necessaries greatly lower in price . Around Leeds a cloth weaver can make from 18 s . to 20 s . a-week , and his children wages in proportion . At Bradford , a family , consisting of a workman with a grown up daughter , and a boy and girl , can make from 32 s . to 36 s . a-week . About the same amount can be made by an operative family at Manchester . In the flax and cotton trades men make from 15 s . to 20 s . a-week , and young women from 8 s . to 10 s . When there is a large family , their united gains will
sometimes amount to as much as £ 130 to £ 150 per annum , an income considerably higher than the average salaries of our working clergy , the curates , and dissenting ministers . The wages of miners and operatives engaged in iron-rolling and other descriptions of iron manufacture , have increased in a still greater degree . It appears , from an authentic statement published in the last number of the Edinburgh Review , that at a colliery situated in one of the midland counties , " the income of a working collier , and his wife and family , consisting of two sons and two daughters , one of each being grown up , would , in
1846 , amount , atconstant work , to £ 273 per annum . ' At the same time " the income of a rail or sheetroller , or ball-furnace man , or puddler and his family , could not be less than from £ 300 to £ 400 ayear !" But I need not cite further instances of the actual gains of the working classes . The fact which I am about to state goes to prove , more emphatically than any other that could be cited , that the working classes are not so miserably poor and down-trodden as your article would lead us to suppose—and it is this , that besides living better as to food , and having higher notions of physical maintenance than the
working class of any other nation in Europe , they now afford to spend about fifty millions a-year on tobacco and intoxicating drinks ! The average amount expended on drink alone by the family of each working man in England is estimated to be not less than , £ 15 . Seven millions and a half sterling are spent on tobacco and snuff ; twenty-five millions on beer , porter , and stout ; and twenty-four millions on gin , rum , brandy , and other spirituous compounds . * Of this enormous and monstrous expenditure , by far the largest part is incurred , voluntarily and deliberately , by the working classes . If they are going
down the pit , as you seem to infer , I fear it is the porter-pot and the noggin of gin , and the gill-stoup , that are carrying them there , far rather than their poverty of means and the oppression of the monied classes . You may plan model institutions—social and political—for the people ; Sir Joshua Walmsley may invest them with complete or manhood suffrage ; Mr . Morgan may devise Church of England self-supporting institutions for them ; and Mr . Owen may project New Harmonies ; but what will these do for a people who are thus enslaved to the porter-pot and the gin bottle }
As everybody now offers his panacea for the cure of urgent evils , I will humbly offer you mine . But I have no model institution—only the schoolmaster . I fear the grown-up men are too far gone to be reclaimed ; but I would , if possible , get hold of their children , and train them up carefully to order , discipline , self-control , and industry . We must act on the individuals composing the mass , and mould their characters while the elements thereof are yet plastic . Once let us make good men and we may safely leave to them the making of the good institutions .
Notwithstanding this frightful self-indulgence in drink on the part of the people at large , I do not believe that we are growing worse even in this respect , but that we are daily growing better . I entertain the hope and belief that the temperance movement is gradually impenetrating the mass of society , and that as education spreads we shall gradually overcome the evil . I will not cease to believe in the progressive character of man and of society , even though there are dark depths in it which when looked into , make us sometimes ready to start back in sudden affright and despair . I am , dear Sir , yours truly , S . Smiles .
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London , Sept . 4 , 1850 . Sir , The insertion in your next week ' s Leader of the following remarks upon a Reformation will much oblige me . The Unitarian writer of last week has , in my humble opinion , omitted from the enumeration of moral principles the most important doctrine it is possible to mention , one that is sanctioned by Revelation and Reason , and which , if unperformed , would soon bring society to a stand-still , I mean the social or relative duty — " To generate , rear , and establish a family . " ...
Let me honestly entreat Antichrist to place this excellent principle first in the moral section , and after it can come his second duty—" To promote virtue and prevent vice . " The first moral principle respecting the Laws might be dropped down third , and then followed by the Anti- Slavery , and the Peaceful duties last . Hoping these brief hints may not be permitted to pass unnoticed , I remain , Sir , yours truly , Pater-familias .
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PAUPER FARMS . St . Austell , Cornwall , Aug-. 29 , 1850 . Sir , —Nothing can prove more the enlightenment of the present day than the publishing of the Leader , a paper advocating one of the highest principles of man—Humanity . Hence I am emboldened to send you the following statement : —I wrote a letter on Mutual Supporting Farms for Paupers , which was published in the Royal Cornwall Gazette of the 16 th instant , shewing that if paupers , cows , and pigs are placed on a farm , their manure would support the landthe land give food to them , the cows , skimmed
, milk to the paupers , and the paupers , wash and bran to pigs ; also shewing how the capital was to be raised for establishing these farms , and the great profits arising therefrom , independent of doing away with poor-rates . The editor , amongst others , made the following observations : — " In the first place , the vast majority of the inmates are helpless from the feebleness of early childhood and the infirmities of age or sickness , while a great proportion of the ablebodied have brought themselves to destitution through their idleness or vice . When all these are
deducted there will remain but a small proportion of the able and willing The authorities who would exact from paupers the exertions and toils which the independent poor , even the weak and aged , will voluntarily submit to , and inflict the privations and hardships which they cheerfully endure , would be mobbed for barbarians At the same time it is certain that much might be done with the greatest advantage to ratepayers and paupers ; greatly is it to be desired that the boys in our union workhouses should be trained early to field work . ' - '
To these observations I have sent him the following answer : — «« Sir , —In your observations on the question of the poor being put in a position to maintain themselves , you make four classes of them . In the first class you have the old and helpless , whom you seem to consider would be of no value on a poor self-supporting farm ; I grant this as far as labour goes , but , then , their manure , and their being placed in conjunction with cows and pigs , each supporting one another , I do contend is all that is required to make such a farm pay ; although all work on it is done by hired labourers .
In , the second class you have the worthless poor , which you seem to think incorrigible , but , before we come to that conclusion , let us have fair play , and give them the same chance as the County Courts give to their debtors , for , before they are condemned to prison as fraudulent debtors , it must be proved to the satisfaction of the court that they can but will not pay . Then offer employment to the worthless poor on these mutual self-supporting farms ; this would be unexceptional labour to satisfy any mob .
No white slavery . No unhealthy in-door labour , but mere farm labour as though a hired servant . And then , if lie would not work , apply the principle of the County Courts ; and as these courts are clearing the country of fraudulent debtors , so these farms would clear the country of worthless poor . As to the third class , the able poor and willing to work , and the fourth class , the young paupers , I think you agree that some such farms would be desirable . Unfortunately , this most . important question of benefiting
the poor and doing " away with poor-rates is everybody ' s , therefore the business of nobody ; otherwise , if landowners and ratepayers would duly consider the matter , they would find that poor-rates are an evil when compared to the benefits mankind would receive from these mutual supporting farms . The humanity of these farms must appear evident ; as the old and helpless will have a comfortable asylum in the bosom of nature , where ^ they may enjoy " that jewel dropt from Heaven —Health , instead of being crammed up in a union workhouse , or narrow and filthy alleys of a town . Those that
can work will have a comfortable home until they can better themselves , and the young brought up to education and industry . If these farms are once established , there will be an end of any surplus population , because the yield from these farms , from the nature of their compost , will convince farmers of the importance of human and cattle manure , of manufacturing their own compost , and having no carriage labour off the farms , reduce their horses , and employ more labourers . I beg to remain , Sir , Your obedient servant , Joseph Wood .
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THE ROMANS AND THEIR REVOLUTION . Miteside , Augf . 27 , 1850 . Sir ,- —In last Saturday ' s Leader , in a review of Mr . Cochrane ' s Young Italy , the following passage occurs : — " In Rossi's murder , in the acts of violence against the person of the Pope , in none of the worst deeds of the revolutionary party , can he ( Mazzini ) , therefore , be said to have had any direct part . In the defence of the city * * in all that is brilliant and heroic in that supreme struggle , Mazzini shines almost alone . " He must be the noblest and purest of beings , since he can manage to pass incontaminate amongst such scenes of horror and depravity . "
If I rightly comprehend this passage , it means that the Roman Republicans were guilty of •* scenes of horror and depravity , " and that , in the defence of Rome , there was scarcely anything brilliant and heroic except the conduct of Mazzini . I utterly deny the truth of such a representation . I need not defend the death of Rossi , since your reviewer allows that " it has been utterly impossible to trace it to any person or party whatever" ; but I challenge the reviewer to state what were the scenes of horror , and depravity , " " the worst deeds of the revolutionary party , " from which he is so careful to dissociate Mazzini , and for passing amongst
which «• incontaminate" he so admirably praises him . Having somewhat carefully studied the history of that heroic defence ( in which Mazzini did not stand alone ) , having also had frequent conversations since with Mazzini , and with several others well acquainted with the particulars of that defence , I am at a loss to guess what could be characterized , either by Mr . Cochrane or his reviewer , as * ' scenes of horror and depravity . " Let the reviewer name them in vindication of his attack upon Republican Rome under cover of an exceptional compliment to its illustrious triumvir . W . J . Linton .
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Sir , —In reply to Mr . Linton's letter containing some remarks on my review of Cochrane ' s Young Italy , allow me to observe that I believe your correspondent needlessly warm on the subject . Deeds of violence and blood were actually committed at Rome—against the Pope's secretary , at any rate . The other scenes of horror and depravity , the massacres of priests , the scenes of debauchery in the hospitals , rest on the authority of Mr . Cochrane and the other abler and more dreaded opponents of the revolutionary party . I had no means of testing their veracity save by the plainest rules of common honour and love truth
criticism . Accustomed to myself , I am rather at a loss to understand how mere calumnies may spread so far and sink so deep . If Mr . Linton has it in his power to disprove them— - otherwise than by mere negation—no one will exult in his success more heartily than myself . But the fact adverted to in my article was merely that of all these aspersions , true or false—against the republican party , not a word was ever intended seriously to affect Mazzini ' s character ; and this silence and forbearance , this exception in his favour , on the part of his professed opponents , does certainly amount to the most positive eulogy .
. _ . For the rest it was not my intention , at the present time , or in that article , to express any opinion of my own either for or against the Romans and their Revolution . " The Reviewer ov Coohhanb ' b Young Italy ,
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• See the interesting : paper on this subject read by Mr . Porter before the last meeting of th « British Association at JSdinburgh ,
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A REFORMATION . Sept . 4 , 1850 . Sir , —Having read in your last week ' s number an article upon the subject of a Reformation , the thought
has occurred to me that the principles there enumerated may be more easily understood hj the fol lowing line being inserted as third in the list—Self examination , being a condemnation or approval by conscience . And as the opinion of the most enlightened theologians of modern times is that future punishments will not be vindictive and ete rnal , but remedial and limited , will it not be in accordance with truth to assert that man ' s last religious duty'is " Atonement , being the expiration of offences , " instead of recording so joyless , hopeless , endless a word as 4 * expiation ?' "With these few remarks I have the honour to remain , Sir , yours respectfully , Bbnephilus .
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The Post Offices at New Zealand and South Wales . —The aggregate receipts of the Post-office department of New Zealand , including the northern and southern provinces , for the three years ending the 5 th nf January , 1848 , was £ 4326 , and the expenditure £ 3088 178 . 3 d . ; leaving a total net revenue of £ 1237 10 s . 4 d , Tho revenue of the Post « office department of New South Wales for the « hree years ended the 31 st of December , 1848 , was £ 20 , 712 13 s . Id ., and the expenditure , £ 21 , 899 3 i . Od .
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Sept . 7 , 1850 . ] Cft * ZLttLtitt . 86 S
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 7, 1850, page 565, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1852/page/13/
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