they performed the labour necessary for this purpose with cheerfulness and alacrity; and, by the blessing of God upon their virtuous industry, the wages of the labouring man have, in all those parts of Scotland where the poor-laws are not inforced, been found sufficient for the support of himself and his family, so long as they continue to enjoy health and strength to enable them to labour. When old age or sickness comes upon them, if they have no children, or if these children are not grown up, and thereby unable to assist their parents from the produce of their labour, the voluntary charity of the parishioners, which is collected at the church every Sabbath-day, and the private benevolence of their neighbours, are made, by the over-ruling providence of God, the means of their support 3 and this voluntary charity, in addition to the produce of their own labour, has always been found sufficient for the maintenance of the poor, in these parts of Scotland where the poor laws have not been inforced, in the most calamitous times.

These are the means which the providence of God employs for providing for the wants of the poor, in those parts of the kingdom where they have been suffered to remain under his go

vernment. It is a well known fact, that in these parts of the kingdom, there have always been much fewer complaints of want and distress, than in those parts of it where the poor-laws have been inforced. And it will always be found, upon strict inquiry, that even these complaints which are heard in these parts of the country where the poor laws are not inforced, come almost entirely from the most idle and reprobate part of the community. It is also at well known fact, that in these parts of the country, it is only those children whose minds have been corrupted, and who have, in consequence, become idle and dissipated, or those whom the providence of God has rendered unable to contribute towards the support of their parents, that will permit them to receive, from the minister or elders, any part of these public contributions that are collected in the church for the support of the poor. Is there any man who is truly interested in the welfare and happiness of his country, that would wish to eradicate these virtuous, manly, and independent sentiments from the breasts of the lower orders of the community? And yet the poor-laws, both in England and in these parts of Scotland where they have been inforced, have uniformly

produced this effect. The common language of children in these parts of the country now is, What occasion have we to deprive ourselves of any indulgencies, for the purpose of supporting our aged parents? the parish is bound to provide for them. In these parts of the country, the doors of the clergyman's house are now perpetually beset with aged parents, who have been deserted by their children, and by the most idle, worthless, and dissipated part of the community, demanding supply as a matter of right.

Is it possible to conceive, that the resistance which the inhabitants of a great part of Scotland have hitherto made to the execution of the poor laws which were enacted there, as well as in England, to be any thing less than the work of God himself, for the purpose of enlightening the minds of the inhabitants of these parts of the country where they have been carried into execution, by the experimental knowledge of those evils which they have brought upon themselves, by impiously and arrogantly presuming to improve that system of government which he himself has established for the govern❤ ment of man?

OBSERVATIONS

Upon that Speculative System of Common Law, which is at present administered in these Kingdoms, and upon these Iniquitous Practices which have been introduced into all our Courts of Justice.

THE original cause of this false system of common law, and of these iniquitous practices which have been introduced into all our courts of justice, and the particular evils which have been thereby brought upon society, will form a very important branch of the proposed Inquiry into the Origin of Government and Law; and it was not the author's intention to enter upon this subject at present. But seeing that there is, at this time, a bill depending before the High Court of Parliament, for a new modification of the Supreme Court of Justice in Scotland, for the ostensible purpose of removing the evils arising from the present mode of procedure in that court-it seems to be an object of no small

magnitude at this time, to call the attention of these noble Lords who are to decide upon the merits, or demerits, of this bill, and of the kingdom in general, to the original cause of these evils; and to point out, in very general terms, the only means by which it is possible to remove them.

It is supposed, that there are few people in Britain who are not disposed to think, that the noble lord who introduced this bill into parliament, did it from the best and purest motives. But there is too much reason to suppose, that, like Mr. Whitbread, he has been induced to follow blind guides.

These men, like unskilful physicians, are attempting to remove the disease, without knowing, or inquiring into the cause of it; and, like unskilful gardeners, in place of pruning the redundant and useless branches, for the purpose of making those which remain, produce more and better fruit, they are attempting to increase the number of them.

In the proposed Inquiry into the Origin of Government and Law, it will be shown, that that system of government, which the Almighty established in England, in the reign of Alfred the Great, as described by Dr. Henry, in his his