his laws, throughout the work on Population: but whether was it by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, or of some other being, that Mr. M. wrote and published a three-volume Essay, with the professed intention of inducing mankind to believe, that all, or almost all, the vice and misery to be found in this world, are the necessary and inevitable results of the laws of nature, which are the laws of God?

CHAPTER III.

"OF THE ONLY EFFECTUAL MODE OF IMPROVING THE CONDITION OF THE POOR."

OUR readers are, by this time, prepared to expect, that our ideas" of the most effectual mode of bettering the condition of the poor," differ very widely, indeed, from those of Mr. Malthus. -Were a delegate from the labouring classes, to be appointed to wait on him, to beg his opinion and advice on the best and most effectual mode of bettering their condition, some such dialogue as the following might take place between them.

Labourer.-I am instructed, by my fellowlabourers, to request your sage opinion and advice, as to the best way of bettering our condition.

Mr. Malthus.-Do not marry till you are certain of supporting a family without parish assistance.*

* Mr. Cobbett affirms, in his Political Register, of 20th of August, 1824, that a paper is circulating among the labour

Labourer.-Why, I have seen enough in my time to make me think it a very hard matter for any man to be certain of supporting himself and family without parish assistance, or public assistance, which is, as I understand it, much the same thing; but as you yourself described the poor laws, under which laws alone we can receive parish assistance, as laws which are

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grating, inconvenient, and tyrannical, contradictory to all ideas of freedom, occasioning parish persecution to those who are likely to become chargeable under them, and which render the condition of the poor of England, in comparison with that of other countries, truly most miserable;" you may reasonably infer, that those laws furnish no great encouragement to us to look to the obtaining of the means of comfortable support, by placing ourselves and children under their operation. However, we are of opinion, that if we were suffered to keep our wages entirely to ourselves, we should not even now want parish assistance to support

ing population of England, pointing out to the people, the modes by which their wives may avoid having children. Mr. C. would hardly have made this statement, had he not been well informed of the fact. If the Suppression-of-Vice Society do not prosecute to public conviction the authors of such a national disgrace, the community will be able correctly to estimate the pretensions and objects of the said Society.

our families, (although so much capital has been wasted among us, in consequence of being applied to support unproductive labour.) In the event of being disabled from earning the means of subsistence, by accidental circumstances, we should derive support from our former earnings, or by a contribution among ourselves for that purpose. As matters stand at present, so large a portion of our wages is taken away from us by taxation, and other public burdens, that we cannot entertain any reasonable hope of ever saving any thing worth while; and, therefore, we marry, and do the best we can; and, if we come on the parish at last, it will only be for a part of our own.

Mr. Malthus. - Indeed, honest friend, I should be very much surprised at your ignorance, if I thought that you had read my Essay on Population, and at your prejudiced “erroneous opinions," if it were not that I know you have imbibed them from those seditious "writers, whose works are now most generally read among you;" but, be assured, on the word of the Professor General of Political Economy for British India, that the supposition of the labourers paying any part of the taxes, is a "monstrous absurdity." The taxes are created and paid by the landlords, and digninified clergy, placemen, admirals, generals, colonels, members of parliament, pensioners,

and tax-gatherers,—which taxes, being received by Government, are expended on you, by employing you in the army, navy, smuggling preventive service, and in building martello towers, barracks, pavillions, castles, Chinese bridges, pagodas, palaces, abbeys, seats, &c. ; and thus you are benefited, not' injured, by the amount of taxation. How can you contribute to the taxes, who have nothing to spare of your own?—and how can you assert, that capital has been unproductively employed, when you ought to know, that it has been beneficially converted into revenue?"—which revenue is duly paid by Messrs. Nobody, for sole benefit?

your

Labourer.-I, and the persons whom I represent, are ignorant and stupid enough no doubt, or else, right honourable and learned persons would not have termed us-" the swinish multitude, the mob, the rabble, the froth and offscouring of society," and so forth. We are, nevertheless, grateful to the writers of whom you speak,-they are ruined and imprisoned on our account. We are not sure, that many of your brethren would suffer so much for us: but you, clerical people, are paid for the purpose of instructing us,--why, then, do you not publish against these writers, and confute them, by calm and clear reasoning?When you do write, you first get the civil power