第30章

(In the year 1736，an act of parliament -stat.9，Geo，II.c.23-was passed，of which the preamble is as follows：'Whereas the drinking of spirituous liquors or strong waters is become very common，especially among the people of lower and inferior rank，the constant and excessive use of which tends greatly to the destruction.of their health，rendering them unfit for useful labour and business，debauching their morals，and inciting them to perpetrate all manner of vices；and the ill consequences of the excessive use of such liquors are not confined to the present generation，but extend to future ages，and tend to the devastation and ruin of this kingdom.'It was therefore enacted，that no person should retail spirits without a licence，for which ？0was to be paid annually，with other provisions to restrain the sale of spirits.

By a report of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the county of Middlesex，made in January，1736，it appeared that there were then within Westminster，Holborn，the Tower，and Finsbury division exclusive of London and Southwark 7，044houses and shops wherein spirituous liquors were publicly sold by retail，of which they had got an account，and that they believed it was far short of the true number.)

Enough surely has been said to exhibit the evil consequences of these laws in their true colours.Let the duties therefore on the production of ardent spirits be gradually increased，until the price shall exceed the means of ordinary consumption.Let the licences be progressively withdrawn from the present occupiers of gin-shops and unnecessary pot-houses；and let the duties on the production and consumption of malt liquor be diminished，that the poor and working classes may be the more readily induced to abandon their destructive habits of dram-drinking，and by degrees to withdraw altogether from this incentive to crime and sure source of misery.

The next improvement should be to discontinue the state lottery.

The law which creates this measure is neither more nor less than a law to legalize gambling，entrap the unwary，and rob the ignorant.

How great must be the error of that system which can induce a state to deceive and injure its subjects，and yet expect that those subjects shall not be necessarily trained to injure and to deceive.

These measures may be thought detrimental to the national revenues.

Those who have reflected on the nature of public revenue，and who possess minds capable of comprehending the subject，know that revenue has but one legitimate source that it is derived directly or indirectly from the labour of man，and that it may be more or less from any given number of men (other circumstances being similar)，in proportion to their strength，industry，and capacity.

The efficient strength of a state governed by laws founded on an accurate knowledge of human nature，in which the whole population are well trained，will greatly exceed one of equal extent of numbers，in which a large part of the population are improperly trained，and governed by laws founded in ignorance.

Thus were the small states of Greece，while governed by laws comparatively wise，superior in national strength to the extended empire of Persia.

On this plain and obvious principle will the effective power and resources of the British empire be largely increased，by withdrawing those laws which，under the plausible appearance of adding a few，and but a few，millions to the annual revenues of this kingdom，in reality feed on the very vitals of the state.

For such laws destroy the energies and capacities of its population，which，so weakened and trained to crime，requires a far greater expenditure to protect and govern it.

Confidently may it be said，that a short experience in practice is alone necessary to make the truth of these positions self-evident even to the most common understandings.

The next measure for the general improvement of the British population should be to revise the laws relative to the poor.For pure and benevolent as，no doubt，were the motives which actuated those with whom the Poor Laws originated，the direct and certain effects of these laws are to injure the poor，and through them，the state，as much almost as they can be injured.

They exhibit the appearance of affording aid to the distressed，while，in reality，they prepare the poor to acquire the worst habits，and to practise every kind of crime.They thus increase the number of the poor and add to their distress.It becomes，therefore，necessary that decisive and effectual measures should be adopted to remove those evils which the existing laws have created.

Benevolence says，that the destitute must not starve；and to this declaration political wisdom readily assents.Yet can that system be right，which compels the industrious，temperate，and comparatively virtuous，to support the ignorant，the idle，and comparatively vicious？Such，however，is the effect of the present British Poor Laws；for they publicly proclaim greater encouragement to idleness，ignorance，extravagance，and intemperance，than to industry and good conduct：and the evils which arise from a system so irrational are hourly experienced，and hourly increasing.

It thus becomes necessary that some counteracting remedy be immediately devised and applied：for，injurious as these laws are，it is obviously impracticable，in the present state of the British population，to annul at once a system to which so large a portion of the people has been taught to look for support.

These laws should be progressively undermined by a system of an opposite nature，and ultimately rendered altogether nugatory.