wealbk01-第36节

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teachers　in　those　times　appear　to　have　acquired　great　fortunes。

Gorgias　made　a　present　to　the　temple　of　Delphi　of　his　own　statue

in　solid　gold。　We　must　not；　I　presume；　suppose　that　it　was　as

large　as　the　life。　His　way　of　living；　as　well　as　that　of　Hippias

and　Protagoras；　two　other　eminent　teachers　of　those　times；　is

represented　by　Plato　as　splendid　even　to　ostentation。　Plato

himself　is　said　to　have　lived　with　a　good　deal　of　magnificence。

Aristotle；　after　having　been　tutor　to　Alexander；　and　most

munificently　rewarded；　as　it　is　universally　agreed；　both　by　him

and　his　father　Philip；　thought　it　worth　while；　notwithstanding；

to　return　to　Athens；　in　order　to　resume　the　teaching　of　his

school。　Teachers　of　the　sciences　were　probably　in　those　times

less　common　than　they　came　to　be　in　an　age　or　two　afterwards；

when　the　competition　had　probably　somewhat　reduced　both　the　price

of　their　labour　and　the　admiration　for　their　persons。　The　most

eminent　of　them；　however；　appear　always　to　have　enjoyed　a　degree

of　consideration　much　superior　to　any　of　the　like　profession　in

the　present　times。　The　Athenians　sent　Carneades　the　Academic；　and

Diogenes　the　Stoic；　upon　a　solemn　embassy　to　Rome；　and　though

their　city　had　then　declined　from　its　former　grandeur；　it　was

still　an　independent　and　considerable　republic。　Carneades；　too；

was　a　Babylonian　by　birth；　and　as　there　never　was　a　people　more

jealous　of　admitting　foreigners　to　public　offices　than　the

Athenians；　their　consideration　for　him　must　have　been　very　great。

　　　　　This　inequality　is　upon　the　whole；　perhaps；　rather

advantageous　than　hurtful　to　the　public。　It　may　somewhat　degrade

the　profession　of　a　public　teacher；　but　the　cheapness　of　literary

education　is　surely　an　advantage　which　greatly　overbalances　this

trifling　inconveniency。　The　public；　too；　might　derive　still

greater　benefit　from　it；　if　the　constitution　of　those　schools　and

colleges；　in　which　education　is　carried　on；　was　more　reasonable

than　it　is　at　present　through　the　greater　part　of　Europe。

　　　　　Thirdly；　the　policy　of　Europe；　by　obstructing　the　free

circulation　of　labour　and　stock　both　from　employment　to

employment；　and　from　place　to　place；　occasions　in　some　cases　a

very　incovenient　inequality　in　the　whole　of　the　advantages　and

disadvantages　of　their　different　employments。

　　　　　The　Statute　of　Apprenticeship　obstructs　the　free　circulation

of　labour　from　one　employment　to　another；　even　in　the　same　place。

The　exclusive　privileges　of　corporations　obstruct　it　from　one

place　to　another；　even　in　the　same　employment。

　　　　　It　frequently　happens　that　while　high　wages　are　given　to　the

workmen　in　one　manufacture；　those　in　another　are　obliged　to

content　themselves　with　bare　subsistence。　The　one　is　in　an

advancing　state；　and　has；　therefore；　a　continual　demand　for　new

bands：　the　other　is　in　a　declining　state；　and　the　superabundance

of　hands　is　continually　increasing。　Those　two　manufactures　may

sometimes　be　in　the　same　town；　and　sometimes　in　the　same

neighbourhood；　without　being　able　to　lend　the　least　assistance　to

one　another。　The　Statute　of　Apprenticeship　may　oppose　it　in　the

one　case；　and　both　that　and　an　exclusive　corporation　in　the

other。　In　many　different　manufactures；　however；　the　operations

are　so　much　alike；　that　the　workmen　could　easily　change　trades

with　one　another；　if　those　absurd　laws　did　not　hinder　them。　The

arts　of　weaving　plain　linen　and　plain　silk；　for　example；　are

almost　entirely　the　same。　That　of　weaving　plain　woollen　is

somewhat　different；　but　the　difference　is　so　insignificant　that

either　a　linen　or　a　silk　weaver　might　become　a　tolerable　work　in

a　very　few　days。　If　any　of　those　three　capital　manufactures；

therefore；　were　decaying；　the　workmen　might　find　a　resource　in

one　of　the　other　two　which　was　in　a　more　prosperous　condition；

and　their　wages　would　neither　rise　too　high　in　the　thriving；　nor

sink　too　low　in　the　decaying　manufacture。　The　linen　manufacture

indeed　is；　in　England；　by　a　particular　statute；　open　to

everybody；　but　as　it　is　not　much　cultivated　through　the　greater

part　of　the　country；　it　can　afford　no　general　resource　to　the

workmen　of　other　decaying　manufactures；　who；　wherever　the　Statute

of　Apprenticeship　takes　place；　have　no　other　choice　but　either　to

come　upon　the　parish；　or　to　work　as　common　labourers；　for　which；

by　their　habits；　they　are　much　worse　qualified　than　for　any　sort

of　manufacture　that　bears　any　resemblance　to　their　own。　They

generally；　therefore；　choose　to　come　upon　the　parish。

　　　　　Whatever　obstructs　the　free　circulation　of　labour　from　one

employment　to　another　obstructs　that　of　stock　likewise；　the

quantity　of　stock　which　can　be　employed　in　any　branch　of　business

depending　very　much　upon　that　of　the　labour　which　can　be　employed

in　it。　Corporation　laws；　however；　give　less　obstruction　to　the

free　circulation　of　stock　from　one　place　to　another　than　to　that

of　labour。　It　is　everywhere　much　easier　for　a　wealthy　merchant　to

obtain　the　privilege　of　trading　in　a　town　corporate；　than　for　a

poor　artificer　to　obtain　that　of　working　in　it。

　　　　　The　obstruction　which　corporation　laws　give　to　the　free

circulation　of　labour　is　common；　I　believe；　to　every　part　of

Europe。　That　which　is　given　to　it　by　the　Poor　Laws　is；　so　far　as

I　know；　peculiar　to　England。　It　consists　in　the　difficulty　which

a　poor　man　finds　in　obtaining　a　settlement；　or　even　in　being

allowed　to　exercise　his　industry　in　any　parish　but　that　to　which

he　belongs。　It　is　the　labour　of　artificers　and　manufacturers　only

of　which　the　free　circulation　is　obstructed　by　corporation　laws。

The　difficulty　of　obtaining　settlements　obstructs　even　that　of

common　labour。　It　may　be　worth　while　to　give　some　account　of　the

rise；　progress；　and　present　state　of　this　disorder；　the　greatest

perhaps　of　any　in　the　police　of　England。

　　　　　When　by　the　destruction　of　monasteries　the　poor　had　been

deprived　of　the　charity　of　those　religious　houses；　after　some

other　ineffectual　attempts　for　their　relief；　it　was　enacted　by

the　43rd　of　Elizabeth；　c。　2；　that　every　parish　should　be　bound　to

provide　for　its　own　poor；　and　that　overseers　of　the　poor　should

be　annually　appointed；　who；　with　the　churchwardens；　should　raise

by　a　parish　rate　competent　sums　for　this　purpose。

　　　　　By　this　statute　the　necessity　of　providing　for　their　own

poor　was　indispensably　imposed　upon　every　parish。　Who　were　to　be

considered　as　the　poor　of　each　parish　became；　therefore；　a

question　of　some　importance。　This　question；　after　some　variation；

was　at　last　determined　by　the　13th　and　14th　of　Charles　II　when　it

was　enacted；　that　forty　days'　undisturbed　residence　should　gain

any　person　a　settlement　in　any　parish；　but　that　within　that　time

it　should　be　lawful　for　two　justices　of　the　peace；　upon　complaint

made　by　the　churchwardens　or　overseers　of　the　poor；　to　remove　any

new　inhabitant　to　the　parish　where　he　was　last　legally　settled；

unless　he　either　rented　a　tenement　of　ten　pounds　a　year；　or　could

give　such　security　for　the　discharge　of　the　parish　where　he　was

then　living；　as　those　justices　should　judge　sufficient。

　　　　　Some　frauds；　it　is　said；　were　committed　in　consequence　of

this　statute；　parish　officers　sometimes　bribing　their　own　poor　to

go　clandestinely　to　another　parish；　and　by　keeping　themselves

concealed　for　forty　days　to　gain　a　settlement　there；　to　the

discharge　of　that　to　which　they　properly　belonged。　It　was

enacted；　therefore；　by　the　1st　of　James　II　that　the　forty　days'

undisturbed　residence　of　any　person　necessary　to　gain　a

settlement　should　be　accounted　only　from　the　time　of　his

delivering　notice　in　writing；　of　the　place　of　his　abode　and　the

number　of　his　family；　to　one　of　the　churchwardens　or　overseers　of

the　parish　where　he　came　to　dwell。

　　　　　But　parish　officers；　it　seems；　were　not　always　more　honest

with　regard　to　their　own；　than　they　had　been　with　regard　to　other

parishes；　and　sometimes　connived　at　such　intrusions；　receiving

the　notice；　and　taking　no　proper　steps　in　consequence　of　it。　As

every　person　in　a　parish；　therefore；　was　supposed　to　have　an

interest　to　prevent　as　much　as　possible　their　being　burdened　by

such　intruders；　it　was　further　enacted　by　the　3rd　of　William　III

that　the　forty　days'　residence　should　be　accounted　only　from　the

publication　of　such　notice　in　writing　on　Sunday　in　the　church；

immediately　after　divine　service。

　　　　　〃After　all；〃　says　Doctor　Burn；　〃this　kind　of　settlement；　by

continuing　forty　days　after　publication　of　notice　in　writing；　is

very　seldom　obtained；　and　the　design　of　the　acts　is　not　so　much

for　gaining　of　settlements；　as　for　the　avoiding　of　them；　by

persons　coming　into　a　parish　clandestinely：　for　the　giving　of

notice　is　only　putting　a　force　upon　the　parish　to　remove。　But　if

a　person's　situation　is　such；　that　it　is　doubtful　whether　he　is

actually　removable　or　not；　he　shall　by　giving　of　notice　compel

the　parish　either　to　allow　him　a　settlement　uncontested；　by

suffering　h