wealbk01-第37节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　parish　either　to　allow　him　a　settlement　uncontested；　by

suffering　him　to　continue　forty　days；　or；　by　removing　him；　to　try

the　right。〃

　　　　　This　statute；　therefore；　rendered　it　almost　impracticable

for　a　poor　man　to　gain　a　new　settlement　in　the　old　way；　by　forty

days'　inhabitancy。　But　that　it　might　not　appear　to　preclude

altogether　the　common　people　of　one　parish　from　ever　establishing

themselves　with　security　in　another；　it　appointed　four　other　ways

by　which　a　settlement　might　be　gained　without　any　notice

delivered　or　published。　The　first　was；　by　being　taxed　to　parish

rates　and　paying　them；　the　second；　by　being　elected　into　an

annual　parish　office；　and　serving　in　it　a　year；　the　third；　by

serving　an　apprenticeship　in　the　parish；　the　fourth；　by　being

hired　into　service　there　for　a　year；　and　continuing　in　the　same

service　during　the　whole　of　it。

　　　　　Nobody　can　gain　a　settlement　by　either　of　the　two　first

ways；　but　by　the　public　deed　of　the　whole　parish；　who　are　too

well　aware　of　the　consequences　to　adopt　any　new…comer　who　has

nothing　but　his　labour　to　support　him；　either　by　taxing　him　to

parish　rates；　or　by　electing　him　into　a　parish　office。

　　　　　No　married　man　can　well　gain　any　settlement　in　either　of　the

two　last　ways。　An　apprentice　is　scarce　ever　married；　and　it　is

expressly　enacted　that　no　married　servant　shall　gain　any

settlement　by　being　hired　for　a　year。　The　principal　effect　of

introducing　settlement　by　service　has　been　to　put　out　in　a　great

measure　the　old　fashion　of　hiring　for　a　year；　which　before　had

been　so　customary　in　England；　that　even　at　this　day；　if　no

particular　term　is　agreed　upon；　the　law　intends　that　every

servant　is　hired　for　a　year。　But　masters　are　not　always　willing

to　give　their　servants　a　settlement　by　hiring　them　in　this

manner；　and　servants　are　not　always　willing　to　be　so　hired；

because；　as　every　last　settlement　discharges　all　the　foregoing；

they　might　thereby　lose　their　original　settlement　in　the　places

of　their　nativity；　the　habitation　of　their　parents　and　relations。

　　　　　No　independent　workman；　it　is　evident；　whether　labourer　or

artificer；　is　likely　to　gain　any　new　settlement　either　by

apprenticeship　or　by　service。　When　such　a　person；　therefore；

carried　his　industry　to　a　new　parish；　he　was　liable　to　be

removed；　how　healthy　and　industrious　soever；　at　the　caprice　of

any　churchwarden　or　overseer；　unless　he　either　rented　a　tenement

of　ten　pounds　a　year；　a　thing　impossible　for　one　who　has　nothing

but　his　labour　to　live　by；　or　could　give　such　security　for　the

discharge　of　the　parish　as　two　justices　of　the　peace　should　judge

sufficient。　What　security　they　shall　require；　indeed；　is　left

altogether　to　their　discretion；　but　they　cannot　well　require　less

than　thirty　pounds；　it　having　been　enacted　that　the　purchase　even

of　a　freehold　estate　of　less　than　thirty　pounds'　value　shall　not

gain　any　person　a　settlement；　as　not　being　sufficient　for　the

discharge　of　the　parish。　But　this　is　a　security　which　scarce　any

man　who　lives　by　labour　can　give；　and　much　greater　security　is

frequently　demanded。

　　　　　In　order　to　restore　in　some　measure　that　free　circulation　of

labour　which　those　different　statutes　had　almost　entirely　taken

away；　the　invention　of　certificates　was　fallen　upon。　By　the　8th

and　9th　of　William　III　it　was　enacted　that　if　any　person　should

bring　a　certificate　from　the　parish　where　he　was　last　legally

settled；　subscribed　by　the　churchwardens　and　overseers　of　the

poor；　and　allowed　by　two　justices　of　the　peace；　that　every　other

parish　should　be　obliged　to　receive　him；　that　he　should　not　be

removable　merely　upon　account　of　his　being　likely　to　become

chargeable；　but　only　upon　his　becoming　actually　chargeable；　and

that　then　the　parish　which　granted　the　certificate　should　be

obliged　to　pay　the　expense　both　of　his　maintenance　and　of　his

removal。　And　in　order　to　give　the　most　perfect　security　to　the

parish　where　such　certificated　man　should　come　to　reside；　it　was

further　enacted　by　the　same　statute　that　he　should　gain　no

settlement　there　by　any　means　whatever；　except　either　by　renting

a　tenement　of　ten　pounds　a　year；　or　by　serving　upon　his　own

account　in　an　annual　parish　office　for　one　whole　year；　and

consequently　neither　by　notice；　nor　by　service；　nor　by

apprenticeship；　nor　by　paying　parish　rates。　By　the　12th　of　Queen

Anne；　too；　stat。　1；　c。　18；　it　was　further　enacted　that　neither

the　servants　nor　apprentices　of　such　certificated　man　should　gain

any　settlement　in　the　parish　where　he　resided　under　such

certificate。

　　　　　How　far　this　invention　has　restored　that　free　circulation　of

labour　which　the　preceding　statutes　had　almost　entirely　taken

away；　we　may　learn　from　the　following　very　judicious　observation

of　Doctor　Burn。　〃It　is　obvious；〃　says　he；　〃that　there　are　divers

good　reasons　for　requiring　certificates　with　persons　coming　to

settle　in　any　place；　namely；　that　persons　residing　under　them　can

gain　no　settlement；　neither　by　apprenticeship；　nor　by　service；

nor　by　giving　notice；　nor　by　paying　parish　rates；　that　they　can

settle　neither　apprentices　nor　servants；　that　if　they　become

chargeable；　it　is　certainly　known　whither　to　remove　them；　and　the

parish　shall　be　paid　for　the　removal；　and　for　their　maintenance

in　the　meantime；　and　that　if　they　fall　sick；　and　cannot　be

removed；　the　parish　which　gave　the　certificate　must　maintain

them：　none　of　all　which　can　be　without　a　certificate。　Which

reasons　will　hold　proportionably　for　parishes　not　granting

certificates　in　ordinary　cases；　for　it　is　far　more　than　an　equal

chance；　but　that　they　will　have　the　certificated　persons　again；

and　in　a　worse　condition。〃　The　moral　of　this　observation　seems　to

be　that　certificates　ought　always　to　be　required　by　the　parish

where　any　poor　man　comes　to　reside；　and　that　they　ought　very

seldom　to　be　granted　by　that　which　he　proposes　to　leave。　〃There

is　somewhat　of　hardship　in　this　matter　of　certificates；〃　says　the

same　very　intelligent　author　in　his　History　of　the　Poor　Laws；　〃by

putting　it　in　the　power　of　a　parish　officer　to　imprison　a　man　as

it　were　for　life；　however　inconvenient　it　may　be　for　him　to

continue　at　that　place　where　he　has　had　the　misfortune　to　acquire

what　is　called　a　settlement；　or　whatever　advantage　he　may　propose

to　himself　by　living　elsewhere。〃

　　　　　Though　a　certificate　carries　along　with　it　no　testimonial　of

good　behaviour；　and　certifies　nothing　but　that　the　person　belongs

to　the　parish　to　which　he　really　does　belong；　it　is　altogether

discretionary　in　the　parish　officers　either　to　grant　or　to　refuse

it。　A　mandamus　was　once　moved　for；　says　Doctor　Burn；　to　compel

the　churchwardens　and　overseers　to　sign　a　certificate；　but　the

court　of　King's　Bench　rejected　the　motion　as　a　very　strange

attempt。

　　　　　The　very　unequal　price　of　labour　which　we　frequently　find　in

England　in　places　at　no　great　distance　from　one　another　is

probably　owing　to　the　obstruction　which　the　law　of　settlements

gives　to　a　poor　man　who　would　carry　his　industry　from　one　parish

to　another　without　a　certificate。　A　single　man；　indeed；　who　is

healthy　and　industrious；　may　sometimes　reside　by　sufferance

without　one；　but　a　man　with　a　wife　and　family　who　should　attempt

to　do　so　would　in　most　parishes　be　sure　of　being　removed；　and　if

the　single　man　should　afterwards　marry；　he　would　generally　be

removed　likewise。　The　scarcity　of　hands　in　one　parish；　therefore；

cannot　always　be　relieved　by　their　superabundance　in　another；　as

it　is　constantly　in　Scotland；　and；　I　believe；　in　all　other

countries　where　there　is　no　difficulty　of　settlement。　In　such

countries；　though　wages　may　sometimes　rise　a　little　in　the

neighbourhood　of　a　great　town；　or　wherever　else　there　is　an

extraordinary　demand　for　labour；　and　sink　gradually　as　the

distance　from　such　places　increases；　till　they　fall　back　to　the

common　rate　of　the　country；　yet　we　never　meet　with　those　sudden

and　unaccountable　differences　in　the　wages　of　neighbouring　places

which　we　sometimes　find　in　England；　where　it　is　often　more

difficult　for　a　poor　man　to　pass　the　artificial　boundary　of　a

parish　than　an　arm　of　the　sea　or　a　ridge　of　high　mountains；

natural　boundaries　which　sometimes　separate　very　distinctly

different　rates　of　wages　in　other　countries。

　　　　　To　remove　a　man　who　has　committed　no　misdemeanour　from　the

parish　where　he　chooses　to　reside　is　an　evident　violation　of

natural　liberty　and　justice。　The　common　people　of　England；

however；　so　jealous　of　their　liberty；　but　like　the　common　people

of　most　other　countries　never　rightly　understanding　wherein　it

consists；　have　now　for　more　than　a　century　together　suffered

themselves　to　be　exposed　to　this　oppression　without　a　remedy。

Though　men　of　reflection；　too；　have　sometimes　complained　of　the

law　of　settlements　as　a　public　grievance；　yet　it　has　never　been

the　object　of　any　general　popular　clamour；　such　as　that　against

general　warrants；　an　abusive　practice　undoubtedly；　but　s