CobbettdeclaredinhisAdvicetoYoungMen(26*)that’iftheslops
wereinfashionamongstploughmenandcarters，wemustallbestarved；for
thefoodcouldneverberaised。Themechanicsarehalfruinedbythem。’In
theReportonthePoorpresentedtotheHantsQuarterSessionsin1795，(27*)
theuseofteaisdescribedas’avainpresentattempttosupplytothespirits
ofthemindwhatiswantingtothestrengthofthebody；butinitslasting
effectsimpairingthenerves，andthereinequallyinjuringboththebody
andthemind。’Daviesretortedontherichwhofoundfaultwiththeextravagance
ofthepoorintea-drinking，bypointingoutthatitwastheir’lastresource。’
’Thetopiconwhichthedeclaimersagainsttheextravaganceofthepoordisplay
theireloquencewithmostsuccess，istea-drinking。Whyshouldsuchpeople，
itisasked，indulgeinaluxurywhichisonlyproperfortheirbetters；
andnotrathercontentthemselveswithmilk，whichisineveryformwholesome
andnourishing？Wereittruethatpoorpeoplecouldeverywhereprocureso
excellentanarticleasmilk，therewouldbethenjustreasontoreproach
themforgivingthepreferencetothemiserableinfusionofwhichtheyare
sofond。Butitisnotso。Whereverthepoorcangetmilk，dotheynotgladly
useit？Andwheretheycannotgetit，wouldtheynotgladlyexchangetheir
teaforit？(28*)……Stillyouexclaim，Teaisaluxury。Ifyoumeanfine
hysontea，sweetenedwithrefined，sugar，andsoftenedwithcream，Ireadily
admitittobeso。Butthisisnottheteaofthepoor。Springwater，just
colouredwithafewleavesofthelowest-pricedtea，andsweetenedwiththe
brownestsugar，istheluxuryforwhichyoureproachthem。Tothistheyhave
recoursefrommerenecessity：andweretheynowtobedeprivedofthis，they
wouldimmediatelybereducedtobreadandwater。Tea-drinkingisnotthe
cause，buttheconsequence，ofthedistressesofthepoor。’(29*)Welearn
fromtheAnnalsofAgriculturethatatSedgefieldinDurham(30*)many
ofthepoordeclaredthattheyhadbeendriventodrinkingteafromnotbeing
abletoprocuremilk。(31*)
Nodoubtthescarcityofmilkhelpedtoencourageatastethatwasvery
quicklyacquiredbyallclassesinEngland，andnotinEnglandonly，for，
beforethemiddleoftheeighteenthcentury，therapidgrowthoftea-drinking
amongthepoorintheLowlandsofScotlandwasaffectingtherevenuevery。
TheEnglishpoorlikedteaforthesamereasonseriously(32*)thatDr。Johnson
likedit，asastimulant，andthefactthattheirfoodwasmonotonousand
insipidmadeitparticularlyattractive。Edenshowsthatbytheendofthe
eighteenthcenturyitwasingeneraluseamongpoorfamilies，takingthe
placebothofbeerandofmilk，andexcludingthesubstitutesthatEdenwished
tomakepopular。Itseemsperhapslesssurprisingtousthanitdidtohim，
thatwhentherich，whocouldeatordrinkwhattheyliked，enjoyedtea，
thepoorthoughtbreadandteaamoreinterestingdietthanbreadandbarley
water。
Afewisolatedattemptsweremadetoremedythescarcityofmilk，(33*)
whichhadbeencausedbyenclosureandtheconsolidationoffarms。LordWinchilsea’s
projectshavealreadybeendescribed。IntheReportsoftheSocietyforbettering
theConditionofthePoor，therearetwoaccountsofplansforsupplying
milkcheap，oneinStaffordshire，wherearespectabletradesmanundertook
tokeepacertainnumberofcowsforthepurposeinaparishwhere’theprincipal
numberofthepoorerinhabitantsweredestituteofallmeansofprocuring
milkfortheirfamilies，’(34*)anotheratStocktoninDurham，wherethebishop
madeitaconditionoftheleaseofacertainfarm，thatthetenantshould
keepfifteencowswhosemilkwastobesoldat1/2d。apinttothepoor。(35*)
Mr。Curwenagain，theWhigM。P。forCarlisle，hadaplanforfeedingcows
inthewinterwithaviewtoprovidingthepoorwithmilk。(36*)
Therewasanotherwayinwhichtheenclosureshadcreatedaninsuperable
obstacletothepopularisingof’cheapandagreeablesubstitutes’forexpensive
wheatenbread。TheCumberlandhousewifecouldbakeherownbarleybreadin
heroven’heatedwithheath，furzeorbrush-wood，theexpenceofwhichis
inconsiderable；’(37*)shehadstretchesofwastelandatherdoorwherethe
childrencouldbesenttofetchfuel。’Thereisnocomparisontothecommunity，’
wroteacontributortotheAnnalsofAgriculture，(38*)’whethergood
wheat，rye，turnips，etc。，arenotbetterthanbrakes，goss，furz，broom，
andheath，’butasacreafteracreinthemidlandsandsouthwasenclosed，
thefuelofthepoorgreweverscantier。Whenthecommonwherehehadgleaned
hisfiringwasfencedoff，thepoormancouldonlytrustforhisfuelto
pilferingsfromthehedgerows。Tothespectator，furzefromthecommonmight
seem’gatheredwithmorelossoftimethanitappearstobeworth；’(39*)
tothelabourerwhosescantyearningsleftlittlemarginovertheexpense
ofbreadalone，thelossoffiringwasnotbalancedbytheeconomyoftime。(40*)
Insufficientfiringaddedtothemiseriescausedbyinsufficientclothes
andfood。AningeniouswriterintheAnnalsofAgriculture(41*)suggested
thatthepoorshouldresorttothestablesforwarmth，aswasthepractice
intheduchyofMilan。Fewerwouldsufferdeathfromwantoffireinwinter，
heargued，andalsoitwouldbeacheapwayofhelpingthem，asitcostno
fuel，forcattleweresoobligingastodispensewarmthfromtheirpersons
fornothing。Buteventhisplan(whichwasnotadopted)wouldnothavesolved
theproblemofcooking。Thelabourermightbeblamedforhisdietoffine
wheatenbreadandforhavinghismeat(whenhehadany)roastedinsteadof
madeintosoup，buthowcouldcookingbedoneathomewithoutfuel？’Nodoubt，
alabourer，’saysEden，(42*)’whoseincomewasonly£；20ayear，would，
ingeneral，actwiselyinsubstitutinghasty-pudding，barleybread，boiled
milk，andpotatoes，forbreadandbeer；butinmostpartsofthiscounty，
heisdebarrednotmorebyprejudice，thanbylocaldifficulties，fromusing
adietthatrequirescookingathome。TheextremedearnessoffuelinOxfordshire，
compelshimtopurchasehisdinneratthebaker’s；and，fromhisunavoidable
consumptionofbread，hehaslittleleftforcloaths，inacountrywhere
warmcloathingismostessentiallywanted。’InDavies’moreracyanddirect
language，’itisbutlittlethatinthepresentstateofthingsthebelly
cansparefortheback。’(43*)Daviesalsopointedouttheconnectionbetween
dearfuelandthebaker。’Wherefuelisscarceanddear，poorpeoplefind
itcheapertobuytheirbreadofthebakerthantobakeforthemselves……
Butwherefuelabounds，andcostsonlythetroubleofcuttingandcarrying
home，theretheymaysavesomethingbybakingtheirownbread。’(44*)Complaints
ofthepilferingofhedgerowswereverycommon。’Falstaffsays“his
soldiersfoundlinenoneveryhedge；“andIfearitisbuttoooften
thecase，thatlabourers’childrenprocurefuelfromthesamequarter。’(45*)
TherewereprobablymanyfamilieslikethetwodescribedinDavies(46*)who
spentnothingonfuel，whichtheyprocured’bygatheringcow-dung，andbreaking
theirneighbours’hedges。’(47*)
Insomefewcases，thebenevolentrichdidnotcontentthemselveswith
attemptingtoenforcetheeighthcommandment，butwenttotherootofthe
matter，helpingtoprovideasubstitutefortheirhedgerows。Aninteresting
accountofsuchanexperimentisgivenintheReportsonthePoor(48*)
byScropeBernard。’TherehavingbeenseveralprosecutionsattheAylesbury
QuarterSessions，forstealingfuellastwinter，Iwasledtomakeparticular
inquiries，respectingthemeanswhichthepooratLowerWinchendonhadof
providingfuel。Ifoundthattherewasnofuelthentobesoldwithinseveral
milesoftheplace；andthat，amidthedistressoccasionedbythelongfrost，
apartyofcottagershadjoinedinhiringaperson，tofetchaloadofpit-coal
fromOxford，fortheirsupply。Inordertoencouragethisdispositionto
acquirefuelinanhonestmanner，’apresentwasmadetoallthispartyof
asmuchcoalagainastheyhadalreadypurchasedcarriagefree。Nextyear
thevestrydeterminedtohelp，andwiththeaidofprivatedonationscoal
wasdistributedat1s。4d。thecwt。(itscostattheOxfordwharf)，andkindling
faggotsat1d。each。’Ithadbeensaidthatthepoorwouldnotfindmoney
topurchasethem，whentheywerebrought：insteadofwhichoutof35poor
familiesbelongingtotheparish，29camewithreadymoney，husbandedout
oftheirscantymeans，toprofitwitheagernessofthisattentiontotheir
wants；andamongthemapersonwhohadbeenlatelyimprisonedbyhismaster
forstealingwoodfromhishedges。’Mr。Bernardconcludeshisaccountwith
someaptremarksonthedifficultiesofcombininghonestywithgrindingpoverty。(49*)
MINIMUMWAGE
Theattemptstoreducecottageexpenditurewerethusafailure。Wemust
nowdescribetheattemptstoincreasethecottageincome。Thereweretwo
waysinwhichthewagesofthelabourersmighthavebeenraised。Oneway，
thewayofcombination，wasforbiddenbylaw。Theotherwaywasthefixing
ofalegalminimumwageinrelationtothepriceoffood。Thiswasnonew
idea，fortheregulationofwagesbylawwasavenerableEnglishinstitution，
asoldastheStatuteofEdwardIII。Themostrecentlawsonthesubject
werethefamousActofElizabeth，anActofJamesI，andanActofGeorge
II(1747)。TheActofElizabethprovidedthattheJusticesofthePeaceshould
meetannuallyandassessthewagesoflabourersinhusbandryandofcertain
otherworkmen。Penaltieswereimposedonallwhogaveortookawageinexcess
ofthisassessment。TheActofJamesIwaspassedtoremovecertainambiguities
thatwerebelievedtohaveembarrassedtheoperationoftheActofElizabeth，
andamongotherprovisionsimposedapenaltyonallwhogaveawagebelow
thewagefixedbythemagistrates。TheActof1747(50*)waspassedbecause
theexistinglawswere’insufficientanddefective，’anditprovidedthat
disputesbetweenmastersandmencouldbereferredtothemagistrates，’although
norateorassessmentofwageshasbeenmadethatyearbytheJusticesof
theshire，wheresuchcomplaintshallbemade。’
Twoquestionsariseonthesubjectofthislegislation，Wasitoperative？
Inwhoseinterestswasitadministered，theinterestsoftheemployersor
theinterestsoftheemployed？Astothefirstquestionthereisagooddeal
ofnegativeevidencetoshowthatduringtheeighteenthcenturytheselaws
wererarelyapplied。Anexampleofanassessment(anassessmentdeclaring
amaximum)madebytheLancashiremagistratesin1725，waspublishedinthe
AnnalsofAgriculturein1795(51*)asaninterestingcuriosity，andthewriter
remarks：’ItappearsfromMr。Ruggles’excellentHistoryofthePoorthat
suchordersmustingeneralbesearchedforinearlierperiods，andafriend
ofourswasmuchsurprisedtohearthatanymagistratesinthepresentcentury
wouldventureonsoboldameasure。’(52*)
Astothesecondquestion，atthetimewearediscussingitwascertainly
takenforgrantedthatthislegislationwasdesignedtokeepwagesdown。
SoimplicitlywasthisbelievedthattheActofJamesIwhichprovidedpenalties
incaseswherewagesweregivenbelowthefixedratewasgenerallyignored，
andspeakersandwritersmentionedonlytheActofElizabeth，treatingit
asanActforfixingamaximum。Whitbread，forexample，whenintroducing
aBillin1795tofixaminimumwage，withwhichwedeallater，arguedthat
theElizabethanActoughttoberepealedbecauseitfixedamaximum。This
viewoftheearlierlegislationwastakenbyFox，whosupportedWhitbread’s
Bill，andbyPittwhoopposedit。FoxsaidoftheActofElizabeththat’it
securedthemasterfromariskwhichcouldbutseldomoccur，ofbeingcharged
exorbitantlyforthequantityofservice；butitdidnotauthorisethemagistrate
toprotectthepoorfromtheinjusticeofagrindingandavariciousmaster，
whomightbedisposedtotakeadvantageoftheirnecessities，andundervalue
therateoftheirservices。’(53*)PittsaidthatWhitbread’imaginedthat
hehadonhissideofthequestionthesupportofexperienceinthiscountry，
andappealedtocertainlawsuponthestatute-bookinconfirmationofhis
proposition。Hedidnotfindhimselfcalledupontodefendtheprinciple
ofthesestatutes，buttheywerecertainlyintroducedforpurposeswidely
differentfromtheobjectofthepresentbill。Theywereenactedtoguard
theindustryofthecountryfrombeingcheckedbyageneralcombinationamong
labourers；andthebillnowunderconsiderationwasintroducedsolelyfor
thepurposeofremedyingtheinconvenienceswhichlabourerssustainfrom
thedisproportionexistingbetweenthepriceoflabourandthepriceofliving。’(54*)
Onlyonespeakerinthedebates，Vansittart，afterwardsChancellorofthe
Exchequer，tooktheviewthatlegislationwasnotneededbecausetheAct
ofJamesIgavethemagistratesthepowerswithwhichWhitbreadsoughtto
armthem。
