wealbk01-第41章

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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　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

settlemen