"We shall see about that presently," said Mr. Bentley, as he walked off, wishing to cut short applications of this nature till he got into the justice-room. He found his way stopped, however, by two or three poor women from the village near which he resided. "Well!" said he, "and what brings you all to Chippingden?"
"Why, Sir, we want a little of your kindness."
"My kindness! why can you find none of my kindness at home?"
"O yes, Sir, you are always ready to assist a poor person yourself, but we want you to stand our friend, and order us a little more relief from the farmers."
"That, my good woman, is quite a different story. As a magistrate I must not be a friend to any one person more than to another; but must endeavour to act without favour or affection either to rich or poor. With respect to parochial relief, our business is to consider, as well as we are able, what the laws require and allow, and to act accordingly. Poor people often apply to us in great distress, and the relief which we can order seems but very little. If we listened to our own feelings, our own good-nature as you would call it, we should often be glad to order much more, but we must not indulge such feelings at another man's expense—we must not be good-natured with other people's money."
"But, Sir," said Betty Horseman, "I only wanted about a shilling a week more, and I'm sure that can't hurt the farmers."
"Whether it is much or little," said Mr. Bentley, "we cannot order more, than the law, in our opinion, appears to require. Knowingly to order more than that, is to rob those out of whose pockets the poor rates are paid. You would not wish me, Betty, to help you in picking a man's pocket."
"But it is so little that I ask for," said Betty, still harping upon the same string.
"We may not pick a man's pocket of sixpence, any more than of a hundred pounds. Your application shall be heard presently, Betty, and we will give it the best attention we can. If we think that you ought to have more, we will order it.—But you must remember, that if you have a shilling a week more, every family in the like circumstances will expect the same, which will make your shilling a week a pretty round sum. In short, I am always glad as far as I can to help a poor person out of my own pocket, but must consider well before I help him out of the pockets of other people."
Mr. Bentley now joined his brother magistrates in the justice-room. The licensing business came on first; and the licences to the old established houses having been renewed, the applications for new houses were taken into consideration. Fowler produced his certificate.