A Discourse on Trade, and Other Matters Relative to it

by John Cary

8. That this will prevent Children from being Starved, by the Poverty of their Parents, and neglect of the Parish-Officers, which is now a great Loss to the Nation; forasmuch as every Person if imployed, would by his Labour add to the Wealth of the Public.

9. That this will encourage Men of Charity to make Endowments, when they shall see their Bounties so well laid out.

10. That Application be made, in order to procure an Act of Parliament, for the better carrying on this Work.

Which Proposals being considered of in several Meetings of the Citizens appointed for that Purpose, were with some Alterations made the Model for an Act of Parliament, which past Anno Septimo & Octavo Gulielmi Tertii, being the first Act of that Nature, from which sundry Acts for many other Places have taken their Frame; and though the Promoters thereof, met with more difficulties and discouragements in the Execution, than they did expect, yet to the Honour of those Gentlemen it must be said, that they never looked back, but with the utmost Application, prosecuted what they had undertaken, till they brought it to such a State, as to render it plain and practicable to their Successors; and this good Effect it hath had, that there is not a common Beggar, or disorderly Vagrant, seen in their Streets, but Charity is given in its proper Place and Manner, and the Magistrates are freed from the daily Trouble they had with the Poor, and the Parishes they lived in, and are discharged from the Invidious Fatigues of their Settlements, when a great deal of what should have maintained them, was spent in determining what Parishes were to do it.

I wish it could be said so of the two Metropolitan Cities of England and Ireland, where such Swarms of lazy Beggars pester the Streets, that they are not only troublesome, but also nauseous to the Beholders; and the Church Doors are so crouded with them, that you can scarce pass to your Devotion; nor do you know when you bestow your Charity rightly, those who do not deserve it, taking such Methods to move Compassion, that you cannot easily distinguish them from those who do.

And since I have mentioned this Act, and the well executing thereof by the first Undertakers, I think it cannot be amiss to set it forth Verbatim (being never yet printed, save only some Copies for the Use of the Corporation) together with the Steps whereby the first Guardians proceeded, and as it was laid before the Parliament Anno 1700; which I have done in the Appendix, because it may probably be of use to those, who shall be willing to take Pains in a Work of such Service, both to God and the Public.

But because this Act was adapted only for Cities and great Towns, and can’t be a Model for the Counties at large, I will here subjoin such Methods as may be proper to carry on this charitable Design throughout the whole Kingdom, if Power be given by some public Act of Parliament, for all Places to incorporate who are willing (but may not be able to be at the Charge of a private Act) and to build, or otherwise provide, Hospitals, Work-Houses, and Houses of Correction, for the better maintaining and imploying their Poor, under the Management of such Corporations; which in the Counties must be by uniting one or more Hundreds, whose Parishes must be comprehended in one Poors Rate, and each of them contribute to the Charge thereof, not by bringing them to an equal Pound Rate on their Lands and personal Estates, as in Cities and great Towns, but by Taxing every Parish according to what it paid before, there not being the same Parity of Reason for that way of raising Money in the Hundreds, as there is in Cities and Towns; because in the former, the Parishes do not receive an equal Benefit from the Labour of the Poor of other Parishes, as they do in the latter; which Hospitals, Work-Houses, and Houses of Correction, to be provided at the general Charge of the Parshies thus united, according to the Proportion that each of them pays to the Poor.

The Guardians of these Corporations to consist of all the Justices of the Peace inhabiting within the several Parishes thus united, together with a Number of Inhabitants chosen out of each Parish, in proportion to the Sum of Money it pays; which Choice to be made every Year, or once in two Years, when one half of those that were first chosen must go out, and the Remainder stay in, to instruct those who were last chosen; the Electors to be the Freeholders of ### per Annum; and on the Death of any Guardian, another to be chosen in his Room, by the Parish for which he served.

That the Guardians being thus settled, they shall have Power to choose a Governor, Deputy-Governor, Treasurer, and Assistants, Yearly, and to hold Courts, and make By-Laws, and appoint a Common Seal; and also to Summon the Inhabitants to answer to Matters relating to the Corporation; and to compel all People, who seek for Relief, to dwell in their Hospitals and Work-Houses, if they see fit; and to take in young People of both Sexes, and breed them up to work, who they shall also be obliged to teach to Write and Read, and what else shall be thought necessary, and then to bind them out Apprentices; and likewise to provide for the aged and Impotent, and to assist those whose Labours will not maintain their Charges, and to apprehend Rogues, Vagrants and Beggars, and cause them to be set at Work, and also to inflict reasonable Correction where they see it necessary, and to entertain proper Officers, and pay them out of the Stock; with a Clause to secure them from vexatious Suits; and they must be obliged once in ### at least to hold a General Court, where the Governor, Deputy-Governor, or one half of the Assistants, together with such a proportionable Number of the Guardians as they shall agree on, shall be present.

That the Court shall once in six Months agree and settle how much Money will be necessary for maintaining and imploying the Poor for the six Months next ensuing, and certify the same to the Justices inhabiting within the said Hundred or Hundreds, at a Meeting to be had for that Purpose, who shall proportion the same Regularity in each Parish, and grant out their Warrants to proper Persons to Assess the same, and afterwards, other Warrants to collect, and pay it to the Treasurer of the Corporation; with a Power to inflict Penalties on the Assessors and Collectors, if they refuse or neglect to do their Duty, in Assessing, Collecting, and paying the said Money, according to their Warrants.