“But, idle or not, these poor wretches are so miserable, that I cannot refuse to give them something; and, surely, when one can do it so easily, it is right to relieve misery. Is it not?”
“Undoubtedly, my lord; but the difficulty is, to relieve present misery, without creating more in future. Pity for one class of beings sometimes makes us cruel to others. I am told that there are some Indian Brahmins so very compassionate, that they hire beggars to let fleas feed upon them: I doubt whether it might not be better to let the fleas starve.”
I did not in the least understand what Mr. M’Leod meant: but I was soon made to comprehend it, by crowds of eloquent beggars, who soon surrounded me: many who had been resolutely struggling with their difficulties, slackened their exertions, and left their labour for the easier trade of imposing upon my credulity. The money I had bestowed was wasted at the dram-shop, or it became the subject of family-quarrels; and those whom I had relieved returned to my honour, with fresh and insatiable expectations. All this time my industrious tenants grumbled, because no encouragement was given to them; and, looking upon me as a weak good-natured fool, they combined in a resolution to ask me for long leases, or reduction of rent.
The rhetoric of my tenants succeeded in some instances; and again I was mortified by Mr. M’Leod’s silence. I was too proud to ask his opinion. I ordered, and was obeyed. A few leases for long terms were signed and sealed; and when I had thus my own way completely, I could not refrain from recurring to Mr. M’Leod’s opinion.
“I doubt, my lord,” said he, “whether this measure may be as advantageous as you hope. These fellows, these middle-men, will underset the land, and live in idleness, whilst they rack a parcel of wretched under-tenants.”
“But they said they would keep the land in their own hands, and improve it; and that the reason why they could not afford to improve before was, that they had not long leases.”
“It may be doubted whether long leases alone will make improving tenants; for in the next county to us, there are many farms of the dowager Lady Ormsby’s land let at ten shillings an acre, and her tenantry are beggars: and the land now, at the end of the leases, is worn out, and worse than at their commencement.”
I was weary listening to this cold reasoning, and resolved to apply no more for explanations to Mr. M’Leod; yet in my indolence I wanted the support of his approbation, at the very time I was jealous of his interference.
At one time I had a mind to raise the wages of labour; but Mr. M’Leod said, “It might be doubted whether the people would not work less, when they could with less work have money enough to support them.”
I was puzzled: and then I had a mind to lower the wages of labour, to force them to work or starve. Still provoking Mr. M’Leod said, “It might be doubted whether it would not be better to leave them alone.”