A Discourse on Trade, and Other Matters Relative to itCary, John
History
A Discourse on Trade, and Other Matters Relative to it
Cary, John
Great Britain -- Commerce -- Early works to 1800; Great Britain -- Commercial policy -- Early works to 1800
The Encouragement we had received on this Beginning, put us on proceeding
further: The Court resolved to purchase a great Sugar-House, out of the
Money directed by the Act to be raised for Building of Work-Houses, and
fit it up for the receiving in the Remainder of the Poor, (_viz._)
ancient People, Boys, and young Children; which was accordingly done, and
a Committee was appointed to manage it. This we called the _Mint
Work-House_, because it had been hired by the Lords of the Treasury for
that Use.
The Committee began to take in the Boys in _August_ last; these we
cloathed, dieted, and governed, much after the same Manner as we had done
the Girls, but put them on a different Employment, (_viz._) Spinning of
Cotton Wool, and weaving of Fustians: We have now about one hundred of
them together, who settle well to their Work, and every Day mend their
Hands; they get us already six Pounds _per_ Week; they are likewise
taught to read, and we shall hereafter teach them to write.
We next took in our ancient People; and here we had principally a Regard
to such as were impotent, and had no Friends to help them, and to such as
we could not keep from the lazy Trade of Begging; these we cloath’d as
we saw they needed, and put on such Employments as were fit for their
Ages and Strengths, having our Eyes chiefly on those to which they were
bred; we found it difficult at first to bend them down to good Orders,
but by Degrees we have brought them under Government.
Then we called in all the Children that were on our Poor’s Books, and
put them under Nurses; those who can speak and go, are carried down into
the School, to learn their A, B, C, &c. As they grow up, we shall put
them into the working Rooms.
The Boys are kept at a Distance from the ancient People, who do also
lodge in distinct Apartments, the Men in several Chambers on one Floor,
and the Women on another; all do something, though perhaps some of their
Labours comes to little, yet it keeps them from Idleness: Both the Old
and Young attend Prayers twice a Day, (except the Bedridden, for whom
other Care is taken) and go to Church twice on _Sundays_.
We have now three standing Committees, (_viz._) For the Poor, for the New
Work-House, and for the Mint Work-House: The first gives all Directions,
and makes all Allowance, for the Poor, without whose Order no Guardian
can act any Thing considerable, except in Cases of absolute Necessity,
which at the next Meeting of the Committee he must give an Account of,
and desire their Approbation. The other two Committees have Power to act
in the Affairs of that Work-House for which they are chosen: They receive
in both Old and Young; they bind forth Apprentices, correct, order the
Diet as they please, oversee the Working, sell the Manufactures, when
made, order the Payment of all Moneys, which cannot be done unless the
Note be sign’d by the Chairman; and generally direct every Thing
relating to those Houses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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