"Few virtues are more useful in any condition of life than _frugality_ and _foresight_. Upon these, however, the poor laws have certainly made a sad inroad: unmarried men, or those, who though married have no families, or whose children have _got out_, while they continue in full health and vigour, might often contrive to lay by something against old age. But this few of them think of doing, for _why should they favour the parish_? The parish must provide for them at any rate, and so they may as well spend their money as fast as they get it. The _future_ satisfaction of living on their own means, instead of on parish pay, is not sufficient to stand against the temptation of _present_ pleasure.--Savings banks are an excellent institution, but when once a man has quartered himself as a pauper upon the parish, he will not make use of them. Why should he put money into the bank in order to _favour the parish_?--I shall tire you, Sir, I fear," continued the farmer, "but you must let me mention one thing more. _Beneficence_ is, we know, twice blessed; it blesses him that gives, and him that takes; but parish relief comes sadly in the way of beneficence. When men are forced to pay so much to the poor through the hands of the overseer, they have neither the inclination, nor, in fact, the power, to give so largely in the way of voluntary charity. "Many other instances I could give of the unfavourable effect which the poor laws have had upon the characters, and consequently upon the happiness, of the poor[o]. I do not blame the poor:--many, who would otherwise keep off the parish, are driven to it by the low rate of wages, which has been occasioned, I suppose, partly by an oversupply of hands, and partly by irregularities in our currency. [Footnote o: See the eloquent and forcible Pamphlets of Townsend, Bicheno, and Jerram; and particularly the judicious and well-arranged Sermon on "the Immoral Effect of the Poor-Laws," by Dr Richards of Bampton.] "As I said before, I am glad that a legal provision is made for the poor, but I wish that more than half the money we now pay in rates was paid in wages, and that wages were such that a man in health, and with a good character, might always be pretty well able to provide for a moderate-sized family by his own exertions. The parish pay should be kept chiefly for unforeseen calamities, for the orphan and for the widow. We should then be able to give _them_ a better allowance. Now there are so many claimants, that we cannot give _much_ to any, and the able, bodied and strong are the means of lessening the pittance of the sick and the helpless."