ADDRESS 
 
 WORKING CLASSES, 
 
 ON THE ADVANCEMENT OH THEIR CONDITION 
 AND CIRCUMSTANCES. 
 
 BY JAMES MACABA, W.S. 
 
 PRICE THREE : 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Tiie following Address was delivered in November last, to a 
 meeting of the working classes in Fifeshire, called for the 
 purpose, and it met with their full approbation. The Authoi 
 submitted it afterwards to the perusal of several friends, anc 
 has been advised that it ought to be printed, although other; 
 warned him, which indeed from previous experience Ik 
 knew, that the printing and publishing of pamphlets i 
 almost uniformly attended with loss. A more serious diffi 
 culty lies in the ill-will that such a publication may be tin 
 means of occasioning, and in the effect that the measur 
 contemplated may have upon the Author’s own interests; bu 
 the paramount view which he has endeavoured to cherisl 
 is the great good which the publication may be a mea 
 towards the accomplishment of. 
 
 Besides personal friends, the Author has submitted tlii 
 Address to the perusal of some gentlemen of the highes 
 standing for enlightened philanthropy and benevolence, an 
 they have been pleased to express their approbation of tl 
 principles it advocates, and their conviction of the good th; 
 would result bv their being carried into effect. 
 
 If any one chooses to reprint this little work, or insert 
 in a magazine or miscellany, the Author begs to say th: 
 he is heartily welcome. 
 
 34 London Street, Edinburgh, 
 14(4 December 1S4G. 
 
 S eV\.G=W, 3V\ 
 
 \ % U -(o c, 
 
 tAVx'*' 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 WORKING CLASSES. 
 
 Perhaps I should make some apology or explanation why 1 
 :ake it upon me now to address you. The case and advauce- 
 nent of the condition of the working classes has been long a 
 ’avourite study and pursuit of mine. Fifteen years ago, when 
 ;he Reform Bill was introduced into Parliament, I wrote and 
 published, and widely circulated, a tract insisting that the i'ln 
 franchise excluded, generally, the working classes, and,that 
 die minimum for a right to vote should lie the owning and 
 jccupying of property of the value of X'o per annum. 1 need 
 not say that my suggestion was disregarded. Were, however, 
 this measure gone into, it might, as an inducement particularly 
 to young men to acquire a little in youth, be the means of 
 raising them and their families above pauperism, and even 
 become the foundation of a future comfortable standing; and 
 from the number of voters of the working classes secured by 
 it, there would soon he a sufficiently powerful element in tin- 
 legislature for attending to the interests of the whole of that 
 body. It is not to this subject, however, that I intend at pre¬ 
 sent particularly to call your attention, hut to your advance¬ 
 ment in an altogether different way. 
 
 I need not advert to the fact of the very low condition which. 
 
•4 
 
 for many years past, the working classes generally have been 
 in ; and if any of them have enjoyed, or do enjoy, a partial ele¬ 
 vation, it is mostly temporary, and arising from casual events. 
 The hand-loom weavers, and many other operatives in similar 
 departments, for a good many years could only make 4s. or os. 
 per week, although I hope that at present they are somewhat 
 better. But take a class whose circumstances are loss fluctu¬ 
 ating, and who compose the majority of operatives or labourers 
 in the country—the agricultural servants; it is well known 
 that their average pay in Scotland has been found to be about 
 9s. per week, not only as wages, but for the subsistence of 
 themselves and their families. In alate inquiry as to the con¬ 
 dition of the agricultural labourers in Dorsetshire, in England, 
 it was found that they had only 7s. per week. 
 
 You are well aware, my friends, that great improvements 
 have, of late, been made in all departments in the arts and 
 sciences, and in manufactures, as well as in agriculture. Taken 
 altogether, I suppose that at this day one man produces, of 
 the necessary commodities of life, from twenty to forty times 
 as much as he could have done sixty years ago ; the result of 
 which, we might conclude, should be a somewhat correspond¬ 
 ing rise in the circumstances of the mass of society. But while 
 lands have in this country risen to perhaps three or four times 
 their old rents, and great landlords, and also many more aris¬ 
 tocratic branches connected with the manufactures and com¬ 
 merce of the country, are in the enjoyment of the most over¬ 
 flowing affluence, the circumstances of the great mass of the 
 people are little if any thing improved—nay, rather perhaps 
 have become more depressed. These are very singular facts, 
 and it meets one in the face that there is surely something un¬ 
 equal—something requiring attention. What if it shall ap¬ 
 pear that Providence has all along had the remedy provided, 
 and is urging our attention to it, but that we in a great mea¬ 
 sure turn a deaf ear. The remedy, I think, laid open for our 
 acceptance is a rise in the priceof labour, consequent on emigra- 
 
 The plan hitherto pursued for having wages raised, has gene¬ 
 rally been combinations and strikes of workmen. These, how¬ 
 ever, have mostly been found only to have led to loss and in¬ 
 jury, and sometimes to criminal punishment for the violences 
 attending them. The Social system has also been tried, but 
 its rules having been in many instances opposed to, and led to 
 
6 
 
 through the whole year, excepting for about two months in 
 winter, when they fell short about one-third. Thus the regu¬ 
 lar wages of a mechanic may be stated at £125 per annum, and 
 of a labourer £94, with the difference of the expense of living. 
 Of course my friend stated, that mechanics and labourers live 
 very well in America, keep good houses and tables, and so on. ' 
 He added, however, that new emigrants did not for a time 
 get quite so good wages, and the reasons which had occurred to 
 him, after his long observation, were, that from their inferior 
 living in the old countrips, they were for a time not so stout 
 as the Americans—and also that from enjoying a higher sphere 
 of political standing, the Americans were in better spirits. I 
 should also further be inclined to think, that employers will 
 not have complete confidence in emigrants newly arrived, 
 with whom they are not acquainted, whilst the emigrants, on 
 the other hand, will be anxious to engage immediately even 
 at a sacrifice, so as to get on as soon as possible. 
 
 But it may be asked, how does it happen that the working 
 classes get so good wages in America ? The reason appears to 
 me to be shortly this. The ownership of land is got there for 
 a trifle—a few shillings per acre, and the having a farm of 
 one’s own, being better and more agreeable than continuing a 
 labourer or mechanic, emigrants are inclined, and are soon 
 able, to rise from their condition of servants to that of masters 
 and lairds, or, if they choose to continue servants, it will 
 only be by their continuing to receive at least nearly as much, 
 in name of wages, as they might make by having farms of 
 their own. A near relation of mine, now deceased, went out 
 a good many years ago to reside in the British province of 
 Nova Scotia, and after being there about six months, and 
 having then little else to do than to make observations, lie 
 wrote to me a very particular account of the state of that 
 province. Speaking of agriculturists, he gave the general 
 description of that class thus—that coming out with a shilling 
 in their pockets, they were, in the course of about six years, 
 living comfortably and in abundance on farms of their own. 
 
 * The Americans, particularly of the United States, are noted for their at¬ 
 tention to the comforts and elegancies of the female part of the community, 
 and for their ample legal provision for the support of educational establish¬ 
 ments for the young. 
 
8 
 
 country—great part of the consumers of our agricultural 
 produce off—and people getting land in America without 
 having to pay rent—the land here will not let, or at least 
 very ill; and thus our landholders will be quite reduced, 
 and our manufacturers will he impeded, from the high price 
 wages may come to. So, to keep up our aristocracy in 
 their overgrown wealth, the)' would reduce and starve the 
 mass of the people. Thanks to Divine Providence, there seem 
 to he most appropriate means of escape from such an op¬ 
 pression. There is no danger, however, but that the aristo¬ 
 cracy will always have a sufficiency. Consider, too, that 
 there is in Britain an annual increase of nearly half a million, 
 whilst the land does not give produce sufficient for the present 
 inhabitants ; and if emigration does not proceed, and that ex¬ 
 tensively, wo are likely to come into a bad state. There is at. 
 present, from railroads and some other great public works, 
 employment for a great many thousands of mechanics and 
 labourers, who would likely otherwise be idle ; but it cannot 
 be calculated that such employment will last long ; and if there 
 is no other mode of their disposing of themselves, it is dismal 
 to anticipate the awful condition that many may be thrown 
 into. 
 
 But should, by the proposed extensive emigration, the aristo¬ 
 cracy be considerably brought down, I believe that it would be 
 for their own essential good. The principles of dominating 
 over our neighbours, and of amassing great estates and 
 fortunes, have been, coeval with, and since the fall of the j 
 human race, the great evils of the world, and the roots of all i 
 other evils, and they are in the Bible fully denounced. But 
 have we any standard and example in relation to these points, 
 on which to form our lives ? Yes, when all precepts and de¬ 
 nunciations from Heaven failed, the Lord of Heaven, “ God 
 nianifestedintheflesh” (*) himself assumed human nature to he, 
 among other purposes, our pattern and example. Did he come i 
 into the world in the station of a King or Emperor? Let j 
 the Gospels answer. “ Is not this the Carpenter’s son ?” ( 2 ) and j 
 in another place, “ Is not this the Carpenter, the son of j 
 Mary.” ( 3 ) Did he associate with the worldly great? IJis friends \ 
 Lazarus, and Martha and Mary, whom it appears he visited ! 
 often, do not seem even to have had a house servant. It is said j 
 that “Martha was cumbered about much serving.” ( 4 ) To his j 
 
 (1) 1 Tim. iii. W. (2) Matt. xiii. 55. (3) Mark. vi. 3. (4) I.ukc x. 10. 
 
f) 
 
 disciples he said, I called you not servants but friends.^) He 
 tells us that he came not to be served, but to serve, ( ,J ) and such 
 was his whole life on earth ; and he rebukes his disciples for 
 any of them aiming at a superiority over the others.(') He 
 instructs us to learn of him, for he was meek and lowly in 
 heart, ( s ) and to follow him and his example. ( ;( ) On one occa¬ 
 sion he visited a rich man, Zaccheus. Well, all that we learn of 
 Zaccheus on the occasion, and as the effect of the teaching and 
 exampleof the Lord, was this—“Behold, Lord,” said Zaccheus, 
 ‘‘the half of mygoods Igive to the poor; and iff have taken any 
 thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him four¬ 
 fold.” ( Iu ) May the rich now receive and act on such a principle. 
 
 To return to the subject more immediately under consider¬ 
 ation. Some may doubt of the propriety of a great many 
 going out to America immediately, and without previous 
 arrangements. The best time for going out is in March, at 
 least so as to bo in America by April, the commencement of 
 the spring season; and there, I believe, never occurred a more 
 proper time than the ensuing spring." From the defect of 
 crops this year, and scarcity in this and some other European 
 countries, the Amercians have got their great stores of grain 
 and other provisions disposed of, and their coffers full. They 
 will be ready with the greatest vigour to carry on and extend 
 their agricultural and other pursuits, and it is plain that there 
 will be thus a areat demand for working people, and that 
 wages will of course bo high. Much also will be done in the 
 extension of agriculture from the repeal, almost total, of the 
 corn laws in Britain, and our ports being thus open for the 
 reception of their produce. 
 
 I may here notice, that some months ago 1 read in Tail's 
 Magazine the review of a book of travels in the United States, 
 by a Scotsman, a joureyman mechanic, or tradesman ; and he 
 particularly mentions having sometimes fallen in with a 
 weaver settled upon a farm—that the farmers are excessively 
 fond of having one settled on their properties, and give them 
 great encouragement, and, indeed, to secure their settlement 
 and services, they must do so. 
 
 
 Matt. xx. 2S. 
 ,5. .John. ii. 
 
 (S) Man. xi.Cf. 
 
10 
 
 I have directed my remarks a good deal to emigration to the 
 United States of America, but I believe that much of the Bri¬ 
 tish provinces is equally eligible. I have a near relation settled, 
 with his family,in Upper Canada, on a farm, and they are doing 
 very well. The British provinces enjoy considerable advan¬ 
 tages, particularly as to the terms of their trade and intercourse 
 with the mother country and our West Indian islands, where 
 they send a great deal of wood, fish, &c., as well as to home ; 
 and, in particular, they are able to collect and export a great 
 deal of that valuable article, pearl-ashes, which are produced 
 there in large quantities, on burning dowii wood and lumber. 
 
 And now, finally, we must be all aware that such a measure 
 as I have been treating of will (as before hinted) meet with 
 a most dire opposition from many quarters, and, indeed, it 
 must be evident that there are too many interests, selfish in¬ 
 terests, at stake, not to call such opposition forth. Lies and mis¬ 
 representations will be abundantly invented and circulated, 
 and also every persuasion attempted, to operate on the feelings. 1 
 Horrors attending a very simple and easy matter will be i 
 conjured up, enough almost to stagger a man of the firmest I 
 nerve. I lately witnesed something of this, and in a quarter I 
 too where it might not have been expected. Several years 
 ago, when a great general manifestation was made in Scotland 
 for the repeal of the corn laws, a meeting was convened from 
 almost all districts of the country—chiefly of clergymen—held 
 for several days in a large church in Edinburgh. Well, one 
 evening I attended for some time, when, in particular, one of 
 the speakers, who seemed to be a clergyman, expatiated on the 
 awful horror of any of the people being obliged to emigrate 
 to America: he held this as far beyond the sufferings by the 
 corn laws,—possibly he was more horrified at the idea of any 
 of his people going out, and thus diminishing his congregation. 
 Certainly, however, the way he spoke of the horrid thing of 
 being obliged to go out to the wilds of America, was very 
 appalling, and I might possibly have gone over to the feeling 
 expressed, but for an incident that happened just before 
 coming into the meeting. I was getting a little job done by 
 a tinsmith in the neighbourhood, and called to see if it was 
 ready. It was not, and the shopkeeper, a Mrs Torrance, 
 apologised to me, that they were at a loss, two of their men 
 having lately left them for New York. One of them, she said, 
 was her son, and the other a journeyman lad. I asked her 
 what encouragement they were getting at New York. She 
 said that they were journeymen there, and that her son got 
 
11 
 
 12s. per day, but lie was a good hand, and the other got 
 per day. I really, on adverting to this, could not enter into the 
 feeling of horror expressed in the meeting about going to 
 America.