A LECTURE 
 
 CAPABILITY OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND TO GIVE 
 . EMPLOYMENT, AND PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT 
 MAINTENANCE FOR TIIE WHOLE POPULATION, 
 
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 
 
 SCIENCE OF POLITICAL ECONOMY. 
 
 REY. HERBERT SMITH, B.A. 
 
 CURATE of STRATTON, and CHAPLAIN to the NEW FOREST 
 WORKHOUSE, HANTS, 
 
 Southampton: 
 
 PRINTED FOR TIIE AUTHOR BY JAMES TUCKER, 
 
 AND SOLD BY TO. SHABLAND, AND FORBES & KNIBB. 
 
 PRICE SIXPENCE. 
 
PUBLICATIONS OF THE REV. HERBERT SMITH. 
 
 A SERMON ON ALMSGIVING, 
 
 Preached at the Peioet Chuech, Christchurch, Hants, 
 July 12th, 1846. 
 
 ' Printed and Sold by Wn. Tuckee & Co. Christchurch ; sold also 
 by 1710. Sharland, and Foebes & Knibb, Southampton j and hy 
 Rivington, and Hatchard & Son, London. Price Sixpence. 
 
 On the 1st of February, 1847, will he published, 
 
 PeICE FOEE-rENCE, 
 
 THE ADVOCATE FOR THE RESTORATION OF 
 THE ORDER OF DEACON IN THE CHURCH 
 OF ENGLAND, 
 
 AND TEE CHEST OF THE POOE, ETC. AS OEDEEED BY THE 
 
 Also preparing for publication, the Second Edition of 
 
 LETTER TO THE REV. HERBERT SMITH, 
 
 WITH OBSEEYATIOXS ON nIS PUBLISHED COr.EESPOXDEXCE "WITH 
 THE POOIt LAW COMMISSIONERS, AND ON TIIE 1‘ItIXCIl'LES 
 
 BY A LAYMAN. 
 
 A LETTER IN REPLY, DEFENDING THE NEW 
 POOR LAW. 
 
 BY THE REY. HERBERT SMITH, B.A. 
 
 Curate of Stratton, and Chaplain to tiie Hew Forest Union 
 Workhouse, Hants. 
 
 *** The first editions of these Letters were published in 1841 and 1S12. 
 To the second edition, printed together in one pamphlet, will be prefixed 
 a Preface, to promote an inquiry into the conduct of the Poor Law Com¬ 
 missioners, Assistant Commissioners, and Board of Guardians of tho 
 New Forest Union, in reference to the administration of the New Poor 
 
 Law in that Union, preparatory to the inquiry to he made hy Parliament 
 in tho approaching Session. 
 
 “ His suggestions appear to us not only to be of great national importance, 
 
 but generally practicable, ami highly deserving the attention of the public.”— 
 
 Rom the Oxford University Herald, 
 
 Copies of Papers and Cheap Pamphlets aimeating the Cause of the 
 Poor may he procured from the Pee. Herbert Smith, Norfolk-house, 
 Shirley, near Southampton. Contributions will also be thankfully 
 received by him. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Without any delay this Lecture is sent to the 
 press, because many circumstances combine to 
 make promptitude quite requisite, the Author 
 being at this time engaged in the promotion of 
 some questions of the greatest importance to 
 the Church, the Poor, and the Country gene¬ 
 rally. He is very desirous, therefore, that the 
 public may have an opportunity of knowing 
 what his principles are, and from them be 
 the better able to judge whether they are 
 sound, and whether his plans for improving the 
 character and condition of the Poor and Labour¬ 
 ing classes are good and deserving extensive 
 support. 
 
 In addition to the quotations which are ac¬ 
 knowledged in this lecture, for the remarks in 
 pages 14 and 15 on the labours of the Moravian 
 Missionaries in Greenland, the author is indebted 
 to a most interesting Memoir of John Urquhart, 
 formerly a student of the University of St. 
 Andrew’s, in Scotland. 
 
 This preface must not be concluded without 
 bearing testimony to the debt of gratitude due 
 to Dr. Adam Smith, formerly Professor of Moral 
 Philosophy in the University of Glasgow, for his 
 valuable work on Political Economy, entitled 
 
“ The Wealth of Nations,” first published in 
 1776, and ought to be attentively read by every 
 one, who would desire to have the reputation 
 of having received a liberal education, or of 
 possessing general information. 
 
 Of this eminent author and his valuable work, 
 his Biographer says—“The merit of his dis¬ 
 coveries—for discoveries they may be called—in 
 the seience of Political Economy, and the sym¬ 
 metry and regularity into which, out of confused 
 materials, he has built up a fabric of order, to¬ 
 gether with the justness of the principles and 
 analogies he has employed in the elucidation and 
 developement of the original design, foims the 
 most magnificent and enduring monument of his 
 fame. Subsequent experience has shown some 
 of his reasonings and conclusions to have been 
 rather inaccurate; yet the wonder only is, that 
 these should have been so few and trifling, on a 
 subject embracing such a wide range of obser¬ 
 vation and enquiry for its illustration, under the 
 guidance of a strong and presiding intelligence, 
 extensive and general views, combined with much 
 minuteness of detail. Throughout Europe his 
 name has attained to unquestionable celebrity. 
 Had he left only a single volume of what he has 
 published,it woidd be inferred from the specimen, 
 that it was the production of one who possessed 
 a highly-gifted and original mind.” 
 
 Norfolk House, Shirley, 
 
 December Hi, 1810. 
 
LECTURE 
 
 SHIRLEY LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION, 
 
 .ON TEE CAPABILITY OF GEEAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND 
 TO GIVE EMPLOYMENT, AND PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT 
 MAINTENANCE FOR TIIE WHOLE POPULATION. 
 
 The subject oil which I have volunteered to lecture 
 this evening, conies under that class to which is given the 
 term of political economy ; a science, from the study and 
 correct knowledge of which great benefit must accrue to 
 individuals, nations, and the world at large. Many of you 
 may shrink from, and even ridicule, the idea of the study 
 of political economy being either a useful or necessary 
 part of education, some knowledge of which is positively 
 requisite to enable us to form a proper and sound judg¬ 
 ment on the passing events of every-day life, whether it 
 may be in the narrow sphere of our own neighbourhood, 
 or the more extended arena of the world at large, com¬ 
 posed of many millions of human beings, whose apparently 
 conflicting interests lead to the requirement of much 
 knowledge and much practical experience, to secure the 
 good order and management of society, so as to give the 
 greatest amount of enjoyment to each and every member 
 of society. 
 
 A science which is calculated to he so very extensively 
 beneficial, seems to claim the attention of every one. 
 Unless I had regarded it in this point of view, I should 
 not have selected my present subject, as the first, in which 
 I was to appear before you, for the purpose of promoting 
 the successfol commencement of this infant society, and 
 the instruction and agreeable employment of a leisure hour 
 or two of the members of this institution, who desire, after 
 the labours of the day, to unite relaxation with the acquire¬ 
 ment of information and knowledge, and thus almost im- 
 
G 
 
 perceptibly become wiser, and more agreeable and useful 
 members of society. Farther, I may honestly add, that I 
 believe that a proportionate advantage will accrue to myself 
 and my own family, with the improvement of my neigh¬ 
 bours. The wisdom and goodness of God appear in 
 nothing more clearly than in the manner in which he has 
 provided for the great family of man, consisting of a vast 
 multitude of individuals so dependant on their own sepa¬ 
 rate exertions, and yet so connected with each other, that 
 their maintenance and welfare shall mainly depend, under 
 the Divine blessing, on the manner in which they discharge 
 their individual and social duties. 
 
 To Members of Parliament, and to persons engaged 
 in extensive commercial business, it would almost univer¬ 
 sally he admitted that the study of political economy must 
 he at once useful and necessary. Here many would stop— 
 but I must not, cannot, and will not stop here. In order 
 to convince you that it is a subject deserving the attention 
 of the clergy, I will quote no less an authority than that 
 eminent individual amongst our northern countrymen, an 
 inhabitant of the modern Athens, a citizen of the no mean 
 city of Edinburgh, for years filling with lustre the chairs 
 of professors in two Universities of Scotland, honored in 
 public life, and beloved in the social and family circle. I 
 allude to the eminent Scotch divine, the liev.Dr. Chalmers, 
 to whose instruction I feel myself infinitely indebted, and 
 of whoso hospitality and kindness I have been a large re¬ 
 cipient in early life. He. writes—“Political economy, 
 though not deemed an essential branch of education tor 
 churchmen, touches very closely, notwithstanding, on cer¬ 
 tain questions, in which the interest and duty of clergy¬ 
 men are deeply concerned. Political economy aims at the 
 diffusion of sufficiency and comfort throughout the mass 
 of the population, by a multiplication or enlargement of 
 the outward means and materials of human enjoyment.” 
 To the ladies I shall next more immediately address myself 
 —to them, through life, I feel I have been infinitely in¬ 
 debted. In the welfare and improvement of the female 
 women (as a kind-hearted sailor has styled the whole sex) 
 
 I therefore feel deeply interested. I often am greatly 
 pained at the disadvantageous position in which they are 
 placed in life; with minds often equally strong and acute 
 with the other sex, and often even surpassing them, and 
 with a persevering patience superior to our own, for want 
 of care and a suitable education, particularly in former 
 
7 
 
 days, their minds remained often comparatively dormant, 
 and we derived not the full advantage which we might have 
 done from a more generous treatment. But that day of 
 neglect of the cultivation of the female mind, we trust, is 
 fast passing away, and raised, as they ought to be, to an 
 almost equal level with ourselves, duly qualified to be our 
 nearest and dearest companions, friends, and counsellors, 
 we may properly emulate them to the study of many sub¬ 
 jects in moderation, calculated to adorn tbeir sex and to 
 benefit themselves and us. We trust, that in the arrange¬ 
 ments and proceedings of this society, the comfort and 
 welfare of the ladies null ever be remembered with the 
 tenderest and, at the same time may I add, the most manly 
 sympathy, giving to them at all times the honor which is 
 most justly due from us to them. In order that I may 
 raise your esteem for them, and lead their sex to cultivate 
 their minds, and to study political economy, I will now 
 quote from the third edition of a book, which gained some 
 celebrity about twenty years ago, entitled, “ Conversations 
 on Political Economy,” in which the elements of that 
 science are familiarly explained by a lady. She wrote in 
 her preface:— 
 
 “ Political Economy, though so immediately connected 
 with the happiness and improvement of mankind, and the 
 object of so much controversy and speculation among- men 
 of knowledge, is not yet become a popular science, and is 
 not generally considered as a study essential to early edu¬ 
 cation. This work, therefore, independent of all its defects, 
 will have to contend against the novelty of the pursuit 
 with young persons of either sex, for the instruction of 
 whom it is especially intended. 
 
 In her introduction she writes:— 
 
 “ Political Economy treats of the formation, the dis¬ 
 tribution, and tbe consumption of wealth; it teaches us 
 the causes which promote or prevent its increase, and their 
 influence on the happiness or misery of society. 
 
 “ In a country of savages, you find a small number of 
 inhabitants spread over a vast tract of land. .Depending 
 on the precarious subsistence afforded by fishing and 
 hunting, they arc subject to frequent dearths and famines, 
 by which great numbers are destroyed; they rear but few 
 children, for want cuts them off in their early years. The 
 aged and infirm are often put to death, rather from moth es 
 of humanity than of cruelty; for the hunter’s life, requiring 
 a great extent of country, they would be wholly incapable 
 
of following the young and robust, and would die of hun¬ 
 ger, or become a prey to wild beasts, 
 
 “ If these savages apply themselves to pasturage, tlieir 
 means of subsistence are brought within narrower limits, 
 requiring only that degree of wandering necessary to pro¬ 
 vide fresh food for their cattle. Their flocks ensuring them 
 a more easy subsistence, their families begin to increase; 
 they lose in a great measure their ferocity, and a consider¬ 
 able improvement takes place in their character. 
 
 “ By degrees the art of tillage is discovered, a small 
 tract of ground becomes capable of feeding a greater re¬ 
 lative number of people; the necessity of wandering in 
 search of food is superseded; families begin to settle in 
 fixed habitations, and the arts of social life arc introduced 
 and cultivated. 
 
 “In the savage state, scarcely any form of government 
 is established; the people seem to be under no control but 
 that of their military chiefs in time of warfare. 
 
 “The possession of flocks and herds in the pastoral 
 state introduces property, and laws are necessary for its se¬ 
 curity ; the elders and leaders, therefore, of these wander¬ 
 ing tribes begin to establish laws, to violate which is to 
 commit a crime, and to incur a punishment. This is the 
 origin of social order; and when in the third state the 
 people settle infixed habitations, the laws gradually assume 
 the more regular form of a monarchical or republican go¬ 
 vernment, Every thing now wears a new aspect; industry 
 flourishes, the arts are invented, the use of the metals is 
 discovered, labour is sub-divided, every one applies himself 
 more particularly to a distinct employment, in which he 
 becomes skilful. Thus, by slow degrees, this, people of 
 savages, whose origin was so rude and miserable, become 
 a civilized people, who occupy a highly-cultivated country, 
 intersected by fine roads, leading to wealthy and populous 
 cities, and carrying on an extensive trade both at home and 
 with other countries." 
 
 The whole business of political economy is to study 
 the causes which have thus co-operated to enrich and 
 civilize a nation. This science is, therefore, essentially 
 founded upon history—not the history of sovereigns, of 
 wars, and intrigues; but the history of the arts, of trade, 
 of discoveries, and of civilization. We sec some countries 
 increase rapidly in wealth and prosperity; others, more 
 slowly developing their resources, waiting a long time ere 
 order, peace, and comfort is secured. America is, perhaps, 
 
9 
 
 the most extraordinary instance of the rapid advance of 
 civilization, and of many other things which constitute the 
 elements of a great and wealthy nation. Of this interest¬ 
 ing country we have heard some most interesting particu¬ 
 lars in the late practical lectures which have been so kindly 
 delivered to us, from which attentive hearers and reflective 
 minds will not have failed to gather much valuable in¬ 
 formation. The aim of the lecturer was, evidently, to 
 give us a clear and faithful account of what lie heard and 
 saw; and in this I think he was most successful, as far as 
 I could judge from the too small a portion of them to 
 which I listened with so much interest and gratification. 
 I have to regret that other calls of duty prevented me from 
 hearing more. English minds and cars are so prejudiced, 
 and in a due degree, properly so, in favour of English 
 manners and our glorious English constitution, that our 
 more refined taste is rather offended with what we should 
 term American vulgarity; but for the present state of 
 America our kind and worthy lecturer was not responsible. 
 The just and liberal mind will allow, that with all our su¬ 
 perior advantages, there are some points in which the 
 Americans are decidedly our superiors, and from which we 
 might most beneficially copy from them—I allude particu¬ 
 larly to their hospitality. Our state of refinement and 
 luxury, uniting with our pride, has too much substituted 
 shew and parade for hospitality and kindness. Too often 
 our pride will not allow us to entertain friends or strangers 
 in a simple manner, and in this way, we must, in our turn, 
 very greatly offend, not only American minds and cars, 
 but even Christian hearts, for there is too much hcartless- 
 ncss in much of our English society. 
 
 To the mind of every political economist wdio heard 
 them, these lectures on America must have been a great 
 
 The science of political economy comprehends a know¬ 
 ledge of facts; it relates more particularly to legislation, 
 and consists in doing whatever is requisite to contribute to 
 the increase of national wealth, and avoiding whatever 
 would be prejudicial to it. Mistakes in theory lead to er¬ 
 rors in practice. A correct knowledge of the science will 
 lead the student to observe that governments, misled by 
 false ideas of political economy, have frequently arrested 
 the natural progress of wealth, w-hen it was in their power 
 to have accelerated it. 
 
 I can assure my friends of the Shirley Literary and 
 Scientific Institution, that just principles of political 
 
economy tend to promote'the happiness of nations, and 
 the purest morality. I do not pretend to deny that wealth, 
 like almost every other human good, is liable to abuse; 
 and the Greeks and the Romans may, perhaps, in a great 
 measure, owe their degradation to the ill use which they 
 made of their ill-gotten wealth; for it should be observed 
 that their riches were obtained by rapine and plunder, and 
 that they did not arise from the gradual and natural growth 
 of industry, in which case alone they spread happiness 
 around, creating new desires by offering new gratifications. 
 In order to be able to form a just estimate of the morals 
 and manners of a country, we must avail ourselves of the 
 information of travellers, and we shall generally find that 
 the poorer and ruder societies of mankind—I speak now 
 of mankind to whom the knowledge of true religion has 
 not been revealed—arc proportionably miserable in tlicir 
 condition, ferocious in their manners, and vicious in their 
 
 Connected with this part of our subject the blessings 
 which the spread of the Gospel effects must ever be borne 
 clearly in mind. In comparing the state of many civilized 
 persons professing Christianity with the savage heathen, 
 there is not always the superiority in favor of the mere 
 civilized professor of Christianity; on the contrary, the lives 
 of the savage heathen, are often in many points more 
 moral and correct. Indeed, it has been said, and I fear 
 with too much truth, that European travellers, adventurers, 
 visiting barbarous nations and savage tribes, as traders, or 
 too often, more correctly speaking, plunderers, have brought 
 with them their European vices, of a character far worse 
 than had been previously practised or known among the 
 wild and illiterate savages. 
 
 Perhaps, however, the character, feelings, and conduct 
 of savages may not be at all times or altogether so bad 
 and repulsive as we may imagine. The eminent American, 
 Dr. Pranklin, has written some very interesting remarks 
 concerning the savages of North America. 
 
 He writes—“ Savages we call them, because their 
 manners differ from ours, which we think the prefection of 
 civility; they think the same of theirs. 
 
 “Perhaps, if we could examine the manners of different 
 nations with impartiality, we should find no people so rude 
 as to be without any rules of politeness; nor any so polite 
 as not to have some remains of rudeness. 
 
 “ The Indian men, when young, are hunters and war¬ 
 riors ; when old, counsellors; for all their government, is 
 
by the counsel or advice of the sages; there is no force, 
 there are no prisons—no officers to compel obedience, or 
 inflict punishment. Hence they generally study oratory 
 —the best speaker having the most influence. The Indian 
 women till the ground, dress the food, nurse and bring up 
 the children, and preserve and hand down to posterity the 
 memory of public transactions. These employments of 
 men and women are accounted natural and honourable. 
 Having few artificial wants, they have abundance of leisure 
 for improvement by conversation. Our laborious manner 
 of life, compared with theirs, they esteem slavish and base; 
 and the learning, on which we value ourselves, they regard 
 as frivolous and useless. An instance of this occurred at 
 the treaty of Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, in 17-14, between 
 the government of Virginia and the six nations. After the 
 principal business was settled, the commissioners from 
 Virginia acquainted the Indians, by a speech, that there 
 was at AVilliamsbury a college, with a fund for educating 
 Indian youth ; and if the chiefs of the six nations would 
 send down half a dozen of their sons to that college, the 
 government would take care that they should be well pro¬ 
 vided for, and instructed in all the learning of the white 
 people. It is one of the Indian rules of politeness not to 
 answer a public proposition the same day that it is made ; 
 they think it would be treating it as a light matter, and 
 that they shew it respect by taking time to consider it as 
 a matter of importance. They therefore deferred their 
 answer till the day following, when their speaker began 
 by expressing their deep sense of the kindness of the ATr- 
 ginian government in making them that offer: 'For we 
 know/ says he, 'that you highly esteem the kind of 
 learning taught at those colleges, and that the maintenance 
 of our young men, while with you, would be very expen¬ 
 sive to you. AA r e are convinced, therefore, that you mean 
 to do us good by your proposal; and we thank you heartily. 
 Hut you, who are wise, must know that different nations 
 have different conceptions of things; and you will, there¬ 
 fore, not take it amiss, if our ideas of this kind of educa¬ 
 tion happen not to be the same as yours. AVe have some 
 experience of it: several of our young people were formerly 
 brought up at the colleges of the northern provinces; they 
 were instructed in all your sciences; but when they came 
 back to us, they were bad rnnners—Ignorant of every means 
 of living in the woods—unable to bear either cold or hun¬ 
 ger—knew neither how to build a cabin, take a deer, or kill 
 
12 
 
 an enemy—spoke onr language imperfectly—were neither 
 fit for hunters, warriors, nor counsellors: they were totally 
 good for nothing. We are, however, not the less obliged 
 for your kind olfer, though we decline accepting it; and 
 to shew our grateful sense of it, if the gentlemen of Vir¬ 
 ginia trill send us a dozen of their sons, we will take great 
 care of their education, instruct them in all we know, and 
 make men of them.’ 
 
 “ The politeness of these savages in conversation is in¬ 
 deed carried to excess, since it docs not permit them to 
 contradict or deny the truth of what is asserted in then- 
 presence. 
 
 “ They are also remarkable for their hospitality, of 
 which Conrad Weiscr, our interpreter, gave me the follow¬ 
 ing instance:—‘ He had been naturalized among the six 
 nations, and spoke well the Mohuck language. In going 
 through the Indian country, to carry a message from our 
 governor to the council of Onondago, he called at the habi¬ 
 tation of Canassetego, an old acquaintance, who embraced 
 him, spread furs for him to sit on, placed before him some 
 boiled beans and venison, and mixed some rum and water 
 for his drink. When they were conversing together, the 
 Indian said, ‘ Conrad, you have lived long among the white 
 people, and know something of their customs; I have 
 been sometimes at Albany, and have observed, that once in 
 :seven days they shut up their shops, and assemble all in the 
 great house; tell me what it is for; what do they do 
 there?' ‘They meet there,’ says Conrad, ‘to hear and 
 learn -good things’ ‘I do not doubt,’ says the Indian, 
 ‘ that they tell you so—they have told me the same; but 
 I doubt the truth of what they say, and I will tell you my 
 reasons. I went lately to Albany to sell my skins, and buy 
 blankets, knives, powder, rum, &c. You loiow I usually 
 .deal with Hans Hanson, but I was a little inclined this time 
 to try some other merchants. However, I called first upon 
 Hans, and asked him what he could give me for beaver. 
 He said he could not give more than four shillings a pound; 
 but he said he could not talk on business then, because it 
 is the day when w-emcet together to learn good things, and 
 I am going to the meeting. So I thought to myself, since 
 I cannot do any business to day, I may as well go to the 
 meeting too; and I went with him. There stood up a 
 man in black, and began to talk to the people very angrily. 
 I did not understand what he said; but perceiving that he 
 looked much at me and at Hanson, I imagined he was 
 
13 
 
 angry at seeing me there; so I went out, waiting till the 
 meeting should break up. I thought, too, that the man 
 had mentioned something of beaver; and suspected it 
 might be the subject of their meeting. So when they 
 came out I accosted my merchant, saying, ‘ Well Hans, I 
 hope you have agreed to give me more than four shillings 
 a-pouud/ ‘ No/ says he, ' I cannot give so much; I can¬ 
 not give more than 3s. 6d.’ I then spoke to several other 
 dealers, but they all sung the same song—‘ 3s. 6d. 3s. 6d.’ 
 This made it clear to me that my suspicion was right; and 
 that, whatever they pretended of meeting to learn good 
 things, the real purpose was to consult how to cheat Indians 
 in the price of beaver. Consider but a little, Conrad, and 
 you must be of my opinion. If they meet so often to 
 learn good things, they would certainly have learned some 
 before this time. But they are still ignorant. You know 
 oiu 1 practice. If a white man, in travelling through our 
 country, enters one of our cabins, we all treat him as I do 
 you: we dry him if he is wet; we warm him if he is cold, 
 and give him meat and drink, that he may allay his thirst 
 and hunger; and we spread soft furs for him to rest and 
 sleep on—we demand nothing in return. But if I go into 
 a white man’s house in Albany, and ask for victuals and 
 drink, they say where is your money; and if I have none, 
 they say, c Get out, you Indian dog.’ You see they have 
 not learned those little good things that we need no meet¬ 
 ings to be instructed in, because our mothers taught them 
 to us when we were children; and therefore it is impossible 
 their meetings should be, as they say, for any such pur¬ 
 pose, or have any such effect—they are only to contrive 
 the cheating of Indians in the price of heaver.” ’ 
 
 These remarks from Dr. Franklin's writings give such 
 a striking description of what, it is to be feared, is too true 
 an account of the conduct of many professing Christians 
 amongst savages, and so apt an illustration of my obser¬ 
 vations on the subject, that, if your feelings accord with 
 my own, you will not have thought this quotation 
 misplaced. 
 
 It is remarkable that, in all ages and countries, 
 hospitality has been allowed as the virtue of those whom 
 the civilized were pleased to call barbarians : the Greeks 
 celebrated the Sythians for it; the Saracens possessed it 
 eminently; and it is to this day the reigning virtue of the 
 mid Arabs. St. Paul, too, in the relation of his voyage 
 and skipwreok, on the island of Mclita, says—-"The bar- 
 
u. 
 
 barons people shewed us no little kindness; for they kin¬ 
 dled a fire, and received us every one, because of the 
 present rain, and because of the cold.” 
 
 Those among you who have not yet turned your atten¬ 
 tion to the study of political economy, will be pleased to 
 hear that its principles are in complete accordance with 
 scripture, so much so, that the ministrations of the Gospel 
 often furnish the most clear and beautiful illustrations of 
 the correctness of sound principles in the theory of politi¬ 
 cal economy. And whilst you have heard that the mis¬ 
 conduct of false professors of religion greatly retards the 
 progress of the Gospel, you will also be pleased to hear 
 that the vital truths of the Gospel preached by those 
 possessing its faith, and by their lives illustrating its 
 practice, tends greatly to its advancement. 
 
 I shall now relate a remarkable instance of the power 
 of the preaching of the Gospel to advance the civilization 
 of the world, and the prosperity, comfort, and improve¬ 
 ment of society, as well as of individuals. The scene of 
 the experiment is the inhospitable region of Greenland; 
 and the moral and intellectual condition of the inhabitants 
 was even more barren and dreary than the scenery with 
 which they were surrounded. The Moravian missionaries, 
 after patiently trying various means for seven years to 
 civilize and Christianize the almost inaccessible inhabitants 
 of Greenland, at length directed the attention of the sa¬ 
 vages, in the first instance, to Christ Jesus, to his resurrec¬ 
 tion, to his life, and especially to his sufferings. This was 
 the beginning of a new era, not only in the conversion of 
 the Greenlanders, but also in their civilization. Conversion 
 followed conversion, till the missionaries could number hun¬ 
 dreds to whom the message of God had come, not in word 
 only, but also in power. 
 
 But, quite satisfactory as this instance is, still did it 
 stand alone, we might justly be charged with a rash con¬ 
 clusion, from a case so limited. But it does not stand 
 alone. The Moravians have attempted the conversion and 
 civilization of men of almost every country and every con¬ 
 dition ; and their uncommon success is borne testimony to 
 by all who have visited the scenes of their philanthropic 
 exertions. Amid the snows of Greenland, they have 
 planted their little villages of comfort and happiness; and 
 the eye of the traveller has been refreshed as it lighted 
 upon some spot of luxuriant verdure, which their hand has 
 decked out in the midst of an African desert. And where- 
 ever success had attended their endeavours, whether they 
 
tell of a single addition to the number of their converts : 
 it is to the preaching of Christ, and him crucified, that they 
 attribute all. Indeed, if we enquire into the reason, why 
 the Moravians, some years ago, had been more successful 
 than other missionaries, we find that the distinguishing pe¬ 
 culiarity of their preaching consisted in this, that they 
 dwelt more simply, and more constantly, on the love of 
 Christ. In all parts of the world their mode of teaching 
 has been nearly the same, and the change which their in¬ 
 structions have produced, upon men the most diverse in 
 their character and circumstances, is a beautiful illustration 
 of the divine efficacy which accompanies the 'simple preach¬ 
 ing of the Gospel. Under the instruction of these simple, 
 and often uneducated men, the roving and unrestrained 
 savage has been led to abandon his irregular habits, and to 
 cultivate the decencies of life. Under their instruction the 
 North American Indian has been divested of his barbarous 
 cruelty, and has even been known to suffer the most pal¬ 
 pable injustice, and the most inhuman treatment from his 
 countrymen, without an attempt, or even wish to revenge. 
 And, finally, under their instruction, the degraded and 
 almost broken-hearted slave has been led to bow to the 
 scourge of his insulting oppressor, with a meekness and 
 submission which the religion of Jesus alone could inspire. 
 Similar have more recently been the blessed results of the 
 ministrations of our own Church in India and New Zea¬ 
 land, and of the Dissenters in the South Sea Island. 
 
 When I commenced writing my lecture I had not an 
 idea that my prefatory remarks on the study of political 
 economy would have been so extended; but so much in¬ 
 teresting and important matter presented itself, that I felt 
 I should scarcely ho doing justice to my subject, or to you 
 in withholding it. And I was more especially glad to illus¬ 
 trate my subject with the happy effects which the simple 
 preaching of the Gospel has had in civilizing some districts 
 of the earth in modern days, and causing peace, plenty, 
 and comfort to abound. 
 
 Moreover, I am thoroughly convinced that the errors 
 and incompleteness of the views of many political econo¬ 
 mists have very much arisen from their not having called 
 in the aid of scripture to test the soundness of their prin¬ 
 ciples. Hence I am inclined to think that the theory, 
 with the deductions of Malthus and his followers, upon the 
 subject of population, are altogether erroneous, because they 
 arc anti-scriptural, overlooking the mysterious purposes of 
 
16 
 
 the Almighty Govemorof the world, "seeing he givctli to all 
 life and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood 
 all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth, 
 for in him we live, and move, and have our being.” Some 
 appear to imagine that there is a limit to God's provision 
 of food for man; whereas, when the children of Israel 
 were in the wilderness, we read that God rained down 
 manna upon them to eat, and gave them of the corn of 
 heaven. How clear and encouraging is again the language 
 of David in Psalm 144. He, by faith, looked forward to 
 that period and that state of things, when, as the sweet 
 psalmist of Israel, he could sing a new song, even one of 
 praises to God—“that our sons may be as plants grown up 
 in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner 
 stones, polished after the similitude of a palace; that our 
 garners may be full, affording all manner of store : that 
 our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands 
 in our streets; that our oxen may be strong to labour; 
 that there be no breaking in nor going out; that there be 
 no complaining in our streets. Happy is that people that 
 is in such a case; yea, happy is that' people whose God is 
 the Lord.” 
 
 It may, however, be said that such a state of things 
 is scarcely to be expected just at this time, dining the 
 present dispensation; nor is it necessary in order to prove 
 the truth of my assertion—namely, “the capability of 
 Great Britain and Ireland to give employment, and provide 
 a sufficient maintenance for the whole population.” The 
 subject naturally divides itself into two heads:— 
 
 I. The capability of giving employment to the whole 
 population. 
 
 II. The capability of providing a sufficient mainte¬ 
 nance for the whole population. 
 
 For securing, by God’s blessing, a sufficient supply 
 for the whole human family of man, let that family be ever 
 so large, three things are requisite—land, labour and capi¬ 
 tal. Land is the first requisite, without land it is quite 
 clear we could have no corn, or such other substitute for 
 corn as forms the usual food of man. But with abundance 
 of land there may be an abundant supply of food, by the 
 aid of the second requisite—namely, labour, in other words, 
 by the help of the labourer. In this country w'e have an 
 abundant supply of labourers, intelligent, able-bodied, and 
 industrious, equal, if not superior, to the labourers of any 
 other country. The public works which are at this time 
 
17 
 
 advancing arc perfectly astonishing, and the celerity with 
 which they are done is equally wonderful. Go and observe 
 attentively, at Southampton, the Dorchester llailway, which 
 is now forming j whether by day or night, you will find 
 there is scarcely any cessation of work! But in order to 
 procure the services of the labourer, we must have capital 
 to pay him. The low rate of interest in this country at 
 present, shows most clearly the abundance of capital pos¬ 
 sessed by many individuals; or the immense amount of the 
 produce of the labour, and the savings of many genera¬ 
 tions. Moreover, in this country, there is still much waste 
 land which might be cultivated, and much more, the pro¬ 
 duce of which might be very much increased by an im¬ 
 provement in its culture. 1 often think of the saying of 
 Mr. Clement lloare, the intelligent author of that justly- 
 esteemed work on " The Culture of the Vine.” 'When I met 
 him for the first time, in his own grounds, more than six 
 years ago, and he was, with much kindness, explaining the 
 use he was making of the estate he had purchased, and the 
 account to which it coftld be turned. He summed up the 
 whole by saying—“ There are the greatest riches in the 
 bowels of the earth, and ail that is requisite is the labour 
 of man to draw them forth.” Mr. Hoare was, in many 
 points, a most valuable member of society, for he employed 
 many labourers, and 1 believe treated them most kindly 
 and considerately. This kindness is especially requisite at 
 the present time. The labouring classes need the kind 
 consideration of the affluent and inlluential classes of society, 
 to promote useful or profitable employment for them, such 
 as may be extensively beneficial. Much may be done at 
 home, in our own country. Look at the waste districts 
 of land still in an uncultivated state in England. Yet, 
 there is still a complaint, that there is not a sufficiency of 
 work for many an industrious workman. Trade is said to 
 be dull, and there is not that regular and settled course of 
 activity indicative of'a state of prosperity. Surely there 
 must be some fault—some want of manaarement some¬ 
 where. In some parts of the country, especially in Ire¬ 
 land, there are many of our fellow creatures almost in a 
 state of starvation, and that in the midst of much wealth 
 and great prosperity in many parts. Surely there 
 is a call to us, to be up and doing: we ought not 
 to look on .with indiflcrcncc, whilst many of our 
 countrymen are almost starving. Let as many as 
 have hearts that can be touched with suffering hu- 
 
18 
 
 inanity, come forward to help. Every one may do 
 something, so that whilst there is much to be done, there 
 are many to do it. God has mercifully carried England 
 safely through many and great external difficulties : and 
 is not the same God ready to carry her through her pre¬ 
 sent internal difficulties ? God furnishes the means; it 
 only remains for man properly to make use of the means 
 so abundantly supplied. Look at home, look abroad ; 
 had ever a country such means at her command? 
 Capital so abundant, that its employment at home often 
 makes hut comparatively a small return—territory so vast, 
 that it is difficult to measure it; and skill and industry so 
 superior that the modern achievements of British skill and 
 labour must strike with astonishment every rcHectivc mind. 
 And yet, thus blessed with capital, territory, skill, and 
 industry, a large portion of the population of Britain are 
 in a state of great destitution, and in Ireland they are 
 starving. Here is a problem to be solved. People are 
 looking to Parliament, to Government, to solve it, forget¬ 
 ting that the remedy rests very much with themselves. It 
 must he by the union of individual personal exertions that 
 the difficulties and distresses will, by God’s blessing, be 
 overcome. 
 
 We have our Agricultural Societies for improving the 
 cultivation of the soil and the breed of cattle, and Literary 
 Institutions for the advancement of science. Why should 
 not the influential classes of society, in like manner, unite 
 together in endeavouring to improve the character and 
 condition of the labouring classes ? I trust the members 
 of this Institution will kindly receive the suggestions I 
 have this evening made, and make our Institution bene¬ 
 ficial to others, as well as a source of amusement and 
 mental improvement to ourselves. We have land around 
 us lying waste, and labourers idle, and some among us 
 possessing capital which they could not better employ than 
 by endeavouring to improve their ways, and benefit their 
 neighbours. An industrial school for the elder hoys or 
 lads might, without much difficulty, be carried on, and 
 work found for the able-bodied labourers during inclement 
 seasons like the present, and other plans adopted, com¬ 
 bining utility with amusement. I will now conclude with 
 wishing a long life to our Gracious Sovereign Queen 
 Victoria, and prosperity to the Shirley Literary and 
 Scientific Institution. 
 
19 
 
 ALMSHOUSES FOR THE AGED POOR, 
 
 NEAR SHIRLEY CIIURCII. 
 
 The Rev. Herbert Smith havin'; almost despaired of 
 meeting with any one to sympathize with his views respecting 
 the aged poor, who, at the same time, had sufiicieut means, 
 inlhteiice, or energy to aid him in the effective execution of his 
 plans for their beiielit, had made known l is intention (by 
 advertisement in tile Post Otlice Dim-low) of devoting the 
 Asvhim erected for aged poor, to the service of the Church, as 
 a College for Deacons. Since the insertion of that adver- 
 
 design, or with other establishments on a similar scale, they 
 will be allowed (the advocate of the object hopes) to be 
 moueraie. 
 
 In addition to all the exertions of body and mind which 
 have been most cheerfully given to the object during a period 
 of nearly seven years, the Rev. Herbert Smith now offers to 
 contribute towards the purchase of the building .-Col ); towards 
 the endowment X\iO. Miss Cotton, of Shirley, has given 
 towards the purchase of the building XV!; towards the en¬ 
 dowment X‘3. 
 
 COTTAGES FOR AGED AND INFIRM 
 POOR, 
 
 Five Freehold Cottages, near Norfolk House, Shirley, are 
 now rented for the purpose of promoting the principles and 
 plans for improving the character and condition of the labour¬ 
 ing classes. Two of these cottages are for the aged and infirm 
 poor, which will be let on the following terms and conditions: 
 The two rooms on the ground floor will be let together at 
 Is. 3d. per week ; the front room oil the first floor at 9d. per 
 week, and the back room at Gd. per week. A deposit of four 
 times the weekly rent must be paid oil entering, as security for 
 the regular payment of the rent. The rent must he paid at 
 the end of every week. When there is a fortnight’s arrears in 
 
20 
 
 tlic rent, the tenant will have notice to quit at the end or a 
 fortnight, unless the arrears of rent are paid up previously. 
 None but the most respectable aged or infirm poor will be 
 received as tenants. 
 
 SHIRLEY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. 
 
 As an adjunct to the Shirley National School, an Indus¬ 
 trial School for Boys has been established, to train them in the 
 cultivation of the soil, by spade labour, frc. To employ them 
 during the frost, a quantity of large wood has been purchased, 
 which they have broken up into pieces of a proper size to be 
 used for lighting fires ; this is to be sold at its fair value. The 
 boys attend the National School for three hours in the day, 
 and work for the same space of time, making eighteen hours 
 in the week, receiving for their work lOd. 8d. or Gd. pet- 
 week, according to their ages and diligence. 
 
 N.B.—Contributions in aid of these objects will be thank¬ 
 fully received. 
 
 NOTE TO PAGES lo AND 1C. 
 
 To loam the anti-scriptural, and consequently erroneous views of 
 Malthas and Ms followers oil the subject of population, the st dent of 
 Scripture and Political Economy may refer to Genesis i. 2 8. “ And God 
 blessed them; and God said, he fruitful and multiply, and replenish the 
 earth, and subdue it.” Also to the promises made to Abraham“ I will 
 make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the 
 dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numlicrcd.”-Gen. xiii. 1C. 
 See Psalms 127, 128. It is a most erroneous veiw of God’s dispensations 
 to imagine that war, pestilence and famine, and the various diseases to 
 wMch the human frame is liable, all ending in death, arc necessary evils 
 as a check to the rapid increase of population. They arc the consc- 
 
 death.” Moreover, the Ta«t population of China and India may at least 
 serve to check our alarms, lest the population of Great Britain and Ireland 
 
 grown or with certainty beprocurcd. In short, had there been no sin, there 
 would have been no death, and all the generations which have been born 
 from the creation of Adam, would have now lived together oil this earth, 
 and been abundantly fed by its fruits.