FF 47

purchaſing coals, ſhoes,&c.&c. Some indigent families r6&« ceive a[mal] ſum once a year to buy lint, or lintſeed, and others are aſſiſted in the education of their children. By theſe annual ſupplies many poor people are encouraged to. ſup» port themſelves, without coming upon the monthly roll. It Hhas ſeldom or never been found that iheſe annual gifts were 111 beſtowed, They are received with thankfulneſs, and prove 2 motive to induſtry, by, keeping alive the hopes of inde« pendence.;

<< Perhaps there never was a fund managed with ſtritter “< economy, or one that has anſwered better the purpoſes for & which it was deſtined, than that under the care of the “« kirk-ſeſlions in Scotland» No claſs of men could be fitter «“ for diſtributing the public charity than the elders in coun« <« try pariſhes, Their acquaintance with the circumſtances 6“ of the people prevents all impoſition: the laudable va- « nity they uſually have in bettering their funds, leads them 6“ to economy; and their time and labour are beſtowed cheer- «<< fully, and without reward. This is the reaſon why few “« or none of the pariſhes in this country have had recourſe <“« to its legal method of ſupporting the poor, by aſſeſling the S< heritors. Of all the methods of ſupplying the poor hi- “ therto deviſed, I believe that is the worſt. Whilſt it is a “ heavy and increaſing burden upon the landed intereſt, it “< ruins the charity of the middling claſs of people, and en- “ courages idleneſs and diſlipation among the poor. As ſoon s as the middling ranks of the people(who, to their honour, << bear. almoſt all the burden of ſupporting the poo:) find «“« that there 15 a legal proviſion for them, they withhold their “« contributions as unneceſſary; and the poor themſelves, ha- < ving a legal claim to ſupport, are tempted to lay aſide their <i induſtry and economy: add to theſe the hardſhips they 5 muſt ſubmit to, and the reſtraints impoſed upon them, in 8 removing with their families from one place to another. “« That