Thomas Farmer, ill 3 days 0 4 0 Levi Cook, ill 4 weeks and 1 day 1 13 4 Joseph White's child, 6 weeks 0 7 0 Jane Westrip's rent 0 2 0 William Fisher, 1 month ill 1 12 0 Paid boy, 2 days ill 0 0 8 James Orchard, ill 1 0 2 James Orchard's daughter, ill 0 8 0 Adders and Sparrows 0 2 3-1/2 Wicks for Carriage 0 1 0 Paid Mary Hinton 0 4 0 Joseph Farmer, ill 3 days 0 2 9 Thomas Cummins 0 6 0 Samuel Day, and son, ill 0 8 2 --------- 6 11 4
71. Under the head of "WIDOWS" are, generally, old women wholly unable to work; and that of "OLD MEN" are men past all labour: in some of the instances _lodging places_, in very poor and wretched houses, are found these old people, and, in other instances, they have the bare money; and, observe, that money is FOR FOUR WEEKS! Gracious God! Have we had no mothers ourselves! Were we not born of woman! Shall we not feel then for the poor widow who, in her old age, is doomed to exist on two shillings a week, or threepence halfpenny a day, and to find herself _clothes_ and washing and fuel and bedding out of that! And, the poor old men, the very happiest of whom gets, you see, less than 7_d._ a day, at the end of 70 or 80 years of a life, all but six of which have been years of labour! I have thought it right to put _blanks_ instead of the names, under the _second head_. Men of less rigid morality, and less free from all illicit intercourse, than the members of the Select Vestry of Uphusband, would, instead of the word "_bastard_," have used the more amiable one of "_love-child_;" and, it may not be wholly improper to ask these rigid moralists, whether they be aware, that they are guilty of LIBEL, aye, of real criminal libel, in causing these poor girls' names to be _printed_ and _published_ in this way. Let them remember, that the greater the truth the greater the libel; and, let them remember, that the mothers and the children too, may have _memories_! But, it is under the head of "FAMILIES" that we see that which is most worthy of our attention. Observe, that _eight shillings a week_ is _the wages_ for a day labourer in the village. And, you see, it is only when there are _more than four children_ that the family is allowed anything at all. "LEVI COOK," for instance, has _five children_, and he receives allowance for _one_ child. "JOSEPH WHITE" has _eight children_, and he receives allowance for _four_. There are three widows under this head; but, it is where there is _a man_, the father of the family, that we ought to look with attention; and here we find, that nothing at all is allowed to a family of a man, a wife, and _four children_, beyond the bare eight shillings a week of wages; and this is even worse than the allowance which I contrasted with that of the hospital patients and convicted felons; for there I supposed the family to consist of a man, his wife and _three children_. If I am told, that the farmers, that the occupiers of houses and land, are _so poor_ that they cannot do more for their wretched work-people and neighbours; then I answer and say, What a selfish, what a dastardly wretch is he, who is not ready to do all he can to change this disgraceful, this horrible state of things!