第29章

Butintheexpenditurefromthistaxationwasthereasingleiteminwhich

thepoorhadaspecialinterest？Thegreatmassoftheexpenditurewaswar

expenditure，andthatwasnotexpenditureinwhichthepoorweremoreinterested

thantherest。Indeed，muchofitwasexpenditurewhichcouldnotbeassociated

directlyorindirectlywiththeirinterests，suchasthehugesubsidiesto

thecourtsofEurope。Nearlyfiftymillionswentinthesesubventions，and

ifsomeofthemwerestrategicalotherswerepurelypolitical。DidtheEnglish

labourerreceiveanyprofitfromthetwoandahalfmillionsthatPittthrew

totheKingofPrussia，asubsidythatwasemployedforcrushingKosciusko

andPoland，orfromthemillionsthathegavetoAustria，inreturnforwhich

AustriacededVenicetoNapoleon？Didhereceiveanybenefitfromthemillion

spenteveryyearonthegermanlegion，whichhelpedtokeephiminorder

inhisowncountry？Didhereceiveanybenefitfromthemillionandahalf

which，ontheconfessionoftheFinanceCommitteeoftheHouseofCommons

in1810，wenteveryyearinabsolutesinecures？Didhereceiveanybenefit

fromtheinterestontheloanstothegreatbankersandcontractors，who

madehugeprofitsoutofthewarandwerepatrioticenoughtolendmoney

totheGovernmenttokeepitgoing？Didhereceiveanybenefitfromtheexpenditure

oncrimpingboysorpressingseamen，ortransportingandimprisoningpoachers

andthrowingtheirfamiliesbythousandsontherates？Pitt’sbrilliantidea

ofbuyingupacheapdebtoutofmoneyraisedbyadearonecostthenation

twentymillions，andthoughPittconsideredtheSinkingFundhisbesttitle

tohonour，nobodywillpretendthatthepoorofEnglandgainedanythingfrom

thisdisplayofhisoriginality。(7*)Intheseyearsgovernmentwasraising

bytaxationorloansoverahundredmillions，butnotasinglepennywent

totheeducationofthelabourer’schildren，ortoanypurposethatmade

theperilsanddifficultiesofhislifemoreeasytobeborne。Ifthesinecures

hadbeenreducedbyahalf，orifthegreatmoney-lendershadbeentreated

asiftheirclaimstothelastpennywerenotsacrosanct，andhadbeenmade

totaketheirshareofthelossesofthetime，itwouldhavebeenpossible

tosetuptheEnglishcottagerwithallotmentsonthemodestplanproposed

byYoungorCobbett，sidebysidewiththegreatestateswithwhichthat

expenditureendowedthebankersandthedealersinscrip。

Now，solongaspriceskeptup，theconditionofthelabourerwasmasked

bythegeneralprosperityofthetimes。Thegoverningclasshadfoundamethod

whichcheckedthedemandforhigherwagesandthedangerthatthelabourer

mightclaimashareintheboundingwealthofthetime。Thewolfwasatthe

door，itistrue，buthewaschained，andthechainwastheSpeenhamland

system。Consequently，thoughwehearcomplaintsfromthelabourers，whocontended

thattheywerereceivinginapatronisinganddegradingformwhattheywere

entitledtohaveastheirdirectwages，thenoteofrebellionwassmothered

forthemoment。Atthistimeitwasaprofitableproceedingtogrowcorn

onalmostanysoil，anditisstillpossibletotraceontheunharvested

downsofDartmoortheprintoftheploughthatturnedeventhatwildmoorland

intogold，inthedayswhenNapoleonwasmassinghisarmiesforinvasion。

Duringtheseyearsparishesdidnotmindgivingaidfromtheratesonthe

Speenhamlandscale，and，thoughunderthismischievoussystempopulation

wasadvancingwildly，therewassuchademandforlabourthatthisabundance

didnotseem，asitseemedlater，aplagueoflocusts，butasourceofstrength

andwealth。Theopinionofthedaywasallinfavourofaheavybirthrate，

anditwasgenerallyagreed，aswehaveseen，thatPitt’sescapadesinthe

WestIndiesandelsewherewoulddrawoffthesurpluspopulationfastenough

toremovealldifficulties。Butalthoughthelargefarmersprayedincessantly

toheaventopreservePittandtokeepupreligionandprices，thedaycame

whenitdidnotpaytoploughthedownsorthesands，andtumblingprices

broughtruintothefarmerswhoserentsandwholemanneroflivingwerefixed

ontheassumptionthattherewasnoseriousdangerofpeace，andthatEngland

wastoliveinaperpetualheydayoffamineprices。

Withthefallinprices，thefactsofthelabourer’sconditionweredisclosed。

Doctorstellusthatinsomecasesofheartdiseasethereisastatedescribed

ascompensation，whichmaypostponefailureformanyyears。Withthefall

in1814compensationceased，andthediseasewhichitobscureddeclareditself。

Foritwasnownolongerpossibletoabsorbtheredundantpopulationinthe

wastefulroundsmansystem，andthemaintenancestandardtendedtofallwith

thegrowingpressureontheresourcesfromwhichthelabourerwaskept。By

thistimealllabourhadbeenswampedinthesystem。Theordinaryvillage

didnotcontainamassofdecentlypaidlabourersandasurplusoflabourers，

fromtimetotimeredundan

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