第25章

irresponsibleauthoritiesliabletobebiasedbysinisterinterests’(Bentham’ssacredphrase)should，nowbeconfidedtothecentralboardofcontrol，onwhichresponsibilityismoststronglyconcentrated，andwhichwillhavethemostextensiveinformation。’(13*)Thecompetitionbetweentheparisheshadproducedthetangledlawsofsettlement，leadingtoendlesslitigation：thedepopulationofsomeplaces，theovercrowdingofothers，thepeculationsandjobberyduetothe’sinisterinterests’ofpettylocalauthorities，andtheutterabsenceofanyuniformorrationalsystem。Tocompelthefifteenthousandbodiestosubstituteco-operationforcompetition，tochecktheiraccounts，andtoenforcegeneralrules，itwasnecessarytocreateacentralboardwithwideadministrativeauthority。Forsuchascheme，nowobviousenough，thecommissionersfoundtheironlyprecedentinameasurebywhichabarristerhadbeenappointedtoinspectsavingsbanksandfriendlysocieties。(14*)

Thenewpoor-lawwasthusa’centralising’measure，andmarkedamostimportantstepinthatdirection。Itwasdenouncedforthatreasononbothsides，andamongtheorthodoxeconomistsbyM’Culloch。J。S。Milldefendeditwarmlyagainstthis’irrationalclamour’；andbutforcertainrestraininginfluences，especiallytheteachingofTocqueville，wouldhethinkshavegoneintotheoppositeexcess。(15*)Itseems，however，thattheUtilitariansgenerallyacceptedthelawasajudiciousapplicationofMalthus，temperedbyproperregardforcircumstances。Theywereindeedboundinprincipletobeshyofthedirectapplicationofaprioriformula。YetitmayalsobebrieflynotedthatthiswasoneofthecasesonwhichtheUtilitariansunconsciouslyforwardedatendencytowhichtheyobjectedingeneralterms。Theywishedtocodifyandsimplifythepoor-law，andfounditnecessarytointroduceacentralregulatingbody。Thoughtheymeanttostimulatelocalactivity，theywerecallingthecentralauthorityintofreshactivity。

MeanwhiletheiropponentswereequallyreadytoseenothinginitbutMalthus，andtodenounceitwithcorrespondingbitterness。ItwascontrarytoChristianitytotherightsofman，andtothegoodoldlawsofEngland。Itwasapartofthemachinerybywhichcold-bloodedeconomistswereenslavingthepoor。Theoperative，saystheChartisthistorian，(16*)thoughtthatitbrokethelastlinkinthechainofsympathybetweenrichandpoor。Prison-likeworkhouseswererisingtoremindthepooroftheir’comingdoom。’Theycouldexpectnothingbut’miseryinthepresent，andtheBastilleinthefuture，inwhichtheyweretobeimmuredwhentheirrichoppressornolongerrequiredtheirservices。’Thehistorianofthefactorymovement(17*)confirmsthisstatement。Thepoormanwastoworkorstarve。Poverty，then，wastobetreatedasacrime。Theparochialsystemwastobebrokenup，andtheclergythusseparatedfromthepoor。Thewholesystemwasanti-Christian：hadnotthecommissionersputoutawarningagainstalms-giving？(18*)Thecommissionersagainproposedtheemigrationofpauperisedagriculturallabourersintomanufacturingdistricts，andweresoplayingintothehandsofthecapitalists。Cobbett’sviewgavethekeynotetoanotherversionofthecase。Hesawasclearlyasanyonetheevilsofpauperisation，buttheoldlawatleastadmittedthepoorman’srighttosupport。Ingoodoldtimeshehadbeensupportedbythechurch。ThegreatrobberyattheReformationhadbeenpartlycompensatedbythepoor-law。Toabolishorrestricttheoldrightwastoconsummatetheabominablerobberyandtofleecethepoormanmorethoroughlyatthebiddingof’parsonMalthus。’Cobbett’sviewnotonlycommendeditselftohisownclass，butwasmoreorlessthatofthe’YoungEnglanders，’whoaspiredtoareconstructionoftheoldsocialorder。TheTimesdenouncedthenewlawbitterly，anditsproprietor，Walter，thought(asKyddsays)，andnodoubtthoughtrightly，thattheindignationrousedbythemeasurehaddonemuchtofosterChartism。(19*)Meanwhile，toMillandhisfriendsthewholeofthisdeclamationcameundertheheadofthelater’sentimentalism。’TheyheldwithMalthusthatanunlimitedrighttosupportmeantanindefinitemultiplicationofpoverty。Toadmittherightwastoundertakeanimpossibletaskandprovokearevolutiononitsinevitablefailure。Rightmustbebaseduponfact；anditisidlet