第11章

Harbord。ItwasMarshallwhosuggestedthecreationofaBoardofRuralAffairs，

andthepreparationofSurveysandMinutes。Thoughheneverheldanofficial

position，itwasfromhisownchoice，forhepreferredtopublishhisown

MinutesandSurveysratherthantowritethemfortheBoard。Hewasinterested

inphilologyaswellasinagriculture；hepublishedavocabularyofthe

YorkshiredialectandhewasafriendofJohnson，whomheratherscandalised

bycondoningSundaylabourinagricultureunderspecialcircumstances。Nathaniel

Kent(1737-1810)studiedhusbandryintheAustrianNetherlands，wherehe

hadbeensecretarytoanambassador，andonhisreturntoEnglandin1766

hewasemployedasanestateagentandlandvaluer。Hewroteawell-known

bookHintstoGentlemenofLandedProperty，andhehadconsiderableinfluence

inimprovingthemanagementofvariousestates。

Hewas，forashorttime，bailiffofGeorgeIII’sfarmatWindsor。All

ofthesewriters，thoughtheyareveryfarfromtakingtheviewwhichfound

expressionintheriotsintheLincolnshirefens，orintheanonymouspamphlet

alreadymentioned，addressedsomeveryimportantcriticismsandrecommendations

totheclassthatwasinclosingtheEnglishcommons。BothMarshallandYoung

complainedoftheinjusticeofthemethodofchoosingcommissioners。Marshall，

ardentchampionofenclosureashewas，andnosentimentalistonthesubject

ofthecommoners，wroteamostbitteraccountofthemotivesoftheenclosers。

’Atthisjuncture，itistrue，theownersofmanorsandtithes，whetherclergy

orlaity，menofministryormenofopposition，areequallyonthealert：

nothoweverpressingforwardwithofferingsandsacrificestorelievethe

presentdistressesofthecountry，butsearchingforvantagegroundtoaid

theminthescramble。’(12*)Holdingthisview，hewasnotunnaturallyill-content

withtheplanoflettingthebiglandlordsnominatethecommissioners，and

proposedthatthelordofthesoilandtheownerorownersoftithesshould

chooseonecommissionereach，thattheownerorownersofpasturageshould

choosetwo，andthatthefourshouldchooseafifth。ArthurYoungproposed

thatthesmallproprietorsshouldhaveashareinthenominationofcommissioners

eitherbyaunionofvotesorotherwise，asmightbedetermined。

ThegeneralengrossingoffarmswasarraignedbyThomasStone，theauthor

ofanimportantpamphlet，Suggestionsforrenderingtheinclosureofcommon

fieldsandwastelandsasourceofpopulationandofriches，1787，whoproposed

thatinfutureenclosuresfarmsshouldbeletoutindifferentsitesfrom

£；40to£；200ayear。HethoughtfurtherthatParliamentshouldconsider

theadvisabilityofforbiddingthealienationofcottagers’property，in

ordertostopthefritteringawayofcottagers’estateswhichwasgeneral

underenclosure。Kent，apassionateenthusiastforenclosing，wasnotless

criticalofthepracticeofthrowingfarmstogether，apracticewhichhad

raisedthepriceofprovisionstothelabourer，andheappealedtolandlords

toaidthedistressedpoorbyreducingthesiteoftheirfarms，aswellas

byraisingwages。Arbuthnot，theauthorofapamphletonAnInquiryinto

theConnectionbetweenthepresentPriceofProvisionsandtheSizeofFarms，

byaFarmer，1773，whohaddefendedthelarge-farmsystemagainstDr。Price，

wrote，’Myplanistoallottoeachcottagethreeorfouracreswhichshould

beannexedtoitwithoutpoweroralienationandwithoutrentwhileunder

thecovenantofbeingkeptingrass。’

Somuchforwritersonagriculture。Buttheeighteenthcenturyproduced

twoauthoritativewritersonsocialconditions。Anystudentofsocialhistory

whowishestounderstandthisperiodwouldfirstturntothethreegreat

volumesofEden’sStateofthePoor，publishedin1797，asastorehouseof

coldfacts。Davies，whowroteTheCaseofLabourersinHusbandry，published

in1795，islessfamousthanhedeservestobe，ifwearetojudgefromthe

factthattheDictionaryofNationalBiographyonlyknowsabouthimthat

hewasRectorofBarkhaminBerkshire，andagraduateofJesusCollege，Oxford，

thathereceivedaD。D。degreein1800，thatheistheauthorofthisbook，

andthathedied，perhaps，intheyear1809。ButDavies’book，whichcontains

theresultofmostcarefulandpatientinvestigation，madeaprofoundimpression

oncontemporaryobservers。Howlettcalledit’incomparable，’anditisimpossible

forthemodernreadertoresistitsatmosphereofrealityandtruth。This

countryparsongivesusasimple，faithfulandsincerepictureofthefacts，

seenwithoutillusionorprejudice，andfreefromalltheconventionalaffectations

ofthetime：apricelesslegacytothosewhoareimpatientofthegeneralisations

withwhichtherichdismissthepoor。Nowbothofthesewriterswarnedtheir

contemporariesofthedangeroftheuncontrolledtendenciesoftheage。Eden

proposedthatineveryenclosureacertainquantityoflandshouldbereserved

forcottagersandlabourers，tobevestedinthewholedistrict。Hespoke

infavourofthecroftersinScotland，anddeclaredthatprovisionofthis

kindwasmadeforthelabouringclassesinthefirstsettledtownshipsof

NewEngland。DavieswasstillmoreemphaticincallinguponEnglandtosettle

cottagersandtoarresttheprocessofengrossingfarms。(13*)

Thusofalltherememberedwritersoftheperiodwhohadanypractical

knowledgeofagricultureorofthepoor，thereisnotonewhodidnottry

toteachthegoverningclasstheneedforreform，andthedangersofthe

stateintowhichtheywereallowingruralsocietytodrift。Parliamentwas

assailedonallsideswithcriticismsandrecommendations，anditsrefusal

toalteritswayswasdeliberate。

Oftheprotestsofthetimethemostimportantandsignificantcamefrom

ArthurYoung。Nomanhadbeensoimpatientofobjectionstoenclosure：no

manhadtakensosevereanddisciplinaryaviewofthelabourer：nomanhad

dismissedsolightlytheappealsforthepreservationofthefragmentary

possessionsofthepoor。Hehadtaughtaverysimplephilosophy，thatthe

morethelandownerpressedthefarmer，andthemorethefarmerpressedthe

labourer，thebetteritwasforagriculture。Hehadbelievedasimplicitly

asSinclairhimself，andwithapparentlyaslittleefforttomasterthefacts，

thatthecottagerswerecertaintobenefitbyenclosure。Allthisgivespathos，

aswellasforce，tohisremarkablepaper，publishedunderthetitleAnInquiry

intotheProprietyofapplyingWastestothebetterMaintenanceandSupport

ofthePoor。

Theoriginofthisdocumentisinteresting。Itwaswrittenin1801，a

fewyearsaftertheSpeenhamlandsystemhadbeguntofixitselfonthevillages。

Thegrowthofthepoorrateswastroublingthemindsoftheupperandmiddle

classes。ArthurYoung，inthecourseofhistravelsatthistime，stumbled

onthediscoverythatinthoseparisheswherethecottagershadbeenable

tokeeptogetheratinypatchofproperty，theyhadshownaSpartandetermination

torefusetherefugeofthePoorLaw。Whenoncehehadobservedthis，he

madefurtherinvestigationswhichonlyconfirmedhisfirstimpressions。This

openedhiseyestotheconsequencesofenclosureasithadbeencarriedout，

andhebegantoexaminethehistoryoftheseoperationsinanewspirit。

Hethenfoundthatenclosurehaddestroyedwiththepropertyofthepoor

oneofthegreatincentivestoindustryandself-respect，andthathisview

thatthebenefitofthecommonstothepoorwas’perfectlycontemptible，’

and’whenittemptsthemtobecomeownersofcattleorsheepusuallyruinous，’(14*)

wasfundamentallywrong。Beforetheenclosures，thedespisedcommonshad

enabledthecottagertokeepacow，andthis，sofarfrombringingruin，

hadmeantinverymanycasesallthedifferencebetweenindependenceand

pauperism。HisscrutinyoftheActsconvincedhimthatinrespectofthis

theyhadbeenunjust。’BynineteenoutoftwentyInclosureBillsthepoor

areinjured，andsomegrosslyinjured……Mr。ForsterofNorwich，aftergiving

meanaccountoftwentyinclosuresinwhichhehadactedasCommissioner，

statedhisopinionontheirgeneraleffectonthepoor，andlamentedthat

hehadbeenaccessorytotheinjuringof2000poorpeople，attherateof

twentyfamiliesperparish……Thepoorintheseparishesmaysay，andwith

truth，“Parliamentmaybetenderofproperty：allIknowisthatIhad

acowandanActofParliamenthastakenitfromme。”’

ThispaperappearedontheeveoftheEnclosureActof1801，theActto

facilitateandcheapenprocedure，whichYoungandSinclairhadworkedhard

tosecure。Itwasthereforeanopportunemomentfortryingtotemperenclosure

tothedifficultiesofthepoor。ArthurYoungmadeapassionateappealto

theupperclassestorememberthesedifficulties。’TopassActsbeneficial

toeveryotherclassintheStateandhurtfultothelowestclassonly，when

thesmallestalterationwouldpreventit，isaconductagainstwhichreason，

justiceandhumanityequallyplead。’Hethenproceededtooutlineaconstructive

scheme。Heproposedthattwentymillionsshouldbespentinsettinguphalf

amillionfamilieswithallotmentsandcottages：thefee-simpleofthecottage

andlandtobevestedintheparish，andpossessiongrantedunderanAct

ofParliament，onconditionthatifthefatherorhisfamilybecamechargeable

totherates，thecottageandlandshouldreverttotheparish。Theparishes

weretocarryoutthescheme，borrowingthenecessarymoneyonthesecurity

oftherates。(15*)’Aman，’hetoldthelandlords，inapassagetouchedperhaps

withremorseaswellaswithcompassion，’willlovehiscountrythebetter

evenforapig。’’Atamoment，’soheconcludes，’whenaGeneralInclosure

ofWastesisbeforeParliament，toallowsuchameasuretobecarriedinto

executioninconformitywiththepracticehitherto，withoutenteringone

voice，howeverfeeble，indefenceoftheinterestsofthepoor，wouldhave

beenawoundtothefeelingsofanymannotlosttohumanitywhohadviewed

thesceneswhichIhavevisited。’

Theappealbrokeagainstadensemassofclassprejudice，andsofaras

anyeffectontheConsolidatingActof1801isconcerned，ArthurYoungmight

neverhavewrittenaline。Thisisperhapsnotsurprising，forweknowfrom

Young’sautobiography(p。350)thathedidnotevencarrytheBoardofAgriculture

withhim，andthatLordCarrington，whowasthenPresident，onlyallowed

himtoprinthisappealontheunderstandingthatitwasnotpublishedas

anofficialdocument，andthattheBoardwasinnowayidentifiedwithit。

Sinclair，whosharedYoung’sconversion，hadceasedtobePresidentin1798。

ThecompunctionhetriedtoawakendidaffectanActhereandthere。Awitness

beforetheAllotmentsCommitteeof1843describedthearrangementshecontrived

tointroduceintoanEnclosureAct。ThewitnesswasMr。Demainbray，anadmirable

andmostpublic-spiritedparson，RectorofBroadSomerfordinWiltshire。

Mr。DemainbrayexplainedthatwhentheEnclosureActforhisparishwasprepared

in1806，hehadbeenpressedtoacceptlandinlieuoftithes，andthathe

tooktheopportunitytostipulateforsomeprovisionforthepoor。Asaconsequence

ofhisefforts，halfanacrewasattachedtoeachcottageonthewaste，the

landbeingvestedintherector，churchwardensandoverseersforthetime

being，andeightacreswerereservedforthevillagersforallotmentand

reallotmenteveryEaster。Thisarrangement，whichhadexcellentresults，

’everymanlookingforwardtobecomingamanofproperty，’wascopiedin

severaloftheneighbouringparishes。Dr。Slaterhascollectedsomeother

examples。OneAct，passedin1824forPotterninWiltshire，vestedtheownership

oftheenclosedcommonintheBishopofSalisbury，whowaslordofthemanor，

thevicar，andthechurchwardens，intrustfortheparish。Thetrusteeswere

requiredtoleaseitinsmallholdingstopoor，honestandindustriouspersons，

whohadnot，exceptincasesofaccidentorsickness，availedthemselves

ofPoorLawRelief。(16*)ThomasStone’sproposalformakinginalienableallotments

tocottagerswasadoptedintwoorthreeActsintheeasterncounties，but

theActsthatmadesomeprovisionforthepoordonotamount，inDr。Slater’s

opinion，tomorethanonepercentoftheEnclosureActspassedbefore1845，(17*)

andthisviewiscorroboratedbythegreatstresslaidintheReportsof

theSocietyforBetteringtheConditionofthePoor，uponafewcaseswhere

thepoorwereconsidered，andbyastatementmadebyMr。Demainbrayina

pamphletpublishedin1831。(18*)InthispamphletMr。Demainbrayquoteswhat

Davieshadsaidnearlyfortyyearsearlierabouttheeffectofenclosures

inrobbingthepoor，andthenadds：’Sincethattimemanyhundredenclosures

havetakenplace，butinhowfewofthemhasanyreservebeenmadeforthe

privilegeswhichthepoormanandhisancestorshadforcenturiesenjoyed？’

SomeinterestingprovisionsarecontainedincertainoftheActsofthe

period。AtStanwellthecommissionersweretosetasidesuchparcelasthey

thoughtpropernotexceedingthirtyacres，tobeletoutandtherentsand

profitsweretobegivenforthebenefitofsuchoccupiersandinhabitants

asdidnotreceiveparochialrelieforoccupylandsandtenementsofmore

than£；5ayear，andhadnotreceivedanyallotmentundertheAct。Middleton，