preserved, it follows, that if there be not enough fully to satisfy both,—he that hath, and to spare, must remit something of his full satisfaction, and give way to the pressing and preferable right of those who are in danger to perish without it1." Blackstone, stating, under the head of rights of persons, the law authorizing the wretched and indigent to demand from the more opulent part of the community the necessaries of life, declares it to be "a provision, dictated by the principles of society." Paley asserts the natural right of the poor to subsistence in the most explicit and forcible terms. I shall only quote a few words from him; in which it will be seen how directly he contradicts our more modern jurist, who says the poor have "no claim as of right to the smallest portion of food:" he, on the contrary, asserts that "the poor have a claim founded on the law of nature," and argues upon it at large, concluding thus:-" When, therefore, the partition of property is rigidly maintained against the claims of impotence or distress, it is maintained in opposition to the intention of those who made it, and to His who is the supreme proprietor of every thing, and who has filled the world with plenteousness, for the sustentation and comfort of ALL he sends into it"." (7.) Secondly: the poor have a sacred claim to relief, founded on divine revelation. In the institutions of the Jewish legislator, which, as Montesquieu somewhere observes, were to the 'Locke, Treatise on Government, book ii. p. 311. 2 Blackstone, Commentaries, book i. ch. i. p. 131. 3 Paley, Moral and Polit. Philosophy, book iii. chap. v. p 154. Israelites positive laws, though we read them only as precepts, the legal provision for the poor holds a most conspicuous place, and has, probably, been the foundation of all similar institutions throughout Christendom. The tithe of every third year, stored for the purpose'; the remnant of the crops of every year (fixed at one-sixtieth part 2); the share of the entire produce of every seventh year, independently of sundry other benevolent ordinances, of much importance, made in their behalf,-formed a provision for the poor of Israel which has as yet never been equalled in any country of the world. On the lowest possible computation, were that institution transferred to England, it would treble the amount now raised amongst us. And this ample provision was carried into effect and penally enforced. Besides all this, it ought to be remembered that the fundamental institutions of the Theocracy, such as the minute division of property, and its restoration to the original owners, or their descendants, every fiftieth year, preserved, perhaps, a vaster mass of the population in equal and easy circumstances than was ever the case with any other people. The learned Selden has written on the provision for the poor of Israel, and to him I must refer for further information on this interesting subject. I shall not, however, omit confronting by this divine institution a modern objection to our own poor laws, and certainly the most absurd, notwithstanding its prevalence, of any that has hitherto been advanced. It is now 1 Deut. xv. 28. Tobit, i. 8. Josephus, p. 349. said that a public provision for the poor is totally subversive of the very principle and nature of charity. Such might as well affirm that the voluntary fulfilment of those other duties of social or public life, which happen to be recognised and enjoined by law (and they are many), likewise loses all its value. But to the point. Is not voluntary charity connected with this public provision for the poor, in these sacred records? Let those who doubt it, turn to the laws and exhortations of Moses and the prophets, and they will soon be satisfied on this head. Notwithstanding the legal relief prescribed, still the duty of personal charity, the liberality with which it should be dispensed, and the generous feelings with which its exercise was to be accompanied, are solemnly dictated : "Thou shalt surely give him; and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land. Therefore, I command thee saying; Thou shalt open thine hand wide, to thy brother, to thy poor, and thy needy in the land," (Deut. xv. 10, 11). I cannot refrain from going further into the subject, as it respects the institutions of Moses. We have seen that the right of the poor and their business to be where they were are there fully recognised: even the term itself is sanctioned in holy writ. And only suppose that the Deity has the same merciful consideration for an Irishman as for an Israelite, and then some of the passages may, perhaps, be found striking. GOD is represented there as the bestower of this right, "Behold, GOD is mighty, and despiseth not any; he is mighty in strength and wisdom: he giveth RIGHT1 to the poor," (Job, xxxvi. 5, 6.) As the upholder of it; 66 The Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the RIGHT of the poor," (Ps. cxl. 12.) As its awful vindicator: "Woe unto them that take away the RIGHT of the poor:" (Isa. x. 2.) The foundation of this right is furthermore revealed to us; and an awful and unalienable one it is! "The land is MINE, and ye are the the strangers and sojourners with me!" (Lev. xxv. 23.) On the sufficiency of Divine Providence: "Thou, O GOD, hast prepared of thy bounty for the poor!" (Ps. lxviii. 10.) On the feelings of human kindred: “Thy poor brother!" (Deut. xv. 7.) On respect for human misery: "Thou shalt not vex him; thou shalt surely give him!" (Deut. xv.) On the vicissitudes of human life: "Love ye therefore the strangers, for ye were strangers!" (Deut. x. 19.) On the grateful remembrance of past mercies: “It shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless and the widow; and thou shalt remember that thou wert a bondman in the land of Egypt:" (Deut. xxiv. 21, 22.) On the certain prospect of human suffering: "Blessed be the man that considereth the poor and needy: the Lord will deliver him in his time of trouble; will preserve; will comfort; will strengthen him, when he lieth sick upon his bed," (Ps. xli. 1-3.) It is guaranteed by the promises of God: "For this thing the Lord thy GOD will bless thee:" (Deut. xv. 10.) By 'That no false gloss is put upon the term RIGHT, see Schulteus, one of the most learned Hebraists of modern times, on Proverbs, iii. 27, p. 25. his denunciations: "If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows and your children fatherless!" (Exod. xxii. 23, 24.) It is further represented as a right, for the neglect of which the observance of no other duties, however sacred, will atone: "Incense is an abomination to me! Relieve the oppressed; judge the fatherless; plead for the widow!" (Isa. 1. 13, 17.) "Is not this the fast that I have chosen ?-to deal thy bread to the hungry! and that thou bring the poor that are cast out, to thy house! when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh!" (Isa. lviii. 6, 7.) And lastly, and above all, the Deity has connected this right of the poor with the highest and most distinguished attributes of His nature, and placed His pity for them amongst His brightest perfections and sublimest titles. "Sing unto God, sing praises to his name, extol him that rideth upon the heavens, by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.A father to the fatherless, a judge of the widows, is GOD, in his holy habitation," (Ps. lxviii. 4, 5.) Hear Moses's last, sublime description of him: "The Lord your GOD is GOD of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty and a terrible! He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger in giving him food and raiment! Love ye therefore the strangers Institutions like these, and so guaranteed, had doubtless a wonderful effect on the people on whom they were imposed. We are told, now, that this |