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THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MANKIND. [Part III.

means of which we can avail ourselves, to recover him from hisruin. Above all, we ought never to lose our interest in hischildren.

5. The administration of alms by a system of poor-laws re-mains to be discussed, and is too important to be omitted. Thegreat danger of systematic and established provisions for thfe reliefof the poor, in the form of poor-laws, consists in their tendencyto deprave the poor , and thus indefinitely to extend and perpetu-ate pauperism.

The history of such establishments, is full of solemn admoni-tion on these dangers. The Reports, recently published in Eng-land, upon the poor-laws and their effects, enable us fully to un-derstand this subject. They show, that, from the beginning andconstantly, these laws have operated upon very many, as lures toseek support by alms, rather than by labor. Where there is littleor no sense of character, or sense of shatne, to deter from willingdependence, the temptations to it need not be great. Humanwants are divine provisions for human exertions ; and, whereability is possessed, and opportunity is had, for the exertions bywhich self-support may be obtained, it is the will of God, thatman should provide for his own subsistence. Yet many are, andever have been, disposed to live with as little labor and self-denial as possible. Many are industrious, economical, and care-ful for the future, only as they are compelled to be so by theabsolute necessity of their condition. They are always ready toavail themselves of any circumstances, by which they can liveupon easier terms than daily forethought, care, and toil. Thefact stands out in bold relief, and for solemn admonition, that es-tablished provisions for the support of the poor have never failedto obtain claimants, to any extent to which such provisions havebeen made. And not only so, but the relief thus given has beenreceived, not as alms, but as the proportion due to the receiverfrom a recognised common stock.

As yet we see these results but to a comparatively small extentin our own country. The facilities for employment and supporteverywhere among us are so many and great, and our popula-tion is as yet so little crowded, compared with that of Europe,that demands of this kind may be resisted here, as they cannot be