Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

or impious to resort to them? Is it impious to use the mechanical powers? Is it impious to whisk up that truck of coal at the ship-side with the steamcrane, tumble its contents in half a minute into the hold, and save human bone and muscle hours of exhausting labour? Sickness is a dispensation of Providence is it impious to take medicine? The fact is, it is an act and duty of piety to avail ourselves of all lawful means of lightening the burdens of life, and to be ever trying to find out those which are not already known. True, we are to "be content with such things as we have ;" that is, we must not grumble, nor get soured, nor envious, even when we are much oppressed; but, at the same time, we may, we must use all lawful methods for bettering our condition, even in a temporal point of view. We believe this to be not merely a permissive, but an imperative law of our being. It is an utterly false humility that spares any kind of preventible evil. It is a duty to God, to ourselves, to our children, and to society, to get rid, as far as we can, of all that hurts and destroys. We wish, in this spirit, to encourage working men to seek for better days. We wish them to aim at more comfort, less work, better houses, better education, higher social standing. We don't wish to make them dissatisfied, or to awaken or inflame their jealousy towards those

who are better off. We don't wish to see them in such luxury as shall tempt them to forget that they are but "strangers and pilgrims here." We don't wish their life so changed as that it shall no longer furnish that noble spur to industry, and that inestimable training in habits of self-denial and regularity, which are among the highest fruits of a life of labour. What we desire is to point them to ways and methods of lightening and brightening labour, or of increasing the strength to bear it, which God has provided for them, but of whose existence many of them are ignorant. As the angel showed Hagar the well in the wilderness, so would we point out to working men wells, both temporal and spiritual, that may refresh their spirits amid their daily toils. We are stimulated to this, not only by the hope of benefiting by far the most numerous class of the community; but also by the belief, that in proportion as we succeed, we shall be furnishing them with fresh proofs of God's love and care, and calling forth, we trust, from them, fresh tributes to Him of gratitude and trust.

For one who unfurls to the working classes the banner "Excelsior," it is a great matter to be able to remind them, that in this country, for centuries past, the tide on the whole has been running in their favour. In the early period of our history they

were slaves or serfs, and the struggles of emancipation were long and hard. Even since the Reforma tion, it is not easy to describe the progress that has been made by them in the comforts of life, nor the contrast which, with all our deficiencies, the social state of our country to-day presents to the "good old times." In the beginning of the sixteenth century, the houses of the common people in England, like some yet to be seen in parts of Ireland and the Highlands, were built of mud and wood, thatched with straw, and consisted of one room, with nochimney, but only an opening in the roof. The utensils were mostly of wood; glass was scarce, and pottery almost unknown. The bedding consisted of straw pallets, or rough mats, covered only by a sheet and coarse coverlet, with a good round log instead of a bolster or pillow. The food of labourers and workmen was horse corn, beans, pease, oats, tares, and lentils. In the early reign of Henry VIII., it has been said that not a cabbage, carrot, turnip, or other edible root grew in England. Pins were not introduced from France to England till 1543, previous to which even royal ladies had to use ribbons, clasps, and skewers of brass, silver, gold, ivory, bone, or wood. In the seventeenth century, the state of the country was still very backward. As Lord Macaulay has shown, in the first volume of his History, the

wages of operatives were not then more than half what they are now. In 1680, a member of the House of Commons complained, that owing to the high wages paid to our mechanics, this country was unable to compete with the looms of India; instead of slaving all day, like the natives of Bengal, for a piece of copper, our operatives demanded the enormous sum of one shilling a day! In the time of Charles II., the weavers of Norwich and Leeds complained that they could not earn more than sixpence a day—all that they wished being a shilling. Agricultural labourers had, on an average, in England not more than five shillings a week, and in Scotland, which was a poorer country, they had less. Children were put out to labour as soon as they could earn a penny-in some cases so early as at the age of six. The necessaries of life were not cheaper than now. In 1661, the price of wheat was seventy shillings a quarter, consequently wheat bread was almost unknown at the table of operatives. Animal food was indeed cheaper, but too dear for the working classes. Tropical and manufactured goods cost more money than now; so did salt, sugar, coals, candles, soap, shoes, stockings, and most other kinds of clothing; and the clothing was not only dearer, but of less durable quality.

Even during the present century, the condition of

the labouring classes has made a decided advance. In the year 1800, the wages of a good mason in London are stated to have been but sixteen shillings a week; now they are upwards of thirty. In Manchester and neighbouring towns during the last twenty years. wages have increased in almost every department, while the period of labour has decreased. In the cotton manufacture, for example, the average increase of wages (before the derangement of the cotton famine) had been about twenty per cent., and the decrease of time employed in working had been nine hours a week. In the iron districts, the increase of pay has been still greater. From a statement of wages paid in a large iron manufactory in the north of England, it has been shown by Mr. Smiles, that in very favourable times, “rail-rollers" are able to earn a rate of daily pay equal to that of lieutenant-colonels in her Majesty's foot-guards ; shinglers" equal to that of majors of foot; and furnacemen" equal to that of lieutenants and adjutants. These instances of increase are no doubt the most striking to be found; and there are some employments in which no increase at all has taken place. Some of the necessaries of life cost more money now than then; but owing to the reduction of taxes, and the smaller cost of producing manufactured goods, many of them are cheaper. So far

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »