Itwasnaturalthatmanymindssearchingafterawayofescapefromthe
　　growingdistressofthelabourers，atatimewhenwageshadnotkeptpace
　　withprices，shouldhaveturnedtothedeviceofassessingwagesbylawin
　　accordancewiththepriceofprovisions。Ifpricescouldnotbeassimilated
　　towages，couldnotwagesbeassimilatedtoprices？NathanielKent，nowild
　　visionary，hadurgedemployerstoraisewagesinproportiontotheincrease
　　oftheirprofits，buthisappealhadbeenwithouteffect。Butthepolicy
　　ofregulatingwagesaccordingtothepriceoffoodwasrecommendedinseveral
　　quarters，anditprovokedagreatdealofdiscussion。Burke，whosedayswere
　　closingin，wastemptedtotakepartinit，andheputanadvertisementinto
　　thepapersannouncingthathewasabouttopublishaseriesofletterson
　　thesubject。Thelettersneverappeared，butArthurYounghasdescribedthe
　　visithepaidtoBeaconsfieldatthistimeandBurke’sramblingthunderabout
　　’theabsurdityofregulatinglabourandthemischiefofourpoorlaws，’and
　　Burke’spublishedworksincludeapaperThoughtsanddetailsonScarcity，
　　presentedtoPittinNovember1795。InthispaperBurkearguedthatthefarmer
　　wasthetrueguardianofthelabourer’sinterest，inthatitwouldnever
　　beprofitabletohimtounderpaythelabourer：anuncompromisingapplication
　　ofthetheoryoftheeconomicman，whichwasnotlesssuperficialthanthe
　　Jacobins’applicationofthetheoryofthenaturalman。
　　InOctober1795ArthurYoungsentouttothevariouscorrespondentsof
　　theBoardofAgricultureacircularlettercontainingthisquestionamong
　　others：’Ithavingbeenrecommendedbyvariousquarter-sessions，thatthe
　　priceoflabourshouldberegulatedbythatofbreadcorn，havethegoodness
　　tostatewhatyouconceivetobetheadvantagesordisadvantagesofsuch
　　asystem？’55*ArthurYoungwashimselfinfavouroftheproposal，andthe
　　Suffolkmagistrates，atameetingwhichheattendedonthe12thofOctober，
　　ordered：’ThattheMembersforthiscountyberequestedbythechairmanto
　　bringabillintoparliament，sotoregulatethepriceoflabour，thatit
　　mayfluctuatewiththeaveragepriceofbreadcorn。’56*Mostofthereplies
　　wereadverse，buttheproposalfoundawarmfriendinMr。Howlett，theVicar
　　ofDunmow，whoputintohisanswersomeoftheargumentswhichheinreply
　　toafterwardsdevelopedinapamphletpublished。Pitt’scriticismsofWhitbread’s
　　Bill。57*HowlettarguedthatParliamenthadlegislatedwithsuccessto
　　preventcombinationsofworkmen，andasanexamplehequotedtheActsof
　　8GeorgeIII，whichhadmadethewagesoftailorsandsilkweaverssubject
　　totheregulationsofthemagistrates。Itwasjustasnecessaryandjust
　　aspracticabletopreventacombinationofadifferentkind，thatofmasters。
　　’Notacombinationindeedformallydrawnupinwritingandsanctionedunder
　　handandseal，acombination，however，ascertaintheresultofcontingencies
　　orprovidentialeventsandasfatallyefficaciousasifinwritingithad
　　filledfivehundredskinsofparchment：acombinationwhichhasoperated
　　formanyyearswithaforcerapidlyincreasing，acombinationwhichhaskept
　　backthehireofourlabourerswhohavereapeddownourfields，andhasat
　　lengthtorntheclothesfromtheirbacks，snatchedthefoodfromtheirmouths，
　　andgroundthefleshfromtheirbones。’Howlett，itwillbeseen，tookthe
　　sameviewasThelwall，thatthepositionofthelabourerswasdeteriorating
　　absolutelyandrelatively。HeestimatedfromasurveytakenatDunmowthat
　　theaveragefamilyshouldbetakenasfive；ifwageshadbeenregulatedon
　　thisbasis，andthelabourerhadbeengivenperheadnomorethanthecost
　　ofapauper’skeepintheworkhousesixtyyearsago，hewouldhavebeenvery
　　muchbetteroffin1795。Hewouldhimselftakeahigherstandard。Inreply
　　totheargumentthatthepolicyoftheminimumwagewoulddeprivethelabourers
　　ofallspurandincentivehepointedtothecaseoftheLondontailors；they
　　atanyratedisplayedplentyoflifeandingenuity，andnobodycouldsay
　　thattheLondonfashionsdidnotchangefastenough。Employerswouldnomore
　　raisewageswithoutcompulsionthantheywouldmakegoodroadswithoutthe
　　aidofturnpikesortheprescriptionofstatutesenforcedbythemagistrates。
　　Hismostoriginalcontributiontothediscussionwastheargumentthatthe
　　legalregulationshouldnotbelefttotheunassistedjudgmentofthemagistrates：
　　’itshouldbetheresultoftheclearest，fullest，andmostaccurateinformation，
　　andatlengthbejudiciouslyadaptedtoeachcounty，hundred，ordistrict
　　ineveryquarterofthekingdom。’Howlettdifferedfromsomeofthesupporters
　　ofaminimumwage，inthinkingthatwagesshouldberegulatedbytheprices
　　ofthenecessariesoflife，notmerelybythatofbreadcorn。
　　ThesamepolicywasadvocatedbyDaviesinTheCaseofLabourersin
　　Husbandry。58*Daviesarguedthatiftheminimumonlywerefixed，emulation
　　wouldnotbediscouraged，forbetterworkmenwouldbothbemoresureofemployment
　　andalsoobtainhigherwages。Hesuggestedthattheminimumwageshouldbe
　　fixedbycalculatingthesumnecessarytomaintainafamilyoffive，orby
　　settlingthescaleofdaywagesbythepriceofbreadalone，treatingthe
　　otherexpensesastolerablysteady。Hedidnotproposetoregulatethewages
　　ofanybutdaylabourers，nordidheproposetodealwithpiecework，although
　　pieceworkhadbeenincludedintheActofElizabeth。Hefurthersuggested
　　thattheregulationshouldbeinforceonlyforhalftheyear，fromNovember
　　toMay，whenthelabourers’difficultiespressedhardestuponthem。Unfortunately
　　hecoupledwithhisminimumwagepolicyaproposaltogivehelpfromthe
　　ratestofamilieswithmorethanfivemembers，ifthechildrenwereunable
　　toearn。
　　Butthemostinterestingofallthedeclarationsinfavourofaminimum
　　wagewasadeclarationfromlabourers。Acorrespondentsentthefollowing
　　advertisementtotheAnnalsofAgriculture：——
　　’ThefollowingisanadvertisementwhichIcutoutofaNorwichnewspaper：
　　AtanumerousmeetingofthedaylabourersofthelittleparishesofHeacham，
　　Snettisham，andSedgford，thisday，5thNovember，intheparishchurchof
　　Heacham，inthecountyofNorfolk，inordertotakeintoconsiderationthe
　　bestandmostpeaceablemodeofobtainingaredressofallthesevereand
　　peculiarhardshipsunderwhichtheyhaveformanyyearssopatientlysuffered，
　　thefollowingresolutionswereunanimouslyagreedto：——1st，That——The
　　labourerisworthyofhishire，andthatthemodeoflesseninghisdistresses，
　　ashathbeenlatelythefashion，bysellinghimflourunderthemarketprice，
　　andtherebyrenderinghimanobjectofaparishrate，isnotonlyanindecent
　　insultonhislowlyandhumblesituationinitselfsufficientlymortifying
　　fromhisdegradingdependenceonthecapriceofhisemployerbutafallacious
　　modeofrelief，andeverywayinadequatetoaradicalredressofthemanifold
　　distressesofhiscalamitousstate。2nd，Thatthepriceoflabourshould，
　　atalltimes，beproportionedtothepriceofwheat，whichshouldinvariably
　　beregulatedbytheaveragepriceofthatnecessaryarticleoflife；and
　　thatthepriceoflabour，asspecifiedintheannexedplan，isnotonlywell
　　calculatedtomakethelabourerhappywithoutbeinginjurioustothefarmer，
　　butitappearstoustheonlyrationalmeansofsecuringthepermanenthappiness
　　ofthisvaluableandusefulclassofmen，and，ifadoptedinitsfullextent，
　　willhaveanimmediateandpowerfuleffectinreducing，ifitdoesnotentirely
　　annihilate，thatdisgracefulandenormoustaxonthepublic——thePOORRATE。
　　“PlanofthePriceofLabourproportionatetothePriceofWheatperlast。perday。
　　Whenwheatshallbe14l。thepriceoflabourshallbe1s。2d。
　　Andsoon，accordingtothisproportion。
　　“3rd，Thatapetitiontoparliamenttoregulatethepriceoflabour，
　　conformabletotheaboveplan，beimmediatelyadopted；andthatthedaylabourers
　　throughoutthecountybeinvitedtoassociateandco-operateinthisnecessary
　　applicationtoparliament，asapeaceable，legal，andprobablemodeofobtaining
　　relief；and，indoingthis，notimeshouldbelost，asthepetitionmust
　　bepresentedbeforethe29thJanuary1796。
　　“4th，Thatoneshillingshallbepaidintothehandsofthetreasurer
　　byeverylabourer，inordertodefraytheexpencesofadvertising，attending
　　onmeetings，andpayingcounseltosupporttheirpetitioninparliament。
　　“5th，Thatassoonasthesenseofthedaylabourersofthiscounty，
　　oramajorityofthem，shallbemadeknowntotheclerkofthemeeting，a
　　generalmeetingshallbeappointed，insomecentraltown，inordertoagree
　　uponthebestandeasiestmodeofgettingthepetitionsigned：whenitwill
　　berequestedthatonelabourer，properlyinstructed，maybedeputedtorepresent
　　twoorthreecontiguousparishes，andtoattendtheaboveintendedmeeting
　　withalistofallthelabourersintheparishesheshallrepresent，and
　　paytheirrespectivesubscriptions；andthatthelabourer，sodeputed，shall
　　beallowedtwoshillingsandsixpenceadayforhistime，andtwoshillings
　　andsixpenceadayforhisexpences。
　　“6th，ThatAdamMoore，clerkofthemeeting，bedirectedtohave
　　theaboveresolutions，withthenamesofthefarmersandlabourerswhohave
　　subscribedtoandapprovedthem，advertisedinoneNorwichandoneLondon
　　Raper；whenitishopedthattheaboveplanofapetitiontoparliamentwill
　　notonlybeapprovedandimmediatelyadoptedbythedaylabourersofthis
　　county，butbythedaylabourersofeverycountyinthekingdom。
　　“7th，Thatallletters，postpaid，addressedtoAdamMoore，labourer，
　　atHeacham，nearLynn，Norfolk，willbedulynoticed。”59*
　　Thisisoneofthemostinterestingandinstructivedocumentsofthetime。
　　Itshowsthatthelabourers，whosesteadydeclineduringthenextthirty
　　yearsweareabouttotrace，wereanimatedbyasenseofdignityandindependence。
　　Somethingoftheoldspiritofthecommonersstillsurvived。Butthereis
　　nosequeltothisincident。Thisgreatschemeofalabourers’organisation
　　vanishes：itpasseslikeaflashofsummerlightning。Whatistheexplanation？
　　Theansweristobefound，wesuspect，intheTreasonandSeditionActsthat
　　PittwascarryingthroughParliamentinthisverymonth。UnderthoseActs
　　nolanguageofcriticismwassafe，andfiftypersonscouldnotmeetexcept
　　inthepresenceofamagistrate，whohadpowertoextinguishthemeeting
　　andarrestthespeaker。Thosemeasuresinflictedevenwiderinjuryuponthe
　　nationthanFoxandSheridanandErskinethemselvesbelieved。
　　ThepolicyofaminimumwagewasbroughtbeforeParliamentinthewinter
　　of1795，inaBillintroducedbySamuelWhitbread，oneofthesmallband
　　ofbraveLiberalswhohadstoodbyFoxthroughtherevolutionarypanic。Whitbread
　　isapoliticiantowhomhistoryhasdonelessthanjustice，andheisgenerally
　　knownonlyasanimplacableopponentofthePeninsularWar。Thatopposition
　　hecontrivedtoconduct，asweknowfromtheCreeveyPapers，insuchaway
　　astowinandkeeptherespectofWellington。Whitbread’sdisapprovalof
　　thatwar，ofwhichLiberalslikeHollandandLordJohnRussell，whotook
　　Fox’sviewofthedifferenceoffightingrevolutionsbytheaidofkings
　　andfightingNapoleonbytheaidofpeoples，werestrongsupporters，sprang
　　fromhiscompassionforthemiseriesoftheEnglishpoor。Hismostnotable
　　qualitywashisvividandenergeticsympathy；hespenthislifeinhopeless
　　battles，andhediedbyhisownhandofpublicdespair。TheBillhenowintroduced
　　wasthefirstofaseriesofproposalsdesignedfortherescueoftheagricultural