Over-population and its remedy, or, an inquiry into the extent and causes of the distress prevailing among the labouring classes of the British Islands, and into the means of remedying it / By William Thomas Thornton.

  • Thornton, William Thomas, 1813-1880.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Over-population and its remedy, or, an inquiry into the extent and causes of the distress prevailing among the labouring classes of the British Islands, and into the means of remedying it / By William Thomas Thornton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    CHAPTEE III. EVIDENCES OF OVEE-POPULATION IN SCOTLAND AND IRELAND. Small Amount of official Pauperism in Scotland. — Thriving Condition of the Peasantry of the Lowlands. — Destitution and Distress in the Highlands — in Sutherland — on the Western Coasts — in the Hebrides. — Munificence of the late Duchess of Sutherland and others. — General Neglect of their Tenantry by Highland Proprietors.—Privations of Highland Immigrants in G-lasgow.— General Condition of the labouring Classes in Scotch Towns. — Partial Character of Over- population in Scotland. — Ireland. — Importance of tlie Information obtained at the last Census. — Striking Contrast in the Distribution of the Population in Great Britain and in Ireland. — Notoriety of the Misery of the latter Island — Description of it by Irish Railway Commissioners.— Com- parative Prosperity of Ulster. — Insufiiciency of Employment in that Province. — Wretchedness of Donegal. — Little De- mand for Labour in Leinster. — Desperate Expedients for a Livelihood resorted to by the People. — Particulars of the Sufferings endured by them. — Similar Particulars respecting Munster. — Unparalleled Misery of Connaught.— Condition of Labourers in Irish Towns. — Small Alleviation of Irish Misery effected by the Establishment of a Poor Law Page 70 CHAPTER IV. CAUSES or OVEK-POPULATION IN GENERAL. Decrease in the Demand for Labour. — Excessive Augmentation of the Numbers of a Community. — Propensity of Mankind to multiply too rapidly. — Motives for restraining this Pro- pensity. — Influence of such Motives upon People in easy Circumstances. — Their utter Inefiicacy among the very Poor. — Tendency of Misery to promote Population. — Illus- trations of the Theory proposed — Structure of Society among pastoral Nations. — Gradual Conversion of the Poor of such Communities into agricultural Serfs. — Pliysical