Another and no inconfiderable corruption to which our inhabitants
of the lower eld's are fubje<9:, may in part be attributed to the lame
caufe (I mean their occupation), but can neither hejuftified by that, or
any other plea; that is* fpending much time and money in publick-
houfes, which defrauds the mafter of the labour he pays for, deprives
the family o f that fubfiftence which is their natural right; but above
aU, prompts the tipler to cheat and overcharge, not to lay fteal, in order
to pay for the excefles he has been guilty of. I f thefe extravagancies
were only committed by thole who had wherewithal to pay
for them, the vice of exceffive drinking would not be altogether fo
lhameful ;_but the misfortune is, that the pooreft working-tinner
(ball be credited by the ale-drawer till his account becomes conli-
derable, then perfecuted by bailiffs till he pays cofts as well as
feores. There is no part of England which has more reafon to
complain of this kind of debauchery than Cornwall, and I have
heard it hinted, with lome Ihew of reafon, that fence the prefent,
laws againft drinking to excels are ineffedual, add the nature of a
tinner’s employ fccretes him from his mailer’s eye, ’tis great pity
that lome farther reftraints Ihould not be laid upon the keepers ,of
publick-houfes, and retailers of Ipirituous liquors, who might de-
lervedly be rellrained by law from filing any man, who had neither
freehold or leale eftate, for any film exceeding one' or two Ihillings,
and not be at liberty even to fine for that but before a jufiice of the
peace, or after the Ipace o f fix months from the contra&ion of the
debt. This would prevent the idle from {pending what they have
not; for i f they had no credit, the ready-money they get comes in
feldom, and mull go in neceflaiies, and confequently would not
be iuificient for the purpofes of idlenels. However that may be,
this is certain, that to credit a poor labourer for fuperfluities, much
more for exceffive drinking, is to encourage and tempt him to
negledt and tranlgrefs every ferious duty of life.
Nor does this low luxury and great evil prevail only in the mining
part of the county, but in towns and villages, which finely :is to be
attributed to the prefent too general (but it is to be hoped Ihort-
lived) corruption of our boroughs at the electing Members of Parliament.
This fatal, infamous traffic begins with intemperance and
riot; thefe diffipate every generous fentiment of freedom, love of
our country, and inclination to indullry: Venality .naturally lue-
ceeds, and is followed by extravagance and idlenefs; thefe by poverty,
and poverty ( fitch is the round!) by abandoning themfelves
to intemperance, again on the firll opportunity, and repeating the
bafeil proftitution of the highell privilege. A corruption this both
o f principle and practice, of patriotifm and morality, infelling more
counties than one; but fo much the more to be lamented in.
Cornwall,
Cornwall, as- this County <has, lo much a greater number of boroughs
than any in Great Britain;' and fends as Inany almoft-as the kingdom
o f "Scotland ififelf w . However, the fyhol'e difgmee, of this iniquity
fcannot reft upon my Countrymen. It is the much to be lamented
vice of the nation,»and notifgpfiried'-'to' the;, vulgaf the part of the
corrupted is -indeed moffl^atpcful, (for Id the ,worlc| will have it)
byt that of the?' eOrrupterfis at lealf equally* guilty and' royght ;to
lhare ;Our detestation.
■. ' And now I am engaged itt.thisffirfjjefty. it- will: not be foreign .tQSEcV.xv.
the Hilto^yif of Cornwall, C.to enquire into the 1 original -(aftthis fpwhyCom-
miuich envied 'privi!eg^»hif fending' a great number of reprefentatiyes-^/,^-
to: the Houfe -of Commons, froniofo frrtall | a n d ? feOmftof par~
iOughs moltly lo inconfiderable as to .trade, ^inhabitants,, and^very
thing thatfcan entitle ^places to diftindtionwhilll jfeyeral .towns in
England, much fuperior in all relpe'fis x, have.nevbr been* admitted
to the' fefee Honour. ri’j
. This;^%eminence of our'county isl.nqt aneientf From the 23d
o f Edward. I. live boroughstohly,'. r(jviz.,Lancefton, Lilkerd, Tfur%
Bodman, and Helllori) fent ,twomembers .each; and^the: county
two. Lollwythyel has held the. fitoetpriyile g O F.d-
ward II. and, lent.two members onGevbefore,^^z,.^ip.;^th&vig3d of
Edward I r. Thefe are our only f fix ancient bqroujxhs,-arid; fifre number
was neither diminilhed nor increafed, till th^^thipf Edward V I.
eieeptingtonly in one • inllance, which lhall • ifextaken .nPfifP of in
At this time (viz; in -the latter end o f ; the; reigniof’ Edward VI.)
feven other boroughs j/vi%^ Scdtafii
Trindagel) Michel, and Newport, (were permitted to * fend/ up two
members each.
In the firll of Mary, Penryn, and in the fourth arid'fifth o f the
fame reign, St. Ives, had the like .privilege, h
In the firll of Elizabeth Tregetiyiwas admitted; in jh p fifth St.
Germans and St. Maw's, in the :13th Eaji-Loo and JF^y/and in
the 27th of that reign GaUington, making up:the number of tvveji^
one boroughs, which with the county return to parliament forty*
four members.
Thi^eafon of this modern ^addition to the boroughs*1of this
county, may I think bell appear from confidering that the dutcliy
of Gornwa||&( then fiSthe croivn and oftner lo than feparated from
w Cornwall fends-forty four members to parlia- Burton ,upon Trent, Leeds and others,
ment, and Scotland fortk five. . — ' •
* Sherborne, Manchefter, Birmingham, B |K f .37, otc.
m k from