ct a building sufficiently large to allow of the given
quantity of space to each and every child in the parish. Matters
like these have convinced the residents in rural districts that the
Act was framed without any consideration of their peculiar position,
and they naturally feel repugnant to its introduction amongst them,
and decline to make it in any way a foundation of village
organization. The Act regulating the age at which children may be
employed in agriculture was also an extension of an original Act,
passed to protect the interest of children in cities and
manufacturing districts. There is no objection to the Act except
that it is a dead-letter. How many prosecutions have taken place
under it? No one ever hears of anything of the kind, and probably no
one ever will. The fact is, that since the universal use of
machinery there is not so ready an employment for boys and children
of that tender age as formerly. They are not by any means so
greatly in demand, neither do they pay so well, on account of the
much larger wages they now ask for. In addition, the farmers are
strongly in favour of the education of their labourers' children,
and place every facility in the way of those attending school. In
many parishes a very strong moral pressure is voluntarily put upon
the labouring poor to induce them to send their children, and the
labouring poor themselves have awakened in a measure to the
advantages of education. The Act, therefore, is practically a
dead-letter, and bears no influence upon village life. These two
Acts, and the alteration of the law relating to sanitary matters--by
which the Guardians of the Poor become the rural sanitary
authority--are the only legislation of modern days that goes direct
to the heart of rural districts. The rural sanitary authority
possesses great powers, but rarely exercises them. The constitution
of that body forbids an active supervision. It is made up of one or
two gentlemen from each parish, who are generally elected to that
office without any contest, and simply because their brother farmers
feel confidence in their judgment. The principal objects to which
their attention is directed while at the board is to see that no
unnecessary expenditure is permitted, so as to keep the rates at the
lowest possible figure, and to state all they know of the conduct
and position of the poor of their own parishes who apply for relief,
in which latter matter they afford the most valuable assi