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ThemodestproposalItisamelancholyobjecttothosewhowalkthroughthisgreattownortravelinthecountry,whentheyseethestreets,theroads,andcabindoors,crowdedwithbeggarsofthefemalesex,followedbythree,four,orsixchildren,allinragsandimportuningeverypassengerforanalms.Thesemothers,insteadofbeingabletoworkfortheirhonestlivelihood,areforcedtoemployalltheirtimeinstrollingtobegsustenancefortheirhelplessinfants:whoastheygrowupeitherturnthievesforwantofwork,orleavetheirdearnativecountrytofightforthePretenderinSpain,orsellthemselvestotheBarbadoes.Ithinkitisagreedbyallpartiesthatthisprodigiousnumberofchildreninthearms,oronthebacks,orattheheelsoftheirmothers,andfrequentlyoftheirfathers,isinthepresentdeplorablestateofthekingdomaverygreatadditionalgrievance;and,therefore,whoevercouldfindoutafair,cheap,andeasymethodofmakingthesechildrensound,usefulmembersofthecommonwealth,woulddeservesowellofthepublicastohavehisstatuesetupforapreserverofthenation.Butmyintentionisveryfarfrombeingconfinedtoprovideonlyforthechildrenofprofessedbeggars;itisofamuchgreaterextent,andshalltakeinthewholenumberofinfantsatacertainagewhoarebornofparentsineffectaslittleabletosupportthemasthosewhodemandourcharityinthestreets.”IhavebeenassuredbyaveryknowingAmericanofmyacquaintanceinLondon,thatayounghealthychildwellnursedisatayearoldamostdelicious,nourishing,andwholesomefood,whetherstewed,roasted,baked,orboiled...”Astomyownpart,havingturnedmythoughtsformanyyearsuponthisimportantsubject,andmaturelyweighedtheseveralschemesofotherprojectors,Ihavealwaysfoundthemgrosslymistakeninthecomputation.Itistrue,achildjustdroppedfromitsdammaybesupportedbyhermilkforasolaryear,withlittleothernourishment;atmostnotabovethevalueof2s.,whichthemothermaycertainlyget,orthevalueinscraps,byherlawfuloccupationofbegging;anditisexactlyatoneyearoldthatIproposetoprovidefortheminsuchamannerasinsteadofbeingachargeupontheirparentsortheparish,orwantingfoodandraimentfortherestoftheirlives,theyshallonthecontrarycontributetothefeeding,andpartlytotheclothing,ofmanythousands.Thereislikewiseanothergreatadvantageinmyscheme,thatitwillpreventthosevoluntaryabortions,andthathorridpracticeofwomenmurderingtheirbastardchildren,alas!toofrequentamongus!sacrificingthepoorinnocentbabesIdoubtmoretoavoidtheexpensethantheshame,whichwouldmovetearsandpityinthemostsavageandinhumanbreast.Thenumberofsoulsinthiskingdombeingusuallyreckonedonemillionandahalf,oftheseIcalculatetheremaybeabouttwohundredthousandcouplewhosewivesarebreeders;fromwhichnumberIsubtractthirtythousandcoupleswhoareabletomaintaintheirownchildren,althoughIapprehendtherecannotbesomany,underthepresentdistressesofthekingdom;butthisbeinggranted,therewillremainanhundredandseventythousandbreeders.Iagainsubtractfiftythousandforthosewomenwhomiscarry,orwhosechildrendiebyaccidentordiseasewithintheyear.Thereonlyremainsonehundredandtwentythousandchildrenofpoorparentsannuallyborn.Thequestionthereforeis,howthisnumbershallberearedandprovidedfor,which,asIhavealreadysaid,underthepresentsituationofaffairs,isutterlyimpossiblebyallthemethodshithertoproposed.Forwecanneitheremploytheminhandicraftoragriculture;weneitherbuildhouses(Imeaninthecountry)norcultivateland:theycanveryseldompickupalivelihoodbystealing,tilltheyarriveatsixyearsold,exceptwheretheyareoftowardlyparts,althoughIconfesstheylearntherudimentsmuchearlier,duringwhichtime,theycanhoweverbeproperlylookedupononlyasprobationers,asIhavebeeninformedbyaprincipalgentlemaninthecountyofCavan,whoprotestedtomethatheneverknewaboveoneortwoinstancesundertheageofsix,eveninapartofthekingdomsorenownedforthequickestproficiencyinthatart.Iamassuredbyourmerchants,thataboyoragirlbeforetwelveyearsoldisnosalablecommodity;andevenwhentheycometothisagetheywillnotyieldabovethreepounds,orthreepoundsandhalf-a-crownatmostontheexchange;whichcannotturntoaccounteithertotheparentsorkingdom,thechargeofnutrimentandragshavingbeenatleastfourtimesthatvalue.Ishallnowthereforehumblyproposemyownthoughts,whichIhopewillnotbeliabletotheleastobjection.IhavebeenassuredbyaveryknowingAmericanofmyacquaintanceinLondon,thatayounghealthychildwellnursedisatayearoldamostdelicious,nourishing,andwholesomefood,whetherstewed,roasted,baked,orboiled;andImakenodoubtthatitwillequallyserveinafricasseeoraragout.Idothereforehumblyofferittopublicconsiderationthatofthehundredandtwentythousandchildrenalreadycomputed,twentythousandmaybereservedforbreed,whereofonlyone-fourthparttobemales;whichismorethanweallowtosheep,blackcattleorswine;andmyreasonis,thatthesechildrenareseldomthefruitsofmarriage,acircumstancenotmuchregardedbyoursavages,thereforeonemalewillbesufficienttoservefourfemales.Thattheremaininghundredthousandmay,atayearold,beofferedinthesaletothepersonsofqualityandfortunethroughthekingdom;alwaysadvisingthemothertoletthemsuckplentifullyinthelastmonth,soastorenderthemplumpandfatforagoodtable.Achildwillmaketwodishesatanentertainmentforfriends;andwhenthefamilydinesalone,theforeorhindquarterwillmakeareasonabledish,andseasonedwithalittlepepperorsaltwillbeverygoodboiledonthefourthday,especially