Sir John Sinclair, in his History of the Revenue has stated it at L2,100,587.

A considerable part of which is expended in litigations, in which the poor, instead of being relieved, are tormented.

The expense, however, is the same to the parish from whatever cause it arises.
In Birmingham, the amount of poor-rates is fourteen thousand pounds a year.

This, though a large sum, is moderate, compared with the population.

Birmingham is said to contain seventy thousand souls, and on a proportion of seventy thousand to fourteen thousand pounds poor-rates, the national amount of poor-rates, taking the population of England as seven millions, would be but one million four hundred thousand pounds.
It is, therefore, most probable, that the population of Birmingham is over-rated.