First Memoir on Pauperism, Second Part, Post 14

Lord X said to me, "Here are the evil effects produced by these laws. The most direct consequences of this legislation on the poor is to make abandoned children, the neediest of the poor, the public's responsibilty.  From there was born the desire to mkae the community responsible for the support of illegitimate children that their parents would have been able to support.  From there also comes the investigation of paternity put forth by the communities, whose proof depends upon the woman.  What other means is there of finding out such information?  In requiring communities to take responsibility for illegitimate children and permitting them to research paternity to lighten the burden, we have facilitated the misconduct of lower class women.  Illegitimate pregnancies almost always improve their material situation.  If the child's father is rich, they can discharge upon him the responsibility of raising the fruit of their common mistakes; if he is poor, they pass the responsibility off on society.  The help that is given to them nearly always is more than is required by a newborn.  They enrich themselves through their own vices, and it often happens that a single young woman who has been a mother several times makes a more advantageous marriage than a young virgin who has nothing to offer but her virtues.  The former makes a sort of dowry by her infamy.

I repeat that I wanted to change nothing in this passage from my diary; I have reproduced it using the same words because it seemed to me that it conveyed the impressions I wanted to share with the reader with simplicity and truth.