ignorance of the parties principally interested, viz. the lower orders, it may be affirmed that none of. them have either fully answered the proposed end, or are likely to be effectual, without the assistance and superintendance of the higher orders, or at least of the legislature: and this consideration fairly brings them within the scope of an argument on the different modes of exercising charity.

Without entering into a minute distinction between plans having the same or nearly similar objects in view, it will be enough to divide the economical institutions of this nature into two classes, consisting-1st, of Friendly Societies or Benefit Clubs; 2dly, of Banks for the savings of the poor. The objects of both are highly laudable; holding out future recompense in return for present prudence and self-denial. But the comparative merits of each are by no means equal, as I shall presently have occasion to show.

The friendly societies are by far the most ancient of the two institutions. Sir Frederic Eden, in his laborious and useful work upon the Poor, endeavours to trace them back to the remote periods of our history, and believes that he has discovered analogous objects in the ancient Gilds of the Saxon times. It is sufficient for our present purpose to state that the modern societies took their rise about 40 years ago, and gradually increased in numbers to between 5 and 6,000 societies, containing an amount of members equal to 8 in 100 of the whole resident population. The professed object, for the attainment of which the rules are constructed, is to afford to every member, in consideration of his small monthly payment while in health, reasonable relief in case

of sickness or infirmity; and usually a sum of money to his widow in case of death, and another sum to defray the expenses of his funeral. Doubtless they have partially fulfilled their objects; but various circumstances have attended their operation in practice, materially detracting from the speculative advantages which were anticipated from the institution of them.

The vital principle of success is, of course, the economy and profitable use of small sums, and the nice calculation of chances, providing that the engagements entered into for pecuniary payments shall not exceed the probable accumulations. The constitution of the friendly societies has been defective in both these particulars. The demands upon the funds have exceeded the accumulations from various causes : -as 1st, The admission of members comparatively advanced in years upon the same terms of payment with the young and vigorous, whereby more than a profitable proportion of disabled members have been thrown upon the funds for support. 2dly, The out-goings for burials, for sums to widows, and other payments distinct from the main object of supporting helpless age upon the savings of youth, have not generally been calculated, in projecting the rules and rates of payment, and tend injudiciously to exhaust the funds. 3dly, The frequent meetings at the public-house for the monthly payments, the annual feast, and the funerals of members, if they do not tend to exhaust the funds, undoubtedly introduce habits that accelerate the period at which the members will become a charge upon them.

It is certainly true that the landlord of the publichouse is the person who thinks himself principally

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interested in the maintenance of the club. So much so, that in most country villages it is called Mr. A.'s club at the White Hart, or Mr. B.'s club at the Green Man, &c. But the interest of the landlord can of course tend only to one point. It is not, therefore, with so little reason as Sir Frederic Eden seemed to suppose, that it has been asserted "that the members of friendly societies, from being accustomed to assemble at ale-houses, are not only stimulated by interested landlords, but encouraged by the contagion of ill example in habits of drunkenness-that the money which is spent on a clubnight is entirely lost to a labourer's family;-and that there are various ways in which the earnings of industry might be applied more advantageously to the morals of the labourer and the comfort of his family;"-it may be added also, with more certain prospects of ultimately attaining the professed end of securing a provision for old age and infirmity. For when to these causes of excessive demand upon the funds, it is added that these funds themselves are not managed with such minute attention to economy, as is necessary to secure the best interest, and the most rapid accumulation of the small sums continually coming in, the frequent bankruptcies of the clubs need excite no surprise. I fear it is too often the case that, by the time any large portion of the original members become aged and infirm, the funds fail, and those members are thrown upon the parish. Although they have paid their quota during the vigour of their age, and are now looking for the promised reward, they are excluded from the new institution which immediately rises from the ruins of the old one, under the patronage of the landlord of the public

house; but into which, of course, are only admitted members who have the apparent means of earning a livelihood without immediate assistance. This process, be it observed, does not diminish the number of clubs, but only neutralizes the benefits they are calculated to confer. There is the same appearance of prosperity on the face of any official returns made to Parliament or to the constituted authorities. Yet, if consequences be closely investigated, the result seems to be that a set of vigorous consumers is provided in succession to the landlord of the public-house, who do in fact assist one another during the flower of their age in certain agreeable and some useful objects of minor importance, but are so far from providing effectually for their professed undertaking to secure the independence of their members as they advance in years, that they defraud them at that critical period of their just claims, and do absolutely rather subtract from, than add to, the comforts of their families. Sir F. Eden somewhere observes, when discussing the merits of a society which did not require of its members regular meetings at the publichouse:-"This is an omission which would discourage associations in a country village, where labourers form friendly societies, not only in order to secure themselves a competent support in old age or sickness, but likewise in order to spend a convivial hour with their neighbours, and to hear what is often (as Goldsmith says) much older than their ale,' and generally as harmless-the news which has been collected by rustic politicians."

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The conclusion which the same writer draws from the whole of his investigation into the effects of friendly societies is to be found in the following

extraordinary passage.

"These institutions do not

aim at perfection, but improvement. They are not intended to be that "faultless monster which the world ne'er saw;" but it is a sufficient proof of their excellence, that they are congenial to the social habitudes and prejudices of the labourer; and that if they cannot correct the inclination (which is too often caused by hard labour) for conviviality and dissipation, they at least convert a vicious propensity into an useful instrument of economy and industry; and secure to their members (what can seldom be purchased at too dear a rate) subsistence during sickness, and independence in old age."-(See conclusion of chapter on Friendly Societies, in Sir F. Eden on Poor Laws, vol. i.)

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...I do not think that Mandeville himself could have laid down more singular principles of excellence and improvement, especially when the objection evidently is not the want of "correction," but the absolute encouragement "of vicious propensities." But it seems that even this is not "too dear a rate at which to purchase "subsistence in sickness, and independence in old age:" and that vice is thereby "converted into an useful instrument." Happily, the moral knowledge of the people of England renders it scarcely necessary to visit the profligacy of this sort of reasoning with any serious severity of remark. It may be useful, however, to show its utter absurdity in a practical point of view, by re ferring to the inefficacy under which this very useful instrument has always laboured for producing the advantages which were anticipated from its assist

It appears then that, so far from securing to the

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