The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-23 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE IUBLIC JOURNALS.

The SatlinV y Review draws a graphic picture of the
difficulties with which a kindhearted man has to contend
when he wishes to do something for the poor. A host of
societies beseech him to check his first instincts of benevo•
lence, and set before him the evils of indiscriminate alms.
giving ; but no sooner does he depute to his censors the
!task of more widely administering his charities, than thes
societies themselves are denounced as the chief producer=
of pauperism. He turns to the clergy, but the clergy are
half convinced that their course of la.^ has been only
revival of the old system of doles ; while a chorus of
guardians attributes to the almoner, the sister of mercy;
:Ind the district visitor the sudden increase of mendicancy
which has undone the work of the poor laws. A little
discomfited, perhaps, at finding that there is really nc
roam for any personal benevolence of his own, the
philanthropist buttons up his pocket, leaves the poor to
the poor laws, and plunges into his Times. But even here
he is far from peace. Morning after morning his
breakfast table is seasoned with denunciations of
the very system which professed to be al fficient,
which protests against the incompetence of the central

office, the ignorance of guardians, workhouse mismanage-
ment, the neglect of the sick, the starvation of the poor.
The Saturday Review thinks that the cure is to be found
in more direct communication with the poor and in the

display of more personal interest towards them. It is not
a question of giving money; benevolence in this sense
destroys the very relation which a true friend to the poor

would wish to create. The sense of a friendly interest

taken in them, the offer of a healthy sympathy, the know-

certainty

ledge where to go for counsel and advice, the

that there is someone to look to for help when help may

fairly and rightly be given, these are moral elements whose
power it would be impossible to exaggerate in the redemp-
tion of the poor. A word will often ensure the child's
regularity at school, the cleanliness of the house, respect-
able dress and demeanour. A very little time and thought
will often find new spheres of work for the unemployed,
get the girl out into decent service, or find the boy a
remunerative place. No one who has not worked per-
sonally among the poor knows how wanting they are in

shiftiness and inventiveness, how thriftless in prosperity,

how apathetic when the bad time comes. But it often
needs only a suggestion to induce them to "lay by," or to
rouse them to new efforts to obtain employment. That,
as a class, they are wonderfully grateful for any sympathy,
and inclined to repose only too great a confidence in any
whom they believe to he their friends, the experience of
every clergyman and district visitor could tell. The lesson
is a very simple and homely one, but it is a lesson of the
Elberfeld experiment, and it is none the worse for being
an answer to our wandering and disappointed philanthro-
pist. We would simply advise any reader who is gently
tormented with his desire to do some good to the poor,
to take the first four families on the relieving officer's list,
and to see what a year's personal friendship, counsel,
and aid can do towards putting them into a position to
help themselves.

The Spectator remarks upon the change which has taken
place in the views of the Home Secretary with respect to
the Ballot, and considers his approval of the measure to
be one of great importance. Mr. Austin Bruce has, we
believe, impressed both the late House of Commons and
the country generally as one of that most popular type of
English statesmen which, without being particularly
radical at heart, is radical through the firmness and clear-

MISCELLANEOUS IVEWS.

ADMIRALTY REFORM.

" Nauticus," writing to the Star upon the new
Admiralty circular, expresses much disappointment
at finding that the old system of divided responsi-
bility is to continue. The circular uses for
the first time the words " The First Lord
and the Board of Admiralty," so that there
are two masters, not one. The members of the Board
change with the Ministry, and consequently are
obliged to gain their knowledge from the heads of
the several departments. To remedy all this,
" Nauticus " proposes that the First Lord should
alone be responsible, and issue his orders after the
fashion of a Secretary of Stateq being assisted by
two secretaries, one political and one permanent.
The work of the Admiralty should, he thinks, be
divided into four great divisions : 1. To construct and
repair the ships. 2. To store and provision. 3. To equip
and man them. 4. To keep the accounts. The head of
each of these departments should be permanent, and
these officers could form a council to advise the First
Lord on practical questions. In the dockyards this
reformer would like to introduce the competitive
system, and to require each yard to send in its sepa-
rate account of work done annually to Parliament.
By these means the losses entailed by the ever-
changing policy of an irresponsible Board and the
want of a well-defined system in the dockyards would
be avoided.