Star.
London, England, 1830-02-15 00:00:00

MENDICITY SOCIETY.

At the last general meeting of the Mendicity Society,
a letter from the Earl of Hardwicke, regretting hie► in-
ability, in consequence of illness, to take the chair, was
read and ordered to be }Hinted with the report. The
following is an extract :

" The circumstance which first gave rise to the institution of the
Society, was a laudable endeavour on the part of the gentlemen
nom whom it originated, to dear the streets of the metropolis of
itinerant beggars, and at the same time afford relief to such deeerv-
leg objects as might really be in wart of food and clothing--rot
by giving them money, but by referring them to a place where their
eau{ might be investigated, and their wants relieved. This was
&as by means of tickets, which entitled the bearer to relief in
money and food, and in some cases in clothing. This system has,
believe, produced a good effect in diminishing the number of
street beggars; and, I presume, will not be discontinued so long
as it may be nersesszy, if the support it receives is sufficient to main.
taro it. But by far the moat useful part of the Institution, is the
establishment of a place of reference for begging letters.
" It is quite obvious that no individual can either have the leisure
(if he possessed the inclination) to investigate the merits of the cases
that are related in these letters, or the means to relieve the writers,
if he were satisfied with the truth of the statements. Unless, there.
fore, a general rule were made that all letters (tom persons unknown
to the party to whom they are addressed are to be returned to the
writer, some place to which they may be referred for investigation
is indispensably necessary ; and this investigation is the most use-
ful, as well as the most laborious duty, that is performed by the
Blendicity Society. It requires not only the employment of a large
portion of time, but, in many cases, of great care, industry, and pa.
tience ; and from the experience 1 have had of the manner in which
their duties me performed by the officers Of the society, I should be
guilty of iojustiee if I did not say that they are highly deserving of
the approbation of the members of the Society. Upon the whole, I
trust I shall have the concurrence of the meeting in recommending the
Society to the support of the public."

From the Report it appears that the number of male
given within the year was 21,066, and the greatest
number in any preceding, 46,407, in 1820. What
a dreadful progress has misery made in this capital, when
we find in the Advertisement in front of our paper, that
in the single week ending Sunday 7th instant, the num-
ber of applicants was 14,746, to all of whom meals were
given besides clothing and other assistance where neces-
sary, and money in all urgent cases. The correctness
of this statement, so far at least as regards the number of
applicants, every inhabitant of Red Lion-square or pas-
senger through it can corroborate. Never, we are confi-
dent, was exhibited in this country so frightful a picture
of stark, ravenous, and raging hunger. The crowd, that
every day besieged the office, and who were with diffi-
culty restrained by a numerous posse of police constables
from crushing each other to death, appeared insensible
to the blows necessarily inflicted, so completely was all
other feeling lost in the intensity of the one great over-
whelming want which impelled them forward for relief.