Star.
London, England, 1824-06-08 00:00:00

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The Life and Genius of Lord Byron. By Sir COSMO
Gonnos. Bvo. London, 1824.
Who Sir Cosmos Gordon may be, we do not presume
to inquire, but he evidently writes currente catanto ; for
within a few days after the news of Lord Byron's death
reached this country, he gave to the Public a well-
written Memoir of this distinguished Poet ; which not
only notices the principal circumstances of his too brief,
though eventful life, but also contains an impartial es-
tioone of.his talents and character. Some passages in
tee Memoir are really eloquent.
TIIE PASOPHLETEER.
The forty-sixth Number of this useful miscellany has
just made its appearance. It contains various Pam-
phlets, yielding a good deal of information on different
topics connected with the State of Foreign Prisons, the
Wool Trade, the Settlers in South Africa, the Usury
Laws, Political Economy, &c. To certain valetudi-
narians we would recommend a perusal of an article
in dd. Number, on the medicinal uses of White Mus-
tard Seed. They will find in it some information which
may prove highly beneficial in certain cases.
ON THE REST 111EANS OF RENDERING CHATITTA.-
BLE INSTITUTIONS AVAILABLE TO TIDE pooh.
To the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor, ix
end near London.
(From the Gentleman's Magazine.)
It has oceurieJ to me that tire laws and regulationl
of the numerous Vublic institutions with which this
vast Metropolis abounds, for the telief of the sick and
maimed poor, are very defective on the most important
point for which these Institutions were originally
founded; namely, that except in cases of accident, no
person can be admitted a patient to the hospitals or dis-
pensaties without a letter of recommendation from a
Governor or Subscriber.
From the great difficulty daily experienced by the,
poor in procuring such letters for any particular Insti-
lotion, and from which the sick individual is desirous
of receiving the relief of which he stands in need; it
has Oicurred to me that this grand defect in all oat
Hospitals and Dispensaries may very easily be reme-
died without any expense to the poor—a mere trifle,
and that may in the first instance, to the parishes, and
to the charities themselves no additional expense what-
ever will be incurred. On the contrary, 1 hope to be
able to chew that the plan I am about to submit for
your consideration will ensure the means of immediate
relief, will tend in some degiee to lessen the pours' rates
of the numerous parishes in London, and will even-
tually increase the funds of these charities by an addi-
tion to the list of benefactors and subscribers, sup-
posing such to be necessary. If then these three great
objects can in any may be effected, surely much good
will have been done, and I do conceive, that individual
charity is already exerted to a sufficient extent, if ge-
neral effect could be given to such efforts, by making the
poor better acquainted with their legitimate resources.
As surgeon to the most extensive charity of the kind
in London—;lie Westminster General Dispensary, I
have but to frequent opportunities of learning from
the paticats the great difficulty they experience in ob-
taining teats~ for that and other charit;es, in conse-
quence of their ignhratice of the names and residences
cf the (Jove, trots—that such inquiry is attended with
great fatigu:, loss of time, and neglect of the sick, and
in some instances the writer has even known death to
hare ensued before such reconintendatory letter could
be procured : whereas, on the other band, if the dis-
order have proved infections, early remedies, or re-
moval to an hospital, might have arrested the progress
of such disease, and possibly been the means of re-
storing a parent to the maintenance of his family,
which in the event cf a protracted sickness or of his
death, mint of necessity depend upon the parish.
The plan I have to submit is shortly this. That in;
the vestry-room of every parish church throughout the
ltletropolis, or in such tabu place as may be deemed
snore proper; a copy of the Governors and Subscribers
names to each and every public Institution should be
lodged ; that the list:: be street lists, corrected yearly,
with the view that the inquirer may fix upon a few
names in the immediate vicinity of his own abode;
that the Clerk of the pat ash, or some fit and responsible
person be required to attend a certain number of hours
every day, Sunday excepted, for the purpose of giving
to the poor the information desired, and that intima-
tion of such a regulation and attendance at the Vestry
be stuck upon the Church doors for such time as may
be deemed necessary, until this arrangement be gene-
tally known.
It may be urged, and with some appearance of truth
and justice, on a prima facie view of the case, that the
Hospitals and Dispensaries themselves are the fittest
places for the poor to apply for the information re-
quired; but the thorough knowledge I possess of the
manner in which these Institutions are constituted,
enables me to state most decidedly, that such is not the
fact. The superior and inferior officers are, as they
ought to be, too much engaged in the duties of their
respective offices, for which these charities were ors.
ginally founded, to have their attention diverted to
other objects or concerns ; and these officers, from the
highest to the lowest, become, from attachment, but
too sensible of the superiority of their own Institution
over that of every other of a similar description, so
that if a poor person were to inquire for the names and
address of the Governors of any other charity, it is not
likely, in such case, that the inquirer would be well and
kindly received. But independent of these arguments,
there are others against the admissibility of such a mea-
sure, still more cogent, which prudence, on the present
occasion, bids me refrain from adverting to.
It has been already stated that the above regulations,
if adopted, would much more effectually answer the
ends for which these Institutions were originally
founded, namely, the insuring prompt medical and
chirurgical aid to the poor, and that they would tend
very materially to lessen the poors'-rates---as, also, in-
crease the funds of the dimities themselves. The first
is answered by the greater facility this plan offers to the
poor in ascertaining the names and residence of the
Governors or Subscribers. The second, by procuring
Snore early assistance to the father of a family, fur in-
stance; for in that case the disease with which he may
be attacked will be the sooner subdued, and" will also
enable him the sooner to provide for that family, which
during his illness is, in most cases, of necessity main-
tained by the parish. Numberless are the instances of
this nature which have fallen under my own observa-
tion; and on this E.g.= I have farther to refer you to the,

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