Star.
London, England, 1814-03-03 00:00:00

DISTRESSES IN GERMANT.

The Committee for appropriating the Subscrip-
tions raising for the relief of the distressed Inhabi-
tants of Germany, continue their praiseworthy la-
bours with unabated real. Our Readers will per-
haps be able to form some estimate of the arduous
nature of the duties which they have humanely taken
upon themselves to perform, from the following heart-
remi!ng picture of the sufferings of the Ham burghers.
It is taken from one of the communications from the
Continent laid before the Committee :
EXTRACTS OF LETTERS FROM PETER RUCKER, ESQ. TO
I. D. RUCKER.

ALTONA, 4TH JA.Nb7lty, 1814.
•
" Marshal Davoust proceeds daily with his horrid
.devastations within and round about Hamburgh.—
These days past the whole of the Hamburger-Berg
has been burnt down. Last night many houses were
lttill in flames, and we could very distinctly view from
hence the dreadful scene. The Hamburghers re.
siding here have now called a,commission together,
whereof I also am a inember, in order to provide as
much as possible for the driven out and forlorn Ham-
bro' families. "To 'this effect, we distribute allow-
ances of good strong soup and bread, which for the
present we get prepared in Ottenseo. From the time
of the expulsion up to last night, 16,000 allowances
have been given. A part of those turned out have
found shelter in the houses of some well•disposed in-
habitants here, and come to receive for themselves
and families, the above.stated nourishment. For the
sick and very aged people, who had no where to go
to, ledgingl have been procured; which have mostly
been given gratis by people in easy circumstances.—L
Other poor families, who wish to travel further on,
as to Bremen and Lubeck, are provided with a little
travelling money, in order to clear part of the way.
The collection amongst the Hamburghers here has
yielded about 5 to 6000 florins (near k 1000) ; and
amongst those in Kid, &c. about 2000 florins cur-
rency, exclusive of that amongst the inhabitants of
Altona, which has brought us 12,000 florins."
" JANUARY 28.—As I told you before, we have
got on our hands a great number of old people, and
mostly so crippled that they can hardly move, and
of sick people ; exclusive of such as have a number
of quite young children with them ; all of which
classes cannot possibly walk any further ; and as for
riding, these is absolutely no means for that, on ac.
count of the immense requisition of carriages for the
army. Of people coming under the above descrip-
, tion we have now filled lour buildings, procured for
that purpose, with more than a thousand souls, whoni
we provide with food and the necessary fuel. Jude-
pen'dently of this, we have to supply other numbers
of persons driven out of Hamburp, but who have
got shelter in the houses of individuals, with more
than 3000 daily allowances of Rumford soup and
bread.

a You will conceive that all this occasions a large
expenditu:e every day. Up to this moment, we have
received to the purpose, by way of vi.luntary contri-
butions, a sum of about 21%000 florins, cwrency, the
better hall of which is spent already. Then we have
still anotller branch of expeuces, viz. travelling
smutty, which we ptolide quite poor people with,
though necessarily with great economy ; giving to'a
numerous family at the utmost three or tour florins
currency, (about four or five shillings,) and to single
persons oily eight savers (about eightpence). licey
very welcome the assistance from your side has
proved, you may easily iinagine. An unfortunate
circumstance however is, these being a great sca;city
of previsierA in this town, &c. &c.
" As yet nothing serious is undertaken against the
French. With the quiet they arc left in, they do not
fail burning also every more distant part about Ham-
burgh, which as yet had been spared. Thus they
burnt last night the whole of the Grunen Deich, up
to the bridge in Billwarder. I spoke this morning a
number of its inhabitants, vtlio were compelled to
quit their dwellings suddenly, leaving 4 their pro-
perty behind them. Yet they were told canly the day
before that their houses would be spared ; notwith-
standing which c;n the day following they were driven
like cattle out of their houses by the French military;
and cursed fir being friends to the Cosucks. These
unfortunate people now all come hither, and wander'
about with their wives and children. To see these
poor people with the tears of despair in their styes, igis
heart-residing scene indeed."
" FIISRVAItY 4.—As they continue still daily
driving a number of people out of Hambargh, the
creatsity of those who stand in need oh our assistance,
mugluents, alas ! in proportion. These last days we
have had already 5300 people to provide for, many
of whom would most assuredly have perished had
they not been relieved."

~

Ast' •

t 4,

.t:,.:-

.ONDON distsum FORM CARE AND
• • DRE OF THE INSANE.

•
A very respectable Meeting was held yesterday at
the City of London Tavern, pursuant to a private
notice previously circulated, for the purpose of tak-
ing this humane and benevolent project into conside-
ration, and for devising the best means of carrying it
into effect.

At one o'clock, Mr. FRY was called to the Chair,
and in a few words explained the object of their
meeting, requesting, at the same time, a free commu-
nication of observation and opinion. Close inspection
would convince the enlightened, that proper accom-
modation was not provided for one-half of those who
require it ; and the, in some of the privatio.recep-
tacles, so many inmates were crowded together, and
so much Misery accumulated. as to render the situa-
tion of the insane poor in t!-.e public hospitals compa-
ratively enviable.
_ _

Mr. ILDERTON BURN' the Acting Secretary, sub
mined to the Meeting the sketch of a plan, and esti-
mate of expense, for their consideration. It was pro-
posed to have an Asylum on the most liberal plan,
corubining, security and comfort with every possible
means of air and exercise ; the establishment for this
purpose to occupy forty acres of ground ; two physi-
cians, and two surgeons; a residing secretary, and a
housekeeper, with every necessary attendAnce. For
this purpose, it was proposed to raise the sum of
£lOO,OOO, by issuing one thousand transferable shares
at £lOO each. To meet this advanced capital the
sums received for the support of the inmates were to
be applied. fie submitted also to the meeting a string
of Resolutions, for the purpose of carrying the plan
into effect.

Mr. WAKEFIELD approved highly of the projected
Establishment, and entered at same length into the
nature and design of the Institution. In taking a
view of the. two Public Institutions for the relief of
the Insane, St. Luke's, and that lately erected in St.
George's-fields, they were found very inadequate to
the end proposed. The treatment was necessarily of
that nature as to contribute but little to the recovery
of this unfortunate class of our fellow creatures, and
the accommodation was by no means equal to the
numbers necessarily crowded together. There were
little means either of air or exercise, and no sufficient
provision made for the lucid and sane intervals of the
unfortunate inmates. The private houses for the re-
ception of persons of this description were also very
inadequate, and the mode of tre fitment in general
by no means such as could be wished. It had been
found that mild treatment, and a moderate degree
of exercise and amusement, were the most efficacious
means of recovery in general. When it was besides
considered that there were above 7000 persons in
London and its environs afflicted with this malady,
and that the Public Institutions already established
could not accommodate more than 500, every motive
was presented to the minds of the benevolent and
humane to attempt a farther provision for the relief
and cure of this unfortunate class of our fellow crea-
tures. An Institution that could combine all the
means of a speedy or ultimate cure, with immediate
relief and accommodation, was much wanted and
much to be desired.
Mr. Buvrort accorded with all the sentiments that
had been expressed, and observed that private houses
were opened fur profit, and that therefore it was the
interest of those concerned, in a great measure, to
prevent a cure. He did not say that this was always
the case, but when interest and duty were opposed
to each other it was easy to see which in general
would preponderate. An Institution of the nature
mw proposed would be liable to none of these objec-
tions. There would be 110 difficulty, unfortunately,
in filling up the Institution with patients ; the diffi-
culty, on the contrary, wculd be in finding sufficient
room for admission.

Mr. WAKEL?IELD► observed, that he had been lately
through the new building in St. George's Fields, and
found it more like a prison than a place of accommo-
dation and comfort. There was no provision made
for the lucid intervals of the patients, nor any room
for necessary exercise.
Mr. SOLLEY expressed himself in similar terms, and
thought those places in general more calculated for
the cause than the cure of madness.

Mr. BAZIL MON TAGUE being called on to give hi.
opinion, said, that he telt deeply the necessity of such
an Institution as that now proposed. Theobject was
to be considered in two aspects, whether it was de-
serable, and whether it was attainable? If a sufficient
co,nviction were produced of its being desirable, there
was lit) doubt of its being attainable in such a country
as England. All, therefore, they had to do was to
make this general impression, and to take such means
as would convince the public how much they would
be benefited by such an Institution. For himself and,
other Gentlemen present, they were already fully
convinced • but he doubted much if the necessary
measures gad been taken to make the impression suf-
ficiently public. I-le teas far from blaming the Di-
rectors of the Public Institutions already established ;
but it was astonishing that some more effectual means
had not before this been adopted. He himself was
a Governor of St. Luke's, and felt that the objections
applied to that Institution, though, when all circum-
!, stances were considered, they were rather to be thank-
ful
for the little that was done, than indulged in cen-
sure for what was not done, and which, horn the na-
ture of that Institution, was not attainaWe. 'le him-
selt had proposed having a second physician attached
to that Institution, seeing the impossibility of suffi-
cient attention being given by the present Physician,
to whom he gave at the same time every possible
credit for his exertions and attention. On making a
calculation, he had found that the Physician could
only give half a minute's attendance in a week to
each patient. He could enumerate other inconve-
nieneies, while at the same time he had no doubt that
the Governor of St. Luke's did his utmost to contri-
bute to the relief of the unfortunate inmates. With
respect to private. houses, from his profession as a
Lawyer, he had had an opportunity of witnessing
instances of the grtatest cruelty and oppression. He
had seen enough of the miseries of those places, to
make every man, who had any feeling for his fellow-
creatures, exert himself in providing some remedy.
Places of this description ought to be transparent.
They ought to be open to the eye df the Public, hi-
stead of being accessible only to relatives, who were
often negligent, and sometimes sacrificed every feel.
ins of affection and humanity to personal and private
interest. There was no doubt of their object being

attaigabls ; !bey had only to convince the Public of
its being desirable, of its being wanted, of its being
called for, upon every principle of feeling and hu-
manity.
Mr. FAY (the Chairman), apologizing for his act-
ing perhaps out of character, in his situation as
Chairman, recoMmended the suggestion •of the last
speaker ; and, with a view to follow it up, proposed
66 That a Committee be appointed to make all the
necessary Inquiries, and to prepare a proper statement
of facts, which might be laid before another Meeting
hereafter to be called."
After some conversation the proposition was ac-
ceded to, and a Committee of Gentlemen accord-
ingly appointed.

DtiTCH PAPERS.