The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-08
To this letter Mr.. Peabody received in a few
dave tho fOlloNvtnr raplv.

LONDON, March 10, 1862.
Strive have to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the 18th inst. apprising of your
muniRcent appropriation of e150,0O0 towards
ameliorating the condition of the poor OF Lon
don, and intimating your wish that we should
act in the capacity of trustees for the application
of this fund, on principles which you have indi-
Gated for our guidance
Whether we consider the purity Of the motive,
the magnitude of the gift, or the discrimination
displayed in selecting the purposes to which 1t
is to be applied we cannot but feel that 1t Is Tor
the nation to appreciate, rather than Tor few
individuals to express their gratitude for an act
of beDefcence which has few parallels Qf any
in modern times.
For ourselves, we are deeply conscious oil the
honor implied by the confidence you have re-
posed in us, as the administrators and guardians
of your bounty; and 1t only remains for us to
assure you of the satisfaction with which we
shall accept this trust and the zeal with which
we shall address ourselves to the discharge Of
its duties, soon as its precise nature is de-
fined, and the arrangements for its administra-
ton sufficiently organized.
Ever faithfully yours,
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.
STANLEY.
j. EMERSON TENNENT.
&. NJ. LAMPsoN.
j. s. MORGAN.
To George Peabody, Esq, London.
"Thus generously endowed" says the re-
port for 1865, 'alike with funds and with
discretion to choose the mode of their en-
ployment, the first care of the trustees was to
obtain deed so framed as to confer legal
powers on those who were to be intrusted
with their administration, and to insure their
undertaking application to the generous OBJ
jects contemplated by the giver. But at this
stage considerable difficulty was encountered,
arising mainly from the fact that the large
amount to be expended was not bequest by
will, in which case preccdents are sufficiently
11,t< xt5ff
tie 95oer, which therefore involved the neces-
sity Of inserting provisions to satisfy the re-
quirements of the mortmain law.
After some delay, trust-deed was pre-
pared, executed, and enroled and at the first
meeting under it, which took place on the
23d of July, 1862, Lord Stanley was elected
chairman and another of the trustees under
took to act as honorary secretary pro tem.,
thus facilitating resolution to postpone as
long as possible the appointment of any sala-
ried officers.
Pursuant to the terms of the deed of
trust, the main portion of the fund was in
vested at interest in Government stock and
other negotiable securities, the balance being
held in readiness for early expenditure, so
soon as a decision could be come to as to the
most advantageous method of employing the
fund in conformity with the intentions and
subject to the conditions laid down by Mr..
Peabody"
But the legal difficulty arising from the fact
that the donation was a gift made during the
lifetime of the giver, was not the only one
which met the trustees at the outset. "By
the express terms of the gift, it was directed
to be SO applied as to amelorate the condition
and augment the comforts of the well-con-
Quoted poor of London;" and 'it became
essential to determine who are the poor of
London in the eye of the law
~ l. ~
any difficulty should be experienced in ascer-
tanning what class of people is denoted by the
expression ''the poor" But ss-distinctions
among men, like class distinctions throughout
the organic and inorganic world, instead of
being separated by clearly defined lines of
demarcation, run into one another; and even
legal authorities are sometimes sorely puzzled
in deciding whether a certain individual be-
longs to one or the other of two contiguous
social grades The unsettled nature of public
opinion on this point has been we'll exempli-
fed by the complaints and criticisms that
have from time to time appeared i'll the
London daily press, to the effect that the
benefits of the Peabody Fund were reaped by
more well-to-do class of people than those
characterized by the donor as the 'poor of
London.
''It has hitherto been held, says the report
already referred to, ''under the authority of
governing OF qualifying expressions, gift or
bequest to 'the poor of any place is appica-
BILE exclusively to persons not receiving paro-
chal support; and this, on the principle that
to relieve those already chargeable on the
parish or the union, inasmuch as it would
contribute to the reduction of the rates,
would virtually be comforting benefit on the
property rather than on the poverty of the
locality.
Later decisions have somewhat modified
this law; the rigidity of the law would now
be more or less tempered to adapt it to the
ascertained wishes of the donor; and the
mere fact of the receipt of aims would not
perhaps of itself suffice to disqualify an in
digent family for receiving additional COM
forts from the donations or bequests of
benevolent men like Mr.. Peabody"
Be this as it may, the trustees decided "to
confne their attention, in the first instance,
to that section of the laboring poor who
occupy a position above the pauper." The
wisdom of this decision few will call in ques-
tion, except that still too numerous class of
people who think the bestowment of aims on
those who will rather beg than work, and
whose Incidence, imprudence, or intempe-
rance prevents them from ever rising above
their present position, or deriving any per-
manent advantage from the profuse charities
of well-meaning but short-sighted public,
is more commendable than to assist the hon
est, hard-working laborer who, notwithstand-
ing all that industry and strict economy can
accomplish, is often sorely pressed to provide
for those dependent on him.
Public attention throughout the United
Kingdom having been attracted by the large
ness of Mr.. Peabodys bounty, communica-
tions were received from numerous quarters
suggesting benevolent plans for adoption.