We have looked over the p...
The Times, 1824-02-10T00:00:00

WVe have looked over the proceedings of the subscribers to the Mendicity Society on Saturday last ; and we presume that we sha',l not be charged witn giving a partial or ira- perfect report of them. (We cannot say all we might upon this subject, because we must not dedicate too much of our roomi to the proceedings of a few individuils, upon a subject of not universal interest.) Mr. STURGES BOURNB was Chairman, and we shall begin witb him first. He hopes, in his closing speech, that "' the public press will " receive a lesson from the events of that day." So it will, no doubt, but very different from that which Mr. STURGES BouRNt, seerns to expect. wVe recollect a case, wherein a Judge having given a criminatory charge to the jury, on a person accuse(d of the 0. P. riot, was simple enough to hope" in like manner, that the public w would receive "a lesson from the events of that day " when lo ! to his Lordship's surprise and great discomfiture, the jury pronounced a verdict of acquittal, quite contrary to his expectations; and in truth we see equal reason to doubt whether the jury, if we may so call the ptublic, will be of the same opinion with the learned but somewhat premature judge in this instance, 1Mr. STURGES BOURxE. lt is first obvious to remark, that the subscribers to the Mendicity Society, wbo met on Saturday, must have ap- proved a Report of which they could know nothing with that accuracy wvhich was necessary either for just appro- batioli or rejection: for the Report contains a great Ta- Tiety of figures, requiring minute attention ; an:l was, we presume, then only first put into the hands, or read in the ears, of those who instantly applauded and approved. lVhether this may be a proper method of passing an ac- count, in a great part arithmetical, we know not; but at least it is a new method, anid therefore, we should suppose, best suited for the occasion. Whether our correspondent's figures were erroneous or not, it is not now worth the while to inquire, for it seems to be allowed that no import- ant concdlsions could be drawn from errors so trifling: but we shall just exhibit one instance of the manner in which one of those supposed mistakes was treated-a rnanner of which we are sure even the persons assembled could have had no idea, or they must have instantly cried down the delusion with hisses. It will be observed in this extract, that the transpositioin of two figures, by a typographical error, as every man must have seen to be the case who wyas allowed to look at the matter attentively, is charged upon the writer as an arithmetic miscalculation "The writer" (in The Times) " also states, ' that in the Society's Report 8291 are called impostors and con- 'firmed vagrants,' whereas the number so designated is "287, being a variance of S 4O." This is a grave refuta- tion of our writer's statement (we suppose, for we do not recollect the passage), which the members present thought entitled, no doubt, to its share of their applause. But to go to the merits of the case: we find, on turning over the very Report, in which five hundred pounds are granted to Mr. BODKix?, and that by an ex postfacto act- in that very Report, we find the following passage:-" It "is with regret that the MaInagers are obliged to advert to "the exhaustedc state of the Society's funds." If the re- solution of any man or any set of men can make this right in the case of a public charity, wvhy then the senses of all the rest of the worltl are given them only as instruments of dleception. But, to look into the account given last Satur- day of the manner of Mr. BODKIV'S appointment, was anv thing ever so lame or contradictory? Two gratuitous Acting Managers, whose office enidured but for one day, are thought an unfit arrangement; and, tlherefore, the only change tried is the reduction of one of these diurnal per- sons, and the substitution of Mr. BODKIN as a constant assessor to the variable Manager. We think many other methods might have occurred; but the result of this " was most satisfactory," as appears, indeed, by the preceding extract, respecting the exhausted state of the Society's funds. There is a department in this Society of that nature, that we really hesitate in laying it before the public, from an apprehension that we cannot read aright, and must be mis- taken as to the character of the thing described. This de- partment is called the " Begging Letter Department !" And miraculous as it may seem, it dloes at least to us appear, that though there is a " Board of Mdanagement," consisting of forty or thirty-nine members, and though there is also an acting-manager with a salary ; yet a general subscriber to the charity-nay, even a Life Governor-cannot refer a begging-letter sent to him to the Mendicity-office, for investigation, without doubling his subscriptionl. One guinea, it must be observed, constitutes an annual, and ten guineas a Life-Governor: and this is the account of the Begging Letter Department, as given in the Report:- ' The following persons are entitled to refer begging-letters to this oflice for investigation:- " 1. The Patron, President, Vice-Presidents, and Members of the Board of llanagement. " 2. All contributors to the geesral funds of the Society to the amount of 20 guineas. " 3. All contributors to the general funds of the Society to the amount of 10 guineas, and who also subscribe one guinea annually. " 4. AlU subscribers of two guineas, and upwards, per annum." lVho invented thisnotable device, we cannot say, but the following, is the manner in which its effects are described in a subsequent part of the report:- " The adoption of the Begging-Letter Department has very ma. rerially increased the expense of the establishment. The additienal contriZdtion whichi has been deemed necessary from those sub- scribers who avail themselves of the means of investigation this de- partment affords, has not been equal to the burden which it has created." Of this Begging-Letter Department we do conceive it is impossible there can be two opinions; yet, eveni it, like the conduct of Mr. Honorary Secretary BoniciN, has, we pre- sume, met with the approbation of Boards and even General Meetings. What, we ask with every feeling of indignation that insulted reason and common sense can prompt, what will the public now think of a society, the managers of whicl could send forth to the world such a proposition? It is said that we or our correspondent otught to have known that Mr. BODrIN was no longer the salaried acting manager, but that ie- had resigned the office, and that a MIr. WiLKRR bad been elected ; and that these facts were obvious from the perusal of the last Report. We shall just tell the public wllat, if thiey liad the Report in question before them, they wouldl perceive upon the face of it. They would first see a Board of Management, con- _i6fi orty r4emllnrs ! They would then? among the oicers, see Asdstant-Maluager Mfr. WILLAM WALICm1; g ancl they wouldthefi And ihe Ieport itself signed, " ros, Tvas BOARD 04 ;MAxAGEMS?NV, by W. II. BOrN, C *Hon. Secretiry; so that we may leave any iman to judge p whether it is possiole to know who is really Manager-the Board, or the quondam acting Mlanager.who now signs for I the Board, or the Assistart-Manager. OYf the geineral character of the persons who were got to-. gethe oi the last meeting, we-do not mean to speak other.. wise than with respect: but with regard to the busmes& before them, we will make bold to say, that they did not understand one tittle of what they were doing. The Sup. pression of Mendicity is a desirable object: and here is a. Society that professes to obtain that object; and there is an. Honorary SeeretaTy belonging to the Society; and who. ever attacks the Secretary, attacks the Society, and risns _ the establishment which would eradicate mendicity. This is the iDverted reasoning of horest mnen, who sllspect no. guile, and are impatient of investigation.