Mendicity Society.
The Times, 1824-02-06T00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. Sir,-The letter fromn ince renpecting tih :illeqndidciy Association, !ehich voulately distinguishied by, your approbation, and a-place in ycour himpartial paspet-, boa hadl the iff'eet, I findl, of caUing togetlfcr A special meeting of the Directors, Mlanagers, &c.-.ehat is, the fimily ,compact ot Auiditors, IOnloraTy S-cretary, Secretatry, Assilstant ger arnd all tite rest, of it. This dIisinterestedI and cliaritiblc conclave, have, I sti.Y hinfrmted, iri the first place, ulianilnously- re- ziolved' stoutly' steadily, arid open2ly, to maintain, however opri!due -to their priva,te k~nowledlge and c,Dviction., that the illendicity is no ,Job; and that therefere eve,ry possible exertion shouldI be imme- diately made, though eveti in defiance of commnon sense antii rifcericy, *to humibug thie putilic, and partiml-arly the subscribers at large, inito a similar opinio-'. 2ki, That the libarty of the press is a most fim- pudent, pryb:rg, arid vicious privilelze, and that theref`orethcirgdod, * vrtou, ad atioic rind Mr Mrry.and anotherbhih legal authority (he who recomimerds sijeuce and closed doors. upoan. all *subjects of public interest), should be forthwith consulted oti the bestand speediest mneans of extinguishing it altogether. 3d, That presient experience -pruyes the inexpediency and imoprudence of pub- lshing details of a financial nature. arid that, accordingly, it should be VerV seriously recomrmeniled to all the charitable comipanies throughout town and country, to abstain in fuiture fromi so usele-ss and awkward a practice, especially as brevity in this res%pect w'ould enabe tem o gve ye moe lberl "ppendix" ef pathetic cases relived aswel asa moe etened istof imipostors detected and expoed, nd sgrans prsecued -o cnvictioNn. For A hile a sad1 talenevr fals o rnch he eart rotenand prepares it for en- lared onaIon, o prcurs tew ubsribrs(thiese bring essential to ageneousmantagement), so the ote demonstrates the use, necssiy, ud ast, Importance of their respective institutions. The 4th resohnion ouldied inito the formn of art advertiseinent, mieanls ti,oitmas niothinie-thrat their own last report contained "1 state- mnents of an nujustiliable nature," which, unfortunately, getting air, it became necessary fot thier to di) somnething--get up'a mieeting, or atny thing to save aPTpesrancu,. In clisc political busde anad confusvion iOselsarable from rbe faze-~id of a first week in a Parliamientarv ses- sion, the op,ez.ing p j from the Throne, musving addresses, &c., thlere was ev-rev rswaon to hopve and rtepect that their intignificant liale.andcurnTeCeecci!)g5 WOUlf be whully muerged in the gra% e nind iWNotl,bt Inatters rif st.ate and titus, perhaps, es1cape scrutiny s, it nOt c-l' plete notice. Braides, who( were likelv to attend -su'ch a Inee,n,. all ? The puiblic are nori invitedA, tana the subscribers at 'ga, to every charitv (among whonm are maity females) are oiCi- alyperzioe's the mo)~st elevated in rank and hionour, a lie gistin.- gui%-hed for uitaffertrdI benievolence and retiring modlesty. Are such) chiaracters either s,eriously expected or sincerely, desired to m-inglc t?heir intelli'gence o- occasions so paltry ? Certainly inor. WTho ct'en, will aittend to sair,ztinn and approve the approachiing Inociceryv Who erue Liut the few bVsv, meddlioe, patronlizing, twenty-slhilline. su'pFcribere (anud th-eir y-el.-meaning dupe.s), thatbre dine- tu cheaplv contrived to constituite thiemsrlees Directors, M)anageri, &cL!in a word, the very p-TmonA whose conduct et-ans impeachied are about tc ,it in iudginer, or, tloeiu.selves. Instead, therefore, of inldiKlnant cen- sure and unetutivoLenI condeinnation (such as to his cr-edit the honorary xk qirtr M.okelle on pn hmwith keeivnd vell-deserveji ~~acasn),illnot these inen be now foundI as rearly to pasr reiterated resolutions Of fillbOirn thanks, as tie-y hare before been prodigal of the subscribers' money? ~ W ill they riot, on) tae present ocasarofl, atlso grant a verdiet cC acquittal with the saine flippancy that ona forlmer occa.,ioni thea' dec1ared ruotr eharges against the seame indivi- dujal rewere inot subsranitiated." althougih every lIto in a long chain of clear evidenice was then as strongr and conclusive " a, pruoEs of 'holy writ," andl as rniracslortsly'developed. athlest, as if Prince Hio- herloheiihimself had been acting as your assistant-manaiger ? So much for the very probable result of a mneeting, whichi vill, at all ever,t. enable some Fiery partisanis to, enter the tourney of prevarication, and, w7ithi becomiint zeal std effrontery. " steu i4fe h?rloruo the stage ;- a f'ew. inflated a-ir for oratncai f triet,their hourupo an, opportu nity for dispayirgteints ophriatona ntoret exeill o have d6our anin truth. Pim.ltrsayngldoteirsophiry 5e a o fsii- ean- tact at disc-rertion enousch to ecuard asgainsr futjure contingen- cies, while the candidates for tinn3j-rary distinctions allied to prtofit, wtrim a Sintister c-ye to reversionaryq iito.asetet,ai mind dly inreease, e~ t th rth an lica of the prov,erb. that charityv beg-izns at liome." wAill, no0 doitbt, attract notice by a ten-~ de-r of disintereste-d services For thie ensiting Yes.r. But if a few can be seduced, preane,ld or enlisted, into tlie pe'rformac o merce- nary duty, tinert are misny volunteers, I tru,t, rearly for the m-ore lionourable soil chivalrous servicetmeo who, proud ofthe irieistitu- tionns of tiheir vr-untrry. anxSiot,, for thjeir welflare, and jealotus of' dheir incorruptibility', at innre Nenerating enid admiftine cha:se especially whizh ornam ent' tile Whiele-.to uchJ men, htavia3, hiearts to Feel fo~r The interests thu.' cotnrprnmised, beads to) inv,estigate, tonigues anld 'pirit us give utterance to their free and unon gLliu laeh con tear ot'rnextSaturday : it is myth stand was, that the coy-h ined pulcas. rivaeptong allI shouild hereafter be exclusivelly conferred oil anY newspap er found barefacedi etiii1,j to vindicate tlheir cauise, aniid. mike Gilt a feasible plot for the approac-hirng fayce. rs5 it to be enduredl, thiat utnder thte plaLusible pretext of suppress- ing mendicauucyr-namely, by, punishing thje houspless r.'tailer_a wholesale patenrt warehouse should be established in Red i ,ori- square, where, rsft'l.-an honorary seeretary is voted a sum of 50th0. in on,e ~ayrcn,, uni hns 3001, a-year. aind srit eablishl-nent settled os,. oin hint a poor, shivering, tircasioital miitpl,av, perc hance,itt the plenitude Gf h',, mowee and hollniv, get ;, ha-sit, of pe~a_soup, or a crusit of' bread andI cheese~. prep,aratory to a transit either to hiis parish or the House of" Corr' tiion. Anrd ttis, tuhacribere. is the institutioni, whose o chief" objiect ii. to soll'press. antil St- condary" to tdli x." vgrartv. Now I ilens' the firs,t as cir- dal s1subscribe to ttie other'. The " chief" obiect weas place. and therefore miendtcariuv seuuld iiever be opes. In urtofolf th in, I appeal to all. or rarttier the fcw trio t iink for themlselves. and, have watchedJ cuss insktitution fr-omin rfaticy, to decav, 'vho jud -e of mankind,' riot byeltheir hollow professions 'but biy the unerrin? -touchsltone of tltetr'eunlu ti, it its beginning, middle,' slid i-mi, root an braric'. ffo,,csteni to stern, and .to M~l intents and aps, ex- hibit ant' thing hta ilh_s vern Jib ?Call the ~tron'! ainti might', arn of the law rc,tisire the feeble arid unwortlvhy id of 8arrepfitioii, means to rid tlite utropilis of nutisancz! nf any deserilitlon ? Clan That at,th5-ity' he hu-ade,1uase to, ther reroval of a beggal fronti rite streets, uehitcb is ootipotenE and undlisputed wheni cornsigniitig, with. our hope uf tuercv. inee h-it-, to at, irriontinjlotis ileasts, for passing a fotred twenty shilling note ? Jt weould be absu-ri. nay, libellous. to tuik t. Ad 'f ,merev anti charity be thie real objects, titere is ri ;ntiutin,B.12,1 events. apparently iworihy or %upport, adalmost conmmeensurrate wsi,h every Lienevnlent pulrpose :-I re- r~r to the " S-inlrers' Friend Societi.` If' there be truthc ins tire statemnent whitch tess so-ne time since~ advsertised in your p,- lper, they- haye ii uwards if ttitter htllrld-d 1ratitiirtu v`isiter, that, "1 turine the last ye-ar, 7.1-59 cases, chiiefly famil'ies hitil beer visited aaud r,!-et ed . aoti( amongst themn the sitint of 3,1(111 li. iOl. hatd beeni di~tr -orte -Itlie averagie beingr Ni. 3-i. a c:tve,-" o sltottid it he QVLrloi.-ed- they continue, ill their rePrp-t " thsrt all the agents give thieir services gratuititrshy. No &,:,laction iv mae from the don,tions and uisnriptioni re-u'ived,i ixcept the linavoid'. able incidlentAlit-e whitici are sete trifling bitt the sehrohe amount, %etch this r iceptil,,, is aplplied fo the purposes for which it ii given, aithi di,eriminiration arti as lnuch libecalirs' as, tile muIlti. plied claims or'f cacti tiarticalar district trill admit,'' To all lInes, hieartily recomtmendl tue reponrt of this lostilitlno . but il it a especi:sl manner to till tho'e who miay attenid at the Mlendicit' ~lle,-tino" next 5,~turday ', ere we finui. on the average, ititt between 20,000 atid mlOJYI) indliviuduals hair h'ero rel)ieveul by a sum little exceediig rthe simnple rxperre of' the llendiivitY-oiffre !" fGentlemcn, eunTIpare i,- pleas e. Yt -l i tal -n. and afterwards adivocate if you Let it oW, bie spit iosrd tliat I i neat, tir rOse 11i-oeir to derny tic- r ght of siyits'lan. to enideatvour to heeter his fortune. I only qitetidoli the propriety of the nearis resorted to iby Mr. Bodkioi Hladthle declredhimelf s c-vry anl iietigu i ei the onset as h,is stlts,' -uent conduct dernionstratrs-that lie la'es a very Swiss in pnrinciple a downri-4fit soldlier of fortune, who ahnuild be pa-id fist hie, service. to the letter of hi., bond-iesuch case, and in all hurntart probabillity I shiould never liave hail nceac~sion to write lila 11am.n. It woilt]I then, hes-acred Im tilt 5 mali worild have, under such circulmstatnces, ant- 'I right to dhispitte that tisil ivilicl shouhlil aone lie dietermyinei by the rule applicable to pounds, shilllings. antI petite. Bitt, tinasto irn9d aintcrcstedtue- flit the sakeof nottinirty. Mr. Buoikin chose to rendler hiimself public prtoperty, anri there'fore liable to lint r lil motives and preteitr,iotuecanivassed a,nd NvecigheL li vr a eln an inctinratioin to doiteither. Under the sanction it this incon. tes'able privilege, the! iirth-rightt of every Englishmnan, Ido' hesitate to say that I cannot re5pect or approve that as- auniptioti in him, wliiet bag tmade %iishy of hit; smtPeriors ion). trmlpfit'le hin rt, eyes nimr has it a red-etfitin! teiAttire of noveltty or originality to cecunimenti it :it is ~ a ni-re hiackieie)-m c(monm lc trick, which we s,e eve. t a- . i,,_4- --` -- I ~ o-he cien. ouf tiurasy tt tlet" have weseen conmmeucing a brilliant caree of igorus utriot,iaa and cloquber.t independenice. endin,g it in thle slipper-i iar'raloon of a Pen'ljnn, or lock.jnvedj in plc' -ut impaAsioneri, urjftWine But I will flve osarct sre-it it praise, aLnti patmp,~r wtth Rnvereigu nover ctse .a t to surfic whol, a2ccorfli ngtn,yein,rnjdr app',eherision,bas forfeitedcre,.yc,lairn tocithier, b'y the acceptan e o01 boUth 71his sh)ould be my opiniion under hn y c'.rcmtstar.ceq, but e.,pecially where delushir, was evidently attenipt. ed in the vote of tl towhom ? I repeal,to whom?Wt rset to the sweepit.g chtarge of " Rtaiet,ntnts of atn ujsiibentr this ~s noy brief reply . I dcfv ally loian to pointoroefiue r itent, or ani observatoiti jit m'y letter, li.t fuU tmedbth Iendicity Report. And hIere it er,a,v niot be amist, nttr,la ..J$ tile rma-or, I hat at the Mar.sion-hause ineetir.g atya. et 4ping Fpeci?Jly3 ronvenetl for the purpose of readinf iitrlo-,n as irl' esolutiunis ot'tlai,k-s -- ~ doc,umnent st: importna',hetteen _. their exptin,,t" wasnever read at all ! but the Hnrr ertr should trnake a display, and hotecould lie Possibly swlo r omt ni 5001l. gratited to an vffii er nr w hose extistenrce the're tvas no vestige ? Wh'o is 11the Secretary ?" WhIo is the " Assistant M'tanager ? As vet I believe thie - subscribers at large" are pertfectly ignoran-t a], citoughi metltinks there would have been mittch tilore propriety itt *calir,ina m.neeting for the puirpose of 3zelting the subscribers, consent to prant monty an,1 place, thani inerelv will) tlte view of reading a drty report h'it then the eclat, the spe'eches, the! reselhttiolis, &c., wou)u have )-en all lost, without a nitatting. Whfat a pity hlis Royal H'ighnesa of York coutld not posisibly, grace thlaL splendidt ocess"iott I T'ite Lord Mlaybr was, however, I assure you, of course vexy digni- lied. andbecarne thie chiair exceedingly. Another qitestion I wo`uld also put.-wat the Treluti,rer justified in advancing a1 sttmn of .'iOO., as a gift, out of a deposit so sacred? Was it legal itt the voters to roake such aramnt ? If'it were, Ithink it is time to mrakteit illegal; for if not, it is, ecear thaut sodsrerioaarv a power is extreinel i' dan. grtsi'not improper. ffpart of.a c~hrtritable futnd can be tht,~' oh. I what s toprevnt te whle being played shitittlecock wttl1na Fo nmy own part, I can diacovFor topeceent whcan dincovari no difficulty in Lile mlatter. Accordin~ topeceent whch n iarlament Is every thing, 'tis onlY for fotur or tive nlanageN~ to gather together and by utavOe iidth 'whole of a year's rereipts inlto each other's bockti.a butbeir, adive the nourable mnen, narme, mnlst not be t-I'fledl with : to eblt hsltl stumlin~bloc, I are nlyto 5sogke.It the creation Of a few extra -nondescnPt rituation,,. Onle qlueation more in sober sndite&sa, and I shall havt done. A re 318angementA and Honmory Sertrsii compatible ? Can Cb0ey be reconciiL ordfne?An o,S aologiz#inK for so unusual 4~epazs dn A ime and,SI paPer, I talte my leave oftbj tl:lnlyyorvlal Me1yociety I remain, Sir, your'6 io -oein Y.be~ra ,, 'ffiLtiI TO TH-E Porn. * At the tIna. -vi_ o ., tile aprpratnit*" "" --kY ovcreEary was, uinder another titie, appropriatitew to hils olwn ue 1i. from the fillids of the wociety the LiiItiJoined ]ctter.w shi aeoorseof circulation wvtth his [lgnamnre:.. "!hlend!eitit-o2ice led-Lion-mqurire, Us%reh 2(0, 1 8!5. I tm diVected hy the oard of Mlanageiuent to Inform youl, tthat the snnLver-ary dinnier of ttis histitution ll take,jiaee:jt the ,eco- mawons' Tavorn, on Wedne2day, the 9th-of Aprfl liext, wvhen, his Grace Che Duke of NorthunIbtribman hasj tigntied hds intenItion of f anud-fsurther di tEg r funds repc1gra 14 c. UW.' Un IDt Ithould ,e ,in"CAD, rn3tftewl prepqrkCSec MEIDZCywiaY SocZRBp1