Charitable Institutions.-...
The Times, 1824-01-17T00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF' THE TIMES. Sir,-I have for a long time been deeply impressed with the idea, that you could not possibly perform a more gratifying duty to your- self, nor confer a more valuable and important benefit on society, than by an occasional devotion of your estinnable paper to a,review and examination of the principles, management, and general pro- ceedings, of what are usually denominated " our Charitable Insti- tutions." It is to be lamented that a subject so truly important in every point of view, and involviuig corsiderations of the abuse of interests so closely interwoven with some cf the best and finest feel- ings of our nature, should hitherto remain Eo ceiiipletely n ected, and overlooked by a discerning and Patriotic pmss; particularly as it often condescends to notice with pecuiUar care,and never failing ablsity, many of the ordinary occutrencesof the day: indeed, there'are few topics of any general interest left untouched, or unadorned by the gentlemen connected with the palladium of British happimess; while those institutions alone, wbich form so bemitiful and amiable a feature in the national character, and on whose pure and unbending integrity exclusively depends thehealth, comforr, education, limbs, and frequently even the life and liberty, of thousands of our felow creatures) -are viewed with an indiference amounting to absolute apeily. Thus by pi=cizq_them, as it were, beyond the pale and catrccing 'infiaence oi pmiodikfl 'teiion,jthe*r maners, &c. therefore rel=s wit Impunity in the pemrfi -e tneir duties, and too often,Iam sorryr torema7k.lo4 efe those6smladtcn enlithtenel principles of honsarn: in, originated, because Pr! ydpetjctey te bctf kin, prolirable sp&culattion.Buabeisth nrale wheir-uncoulzalh-A by then hopulic iniNy t 1a ii,~ fore, that have growai and Fro,rpcedi,-nCath ilhe ZLlIrr press, the press can now alone remedy, lani dl - remedy. The consciousness of its capability will if on .. der it a solemn duty, and insure a vigoreus exertion. and cruelty, and hypocrisy, may then tremble at tlZ certan prospect of exposure, for the spirit and inteli'gence of yolr vesti. gation will soon consign them to well-merited infamy ' and should there hereafter be any other victims to either,. or the too frequent neglect of mere mercenary care, they will at all events find sonio other consolation besides the cold and beartless sympathy ofa self- interested and arbitrary committee. And niow2 Sir, permlit mne tb bring one at least of those institutions under your immediate noti. I se- lect the " acenEcitv" to begin with, not oilt because it is the hum. blest in point of ran mi yso, utmoreespeciallywitlt the view of inducing others better qualif te o folhw the example progressively upwarusto the most elevatedfon the scale. RequestingB . then, that you and every other member of thus society wfll refer to the la3st refort circulated by them-to bear in mind the vArious ap. peals made ILas season for furthier aid and patronage..to reflect on their complains of exhausted funds, &c. &c.; after dc.ing so, con. template if you can, without feelings of strong indignation, the fo3. lowing account taken froni that report, and 1 if there ever was a m ant and unblushingt document submitted to the considera. tion of generous but thinking people ; or one that demnonstrates miore of a lavish and unprincipled character of expenditure, and less of economical and mendicant.like arrangeMent But let this pre. cious sowrceau speak for itsel. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure from the Ist of January to the 31at of December, 1822, agrmably to the Auditor's Report 1822. t S.da. 4. s 2d. Jan. 1. To Balandce 39. p . D. 31. Subscriptions 2,97Ee9 3 0Bi Less by. poundage 121 13 11 Ticket sold . . .0 . 52a 1 101.5 7 159 Dec. 21.rByploansyto endicants. . 1960 3 Sundries o . 205 6 Reward gs . . . 69 .5 0 Received from parishes in the countrvonaccountofmorLies advanced to paupers 23- -98 Association for relief and em- ,6 ployment of the manuftc- turin and lsbouring poor . 428 9 5 Proreeee of an Exchequer Bill soia' . . .512 0 10 ?4,397 15 R 1822. S.da. . S. .1 Dec. 21. By loans to mendicants 160 8 I Disbursements on dittoin 1,095 7 9 Employment of ditto. 205 16 1 Expenses at thz lodging. de bouse-for temalese-- f *133Th '' Expenses of apprehensions, 10. prosecutions, and consta- bles' wages.461 Advanced to paupers by or- der of parishes in the counltrv .4 71 la22, being at the rite o O lter annUn . r.0 0 0 R,ent * *. . . _ 1 0 r Advertiseulettts ~~~~~~~~~~84 16 0 Statonnry 4 1016 0 Printing 146 7 O 'sxes 17 52 oa's andfurniture . . 12 14 1 fanee. . . . . . . 492 12 1 (Signed) GEORGE BARTRUP, ? PETER POIAND, Audito sM JA MESAST, Simpified and stripped of its ambiguity as auaccoui we1e f it, in thefist place, and that, oo, by tsking it in the mostfavow,ble light for itsf abricators, that last ye3r a sum of 3,r121, Bs na received by the Society for certainly good 3nd phi?ant1ssops.ur poses, if.propelryappliej; secondly, thatof this exp,ended acoring to th~etrue meanigadilhtino h u. scnbers; and thirdlv, that the management o rfmthisopath ve ly triflg, slim incurred the enormnous and unpredented exinnse of2,3mg1] 9s. 3d.!1 Hence. we further learn that 'the situph. chages of the establishment for o,ne, yer alonei snks a full two. thirs of the grmss income, or fourteeu sllings in every euineaBu& scribed and once and a half nas uch as vw- actuallyivided be, tween allt epoorwhobadappueddurijgthey v4 1,534. 8S. Oil ; for of the sum lent apd charge on-1QoueSid,of t. account, say 1601. B. Id., we find repaid on te othr,,991. 3 s.d 2d, which leaves a balance only of 611. Is lld. outstanding oa accant of loans. WVe are also.inlormned by the ;;td repor~t, %at %25 o. our destitute fellow-crestures had pvatitvely souht r fomh society. Now, Sir, supponmg that all these h beet rieved by equal proportions of even the above sum of 1,534. Bs. of which 967, fearing the in mixedcharata" of the nociety, nerer . ttviirylyhe oonb dat aSs t 12tary-.lafathe HoUsbrUry Solicito reeivd anpart ok bits suxui srne1; 127 nra caled impostors and coilirmned vagmrnts; some 12dr=:are iiierly transderre to. their respectivc parlshes' while =2iy nere are incatcerated or tent to the tread-mill)-wll it rot, thfrcibrc, be manife3t thatthe "secretary" has beafide pwcketed for his secret services as " assistant mauager," a sum equal to the fin ihare of abortf 750 raupurs, and that the other charges of the Company would have affdrded some comfort to nearly 3,000 more in the eame ratio P Thus, in fact, about 6,000 of the poor mighlt bave been unn3tentatieesly relieved by the subscribers themselves with that money, the greatest part of wrhich has been shared bet*een half-a-dozen or a dozen individuals ccnnected with this specious job. Repreensible as mzany of the items in this account unques- ticr.hly are, there is one espleclally which, in my humble opinion, calls for the most decided reprobation-I mean that 'mhich in couched in these remarkable and equivocating words- "Voted to the Secretary for acting as assistant-manager,- frum tbn 25th of PJardi, 1821, to 25th of November, 1822, being at the ratco3MOL per annum, 5001."!!! This, then, explains the ne- cc sty of Alling the Exchequer Bill for 5121. 10d.-an anniversary dinner, a public meeting at the Mlansion-lHouse, the widely distri- L-atea 'circulars, constant advertisements, &m.; but who, I beg to know, are those voters ? Let them come forward in propria periona, and declare by whose authority, to whom, and upon whst grounds, they have thus assuined the right of squandering property exclu- sively belonging to the friendless poor. As there is no such per- ssrtge as plain Secretary mentioned in their list of " officers," and bcing unnillina to suppose him a muere imaginary appendage, created fcr a particular purpose, who, I would further inquire, can this Secretary be, if not Blr. Honorary Secretary Bodkin ? What do the woids as Assistant lanager" aean ifnot intended as a disinge- nuor.s and subtle trick, for reconciling teextreme awkwardness and irconsistency of nayinga would-be Honorary Secretary, but in point of rlain fact, and in the most extensive7meaning of the term, a mere mer ary in disguise, endeavouring to sail by a side-wind, and under filse colours,into Sinectue Harbour ? What,I would agein ask, ed these words imply, "' being at the rate of 3001. per annum," if not as arelude to, and precedent for, thatsnugand permanent birth, frV. H. Bodkin, Esq., Hon. Secretary; for so this gentleman uniformry figures throug1:out tle whole report, and whenever he is voted thianls for his services, &c. ? But thbmoLnent the pretty little amr of 305JL conmes to be named as a ift, or a salary of 3001. per nnUm iS tD be secured to him, then the blseshing modesty of this disinterested projector must be relieved by alittle manceuvring on tZp pert of his coadjutors in the farce; and hbnce it is we find Let mcrvenientlv alowed to shrink into the less obtrusive c"=-t:? of aiiplc "' Secretarv;" and lest this should not '< s- 'at, we also see him, by -the hoCuspocus of official conjur- _-. formned into the triple capacity of asristaa-manager! Out ta a! sucb manangetent: why rhoxnzed to acknowledge openly _Ai:l L;s nominal character, what hehas the indelicacy to ac- ccr.t ? hese sballow and unworthy artifices shell not, however, sue- ce~. A zither the subscribers nor the public at large can henceforth ha c-t.ntofthevivifying principle that warmed the Alendicity . V into being; and it is melancholy to reflect, that the same f n fai -ibe traced, and very conscientiously applied, to many --"mt T ea-menrerid-selfirirsnottreavernOret?ltetfdeioflta zifg, =d t1..ra-En societv with evils really more formidable, tban mendi- ec-:' ix'r, degraAing and injurious to humanity as it certainly is. Do tirv^-t generate fraud and dissimulation ? Witness the various dzLucl5a shat are daily practised by designing men, on the credulity c t!t ^-=rous and humane-in the name, too, and sanctified as it nro- by the appearance, of benevolence itself: even honour, the =e:z p-e lect and exalted of alT human sentiments, because the onl,y u 2itqa. neith.er seeks reward nor fears punishment, is hourly pot- lte, end broi t ht into contempt by the successful example and con. teiratintiog and wide spreadin influence of those specious pme- tenderseo good feeling. t hat delicate or high-minded gentlemuos vil ereato er be fouand to undertake the important duties of an ho- rorary stastho, chen the terd is daily prostituted and made sushera rsent to the met debasing selfishness, for now synonymous with pl ,rofit,andtime-servin? hutageofarednot the,only evls tobe 2a=recatod and feared from tanc systemt adopted by vty hpec3tors jonwvt-sio-dealers and chapmen in charitable' companies. If moe teieln arrested int their nefirious career, impunity wilT encob- rtge thoris to prosecute the traffic so such an extent, that the most lcable i nd benevolent spirits will at length become disgusted, meir afuee tions and sympathies gradually alienated, and their sup. F?at consequently withdrawn from everypublic charity. In arier to avert so greut a calamity, and in behalf of the numetyus and sacred insereatarhus compromised, this humble appeal is made to that crcss which deservedly enjoys so decided an influence over the pub- >i mind. In the fearless discharge of your daty, yoea wlli doubtless have to record many an instance of humnan depravitv. That record, howzever, will produce the most salutary results, and perhaps none more eminently useful than the exposure and year hontet reproba- tbnof these men's real viewvs, who foist themselves on the public orice in fictitious characters, or combine in the formation of cam- niuas and beards of menagemene, for the purpose of intrigue, pri_ rate emnolumene, or disguoised patronase. Nor wfill you forget to pointout to thenobility and gentry, rwho usually grace thtose occa. clans, tbat the moment they become ohficers to any institution, '"f countenan.ce its principles by the honoutr and intity Of their names, from th-at moment they are identified w ith it3 character, and aloae responsible to the public for itS proceedings. They sbould therforelooirtoait. I am+ Sir, Your mnost reeefiul and obedict htimhble PP=nLt A FRIEBi TO THE POOR. CiHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.-MBYbICITY SOCIRTY, e