retire difpirited and hide himself in the obfcurity of his hut, there to languish in mifery, whilst the bolder beggar confumes, in public houses, the ill-bestowed gift in mirth and riot?-And, yet, the charitable donor flatters himself that he has performed an exemplary duty!

WE THEREFORE EARNESTLY ENTREAT EVERY ONE, AND ESPECIALLY THE INHABITANTS OF THIS CAPITAL, EACH IN HIS RESPECTIVE STATION, NO LONGER TO COUNTENANCE MENDICITY BY SUCH A MÍSAPPLICATION OF THEIR WELL-MEANT CHARITY; CONTIBUTING THUS ΤΟ AUGMENT THE FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE EVIL ITSELF, AS WELL AS TO IMPEDE THE RELIEF OF THE REALLY NECES

SITOUS.

31 2

SECT.

SECT. XXXI.

PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENT FOR THE POOR.

As nothing tends more powerfully to encourage idlenefs and immorality among the poor, and confequently to perpetuate all the evils to fociety which arife from the prevalence of poverty and mendicity, than injudicious diftributions of alms; individuals must be very cautious in bestowing their private charities, and in forming schemes for giving affiftance to the diftreffed; otherwise they will most certainly do more harm than good. The evil tendency of giving alms indifcriminately to beggars is universally acknowledged; but it is not, I believe, fo generally known how much harm is done by what are called the private charities of individuals.-Far be it from me to wish to difcourage private charities; I am only anxious that they should be better applied.

Without taking up time in analysing the different motives by which perfons of various character are in

duced

duced to give alms to the poor, or of fhewing the confequences of their injudicious or careless donations; which would be an unprofitable as well as a disagreeable investigation; I shall briefly point out what appear to me to be the most effectual means which individuals in affluent circumftances can employ for the affiftance of the poor in their neighbourhood.

An object of the very first importance in forming an establishment for the relief and fupport of the poor, is to take effectual measures for introducing a spirit of induftry among them; for it is most certain, that all fums of money, or other affiftance, given to the poor in alms, which do not tend to make them induftrious, never can fail to have a contrary tendency, and to operate as an encouragement to idleness and immorality.

And as the merit of an action is to be determined by the good it produces, the charity of a nation ought not to be estimated by the millions which are paid in poor's taxes, but by the pains which are taken to see that the fums raised are properly applied.

As the providing ufeful employment for the poor, and rendering them induftrious, is, and ever has been, a great defideratum in political economy, it may be

proper

proper to enlarge a little here, upon that interefting fubject.

The great miflake committed in most of the attempts which have been made to introduce a spirit of industry, where habits of idlenefs have prevailed, has been the too frequent and improper ufe of coercive measures, by which the perfons to be reclaimed have commonly been offended and thoroughly disgusted at the very outset.— Force will not do it.-Addrefs, not force, must be used on those occafions.

The children in the house of industry at Munich, who, being placed upon elevated feats round the halls where other children worked, were made to be idle fpectators of that amufing scene, cried most bitterly when their request to be permitted to defcend from their places, and mix in that busy crowd, was refused;—but they would, most probably, have cried still more, had they been taken abruptly from their play and forced to work.

"Men are but children of a larger growth;"-and those who undertake to direct them, ought ever to bear in mind that important truth.

That impatience of control, and jealousy and obftinate perfeverance in maintaining the rights of personal li

3

berty

berty and independence, which fo ftrongly mark the human character in all the stages of life, must be managed with great caution and addrefs, by thofe who are defirous of doing good;-or, indeed, of doing any thing effectually with mankind.

It has often been faid, that the poor are vicious and profligate, and that therefore nothing but force will answer to make them obedient, and keep them in order; but, I should fay, that because the poor are vicious and profligate, it is fo much the more neceffary to avoid the appearance of force in the management of them, to prevent their becoming rebellious and incorrigible.

Those who are employed to take up and tame the wild horfes belonging to the Elector Palatine, which are bred in the foreft near DUSSELDORF, never ufe force in reclaiming that noble animal, and making him docile and obedient. They begin with making a great circuit, in order to approach him; and rather decoy than force him into the fituation in which they wish to bring him, and ever afterwards treat him with the greatest kindnefs; it having been found by experience, that illufage feldom fails to make him " a man-hater," untameable, and incorrigibly vicious.-It may, perhaps,

be