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32 



loan ; the third, the name of the borrower, in alphabetical order ; the 

 fourth, his place of abode. The entry, being made in this form, the bor- 

 rower (hould be obliged to fubfcribe it, with his name, or mark, before his 

 receipt of the fum to be advanced to him ; and this entry, and fubfcription, 

 appearing in the book of the county treafurer, or other agent, for the fund, 

 fliould be made fufficient evidence, in law, of the debt ; and a judgment 

 for the amount, with intereft, and moderate cofts (for I would have the 

 cofls limited to fome fmall amount) Ihould be final and conclufive ; and 

 have the force of an execution, as well, againfl; the goods, as the perfon, of 

 the defaulter, wherever he fliould be found. The term, for which the 

 loan might be granted, fliould be of various duration, according to circum- 

 ftances — not lefs than fix weeks, not more than two years. The intereft, 

 if the loan exceeded three months, fliould be paid quarterly, and the prin- 

 cipal fliould be rigidly exafted, at the end of the fpecified time. 



The utility of inftitutions of this kind, early appeared, to the excellent 

 Dean Swift ; and we find, in the account of his life, that he conftantly 

 appropriated a confiderable fum, to be lent out, in fmall portions, among 

 honeft, and neceffitous tradefmen. Thcfe loans he received back, by 

 weekly payments, out of the profits of the borrower, in fuch a proportion, 

 that the whole fum fliould be repaid, in the courfe of a year, together with 

 a fmall gratuity, to the perfon, who kept the account of the difburfements, 

 and weekly payments. 



The patriotic idea, that occurred to the Dean, has, fince, been followed 

 up, by the charitable mufical fociety, in the diflrift of Dublin ; but their 

 means are fcanty, and their influence confined. Perhaps, it would anfwer 

 the propofed end, to enlarge the funds of the Charitable Mufical Society, 

 and extend its operations over the whole kingdom. 



Well the utility of fuch a meafure is acknowledged ; — but, how is a 



capital, for the purpofe, to be formed, and maintained ? — Many of the 

 fums, which are now given in bounties, on fuch objefts, and in fuch a man- 

 ner, that they feem calculated, rather to promote the fpeculation of the rich, 

 than the induftry of the poor, might be turned from their prefent deftina- 



tions. 



