1824.) 
sents or otherwise, in consequence of 
the opportunities afforded, and the 
hilarity excited, by such a general 
display of magnificence and joy. Orif 
we take the amount at 30,000/. I 
speak with confidence of being then 
within compass; and thus, for every 
pound in charity, we spend five in 
extravagant profusion, and “lay the 
flattering unction to our souls,” that, 
together with national splendour and 
opulence, we are equally improving in 
national sympathy and benevolence. 
To the eye of the calm observer, it pre- 
sents, however, a different aspect; and, 
cynical as it may appear, I shall ven- 
ture to expose myself to the imputation 
by a few remarks of a contrary ten- 
dency. 
‘Where then is this delirium to stop? 
The efforts of the managing committee, 
and other friends to the cause, have 
been gratuitous, long continued, and 
indefatigable; what has met the pub- 
lic eye is sufficient to prove their 
great and praiseworthy exertions; 
besides the labours of which the pub- 
lic must, from necessity, be unac- 
quainted. From the commencement 
of the plan, the trouble, the expenses, 
and the charge for admission, have 
been steadily on the increase ; and the 
feverish excitement has, at each suc- 
ceeding period, appeared to be wound 
up to its utmost capabilities. All 
other public and patriotic claims must, 
for the time, give place to this para- 
mount duty; and the infatuation bears 
down, in too many instances, every 
principle of individual prudence, ho- 
nour, and integrity. It is now disco- 
vered, that no advance in the price of 
admission can prevent such an influx 
of applications, that our churches and 
theatres are deficient in the requisite 
size; and, before the next triennial 
meeting, it is in contemplation to en- 
large one of the present churches, or 
to erect a new one for the purpose, 
—thus anticipating an expense from 
5,000 to 20,000/. as the case may be, 
If this be not an unnatural and per- 
nicious state of public feeling, baneful 
in a high degree to the general happi- 
ness of the community, then the best 
maxims of morality, philosophy, and 
Yeligion, are all a mere farce; then 
luxury, and all its inseparable vices, 
should be rapturously welcomed; and 
then all the wholesome restraints of 
prudence, economy, virtue, and patri- 
otism, should be banished from our 
erceds, and from our bosoms. The 
1 
Birmingham Musical Festival. 
13 
tinsel pageantry of fashionable life, 
always encroaching on the public 
mind, is making the same rapid ad- 
vances throughout the whole mass of 
Society as our musical festivals exhibit 
wherever they are undertaken All 
ranks and conditions emulating their 
more wealthy competitors; their sole 
ambition and delight consisting in the 
display of a gorgeous and dazzling ap- 
pearance, to hide the deformity of their 
venality or insignificance. Witness 
the increasing splendour of all our wa- 
tering places,—the incalculable num- 
ber of public and private carriages,— 
the prodigality of our public feasts,— 
the din of music issuing from almost 
every house one passes,—with the 
swarm of dandies, each mounted on 
his ‘‘ bit of blood,” and capering to 
the annoyance of the humble pedestri- 
ans. Time has been when the old 
scale of morals had some influence on 
society. Iremember being told in my 
youth, from the lips of parental tender- 
ness, and even sometimes from the 
pulpit, that the only way to ensure 
happiness was to reduce our wants, 
and to cultivate that equanimity of 
mind that should prefer the substantial 
enjoyments of domestic retirement to 
the gorgeous trappings of ambition and 
folly. That the satisfactions of con- 
scious integrity were infinitely superior 
to the empty applause and admiration 
of a giddy and deluded multitude ; 
and that the maxims which were best 
for an individual to pursue, were 
equally applicable to society at large 
in all its possible combinations and 
numbers. But see now the artificial 
and excessive stimulants employed to 
pervert this sober order of things 
through every stage of society as con- 
nected with private life, to the sacri- 
fice of every generous and noble prin- 
ciple and feeling of the heart. 
Nor is it possible to avoid noticing 
the contrast exhibited on the grand 
political drama of our public affairs. 
By a return made from the Insolvent 
Debtor’s Court to a select committee of 
the House of Commons, May, 1822, it 
appeared that the whole number of 
persons discharged under the Act, was 
15,249,--the gross amount of their 
debts was 10,979,9431. 2s. 9id.—the 
gross amount of their property got in 
by tke assignees, 60,084/. ls. 2Qhd. 
making not five farthings in the pound, 
The Act was passed in the Ist year of 
George IV.1820. ‘The only inferences 
which can be drawn from this glaring 
fact, 
