424 msfirmtions on a Charitable Injlitution at Hull. [Dec. Ij 



ture." If the men art^rong and healthy, 

 I Ihould be glad to know whether it is 

 not more probable that the number of 

 deaths among them Ihould be in a low, 

 tlian in a iiig^i, proportion to the num- 

 ber of the liviivj;?' In trutli, a mortality 

 of one in filty is by no means fo incon- 

 fiderable as to argue an uncommon de- 

 gree of falubrity in Madeira. Inftances 

 might be produced in which it is much 

 lefs ; and if Mr. Barrow iliould think fit 

 to improve his knowledge before he 

 sgain attempts to write on the fubjett, 

 lie ought to read Dr. Heberden's paper, 

 from which he will learn, that with an 

 annual mortality of one in fifty, the in- 

 habitants do not double themfelves of- 

 tener than once in 89 years. This, com- 

 pared with the mortality in fome otlier 

 countries, where they are faid to be 

 doubled in lefs than 25 years, is fa far 

 from being fmall in the extreme, that it 

 produces an incrcafe of the human race 

 {o very moderate that I do not believe 

 pven Mr. Malthus's apprehenlions would 

 be alarmed on account of it. 



London, OB. 20, 1806. M. N. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



THE obfervations which follow are 

 occafioned by a notice, in the-'num- 

 ber of your valuable Mifcellany pub- 

 lillied on tlie 1ft of July, of " the ladies 

 of Hull having recently eflabhfhtd in 

 that town a Kepofitory,or CharitublelniXi- 

 tution, intenjied principally for the benefit 

 of young prrfons, the daughters of de- 

 cent parents, \\ho,;though not abfolutely 

 under the neceffity of earning their bread 

 by their labour, may be defirous of con- 

 tributing to their own maintenance by 

 the commendable exercife and applica- 

 tion of tlieir talents and acquirements." 



There can be little doubt of tlie ladies 

 of Hull having been actuated in the ef- 

 tablilhment of this inltitution by the 

 moft honourable and patriotic motives, 

 and that fimilar undertakings in other 

 parts of the kingdom have been pro- 

 moted with equally laudable views : it 

 cannot therefore be* deemed invidious 

 by thofe ladies, to inquire whether the 

 objefts they propofe to attain can be 

 effected, and the general condition of 

 fociety remain at the fame time unin- 

 ■ured. 



If thefe inftitutions afford conftant 

 employment to young women who wifli 

 to be ufefully, but not publicly, occu- 

 pied, and who have dependence for fup- 



port but upon tJioir own exertions, they 

 may be coniidered advantageous : — they 

 open a channel by which the fruits of 

 nccelTitous induftry may be rcarlily dif- 

 pofed of to the confumer, and tlius fa- 

 cilitate a reciprocity of interefts. That 

 part of the plan, however, of any eflab- 

 liihment which admits the productions of 

 individuals who are not under the nc- 

 ceflfity of earning their fubfiftence, for 

 the purpofe of being expoled to fale, 

 tends to diminiih the quantity of labour 

 that would othcrwife have been perform- 

 ed by thofe that labour from neceffity. 

 Tiiis diminution deprives the neeeflitous 

 labourers of precilely the amount that 

 fuch labour would have produced them, 

 and leflens their means of fubfiftence. 

 It is obvious that the appropriation of 

 the money which the articles may fell 

 for to charitable purpofes, does not lefl'en 

 the perniciouinefs of the efteCt; for it 

 would be no fatiifaftion to the ncceffi- 

 tous labourers, if they were informer 

 that the funis thus obtained are expended 

 in charity : their difficulties of obtaining 

 a livelihood would be increafed, and 

 they might ufe with propriety the homely 

 language of an old precept, " Be juft 

 before you are generous;" and probably, 

 with no lefs fitnefs, although more of- 

 fenfively, they might fay, " Do not com- 

 mit an act of injuflice, that its confe- 

 quences may enable you to appear li- 

 beral." 



Habitual, as well as general and in- 

 difcriminate, charity, are mere induce- 

 ments to poverty to remain in idlenefs ; 

 and that bounty which feeks a variety of 

 objetis on which to dole out trifling funis, 

 ferves but to extend their wretchcdnefs 

 by iiureafing their number. It is not 

 by bcfiovving funis in mere charity tiiat 

 the evils of poverty can be obviated. 

 The hand ttiat is accultoincd to recei\o 

 the daily or weekly allowances of bene- 

 volence, will not be clofed till the pit- 

 tance is withheld ; it takes tlie ftated 

 luin not in aid of its endea\'ours to ob- 

 tain a futficiency of fupoort by induftry, 

 but it labours in aid of 'he charity that 

 is incompetent to the UJlfupply of its 

 wants. 



The veriell mcndicau i '-itlie trouble- 

 fome fwamis that dun every well-dreffid 

 palfenger in the ftreets of the metropolis, 

 probably received his firft alms with re- 

 luttance: it might have been the volun- 

 tary unfoliclted mite of fome humane 

 being, who was defirous of alleviating 

 the niifery of poverty, without flopping 

 to inquire its wigin, or in what way the 

 inonejr 



