pa aie 
that excellent little work, the Eton Greek 
Grammar, will probably satisfy his doubts 
on this and many other equally important 
points. — Your’s, &e. 
~ August 24, 1808. AB, J.C. 
¥ —_ - 
\» . For the Monthly Magazine. 
REMARKS on the ESTABLISHMENT of 
n> FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. 
FN your well conducted Miscellany, 
I some judicious remarks on the esta- 
blishment of Friendly Societies, (except 
the proposed scheme of the annual pay- 
ments being greatly inadequate to the 
probable demands,) induces me to sub- 
-mit my thoughts on the subject in reply 
to your correspondent, J, M. Dumbar- 
tonshire, whose sentiments do him great 
credit, althouzh I conceive he ismistaken 
in his view of the subject: 
Various plans have, at different times, 
been suggested, and an indefinite num- 
ber of societies established in different 
parts of the kingdom; but owing in agreat 
degree to the inaccuracy of the calcu- 
lations made by the projectors, at the 
commencement, the greater part of those 
I have been acquainted with, have fallen 
short of the expectations of the public. 
They began with the specious appearance 
of general utility, and ended in disap- 
pointment and disgust, tending also ma- 
terially to the injury of many people, who 
after haying contributed to the support of 
others for many years, have been unfortu- 
nately leftin their old age, with the cheer- 
Jess prospect of obtaining a casual support 
from their former friends, or submitting 
to the distressing, and degrading alterna- 
tive of removing to a parish workhouse. 
Friendly Societies (as they are called), 
in ninety-six instances out of one hun- 
dred, have ultimately proved useless and 
nugatory, or of no effect, from the pay- 
ments being found inadequate to the de- 
mands. ‘To obviate this material incon- 
venience, [ would recommend to such of 
your readers as wish to derive informa- 
tion on this subject, to peruse attentively 
Mrs. Cappe’s (of York) late publication 
on Friendly Societies, (more particularly 
addressed to females,) but equally appli- 
cable to either sex. The work is inter- 
spersed with many suitable remarks, all 
tending to increase the comforts of the 
lower classes of society. In the neigh- 
bourhood where I reside, a Female So- 
ciety has been lately established, on a 
plan similar to Mrs, Cappe’s, under the 
Patronage of an amiable young lady, 
whose chief employment is that of doing 
| Monruty Mac., No. 176. 
Sy 
1808.]) Remarks on'the Establishment of Friendly Societies. 
‘. ther of Zolus. “An attentive ‘perusal'of 
209 
good, ‘and yet who blushes to find it fame,” 
by providing for the indigent poor those 
coinforts they otherwise could not have 
experienced, The outlines of this Society, 
if required, shall be sent, Sir, in a future 
letter. In order to form a Male Sociéty, 
on a plan that is likely to stand the test 
of time, I beg to submit the following to 
the consideration of your correspondents, 
and to subjoin that the Societies to 
be established in the way I mean to pro- 
pose, should be formed into classes. 
The first to consist of honorary mem- 
bers, who are to derive no personal be- 
nefit from the fund, unless any of them, 
from unforeseen misfortunes, should ‘be 
greatlyfreduced in circumstances;” when 
they ought to be equally entitled to a re= 
muneration for the money paid by them 
respectively to the society, as the general 
members of the second class, provided 
they from that time make their payments 
accordingly as hereafter stated. 
Second class, to consist of tradesmen 
and others whose payments should ‘be in 
proportion, to their respective ages, as in 
the annexed list; and to receive such per- 
sonal benefits as those payments entitle 
Ahem to; which are also subjoined. 
Third class, to consist of working peo- 
ple of every description, whose moral 
characters are unexceptionable. 
Fourthly, a fund may be formed forthe 
support and education of orphan children 
born in wedlock, until they respectivel 
attain the age of fourteen or fifteen, an 
then a further sum to place each of them | 
out in permanent situations. As thigis 
a subject I have not yet seen or heard of 
being introduced into any institution of » 
this description, I submit the propriety of 
the plan to such of your readers, 2s may, 
feel themselves interested in wishing to 
make a provision for their helpless off- 
spring. Asa father, I feel fo# the’ sued: 
fare and happiness of mine, and I should 
be highly gratified in having the means 
pointed out of providing for their infan- 
cy, some of those comforts they have hi- 
therto been accustomed to, without 
having recourse to insurance-oftices for 
that purpose, I make little doubt but 
these remarks will equally apply to many 
thousands in this kingdem, who, although 
they are at present above the frowns of 
the world, may, from the pressure of the 
times, be rendered incapable of making 
a suitable provision for their children, at 
least such as they wish or expect-and 
thus leaving them “ to the pelting of the 
pitiless storm,” unprotected and unpro- 
vided, It may be presumed, no cluims 
Ee voyld 
