190 Life of Count Rumfird. 



of poverty exhibited by those who are positively in- 

 capable of self-support, and which requires continuous 

 charitable assistance and relief. The aid which such 

 indigent persons need from others cannot be provided 

 by compulsory legal exactions ; it must be contributed 

 by benevolent and humane promptings. This volun- 

 tary provision will require organizations to gather and- 

 administer it. Persons of the highest social rank must 

 put themselves foremost, and must combine with those 

 who belong to the middle classes, to institute an elabo- 

 rate system of oversight and relief. The , objection 

 likely to arise from the enormous expense which may 

 be supposed to be involved in such a scheme must be 

 met by the bold and easily demonstrable statement, that 

 the cost of such a well-devised system will always be 

 much less than that visited on a community by beg- 

 gary, with its concomitant of thieving. The system 

 will require the districting of a town, and the number- 

 ing of the houses, with a careful examination into the 

 condition and circumstances of every indigent person. 

 Thompson here plants himself, as he always did in 

 every great or little matter that interested him, upon 

 his divine principle of Order. Arrangement, method, 

 provision for the minutest details, subordination, co- 

 operation, and a careful system of statistics will facili- 

 tate and make effective any undertaking, however 

 burdensome or comprehensive. Humanity, kindness, 

 and wisdom are capable of dealing with the huge evils 

 of pauperism. The objects of this benevolence when 

 thus cared for must be made, skilfully and resolutely, 

 to contribute as far as possible to the efforts made for 

 their own relief. They must be set to industrious oc- 

 cupations. To make the burdens of providing for 



