Establishments for the Poor. 373 



the introduction of a general plan for providing for all 

 the poor, founded upon the principles explained and 

 recommended in the preceding chapters of this Essay. 



CHAPTER V. 



Of the Means which may be used by Individuals in 

 affluent Circumstances for the Relief of the Poor in 

 their Neighbourhood. 



AS nothing tends more powerfully to encourage 

 idleness and immorality among the poor, and con- 

 sequently to perpetuate all the evils to society which 

 arise from the prevalence of poverty and mendicity, 

 than injudicious distributions of alms, individuals must 

 be very cautious in bestowing their private charities, 

 and in forming schemes for giving assistance to the 

 distressed, otherwise they will most certainly do more 

 harm than good. The evil tendency of giving alms in- 

 discriminately to beggars is universally acknowledged ; 

 but it is not, I believe, so generally known how much 

 harm is done by what are called the private charities of 

 individuals. Far be it from me to wish to discourage 

 private charities : I am only anxious that they should 

 be better applied. 



Without taking up time in analyzing the different 

 motives by which persons of various character are in- 

 duced to give alms to the poor, or of showing the con- 

 sequences of their injudicious or careless donations, 

 which would be an unprofitable as well as a disagreeable 



