Establishments for the Poor. 335 



annually which are extorted from them by beggars, I 

 am confident it would be quite sufficient, with a proper 

 arrangement, for the comfortable support of the poor of 

 all denominations. 



Not only those who were formerly common street- 

 beggars, but all others, without exception, who receive 

 alms, in the city of Munich and its suburbs, amounting 

 at this time to more than 1800 persons, are supported 

 almost entirely by voluntary subscriptions from the in- 

 habitants ; and I have been assured by numbers of the 

 most opulent and respectable citizens that the sums 

 annually extorted from them formerly by beggars alone, 

 exclusive of private charities, amounted to more than 

 three times the sums now given by them to the support 

 of the new institution. 



I insist the more upon this point, as I know that the 

 great expense which has been supposed to be indispen- 

 sably necessary to carry into execution any scheme for 

 effectually providing for the poor and putting an end 

 to mendicity has deterred many well-disposed persons 

 from engaging in so useful an enterprise. I have only 

 to add my most earnest wishes that what I have said 

 and done may remove every doubt and reanimate the 

 zeal of the public in a cause in which the dearest in- 

 terests of humanity are so nearly concerned. 



In almost every public undertaking, which is to be 

 carried into effect by the united voluntary exertions of 

 individuals, without the interference of government, 

 there is a degree of awkwardness in bringing forward 

 the business which it is difficult to avoid, and which is 

 frequently not a little embarrassing. This will doubt- 

 less be felt by those who engage in forming and exe- 

 cuting schemes for providing for the poor by private 

 subscription ; they should not, however, suffer them- 



