340 Fundamental Principles of 



management of the poor without the approbation and 

 consent of the supreme committee, — the most perfect 

 uniformity in the mode of treating the poor, and trans- 

 acting all public business relative to the institution, 

 being indispensably necessary to secure success to the 

 undertaking, and fix the establishment upon a firm and 

 durable foundation. 



For the same reasons, all moneys collected in the par- 

 ishes should not be received and disposed of by their 

 particular committees, but ought to be paid into the 

 public treasury of the institution, and carried to the gen- 

 eral account of receipts ; and, in like manner, the sums 

 necessary for the support of the poor in each parish 

 should be furnished from the general treasury, on the 

 orders of the supreme committee. 



With regard to the applications of individuals in 

 distress for assistance, all such applications ought to be 

 made through the commissary of the district to the 

 parochial committee ; and where the necessity is not 

 urgent, and particularly where permanent assistance is 

 required, the demand should be referred by the parochial 

 committee to the supreme committee for their decision. 

 In cases of urgent necessity, the parochial committees, 

 and even the commissaries of districts, should be author- 

 ized to administer relief, ex officio, and without delay ; 

 for which purpose they should be furnished with certain 

 sums in advance, to be afterwards accounted for by 

 them. 



That the supreme committee may be exactly informed 

 of the real state of those in distress who apply for re- 

 lief, every petition, forwarded by a parochial commit- 

 tee, or by a commissary of a district where there are no 

 parochial committees, should be accompanied with an 



