S A V 



S A V 



contained in the Saros. Syncellus, after Berofus, Abydenus, the ability for earning would be deftroyed or impaired. 



Alexander Polyhiftor, &c. affirm, that it was a period of He fuggefted, however, that this fuperannuation annuity 



3600 years, which is by no means probable. Dr. Halley ftould, either wholly or in part, be converted into any 



agrees with Suidas in identifying the faros with the period other fpecies of benefit adapted to the exi^ncies of the 



of 223 (not 222 of Suidas) fynodic lunar months mentioned owner. E. gr. It might be changed into an annuity for 



by Pliny, which amount to nearly eighteen of our years ; an exifting wife, in the event of widowhood, or into an 



period which furnifhes an eafy method of predicting 

 eclipfcs within the limits of the error of only half an hour ; 

 and the formation of this cycle evinces the flvill of the Chal- 

 daeans in aftronomical computation. 



SAVANNAH, \. penult, infert — the flaves in the county 

 being T^^l, and in the town 2195. 



SAUCON, Lower and Upper, two townfhips of North- 

 umberland county, in Pennfylvania, the former containing 

 1074, and the latter 1456 inhabitants 



annuity during the nonage of a certain number of children ; 

 or It might ferve as a pledge for money borrowed; 

 or part of it might be fold for railing a marriage-fund \ 

 or It might be fimply withdrawn. As no attempt was made 

 for the accomplilliment of Mr. Bcntham's plan of a fruga- 

 bty-bank, it remained without effeft. It is needlefs to 

 mention, or to detail, the various particulars of a plan fub- 

 mitted to the public by Mr. Bone in the years 1805 and 

 1 806 ; as it comprehends a great number of objefts which 



SAVING-Banks, or Banks for Savings, are inftitutions lay beyond the attainment of the poor. 



which, under this appellation, are of recent origin, and 

 which have been eftablilhed for the purpofe of ameliorating 

 the condition of the lower clafTes of mankind. Many 

 fchemes, of various denominations, have been propofed with 

 a view partly, or wholly, to this objeft. One of the moft 

 ancient of this kind is the inilitution of male Friendly Societies, 

 which was eftablifhed about a century ago, and which, to 

 a certain extent, counterafted the prefTure of poor-rates, 

 and the growth of thofe baneful habits of dependence which 

 poor-rates are adapted to produce. (See Friendly 

 Societies.) Thefe focieties, though they partake of the 

 nature of infurances on life and property, by promiiing 

 certain advantages in the event of certain cafualties or 

 contingencies, are, however, preferable to common infurance 

 offices, inafmuch as the members infure each other, and 

 retain all the profits in their own hands for the general 

 advantage. In thefe focieties, there is alfo a benevolent prin- 

 ciple that influences thofe who form them, and induces 

 them to feel and exprcfs a folicitude for each other's wel- 

 fare. Neverthelefs, the benefits derived from them by 

 individual members are often diftant, and in their nature 

 uncertain ; fo that thofe who have regularly contributed to 

 them for forty or fifty years have not received a fhilling 

 from their funds. In the year 1772, baron Maferes pub- 

 liihed " A Propofal for eftablifhing Life Annuities in 

 Parifhes, with a View to the Benefit of the Induftrious 

 Poor ;" and this was accompanied with the fuggeftions 

 of fome alterations by the Rev. Dr. Price. The ingenious 

 baron recommended to the nation, to obtain a law for 

 enabling the parifh-officers in England to grant, upon pur- 

 chafe, to the labouring inhabitants life-annuities, payable 

 out of the parifh-rates. The plan was approved by per- 

 fons of the moll dillinguifhed character at that period, and 

 a bill was brought into the houfe of commons by Mr. 

 Dowdfwell, under the aufpices of Mr. Burke, fir George 

 Savile, Lord John Cavendiih, Mr. Dunning, Mr. Thomas 

 Townfliend, and others, for carrying it into effect. The 

 bill was pafied, but it mifcarried in the houfe of lords at 

 the fecond reading. However defirable and excellent this 

 plan might appear in theory, it was not likely to prove 



It was ftiU a matter of regret that, notwithllanding 

 various fchemes that had been fuggefted, no plan had been 

 devifed for fecuring to the labouring claffes a place of fafe 

 depofit for the fruits of their induftry, fo as to encourage 

 them to fave, in the years of aftive exertion, fuch a portion 

 of their gains as they might be able to fpare from their 

 prefent neceffities, fo that they might have a refource in the 

 feafon of misfortune, or in the decHne of life ; and more 

 efpecially to afford them the advantage of receiving reoular 

 intereft for their fmall favings, on a fcale advancing ''to a 

 certain extent, in proportion to the amount and continuance 

 of their depofits. Of the firft eftablifhment of an inftitution 

 that may properly be called a faving-bank, we have an 

 account in N" 84. of " The Reports of the Society for 

 bettering the Condition of the Poor." From this report 

 it appears, that a female benefit-club was eftabUflied on the 

 22d of Odober, 1798, at Tottenham, near London, under 

 the patronage of a number of ladies. This inftitution com- 

 prehended within its general defign and plan two otlier 

 objeds, viz. a fund for loans to prevent the ufe of pawn- 

 brokers' ftiops, and a " bank for the earnings of poor 

 children." " Children of either fex," fays Mrs. Prifcilla 

 Wakefield, an ingenious and benevolent lady, whofe pen 

 was employed in the inftruction of the public, and whofe 

 heart was actuated by a generous concern for benefiting 

 thofe by whom fhe was furrounded, " or of whatever ao-e, 

 whether belonging to a member or not, are permitted to 

 bring any fum above a penny to the monthly meetino- of 

 the ftewardeffes, to be laid up in the funds of the fociety ; 

 where their fmall earnings may accumulate in fecurity, 

 until wanted for an apprentice-fee, clothing, or going to 

 fervice, or fome other important purpofe." It is added, 

 " although the children receive no addition to the pittance 

 they depofit in the fund, yet it anfwers feveral purpofes ; 

 it ftimuiates them to earn and to fave that which would 

 probably be idly fpent, as of too fmall importance for care ; 

 it often encourages their parents to lay by a little ftore 

 for them, which they would not have thought of doing,' 

 had they not been invited by this opportunity of placing 

 it in fafet)-. It habituates the children to induftry, fru- 



effeftual ; becaufe, for the purchafe of the propofed an- gality, and forefight ; and by introducing them to notice, 



nuities, a fum of money, of great amount to the purchafer, 



was demanded at once ; and it was out of his power to 



procure it. A fcheme fomewhat refembling that of a 



faving-bank was publifhed in 1797 by Mr. Bentham, in 



Young's " Annals of Agriculture." One part of his 



plan comprehended an inftitution which he denominated 



" A Frugality-Bank." Into this bank he propofed to 



receive the depofits of the poor, not for the mere purpofe 



of yielding an intereft, and being withdrawn when wanted, 



but to form or purchafe an annuity for old age, when 



It teaches them the value of characler, and of the efteem 

 of thofe who, by the difpenfations of Providence, are 

 placed above them ; and in many inftances, it may fupply 

 a refource when it is eflentially requifite. The fuccefs has 

 already exceeded expectation ; above fixty children bring 

 their little treafure monthly." The fuccefs of this chil- 

 dren's-bank gave rife to a more extenfive plan in the fame 

 place in 1804, called " The Charitable or Benefit Bank." 

 This was begun for the exprefs purpofe of providing a 

 fafe and profitable place of depofit for the favings of 



4 M 2 labourers. 



