Clubs & Societies in British Guiana to 1844. 83 
and the Revd. J. H. Duke established the " Trinity 
Parish Friendly Society" in Essequebo in 1836. At the 
first anniversary meeting, held in January the following 
year, it was stated that there were 919 members on the 
books. In his address to the meeting the Rural Dean 
said that under their present institutions as well as under 
slavery, the young and healthy were compelled to main- 
tain the aged and infirm, because it was by their labour 
that the cultivator could afford, and had therefore been 
required by law to furnish, the same allowances to those 
who could do little or nothing, as to the young and vigo- 
rous. All these arrangements were doomed, and the 
question then arose, when the young labourer demanded 
higher wages, who was to maintain the old and infirm ? 
The cultivator could not be compelled to maintain them 
as a burthen on the plantation, and possibly would be 
unable to do so if he wished. A code of poor laws would 
relieve the distress but this would take time to discuss 
and formulate, and meanwhile what would become of the 
cripple, the aged and infirm, and particularly the poor, 
old, childless, friendless, brotherless African. They who 
had children and relatives would have to fall back on 
them, and the friendless African on the benevolence of 
his late master. But what in cases where the child was 
deficient in piety, the relative cold in charity, the master 
wanting in compassion ? What was to become of them ? 
Alas ! many might and probably would be, their suffer- 
ings and privations — sufferings the more aggravated 
because hitherto want had been absolutely unknown.* 
* This shows up one of the difficulties connected with emancipation 
and is worthy of consideration in judging of that great change in planta- 
tion economy. 
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