482 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
mined to get out of the slough of pauperism as she was twenty 
years ago to get out of the mud of the Crimea. A careful expo- 
sition of this idea would be found in the " Westminster Review," 
January, 1875. Its advantages were — 1. It gave security to 
thrift, and conferred upon it the honourable regard of the State. 
2. By securing economy in administration, applicants could be 
admitted to membership without medical examination, and persons 
of weak constitution would obtain that protection against sickness 
now refused to them. This could be done without loss, because of 
the large average such a society would secure. He did not believe 
that working men would desire to gain extra profit by excluding 
such persons. The artizans of England had never allowed them- 
selves to be corrupted by individualistic theories of personal 
profit, but had always striven honestly, if unintelligently, to 
unite for the common good. They would hail with satisfaction an 
opportunity of bearing in honourably helpful ways a share of the 
burdens that cruelly bend weaker backs. 3. The scheme would 
enable the nation to weed out its vagabonds from the virtuous 
poor, and to deal firmly with them. 4. The charity of the nation 
would be organized, and its gifts righteously, wisely, and kindly 
bestowed. The charity-workers of England were heart-sick and 
despondent because of their felt failure, and were ready to obey 
the State whenever it should be seen that they really had a State 
conscious that its mission was to direct its subjects in labour for 
the common weal. 
" QUALITY (TIMBEE) OF MUSICAL SOUNDS. 
ABSTRACT OF ME. B. SMITHES PAPER. 
(Bead February 10th, 1876.) 
Everyone is familiar with the fact, that the same note may be 
sounded upon a variety of musical instruments, such as a violin, 
flute, and pianoforte ; and although all may be of exactly the same 
pitch and degree of loudness, and the hearer, out of sight, has 
no difficulty in distinctly associating each tone with the instrument 
which produced it. 
[This point was illustrated by experiments.] 
