Gis 
fluStuatine manufa&tory, never anticipates 
the time when fafhion may entirely anni- 
hilate his gains. Equally lavith of his 
money and his time, he is generally one 
week back in all his payments, a few 
days ilnefS drives him to live ypon credit, 
and a change in the public talte reduces 
him: and his wretched family to penury and 
want. 
Yet am I willicg to believe fomething 
may be done, which may graduaily coun- 
teraét this fupine or thoughtlefs conduct. 
There are few working men who do not 
readily engage in clubs for relief in cafe 
of fickneis ; tnough, as thefe are at prefent 
conducted, I have my doubts whether they 
produce greater good or evil. The faving 
ef the money is dearly paid for, and the 
meetings being always held at public- 
houfes, where the profit of the landloid is 
a principal confideration, habits of drink- 
ing and diffivation are acquired and 
ftrengthened. However, thefe inflitutions, 
imperfect as they are,’ feem to fhew that 
if better or more extenfive plans of faving 
were prepared, and their utility made cb- 
vious, the poor might be induced to adopt 
them. If this can be done (and furely 
fuccefs in ever fo {mall a degree would 
repay the attempt), 1 conceive the caufe 
of morality, and the confequent happinefs 
of the public, would be promoted. But 
who fhail ftep forward in the bufinefs? 
Who wil exert himfelf for the unprofita- 
ble honour of being the poor man’s friend? 
The man of abilities has not always leifure 
and influence, and how rarely are thefe 
three properties united to a heart glowing 
with benevolence. ‘The rich man feels not 
the four of neceflity urging him to engage 
in fimilar proje€ts; or if he does engage, 
it is upon a feale which leaves the poor far 
below the means.of attainment. It is th 
province of a Price or a Morgan to lay 
the sround-work ef extenfive inftitutions 
from laborious and correét invefligation ; 
it belongs to others of infericr abilities to 
take up their. calculations, and complete 
the purpofe for waich they were intended. 
There are many annuity focieties about 
the kingdom, where {mall fubfcriptions 
are received 1 pericdical payments; but 
they are either not fuficiently known, or 
it is much to be feared are many of them 
calculated upon fallacious principles, and 
likely to end in difappointment, if not in 
mifery and ruin. 
My objeé then, Sir, in the prefent ad- 
drefs, is fimply this ; that you would join 
your requeft with mine to any of your ex- 
perienced correfpondeats to tranimit to you 
the laws of any annuity-locietics with 
Obfervations on. Provifion for old Age. 
[jan. 1, 
which they are acquainted, and the aus 
therities upon which their calculations are 
made; and from thefe, J apprehend, it 
would reguire no great fkill or applica- 
tion to digeft a fyftem that would perfectly 
include my intention. ; 
Wor ts it for the lower clafs alone that 
fucn inftitutions are delirab'e: the middle 
rank will not always fecure a competency 
with aii the care and exertion that caa 
poilibly be ufed; and it is, to me, aftonifh- 
ing that fo little enquiry fhould be made 
by perfons of this clafs after fuch provi- 
dent fyfems. Perhaps there is not one 
in one hundred fo engaged, owing, in 
patt, to the diftance at which fuch focie- 
ties exit, or to the great difappointments 
Known to have occurred in confequence of 
erroneous calculations. What is it to me 
that there may be fuch inftitutions at Man- 
cheiter, at Aberdeen, at Truro, or at Nor- 
wich? it is only when they are withia 
the reach of my enquiry that they can be 
interefting. It is even defirable the mem- 
bers of each fociety fhould be perfonaliy 
known to each other, and live contiguous 
enough to have the opportunity of feru- 
tinizing into the management of the con- 
cern. It is not enough to fay that the 
way is fo clearly pointed out by the cha- 
racters already named, that any perfons 
‘may fafely make the attempt with com- 
mon fenfe for their guide: it is too well 
known that enormous errors have been 
committed, and who would not rather rely 
upon the experience of others than upon 
his own judgment in an afiair of fo much 
confequence. 
I could with to fee a fyftem fo minutely 
prepared, that every village, or Chrifian 
congregation, throughout the nation, that 
was fufficiently populous, might take up 
the plan, not to the party-exclufion, of 
others, but merely to ferve as the founda- 
tion. A few tables, carefully prepared, 
might clearly contain a f{cale that would 
take in fub{cribers of varicus defcriptions, 
and all of them to fhare the benefit in 
preportion to their age and payments. 
The weekly fub{fcriber of three pence, or 
ef five fillings, might then, with proprie- 
ty, belong to the fame inftitution; and 
thus focieties might be made fufficiently 
numerous, without raging in queft of 
firangers. Perhaps a {mall number, fay 
one hundred, or even fewer, would be bet- 
ter than more, as the accounts would be 
lefs extenfive, the funds more manageable, 
and every fub{fcriber might eafily compre- 
hend the general progrefs of the fociety, 
be well fatished that juftice and prudence 
prefided, or, if he thought any amendment 
might 
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