1797-] Plan for canfolidating Friendly Societies, by Mr. Houfman. 89 
in old age, &c. (and which they are 
much more liable to meet with than 
men) is rarely within their reach. 
Having occafionally been thinking on 
that fubjedt, for fome time paft, | fhall beg 
leave to lay before your readers, fome of 
the outlines of a plan for forming or 
confolidating Friendly Societres, which, it 
Appears to me, “would anfwer every pur- 
pole of thefe infitutions; and avoid 
moft, if not all, of the inconveniences 
which now attend them. In propofing 
the fcheme, I am not without fome dif- 
fidence as to its validity; and as I have 
no other objeé& in view. thin the public 
good, it would pleafe me very well to 
ice any amendments made thereto, or a 
more eligible one offered. : 
1. Every parifh, hundred, county, or 
fuch other political diftriét as fhould be 
found moit convenient, might be confi- 
dered as the extent of one incorporated 
fociety, or the limits from within which 
fuch fociety were capable of admitting 
members. 
2. Every perfonof either fex (except 
criminals, thofe who lead immoral or 
notorioufly idle lives, &c.) who wifhed 
to become members of the fociety, thould 
be admitted as fuch. 
3- The weekly or monthly fubfcrip- 
ticns of members to be fixed at fuch cer- 
tain fums as may be calculated to anfwer 
the intended purpofe; that is, fuch as 
would keep up the fund of a club which 
received a regular acceffion of young 
healthy members. 
4. Different {ums might be allowed to 
be periodically fubfcribed, according to 
the ability or inclination of the fub- 
{criber. 
5. A certain fum, but varying, ac- 
cording to age, to be paid by every 
healthy member on his or her admiffion ; 
and a difcretionary power to be lodged in 
fome proper perfon or perfons, enabling 
him or them to athxthe admifion fum 
to be paid by fuch lame or infirm per- 
fons as fhould with to become members, 
in order to guard againft impofitions, by 
fuch infirm or unhealthy people as might 
be in circumftances rfot really demand- 
ing relief. 
6. In cafe of ficknefs or old age, each 
member, on producing the required cer- 
tificate, to receive a weekly ttated fum 
in proportion to his or her fubfcription, 
and, perhaps, according to the number 
of children under a certain age. 
7. As in fuch an eftablifhment there 
would be many unhealthy members, 
the fund would, doubtlefs, fall fhort of 
the demands made upon it, which defi- 
ciency the diftri€t of fuch fociety fhould 
fupplv from fome fort of regular rate, _ 
8, No money to be fpent in public 
houfes; the fubfcriptions to be received 
at public offices; and the diftriét to be 
accountable for the receipts, and to make 
good the legal payments. 
9. Aclear ftatement of all fums re- 
ceived and made out annually or 
oftener, and the books to be acceffible to 
all the members. 
From this crude fketch, the advantages 
which would follow the putting in prac- 
tice fuch a fyftem, will, I believe, be 
apparent. The annual expences of a 
member would not be more, but rather 
lefs, in general, than that which is paid 
to a common club box; and the benefi:s 
to be derived from the former, at leaft 
equal in value to thofe expected from 
the latter; and that without anv rifk of 
being difappointed. From thefe confi- 
derations, it is hoped that, after the firft 
prejudices and jealoufies fhould be worn 
of, there would be few people, of either 
f{ex, whofe fupport depended folely on 
their own hand labour, who would not 
readily become members of fuch an infti- 
tution: the confequence of which would 
be the increafe of induftry, and a great 
reduction of the poor-rates. The beft 
means of fupporting the poor, is to en- 
courage and put them in a method of 
fupporting themfelves: and a fenfe of 
foume and honour ought. alfo to be pre- 
ferved in them as much as poffible ; 
thefe feelings will be found to form the 
beft {pur to induftry, but which, after a 
poor perfon has been repeatedly under 
the neceifity of afking for parochial aid, 
generally become callous; idlenefs fuc- 
ceeds, and he confiders the parith as his 
eftate, from which he has a right to 
exaét a maintenance. In thefe difpofi- 
tions the fon, for the moft part, follows 
the example of the father. 
lam, fir, your's, &c. 
J. Housman. 
Corby, near Carlifle, Auguf? 8, 1797. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, ; 
MONG the provincial occurrences 
recorded in your laft Number, an ac- 
count is given, p. 76, of a toad found in 
a large ftone in a flate-quarry ; as the 
circumftance is of a nature that naturally 
excites fufpicion, it will be a favour to 
fuch of your readers as are lovers of 
natural hiftory, if any of your correfpond- 
ents in that part of the country can afcer- 
tain 
