330 
It appears that the revenue would be 
very slightly affected, by government 
allowing a quanuty of malt, proportioned 
to the number of his fainily, to be issued 
tu the peasant, free from those duties 
whicl} it is now judged expedient to 
make it pay. \ The parish-otficer, with 
coinparatively little trouble, might su- 
perinternd the distributions; and render 
aA account to the exciseman, or person 
named for that purpose, of the receipts 
and issues of malt taken from the aiia- 
cent malt-house, for the use of the pugr. 
The same money, or less than’the sam, 
row paid by the lebourer for what the 
_ country dealer thinks proper to name 
tea, would enable hia to purchase quite 
sufficient mait for the use of his family, 
if free frem the enormous duties to 
which itissubject. It is almost needless 
to remark that the health, the comfort, 
and the manners, of the peasant, (as the 
possession of beer at home might, at 
length, wean him from the habit of 
visiting the ale-house of the village,) 
would be benefited by this indulgence. 
When a certain senator projected 
plans for ameliorating the state of the 
poor, I publicly subimitted to him this 
idea, in @ more detailed form. Te 
thought it futile, for he paid no attention 
toit. Possibly the reader may think so 
too. I, N.B. 
Hurst, Berks. 
- EE 
To the Editor of the Menthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N the canse of humanity, no effort 
is lost; for whatever excites public 
attention, must eventually contribute its 
share towards the improvement of the 
public mind. On this principle I was 
pleased with the suggestion. of T. C, 
communicated by last January’s Maga- 
zine, on the advantages of an ice life- 
boat, which certainly on first considera- 
tion appears a plausible and praite-wor- 
thy invention. There are however some 
objections which | fear will overthrow its 
proposed utility, but which T would not 
attempt to bring forward without stating 
what I think to be a more simple and 
practicable expedient. In the first 
instance, however perfect the thing may 
be in itself to answer the desired purpose, 
is it likely that such an expensive appa- 
ratus should be prepared at every place 
where humanity might wish the precau- - 
tion, considering the great uncertainty 
of its ever being wanted? - Its size and 
weight would render if: too unwieldy £0 
serve for an extensive district; and af 
ice Life Boats. 1 
[May I, 
every pool where danger is apprehended, 
or every two or three hundred yards of 
river or canal, which may pass through 
a populous neighbourhood, is required to 
have its boat, where shall the ardour be 
found to promote the design? Another 
objection which strikes me forcibly, is. 
the probability of its becoming from its 
weight so entangled with the broken ice, 
as to render it dificult, if not impracti- 
cable, tur the operator to return without 
assistance, but which could not always 
be calculated upon; added to this must: 
be the ditiiculty which the distressed 
sufferer would have to contend with, in 
grappling any thing so’ unsteady or so» 
mucly out.ot his reach as the edge of the 
boat, and the danger also of so small a 
boat being upset by lifting an aimost 
helpless creature into it from the water. 
All these dificulties would, I conceive, 
be effectually removed, and every secu- 
rity given, by the simple expedient of 
using a common ladder, which might’ 
be procured at a very inconsiderable- 
expense, or which, from its easy care 
riage, almost any neighbourhood might 
quickly supply. Its length would give 
security, by furnishing so long a bearing 
on the ice: it may be slided across the 
hole so. as for the sufferer to grasp some’ 
of its rounds ; and any person may walk 
en his hands and feet close up to, and 
even over the spot, with as little hazard: 
as can well be imagined. It would 
instantly become an easy and safe de< 
posit ior the body, and the operator 
might drag his charge to a distance fron 
the hole; or, if time and opportunity 
should serve, a rope might be attached 
to ove or to each end of the ladder,-for 
the spectators to lend a hand, and it 
would then become an effectual and’ 
expeditious sledge, F . 
I was once unfortunately a witness to 
a scene where I was instantly struck 
with the idea, how readily a life might 
have been preserved. by the mode here 
recommended ; and have since procured 
a ladder for the spot, made lighter than 
for common use, with the uprights the 
same strength throughout, and the cros3 
bars two or three inches longer: and to 
this T can conceive neither objection nor 
Improvement, 
Birmingham. ABS 
ER " f 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
AVING frequently experienced the 
inconvenience and even difficulty 
of 
FE 
