1804. | 
tion known only to themfelves and their 
immediate connections. No fooner, how- 
ever, had the promoters of this Afylum 
publifhed their humane intentions, than 
applications began to pour in from the pa- 
rents and friends of thefe unhappy beings, 
to an extent far beyond what had ever 
been conjeétured : and as the Inftitution 
has become more known, applications have 
continued to increafe; which the follow- 
ing extra€t, from the preface to the plan of 
it, will fhew—‘* Though the number of 
pupils has. been gradually augmented, 
from fix to near fifty, it muft be ftated, 
and it is flated with deep concern, that at 
every eleGtion the number of candidates 
nearly ten times exceed the number of va. 
cancies—only for want of more ample 
funds ; for the planitfelf is limited to ro 
number, denomination or diftriét withia 
the Britifh dominions.” The affluent, 
therefore, who have a heart ** to melt at 
the tale of woe,”” will no longer w:thhold 
their bounty from the indigent Deat and 
Dumb, under an impreflion that ¢* though 
the affliction is fevere, it is fortunately 
rare.” Alas! how many hundreds, per- 
haps thoufands, might fuch an Inftitution 
as this have been the means of rendering 
ufeful to the world, and happy, compara- 
tively, in themfelves, had it been ellab- 
lifhed a century ago:—but itis never too 
late to do well, and we would rather in- 
culge the pleafing hope of how many may 
reap the advantages of it for centuries to 
come. 
Another thing that may be urged in ex- 
tenuation of the negleét in which the Deat 
and Dumb poor of thefe kingdoms have fo 
long lain is, that it was, and ftill is per- 
haps, far from being generally underftood 
what benefitsthey may, and actually do, 
derive from inftruétion, The moft effec- 
tual means of removing any doubts of this 
fort, from the minds of thofe inclined to 
fupport this Inftitution, is to invite them 
to vifit the Afylum, if they can have an 
opportunity of doing fo, and judge for 
themfelves. It will be found that they 
here, learn to {peak and read articulately ; 
to write, to cypher; and to comprehend 
the meaning and grammatical conftruétion 
of words and fentences; which enable them 
to underftand what is {poken or written to 
them, and to convey their own ideas with 
a fatisfactory readinefsand precifion, In 
addition to this education, which certainly 
railes them from mere fentient beings to 
the feale of rational and intelligent crea- 
tures, they are taught, at leait fuch of 
them as have not friends to provide fitua- 
* 
Ajylum for the Deaf and Dumb. 
SiS 
tions for them, to work at fome ufeful 
employment, by which they may earn 
their future fubfiftence, and become indul- 
trious members of that community, on 
which they otherwife would have been 
oppreflive burthens. 
Since the eftablifhment of this Afylum 
there have been receives into it, tothe pe- 
fent time, feventy-fix boys. and twenty- 
four girls, making together exactly cne 
hundred; of which number, thirteen girls 
and thirty-one boys have lett it, greatly 
benefited by it, and are now filling ufeful 
ftations in fociety, as mechanics, or fer- 
vants, &c. Three or four have been dif- 
charged for want of intelleé&t; abour Gfry 
are now under tuition ; and nearly an huo-~ 
dred are anxioufly waiting for admiffion. 
From thefe faéts {ome idea may be formed 
of the aétual number of Deaf and Dumb 
in this country. Who that reads them 
but mut lament that-all who apply cannot 
be received ' 
Te is devoutly to be wifhed, that fhould 
this meet the eye of any who have influ- 
ence in the Cabinet or the Senate, that it 
may ftimulate theo to exert that isfluence 
to procure fome national aid for the erec- 
tion of a zerv Afylum, upon an extended 
fcale, now become abfolutely neceffary trom 
the fmallnefs of the premifes at prefent 
eccupied. For this purpofe fubfcriptions 
are now raifing ; and the well known liber- 
ality of a Britifh public give reafon for 
fanguine hope that very confiderable fums 
will fhortly be contributed ; as is general- 
ly the cafe where undertakings of real hu- 
manity and utility are fairly brought be. 
fore it. Great as this liberality is, yet 
fuch is the extent of the calamity, that 
there is room to doubt whether any thing 
fhort of national fupport can fully meet the 
exigency of the cafc. And it furely will 
not be denied, by any of our enlightened 
ftatefmen, that the uieful employment of 
fo many of cur fellow creatures, inde- 
pendent of rendering them individually 
happier by mental acquirements, is an ob- 
ject worthy of legiflative care. 
The annual expenditure for the number 
at prefent onthe foundation, is neorflaily 
very confiderable, as they are boarded and 
lodged as well as educated at the expence 
of the Inftitution ; the time required to 
give them a competent education is five 
year's. 
When I fat down it was my intention 
to have given you a fketch of the method 
purfued in their inftruétion; but finding my 
leifure exhaufted, and atraid of occupying 
too much of your well-appropriated pages, 
t's i mult 
