1828.] On different Currents in the Air and in the Ocean. influenced by the circumstance of its 399 We have, however, too many proofs of the occasional existence of varied currents of air at different altitudes, to need support from the analogous motion of the waters : the irregular courses which balloons frequently pursue on their ascent, shew them to be passing through different currents of air; and the light elevated clouds which may sometimes be seen to pass the moon's face, in direct opposition to the wind, indicated by the weathercock, is another proof that the whole height of the atmosphere is not always influenced by the wind prevailing near the surface of the earth. Now as we find that whether the tide be ebbing, or flowing, minor contrary tides are invariably produced; and that where the winds are variable the higher strata of the atmosphere are sometimes moving in a direction opposite to that of the wind near the surface of the earth, I think it by no means improbable, that in the district of the Monsoons, where the wind blows from the same point for six months together, the equilibrium of the atmosphere is preserved by a constant upper current of air moving towards that point of the compass from which the prevailing Monsoon blows. The occasional existence of upper contrary currents of air, is however quite sufficient to shew the possibility of contagion spreading in opposition to the wind: for the lower particles of air impregnated with the contagious miasmata, or general exciting cause of the disease, becoming rarefied by their proximity to the earth's heated surface, yield to the pressure of the more dense air, which descends to restore the equilibrium, while the former continue rising (gradually parting with their caloric, and becoming condensed in their ascent) till they meet and combine with air of their own specific gravity; which, moving perhaps in a contrary direction, hurries them along in opposition to the wind below. In process of time these particles will in their turn descend again to restore the equilibrium, which is constantly disturbed by the rarefaction near the earth's surface, and being inhaled by the human species, propagate the disease of which they contain the exciting cause or infectious miasmata. Thus it is by no means impossible that the Black vomit should have spread from India to the Isle of France; and con- ' sequently its appearance there, ought not for a moment to have been ad 400 Mischiefs of Fairs.—Arms on Bouchier Chair. mitted as evidence against those facts, which prior to the knowledge of this circumstance had induced the Surgeons to pronounce it contagious. THE C. MORTON, Lieut. R. N. Mr. URBAN, Kensington, May 7. HE present season calls attention to a subject which has been, not unfrequently, noticed in your pages; I allude to the Annual Fairs. All who look beyond mere present amusement, to probable consequences, must rejoice to observe that the matter is not wholly neglected by those who are most capable of effecting their suppression that in several instances active measures are taking for that purpose-and that some have been actually prohibited through the concurrent efforts of the surrounding inhabitants. To enlarge upon the evils that result from these multiplied saturnalia, would be to repeat what has been said a thousand times; and which are as generally allowed as deprecated-particularly by those most aware and most interested in their consequences-the masters and mistresses of families. And yet, not unfrequently, these persons, unthinkingly, bring upon themselves the very evils of which they are the first to complain. It is no less their duty, than their interest, to guard, as far as their influence extends, the morals of the individuals forming their domestic establishment which they would probably exert in forbidding any evening resort to neighbouring fairs; but how inconsistent is this prohibition with the attendance of Mamma and all her little ones in the morning? In most of the fairs within a short distance of the metropolis, the morning crowd will be found to be greatly augmented by the surrounding gentry and their young progeny. These return home to display their gay fairings, and to dilate upon the astonishing things they have seen, and to regret the many they have not seen. What wonder is it, that, thus excited, servants, who are generally but children in judgment, disregarding prohibition, should steal an opportunity, and, enticed by the scene and by jeering companions, should protract their return? Surely then, such an ill-judged and unnecessary indulgence to the children, might be forborne for the sake of the servants.To convince that class, that present gratification may be incompatible with [May, future repose, is possibly a hopeless task; but to participate in the supposed pleasure ourselves, however innocently, and then to forbid them an approach to it, must appear strangely inconsistent, and an arbitrary stretch of authority, to which few will submit. Ladies' fairs for benevolent purposes are also ill judged, as instances are not wanting in which they have grown to intolerable nuisances; and it is much to be wished that the consecrated fruits of elegant industry were always disposed of with as little publicity as is compatible with their object-as in the admirably conducted Bedford Free School. THE argument between your Correspondent (having the signature of W. Ment) and myself respecting the arms of Louvain on the Bourchier chair, seems to stand thus: In my original communication (XCII. i. p. 64.) I stated the arms on the chair to be " Checky, Argent and Azure, a fess Argent for Louvain ;" and that I found such arms (quartered with Bourchier) in an engraving in Wright's "Rutland," and one existing in a window of Oakham Church. Mr. Ment replied in the same volume (p. 516), that the quarterings were correctly enumerated, but that for the proper coat of Louvaine (which was Gules, a fess inter ten billets Or), I had substituted one, which with the colours assigned to it, was never appropriate to any family; and added, that the mode of distinguishing colours by engraven marks, was not invented till CENTURIES after the date of the chair. Not assuming to myself any heraldic skill, I answered (vol xcII. p. 607) by merely saying, that my description of the arms in question was taken from the Oakham window (as represented in Wright's book), and after correcting an error that I had committed respecting the colours of the cheques, I said that a fess between TEN billets did neither 402 IN Polis On the Management of Charitable Institutions. March 10. Mr. URBAN, N the following endeavour to review some parts of the great work of public charity with which our Metroand our United Kingdom abound, am but too sensible of the difficulties which I shall have to encounter, in pointing at the truth of facts without offence. Yet I am so much impressed with the liberality of mind as well as purse which happily actuates the present æra, that as we all mean the same thing," namely, to promote the institutions which we patronise, and to render them more effectual for their respective objects, than for any sinister fame to their patrons, or favour to their dependent officers, I shall venture to pass on to the labour with the alacrity of one who earnestly desires to unite and advance the cause of all. 66 This country had long before the present century been distinguished for its humane regard to the poor and afflicted; schools for the children, hospitals for the afflicted, alms-houses for the aged who had seen better times, and places of refuge and comfort for those who had served their country by sea and land, everywhere dignified the character of national commisseration and individual bounty; when the present period opened upon us, it was to afford to our astonished sight new stars and more beautiful constellations in this hemisphere of charity than had been hitherto discovered. Between twenty and thirty of these new institutions were founded in the first ten years of this century, and in the last twelve years the increase has amounted to sixty-two in and near the Metropolis alone! The devastations of a protracted war did not check their progress, although in many other respects it abbreviated the resources of individual prosperity; and the subsequent seven years of peace, which has called for the most rigid economy in all public and private expenditure, have still brought forth irresistible claims for more institutions, and for the annual support of the old ones! Very few have experienced much default on these accounts; the same buildings, the same provisions, and the same open hospitality to the poor and distressed, are maintained; neither do we find that their settled funds are diminished, or their usual sources of contribution withdrawn in such a pro [May, portion as to restrain the admission of patients, except in very few instances an undeniable proof that every sympathising Christian feels that he is bound not to take the whole of his loaf to himself, but rather that "What his charity impairs, He saves by prudence in affairs." But there is an enlarged beneficence of equal importance with bounty, by the exercise of which these ornaments to human nature can be supported-I mean personal attendance and investigation-it is but a small part of the duty of charity to give, that only relieves us from importunity; but where an establishment is raised, every benefactor towards it should reflect that to embrace its benevolent design, a household must be retained, and important trusts must be confided to others, who will require not only to be maintained at their post, but also to be frequently seen and reviewed, that they do not relax in the duty to which they have been called. The erection of a new charity is too commonly preceded by plans and estimates for new buildings; and thus, before the poor objects who are stated by their zealous patrons to be waiting impatiently, at the very door, for relief, can for a long time be admitted to share in the proposed benevolence, a building-fund must be raised, an eligible piece of ground be sought for, contracts made, and legal titles be investigated, drawings prepared, revised, and altered, and, finally, Surveyors and Architects satisfied and paid, before the design of the first charitable set of resolutions can be carried into visible effect-in the mean time the trembling paupers may, it is hoped, have been taken into some other institution, which affords to many a decided evidence that the new one is not so necessary, or perhaps they have breathed their last without pity! In this way much of the subscription which was intended for them, is spent for a different purpose. To these patrons the alternative is obvious-a small house for their first experiment would have probably enabled them by encouragement to begin and carry on without an impaired fund, the principal object; for that of making a shew by a handsome building, must be allowed to be but a secondary object; this will always follow in its due time, if the institution be found worthy of support. OFFICERS. 1823.] On the Management of Charitable Institutions. OFFICERS. It is an essential in the foundation of such establishments, that men of fame and public knowledge should be its patrons; but the mere patronage of contribution is not sufficient, as credit is placed in their hands for legislative functions, so here the names of the great and of those who fill high and responsible stations are requisite to shew to the community that their judgment and sanction are staked upon the undertaking-but when these have been given, something more is requisite their presence at general meetings, and their taking part in what their names have recommended, are of the highest importance in the promotion of the cause, for the people will never place their confidence where it appears that their chiefs withdraw; in vain might these institutions, which are connected with any corporation, look for support from others, if those who fill its most elevated posts do not preside over them-happily we have in London very little ground for complaint against presidents for this defect, but amongst the long lists of vice-presidents, this personal influence is not so generally afforded as the nature of their office imports-it is not so much their money as their personal sanction which is sought for: sermons and festivals, general courts and elections, all very essential means of annual support, are considerably more productive when thus attended, and they constitute the chief or only duty which such persons undertake to perform. Treasurers and Secretaries follow in their train, whose official obligations are more defined, and where they are entrusted with the receipt of money, security is most prudently required, as well as from Collectors. Treasurers are of a higher class of both; fortune and station probably render them superior to the temptations of others; but over all these offices an active Committee, or well-instructed Auditors, are and ought to be vested with unrelaxing control, and if this is not freely exerted, they are not the true friends of either the charity or the officers whose accounts they are directed to inspect. COMMITTEES, &c. Every institution vests in a certain number of its members, full authority in a standing or revolving Committee to superintend the whole concern-in some of the 403 greater parts of it their transactions are subjected to the revision and confirmation of a general meeting, to which they are expected either to submit the whole of their minutes, or to present a report of their principal acts; they take the entire superintendance and direction as they would of their own household, and are frequently called upon to observe the most sound discretion in many difficult occurrences, all which they have to consider are to be done by their order, and to be made public, and thereby to effect the favour or the ruin of the establishment. This shews how very necessary it is that each member should feel himself bound to occupy his place at the times of meeting, should suffer no resolution to pass without a clear explanation of its utility and necessity, and should be excited to a sense of duty so far as to yield to none of his fellows in vigilance and punctuality; many young institutions have been actually raised to respect and opulence by the assiduity of their Committee, and by separating their duties into Sub-committees; for all are made active by the example of their leaders, and when they relax all vigour fails! In order to obviate the danger of wanting a quorum of the members chosen, it is frequently made a standing rule of these societies that every Committee should be open to all its members; a rule which is pleasing for its liberality, and for the disarming any, the least charge of partiality or jealousy amongst themselves; as also that it often secures a competent board for the business of the day, which must otherwise be deferred, or which may lead to worse effects, namely, that the officers, if members of the society, have a right to constitute themselves into a board; and it should never be forgotten, that a board, once formed, has the entire dominion over the institution; it is obvious that the acting Committee should never suffer themselves to be so overruled in their absence. The inspection of the interior of these establishments, their necessary supplies, their repairs, improvements, nurses, and servants, in addition to the care of the patients, are all most important concerns, which devolve upon the Committee and the visitors, and require continual attention so long as the poor objects are made the principal end, as they were the cause of the foun dation. |