Crease of the quantity of our stock of subsistence, and increased frugality in the use of it, are the best expedients for relieving the public necessities. Under this persuasion, they will endeavour to augment the amount of national provisions, by the importation of rice, and other attainable articles of subsistence, more especially fish. Measures, indeed, have been taken for securing to the metropolis a considerable quantity of excellent fish, which, from the fear of not tinding a sale, would not otherwise be brought to any market”.

Economy in using the means of subsistence we at present possess, is an object of supreme importance: the Committee strongly recommend to all persons of authority and influence to adopt the most effectual methods for promoting it, more particularly to lessen the consumption of any articles which form the subsistence of the poor. In some of the distressed districts, barley, and still more gene. rally oats, are their ordinary food. By limiting the consumption of the latter article by horses, an immense amount of provisions might be preserved for the use of man. A voluntary agreement of this kind among the affluent is no new idea. An association of a similar nature was entered into, during the last scarcity; and while it shewed that the higher classes sympathised with the distresses of the lower, it produced no small augmentation of the general stock of subsistence. The Committee confine their proposal to the opu·lent only, but they are satisfied that its effects would be eventually extended to every branch of the community.

As to the best methods of assisting the distressed; much, of course, must be left to the intelligence and prudence of the local associations. In some districts it has been stated, that the poor are in want of potatoes for seed. In others, that having pawned their wearing apparel for much less than its real value, they would be greatly benefited, at a moderate expense, by being enabled to redeem it. In some cases, it may be most advisable to purchase necessary articles by wholesale, and to retail them at reduced rates. But the Committee, in throwing out this last suggestion, feel it their duty to add,

*The most complete success has attended the efforts of the Committee in this respect, and vast quantities of mackarel have been brought to London, and sold to the poor at a penny for each. Such, indeed, has been the extraordinary supply of this article, in consequence of the means adopted by the Committee, that the coarser parts of butcher's meat, being those chiefly purchased by the poor, have fallen in Spitalfelds about 2d per lb.

that it should scarcely ever be adopted, unless in the case of articles which are not of primary necessity, or of which there is an ample, or rather a superabundant, supply. Nor can the Committee here forbear from warning the benevolent against all modes of administering relief that will occasion an unrestrained consumption of any articles which constitute the staple of the national subsistence. This is a warning, which considerations of humanity, no less than of policy, powerfully enforce, as, by acting on the opposite principle, the most fatal consequences might ensue. At the same time, the Committee express great satisfaction in hearing from all parts of the kingdom, that the present appearance of the crops affords the most encouraging prospect of an abundant harvest ; and they, therefore, entertain strong hopes that the distress which it is the object of the association to relieve, as far as it proceeds from the high price of provisions, will be of short duration.

An admirable plan for the establishment of local institutions for the relief of the poor has been printed, and circulated by the Committee.

It is formed on the model of a soup society, established in the poor and populous district of Spitalfields, which has afforded substantial relief to the distressed manufacturers, and has given rise to many important plans for the alleviation of human misery. The history of the origin of this society is instructive and encouraging, as it shews how much good may be ultimately effected by the labours of a few persons in the first instance : and the plan itself, as it has been remarkably successful, may serve as a model for similar institutions.

In the year 1797, an individual, affected with the sufferings of the poor in Spitalfields, many of whom were starving, resolved to procure, if possible, the co-operation of some of his friends in a plan for affording relief to a few of the worst cases, and to ascertain which were really such, by visiting them in their houses. He communicated his idea to a friend. These two persons called a meeting of a few of their friends at a private house, wherein the subject was discussed. At a second meeting, about twenty were present, and this company resolved to form themselves into a society for the purpose of supplying the poor with meat soup at a penny per quart. A subscription was commenced, the society rapidly increased, and in the course of a few days a committee was formed. Sub-committees were appointed to draw up rules and regulations, and by a division of labour in this way, the society was quickly organized. The sub-committee appointed for

that purpose soon met with eligible premises at No. 53, Brick Lane, Spitalfields, and no time was lost in adapting them to the purposes of the institution. Tickets were printed, and issued to the subscribers. On the first day of delivery the visitors attended, under no small degree of anxiety as to the result of their experiment. It succeeded, however, to their utmost wish: the applicants paid the penny per quart with cheerfulness, and carried home a supply of food which they could not have prepared of equal quality themselves, for four or five times that sum. The committee purchase at the first hand, at wholesale prices, meat, barley, &c. of prime quality; and as every thing is done by sub-committees and individuals, from the purest and most disinterested motives, there are no salaries for clerks, no commission to agents: the only expense beyond that of the ingredients of the soup is the rent of the premises, the hire of servants to prepare the soup under the inspection of the visitors, and a moderate allowance to the superintendant. In the choice of the latter, the committee was most fortunate; they found a married woman possessing every requisite qualification for the office, which she has continued to discharge, with great credit to herself and benefit to the institution, down to the present day.

The committee consists of above fifty gentlemen, some of them churchmen, and the rest dissenters of different denominations, who regularly meet once a fortnight, and transact their business with great harmony and regularity. Deeply sensible that the success of every charity mainly consists in personal inspection, and in a scrupulous and minute attention to all the details connected with it, the committee has framed its regulations accordingly.

A constant oversight is kept up by the members of the committee in rotation, and the whole so contrived as not to press heavily upon any individual.

It comes only to the turn of the same individual to attend at the making and distribution of the soup once in three weeks; and the days being fixed, every one knows his time.

It has been found of great advantage to appoint sub-committees for particular purposes; one to provide the meat, another for barley and peas, a third for pepper and salt, and a fourth for onions: there is also a committee for inspecting the visitors' book, and bringing forward any remarks recorded in that book which may appear of sufficient consequence to engage the attention of the

committee. There are other sub-committees for different purposes.

The poor person takes the recommendation to the visitors at the soup house. It is bere numbered, put upon a file, and the applicant receives a ticket in its stead, bearing the same number as that put upon the recommendation. It is usual to allow one quart of soup to every two persons in a family.

In the boiling-house are five cast-iron boilers of different capacities, capable of making from 3000 to about 3300 quarts of soup.

The following are the ingredients for one of the large boilers, which furnishes from 700 to 800 quarts of soup. Beef, 200 lb.; Scotch barley, 100 lb.; split peas, 76 lb.; onions, 10 lb.; salt, 15 lb.; pepper, 15 oz.

The original practice for some time was, to make the soup principally from the coarser pieces of beef; but the society has latterly adopted the plan of buying quarters of beef only, lest the demand on the market for coarser pieces should, by raising the price, be of prejudice to individuals, who may be in the habit of providing themselves with these only, Every article in the soup is of the best quality that can be procured. Every quart of this soup contains the essence of about five ounces of beef, and nearly three ounces of solid barley and peas. It possesses the advantage of being ready cooked. Two or three quarts of it, if mixed with boiled potatoes, would furnish a savoury meal for a large family.

The whole of the meat is cut up, and put into the boilers in the evening, and is left to simmer all night. During this time it becomes thoroughly stewed down, and the fleshy fibres equally distributed through the whole mass. The men come at six o'clock in the morning, rouse up the fires, add the barley and pease, and at eight o'clock the onions, pepper, and salt; and the whole is kept constantly stirred until it is served out.

In order to prevent loss of time in disputing whether the money be good or not, the committee has ordered that only penny pieces, new halfpence, or silver be taken. The committee, indeed, has been very anxious to economize the time of the poor, and improvements suggested by experience have shortened the time of delivering the soup to limits scarcely credible; for some perhaps will not without difficulty be brought to be lieve, that upwards of three thousand quarts are daily distributed to above one thousand persons applying for their families, their money taken, and their tickets marked, in less than two hours and a quarter on an ave

fuses it his parental protection, nay, exerts himself to deprive it even of parish aid. This is hard.

But one great ground of offence with Dr. Marsh, and probably with many others, is, that it seems to them to interfere with the Bartlett's Buildings' Society; and he argues, that there can be no reason why churchmen should forsake the old society for the sake of the new. In this proposition we are glad to be able to concur with Dr. Marsh.

It is one of the unhappy distinctions of those who have called themselves the friends, and have been the avowed advocates, of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, (a distinction in which we trust they will long stand unrivalled and unenvied), that they cannot tolerate any scheme of benevolence, embracing any one of the objects of that society, which does not immediately emanate from it. In most other cases it would be deemed indecorous for the members of one charitable institution to object to the formation of others. We do not hear the contributors to the Lock Hospital and Asylum anathematizing the subscribers to the Female Penitentiary, nor the members of the Magdalen proscribing both these. Even if any of them should apprehend that some diversion of their means might be caused by the rival institutions, yet they would perceive that it would be both unfeeling and indecorous to circulate handbills, and publish painphlets, in order either to dam up the current of benevolence, or to prevent its flowing freely in any direction to which it might point.

The advocates of the Bartlett's Buildings' Society are not restrained by such common-place notions of decorum. No good must be done in their line but after their fashion, and by their hands.

Still it may be proper, in some cases, not to be swayed by motives of delicacy. The public safety may require a violation of ordinary rules. Here, however, no such thing can be alleged. The utmost that can be said is, that the new society is useless, as it respects the distribution of Prayer-books, the Bartlett's Buildings' Society being fully equal to satisfying all the necessities of the church. But if this be so, whence have arisen all the alarm and clamour which we have lately witnessed on the part of Dr. Marsh and his associates? No new institution, according to them, is needed for distributing Prayer-books; and yet the church is in the most imminent danger from the neglect of the Prayer-book!

But the object which Dr. Marsh has at heart is, that all who are friendly to the distribution of the Prayer-book should join the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge. But will he receive them? Has he proposed Mr. Simeon to that society, and has Mr. Simeon been accepted? Does he mean to say, that every person who may wish to distribute Prayer-books, will be received into the pale of that society without the risk of a black ball? Does he mean to say, that there are not many persons who object, on various grounds, to joining that society, who yet would be most glad to contribute to the object of circulating the Liturgy? There must be many such. Why should Dr. Marsh insist, that none shall distribute the Liturgy but those who have nerves to stand a ballot at Bartlett's Buildings ; or against whom no prejudice exists there; or who approve all that society's tracts; or who are able to pay at least two pounds at admission, and a guinea annually? Many good churchmen, he will admit, may be unable, with convenience, to make this payment, who may yet spare an annual guinea or half-guinea. But he will be ready to say, that those must be bad churchmen who fear the ballot, or dislike the society's tracts. Be it so. Then, is it not politic to engage such men in a society which shall tend to uphold the church? He can surely apprehend no injury from distributing the Liturgy. He cannot suppose that the Liturgy will acquire a taint by passing through such hands. For our own parts, we should have thought it wise in Dr. Marsh, on the supposition that his fears were real, to have encouraged a society which should embark bad Churchmen, Methodists, and even Dissenters, if that might be, in the beneficial work of circulating the Liturgy.

We shall probably have much more to say on this head hereafter. In the mean time, we wish to advert to a necessity of a different description, which exists for a new society like the present, even as it respects the Liturgy. The Bartlett's Buildings' Society furnishes its books only to those who are its members, and it exercises a right of excluding whom it pleases from its pale. This circumstance would be attended with less inconvenience, if members were allowed to transfer their privilege (certain limits being put to its exercise) to others, whether members or not. This is done in the Bible Society, without any apparent effect except that of an increased circulation of Bibles. But this, it may be alleged, the funds of the Society for promoting Christian