fixths of the then exifting members, and of all perfons receiving or entitled to receive relief from the fociety; and their stock shall not be devisable, but for the general purpofes of the fociety.

13, 14. Their rules fhall be entered in a book, and received in evidence, and they may receive donations of any perfons out of the fociety, which fhall be applied to the purposes of the fociety.

15, 16. Where any members think themfelves aggrieved, they may apply on oath to two or more justices, near to the place where fuch fociety is established, who are empowered to act, and make fuch order therein, as they shall think fit; but if by the rules of any fociety any matter fhall be left to arbitration, the award of the arbitrators fhall be final.

S. 17, 18, 19, 20. No member of a fociety producing a certificate thereof, shall be removeable from the parish where fuch fociety is established, until he is actually chargeable to that parish; these certificates fhall be proved by oath of one of the witnesses attesting them before a magiftrate; and on complaint of parish officers, justices may fummon perfons bringing certificates

Q 3

certificates to be examined, and to make oath of their fettlement; and copies of these examinations shall be given to the parties, which fhall exempt them from future examination; and justices may declare, by an order in writing, the place of fettlement of perfons so examined, without iffuing a warrant for their removal and copies of fuch orders and of examinations shall be returned to the parish officers of the place of fettlement.

;

S. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, Perfons aggrieved by the adjudication of juftices, may appeal to the quarter feffions, and no perfon refiding in any parish under this act fhall thereby gain a fettlement, nor by paying of rates, nor any apprentice or fervant to fuch perfon; but baftards fhall have the fame fettlement as the mother who fhall refide in any parish by virtue

of this act.

S. 26. The charges of maintaining or removing refidents, under this act, to be reimburfed by the parish to which the parties belong; the act to be deemed a publick act.

This act of parliament will probably be productive of more good to the nation in general than that enlightened and humane mem

ber

ber of parliament, from whom the bill originated, conceived; unlefs while he intended to raise a revenue from the poor in aid of the poor's rates, and for the fupport of themselves, he with the spirit of prophecy foretold, from the effect of this act, the gradual decline, and in the end, the downfall of that fervile and expenfive fyftem, the law of fettlements; no one act of the legislature refpecting the poor fince the first corner ftone of the fyftem, the 43d of Elizabeth, is fo replete with good; it holds out to them every encouragement, and only restrains, as focieties or clubs protected by the legislature ought to be reftrained; from doing mischief to that very government which protects, encourages, and rewards them; the compliance with the requifition of exhibiting their rules to the juftices at the quarter feffions, is eafy and free of expence ; the prefervers of the peace of the county are at the fame time the natural judges of what rules may be inimical to that peace; the encouragement is fubftantial; and the members of thefe clubs fee it; for they croud to have their rules recorded by the clerk of the peace; and the Q4

poor

in

in general know the advantages; for they are folicitous to become members of friendly focieties.

LETTER XLII.

IN the nineteenth volume of the Annals of Agriculture, are the rules of a friendly society, inftituted under the patronage of several gentlemen whom the poor of a parish in Norfolk have the happiness to call their neighbours and friends, which rules appear to be very well adapted to the purposes of fuch friendly focieties in general; more especially because the controul of them, is by these rules invested in the gentlemen of opulence in the place, together with the clergyman; and because the times of their meeting at a public house are reftrained to the four quarters of the year, and two feafts, (poffibly that might be better altered to one); inftead of obliging the members to meet monthly; the only article in

which these rules appear to be materially deficient is that the club does not in any form of words declare the purposes of its establishment, although they may certainly be collected from the general body of the rules; a copy of these rules, and orders, fhall be added; as they may tend to affift any perfon into whofe hands these pages may fall, in establishing a fimilar fociety, on a better principle, and with better regulations, than thofe ufually drawn up for fuch occafions; and the purpose of the society shall be properly declared according to the direction of the act of parliament;

Rules and orders agreed upon to be observed by the members of a friendly fociety instituted day of in the year

the for the purpose of raifing by voluntary subfcription of the members thereof, and other charitable perfons who may be inclined to give contributions thereto, a fund for the mutual relief and maintenance of the faid members in fickness, accidents, infirmity, and old age.

Art. 1. That no perfon, after the first quarter day after the establishment of this fociety, excecding the age of forty-five years, nor any perfon having any apparent infirmity of mind

or