9d. a month for the first year toward the gene ral fund. 7d. ever after, and 3 d. to general expences. Benefits 6s. per week for six months; 35. after; 40s. for funerals, and a subscription of 15. 7d. from each surviving member, to be paid to the widow of the deceased, or the widower on the loss of his wife *. This mortality-money (as it is called) might be disposed of by will, by the rules of the club. The club was provided with a stock of funeral necessaries, such as scarfs, &c. which were fur nished to such members attending the funeral of a deceased member or his wife, as were unprovided. The ages of admission into this club were from eighteen to forty-three. This club is no longer in existence; and though its dissolution is more immediately to be attributed to the late unhappy rebellion, its allow ances seem to have been too liberal, and would probably have led to bankruptcy sooner or later, if no other cause had intervened.. Another club, under the denomination of the "Friendly Union Club," was also established at Carlow in the year 1777; but was dissolved about the same time as the former.. The capacity of earning 8. a week was made a condition of admission into this club; and no one could be admitted before eighteen or after forty-five. The regulations of both these clubs were in many respects much to be approved; but the allowances in this, as in the former, were too liberal, and probably inconsistent with permanence and stability. We are informed by an intelligent gentleman, who has long resided at Carlow, that the most The happiest consequences have been sometimes experienced from the relief afforded by these post obit subscrip tions. (See Report, No. 3.) essential benefits were produced by these clubs during their continuance. There was also a society of this nature established at Athy, in the county of Kildare, in the year 1789, under the denomination of "The Athy Farmers Friendly Union ;" which produced during its continuance, the most beneficial effects. Its dissolution, like that of the former, of Carlow, was at least precipitated by the late unhappy rebellion. There are also several Friendly Societies now in existence in the city of Dublin, 1st, The Friendly Brothers, or Staple Union, instituted in 1790; rules confirmed in pursuance of the act at sessions of 1797. 2d, The Amicable Society established; and rules confirmed at sessions in 1796. 3d, The Friendly Brothers of the St. Audeon's Society. A society upon the same principle was instituted at Collon, in the month of June 1799, under the auspices of the Speaker of the House of Commons. We consider the institution of this society as a valuable testimony in favour of the general principle, and a declaration of high authority in favour of its application in this kingdom. We observe with great pleasure a society of the same nature lately established at Donnybrook *. It has grown out of an institution which had been carried on there for several years, under the denomination of "The Friends of In"dustry," with very great success; and has been. *This account is extracted from a communication made to the Committee by the Rev. Gore Wood, Curate Assistant of Donnybrook, to whose exertions, uniformly continued during the whole time of the existence (ten years) of the Society of the Friends of Industry in Donnybrook, its past beneficial effects, and their present extension, we are informed, are in a great measure to be imputed. productive of the most beneficial effects to the labouring classes of that neighbourhood. The intelligent and active spirit that governed its operations, quickly perceived that all the valuable purposes for which it was originally founded, might be considerably advanced by converting it into a Friendly Society; and that, while the funds derived additional support from the contributions of its industrious members, the permanence of the institution would be secured, and habits of industry, economy, and foresight, considerably promoted. Having therefore previously adopted the wise caution of consulting individually the several persons who had before re ceived relief, without any contribution upon their part, and obtained their consent and approbation, the idea was carried into execution judiciously and promptly; and the Friends of Industry at Donnybrook, from being an institution purely charitable, is now a Friendly Society, consisting of honorary and benefit-members. The former have very laudably resolved to attend the meetings of the society, and to take a part in the management of its affairs in common with a committee of the benefit-members. In this respect their example is highly deserving of imitation. They are, however, in this society so numerous, and their subscriptions constitute so large a proportion of its funds, that it may be doubted how far some of the benefits which it holds out, could be afforded by one not in possession of similar advantages *. The meetings of this society, and also of the Collon Society, are held at the school-houses of Collon and Donnybrook. If this custom were introduced universally, it would completely obviate every inconvenience ! * A copy of their rules is printed, and sold at Porter's, Grafton-street. that has ever been known to arise from these institutions. SECTION V. Answer to some Objections which may be urged against the Institution of Friendly Societies, particularly in this Kingdom. The first objection that may be urged against the establishment of Friendly Societies, is, That they have a tendency to promote drunkenness, their meetings being generally held at a public-house." In answer to this objection, it may be observed in the first place, that whenever drunkenness, or any other species of intemperance, is suffered to take place at the meeting of a Friendly Society, it is an abuse arising from the negli gence of those officers whose duty it is to regulate the conduct of the members, and enforce obedience to the rules of the Society. That one of the fundamental principles of these institutions is, the exclusion of every species of excess; and that a rule, guarded with sufficient penalties, should be inserted in the constitution of every Friendly Society to prevent it. But, secondly, if in any district, or among any class of men, the propensity to drunkenness should be found to be so strong, that no human precautions should be sufficient to prevail against it, there is one infal lible remedy-namely, to exclude drinking from the ordinary meetings of business altogether, and to hold those meetings at some private house, or public building of the neighbouring town or village and we recommend the adoption of this precaution wherever it is practicable. - Sir F. Eden (1st edit. 604) observes, "That he most "heartily concurs in opinion with those writers "who think that clubs would be more benefi "cial if the subscribers contributed the whole of what they could spare from their weekly earn"ings to form a fund, from which they might "receive a proportionable benefit, instead of paying perhaps 1s. per month to the box, and "2d. or 3d. more to be expended in ale;" and thongh he seems to express a doubt, "whether, if "the members were prohibited from tippling at the ale-house on their club - nights, they could be prevailed on to subscribe, at all?" there does not seem to be any sufficient grounds for entertaining such an apprehension. - In the Collon and Donnybrook Societies, the advantages of which the people are, as we are informed, fully sensible of, the meetings are held at the school-houses of Collon and Donny brook, as has been already noticed. In the Cork Society there are no meetings of the ge neral members at all; and in that of Norfolk, already stated, only four in the year; and we do not find that objections, have been made to subscribing to the funds of any of those institutions on this account. Besides, it is worthy of observation, that those institutions, have almost universally originated among the poor themselves (preface to ist vol. Sir F. Eden) and very probably have been the growth of convivial meetings in times of great simplicity (for their antiquity is fully established); and though this consideration may furnish an argument for preserving some degree of well regulated conviviality in the constitution of every Friendly Society, it cannot fail to suggest the practicability of providing against all the abuses that may be connected with it, when they come recommended |