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induce　these　to　subscribe　liberally；　it　was　necessary　to　secure　their　approbation　of　the　plan；　and　their　confidence　in　those　who　were　chosen　to　carry　it　into　execution。　　And　as　the　number　of　beggars　was　so　great　in　Munich；　and　their　importunity　so　very　troublesome；　there　could　have　been　no　doubt　but　any　sensible　plan　for　remedying　this　evil　would　have　been　gladly　received　by　the　public；　but　they　had　been　so　often　disappointed　by　fruitless　attempts　from　time　to　time　made　for　that　purpose；　that　they　began　to　think　the　enterprize　quite　impossible；　and　to　consider　every　proposal　for　providing　for　the　poor；　and　preventing　mendicity；　as　a　mere　job。

Aware　of　this；　I　took　my　measures　accordingly。　To　convince　the　public　that　the　scheme　was　feasible；　I　determined　first；　by　a　great　exertion；　to　carry　it　into　complete　execution；　and　THEN　to　ask　them　to　support　it。　　And　to　secure　their　confidence　in　those　employed　in　the　management　of　it；　persons　of　the　highest　rank；　and　most　respected　character　were　chosen　to　superintend　and　direct　the　affairs　of　the　institution；　and　every　measure　was　taken　that　could　be　devised　to　prevent　abuses。

Two　principle　objects　were　to　be　attended　to；　in　making　these　arrangements；　the　first　was　to　furnish　suitable　employment　to　such　of　the　poor　as　were　able　to　work；　and　the　second；　to　provide　the　necessary　assistance　for　those　who；　from　age；　sickness；　or　other　bodily　infirmities；　were　unable　by　their　industry　to　provide　for　themselves。　　A　general　system　of　police　was　likewise　necessary　among　this　class　of　miserable　beings；　as　well　as　measures　for　reclaiming　them；　and　making　them　useful　subjects。　The　police　of　the　poor；　as　also　the　distribution　of　alms；　and　all　the　economical　details　of　the　institution；　were　put　under　the　direction　of　a　committee；　composed　of　the　president　of　the　council　of　war；the　president　of　the　council　of　supreme　regency；the　president　of　the　ecclesiastical　council；and　the　president　of　the　chamber　of　finances；　and　to　assist　them　in　this　work；　each　of　the　above…mentioned　presidents　was　accompanied　by　one　counsellor　of　his　respective　department；　at　his　own　choice；　who　was　present　at　all　the　meetings　of　the　committee；　and　who　performed　the　more　laborious　parts　of　the　business。　This　committee；　which　was　called　The　Armen　Instituts　Deputation；　had　convenient　apartments　fitted　up　for　its　meetings；　a　secretary；　clerk；　and　accountant；　were　appointed　to　it；　and　the　ordinary　guards　of　the　police　were　put　under　its　immediate　direction。

Neither　the　presidents　nor　the　counsellors　belonging　to　this　committee　received　any　pay　or　emolument　whatever　for　this　service；　but　took　upon　themselves　this　trouble　merely　from　motives　of　humanity；　and　a　generous　desire　to　promote　the　public　good；　and　even　the　secretary；　and　other　inferior　officers　employed　in　this　business；　received　their　pay　immediately　from　the　Treasury；　or　from　some　other　department；　and　not　from　the　funds　destined　for　the　relief　of　the　poor：　and　in　order　most　effectually　remove　all　suspicion　with　respect　to　the　management　of　this　business；　and　the　faithful　application　of　the　money　destined　for　the　poor；　instead　of　appointing　a　Treasurer　to　the　committee；　a　public　banker　of　the　town；　a　most　respectable　citizen＇5＇；　was　named　to　receive　and　pay　all　monies　belonging　to　the　institution；　upon　the　written　orders　of　the　committee；　and　exact　and　detailed　accounts　of　all　monies　received　and　expended　were　ordered　to　be　printed　every　three　months；　and　distributed　gratis　among　the　inhabitants。

In　order　that　every　citizen　might　have　it　in　his　power　to　assure　himself　that　the　accounts　were　exact；　and　that　the　sums　expended　were　bona　fide　given　to　the　poor　in　alms；　the　money　was　publicly　distributed　every　Saturday　in　the　town…hall；　in　the　presence　of　a　number　of　deputies　chosen　from　among　the　citizens　themselves；　and　an　alphabetical　list　of　the　poor　who　received　alms；in　which　was　mentioned　the　weekly　sum　each　person　received；and　the　place　of　his　or　her　abode；　was　hung　up　in　the　hall　for　public　inspection。

But　this　was　not　all。　　In　order　to　fix　the　confidence　of　the　public　upon　the　most　firm　and　immoveable　basis；　and　to　engage　their　good　will　and　cheerful　assistance　in　support　of　the　measures　adopted；　the　citizens　were　invited　to　take　an　active　and　honourable　part　in　the　execution　of　the　plan；　and　in　the　direction　of　its　most　interesting　details。

The　town　of　Munich；　which　contains　about　60；000　inhabitants；　had　been　formerly　divided　into　four　quarters。　　Each　of　these　was　now　subdivided　into　four　districts；　making　in　all　sixteen　districts；　and　all　the　dwelling…houses；　from　the　palace　of　the　sovereign　to　the　meanest　hovel；　were　regularly　numbered；　and　inscribed　in　printed　lists　provided　for　that　purpose。　For　the　inspection　of　the　poor　in　each　district；　a　respectable　citizen　was　chosen；　who　was　called　the　commissary　of　the　district；　（abtheilungs　commissaire；）　and　for　his　assistance；　a　priest；　a　physician；　a　surgeon；　and　an　apothecary；　all　of　whom；　including　the　commissary；　undertook　this　service　without　fee　or　reward；　from　mere　motives　of　humanity　and　true　patriotism。　The　apothecary　was　simply　reimbursed　the　original　cost　of　the　medicines　he　furnished。

To　give　more　weight　and　dignity　to　the　office　of　commissary　of　a　district；　one　of　these　commissaries；　in　rotation；　was　called　to　assist　at　the　meetings　of　the　supreme　committee；　and　all　applications　for　alms　were　submitted　to　the　commissaries　for　their　opinion；　or；　more　properly；　all　such　　applications　went　through　them　to　the　committee。　They　were　likewise　particularly　charged　with　the　inspection　and　police　of　the　poor　in　their　several　districts。

When　a　person　already　upon　the　poor　list；　or　any　other；　in　distress；　stood　in　need　of　assistance；　he　applied　to　the　commissary　of　his　district；　who；　after　visiting　him；　and　enquiring　into　such　the　circumstances　of　his　case；　afforded　him　such　immediate　assistance　as　was　absolutely　necessary；　or　otherwise；　if　the　case　was　such　as　to　admit　of　the　delay；　he　recommended　him　to　the　attention　of　the　committee；　and　waited　for　their　orders。　　If　the　poor　person　was　sick；　or　wounded；　he　was　carried　to　some　hospital；　or　the　physician；　or　surgeon　of　the　district　was　sent　for；　and　a　nurse　provided　to　take　care　of　him　in　his　lodgings；　If　he　grew　worse；　and　appeared　to　draw　near　his　end；　the　priest　was　sent　for；　to　afford　him　such　spiritual　assistance　as　he　might　require；　and　if　he　died；　he　was　decently　buried。　　After　his　death；　the　commissary　assisted　at　the　inventory　which　was　taken　of　his　effects；　a　copy　of　which　inventory　was　delivered　over　to　the　committee。　　These　effects　were　afterwards　sold；and　after　deducting　the　amount　of　the　different　sums　received　in　alms　from　the　institution　by　the　deceased　during　his　lifetime；　and　the　amount　of　the　expenses　of　his　illness　and　funeral；　the　remainder；　if　any；　was　delivered　over　to　his　lawful　heirs；　but　when　these　effects　were　insufficient　for　those　purposes；　or　when　no　effects　were　to　be　found；　the　surplus　in　the　one　case；　and　the　whole　of　these　expences　in　the　other；　was　borne　by　the　funds　of　the　institution。

These　funds　were　derived　from　the　following　sources；　viz。

First；　from　stated　monthly　allowances；　from　the　sovereign　out　of　his　private　purse；from　the　states；and　from　the　treasury；　or　chamber　of　finances。

Secondly；　and　principally；　from　the　voluntary　subscription　of　the　inhabitants。

Thirdly；　from　legacies　left　to　the　institution；　and

Fourthly；　from　several　small　revenues　arising　from　certain　tolls；　fines；　etc。　　which　were　appropriated　to　that　use＇6＇。

Several　other；　and　some　of　them　very　considerable　public　funds；　originally　designed　by　their　founders　for　the　relief　of　the　poor；　might　have　been　taken　and　appropriated　to　this　purpose；　but；　as　some　of　these　foundations　had　been　misapplied；　and　others　nearly　ruined　by　bad　management；　it　would　have　been　a　very　disagreeable　task　to　wrest　them　out　of　the　hands　of　those　who　had　the　administration　of　them；　and　I　therefore　judged　it　most　prudent　not　to　meddle　with　them；　avoiding；　by　that　means；　a　great　deal　of　opposition　to　the　execution　of　my　plan。


CHAPTER。　III。

　Preparations　made　for　giving　employment　to　the　poor。　　Difficulties　attending　that　undertaking。　　The　measures　adopted　completely　successful。　　The　poor　reclaimed　to　habits　of　useful　industry。　　Description　of　the　house　of　industry　at　Munich。

But　before　I　proceed　to　give　a　more　particular　account　of　the　funds　of　this　institution；　and　of　the　application　of　them；　it　will　be　necessary　to　mention　the　preparations　which　where　made　for　furnishing　employment　to　the　poor；　and　the　means　which　were　used　for　reclaiming　them　from　their　vicious　habits；　and　rendering　them　industrious　and　useful　subjects。　　And　this　was　certainly　the　most　difficult；　as　well　as　the　most　curious　and　interesting　part　of　the　undertaking。　　To　trust　raw　materials　in　the　hands　of　common　beggars；　certainly　required　great　caution　and　management；　but　to　produce　so　total　and　radical　a　change　　in　the　morals；　manners；　and　customs　of　this　debauched　and　abandoned　race；　as　was　necessary　to　render　them　orderly　and　useful　members　of　society；　will　naturally　be　considered　as　an　arduous；　if　not　impossible；　enterprize。　　In　this　I　succeeded；　for　the　proof　of　this　fact