essays-1-第10部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


he　houses　of　the　subscribers；　in　sixteen　general　lists＇9＇；　answering　to　the　sixteen　subdivisions　or　districts　of　the　city；　and　a　copy　of　the　general　list　of　each　district　was　given　to　the　commissary　of　the　district。

These　copies；　which　were　properly　authenticated；　served　for　the　direction　of　the　commissary　in　collecting　the　subscriptions　in　his　district；　which　was　done　regularly　the　last　Sunday　morning　of　every　month。

The　amount　of　the　collection　was　immediately　delivered　by　the　commissary　into　the　hands　of　the　banker　of　the　institution；　for　which　he　received　two　receipts　from　the　banker；　one　of　which　he　transmitted　to　the　committee；　with　his　report　of　the　collection；　which　he　was　directed　to　send　in　as　soon　as　the　collection　was　made。

As　there　were　some　persons　who；　from　modesty；　or　other　motives；　did　not　choose　to　have　it　known　publicly　how　much　they　gave　in　alms　to　the　poor；　and　on　that　account　were　not　willing　to　have　put　down　to　their　names　upon　the　list　of　the　subscribers；　the　whole　sum　they　were　desirous　of　appropriating　to　that　purpose；　to　accommodate　matters　to　the　peculiar　delicacy　of　their　feelings；　the　following　arrangement　was　made；　and　carried　into　execution　with　great　success。

Those　who　were　desirous　of　contributing　privately　to　the　relief　of　the　poor；　were　notified　by　an　advertisement　published　in　the　news…papers；　that　they　might　send　to　the　banker　of　the　institution　any　sums　for　that　purpose　they　might　think　proper；　under　any　feigned　name；　or　under　any　motto　or　other　device；　and　that　not　only　a　receipt　would　be　given　to　the　bearer；　for　the　amount；　without　and　questions　being　asked　him；　but；　for　greater　security；　a　public　acknowledgement　of　the　receipt　of　the　sum　would　be　published　by　the　banker；　with　a　mention　of　the　feigned　name　of　device　under　which　it　came；　IN　THE　NEXT　MUNICH　GAZETTE。

To　accommodate　those　who　might　be　disposed　to　give　trifling　sums　occasionally；　for　the　relief　of　the　poor；　and　who　did　not　choose　to　go；　or　to　send　to　the　banker；　fixed　poor…boxes　were　placed　in　all　the　churches；　and　most　of　the　inns；　coffee…houses；　and　other　places　of　public　resort；　but　nobody　was　ever　called　upon　to　put　any　thing　into　these　boxes；　nor　was　any　poor's…box　carried　round；　or　any　private　collection　or　alms…gathering　permitted　to　be　made　upon　any　occasion；　or　under　any　pretence　whatever。

When　the　inhabitants　had　subscribed　liberally　to　the　support　of　the　institution；　it　was　but　just　to　secure　them　from　all　further　importunity　in　behalf　of　the　poor。　　This　was　promised；　and　it　was　most　effectually　done；　though　not　without　some　difficulty；　and　a　very　considerable　expence　to　the　establishment。

The　poor　students　in　the　Latin　German　schools；the　sisters　of　the　religious　order　of　charity；the　directors　of　the　hospital　of　lepers；and　some　other　public　establishments；　had　been　so　long　in　the　habit　of　making　collections；　by　going　round　among　the　inhabitants　from　house　to　house　at　stated　periods；　asking　alms；　that　they　had　acquired　a　sort　of　right　to　levy　those　periodical　contributions；　of　which　it　was　not　thought　prudent　to　dispossess　them　without　giving　them　an　equivalent。　　And　in　order　that　this　equivalent　might　not　appear　to　be　taken　from　the　sums　subscribed　by　the　inhabitants　for　the　support　of　the　poor；　it　was　paid　out　of　the　monthly　allowance　which　the　institution　received　from　the　chamber　of　finances；　or　public　treasury　of　the　state。

Besides　these　periodical　collections；　there　were　others；　still　more　troublesome　to　the　inhabitants；　from　which　it　was　necessary　to　free　them；　and　some　of　these　last　were　even　sanctioned　by　legal　authority。　　It　is　the　custom　in　Germany　for　apprentices　in　most　of　the　mechanical　trades；　as　soon　as　they　have　finished　their　apprenticeships　with　their　masters；　to　travel；　during　three　or　four　years；　in　the　neighbouring　countries　and　provinces；　to　perfect　themselves　in　their　professions　by　working　as　journeymen　wherever　they　can　find　employment。　　When　one　of　those　itinerant　journeymen…tradesmen　comes　into　a　town；　and　cannot　find　employment　in　it；　he　is　considered　AS　HAVING　A　RIGHT　to　beg　the　assistance　of　the　inhabitants；　and　particularly　of　those　of　the　trade　he　professes；　to　enable　him　to　go　to　the　next　town；　and　this　assistance　it　was　not　thought　just　to　refuse。　　This　custom　was　not　only　very　troublesome　to　the　inhabitants；　but　gave　rife　to　innumerable　abuses。　Great　numbers　of　idle　vagabonds　were　continually　strolling　about　the　country　under　the　name　of　travelling　journeymen…tradesmen；　and　though　any　person；　who　presented　himself　as　such　in　any　strange　place　was　obliged　to　produce　（for　his　legitimation）　a　certificate　from　his　last　master；　in　whose　service　he　had　been　employed；　yet　such　certificates　were　so　easily　counterfeited；　or　obtained　by　fraud；　that　little　reliance　could　be　placed　in　them。

To　remedy　all　these　evils；　the　following　arrangement　was　made：　those　travelling　journeymen…tradesmen　who　arrive　at　Munich；　and　do　not　find　employment；　are　obliged　to　quit　the　town　immediately；　or　to　repair　to　the　military　work…house；　where　they　are　either　furnished　with　work；　or　a　small　sum　is　given　them　to　enable　them　to　pursue　their　journey　farther。

Another　arrangement　by　which　the　inhabitants　have　been　relieved　from　much　importunity；　and　by　which　a　stop　has　been　put　to　many　abuses；　is　the　new　regulation　respecting　those　who　suffer　by　fire；　such　sufferers　commonly　obtain　from　government　special　permission　to　make　collections　of　charitable　donations　among　the　inhabitants　in　certain　districts；　during　a　limited　time。　　Instead　of　the　permission　to　make　collections　in　the　city　of　Munich；　the　sufferers　now　receive　certain　sums　from　the　funds　of　the　institution　for　the　poor。　By　this　arrangement；　not　only　the　inhabitants　are　relieved　from　the　importunity　which　always　attends　public　collections　of　alms；　but　the　sufferers　save　a　great　deal　of　time；　which　they　formerly　spent　in　going　about　from　house　to　house；　and　the　sale　of　these　permissions　to　undertakers；　and　many　other　abuses；　but　too　frequent　before　this　arrangement　took　place；　are　now　prevented。

The　detailed　account　published　in　the　Appendix；　No。　III。　of　the　receipts　and　expenditures　of　the　institution　during　five　years；　will　show　the　amount　of　the　expense　incurred　in　relieving　the　inhabitants　from　the　various　periodical　and　other　collections　before　mentioned。

But　not　to　lose　sight　too　long　of　the　most　interesting　object　of　this　establishment；　we　must　follow　the　people　who　were　arrested　in　the　streets；　to　the　asylum　which　was　prepared　for　them；　but　which　no　doubt　appeared　to　them　at　first　a　most　odious　prison。


CHAPTER。　V。

　The　different　kinds　of　employment　given　to　the　beggars　upon　their　　　　being　assembled　in　the　house　of　industry。　　Their　great　awkwardness　at　first。　　Their　docility；　and　their　progress　in　useful　industry。　　The　manner　in　which　they　were　treated。　　The　manner　in　which　they　were　fed。　　The　Precautions　used　to　prevent　Abuses　in　the　Public　Kitchen　from　　　　which　they　were　fed。

As　by　far　the　greater　part　of　these　poor　creatures　were　totally　unacquainted　with　every　kind　of　useful　labour；　it　was　necessary　to　give　them　such　work；　at　first；　as　was　very　easy　to　be　performed；　and　in　which　the　raw　materials　were　of