PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 222, 5 September 1862, Page 5

PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETIES.

{Saturday Jievlno.) Judging from a brief ex unlnation of the Post Office Directory, there are in London not less than five hundred societies. What a prodigious army of secretaries, clerks, directors, committee men does this statement imply! What ]j]■ nsant pastures for the we!l-imaning and officious—the men wl,o are never I'll*l, nnd tlie men who arc never employed—the pliilftitbropist and humanitarian—the entliu>ia^t and the busybody ! What a giganti ". stud of hobby-horses suite! to all possible tnsle* and tendencies ! What a multiplicity of small avenues to notoriety by winch like rabbits in a warren, small men of ambitious hopes may lift themselves above tV-ir fellow* ! Let us examine a few of them. There is the '■ Axted ! liUi-inisßofiety." We as-iim« this to b.j a hW|l v metaphor;eal expr«Hion. B ip:nrfy in? n spectable p-tuper* a I vane d In. ye-irs, and not v»-nerabk« old «c tiemen in flowing robes, snow-white beards, scallop-shell in int. and snndal* on f. et. We pass, however, from w<) pil^nms to modern Syrians. Ther..- is a JWioty tvi .1 i • "Syrian lioprowm-snt CominWtef." njjevlier this swiuty caa exhibit any suece^ful '•(•suits of its labours we know not. but our opinion h that to attempt the improvement of Syria is simply mittinjr tin cart b-fore the horse, and tint :i Turkish •tovci-ncunt improvement Committee should be thUnit Htep taken. What is th-.! Sack Protection So' ciety .' le huve heard r.f a -i employer trivimc IU arrant '•the sack." p er h.,,, B this .UC tv is framed tor tn-j elt.-clual suppre^io-i oki inconvenient a eu<~ torn, and may !» regarded a* a branch of the Tiwlok' unions. In*. <• Kv«pvl Omm-h awKJhapal (TmniS,"r'r V j'V,Vl(!fn;! Y a*i' ialillat»"v from l!i«- »-'V\' brain ( >r Jy.rd Jtbury, s.^ufyn.tr Ih- Church Pnwr-hook Jorii lo r.v«s. and her creed* :wd scrvi«.| flavoured with .I'argu mm,ion of t1... do-*.-iiK* of Littlf K,.»lh-1 Ilia 'ftnt-ty to? the Liberia of llMalm fn.ni 1 a»ra:-.r«e "—,«•, i :1 < K > ;Or word*, the Z-x-i-Av o< luwm.; Omwlj pivi}i|.r»y into "lu.tchp'it" f.u'Vo'r"' 1" '<t!tli*; n-1»»' 1!«tnrn-l, ri iuh ! >ad.. 1 inrlc^ JiUS-y-eaM.sMnn. W. hr, ; , that it.s M.Unoii, »-irti jy be mi*-h«?«><H H-tJI ne <1 no nvn W-v.-if;'! an-Mol" thyi the •• CVmivb A-vision f., r D p. ,<j v< . Iji-v Hftunu A-Ji-x-i'iilm" ap:*-.™ to bnt or,- •witrV-kifiHteJ by t}»- ".M.-irnrV- J.-, w 'ft..' ft-nre Association " At 7 Pivu-, Stre-t Giv-u'-'s!' Squa.cmaybsfwM "Tj,,- N a »i-.n'.s Oft tVtVX n-.li \ o'u .t« r- - Wi, tt tint trift is v:-.-, b iv X n ' i ■-•et hal t'.^ adva'itar- ..f a^-.-rfain -«c W.« I tnwt tho ii!>."i.Jjry of tho n ilbsi xvil! .„•.»•,. i ;nore s'ib«t.iuii'i! than t'ui of il- r ! 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'i tl ,i i, tll I>l ' i - - Mi - I ii > v b i , i,, - ' ' ' i • > h , 1 , '• f t iI tr ii J (~ ~ l'» lID tI" I 'Ml ] !Ij | i 1 , j ' U1 I r |( t f i II l_,i , , I l> * t I < 1i U l;» l , , , lii '» » \ It «11 in i z y i„, , , j i I r > i ii, ii « *tl i h'imliii iiv %.„ „ rt ] II » 111 ii t i - i t I'll -s. li l > l > » i i "i 4 11 i iij f, li >i 1 H i t ft , „ Ij, ,I, >J 'i i i i ri j iv , ,i ►, , si ijr in "« >S !it i r iv \ 'x> \ n , n -i k. »'n \i' I U , F rs \^ Jt v '• " 'r - tit i „I, „ t ~ i nil. * n, ,( n \ r it > I 'ii hr «t » tii »» in t i, ' r- ir ,ti i'iji tv -ii \ fcl , ,ti ~ wr r ! «)i i V *»i ' E ( ir m\ r t n Ilt | * H i i [ ii'iilr.i ' nl 1! ri i ,1 j' (I i i < r ! i ziu Ifi l i ti, i i frn ' ; ' i i ,i > tii ,{ , tt [i n U>.k 1 I' , i 'ih i 1 lup-s lv i h« r i i I 0» i i roJ 1 < in,_ cnt I *nh tl > mil i J lii a n ii ( \ i i t ( | i i)t s j m» tin tin -. i«. - i in ,i, in n n < m 1 'li 'i n nt ♦t | Ul|l 111 I , I' H Ifl *ll] t I'l «- r - I I*h ii t t (ii i I it -< <i i»i ii ,i *t* i' " l *•! ll' Hi' iii t i jimi _ in f i n i « ill ir|r \ /» v' l* lie Mm } ' iis Is j ii ),i i rri n II -i tn ' ■* X-i hi 1 * ti t kit i ii i • j ,i f i i fl» - th >■ it isu ml I i m » "^ !■• •» 1 « 'i iF ~, 11 ii , ~i i w -hi i» ' i k hi» , „ ji-^f t , | iif 'iii i 1 i i <'i i ,i ~ I in-, i i <f r ,t>i \ t iHi Is, , II II (> I! | i > (1 r | lit Til 'I b ti in i > |'i- , r ii i I i< r \ til t 'r tI iI ( i „i,t! »it nun i iim cII [ till crm r On t ion r i i i m> Ii i i lit it if-n lin j nn_ rli t m »J, i•» 'i c\ t n th v I»n i't i ii, Ii r '«ir %» tn , n:i |In ii f 1..-U, i) sh » »*. 'f M \i ~t f I'm »| r t - Is Ia! Un Ii th pt ii n| as , y ' t 1 \ Hi it t i ( v- iJ t t ,1 \ j MitH'. it Mil ill ii ><< t i ftr , ♦,r v v in* iii '! '- ii 1 I \!n ik i v ' In t i 'iari\ oi % i a 'iiimi ] t fI I I I t<> U 111 I U | II 1 f ll I inn i1 r lir sj t'i -lnti 'i \n i} c > rn>\ni^ >»( \ Yin i _ it JJrs '— luX r [><>rt lintb 1 ilj) iru if tin 11 H i ij(i»»nt | mit i f ]i> tin ib! Il\< i n it Hi ,] | ) i , Iris Mil i■»» \ w iji t l lvi tt I «. ->i iliii\Z Ib iitii t iv- fJ» >i \ in i(b j n » rii [ii t| il t 1 i < > fir iit tit i 1 j s i nip > ( 'i .h \ r ,) "til l ii •, Ui n ! tin. \mi it l 4 '.iiiokin_ >)Ut\ I- n i u't bi_h inj if i\u!i li di -. itm t'« mnt \ n n >i j, chairman pre.-idc;i over tin- id •■tin-,'at iJii.vt■•!, a;nl ;t lepuMji i\ frj.ii Ltininii, in thf! Mi-ipe of a p-iitle-man of titt; irims of H-yn^Ms—also, we prc.-tnm* 1, a ilissi'iJUT- ntt-'r.iii-d lo do tin- .KjH-<-i*hffyiiic. We do not know whether any n*pr> so:ita«i<i'n of the jrrtat Bristol Hirit's eve iirm was p;v.i--ni nu the o?c.C-3oi;. It sccim-d unkind towards .i broth<>r dissfntt-r to ».'lect Bristol at thft first b.iitlo IK-ld in the n-«-,v cru<m!c apiMi-t tobacco, i.iit t?:o soft in.-tincts of affection iniif-t fi<e way to the call of duty. Mr. Keyiiolds did the sj)eec!iif>in<4 witii r«»markal.»l<" i-nerpy. \lv put li'ih loot on the Time* in-.v«p ycr by terming it "tlint bJu-M.j org.m " -a pious Kireasm iiiesuiinir. «••; presume. s..niotbin^ pr«ri*:|y the reverse of a »>less>in«—and foiiowe.l up the blow by aUiniinJt to t! • " I'Vft Htr.vt chip of l'rintins hou-*; Squrirt; " is is <iitli mil ; r tlu; nninitiar<xl to appreciate the force of fins cxprcKsiuii, but we conjrctni'K that both the Thurs anl Punch have pximuh! th*1 writln>f the Ami Tolaceo Soeirty by evin>:in^ a partiality for the noxious weed. Having diHpo>ed of the "bU^so<l organ" and ''its FleH Street chip," Mr. Reynolds c:ir«or^ onward to weightier matters. He (xaiiiimw the quotum from a sanitary point of view, and exhort* his hearers to "study their own liodies" thi\t thi<y mny learn the Rhastly evils resulting from indulgence in tuhace.i. Mr. ((t-vnolds then <U-liver« hirnstl!'of the following rather '"tall talk. 1' •'Rinokir.g i* a habit that cirriea thou«md» to the mad hoiiKe, nnd hundreds of thousand* to ihe everrankling .■tfiliction of incurable diseases of the stomach.' Ilia authority for this fitatement is unluckily a cnumdcrnblc distance otf—a medical fiuperintendent of a lunatic asylum in IVew South Wales. Now a lunatic asylum in any locality is not an agreeable alxxle, but in' New South v* j.les it must, indeed, be dUmal. Insanity is notoriously catching, nnd we fear that the dicta of cuperinu-ndentß exposed to so trying an ordeal are about as valuable as those of the patients under their cliarpe. We cannot, therefore, accept Air. Reynold's authority as conclu-ive. Hut Mr. Kevnolds has another taring to ids bow. "An eminent authority " —the name and address are prudently withheld— asserts that he kiKws "no -ingle vice that does so much harm as smoking. This, to say the least is rather a cool assertion. However the antl-toba'cco orator throws some li^ht on the statement a little further on. «Itis a pajnlul sulject for contemplation tbiit WO iwr ci-nt. of smoking younjr uicn n.eirreli«muß. 1< rom this remark we discover the process b\ wbich the anti-tobacco authorities prove to their own 6ari ß faction the vicious tendenoea of emoUug, The majority of young men

fcrnoke tobacco. But it is to be feared that the mv j<riiy ot \ouna? men are not relignus. Tobaccosmoking is. tlierrforc, clearly the cause of their irrelisnon. It wouid ba quite as much to the purpose to work out tha problem thus:-—The majority of young men dine. But the majority of young men are not reliirions. Therefore, dinner is the immediate citmofirreli^ion. iV,w smoking may b- 1 a habit either to be wholly avoi I*l or indulge lin very sparingly. But this violent nonsense will do nr<re harm t^an good. ft is quite as ridiculous as the outcry against the Intro--0 'L-rio.i o f tea an ,i cnff.c. DUraeli the hlder lias co leef/d much curious informitioa on this subjtct. an I especially t!ie '* Women's p-tition asain'st coffee." 1 i 1 174. eomplai'iin.ic that it male men aa unfruitful a h;des2t; whence that unhappy berry ii said to bs brouffht; that the offspring of our raijrhty ancestors would dwin He into a sticceasion of apes and pig-m'e-t, and on a lotnestic message a husband would atop by the w.ty to drink a couple of cups of coffee."' Bit the enormous consumption of tea and coflee has not; diud.iiahei the p.ipultrion of the British Isles uor caused the Saxon race to dwindle into a succession of ap.s arid piir/nies. On the contrary, the uss of the v gentle hiiiuulanfs has notoriously checked the i f »ta! devotion to strong drink that carries go many eviis iM its frain. Tobasco is a less innocent coactera tr, ction o strir g drink than tea and coffee, yet it mno i^si a count-r-attraclion. Anything taken in excess h lieruicirius. The qa3<tion ia, where doe* oxc:l^ he-nu ] Many of the men of the middle and upper classes would ba better without any tobacco :•; iati've~. But we are much mistaken if for the labouring lyjpulution—that i.«, for the great majority oi thif nation—a jhjk> of tobacco after a liard day's work is not a wholesome so'ace rather t-') be enour.iKs\ thnn d;>evied. Thi» statement that tobacco lead.4 t> drinking U made by ignorant persons wLo may know a !jo).| deal of drinking, but nothiu{? at all of « u»kin;;. The fact is absolutely tha reverse, and can hi proved to be no by htaJUticn. How doss the an i t ;|ia :co orat >v c-n.-U-avour to mike good this libel in to'«cjo ? "If drinkiuir," b« sitys, "were not ihe a x"J;i.jwidnif!j>t of smokiug, hoiv t«f3 it to pit-g tutiii jax«:i;>osiiiofl wi,h i.JOO licuu^i vendors =f flnnil's rmi tobacco in Bristol there nr^ Gl*> Ui'vH-rA vci'lorj; of femsnted liquow?1' An argunitjat tq^sily effective to prove that smoking is a ■ ii:-<vt s-tiuiulu-it to eccentricities in religious worsiiijj, f-j.- in the old city of Bri^ol there are not only bc;i-Hh.-»j(s, but f.-iiapt-lij and me<*;ing-hou3es unnum-uvrt-J, kM.; by side with the uri«>rupulou< vendors of ■he h-jt'.-d W'e;l. On the whole, we axree with a .vr.fiema:! •"' with luxuriant beard and mouitteh^/' vh. r.we_ towar.is thu closs of the dutu^iou. an-.'. a;i;i.*ft t!h: j.SauUits of many, indignantly characi<ir;i tX Mr. Il«yn».l-Is fs or<ttio'n by the shvrt kit ex p/cative ueiig;i&non—" humbug.""