The same year Sir Benjamin was occupied in founding the house of industry at Munich, or the military workhouse, as it was sometimes called, because the poor were employed in furnishing the articles of clothing for the fifteen Bavarian regiments of the elector's army. The troops of the Palatinate and of the duchies of Juliers and Bergen received their clothing from the house of industry at Manheim. This institution will be found not to rest upon the common, ephemeral, and partial endeavors to relieve the poor, which no sooner get into operation, than they languish and die for want of patronage. Its principles are such, that its continuance depends upon itself, and nothing, but beggars and vagabonds, can support it. It is maintained by the prevalence of those evils and distresses, it was formed to correct and relieve. This may readily be understood by recollecting, that express prohibitions were enjoined against any alms being given; and, in order more effectually to promulgate it, over the principal door, which leads to the court yard of the house of industry, was written in large letters of gold on a black ground, "NO "ALMS WILL BE RECEIVED HERE."

To attempt a description of the wretched state of the poor in Bavaria; to recount the many ineffectual schemes, which had been adopted to exterminate idleness and beggary; to relate the distressing scenes, which were often witnessed among that unfortunate portion of the human race, and the regular system, which by time and impunity they had wrought for extorting involuntary contributions from the citizens; to state all the minute preparations and judicious arrangements, which were practised in the execution of this perfect and beautiful establishment, would be difficult and highly improper, since the founder has related them in elegant and forcible language in his first essay, of which no person should remain in ignorance. Those, who occasionally delight to peruse the stories of fictitious distress, and boast of their tenderness and sensibility, when the tale of some unfortunate creature extorts the tear of sympathy, will find sufficient scope for the oxercise of their feelings and imaginations by reading a few

of his first chapters, because the oral declaration of thousands of those, formerly miserable beings, will attest, with the liveliest emotions of gratitude, the truth of what he reads. An extract however cannot possibly be unacceptable.

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"Some of these monsters were so void of all feeling, as to (c expose even their own. children, naked and almost starved "in the streets, in order that, by their cries and unaffected "expressions of distress, they might move those, who passed by, to pity and relieve them; and, in order to make them act their part more naturally, they were unmercifully beaten, when they came home, by their inhuman parents, if "they did not bring with them a certain sum, which they were ordered to collect."

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"I have frequently seen a poor child of five or six years of "age late at night in the most inclement season sitting down al"most naked at the corner of a street, and crying most bitterly; if "he were askedwhat was the matter with him, he would answer, "I am cold, and hungry, and afraid to go home; my mother "told me to bring home twelve creutzers, and I have only "been able to beg five. My mother will certainly beat me, "if I don't carry home twelve creutzers.' Who could re"fuse so small a sum to relieve so much unaffected distress? "But what horrid arts are these, to work upon the feelings "of the public, and levy involuntary contributions for the "support of idleness and debauchery

!"

The difficulties, which Sir Benjamin was apprehensive might occur in putting this grand machine in motion, he avoided by convincing the public, that it was not a mere job. For this purpose he determined to carry it into effect, and then solicit their support. After thus much had been done, he easily procured men of the highest rank and respectability to take the principal charge and direction of the whole business, and the inhabitants, who had been worn down by the uncomfortable importunity of these wretched creatures, and who had frequently been disappointed in unsuccessful attempts to remedy the evil, saw with the greatest satisfaction. and delight this beautiful system in complete operation. The

voluntary subscriptions now poured in, and the finances of the house of industry increased in a rapid manner. Scarcely was any sum too large to be given by the rich, when they could no longer see their streets crowded with beggars.

The building, which had been chosen for the reception of this abandoned tribe, was pleasantly situated in one of the suburbs of the city of Munich, called the AU. It had been a manufactory, but was then falling to ruin. It was repaired, and partly rebuilt in a neat and elegant manner. A large kitchen with an eating room and commodious bake house were added to the building. Workshops for carpenters, smiths, turners, and other mechanics, were prepared, and supplied with tools for repairing the machinery, &c. which were constructed in this extensive manufactory. Halls were fitted up for spinners of hemp, flax, cotton, wool, and for spinners of worsted. Halls were also prepared for all kinds of weavers, with workshops for clothiers, cloth shearers, dyers, and saddlers, together with numerous other smaller rooms for the different operations of receiving and preparing the raw materials, and returning and storing the manufactured articles.

After this building was prepared with the greatest regard to neatness and cleanliness; painted within and without; furnished with requisite articles of machinery, and lodging, and accommodations of every comfortable kind, furnished for several hundred of these poor people, the next object was to apprehend them, and place them in their new habitation. For this purpose Sir Benjamin engaged the civil magistrates, and some of the most respectable inhabitants of the city to accompany and assist him in arresting the beggars, in order to avoid the odiousness of employing the military alone.

Early in the morning of the first of January 1790 he sallied out, accompanied with the field officers and chief magistrates. The officers and noncommissioned officers of the three regiments of infantry in garrison were stationed in the several streets to arrest and receive all the beggars, they could find, and conduct them to the town hall. In less than

an hour the whole city of Munich was cleared of the gangs of beggars and vagabonds, who had infested the streets.

When these poor unfortunate people were collected to the amount of 1500 or 2000,* composed of males and females of all ages, nothing could equal the surprise, not unmingled with fear, which they discovered on being placed in this pleasant and blessed situation, and which seemed to be the effect of magic.

"It is easy to conceive," says Count Rumford, "that so great a number of unfortunate beings, of all ages and sex"es, taken as it were from their very element, and placed in "a situation so perfectly new to them, could not fail to be productive of many interesting situations. Would to "God, I were able to do justice to this subject! but no "language can describe the affecting scenes, to which I was a witness upon this occasion."

"The exquisite delight, which a sensible mind must feel "upon seeing many hundreds of wretched beings awaking "from a state of misery and inactivity as from a dream, and

applying themselves with cheerfulness to the employments "of useful industry; upon seeing the first dawn of placid content break upon a countenance, covered with habitual gloom, and furrowed and distorted by misery; this is ea"sier to be conceived, than described."

Upon the meeting of so many abandoned and distressing objects, much confusion would naturally arise, and it was three or four days before they could be all distributed into their different apartments, and made acquainted with the different occupations, to which they were destined. No discontent, no mutiny, no murmurings were discovered in their words or actions; no symptoms of dissatisfaction for a moment lowered upon their brows; but wonder and aston

* The number of poor people of all descriptions, foreigners and natives, who were collected in the course of one week after the establishment was prepared, amounted, in the city of Munich, to upwards of 2600. The whole number, taken up and delivered over to magistrates in the different parts of Bavaria, during the four years next succeeding the establishment, was ten thousand.

ishment occupied their minds and a benignant smile of gaiety, and love and gratitude for their benefactor, softened the aspect of their woe worn countenances.

Having thus assembled them, every exertion was made ef fectually to prevent any discontent among the poor, and to make them as happy, as possible. For this end all the various officers, who were established in the military work house, were strictly ordered to exercise the utmost kindness and len-* iency toward all classes. Rewards of different kinds, and prizes to excite emulation in their different employments were accepted, calculated to make them industrious, useful, and contented.

After thus forming an establishment for the relief of the poor,* putting it in operation, and freeing the country from

* It is much to be lamented, that the plans, which have been executed under Sir Benjamin's direction, and which have been so much admired in their operation and success, should not be more readily adopted in the United States, especially as he is a native of America, and has contributed so largely to the advancement of science in this country. Is it because the establishments, founded under his direction for the relief of the poor, are incompatible with the civil institutions of the several states? Were this the case, the government would be inconsistent with the natural rights of man, government being established to protect the poor and indigent, instead of aiding the rich and powerful. Is it because the effecting similar reformations in our police is obstructed by the want of information, and men, capable of arranging them? This cannot be the reason, for the directions even of the smallest circumstances are found in his essays, and read in almost all languages. Is it that doubts are entertained respecting the success of such institutions? This is no excuse, for his plans are recommended by the happy result of the most important experiments. None of these reasons are admissible. We must seek for it in the indifference and neglect, we discover, for their sufferings, when the miserable objects of charity and compassion are removed from our sight.

In every considerable town throughout the several states provision is made by the magistrates of each under a general law of the state for the maintenance of the poor and helpless, and in many of the towns great expense is incurred for their support. The houses, chosen for this purpose, are some uncomfortable, solitary, and gloomy dwellings, which are the receptacles of the beggars and vagabonds, who enter, and die almost in the same unhappy situation, they were in, when apprehended. They are perhaps a little better. lodged, and more regularly fed, than when they were put into the poor house, or when begging on the road; but they may be made far more com Vol. II. No. 1.

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