idle schemer, as the most clamorous, have their demands generally the most prominently laid before the dispenser of the public bounty, and by their persistency and importunity generally carry off the larger spoil. Depend upon it the worst cases of distress are not those which are publicly paraded. The long-suffering and really-deserving poor are not those who congregate in mobs and lift the unblushing face in the open streets. My experience goes to prove that the most clamorous are in general those who have least to justify complaint, and that to discriminate between the artfully concocted tale of the practised mendicant, or the unblushing professional pauper, and the industrious person whom misfortune alone has reduced to want requires a patience of inquiry and an experience of character which cannot be assumed as a garment on any sudden emergency. Day by day as I move along in my course of official routine, becoming each day more familiar with the repulsive forms of squalor and wretchedness presented to my view, I fear I am losing to some extent the shuddering revulsion of feeling with which they at first inspired me. It requires an effort now to recall the sensations which used almost to overpower me as I visited one house after another, each presenting some new form of distress. I had no idea before that so much of moral and physical impurity was in existence. I had read, truly, many vivid descriptions of the wretched homes inhabited by the poorest order of our fellow beings, but no description can possibly describe these things as they are, and as I have seen. The truth is so sternly vivid that it is not in the power of words to paint the utter degradation and dirt which exists. Charles Dickens, in one of his beautiful fictions, observes that "in love of home, the love of country has its rise," and that the ties that bind the wealthy and the proud to home may be forged on earth, but those which link the poor man to his humble hearth are of the truer metal, and bear the stamp of heaven." All honour to the trae and gentle heart that prompted the utterance of these beautiful thoughts! But can the writer be thinking of such homes as I see, as inspiring "love" either for themselves or for "country?" Surely not! Surely that filth encrusted floor-those grime-bedaubed wails-that noisome heap of bedding in the corner inspire no feeling which can be associated with the idea of "home." Is it possible to associate that dirty-skinned, tangle-haired woman with the name of "housewife," or that bloated black-eyed fellow with the broken ribs (which he has received in a drunken brawl) with the idea of "husband?" No; little indeed can ever come of such a pair but something like what is now exhibited. Other families known to me, with smaller incomes than that which is squandered, show a picture so diametrically opposed to the one we are contemplating now here, that we are forced to say the fault lies with the individuals themselves, and not with outer circumstances. This fellow is very well known to me, for he is always one of the first to apply to me on the occurrence of any temporary stoppage of labour, whilst others with no more money, and more to do with it, remain away from me. He has not one redeeming quality to recommend him to sympathy, nor does his wife possess any character loveable or honourable in woman. What love of home can either of them have, such as that from which the love of country may be expected to spring? If the house were to be burned down in their absence, their money loss would not amount to the value of a bottle of that drink, the enjoyment of which in bestial excess seems to be their only object of toil. The recollection even of social and domestic festivity, sometimes associated with intoxication, cannot obtain in this case, for their place of dissipation has usually been the gin-shop, whilst "home" has been looked upon as a sleeping place only. The man has strength and ability for his work, and his earnings are such as many a professional man who maintains and educates a family in comfort and respec tability, would envy. Yet here he lies, a very brute in his lair, with bruised face and broken ribs, dependent for his very crust upon that bounty which the law compels, and which such as I administer. Can it be wondered at that in such cases as these, we sometimes feel inclined to upbraid the man for his improvidence, and designate his conduct in terms not exceedingly gentle or sympathetic? Notwithstanding the ungracefulness of the action, I must confess that I have on more than one occasion found my self administering a rebuke even by a sick bed. Oh, I know this man is my brother-well, very well I know our common birth, and our common death; but it requires a stretch of the feeling of fraternity to inspire love for such an one as this. I do not love him perhaps as I ought, but I cannot bring myself to utter a falsehood. I despise him as I hate the brutality and crime embodied in him. I again ask, is this a sample of a class which it is desirable to conserve? Does not the existence of such a class call upon the exercise of all our philanthropy in the cause of education? Try to wean him from his darling grovelling sin, if it be possible, but oh, in Heaven's name, snatch his (and such as his) children from pollution. Take them by force, if necessary, and educate them. If he will not voluntarily provide them with education, do it for him, and punish him if he neglect to refund the expense. His future history is written plainly on his brow, and I can read it for certainty. I shall have him again and again, in all probability, I shall administer to him when his necessity is but to be hidden from the sight of men-his earthly end is a parish funeral! Oh ye, who read these words of mine!-the most of you probably guarded against the possibility of such an end by your own providence—exert, I conjure you, all the influence which within you lies, to persuade men to become as you are, insured against the degradation of the parish dole, or the parish doctor, or the parish coffin. You are doing a good work, rest assured, and one which will bring you the blessings of the widow and fatherless in many places, who induce by your example and enforce by precept the system of insurance as afforded by Friendly Societies. I speak from experience, for have I not seen, and can I not point out, many an instance of the good work? It is not many hours since I visited in my perigrination one of those families who, having lost their "bread-winner," have been placed in a position of self-supporting existence entirely by means derived from a widow and orphans' fund attached to one of our Friendly Societies. And believe me my heart was rejoiced as I saw the siniling and industrious widow with her healthy children perfectly independent of me and such as me, and whilst she thanked the guardians through me, for some assistance they rendered her for a short time, thanked God who had put it in her late husband's heart to do as he had done with his little savings. EPIGRAM. FROM LE RAMELET MOUNDI," BY GODELIN. THE gay, who would be counted wise, The Bolton A.M.C. BY THE EDITOR. In the pages of the ODD-FELLOWS' QUARTERLY MAGAZINE, my readers will naturally look for some account of the doings of the delegates assembled in the good old town of Bolton, on Whit-Monday last. I know not how I can better perform the duty expected of me than by transferring to the Magazine, with some necessary abridgments, the account I furnished to the Daily Telegraph. The proprietors of that popular and excellent newspaper were induced, at my solicitation, to devote several columns to the Debate, the Banquet, and the Procession at Bolton; and it is with, I hope, excusable pride I am enabled to say that, for the second time in the history of the Manchester Unity, I have been instrumental in giving to the world an account of the discussions at our Annual Parliament in the columns of a London Daily Newspaper. Last year it was the Morning Herald and Standard that contained the report; this year I was successful in obtaining for Odd-Fellowship the publicity of the Daily Telegraph, a paper with a circulation larger than that of any other journal in Europe. In addition to this, I inserted a full report of the A.M.C. in the Weekly Chronicle, an old-established and influential London paper, which, under my management during the last six or seven months, has devoted considerable space to the discussion of questions relating to the principles and practice of Friendly Societies, and more especially to Odd Fellowship. I may perhaps, also be allowed to state that on Whit-Monday the Daily Telegraph contained a tolerably full, and, as I believe, not incorrect account, from my pen, of the Manchester Unity-its rise, progress, and present position. The importance of such an account in such a newspaper cannot, I humbly think, be too highly estimated; for, though ours is what is technically called a "Secret Society," it depends on the widest possible publicity and the most fall and fair discussion for its social progress, its financial and numerical success, and its ultimate triumph over all its detractors. I trust I may be pardoned for making these remarks. I know that in the provincial press the Manchester Unity has very generally had fair play accorded it; but I know also that in the London journals it has been too much the habit of writers to take the opinions of the Times as their text, and to sneer at the efforts of working men in popularizing their own societies; too much the custom to generalize about Friendly Societies, and to instance a few of the unfortunate ones as samples of the whole; too much the plan to associate societies of a purely provident kind with trade and strike organizations; and far too much the "regular thing" to ignore the system of self-government under which Odd-Fellowship has grown to be an institution and a power in the land. Under these circumstances, it was of the last importance that metropolitan M readers should be placed on a footing at least equal to that enjoyed by our friends in the country; and it will be our own fault if we do not every year obtain for our Society the publicity I have been enabled to give it in 1860 and 1861. While on the subject of newspapers, I may likewise say that, since I have been an Odd-Fellow, I have been successful in passing through the London press a very large number of-I am almost afraid to say how many-distinct paragraphs concerning our great Unity. Following in the footsteps of Mr. Daynes, Mr. Roe, Mr. Noon, Mr. Hardwick, and other of our able advocates by speech and pen, I have endeavoured by every means in my power to advance the cause of Odd-Fellowship; and if-as it may have happenedthe warmth of my advocacy has once or twice led me into what some may consider indiscretion, I trust the readers of this Magazine will at least give me credit for singleness of purpose and sincerity of motive. Enough of preface: now for business: The delegates from the various districts, to the number of 188, assembled at Bolton, on Whit-Monday morning at nine o'clock, under the presidency of Mr. Henry Buck, Grand Master. The place of meeting was the Bath Assembly-room-a very noble apartment. The business of the day was opened by the Secretary, Mr. Henry Ratcliffe, reading over the names of the delegates; Mr. Roe, C.S., of North London, acting as Assistant Secretary. Objection was made to two delegates sitting, which, after discussion, was allowed. The Grand Master then declared the meeting opened for business, and proceeded to address the delegates in a speech of great power and eloquence. Mr. Buck, of Birmingham, said it was usual at this meeting, the last opportunity he could have for addressing them as Grand Master, for the chairman to make a statement as to the condition of the Manchester Unity during his year of office. He was happy to state that the Order was never in a better condition than at this moment, and at no previous period of its history did it stand in so high or favourable a position, either in respect to number of Members or amount of funds. It would have conferred little credit upon the officers if such had not been the case. He expressed his thanks to the Directors and the Officers, and members generally, for the efficient manner in which the business of their great Unity had been conducted. The fact that during the past year there had been no more than about one hundred appeals to the Directors in cases of dispute, although the Society numbered nearly three hundred and twenty thousand members, spoke well for the general government of the institution. The Annual Committee held at Shrewsbury last year referred several matters to the consideration of the Directory. In order that due attention might be bestowed upon matters of so much importance, it was determined to hold a Special Meeting for their consideration. The result of the Directors' deliberations had been published in the Quarterly Reports of the Order, and the recommendations of the Directors had been made known to the Lodges and Districts by that means, and were thus well known to the meeting. It would now become the duty of the meeting to discuss their merits, and decide upon the course of future action on these subjects. The first question had reference to the Unity liability,-how far it extended, and what was the precise nature of the compact between individual members, lodges, districts, and the general body. Unity was their motto; unity, not in name only, but in truth. He therefore considered that it was their duty not to relax but rather to strengthen it; that is, their unity of purpose and liability. Still it was necessary, in order to effect this, that a proper classification of the rates of payment and benefits should be adopted throughout the Order. Another important question had reference to the disposal of the surplus funds held by some Lodges. He was glad, indeed, to find that several Lodges in connection with the Unity had been so successful, so fortunate, or so well managed, that their reserve funds, on a fair computation, were found to be more than adequate to their future liabilities. He was sorry, on the other hand, to find that some Lodges and Districts were in the habit of not complying with the general laws of the Order with regard to matters of finance. He hoped the meeting would arm the executive with full power and authority to enforce the laws on this subject. Another important question had been referred to their consideration-namely, the alteration of the scale to regulate the rate of payments and benefits. The Directors were of opinion that no alteration should be made till the results of the quinquennial returns were ascertained. Those returns were now being rapidly furnished by the various Lodges, and Mr. Ratcliffe's assistants were already busily occupied with their classification. He believed that, when completed, the results would be more useful to this Society, and to all Friendly Societies, than any similar returns ever published. It was eight years since the present scale was adopted, and, since that period, about one hundred and sixty-five thousand had been initiated. It would be therefore necessary that any future legislation on this subject should not operate to the prejudice of those members. (Hear.) The subject of additional assurance at death had received the careful attention of the directors; and it would be for the present meeting to decide what action should be taken with reference to this question. He referred with pleasure to the appointment of Mr. Roe as the Parliamentary agent of the Order, and he was glad to acknowledge his indebtedness to that gentleman for his useful and successful exertions. The Grand Master then referred to the new Bill recently introduced by Mr. Sotheron Estcourt, and expressed an opinion that while he and all good members could not object to furnish and receive the fullest information, he feared that there was overmuch legislation on the subject of Friendly Societies. The Bill was evidently intended for other Societies, and not especially for the Manchester Unity. He therefore thought some modification of its provisions was necessary. He was glad to be enabled to congratulate them on the success of their Order in Australia and the colonies, and concluded by recommending a discussion of the questions that would be submitted to them, and that they would continue their efforts for the advancement of their great Society. (The Grand Master concluded amid general applause.) Mr. Collins, of Wellington, Salop, then read the Auditors' Report, as follows: "Gentlemen-Having concluded our duties as auditors of the accounts of the order for the year 1860, the anuual balance-sheet containing the results will be printed with the April reports. We submit the following observations for your consideration in reference thereto. We have carefully inspected and examined the whole of the books, accounts, vouchers, deeds, securities, and other documents, and it affords us great pleasure to state that we have found them correct, and that the very careful and excellent manner in which the accounts are kept by the C.S. of the order, Mr. Henry Ratcliffe, has matarially assisted us in our examination and labours. On referring to the balance-sheet, it will be observed that the working expenses of the order for the past year amounted to £922 8s. 44d., but which includes about £42 for expenses of one |