faw, or heard of, which had been been built by the poor. It is a great pity, it has been faid, that the design of this building is not thoroughly answered; but there are some miscreants, who would rather starve in fickness, or old age, than not guzzle a penny in their health and youth. This observation we must allow to be true in part; for it is generally observed, that, in a large body of men, such as the keelmen, whose employment in life is laborious and hazardous, many of them are not over much concerned for futurity. But it was shrewdly faid, that if there was thoughtlessness below stairs, there was artifice above; and that the fitters and coal-owners dreaded the independency of such a vast body of men, should they, by economy, grow opulent, and so become turbulent and ungovernable; and therefore counteracted and undermined this laudable scheme. We hope, however, that this infinuation against gentlemen of fo much honour and humanity, is not correct, and is only founded on misrepresentation. We cannot omit inferting here a note respecting the Keelmen's Hospital, left in the manuscript of our deceafed friend, from whom we have derived much original information. "The late alderman Simpson having bequeathed one hundred pounds to this hospital, the following very beautiful acknowledgment of his bounty was affixed on the fouth fide of the hospital, fronting the Shields turnpike-road. In the year 1786, The interest of 100l. at 5 per cent. for ever, on the twenty-third day of December, among among the ten oldest keelmen was left by and forty years governor of the hoastmen's company. that pofterity may know Various attempts were made to reduce the proposed penny a tide by each keelman, to some confistent and effectual plan, during many years, but all proved abortive; so that the real keelmen who belonged to that society, finding their number inadequate to supply the exigencies of their fick and aged members, were obliged to extend their plan, and to permit landmen as well as watermen to become members. But very few keelmen, belonging to the many fitters and coal-owners on the river Tyne, chusing to join this mixed society, several of the more intelligent skippers and keelmen set about drawing up a scheme for a permanent resource for the wants and neceflities of their members. This scheme obtaining the approbation of the magistrates and fitters, an application was made to parliament; and, after due deliberation of that body, an act was paffed, sanctioning the scheme, with some judicious improvements. Gratitude prompts us, on this occafion, to tender our acknowledgments to Mr. Tinwell, for his readiness in accommodating us with a copy of the act and by-laws, with whatever other information we wished to be poffefsed of, respecting the keelmen's society. The The by-laws, which are subjoined to the act, embrace fo much wifdom and humanity, that the resources for the fick and infirm of that body promise to be of a duration equal to that of the coal-trade itself. The law for this benevolent purpose is intituled, " An act for establishing a permanent fund, for the relief and support of skippers and keelmen employed on the river Tyne, who by fickness, or other accidental misfortunes, or by old age, shall not be able to maintain themselves and their families; and also for the relief of the widows and children of such skippers and keelmen."-This act was passed in the year 1788. By the by-laws fubjoined to the act, the weekly allowances to fick or fuperannuated members are follow: To those who are disabled by temporary lameness f. s. d. To those who are fuperannuated or difabled by age To widows without children To widows having two children To widows having more than two children 。 2 。 2 6 Superannuated members, unable to work at the keels, are allowed to obtain any other employment; but if they can thereby earn at the rate of four fhillings per week or upwards, their allowance from the fund is then reduced according to the following table. If 8s. or more, they are to contribute 6d. per week to the fund. THE |