Pintard were among its warmest advocates. The well-known services of the latter gentleman for a long series of years as President need no comment, a position which he held till near the close of his active life.

The thirty-eighth annual report for the year 1856 shows the whole amount of deposits made in this institution to have been $47,530,067 61, and its net assets amount to $9,038,580 88. The venerable Najah Taylor is now the President, and James F. Depeyster Treasurer. An elegant banking-house, built of white marble, has just been erected in Bleecker street for this institution. There are at this time sixteen of these institutions in operation in this city, generally well managed.

SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF PAUPERISM.

The writer believes it will not be uninteresting, at this time, to give a short history of the origin and progress of this Society, organized in 1818, from which several of the most important of our city institutions emanated, were put in operation, and still show, by their annual reports to the Legislature and to the Corporation, that the most sanguine expectations of the managers of that day have been more than realized. He feels it to be but a just tribute of respect due to the memory of the gentlemen composing the successive Boards of Managers of that Society to speak of the many useful objects of reform and improvement to which they devoted their attention, and to show the practical results which attended their efforts in relation to the most of them.

Perhaps no six annual reports of any association embody more valuable information, or contain statistics of greater interest, or from which more practical good followed, than from the observations and suggestions of this body of intelligent and philanthropic men, and they may be considered a monument to their industry, zeal, and indefatigable efforts to accomplish the great objects for which they voluntarily organized. It would be out of place here, and would make this communication of too great length, to speak of them as their merits entitle them, but he trusts to be excused in briefly noticing the various objects to which their several reports refer.

At a meeting of many respectable citizens at the New York Hospital, 16th December, 1817, to take into consideration the subject of pauperism, Gen. Matthew Clarkson was appointed Chairman, and Divie Bethune, Secretary. On motion of Charles Wilkes, Esq., seconded by Wm. Johnson, Esq., it was unanimously Resolved, That the citizens present, with those who may hereafter unite in the measure, be constituted a "Society for the Prevention of Pauperism."

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to prepare a constitution for the government of the Society, and a statement of the prevailing causes of pauperism, with suggestions relative to the most suitable and efficient remedies; whereupon the following gentlemen were appointed a committee for that purpose, viz: John Griscom, Brockholst Livingston, Garret N. Bleecker, Thomas Eddy, James Eastburn, Rev. Cave Jones, Zachariah Lewis, and Divic Bethune, who were requested, when ready to report, to convene the Society for that purpose.

On the 6th February, 1818, the committee called the Society again together at the Hospital, when the First Report was presented by John Griscom, the

Chairman, on the causes and prevention of pauperism, and suggesting the formation and plan for the action of this Society, together with a Constitution for its future government. Whereupon, it was

Resolved, That one thousand copies of the Report and Constitution be published for distribution, under the direction of the same committee.

On the 10th March, 1818, the Society was again called together at the City Hotel, when the Report and Constitution, presented by the same gentleman, was again read by John Griscom, Chairman, and, on motion of the Rev. Dr. John M. Mason, who made an eloquent address, seconded by Col. Wm. Few, it was adopted.

On motion of James Eastburn, and seconded by John Griscom, a committee of five members was appointed to form a nomination for the first Board of Mar agers. John Adams, Dr. Neilson, John Griscom, Divie Bethune, and John Low, formed the committee. They named the following as the first Board:

And the following gentlemen were elected officers for the ensuing year, viz:

In the month of April, 1818, John Griscom went to Europe, taking some of his Reports with him, and, during an absence of twelve or fourteen months, visiting the varions charitable institutions in his travels, and giving his attention particularly to this class of reformatory institutions, he collected much informa tion, which he imparted to his colleagues in the various reports he prepared after his return in 1819.

The Second Annual Report, written and presented by John Griscom, in December, 1819, speaks of having obtained a charter for a savings bank, which commenced operations in July, under the auspices of this Society, an account of which is to be found in another article of this paper, their successful application to the legislature for a law in relation to lotteries, and much information as to emigrant population and other subjects.

The Third Annual Report, made by Charles G. Haines, Esq., under a resolu

tion of the Society, on the Penitentiary system of the United States, a most valuable document of two hunddred and eight pages, presented to the Society in December, 1821.

The Fourth Annual Report, by John Griscom, presented December, 1820. In addition to a careful revision of all the usual subjects-1st, Civil and Criminal Police; 2d, Intemperance; 3d, Emigration; 4th, Disorderly Houses; 5th, Ignorance and neglect of Religious Worship; 6th, Want of Cleanliness; 7th, Lotteries, Pawnbrokers, and Intelligence Offices; 8th, Public Amusements; 9th, Idleness and Want of Employment; 10th, Domestic Economy; 11th, Correspondence; 12th, The Library; 13th, Juvenile Delinquency--it speaks of the formation of the Apprentices' Library, and a collection of five thousand volumes since it commenced, in 1819. (It now comprises nineteen thousand volumes.) The Mercantile Library also commenced in the year 1819, by voluntary donations of books, by merchants and others friendly to the object, among whom Philip Hone, Isaac S. Hone, and Mr. Wood, were prominent ones. (This Society has never made any claim to the origin of this Association.) This Library has grown to be an important institution, with a collection of nearly fifty thousand volumes.

The Fifth Annual Report, by Eleazar Lord, Esq., is a very able one, with much valuable imformation, and alludes to the Fuel Saving Institution, presented in December, 1821.

The Sixth Annual Report, by James W. Gerard, Esq., Chairman of a committee composed of J. W. Gerard, John Stearns, M.D., and Hiram Ketcham, presented February 7, 1823, at the City Hotel, recommending the establishment of a House of Refuge for the delinquent children of our city, as well as vagrant and homeless children to be found in the streets. Other objects have followed in the train of the efforts of this Society. The establishment of a High School, suggested by John Griscom, in 1822, after his return from Europe. A house was built in Crosby street, and opened in 1825, under the direction of Professor Griscom; and the "Society for the Encouragement of Faithful Domestic Servants" opened an office in the basement of the Savings Bank in 1825.

At a meeting of the Society, held 12th June, 1823, the following Managers were appointed a committee to prepare a report on the subject of establishing a House of Refuge: John Griscom, Isaac Collins, Cornelius Du Bois, James W. Gerard, Hiram Ketcham, Daniel Lord, jr., and W. M. Carter. A numerous and respectable meeting of citizens convened at the request of the Society for Prevention of Pauperism, at the City Hotel, 19th December, 1823, Hon. C. D. Colden, President of the Society, in the chair, and Hiram Ketchum, Esq., as Secretary. The report of the above Society on the establishment of a House of Refuge was read by John Griscom, Chairman of the committee, and the importance of the proposition was enforced in appropriate speeches by Peter A. Jay, Esq., Rev. Dr. J. M. Wainwright, James W. Gerard, Esq., Professor McVickar, Hiram Ketcham, Esq., the District Attorney, Hugh Maxwell, Esq., Mr. J. P. Simpson, and Mr. Divie Bethune.

The great object for which the Society was first organized appeared to have been reached, and resolutions were at once adopted to establish the Refuge-to change the name of the Society to that of the "Society for the Reformation of

Juvenile Delinquents "-to take up subscriptions at once for the purpose of carrying these resolutions into effect. A Treasurer was appointed, and a Board of Managers, composed principally of the same Board, were elected, and the management of the Refuge committed to their care.

On the 9th January, 1824, at a meeting of the Board of Managers, the officers were elected for the ensuing year, viz.:

An act of incorporation was granted March 29th, 1824, by the legislature. Subscriptions and donations during the year 1824 amounted to $17,000, and, having obtained possession of the United States Arsenal, on what is now Madison square, the Refuge was opened on 1st January, 1825, with nine inmatessix boys and three girls. It remained in that location fifteen years, until destroyed by fire in 1839. It was then removed to the large building foot of Twenty-third street, on the East river, which had been erected for a fever hospital. Here it remained fifteen years, until the increasing number of inmates made it necessary to provide larger accommodations, and to enable the Managers to carry out their system of classification, which they ever kept in view. In 1851, haying made an equitable arrangement with the Corporation for an exchange of a parcel of land which they possessed on Ward's island for about thirty-six acres on the south end of Randall's island, they decided on building on that site. The corner-stone was laid on the 24th November, 1852, by the Mayor, Ambrose C. Kingsland, and an address was made by the late Robert Kelly, President of the Society. It was two years in building. On the 24th November, 1854, a formal opening of the new building took place, when the Governor of the State, Horatio Seymour, was present, and made an address. The President, R. Kelly, also made another able address on this occasion. This institution, now thirty-three years in existence, has shown, from year to year, its beneficial results, in the large number of its inmates reformed by its judicious and kind discipline.

By the Thirty-third Annual Report, issued 1st January, 1858, it will be seen that the total number of inmates has been seven thousand three hundred and thirtysix, and that on 1st January, 1858, there were five hundred and seventy-seven boys and seventy girls-making a total of six hundred and forty-seven in the institution. As the citizens of New York view this noble pile of buildings from the Second, Third, and Fourth avenues, they should feel a pride that such an institution has been the work, and its concerns cared for by a voluntary association of gentlemen for so long a period, without fee or reward. The minutes of the Society show, for that whole period, that a meeting of some portion of the Managers has been held every week, with the exception of a very few weeks,