1841-02-20, Newfoundland Patriot

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Whe aJYewfoundtand Patriots
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ST. JOHN,
SATtlUDAY, February 20, 1841.
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SEMI-WEEKLY SERIES.
No.  XV—VOL. 1.—Pbic-r.7».
HERi3 StfALL THE PRESS THE PEOPLE'S   RIGHTS MAINTAIN,
UNAWED BY   INFLUENCE AND UNBRIBED  BY  GAIN.
HERE PATRIOT    TRUTH  HER GLORIOUS PRECEPTS DRAW^,
PLEDGED TO   RELIGION,    LIBERTY  AND LAW.
Orphan Asylum'School.tshore ti
Feb.-17. 1341. U-ihtl
THE Benevolent Irish Society held it* Thirty- \-*n •**•■•*
fifth anniversary meeting this day—the H°«*. JJT?
P. Morris, President, took the Chair...The sum ofL—pj'
one hundred pounds was voted for the relief ofthe fne
Poor,—the subjoined reports and resolution; wereker3" ,
unanimousljs adopted, and the preliminary business thesr- I
nd*.
icquainted io turn tjieir attention to the cultivation of the soi j 3d—That the thanks ofthe Society He. given to
-own upon ns thei-nost certain, though it may be a slow mode Messrs. Robinson, Brooking, . .& Co.
of all their ,,f raising them to a state of comfort and indepenli onr agents in London; for their nrtitny liberal
w of so'ne|der.ceV p1 contributions  and gratuitous   agency to   the
These are the principal matters that come under•,    Society.
iho were con*';
ofthe day having been disposed of, the ballot for
officers for the ensuing year took, place, when the
following gentlemen were appointed—
Messrs L. O'Brien, M* H. A. elected President.
J. Nugent,   M. H. A. do. Vice President.
John Kent, M- H. A.re-elected Is  Asstnt,
John Dillon, elected 2d AssisUnt
Patrick L. Power, re-elected Treasurer
R. Howley, do. Chairman, O. A. School
W. Power, do. Secretary.
M. Daly, elected Chairman  Com. Charity
John O'Mara, re-elected,   Ch. Rev. & Cor.
Walter Dillon, do. Secretary O. A. School
After these appointments, the   President said
that the next subject' for the consideration of tin-
meeting was the celebration ofthe Festival of St.
Patrick, nnd   the members were  unanimously of
.♦jiinioa that the Society should celrhr-ue that Festival by dining together on that day.
REPORT
OF TIIE
WOLENT IRISH SOCIETY,
1841.
Officers have  to congratulate their  brother
Members, on  the return of this day. the  thirty
fifth anniversary of the Benevolent Irish Society.
At the last annual  meeting,   in  consequence of   the
then state ofthe poor, all the available funds of the Society were voted for their relief, and a meeting was direct
eaL,to take place on the first of March  following, to devise means to make further provision ; at that meetintr
it was ascertained that the Legislature had  made
beral errant to meet  thc  exigencies—it was therefore
found unnecessary to call on the Society for any further
aid, but that means should be adopted to make the ai
nual collection in support of the School from the chariti
ble and  liberal inhabitants of the town ;   a committee
was appointed for that purpose, and their exertions were
crowned with the utmal success.
A correspondence has taken place with the Agents
ofthe Society, Messrs. Robinson, and Brooking, London on the subject ofthe funded property ofthe Society . which has been laid before the Society, and entered
upon iti records, with a case laid before her Majesty's
Attorney General and his opinion thereon.
The act for the Incorporation of the Society, in consequence of some slight informality, has not received
the Royal Assent, but a bill is now in progress through
the Legislature, which it is hoped will meet all the objections that were made to the original Act.
A special meeting of the Society was called on ths
29th July, to take into consideration an application
mads by the rev. Mr. Forristal, and the rev. Mr. Ward,
on the part ofa number of poor Irish Emigrant passengers in the brig 'Maria of Limerick," and bound for
Quebec- This vessel put into this port in distress, thc
passengers having expended all their provisions, the
Society took prompt measur'*-* to relieve the necessities
of these people, and to enable them to proceed on to
their original destination. The sum of fifteen pounds
was voted for that purpose, and a committee was appointed to aid the laudable exertions of the two rev.
Gentlemen, and to raise a further sum lor the same purpose, by a general subscription through the town. The
committee succeeded beyond the'r hopes, the Merchants and the inhabitants most cheerfully responded to
the call made upon them, ample supplies were purchased, the vessel was enabled to proceed on her voyage,
and yonr poor countrymen left these shores pouring
farth the most grateful acknowledgments towards the
Irish Society and tbe benevolent inhabitants of St.
John"-*. Aftbr. providing for the oassengers of *»he
" Maria" a surplus remained whieh enabled the same
rev. gentlemen to join ia tbe general effort that was
,  .   .    .. jtbe direction ofyour officers for the preceding year,
's'.t   have flowed   from't'*e*-/  *re ^"u'**y  consc,ous now ver.V   inadequately
re part of the Society, you|t*>ey -Aye performed their duties, the  only claim
i...)'.*d to a.To:d Miccour to  a number ot!,r*eycan bave on your consideration is, thatwhat-
imtrymen, who like yourselves had to exile ever they did was from the purest and best inten-
thomselvcs  from* their native country  to seek for tions. ; They were governed, to the  best of their
homes in a distant land, you cheerfully joined with your judgment by the constitutional rules ofthe Society,
■ "'ii-ens in affording thc same relief to unfortu.Und they now hope tbeir proceedings will meet with g
isers cast upon your shores, you havo assisted|y0ur approval.
PATRICK MORRIS, President.
fellow citizens
nate stra  „
a raiding the well-earned character of Newfoundland
far charity in foreign lands, you have demonstrated
by your actions the fundamental principles ofyour institution, bused as it is upon the glorious principles of uni-
crsal charity that knows no distinction of colour, of
country, or of creed.
On thc , September, a special mcetin^-.ofyour Society was called to devise the best mode of complimenting the Right Rev. Dr. Fleming on his then expected
iirrival ; appropriate resolutions were passed, and an
address was preparod, which was presented by the
whole Society to his lordship, on his landing on Sunday
the 4ih October.
Agreeably  to a resolution of the   Society, a special
meeting was held on   the 4th October, for the purpose
of electing a chuirmxn ofthe School, apd a ch
charity, wd- n Mr. Richard Howie
WILLIAM POWER, Secretary.
O. A. S. Feb. 17, 1841.
REPORT
OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE ORPHAN
ASYLUM SCHOOL. ,
184L
THE   Committee    of   the   Orpban   Asylum
School in presenting the Annual Report of thei
establishment to tho Benevolent Irish Society, feel
great pleasure in being able to state, that thisi nva-
Inahlejinstitution continues to progress in its use-'
of ful career, disseminating the blessings  of educa-
dected for the tion tp*. nearly four hundred boys—many of whom
ith—That the thanks of the Society ate given to
James Stuart, Esq. of Beltrees, Greenock for
for bis annual donation to the Society.
5tb—That the thanks ofthe Society are "due to the
Merchants and other respectable individuals of
the town who so generously contribute to our
Society and the Orpban Asylum School.
th—That the Chairman and Committee of Chari •
ty are deserving our best thanks for'their exer*
tions in dispensing the chirities of tlie Society.
k*7th—That the chairman and committee of O. A
School are entitled to our best thanks for their
very efficient management of that Institution.
8th—That the ex President and Vice President
are entitled to the best thanks of the Society
for the efficient and dignified manner in which
they discharged the duties of their offices.
inner in place   of Mr.  .lames Hogan. and   Mr. Simon WOul4Nw doubt jjrow up  in  utter ignorance were
MoJ".r'*f f*Lrt!,e ,attcr '■• l-*'*ec °^}lr: P* Mu"ov.ney.       *t not for  the fostt,ring care bestowed  on'this es-
Tiie officers have to express their entire approbation
ofthe manner in which the various duties have been
performed by the executive officers ofthe Society,  tli€
ns voted forchnri"able purpose- have liven distributed
the most judicious manner, and the School depart
ment has beon conducted in the usual manner, its benefits to the risin? generation are calculated to realize thc
fondest hopes ofthe Society.
It is with feelings of the deepest regret the officer!
have to remind the Society of the death of A. W. Godfrey, Esq., and Mr. John Scanlan, since the last annual iDortiisg-. Mr. Godfrey was one of the first members,
and founders ofthe Institution, and continued to the last
one of its best and most zealous supporters.
The Officers cannot conclude this report Without
congratulating the Society on thc evident improvement
tbat has taken place in the condition of the poorer classes in the community, which they in a great measure
attribute to the attention that has been given to thc
cultivation of thc Soil. To prove the correctness of
this opinion, they would contrast thc comparative comforts of un industrious man of family who takes a few
acres ground.—clears it, builds a house upon it, cultivates it with thc aid ofhis wife and his children, leaves
them in care of it when, during thc Summer months, hc
engaged in thc fishery —with another man of family
ho has to pay rent tor a house in one of the back
streets in the town, without any possible way of turning
the, labour of his family to any good account, anticipa.
ting and expending the fruits of his summers labour.
The one family will be in u state of independence, tvtiilo
the other, according to all ordinary calculations, must
remain in a state bordering upon want, and exposed to
all the chancres and vicissitudes attending upon thc un.
certain results of tde   Fisheries.
It U now upwards of twenty years ago since the
Society recommended to the industrious classes
the cultivation of the soil as their best and mosl
certain resource, n considerable portion of their
funds were for many years appropriated for thi
purchase of seed potatoes, and in assisting parties
to procure land. At that time considerable d:~
cutties stood in the way of obtaining land, and yet
notwithstanding hun<!n*ds ti.rned their attention fo
its cultiv rtion, and it  can be huh!   wilhout . oontr
this ad
Ing so.
Tbe great facility recently afforde-1 by the Local Government fov the attainment aud purchase of
land, throw*- it open to the poorest man to obtain a
madelfirqughout the community, to relieve a numberofisnfficie*lt T'antity for cultivation, the officers there-
German •amigrai-iU the survivow from the melapcholyffore strongly recommend to their brother members
wreck of tbe " Florence," from Antwerp, bound fo'rjto join witb them in the most strenuous endeavors
New York, which vessel was totally lost on thc weitcrnlto   induce   tbe   labouring     classes   more generally
diction,
that no  i
56 that di.
lu-.ti'i<»'* mp rliat attended to
not better 1m& condition by do
tablisbment by the Society, aided by Legislative
granl9. and the munificent contributions of the
;enerous and proverbially charitable inhabitants
f St. John's. It is also a source of gratification to
the committee to observe that during the winter
months a considerable number of adults attend
the school for the purpose of having themselves
perfected in Navigation and other sciences that
may qualify them to become useful and respectable members of society ; and that several who
hav- been educated here are now employed as)
masters und mates of vessels, or holding confidential situations in Mercantile establishments.
Since the formation of this School by the Benevolent Irish Society, in 1826, upwards of four
thousand children have received the benefits of
Education therein, without any distinction of re*
ligious denominations.
The Committee oan bear ample testimony to
the merits of Mr. John Grace, the teacher, to
hose abilities and zealous exertions the rapid
progress of the boys is to be attributed—were
anything wanted to convince the Society on this
point their attendance nt the semi-annual exami
nations of the various classes, when the proficiency
of the scholars was so manifest, could not fail to satisfy them.
On the subject ofthe finances ofthe institution
the Committee have the pleasure of stating that
after paying nil incidental expenses up to this
date, (including the teacher's salary to the lst in-
stunt, and the purchase of a fine toned Bell for
the school) there is only a balance of 51. 13s. 3d.
against it.
The Committee in now resigning their trust to
the Society, crate indulgence for any dereliction
of duty on their parts, and trust that the valuable
assistance rendered .them by the President and
officers, may continue to be afforded to their suc-
(t-ssDis, and that the praineworthy zeal at all times
evinced by the Society towards their inestimable
institution may continue unabated.
RICHARD HOWLEY,
Ch'iirman, O. A. S <
RESOLUTIONS,
lst—That the thanks of the Society be given to
his Excellency Governor Prescott for his patro-
nage and support of the institution.
I—That the beat thanks of the Society are due
nnd hereby given to the Right Rev. Dr. Fleming for his continued support to hia Society.
REPORT
of rue
INDIGENT SICK SOCIETY.
1840.
IN laying before the public their Re.
port for the past year, the Indigent
Sick Society beg leave to return 'their
best thanks to His Excellency ihe Governor and Mrs. Prescott for their continued
and liberal paironage ; to the Honorable
the House of Assembly for its annual
grant; and (o all who haye kindly aided
the funds of the institution.
With the subscriptions ofthe chari*
table placed at their disposal, increased
by the sum of £51 12 6 derived
from a Ball given in March last, the
Society huve been enabled to carry on
iheir work with satisfaction to themselves*
and, as far ns their means would allow,
to the accomplishment of tho object they
have in view.
Through the active and laborious exertions ot ibe Society's visitors, the poor
and destitute sick ol the district have been
sought out and relieved : and if many a
fervent prayer from them nvi.il, who have
been partakers of ihe Society's bounty,
and who otherwise might have *had no
human helper, the institution will prove li
continued blessing, and its funds be abundantly increased.
The work of ihis Sociely is not one
of ostentation or one whose excellence
thru-ts itself upon lhe public attention:-—
the grateful tears of some sick and
widowed mother, or tho gladdened expression of some little fatherless sufferer,
ns it receives the nourishment, whicb,
under God, restores light lo the eye and
energy lo ihe frame, are the usual
vouchers ofthe Society's worth : and, in
again soliciting the contributions ofa go.
nerous public, they can only give the assurance ihat they will shrink from no
personal fatigue, nor heed anj personal
inconvenience, in carrying out that broad
principle of charity which recognizes, in
every afflicted individual, a brother or a
sister, whose common Parent is a Goo
of Love.
The number of Tickets issued during
the last 12 months has exceeded two thou-
sand two hundred ■ and tho receipt! ai