e to deserving and necessitous foreigners in
this country, without distinction of nationality, religion, age,
or sex. This institution, which had now existed for more than
sixty years, was even at the time of its initiation thought to
be a work of necessity; how much more so had it become such
since the means of communication between country and country had
been so vastly increased, and trade, manufactures, and commerce
had so largely attracted the people of other nations to our
shores!

"The charitable objects of the society were first to grant
allowances to deserving foreigners in their old age. Pensioners
were elected by the governors, and the Board of Directors paid
the pensions annually. The second object was to grant temporary
relief in time of sickness. These cases were inquired into with
the greatest care, and sums from a few shillings up to L5 or L10
were sometimes given where the cases required it. A third object
was to afford temporary assistance to the younger members of
families when the heads of the families were by infirmity or ill
health unable to support them; but when such relief had been
once afforded to any extent a period of eight weeks was required
to elapse before any further help was rendered, unless in cases
of great emergency. The fourth and last object of the society
was to afford means by which foreigners might be able to return
to their native country. As many as 243 families had been
enabled to return to their native country by the assistance
rendered to them by this society. Several of the families so
assisted had been induced to quit their native land in that
unfortunate expedition to Mexico. They had engaged in what they
thought was a good cause, but when that fell to the ground,
owing to events that occurred last year, those poor creatures
were totally unprovided for, and then it was that the society
granted them the means of returning to their native country.

"There were some almshouses at Lower Norwood belonging to the
society, in which several families were comfortably lodged and
maintained. Since the origin of the society as many as 116,000
cases had received its attention and aid. Last year 3000 persons
were assisted, not including the 243 families that were enabled
to return to their native home. Similar societies had recently