Benevolent Institutions.—The active spirit of benevo lence and christian philanthropy, w hick so eminently dis tinguished the founder of Pennsylvania, has continued to be a prominent trait in the character of Philadelphia. tier charities have always been numerous, efficient, and unos tentatious. The wealth of her most opulent, and the ta lents of her most enlightened citizens have been power fully and successfully employed in the relief of the vari ous miseries incident to crime, sickness, and poverty. Many of the most conspicuous advocates for the cause of Africa, and her degraded sons, and for the rights of the much oppressed and injured Aborigines of our country, are to be numbered among her citizens. It was in Phila delphia, that the first essay was made towards an amelio ration of the sanguinary penal codes of Europe, and the introduction of a more mild and humane system of prison discipline, having for its object, not only the abolishment of those barbarous punishments which originated in the dark ages, and tended to abase and brutalize the criminal, but also the substitution of a mode of treatment calculat ed to improve the moral condition of the offender, and to promote his restoration to society, in a meliorated condi tion.
The benevolence and philanthropy of Philadelphia, have been induced, by the influence and example of the society of Friends, as well as by the operation of a tone of religious and moral feeling, which has pervaded her citizens generally, and given occasion to the frequent panegyrics of foreigners on the general order and deco rum of her inhabitants. To particularise all the benevo lent institutions of Philadelphia, would exceed the limits of the present article ; we shall, therefore, confine our observations to some of the most prominent and useful.
Public films House.—Ample means for the support of the poor, are provided by a tax levied on the property in the city and districts of Philadelphia, the proceeds of which, as well as the general superintendence of the poor, are placed in the hands of a board of guardians, appointed by the city councils, and the adjacent corporate districts. The alms house is a very large and commodious build ing, with a house of employment adjoining. It is, how ever, a lamentable fact, that pauperism appears, for the few last years, to have increased in an alarming ratio, and the want of some general and extensive plan of employ ment for the healthy and able bodied poor is much fel , an attempt is making, by means of a society, recently esLblish ed to attain this desirable end. The numbers of p3uper:, in the alms house, during the last winter, was m am 150o, and the average number throughout the year, is about 1000.
The taxes raised for their support, and those of the out door poor have, for two years past, considerably exceed ed 100,000 dollars per annum. An excellent medical in firmary is attached to this institution, and clinical lectures are delivered to the students of the University, by able professors.
One of the most powerful objections to poor houses, in general, is the promiscuous congregation of persons of all ages, and of very depraved and vicious habits. By these means, the morals of the youth, even at a very early age, are corrupted, and their dispositions vitiated by those who are veterans in crime and iniquity. To avoid this evil, the managers of the alms house have pur chased a large building, with yards and play grounds for the children adjacent, in which establishment, those un der 12 years of age are received, clothed, fed, educated, and bound out to useful employments. The managers are assisted by a committee of ladies, who take charge of the internal economy of the house. The good effects ex pected from this arrangement, appear to have been veil satisfactorily realized.
Pennsylvania Hospital.—Thc first essay towards the establishment of this well known and excellent institution, was made in 1750, by Dr. Thomas Bond. On petition from himself and many other respectable citizens, the le gislature of Pennsylvania granted the sum of 20001. cur rency, to be paid as soon as a like sum should be raised by subscription. The funds required by the law were soon procured, a board of managers were chosen, and the first patients were admitted into a house hired for the purpose, in 1752. The funds being considerably aug mented by contributions, from various sources, the ma nagers purchased part of a lot, the remainder of which was granted them by the proprietaries of the province, and in 1755, laid the foundation stone of the present build ing.
The hospital stands on a square 396 feet in width, and 468 in length, containing about four acres. The lot is inclosed by a brick wall, with rows of lofty forest trees, and in front of the house, by a handsome iron rail ing, inclosing an area with grass plots, shrubbery, and gravelled walks, and a full length statue of William Penn, in lead bronzed over. In the rear of the building, is an extensive and beautiful vegetable and flower garden, with green houses for the foreign plants. In order to preserve a free 'circulation of air, and a freedom from fire and in fectious diseases, the managers have purchased several lots of ground, amounting, with the open streets in the vi cinity, to more than 13 acres.