SCOTS

1768.

Governor MURRAY's defence 61.

The true caufes of the high price of PROVI-

SIONS 63.

BERTSON. A. Marvell's inquiry con

cerning him 84. Mr Robertfon's answer

ib. Mediocriter's opinion of Mr Robert-

fon 85. Laicus's defence of him ib.

Dr WITT on the bite of a rattle-fnake 89.

CULATION 75.

Proceedings in the feffion of PARLIAMENT

1766-7. Of feveral bills for prohibit-

ing the exportation of corn, &c. and for

allowing the importation of corn, beef,

butter, &c. 16. Remarks 77 Of the bill

to indemnify perfons who acted in confe-

quence of the order laying on an embargo

on corn 80. Preamble of the act 81. Re-

marks ib. Of the Eaft-India ftock bill ib.

Two petitions 81, 2. Of the bill for gui-

ding corporations 82. An abstract of these

two acts 83.

The BACHELOR. The analogy between

writers and musical instruments 86.

The LORDS PROTEST on the East-India

company bill 87.

Bofwell's account of Corsica go. Penn's

reasonableness of repentance: A dedica-

tion to the devil 95.

POETRY, &c. Intcription for a cenotaph

erecting for the 79th regiment 96. In-

feription for Dr Skene ib. Verfes ftuck in

the mouth of a bullfinch ib. On a pipe of

tobacco ib. Elegy 97. The courtier and

the ewe 98.

HISTORICAL AFFAIRS. The fummary of

the public affairs in 1767 concluded 65.--75.

Foreign European affairs 99.

American affairs 103.

English affairs. Oxford bribery 105.

The Speaker's reprimand 88. Acts 108.

Irifh affairs 109.

LISTS, &c. 110.112.

SIR,

I

To the author of the SCOTS MAGAZINE.

February 1768.

Have often heard it ardently with-
ed, that there was a scheme like that
for the minifters of the kick of Scot-
land, or for the officers of excife,

to be made general, for the widows and

heirs of all ranks and profeflions; that

our wives and children might have fome-

thing to trust to after our death; and that

among the anxieties and troubles often

attending the clote of life, we might at

leaft be free from that very fevere one,

of leaving them to poverty, dependence,

and diftrefs. I have heard it often ob-

ferved, that a fmall fum paid annually,

less than what is ufually ipent in vanity

and pleasure, would easily conftitute fuch

VOL. XXX.

a fund. I have read the fame wifhes in

magazines and news-papers, with invita-

tions to the public to form fuch a fcheme;

and have been furprised that what every

perfon defired, or seemed to defire, was

ferioufly pufhed for by nens. But ha-

ving lately more particularly turned my

thoughts that way, the furprife vanilles:

many difficulties are to be overcome, and

particularly,

1. A proper and rational (cheme must

be prefented to the public, and not ge-
neral withes and defires.

2. There mu be a head or manager

for the fcheme, whom the public can ra-

tionally truft; otherwife it cannot be ex

pected any will accede. The natural a-

version that a man of any modefty finds

to obtrude himself into the public eye,

H

and

and the fear of being accounted a whimfical projector if the fcheme fhould not take place, no doubt has difcouraged many from making the attempt; and without the channel of your Magazine to communicate the prefent propolals, whereby the propofer is kept concealed until fuch time at least as it is found the propofals are relifhed, thefe might perhaps never have reached the public.

3. Altho' it may be thought at first view, that the ministers and excise-officers fchemes make any future propofal of the fame kind eafy, as being already planned; a very little confideration will how, that a general fund must be calculated upon different principles. 1. Both minifters and excife-officers enter young into their schemes, and will contribute more for their widows and children than can be expected in a general fund, when few will enter until they are fettled both in bulinets and families, which must be at a more advanced feafon in life. 2. The minifters, from their character, temper, and manner of life, do not meet with thofe fatigues, accidents, and vexations, that hurt the health and thorten the lives of other men. In a general fund, the far greater number will be those who are moft liable to labour and hardships ftruxgling for bread. 3. Minifters and excifeofficers must accede to their schemes whether they are married or not. In a general scheme, few or none will accede until they are married; which will make the number of widows more in proportion. 4. The minifters fcheme has a confiderable advantage from a tax upon vacant flipends. 5. There is no risk of payments in the minifters and excife-officers fchemes, as their falaries and ftipends are fubjected in the first place to

the fund.

4. In this scheme for a general fund, any error to the prejudice of it mulk be fatal, not only to the undertaker, but in the end to the fund itself. In the first plan of the minifters fcheme it was propofed, by the ingenious author of it, to make deductions from the annuities of widows whofe hufbands had not paid a certain fum for the fupport of the fund: but as they had it in their power to apply to parliament for any alteration that fhould be found neceflary, a trial was made, whether the fcheme would hold without fuch deductions: they however foon found themfelves obliged to obtain a fecond act authorifing them. But no

fuch thing can be expected here. This makes the undertaker's cafe very ticklith. If his dividends are too fmall, or apprehended to be fo, none will accede, and he is characterised as mercenary and co. vetoas; and if, avoiding this extreme, he makes them a very little too large, his scheme and he fall together. Therefore, 5. Without a confiderable number acceding, it is impoffible to conftitute a general fund able to anfver the demands to be made upon it. And though it is to be expected, when a fcheme is once known, and the benefit of it felt, many will accede, because of the advantage of it; yet no undertaker will begin till a competent number ball have acceded.

no

Thefe difficulties have hitherto doubt prevented any thing of this kind being offered to the public; and indeed, for fome time, prevented the prefent. But your correfpondent, ftrongly impreffed with the notion, that foch a scheme would be a very great public benefit, could no longer refill his propensity to lay it before them.

Scheme for a general insurance, by establishing two funds, one for a provision to heirs whatfomever; the other for a provifion to widows only.

1. None to be admitted into either fund after they have completed their for tieth year.

2. The widows and heirs of those who die within two years after admillion to have no benefit.

3. The widows and heirs of thofe who die out of Europe before they have contributed to the fund years, to have only the principal fums paid in, returned to them.

4. The widows and heirs of those who die before they have paid eleven years annuity into the fund, to fuffer a deduction from their annuities and provifions to complete thefe eleven years; the deduction from the widows annuities to be regulated as in the minitters widows fcheme.

5. Every acceder to pay three pounds Sterling at entry, and two pounds Sterling yearly per advance.

6. If the annual rates are not paid per advance, nor teddered with legal interest within fix months thereafter; the propo fer to have an option, either to compel payment, or declare their intereft in the fund forfeited.

7. The heirs or allignees of each con

tributer

tributer to the first fund, thal, the first term of that happens a complete year after his death, draw fifty-five pounds Sterling.

8. The acceders to the fcheme for widows only, fhall be obliged to find fecurity to the fatis faction of the undertaker, for the punctual payment of their annual contributions; and their widows fhall draw eight guineas yearly; the first pay. ment to be the first term of

that happens one complete year after the death of their husbands.

9. Thole acceders who take a fhare in the scheme to heirs whatfomever, thall not be obliged to find fecurity, if they fhall alfo take a fare in the fcheme for widows: but upon a failure of payment, the propofer to have an option, either to compel payment, or declare their inte. reft in both schemes forfeited.

10. The acceders to the widows fund fitall, befides the three pounds at entry, and annual rates per advance, as in the scheme for heirs whatfomever, pay two pounds Sterling of marriage-tax if marred when they enter, or within fix months after they fhall marry, and the like tax upon a fecond and every fubfequent marriage.

11. Every marriage must be notified, and the tax paid, fix months before the acceder's marriage; otherwife the widows to have no benefit.

12. The proposer to have an option, either to pay the widows of fecond or fublequent marriages, (not reckoning fuch marriages as are diffolved before acceding to the scheme), the eight guineas annuity, or eighty guineas in full.

13. The propoler, to procure the confdence of the acceders, to demonftrate that his fcheme is not ideal, that the contributions fhall be faithfully applied, and that he is able and willing to perform it, offers, the moment there is fuch a numler of acceders as will carry through the fcheme, to grant an undoubted heritable right to the amount of about five thoufand pounds Sterling for their fecurity.

14. Whenever as many how a willingness to accede, as will make the annual payments about eight hundred pounds Sterling, the propofer will advertile a general meeting, depofite the fecurity, and begin the fcheine.

15. The propofer will call an annual general meeting of the acceders, to whom, or to a committee chofen by them, the books and ftate of the fcheme fhall be o

pen; and for their further fecurity, he fhall lay out the money annually drawn in, charges deducted, by their advice and approbation, until there is an undoubted full fecurity against every accident.

16. In cafe the fcheme fhould turn out fo well as to atford larger annuities and provifions, after allowing realonably for the propofer's fecurity, risk, trouble, and charges, the propofer hereby agrees to make them as fhall be determined by a general meeting; and in cafe of any dif pute arifing hereupon, or otherwite, he obliges himself to refer all fuch to the amicable and final determination of arbiterg, to be mutually chofen by the acce ders and him.

17. To make this fcheme of more general benefit, the propofer offers claffes of two, four, fix, and eight pounds yearly payments; the payments per advance, and marriage-tax in the higher claffes, to be in proportion to the above proposal for the lowest class; and the provisions and annuities to be in the fame proportion; that is, 110l. to heirs, and 16 gui neas, to widows in the four pound class, and fo forth. But as the fecurity of the fund will depend upon a competent number joining each clafs, without this it cannot be opened; and therefore he begs fuch acceders as chufe their claffes, to intimate, if a fufficient number does not join them in that clafs, whether they would accede to a class above or a clafs below what they propole.

18. The propofer will open a clafs for any higher annual contribution, provided a fufficient number join in that class.

19. The propofer has feen with concern that ufeful body of men, the school. mafters in Scotland, pushing for a fund to themfelves, without being able to accomplish it: he would be very happy if his proposals could be useful to them; and for their accommodation, and theirs only, he will open a clafs at one pound Sterling yearly payment, advance-money, and marriage-tax in proportion; their widows to draw four guineas yearly: and the fecurity he demands for the continuance of their payment is, that five or fix fchoolmafters in the fame prefbytery or neighbourhood, thall bind for each other conjunctly and feverally..

20. If thefe propofals' fhall merit the approbation of the public, the proposer further intends, for the continued fecurity and management of this fcheme, to aflume others along with himself in a H 2

ftanding