poor who deposited their savings; the extraordinary, those who paid to an auxiliary fund an "annuity" of 5_s._, or a single donation of 2_l._; and honorary members were those who paid to the same fund an "annuity" of 1_l._, or a single donation of 5_l._ The general business of the society was transacted by a Court of Directors, consisting of a Governor, five Directors, a Treasurer, and one or more Trustees, to be chosen from the honorary and extraordinary members. The court acted under the superintendence and control of a Standing Committee, which consisted of fifteen persons chosen from the self-same kind of members. Both these bodies were subordinate again to the General Meeting, composed of all the members of the two courts mentioned, and all the ordinary members of six months' standing. We scarcely think there could be any possible necessity for such elaborate machinery. In circumstances such as the rural population of Ruthwell, were cast, one would have supposed that rules as little stringent as possible, hampered with conditions as few as possible, would be needed, to induce that population to save the trifles they could spare. Inducements were held out to encourage and reward the frugal and attentive; and so far admirable: but the system of fines inflicted upon those who did not deposit a certain sum each year was a questionable proviso. Mr. Duncan put the case very plausibly in his _Essay_, where he said the chief defect of the scheme was, originally, the want of some strong motive for regular payments; and, "as what we have no pressing motive to do at a particular time we are apt to delay till it is beyond our power to do it at all," he decided to fix a small sum as penalty, should not a certain moderate amount be deposited each year, a decision which we think was neither proper nor wise. The regulations acted upon in the case of a proposed new member were, we think, equally uncalled for, and likely to scare the well-disposed away, rather than induce them to join. Before a person's first deposit could be received, the elaborate machinery of management commenced to make inquiries into the age, the family affairs, and moral conduct of the proposed contributor, and according to the report which followed, it was considered whether his deposits would be admitted at all, or if admitted, what rate of interest it would be proper to allow. The society lodged its money with the British Linen Company, and got five per cent. interest for it. Four per cent. was the usual interest allowed to depositors; to those, however, of three years' standing whose deposits reached 5_l._, an indulgence of the higher rate of 5 per cent. was made, provided the depositor wanted to get married; in case of his having arrived at the age of fifty-six; to his friends in case of his death; or, fourthly, in case the possession of the money _should appear to the Court of Directors_, after due inquiry, to be advantageous to the depositor or his family.[24] To put