a climax, as it were, upon this charitable disposition of a man's own hard-earned savings, we would merely recite the fifth statute, which directs that "when the depositor shall have become incapable of maintaining himself, from sickness or otherwise, a weekly allowance may be made to him, _at the option of the Court of Directors_, out of the money he has deposited." The auxiliary fund, to which the honorary and extraordinary directors were required to contribute, was employed in awarding premiums to those who were most regular with their deposits, especially to those regular depositors who should have exhibited proofs of superior industry or virtue. It may well be thought that, in such delicate matters as were thus dealt with, differences of opinion would arise, so it was wisely provided, that any aggrieved member should have the power of appeal from the Court of Directors to the Standing Committee, and from the Standing Committee to a General Meeting, whose decision should be final. "The example set by Dr. Duncan at Ruthwell," says Mr. Smiles,[25] "was shortly followed in many other parishes in Scotland, and in most of the principal towns in England," and, so far, we have seen this is true. What follows is certainly open to question: "In every instance, the model of the Ruthwell Bank was followed, and the vital, self-sustaining principle was adopted. The Savings Banks were not eleemosynary institutions, nor dependent upon anybody's charity or patronage; but their success rested entirely with the depositors." Our readers may judge from the details of management which we have given how far this is borne out by the facts of the case; for ourselves, we are slow to take from the merit which undoubtedly should attach to Dr. Duncan. There were, doubtless, many circumstances connected with the minister's own parish which made the arrangements to which we have referred more excusable; but there must have been many districts where the poor would never suffer themselves to be patronized, petted, or provoked in the same manner. Hence the inapplicability of the details to the country generally. Real, honest, independent workmen have always had a great dislike to be experimented upon, "raised," or "elevated," in the sense that some men use the terms; what was felt to be required at this early period was, that there should be afforded some facility for the depositing, without any unnecessary trouble or annoyance, such small sums as the poor might have to spare, and wish to save; and that this money should not only be safe, but produce interest according to its value in the market, and neither more nor less. That arrangements made with this laudable object should be accompanied with others which should have the tendency, however remote, to disgust and repel the poor, was unfortunate, to say the least. Any interference with, or superintendence over the family affairs or the private conduct of members, was likely to be, it seems