I. I am surprised to find that my Index to Vols. I. and II. of Fors
does not contain the important article ‘Pockets’; and that I cannot
therefore, without too much trouble, refer to the place where I have
said that the Companions of St. George are all to have glass pockets;
so that the absolute contents of them may be known of all men. But,
indeed, this society of ours is, I believe, to be distinguished from
other close brotherhoods that have been, or that are, chiefly in this,
that it will have no secrets, and that its position, designs,
successes, and failures, may at any moment be known to whomsoever they
may concern.
More especially the affairs of the Master and of the Marshals, when we
become magnificent enough to have any, must be clearly known, seeing
that these are to be the managers of public revenue. For although, as
we shall in future see, they will be held more qualified for such high
position by contentment in poverty than responsibility of wealth; and,
if the society is wise, be chosen always from among men of advanced
age, whose previous lives have been recognized as utterly without stain
of dishonesty in management of their private business,—the complete
publication of their accounts, private as well as public, from the day
they enter on the management of the Company’s funds, will be a most
wholesome check on the glosses with which self-interest, in the minds
even of the honestest people, sometimes may colour or confuse their
actions over property on a large scale; besides being examples to the
accountants of other public institutions.
For instance, I am myself a Fellow of the Horticultural Society; and,
glancing the other day at its revenue accounts for 1874, observed that
out of an expenditure of eleven thousand odd pounds, one thousand nine
hundred and sixty-two went to pay interest on debts, eleven hundred and
ninety to its ‘salaries’—two hundred to its botanical adviser, a
hundred and fifty to its botanical professor, a hundred and twenty-six
to its fruit committee, a hundred and twenty to its floral committee,
four hundred and twenty to its band, nine hundred and ten to its rates
and taxes, a hundred and eighty-five to its lawyers, four hundred and
thirty-nine to its printers, and three pounds fifteen shillings to its
foreign importations’ account, (being interest on Cooper’s loan):
whereupon I wrote to the secretary expressing some dissatisfaction with
the proportion borne by this last item to the others, and asking for
some further particulars respecting the ‘salaries’; but was informed
that none could be had. Whereas, whether wisely or foolishly directed,
the expenditure of the St. George’s Company will be always open, in all
particulars, to the criticism not only of the Companions, but of the
outside public. And Fors has so arranged matters that I cannot at all,
for my own part, invite such criticism to-day with feelings of
gratified vanity; my own immediate position (as I generally stated in
last letter) being not in the least creditable to my sagacity, nor
likely to induce a large measure of public confidence in me as the
Company’s Master. Nor are even the affairs of the Company itself, in my
estimate, very brilliant, our collected subscriptions for the reform of
the world amounting, as will be seen, in five years, only to some seven
hundred and odd pounds. However, the Company and its Master may perhaps
yet see better days.
First, then, for the account of my proceedings in the Company’s
affairs. Our eight thousand Consols giving us £240 a year, I have
appointed a Curator to the Sheffield Museum, namely, Mr. Henry Swan, an
old pupil of mine in the Working Men’s College in London; and known to
me since as an estimable and trustworthy person, with a salary of forty
pounds a year, and residence. He is obliged at present to live in the
lower rooms of the little house which is to be the nucleus of the
museum:—as soon as we can afford it, a curator’s house must be built
outside of it.
I have advanced, as aforesaid, a hundred pounds of purchase-money, and
fifty for current expenses; and paid, besides, the lawyers’ bills for
the transfer, amounting to £48 16s. 7d.; these, with some needful
comments on them, will be published in next Fors; I have not room for
them in this.
I have been advised of several mistakes in my subscribers’ list, so I
reprint it below, with the initials attached to the numbers, and the
entire sum, (as far as I can find out,) hitherto subscribed by each;
and I beg of my subscribers at once to correct me in all errors.
The names marked with stars are those of Companions. The numbers 10,
17, 36, 43, and 48 I find have been inaccurately initialled, and are
left blank for correction.