Public Charities.

mean time very few trouble themselves about the proceedings of the " committee , " and according to their knowledge of the matters with which they are called upon to deal , and the spirit of co-operation existing amongst them will be the success of their efforts . In one case immediate results of a

very satisfactory nature may ensue , whereas in another the proceedings may issue in waste of money and disastrous delays . Passing to the consideration of our national asylums , we may instance Greenwich Hospital as exhibiting most glaring defects of administration ,

defects arising almost entirely from the intricacy of the system of Government therein adopted . In 1859 , the income of the hospital was not far short of £ 150 , 000 , out of whieh nearly £ 100 , 000 were expended , being almost equally divided between these two items—the establishment and the pensioners . To be precise , the amount expended that year on each pensioner was £ 30 for nourishment , while he cost fox administration £ 28 . That this

egregious disproportion is due to the improvements (?) introduced into the establishment during the previous fifty-four years , is sufficiently evident from the fact that in 1805 each pensioner cost £ 28 for nourishment , and only about £ 9 for administration .

Both the naval and civil staffs m the hospital have been undoubtedly too large—the former latterly consisting of twenty officers , receiving salaries amounting in the aggregate to £ 8 , 700 per annum , in addition to house accommodation . The result

is that the constitution of the hospital has been altered , ancl many of its late occupants are dispersed over the country , subsisting upon out-door relief given to them in lieu of their residence in the building , although it certainly cannot be called an equivalent .

In conclusion we would observe that while we pay all honour and respect to the noble generosity ofthe supporters of our charities , we would strongly urge upon those who have leisure the paramount importance of diligently ascertaining the amount of good resulting from their donations : thus will

they be enabled to benefit their suffering and distressed brethren , even beyond what may appear possible from the monetary means at their disposal .

Genesis And Geology Hand In Hand.

GENESIS AND GEOLOGY HAND IN HAND .

CHAOS , SO - CALLED . That the world was in a state of chaos seems an idea generally received by many who both respect the Bible ancl have also read heathen mythology . Many allude to a biblical chaos as if it were as fully authorised as it is generally received . Let

us analyse the compound term , and divide strictly between the truth of the Bible and the untruth of mythology , or the assertions of ancient philosophy . But first let us remember that Englishmen may be prepared to accept as truth the existence of chaos .

Does not Milton allude to it in his immortal " Paradise Lost ? " Do we not honour and reverence the genius and the virtue of John Milton , the poet , the statesman , the philosopher—the glory of English literature , the champion and the martyr of English liberty ? But we must remember that

Milton ' s grand poems are not the Bible , though in some degree they may be scriptural . We have no authority for those assertions of his which are unbiblical , and while we may admire the poetry and the wondrous genius of the poet , we must not accept all as Bible truth . It is one thing to be

enraptured with the poem as a whole , and quite another matter to say that all written by Milton is taught or even suggested by the Bible . Milton has imagined and poetically pourtrayed a space surrounding our globe , and he has described it as " chaos" in book ii .

* * * * "A dark Illimitable ocean , without bound , " Without dimension ; where length , breadth , and height , And time , and place , are lost ; whei-e eldest Night And Chaos , ancestors of Nature , hold Eternal anarchy , amidst the noise

Of endless wars , and by confusion stand . Kor hot , cold , moist , and dry , four champions fierce , Strive hero for rnast ' ry , and to battle bring Their embryon atoms . * * * * * * * To whom these most adhere He reads a moment ; Chaos umpire sits , And bdecision more embroils the fray

y By which he reigns : next him high arbiter Chance governs all . Into this wild abyss , The womb of nature , and perhaps her grave , Of neither sea , nor shore , nor air , nor fire , But all these in their pregnant causes mixed Confusedly , and which thus must ever fight , Unless th Almihty Maker them ordain

g His dark materials to create more worlds . Into this wild abyss the wary fiend Stood on the brink of hell and looked awhile , Pond'ring his voyage ; for no narrow frith Ho had to cross . "

Alluding to the supposed ascent of Satan from , hell to earth . Ancl again in book vi ., describing the fall of the rebel angels , he alludes to their falling for nine days from heaven through chaos to hell .

* * * " Headlong themselves they throw Down from the verge of heaven ; eternal wrath Burnt after them to the bottomless pit . Hell heard th' unsufl ' erable noise—hell saw Heaven running from heaven , and would have fled Affright'd ; but strict Tate had cast too'deep Her dark foundations , and too fast had bound .

Nine days they fell ; confounded Chaos roar'd , And felt tenfold confusion in their fall Through his wild anarchy , so huge a rout Encumbered him with ruin . Hell ab last , Yawning , rcceiv'd them whole , and on them clos'd : Hell , their lit habitation , fraught with fire Unquenchable , the house of woe and pain . Disburden'd heaven rejoiced , and soon repaired Her mural breach , returning whence ifc rolled . "

But poetic allusion affords no authority fo chaos . Let us not be surprised to hear that there is no such chaos described in the Bible , There