council of war,--the president of the council of supreme
regency,--the president of the ecclesiastical council,--and the
president of the chamber of finances; and to assist them in this
work, each of the above-mentioned presidents was accompanied by
one counsellor of his respective department, at his own choice;
who was present at all the meetings of the committee, and who
performed the more laborious parts of the business. This committee,
which was called The Armen Instituts Deputation, had convenient
apartments fitted up for its meetings; a secretary, clerk,
and accountant, were appointed to it; and the ordinary guards of
the police were put under its immediate direction.

Neither the presidents nor the counsellors belonging to this
committee received any pay or emolument whatever for this service,
but took upon themselves this trouble merely from motives of
humanity, and a generous desire to promote the public good;
and even the secretary, and other inferior officers employed in
this business, received their pay immediately from the Treasury;
or from some other department; and not from the funds destined
for the relief of the poor: and in order most effectually remove
all suspicion with respect to the management of this business,
and the faithful application of the money destined for the poor,
instead of appointing a Treasurer to the committee, a public
banker of the town, a most respectable citizen[5], was named to
receive and pay all monies belonging to the institution, upon the
written orders of the committee; and exact and detailed accounts
of all monies received and expended were ordered to be printed
every three months, and distributed gratis among the inhabitants.

In order that every citizen might have it in his power to assure