The Statesman. — London, England, 1818-05-09 00:00:00

:. .4-, --- possession, would have been wholly unproductive at a public sale. As to the Barony ofKendal. it had been for two centuries in the family of Lord Loo , dale, though at the period of purctt:►sr it was dependent ona single life. The amount arising from dry tines and quit rents did not exceed & 01. per annum. 11 hen abut to he sold, it was tendered to Lord Lonsdale, and pur chased by him for 14,0001. A sum which no man would pay for it but the Lessee in possession, as th..t Noble Lord was. He (Mr. 11.1 would go farther, and say, that it was but justice to give a person iu that situation the right of pre-emption. It was done>o recently in the case of an Hon. Gentleman, the Member for Ram". Mr. BROUGHAM said, that he should bring the subject again forward, and would give notice fur the production of all cot-. espondenee respecting those sales, particularly the COM* spointence with the Surveyors, whose estimate was received. — lie never imputed any blame to the Lessees in possession for making the best bargain they could. It was to the system that be objected. Colonel LOWTHER stated that there did not exist any grounds for the insinuations thrown out against the purchaser to the sale of the Barony of Kendal. The Bill was t ben read a first time. Second reading deed for Wednesday next. • . "AJJ) O l t StpUtt- e ' er 4 1ft nit ct n 4 filtAkikili 4 Peoria" , It Ole for so lopg a time they had diTri f inirdoid Mesa;.. ll4 In !wither case, it appeeed that, in 1680, a Ob oe ; wan founded in the cioney of Net folk, for the Um. cation of 90 boys :*qti accord ' tojhe - retarn, be boys were educated; 'the return ofoll%e•number of 'Orions was nil, and that the accounts had not be en audited for more than thirty years. Another school was endowed in Derbyshire, but it appeared that na children were educated there: the lands produced ' 801. a-year, but the funds were managed in a most shameful and abominable manner. The master had - not taught for 10 years, the trustees were all deed, and no others had been appointed. He had men.. tinned these instances of gross negligemte, tnisappli, cation, end abuse, es specimens of the general unto. ner in which the funds of these charities were arse wages! ' • but he would not, at present, mention na • He hed not 'the smallest doubt that the Re't'read Gentlemen had made the most correct returns, and that they had rather under.state than overcharged the account of the abused. The individuals cop e ' cerned might be very sore, and complain of miss representation ; but, perhaps, they would not coma plain if they saw the docemessts ,themselves.—t They would, hereafter, see the charges ugliest them, and know the names of their accusers. Re 4 specting a school in Essex, there bad been a trust foe it to certain persons, but it had fallen into the haws of the Master and Fellows of Magdalen College, Cambridge. When he mentioned that, be lid out mean to blame the College; bided.* if the-lemons allowed it to Ivo to thesis, they acted wisely, lad not foolishly in raking it. There was a free-school in the Comity of Nottiegham, the funds of which the Reverend Gentleman who gave the interesting did not scruple tt.'say tad been grossly abused , . The scholars were not attended to, and hush-mobsy 'was given to the master. The income of that was !shout 4001. per althorn. There had existed bchool, it was stated, in Worcestershire eight years' ego,' but there vas now none Where that was stated to have been. In the County of Derby, a question that had been asked on the subject of a parish there / and the answer, deserved to be noticed. The veld lion was :••‘‘ Are there any funds in your parish foe' charitable uses ?" The answer was, " N mne ; my' Lord Such-an-one and his ancestors had'etith held the rents of certain lands of considerable 'aloe from the grammar-school." There bad been another school on which he should, say a word or two. A school had been established which was much more amply endowed than any he had mentioned, but which, ask was said to be only in its probationary state, was discontinued. The scholars were dismissed, the school was broken up, and since that time no man' had heard any thing of it. The Probate-office at Canterbury had been searched, and no less than as far beck as one hundred and eighty years ago, ample endowments had been discovered; a whole manor, a capital messuage, the tithes of a whole manor, sad other funds. From all those the school had only reached its probationary state, and no school had been established or heard of since. The people be. longing to the parish where the school was, had, at of their own charity, established a school io their own name ; but it was not altogether as it ought to be, for a very large fund to be withheld, amid a mist/ echool to be set op where a much larger free Was flourish. Where was the right of withholding dust large endowment ? It was a great principle that one sum and one donation should only do its own business. In the West Riding of York. shire, he had understood from a Gentleman who Ind known the fact, there was a school which contaiued four or fivo scholars, and where, in his memory, there were 50 or 60 scholars, and well there might he from the income (we understood 5001. per ann.). In further support of his statements he had the very high authority of the Committee that bad sat under Mr. Gilbert's Act. On the face of the Report of that Committee many donations bad been lost, and the whole business had become of such importance as to call forth the attention of Parliament. Thirty years had elapsed, however without any thing furthe r having been done. lie had another authority, to which he bad ao doubt but great deference would is paid, on account of the quarter whence it proceeded —he meant the testimony of no less an enemy to abuses, of no greater an enemy to corroptinn, ao less a friend to reformation in all institutions of pa• lie utility, than the late Lord Kenyon. The easels which the authority to which be alluded might be found was in Vol. vi. of Terns Reports. It nes a case of the King and the Archbishop of York; in the course of which his Lordship observed, that whoever would examine the state of the grammar-schools is this country, would see to what a lamentable coo& thin they had been reduced ; and if other men hid done their duty equally with the Archbishop, theo would not have been found empty walls witbeal scholars, and every thing neglected but the receptive of the salary. His Lordship stated also, that Is some instances that had lately come within hie ON knowledge, there had not been a single scholar, though very large endowments. Such as he had re listed being the case, and his having had such sutler rities from the Committees,' and incidentally frost Lord Kenyon, and having bad such informstioa as he had laid before them, the abuses boil been exposed in so plain a light, be trusted the House would agree to the propriety of Poll' ment's thoroughly examining and sifting, sod , 1 " vestigating the subject. A kind of clamour So been raised,• that by their proceedings they iter. interfering with private property; but that wasoot true. They were net interfering with private pre' petty at all ; and he would have- those clamored persons who had given their unlearned ignorant opi• aims on the subject, do know 'that those who Na private establishments in trust for public charities, ito, would have such men to know, that the property s those, in the eye of the law, was as much P s property as the lends of the Crown and of the cher& The poor, and the church, and the Crown were Po: tected by the same law,. and if the poor should stool in need of a special protector, the law said that tbi Crown should be that protector. He was animate combat that objection, because he wished oot leave the measure stigmatised as any improper ors! le constitutional attempt to invalidate the sacred re° of individoels. 'Such a thing never could Opp! from *ivy such measure: and he mig h t state, Ih tos,t_" grosser abuse of terms never did occur than o .de which designated endowments for charities: p Moneta that, De ffid aet / ; bodges* if the-the ses , they acted wisely, sea There was a free.schoot m, the funds of which the a gave the informatiaa I been grossly abwipd..... Inded to, and hash-mob, • The income of that ea* There had (misted s Porcewershire eight yeare '" isle Where that was stated • • nty of Derby, a nest ' ! subject of a parish there t - obe noticed. The lurid y fonds in your parish for' 4- lasewc•sertowrsasi " td.:lithm:Peld; tar thtt nsiderable 'aloe from the bad been another school. , word or two. A school ch was much more amply mentioned, but which, ask i probationary state, was ere were dismissed, the id since that time no min it. The Probate-office at tiled, and no less than as ad eighty years ago, ample 1 lamed ; a whole manor, ! es of a whole manor, eel wee the school had only state, and no school had , of since. The people be. the school was. had, ost 'Wished a school io their at altogether as it ought to o be withheld, sad a mud/ a mach larger ow+ whist right of withholding OM 0 eas a great principle that Mon should only do its • West Riding of York from a CrPutlemen wh,, had is a school which contained • id where, in his memory, lays, and well there might he '. erstood 5001. per ann.). In temente he had the very high ee that had sat under Mr. 'ace of the Report of that ns bad been lost, and the ne of such importance as to . r Parliament. Thirty years without any thing further had another authority, to at greet deference would he • loaner whence it proceeded ny of no less an enemy to 3 enemy to corruption, to on in all institutions of pets. Lord Kenyon. The case fa which be alluded might be Term Reports. It was I Archbishop of York; in the Alp observed, that whore of the grammar.schools is to what a lamentable coo& :ed ; and if other men lad with the Archbishop, the. found empty walls wiliest g neglected but the recepties ordsbip stated also, that Is I lately come within hie eel not been a single schelw, resents. Such as he had re- d his having bad such sotto• glees, and incidentally free • swing bad such informed'' a them, the abuses boll do a light, be trusted the o the propriety of Perlis. mining and sifting, and IM A kind of clamour illi their proceedings they Wes 0 property; but that waste interfering with priette re' would have. those clamored their unlearned ignorant opi• 3 know 'that those who bl a n trust for public charities, hs o know, that the p ro perty llf e law, was as much QOM f the Crown and of the cher& 'chi and the Crown were pa: r and if the poor sboold dillo elector, the law said that lie protector. He was 'Wooed !, 1, because he wished not to Wised as any improper Ws.' to invalidate the sacred risbil a thing never could hippo : and he might state, liss i never did occur than 1 11 . 5 owments for charitiea, pfifo x THE STATESMAN IRISH FISHERIES. Mr. PEEL gave notice of his intention to move on Wednesday neat fora Committee of the whole House, to take into consideratiou the various Laws respect. lag the Fisheries in Ireland. PRIVILEGE. Mr..WYNN expressed a desire to submit a mo tion respecting Mr. Ferguson, a prisoner in New gate, for an undue interference in Elections. The CHANCELLOR of . the EXCHEQUER interposed and put it to the House, whether the sub ject should not be postponed until the Members were in possession of the minutes of evidence. Lord A. HAMILTON said, he held in his hands a Petition from Mr. Ferguson, praying for his libera tion, which he had intended to present in the event of his Honourable Friend's (Mr. Wynn) motion being carried. Mr. WYNN presented the Report of Evidence, and there the subject dropped. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER the House was ordered, at its rising, to adjourn till Wednesday. EDUCATION. • Mr. BROUGHAM said he must trespassi, for a short time, on the attention of the /louse, in con formity with the wishes of the Committee on Cheri table Institutions for Education. A considerable I delay bad certainly occurred, but he could not lament' it, as it had served to procure more an, pie information, from which the Committee were at first precluded by their limited instructions. The result of evidence and enquiry was, that there were much greater means provided for the Education of the lower classes by the various modes of charity, than had been generally believed, taking all the modes together, either by endowments, bequests, or voluntary con tributions. Yet, under all the circumstances, they were at present quite inadequate to the desired ob jects. The Committee had looked at two views of the subject—first, as to the means of Education in towns and cities; and secondly, as to the means in MEd{ villages and country parishes; and he thought the House might see that teey had got a clue to guide them in tie pr ogress of their enquiries. The Com. trotter , had found that generally in large towns and cities the means of Education were amply supplied, independent of the more ancient institutions. In all cases as to large towns, it had been found that so cieties were not wanting which were supported by the opulent and liberal, who did not come forward zealously with their money merely, but contributed also what many judged more than money, their time, their labours, and their persorial exertions. The rircumstance could not be too highly praised as it concerted the character of the People of England.-- It Lad been particularly observable during the last five or six years, that in every considerable town in England, the spirit for educating the poorer classes had been excited and spread. It gave rise to reflec tions on matters comfortable to the poor, and ere. llitable to the rich. In every place where there was a population of 10,000 souls, there was generally more than one society for the purpose, affording • • means greater than could have been expected a few years ago. The object of Parliament he conceived ought to be only to aid their efforts. He wished to press on the attention of the House, that there might arise great danger in interfering much where the People themselves were well disposed to further this good work. Considerable funds, in very many cases of a sort of permanent nature, had been pro. vided by annual subscriptions. If Parliament voted much its aid of the object, it might and would, he believed, tend to relax the exertions of the private so cieties; and when 10001. or 15001. a year, or 3 or 40001. a year, were raised, the funds, from private hoods, might be found to dwindle away to nearly nothing. Ile agreed witb the Committee, that the safest mode of giving assistance was by doing some thing to remove impediments in the way of Educa tion in populous districts in the country, which arose greatly from the want of proper school-houses, &c. Such impediments being removed, it would not be difficult to get one hundred and fifty or two hundred pounds a year to keep the scheme going on; but the great difficulty was, as to providing a sort of outfit. This, however, should be provided for sparingly and cautiously. The liberality that had been evinced in large towns was in many instances surprising. Mr. G. Dyer, a Gentleman who had been very useful and exemplary in the pursuits of his life, though he had not the honour of his acquaintance, had given him a curious document, from which it appeared, at the end of the reign of Queen Anne, that the voluntary charitable foundations, in 1713, in the City of Lon- don, by means of subscriptions, and collections after charity sermons, &c. educated 4,7bt children, and that the espence amounted only.to 8,8591., though : the children were taught and clothed, and 100 or *2OO of the number boarded. This was a corloos fact ns to expence when compared with *bat was staved in the evidence before the Committee. The great dif.. fereuce in the expence of such Institutions .for an equal number of children was worthy of • The result of all the enquiries was, that all clpfses • entertaieed the most earnest, ardent, and strenuous desire to receive the benefits of Education. The officiating Ministers of the different parishes, who had furnished the returns, deserved the thanks of the ..• llorhe and the country, for the teal; activity, and •• industry with which they had conducted their ess.• • (pities, anti transmitted their answevs to the Corn• wit tee. In the course of a few days, in the space of not more thin a week, six thonsand returns had ' been made ; anti, -generally , speaking, those Re verend Gentlemen stated that, in every situation, V.ere prevailed the utmost 'desire to have the advatt. taxes of beim; instructed.., ,In great. towns, ,sva voluntary contributions were, milled, hi t eriPtied,t , House to remember, that , there might boaeschool sta the plan of the Established Church, and another fei Dissenters. In such places, the Church Society Might; perhaps, exclude slumst all who dissautOd ItorP-Alefilli hut still, each might have its own school l totally in: dependent of the other ; each might iustruit its own poor. But this was not the case in a small town, consisting, perhaps, of not more than 500 inhabit ants; it could support only one school, and if the bulk of the people coexisted of Dissenters, they would be excluded. This, it was obvious, must operate to prevent the extension of Education. But, more especially, when we came to a mere village, or a hamlet of not more than half a dozen houses, it was not to he presumed that any activity could be exerted for the instruction of the poor : some cases, perhaps, might he found, hot they were so very rare, that they could not have much weight in argu ment. In such places the People were not accustomed to the machinery of popolous assembliesal though they might have a very great desire to be ediee cated, they had not the means of accomplishing the object, of their wishes. It was to the small towns then, that he thought it would be absolutely necese sary, at some future period, to direct the particular attention of the House ; at no very distant time, he hoped, he should call upon them to interfere, in the way of legislation, to procure the benefits of Educa tion for those small villages and places. (The,llon. and Learned Gentlemair finding himself interrepted here by the conversation of some Members, solicited their attention to this most important subject.) Ile begged to remind the honourable Members (look ing towards the neutral benches), that he was now discharging a very serious public duty : it might not be very interesting to some ; it might not give them so much satisfaction as some other topics in which they occasionally exerted their abilities; still, al though it was a dull, dry, plodding, unparty-like detail, he conceived that the welfare and happiness of the empire were iuvolved in it, and therefore he considered himself entitled to the attention of the House.—[Loud cries of hear, hear !] —lle said, that upon the grounds which he had stated, and on the evidence which had been laid before the Com mittee, it would be necessary for Parliament, before long, to adopt a system of Education for the Poor in less populous towns of &Wand. It appeared to him that the system of parish schools, from which so many benefits had been &nivel!, ought to he extended to towns of a moderate size ; this, he,conceited, would furnish the principal means of supplying the defects of education. A late, and deep l y t o be lamented, Mem ber of that House, of which he was so g reat en orna- I ment (Mr. Whitbread), had long applied his vir tuous understanding to this subject ; he called it virtuous, because, strong as it was, it was con stantly employed in devising thp best means of ameliorating the situation of the People in general. He directed his attention most assiduously to the matter now under consideration, and he recommend. ed that it should be fully and impartially investigated by a Committee. No enquiry, however, took place, and the House were called upon to legislate in the dark. Another great ornament of that House, who never failed to gratify them by the brilliancy of his genius, although it frequently led him into para doxes which were most injurious to the community (the late Mr. Windham) certainly opposed himself to the schemes for the Education of the Poor. He was imitated by others who pretended to assent to his doctrines, that if we educated the poor we should prevent them from being mechenics and workmen ; 1 if we gave them Education we should make them too proud to submit to labour. But these prejudices, so hurtful to the happiness of society, were now done away ; he was happy to he enabled to state that, in the Committee, he had never heard any thing of pa. radoxical doctrines; every one agreed that Education should he extended to all ( cheeses of the community, though some differed in, opinion as to the plan. A Sister Country, which at the close of the 15th cen. tury was in a state comparatively barbarous, but cer tainly very poor, had set us a great and noble exam• ple on this subject. In the year 1494, the Parlia ment of Scotland passed an Act for compelling the Barons and great freeholders to send their sons to a 1 grammar-school,where they might be taught the Latin tongue. In the reign of Charles I. a greater pro gress was mode io the system of Education ; for Charles, whatever his deficiencies, and however averse , to reform its this part of thelsland, was a great re. I former in Scotland. Sincerely attached to his native country, and anxious to render it the most essen tial services, he produced great reformation in the Church : he was the author of that important mea sure, the commutation of tithes, and finally, he laid the foundation of the parish schools. In 1632, an Act of Council was passed for their better regula tion • but this not being found sufficiently effective, the Legislature afterwards directed their attention to the subject, and, shoot the year 1696, the Scottish Parliament left that last valuable legacy to its country, the establishment of parish schools. This system of Education had continued to this day, and , after the experience of more than a century, it bad been found to be attended with the most complete nieces,. In each parish a building was erected, lit tle better than a barn—a building which in that' country, was not' worth more than 401., and which here would not cost more than 1001. '1 he salary of the master was, at first, 101. a-year, it was then raised to ISt., and had been since advanced to 241. From this system, so permanent, useful, end sa lutary, extending from the highest' to the lowest classes of the community. the whole of Scotland de rived the blessings of Education. Go where we would, over the world, we should find that a Scotch man, though distieguisheil for some qualities which he would not mention, because he entertained a general respect for the country, was distinguished by the qua lity of A good education. The consequence was, ghat t o w hatever part they emigrated, and certainly they sere rather fond of emigration —U s l aug h], — they universally, enjoyed a meat degree of ease, com parative affluence, and succese• ins life. In some of had filled themselves, the foreign partaiitt which tile; for instance, Ist Ike Palitasla pt States of Germany, and in Sweden, they carried along withoth system, some some thing upon She metes, oft the :pprish school and there the lower orders were much better educated than in any other pences —(llear!)—ln America, they had adopted steps for establ:th'ing a schoo! sy -- • tem on the„ of idle Scots. In every o- Fettertipot*e •if Wed was reserved for di, lb . of tbe pool . atid Edration, so far from Wit on skiere4 este objection, and injurious to thi in us of 'society, was otiiii;isalry regarded as . affaisl the gre,a)gs,t ever. to 'fittest ry i end the most powerful chick to vice.—[llear, hearq-:-Witit resin' to el‘e mea sures that had been 'proposed among ourselves, he would first remit to the recollection of the House. Chet the only objection which the late 'Mr. Pereeial bad made to the system recommended by Mr. Whit. bread was, that he thought the proposition was pre ' mature : he thought that we should begin at the wrong end, if we began by Legislative proceediegs, and that we ought to commence by enquiry. It was I remarkable that Mr. Perces.% pointed out that it would he highly inexpedient to legislate before they had had a Committee, and a Commission td enquire into the funds of charities, and into the situation of poor children. This step had now been taken : a Committee had been appointed, a Commission had been issued, and enquiries had been made, not only as to what funds existed, hut also as to the aboses that had been committed, in order that the House might see what deficit there was in those funds, if any, which he very much questioned. He would now shortly state the nature and objects of the parti cular plan before them ; but before he entered into a statement of the prodigious amount of the abases that had been discovered. be would mention, that al most the whole of the evidence was derived from the most 'respectable, sources—the clergyriven who had made the returns to which he had already alltided. In' 1782, returns, were made in persoance of Mr. Gil bert's Act; and it now appeared, that no account was given of nearly •ne.third of the whole funds.— In the county of Berks, for instance, only 70001. out of 20,0001. was returned. Various other instances might be adduced, but in consequence of the evidence Iwhich was now in the hands of the Committee, it would be easy to correct the returns. Taking the eveisee of, only one-third having been returned, there would be a total of 750,0001. a veer ; and, he had a :right to assume, that if every thing of which the trustees were in receipt were to be returned, upwards of 800,0001. would be the sum actually employed.-- Bat then, it must not be overlooked that a greet' portion of those funds had not been received, either from negligence, ignorance, fraud, or direct breach:' of trust. And, again, we must take into the account the loss that had been hitherto sustained by the want of powers in the trustees to make the most of the property, particularly the pOwers of selling and ex changing. Then he would say, that if all the funds bad been received, and if the trustees had been in vested with authority to sell and exchange, he should have to state, that, instead or 800,0001. a year, there was nearly '2,ooo,oool.certaittly more than 1,500,0001. of solid, substantial revenue, arising from land, and applicable to charitable uses. This, he would repeat, was a most interesting question., connected as it was, in a great degree, with the subject of the Poor Laws, which had engaged so much at. (option on both sides of the House. When he said that there existed some such connection, he was sanctioned by the language and by the proceedings of the Legislature itself. The first of the Statutes re specting chat 'table uses, the Statute of Elizabeth, was passed at that time when the Queen and the Parlia ment were laying the foundation of the Poor Laws; and it was very remarkable that, in the Statute Book,. nest to the Act for the Regulation of the Poor, stands the law for enquiring into Charitable Donations. In addition to this, it was worthy of remark, that Mr. Gilbert's Act, in the Preamble, stated, that before any further change was made in the laws relating to' the poor, it was expedient to escertain what chutea... ble funds there were for the use of the poor. He concluded, therefore, that there could not be a bet.; ter time than the present for carrying into executio the purposes of the Bill which lie intended to salami to the consideration of the House. If there were any prospect of the Report being before Parliament this Session, he would not trespass any longer on their attention ; but as there was uo probability that the labours of the Commijtee would be closed in time, he should beg to trouble them with some im portant statements. In the county of Berke, the Committee had found this very striking circumstance: In 1640, a sum of 4,0001. was bequeathed for the pur chase of lands, for the Education of the Poor. Be fore the close of the year 1660, the purchase was ef. fected : 39001. were then hid out, and, with respect to the other 1001., he presumed that it went for es pence,. What did the house think was the value of those lands ? It was 19'51. a-year, which was an in terest of 5 per rent. ; and yet, up to the year 1790, in the space of a century, it was not increased ; and even then, the less careful or less wise trostees, in the reign of George 111. granted a lease for 21 years, on an increase of only 101. more than the estate had produced in the time of Charles 11. In 1811, how ever, the rent was doubled, end, therefore, the abuse did not exist now, but the circumstance showed how liable these funds were to be neglected or misapplied. Another estate in the county w as let at 4501., while eminent surveyors had valued it at 10001. In a Corp°. ration in Hampshire, instead of '20001.a year, the poor did not receive above*3ool. In the hands of the same Corporation was the sum of 10001. belonging to one of Mite's charities. The House might remember that Sir Thomas White bequeathed a very large sum, about 20,0001.. which be directed slibuld be lent out' without interest, to poor tradesmen, or be applied to' charitable purposes. This Corporation became pos sessed of one of those 10001. What they had done with one 5001. he did not know, hut he knew what they had done with the other 5001. They had not lent it to poor tradesmen, or bestowed it on charitable purposes; but they had come in and borrowed it for their own use, and yet, not contented with this— would the House believe it?—they had entered on their books a virtuous recommendation to their suc cessors to do the same I—tilearq—The evidence that had been laid before the Committee consisted, partly, 'of an immense mass of correspondence, and, generally speaking, the returns were made by the resident . Clergy. In Devonshire, in answer to the question, what funds existed, the tiergyman replies, ' 6 The funds of the school are kodato only to Mr: Such-a. one." In anOtherlflace, no account et all could be given ; and its a third, it appeared that the estate had been let upon a 99 years' lease. Now this, be con• ceived, was a great abuse : it was en abuse, if the trustees had taken a flee; and it was an abuse ) if f . . -..~;,', . 1 e • 1 I It/ '4E2 P - ; ~~~ 1 '• 4.~