The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-06-04 00:00:00

of tile gill originally, it wits beessesiy he should
mention the changes it had undergone. The ,first
material one was the limitation of the inquiries of
the Commissioners to such charitable iustitutious
only as were connected with education. He was
utterly at • loss fur the reason of this change—it was
granted on all side,, that abuses were not confined to
them. If it was necessary that Commissioners should
go round the country to inspect the state of inetitu-
tions for the purpose of education, to examine re-
cords,accoants, and witnesses, it was very nmtural that
they should do the same for all such institutions;
hot peewits who saw from a more elevated situation
than the fr..mers of the Bill, and who possessed all
that caloi deliberate attention that they upbraided
others with the want of, though in nine eases out of
ten the inquiries into each species were most inti-
mately coutiected—the donors the seine—the wit-
news the same, the papers the same, still these
superior intelligencers thought otherwise, and at the
end of the Session there was no appeal from their
decree. Au important object of the Bill in view was,
to supply the deficiency of the powers of the Com-
mittee on Education, by extending the powers of
the Commissioners, the general inquiry being toe
oprose fur the Committee. —" Oh ! no," said the
Lords, "coati ne.yoursehres to one branch of inquiry."
Others might see the resson—it was the end of the
Session :be bowed in sub Mission. When he saw the
object of all was to send out another and another set
of Commissioners, it remiuded him of the story of the
man who cut two holes, a large and a small one,
for his two cats. • large and a small one, to pass
through. There was another alteration he regretted
as much as any of the former —that the powers
of the Commissioners had not only been abridged,
but absolutely abrogated. They might go, ask,
call ; but they had no power to compel the at-
tendance of persons, or the production of papers.--
ke Bill as amended contained no penahy (Kohut
the refractory. He was bound by his respect for
those venerable authorities, to suppose that that
was not done with a view to frustrate the intentions
of the House; but he could not but recollect, that
the Bill appointing the Commissioners, at the in-
stance of Earl Sr. Vincent, conferred on them a
power of imprisoning, and fining to the extent of to/.
and when the latter power had been granted to the
Irish Education Commissioners, one would have

thought it not too extensive to be vested in those for
England. The Bill, however, had neither the pe-
nalty of imprisonment nor fine. The Commiseioners
were therefore left to derive their information from
voluntary informants—and from the conduct of
persons summoned before the Committee up stairs,
the House might judge hose small would be the sum
of this voluntary information. Such persons always
began by expressing their gratitude, joy, and
delight, at being called on ; but to this excess of
pleasure, satiety imniediately succeeded, and they
bad enough of inqairy as soon as it was begun--
when they came to the point, an oath al ways interpose
med. Such had been the case with the heads of %rill-
chester School, when asked to put in their balance
sheet for the last year, ,‘ They had taken an oath not
to divulge the secrets of the College." He appealed
to the Attorney General, had he ever seen an Act of
Parliament without a penalty ? To what then did
he look, seeing all the powers of the Bill had been
takers away, and its substance defaced ? To the
hope that the Cummissioners would, from time to
time, report to the House the names of the Gen-
tlemen who refused evidence, with the causes of
their refusal ; and that, as the House would re-
appoint, next Session, the Committee up stairs,
they might supply the necessary defects of the
Commission, and summon the offenders before them.
That was a real practical remedy for the imbecility
of the measure. The Bill originally had appoint-
ed eight Commissioners, to be divided into four
sets; since that another Commissioner was added,
and the sets reduced to three—so that now they
had three Commissions going on at the same
time instead of four, and the expense of one ad-
dinonal Cominiesioner. It had pleased the House
to except out of die operation of the Bill the
two Universities, and four public schools—and
by rejecting, on a division, the exception of Har-
row, made a stand against any more. Their te-
merity. however, had been reprimanded ; and not
only Harrow was inserted among the exceptions,
but also Rugby, and all charitable institutions
that had special visitors; whereas it had always
been his intention to include these, for the plain
ream), because they were, from the nature of
things, most exposed to abuses, and most required
reformation. In the Committee up stairs, the
must gross abtoko had transpired in the establish-
meets provided with special visitors. The objec-
tions to the Bill, in its present form, were, its
want of all penalty, and that the exemptions
f lts operation were ton numerous. Who
had ewer before heard of a hinting Clouse? Be-
fore he lied never heard troy one ask in a measure
for mote than one whole, complete in its parts ; but
iu atietlii r place not only had this been required,
but also restrictive clause, shewing to what the
me wore.. odd not extend, and a hint. The Bill
was first tortured, and then destroyed. People
talked of going to the Courts for redress—one
Court was famed for its cheapness and its expedi-
tion.(ii laagh.)—He could justly extol the
learning, the talents, the copiousness of eloquence
of the head of that Court; but while properties to
the emotion of hundreds of thousands of pounds
were for numbers of years left in suspense—and the
Hiimi • could scarcely, in imagination, go beyond the
risagintude of that evil—he apprehended, that for
ilerals NMI rapt-du:bug law people must go elsewhere.
1f evidence hail been wanting of the t..rdiness of jus-
tice se the Count of Chancery, abundance hail been
liken before the Court -
.silly, A (foliation had
Loll for founding four
Purview of relocation,
and the 11111431
1 fir (;oninetterr made ie
the- tre•to )))))) y of three
eerikis, who had advised
out of an income
not inure than 30/. or
jeets of the !11f.1it11110,114
dad they suit go to the
They a awrErel 'list they I
Yet been able to get out
expended on the proci,
which lie had received ft
et:exhorted the business) .
teas ruinous by its delay

, . .
*mud iiihess mid Ise hall lest 8007. in the Conti
—the third. that his heart was almost broken
there. The Honourable Member then referred to
.a
suit commenced in the Court of chancery in the Yet'.
1•040.-specting a chanty, which, by reiterated orders
for standing over, mod the doubts of the Chtucelloi,
was still undecided. He believed the pro.
pert, was sold to defray the law expense's.
which amounted to more than the price of
it. From all which he drew the conclu-
sion, that the Court of Chancery was very use-
ful to every body lost the suitors. He, however,
wished to disavow all intention of reflecting on the
Noble Person who presided over that Court, or to
make any question of his telents, learning. and
integrity. lie believed no Judge ever presided
there with a more anxious turn of mind to do
justice to all parties—he believed his penetra-
tion and sagacity were unrivalled—he was per-
suaded he might, with the whole profession, say
that he was a nun of the most wonderful legal
learning that ewer sat on the Bench. This was the
opinion of both the Chancery and Common Law
Bar. A better-natured, more kindly-disposed man
(gratitude for personal totemic'''s compelled him to
say so) did not exist. Bot there was something in
the Court of Chancery that almost justified S rift's
witty remark. when he made Gulliver telt his
master, the Houynlim, that his father had been
ruined by gaining a suit in Chancery, with full costs.
He would fain hope that the time was coming when
the voice of the people would he complied with by
a moderate effectual investigation of those sbuses.
An effectual investigation belonged to dust Howse
—if they trusted to she Commissioners, it was all a
mockery ; as, however well disposed and qualified,
they were not armed with necessary 'mammy. The
eyes of the country were upon them. There was
not a town, village, or hamlet in the kingdom that
did not contain persons interested in the sifting of
these abuses. From all of Them a cry issued for
redress—for that there was but one mode, that the
Committee on Education should be re-appointed
next Session, coosisting of the same persons,
armed with the some powers. if that were done,
he did not care for the mutilation of the Bill.
What he wished the House to do was, to look with
gratitude towards their ancestors, who had founded
such noble establishments—and to view, with an
eye of pity, the poor, for whom they left such mu-
nificent provision. • They were erecting monuments
to those heroic men who had defended them in the
field—he now called on them to prevent those more
glorious monuments, consecrated to the memory of
their ancestors, from being destroyed by mulversa-
lion—those monuments, which were indicative of
the greatest, the best of victories—the victory of
intelligence over ignorance and superatitton.—
Hear.) —He hoped, from the vote of the House
this day, that it would be proved, whether pecula-
tion was smictioned by persons high in rank, or
practised by the meanest individual in the land,
that the time had passed when the poor could be
robbed with tridmphant impepty. The Learned
Gentleman concluded by ninalffig—
That an borabla Address be preaested to his Royal
Mewls. the Prime Recent, praying that he will be gra-
ciously pleased to appoint a Commission Winslow* auto the
state of Eilacatiou ansossgst the Puor of Eugland and
Wales, mid to report theme, from time to time, to Isis
Royal Highness and the Howse."
Lord CASTLERIAGII regretted that the Learned
Gentleman had not confined himself more imme-
diately to the subject to which his motion related.
He had spoken with considerable vehemence on the
amendments that had been proposed elsewhere to
the Bill introduced by him. Now, it was not sur-
prising that that Bill, which differed essentially from
the subjects that were referred to the consideration
of the Committee from which it emanated as it
was originally formed, should have been thus altered.
That Committee was appointed to inquire lido the
state of education amongst the poor—and the
Learned Gentleman pursued that inquiry, for seve-
ral nionthA, with great attention. But finding that
this investigation was of too confined a nature, it
was proposed to examine into the state of public
institutions—and this Bill was filially produced.
The complaints of the Learned Gentleman, with
respect to the delays in the Court of Chancery, did,
in his opinion, throw a species of imputation on
the entire administration of justice in the country
—an imputation which the Learned Gentleman
ought ratio., to have warded off, than have en-
couraged. If they went to the Court of King's
Bench or of Common Pleas, they would find a
certain portion of delay—and, he believed, that
inconveniences of this kind were inseparable
from all human institutions. But, after all, if
they wished to remedy those abuses of which the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman complained, they
must, Oltimetely, go to that very Court of Chan-
eery, oil which lie had reflected so strongly. He
conceived, that, if they agreed to the present mo-
tion, it would have the of of retarding, rather
than of forwarding, the object which they all had
in view—and, for the accomplishment of which
they had already taken a very decisive step. He
could not agree to a multiplication of Commissions
to inquire into this so birvt, since they would be
more likely to injure tltau to assist each other.
Now, the Learned Geutleinan said, he would, in
the next Session, move for the re-appointment of
the Committee, whose labours had been so success.
fish in the present. How then would the country
st.md if this motion were conceded ? _ There would,

it the same tune, ben Committee of the House of

Commons—a Commission louder the Bill which h:td
been agreed to--and • Commission under the
Great Seal—inquiring into the same specific points.
Nothing, he conceived, could tend more to destroy
h•►moutous spirit of legislation between the two
f 1• than such • measure. He
extraordinary, that the Learned
~, when he bad laid this
snit made his speech, that
ipleted—that lie might *IF
from he ,ring 1111 V °beer-
' Hear. hear, hear.—lldr.
left the House./—lt was
an of the profesrion to
reuse. idler making a
involve the two House. of
..h Teeth ct to their autho.
• nest Sets of Parliament,
'grist, to, wlnt•h would go to
by the Learned Gentleman.
observed, that the as it ori•
- exatuiiiatiou of tint less
~000 isultitutitittivoosusl this

-e•
t of Chancery a few days j [louses of Parliament, that
I been made in We.t r. cnitaidered it very extraurdh
r institutions—one fur the Osuttemnst rhoulit suppose,
tbe remaining fur other :toots un the table, an
• of all in the came hands. toy was entirely comp'
inquiriep, and fano • . isolvelf--and Amain I
most resprcrble ? ems this subject.—(l,
ell it prC•intailti 4O Ith4.#l this list I
91, .
it of abovell, • 6 log, that 4 Gent'Oki
. •
40/ was *peat ii . p be belonged, should
They were ea dire. by prziation that might inn]
Lite Court or Ctisises4 ?" P mrut in a disiiute will
I had ; that the, ha out rite. Probably, in the next
,ut ; that one of them hod • mineuser 'night be agruld
c. rtiings there' .10309/. of ow illuirut demsmird by,"
r lit. tOVI It tent eritllihs f list. it 'Mould be observed,
1 but 300/, ; hat tDort pasty stood, wool to an •
clay and es -ince. Tilt Wu hstween 30 and 40,001