The Sun.
London, England, 1822-06-10 00:00:00

NATIONAL SCHOOL SOCIETY.

The following is a.more detailed account of
the Annual Meeting of the Subscribers to this excellent Insti-
tution, which was held at the Central School-house, Baldwin's-
gardens, Gray's-inn-lane, on Wednesday last, than has hitherto
appeared :—There were present the Archbishops of Canterbury
and York, the Bishops of London, Salisbury, Chester, Wor'-
cester, Exeter, and Landaff,
,Lords Kenyon and Calthorpe,
Sir James Langham, Mr. Wilberforce, &c. &c. The Arch-
bishop of CANTERBURY took the Chair. The Reverend Dr.
Walmsley, honorary Secretary, read the Report of the Com-
mittee for the last year, by which it appeared that 82 new
schools had been formed in different parts of the kingdom,
making the total number of schools 1790, in which were in-
structed. upwards of 250,000. children, being an increase of up-
wards of 12,000 over the number of .the preceding year. The
Committee had given 3,4251. towards establishing 39 schools.
he total receipts of the Society for thejtar,amoinited to 3,6341.,
and their funded propertY amounted to 3,6001.—The A_rchhishop•
of Canterbury, us soon as , the Report had been read,. proposed
that it should be received and adopted. It is a most remarkable.
circumstance, as it strikes my mind, observed his Grace, that
an Institution has been maintained, for the spaes Of eleven
years, by the private contributions of a very small number of
persons; a considerable proportion of whoni are now present.
Small indeed has been their number, compared with the exten-
sive usefulness of their labours ; which, within the period I
have mentioned, have formed establishments for the 'risque-,
don of youth in sound morals and true religion, throughout so
many parts of this United Kingdom and its dependencies.
You have indeed largely Wanted the system throughout the
empire, but much remains to do : there are yet many places in
which no schools exist, and there are others where your exer-
tions will be required to support those which are already
founded. You have heard with regret, that, in some in-
stances, schools have fallen to decay. This has been supposed
to result from the peculiar distresses of the times.. I 4 e may
indulge the hope that these causes will not long remain ; but
perhaps the fact has arisen from other causes not so satisfac-
tory to reflect upon, but" which lead me to observe to my
brethren, that the education of the people properly, and of
right, belongs to the Parochial Clergy, and that it is their pecu-
culiar duty to look to the instruction of the poor.--Lord•Ken-
yon proposed the thanks of the. Meeting to the Archbishop of
Canterbury, for his Continued services as President of the So-
ciety.—Sir James Langham, Bart., John Round, Esq., and
Lord Calthorpe, each addressed the Meeting :—" The growing
usefulness of this Society," said his Lordship, " appears to me
at the present moment to have peculiar claims to our support.
When we find the friends of baneful doctrines so industrious
in the dissemination of their infidelity and blasphemy,: how
strongly are we called upon to uphold an Institution, which at
at an age when the human mind is most open to impressions of
good or of evil, instils into its pupils that pure, sober, • reason-
able, active piety, which the doctrines :and the:services of our
,Church are equally calculated to teach; encourage, and in-
•spire."—The Archbishop of York proposed thanks to the-Trea.:'
surer, Joshua Watson, Esq., whose time and whose purse were
ever dedicated to the service of this Society, or of some other
institution of charity or benevolence,. but whose retiring mo-
" desty would be too much wounded by the public mention of his
merits, to permit his Grace to speak longer on a theme on which
he would otherwise delight to dwella-,The Bishop of Salis-
bury seconded the motion, and Mr. Watson expressed the
pleasure he experienced in finding his services acceptable, and
his readiness to continue them.—The. Bishop of:.Chester pro-
posed thanks. to the Ladies' Committee ; and the Bishop of
Llandatf to the Secretary.—Dr. Wahnsley expressed his ac-
knowledgments for the favourable notice of, hislabours, and
hoped, 'that, through-,the kind assistance of Mr. Johnson, he
might be able to continue them.—The Bishop of London said,
the Report shews the plan is extending itself through every.
part of the country.. Can we then.forget the person who was
the original inventor of the system,. and who may be called the.
father of each school, and may look upon them all as so many
families, 'which have .originated -froth" himself ?—Sir James
'Anglian, in seconding the-motion, observed, that whilst Dr.
Bell was in their thoughts, he had reason to believe that.,
they were much in his, the Doctor having stated his great;
regret at being prevented attending. The increase of the num-
ber. of schools, observed Sir James,.does not necessarily imply
much extension in• the knowledge, of the system itself. We
have many of us observed, that the Masters of country. schools
have often been more anxious to display some ofsthe mere
contrivances and evolutions which strike the eye of an ordinary '
observer, than to impart to their scholars that perfect know-
ledge and intelligence of each particular lesson, which should
form the basis of that which-is to follow, with a view to bring
all other kthools to the standard of excellence exhibited in this.
I beg to suggest the idea of appointing Masters, whose pecu-
liar duty it may be, with the concurrence and at the request of
the Managers of other schools,• to examine the state of each,
to acquaint the public with the merits of those which may be
well conducted, and to regulate and reform those which stand
in need of correction.—We have much pleasure in stating, that
in several parts of England the Clergy of some of the principal
towns, who have by their superintendance of the greater schools
become most practically versed in the National System, have
at their individual charges performed circuits throughout con-
siderable districts, and have thereby not only restored to order
many schools in which the plan was imperfectly followed, but'
have also introduced it into others in which it was before un-
known.—The Bishop of Worcester, the Rev. Dr. Shepherd,
Archdeacon ,Cambridge, Archdeacon Watson, Lord Kenyon,
and Archdeacon Pott, severally moved and seconded the usual
votes of thanks ; and after supplying the vacar..ies in the Com-
mittee, the Meeting adjourned.