The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-01 00:00:00

CITY OF LONDON NATIONAL SCHOOLS.

The Eleventh Anniversary of this admirable
Institution was celebrated yesterday. In the morning the chil-
dren were examined ; and in the afternoon His Royal High-
ness the Duke of You►( was graciously pleased to take the
Chair at a dinner of the friends of the Charity at the City of
London Tavern.

The Committee directing the Charity act with one simple
and determinate object in view—namely, the affording to the
poor children of the Metropolis instruction adapted to their sta-
tion in
,this life, and conducive to their everlasting interests in
another—instruction built upon a sound and stable foundation,
and leading to useful and happy results. Their plain duty
they conceived to be not merely to give educators, bet to
take care at the. same time that that education be practical,
and that it be Christian. In pursuance of this object they
.have gone on gradually extending the number of poor chil-
dren educated .on the Mitdras system, and in the principles
of the Established Church, from 40 to alcove 1,000; and they
only want additional subscriptions to be enabled to educate
1,600 more.
The expediency or inexpediency of affording knowledge to
the humbler classes of society is a point which comes now too
late to be discussed. The question for present consideration is
not whether they shall be educated, but what sort of education
they shall receive. With these feelings "and convictions the
Committee have persevered, and under the Divine blessing have
.prospered, in the good work of diffusing .national education
under the sanctions, and in pure conformity to the principles,
of the Established National Faith. With the valuable assist-
ance of the Committee of Ladies, who continue their kind and
efftctive attentions to the Girls' Schools, superintending their
progross in needle work and in other appropriate branches of
female education, and with the exertions of the different Masters
and Mistresses, stimulated anti directed by the Weekly Visitors
and Examiners, the objects of the Institution have, in propor-
Ition to its pecuniary ability, been fully and satisfactorily at-
tained. The time which has elapsed since the formation of '
these Schools, during which period upwardis of Six Thousand
Children' have been admitted:, has been atafficient to ascertain
the effect produced in after life by the course of discipline and
instruction pursued in them : and from the assurances received
of the steadiness, assiduity, and fidelity.of many of the chil-
dren, who are now holding different services and employments
in this City and elsewhere, it Clearly appears that the fair pro.
.mice of the child has not been falsified by the conduct of the
The examination of the Children yesterday was conducted
by the Rev. W. H. Coleridge, and proved most satisfactory
to the patrons and friends of the Institution present ; among
whom we noticed the Bishops
of London
Lord Lilford, the Hon. D. Finch, Sir C. S. and Limerick,
Hunter Sir P.
Laurie,'Mr. Archdeacon Bloomfield, Mr. Alderman erowder,
the Treasurer, Oliver Hatch, Ego the Secretary, the Rev. if.
Hesketh, &c. • -
His Royal Highness arrived
punctually at six in the after.
noon, and was received by niost of the above-named indivi-
duals, and also by,Aldermen Birch and Bridges, T. A. Curtis,
Esq. many of the London Clergy, and a numerous assem-
blage of other Gentlemen. We rejoiced to see His Royal
Highness in such high health and excellent spirits; he entered
with zeal and earnestness into the concerns of the Charity, and
seemed highly gratified at the statements made of the progress
of the Children.
After dinner, Sit lumen Domini benedirtum was sung in fine
style, as were various appropriate songs in the course of the
evening.
" Church and King" having been drank with great enthu-
siasm--
The Bishop of LONDON, in a short speech, proposed the
health of the Royal Chairman, which was received with un-
bounded applause.
His ROYAL HIGHNESS, in acknowledging the compliment
paid him, expressed himself in terms of high approbation of a
system which was calculated to bring up -so great a number of
young persons in sound religious principles, and in attachment
to that church which he regarded as an essential branch of the
Constitution. Ile said it must be most gratifying to every re-
flecting mind to consider, that by such care bestowed on the
rising generation every reasonable prospect was afforded of
preventing crime and fitting them to their respective duties ;
and that while they were forwarded in instruction suitable to
enabled to grow up good sub.
orwtheyre'members of the established
Church.h
Highness concluded by proposing the health
of the Bishop of London.
jeststetheir
orespectivet
hh ieis
r RKo yi stations,na ii ain a they
worthy
His Low:nitro, in returning thanks, eulogized the manage-
ment of the institution, which he conceived, after a long pro-
gressive advancement, had last year reached the utmost perfec-
tion of which such a plan is capable : nor had the examinations
of this year fallen ofFfrom the preceding:
The TnEa.svaEst then stated to the company the yearly
amount of receipts and disbursements ; by which it appeared
that a debt of 780/. had been contracted principally in making
such repairs, enlargements, and alterations in the edifices as
were absolutely required from tint. regard to the health of the
numbers of children assembled in the schools. The Treasurer
expatiated with great force on the henefiCial effect of the Insti-
tution ; and appealed to the feelings of all around him on the
gratification ofknowing that so many as 6000 poor children had
already been trained up in sound, religious and loyal principles
and sent out into the world with every prospect of becoming
valuable members of society. Great care, he said, had been
taken to procure accurate returns of persons brought before the
Magistrates for offences ; and it was ascertained that in four
years only fotir children out of the thousands trained up in these
schools had becOme subject to that degradation. He stated the
absolute necessity of the eapences which had been incurred,
and threw himself upon the company for the support adequate
to the necessity 'of the Institution. $0 powerful was the effect
of this and similar appeals in the course of the evening, that
the contributions made in the room covered and exceeded the
whole amount of the debt above stated.
Many other toasts were drank, and several speeches were
made, tending strongly to illustrate the beneficial effect of the
present schools, and the imperative. duty which lay on the
wealthy ciiizens of London to carry still further a system so
salutary. • •" •

DESTRUCTIVE FinE.—Yester4hy morning, nt
half-past two, the watchman on the beat discovered the lower
part of the premises of Mr. W!ICaFORD, druggist, corner of
the Three Tuns Inn, Whitechapel, to be on fire. Before the
arrival of any of 'the engines from the differentfire-offices, the:
flames had reached the entire of the premises, which, with the
stock in trade, were consumed. The tire. communicated, with
reifisiless fury, to.the l'hree Tuns Inn; and shortly converted :it
into a heap of ashes. With the greatest difficulty 'the horses_
wcre saved. Several adjoining houses were iseritously injured.