expedient to assist the Parishes where no Schoolhouses were erected, with the means of providing them, so as only to throw upon the inhabitants the burden of paying the Schoolmaster's Salary, which ought certainly not to exceed Twenty-four pounds a year. It appeared to The Committee, that a sufficient supply of Schoolmasters might be procured for this sum, allowing them the benefits of taking Scholars, who could afford to pay, and permitting them of course to occupy their leisure hours in other pursuits. The expense attending this invaluable system in Scotland, is found to be so very trifling, that it is never made the subject of complaint by any of the Landholders:

The Committee forbore to inquire minutely, in what manner this system ought to be connected with the Church Establishment. That such a connection ought to be formed, appeared manifest,-it is dictated by a regard to the prosperity and stability of both systems, -and, in Scotland, the two are mutually connected together. But a difficulty arises in England, which is not to be found there. The great body of the Dissenters from the Scottish Church differ little, if at all, in doctrine from the Establishment,-they are separated only by certain opinions of a Political rather than a Religious nature, respecting the right of Patronage, and by some shades of distinction as to Church discipline, so that they may conscientiously send their children to Parish Schools which are connected with the Establishment, and teaching it's Catechism. In England the case is widely different,—and it appeared

to The Committee essentially necessary, that this circumstance should be carefully considered in the devising arrangements of the system. To place the choice of the Schoolmaster in the Parish vestry, subject to the approbation of the Parson, and the Visitation of the Diocesan, but to provide, that the children of Sectarians should not be compelled to learn any Catechism or attend any Church, other than those of their Parents, seemed to The Committee the safest path by which the Legislature could hope to obtain the desirable objects of security to the Establishment on the one hand, and justice to the Dissenters on the other :

The more extended inquiries of The Committee this Session had amply confirmed the opinion, which a more limited investigation had led them to form two years before, upon the neglect and abuse of Charitable Funds connected with Education,-and they added, that although in many cases large Funds appeared to have been misapplied through ignorance, or mismanaged through carelessness, yet that some instances of Abuse had presented themselves, of such a nature, as would have led them to recommend at an earlier period of the Session, the institution of proceedings for more promptly checking misappropriations, both in the particular cases, and by the force of a salutary example. From the investigations of The Commission about to be issued under the authority of an Act of Parliament, much advantage might be expected,-and, though it would not become The Committee to anticipate the measures which the wisdom of the Legis

lature might adopt in consequence of those Inquiries, with a view to provide a speedy and cheaper remedy for the evil than the ordinary tribunals of the Country afford,—yet The Committee could not avoid hoping, that the mere report and publication of the existing Abuses would have a material effect in leading the parties concerned, to correct them, and that even the apprehension of the Inquiry about to be instituted, might in the mean time produce a similar effect :—

As the Universities, Public Schools, and Charities, with Special Visitors, are exempted from the jurisdiction of The Commissioners, The Committee had been occupied in examining several of those Institutions,and the result of their inquiries unquestionably showed, that considerable unauthorized deviations had been made, in certain great Schools, from the original plans of The Founders,-that those deviations had been dictated more by a regard to the interests of the Fellows than of the Scholars, who were the main object of the Foundations and of the Founders' bounty,-and that although in some respects they had proved beneficial upon the whole to the Insitutions, yet that they had been, by gradual encroachments in former times, carried too far. While, therefore, The Committee readily acquitted the present Fellows of all blame in that respect, they entertained a confident expectation that they would seize the opportunity afforded by the inquiry, of doing themselves honour by correcting the Abuses which had crept in, as far as the real interests of the Establishments might appear to require it. If,

too, there should exist similar errors in THE UNIVERSITIES, which had not been examined, The Committee willingly flattered themselves that steps would be taken to correct them, by the wisdom and integrity of the highly respectable persons, to whose hands the concerns of those great Bodies are committed;

The Committee were fully persuaded, that many great neglects and abuses existed in Charities which have SPECIAL VISITORS,—indeed it so happened, that the worst instance which they had met with, belonged to that class, and that no Visitatorial power was exercised, until a few months before, although the malversations had existed for many years. To this subject they, therefore, begged leave to request the speedy attention of Parliament ;

It further appeared to The Committee, that as The Commission about to be issued would be confined to the investigation of Abuses, and as the information, in the Parochial Returns, was not sufficiently detailed respecting the State of Education generally, a Commission should also be issued, either under an Act of Parliament, or by means of an Address to the Crown, for the purpose of supplying this defect ;

In the course of their Inquiries, The Committee had incidentally observed that Charitable Funds, connected with Education, were not alone liable to great Abuses. Equal negligence and malversation appeared to have prevailed in all other Charities,-and although The Committee had no authority, by their instruction, to investigate the matter, and to report upon it, yet they

should deem themselves wanting in their duty, if they did not give this notice of so important a subject, accidentally forced upon their attention.7

Several of these observations had reference to a Bill which had been brought into Parliament, on the 8th of April 1818, for appointing a Commission to inquire into the Abuses in Charities connected with the Education of the Poor, in England and Wales, the Debates on which Bill are highly interesting, and fully explain the views which were entertained by the principal Promoters of this great National investigation.

And, on the 13th of the same month, Mr. BROUGHAM, in moving the second reading of the Bill, wished to explain the course which he deemed it advisable, should be pursued in this business. It had been his intention to propose, that the Inquiry of The Commissioners should extend to all Charities whatever,—but he was now of opinion, that it would be most advisable to confine, for the present, the

7 Second Report of The Select Committee, in 1818.