suggested several important improvements. In consequence of which, some well-founded grounds of complaint to the merchant, in respect to the delivery and re-weighing of goods, and charges for waste, from natural causes, &c. have been already removed in the port of London; and it is hoped it may be found consistent with the secure collection of the revenue, that similar relief should be extended to the out-ports of the kingdom. It has been suggested to your Committee, that an alteration in the law, favourable to the British ship-builder and ship-owners, might be usefully introduced. A British ship becoming the property of a foreigner, under the present provisions of the law, forfeits the British character it possesses, without becoming capable of acquiring in respect to the trade with this country, that of a ship of the foreign state to which it is sold. This appears to be a restriction on the sale and building of ships in the united kingdom, wholly unsupported by any object of public utility; and your Committee are aware of no reason to prevent their recommending to the adoption of the House, the suggestion received by them, that British-built ships, or ships condemned as prize to Great Britain, should, if deprived of their British character and registry, by sale to a foreigner, be permitted to acquire the character of ships of any country, of the subjects of which they may afterwards become the property: but as it appears to your Committee, that a resumption of the character of a British ship, after having been in the possession of foreigners, and undergone repairs in foreign ports, may open a door to fraud, and be injurious to the British shipbuilder; they are of opinion, that the permission above-stated should be guarded by a prohibition against a ship once sold to a foreign state, re covering a British registry under any other circumstances but those of capture and regular condemnation as a prize to Great Britain. Your Committee having stated the course of their proceeding, and the progress they have made in the inquiry committed to them, cannot help expressing their regret, that the latter has not been more extensive; and that the approaching recess precludes them from at present pursuing their investigation into the other important branches of the subject, to which their attention must hereafter be directed. At an early period of the ensuing session of Parliament, they hope to be able to propose to the House the measures in their opinion best calculated to carry into execution the recommen dation of this Report; and to resume and pursue their inquiries into those branches of their investigation which they have now left unexamined, on the same principles which have thus far governed them in the performance of the duty assigned to them. To the judicious and prudent application of these principles, your Committee look (under the pleasure of the House) for the safe removal of all such restrictions on the freedom of our commerce and our intercourse with foreign nations, as the peculiar circumstances of our situation, the protection due to great interests embarked under the public faith, and the compacts into which the country may have entered, either with its own subjects, or with other states, do not render it indispensable to preserve. If in their recommendations any thing should be found more favourable to foreign interests, than may seem consistent with the severe principles of our existing commercial system, (which may to some be an objection to the suggestions humbly offered in the present Report,) your Committee beg to observe, that without now ques tioning the wisdom of a restrictive or protective policy, as necessary to the state of our trade at an earlier period of our history, as applicable to the circumstances of the present day, it appears very doubtful. The time when monopolies could be successfully supported, or would be patiently endured, either in respect to subjects against subjects, or particular countries against the rest of the world, seems to have passed away. Commerce, to continue undisturbed and secure, must be, as it was intended to be, a source of reciprocal amity between nations, and an interchange of productions, to promote the industry, the wealth, and the happiness of mankind. If it be true that different degrees of advantage will be reaped from it, according to the natural and political circumstances, the skill and the industry of different countries; it is true also, that whatever be the advantages so acquired, though they may excite emulation and enterprize, they can rouse none of those sentiments of animosity, or that spirit of angry retaliation, naturally excited by them when attributed to prohibitions and restrictions, jealously enacted and severely maintained. Your Committee are, however, sensible, that at once to abandon the prohibitory system, would be of all things the most visionary and dangerous. It has long subsisted: it is the law not only of this kingdom, but of the rest of the European world; and any sudden departure from it is forbidden by every consideration of prudence, safety, and justice. No such sudden change and beneficially recommended, no less with a view to the interests of this country, than to the situation of surrounding nations. Upon them the po licy of Great Britain has rarely been without its influence. The principles recognized and acted upon by her may powerfully operate in aiding the general progress towards the establishment of a liberal and enlightened system of national intercourse throughout the world, as they have too long done in supporting one of a contrary character, by furnishing the example and justification of various measures of commercial exclusion and restriction. To measures of this nature her pre-eminence and prosperity have been unjustly ascribed. It is not to prohibitions and protec tions we are indebted for our commer. cial greatness and maritime power; these, like every public blessing we enjoy, are the effects of the free principles of the happy constitution under which we live, which, by protecting individual liberty, and the security of property, by holding out the most splendid rewards to successful industry and merit, has, in every path of human exertion, excited the efforts, encouraged the genius, and called into action all the powers of an aspiring, enlightened, and enterprizing people. 18th July, 1820. SECOND REPORT of the Poor. is in the contemplation of your Com- Of the Commissioners on the Education mittee, nor indeed the adoption of any change, without the utmost circumspection and caution. But they still feel, that a principle of gradual and prospective approximation to a sounder system, as the standard of all future commercial regulations, may be wisely TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE sion, under the Great Seal, bearing date the 20th day of August, in the 58th year of his Majesty's reign, issued in pursuance of an Act of Parliament, made and passed in the said 58th year of his Majesty's reign, entitled, "An Act for appointing Commissioners to Inquire concerning Charities in England for the Education of the Poor," Do further report, as follows: In the prosecution of the duties intrusted to us, we have now completed our investigation of all the charities for education which have come to our knowledge in the counties of Berks, Kent, and Sussex; with the exception only of two in Berkshire, and five in Sussex, concerning which we still wish for some further information, and have, therefore, for the present, deferred reporting upon them. We have also made considerable progress in the examination of those in London and Westminster, and in the county of Middlesex. In the present Report are contained 170 cases; of which, 19 are in the cities of London and Westminster, 2 in the county of Berks, 39 in the county of Kent, 59 in the county of Middlesex, 4 in the county of Surrey, and 47 in the county of Sussex; besides 1 in the latter county, falling within the exception of the 12th section of the said Act of Parliament relating to special visitors. The total number of charities which have fallen within our inquiry, in the three counties of which we may consider the examination as completed, is as follows in Berkshire 91, in Kent 135, in Sussex 75, exclusive of 2 in Berkshire, 4 in Kent, and 1 in Sussex, which, having special visitors, are not within the scope of our commission. Except for the purpose of completing the examination of those three counties, we have latterly confined our inquiries chiefly to the institutions in the metropolis and its neighbourhood, deeming it advisable not to commence any investigation in a distant district during the pendency of a measure by which it is proposed to extend the objects of the commission, and which, if carried into effect, might make it necessary to visit the same places a second time. In preparing our separate reports of each charity, we have pursued the plan formerly adopted, except that in a greater proportion of cases we have endeavoured to embody the evidence so completely in the reports, as to render its insertion in the appendix unne cessary. The Act of Parliament requires that we should report our proceedings once in each half year; but it will be observed, that little more than four months have elapsed since our former Report was presented. We have, however, been anxious to produce a second Report before the termination of the present session, in order that the result of our investigations might be brought before the notice of Parliament with as little delay as possible, and before the provisions of a new Act may have prescribed some new course of proceeding. In the Appendix to this Report, the following important facts are to be found: Population in 1811, of the forty counties included in the table, (being exclusive of Wales,) 9,543,610. Number of poor in 1815 in those counties, 353,249. us, is one-ninth of the whole population, according to the Breslaw tables, but according to the returns and digests from the English counties, it is nearer one-tenth. If all the children between the ages of six and twelve (both inclusive) are comprehended, we imagine the proportion should be more nearly (See Milne's Annuities, p. 534.) But one-ninth may be assumed as sufficiently correct in practice. The endowed week-day Schools of England, supposing them to be equally distributed, amount to 1 for every 2580 individuals, or 1 for every 280 children requiring education. And the total annual revenue of these schools is L. 300,525. The parochial schools of Scotland (allowing one for each parish) should be 893, which, taking the population at 2,000,000, gives one for 2230 persons, or one for 248 children requiring education. The whole expense of supporting these schools (exclusive of scholars' contributions) most probably does not exceed 35,000l. per annum. Apart from the parish schools, there are not many endowed schools in Scotland; the sums sunk (or mortifi. ed) for the encouragement of education being chiefly attached to the parochial schools. schools is 452,817. Mr Brougham reckons it 100,000, for what reason. we know not, unless it be that the Sunday scholars receive only one-fifth of the proper quantum of education, or that part attend week-day schools also, which, added to the others, makes a total of 1,097,099. Now, the entire number requiring education in England is, on Mr Brougham's principle, only 1,074,000, or on that stated above, 1,193,000; so that on any hypothesis of all who require it receive a certain proportion of education. In France, according to Mr Brougham, 1,070,000 children were at school in 1819. The number requiring education, taking the population at 29,500,000, must be 3,278,000, or three times the number actually receiving it. France is, therefore, in a much worse situation as to the means of elementary instruction than England. REPORT From the Select Committee of the ment. Of week-day schools, endowed and unendowed, England has 18,449, The Committee, in execution of the which amounts to one for 582 indivi- trust delegated to them by the House, duals, or one for 65 children at the have abstained from all consideration school age. To supply Scotland with of those capital felonies which may be schools in equal proportion to her po- said to be of a political nature, being pulation, 2527 must be added to the directed against the authority of goparochial schools. In reality, how- vernment and the general peace of 80ever, if the children at school in this ciety. To the nature and efficacy of country amount to one-ninth or one- the secondary punishments, of transtenth of the population, as stated by portation and imprisonment, they have Mr Brougham, the number of pupils directed no part of their inquiries, bemust be about 200,000; and allowing cause another Committee had been ap50 for each school, which is probably pointed to investigate them, and betoo high, the whole number of schools cause no part of the facts or arguments must be at least 4000. to be stated in this Report, will be The number educated at Sunday found to depend, either on the present |