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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 unnecessary.

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.

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Number educated gratis at Schools of both kinds, 322,518

Number who pay,

321,764

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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.

Of week-day schools, endowed and unendowed, England has 18,449, which amounts to one for 582 individuals, or one for 65 children at the school age. To supply Scotland with schools in equal proportion to her population, 2527 must be added to the parochial schools. In reality, however, if the children at school in this country amount to one-ninth or onetenth of the population, as stated by Mr Brougham, the number of pupils must be about 200,000; and allowing 50 for each school, which is probably too high, the whole number of schools must be at least 4000.

The number educated at Sunday

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 1 of all who require it receive a certain proportion of education.

In France, according to Mr Brough. am, 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 House of Commons, appointed to consider of so much of the Criminal Laws as relates to Capital Punish

ment.

The Committee, in execution of the trust delegated to them by the House, have abstained from all consideration of those capital felonies which may be said to be of a political nature, being directed against the authority of government and the general peace of society. To the nature and efficacy of the secondary punishments, of transportation and imprisonment, they have directed no part of their inquiries, because another Committee had been appointed to investigate them, and because no part of the facts or arguments to be stated in this Report, will be found to depend, either on the present

state of these secondary punishments, or on the degree of improvement of which they may be found capable. The object of the Committee has been to ascertain, as far as the nature of the case admitted by evidence, whether, in the present state of the sentiments of the people of England, capital punishment in most cases of offences unattended with violence, be a necessary, or even the most effectual security against the prevalence of crimes.

The deputy clerk of assize for the home circuit, has laid before the Committee, a return of commitments, convictions, and executions on that circuit, which comprehends the counties of Herts, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Sur rey, from 1689 to 1718, from 1755 to 1784, and from 1784 to 1814. The returns of the intermediate period, from 1718 to 1755, he will doubtless furnish very soon. From this important return it appears, that, for the first thirty years which followed the revolution, the average proportion of convictions to executions was 38 to 20; that from 1755 to 1784, it was 46 to 13; and that from 1784 to 1814, it was 74 to 19. It is worthy of remark, that the whole number of convictions for murder, on the home circuit, in the first period was 123; that the executions for the same period were 87: that in the second, the convictions for the same offence were 67, and the executions 57; and that in the third, the convictions were 54, and the executions 44. If the increase of the population, during a prosperous period of a hundred and thirty years, be taken into the account, and if we bear in mind that within that time a considerable city has grown up on the southern bank of the Thames, we shall be disposed to consider it as no exaggeration to affirm, that in this district (not one of the most favourably situated in this respect) murder has abated in the

remarkable proportion of three, if not four, to one.

In the thirty years from 1755 to 1784, the whole convictions for mur. der in London and Middlesex were 71; and in the thirty years from 1784 to 1814, they were 66. In the years 1815, 1816, and 1817, the whole convictions for murder in London were 9, while in the three preceding years they were 14. Most of the other returns relate to too short a period, or too narrow a district, to afford materials for safe conclusion with respect to the comparative frequency of crimes at different periods.

In general, however, it appears that murders, and other crimes of violence and cruelty, have either diminished, or not increased; and that the deplorable increase of criminals is not of such a nature as to indicate any diminution in the humanity of the people. The practice of immediately publishing the circumstances of every atrocious crime, and of circulating in various forms an account of every stage of the proceedings which relate to it, is far more prevalent in England than in any other country, and in our times than in any former age. It is on the whole of great utility, not only as a control on courts of judicature, but also as a means of rendering it extremely difficult for odious criminals to escape.

The statutes creating capital felonies, which the Committee have considered, are reducible to two classes; the first relates to acts either so nearly indifferent as to require no penalty, or if injurious, not of such a magnitude as that they may not safely be left punishable as misdemeanors at common law. In these the Committee propose the repeal; they are as follows:

1.-1 and 2 Phil. and Mary, c. 4. Egyptians remaining within the kingdom one month.

2.-18 Charles II, c. 3. Notori

ous thieves in Cumberland and Northumberland.

3.-9 Geo. I, c. 22. Being armed and disguised in any forest, park, &c. 4.-9 Geo. I, c. 22. Being armed

in any warren.
5.-9 Geo. I, c. 22.
in any high road, open
mon, or down.

Being armed heath, com

6.-9 Geo. I, c. 22. Unlawfully hunting, killing, or stealing deer. 7.-9 Geo. I, c. 22. Robbing warrens, &c.

8.-9 Geo. I, c. 22. Stealing or taking any fish out of any river or pond, &c.

9.-9 Geo. I, c. 22. Hunting in his Majesty's forests or chases.

10.-9 Geo. I, c. 22. Breaking down the head or mound of a fish pond.

11.-9 Geo. I, c. 28. guised within the Mint.

Being dis

12.-12 Geo. II, c. 29. Injuring of Westminster-bridge, and other bridges by other acts.

The second class consists of those offences, which, though in the opinion of the Committee never fit to be punished with death, are yet so malignant and dangerous as to require the highest punishments except death, which are known to our laws. These the Committee would make punishable, either by transportation, or imprisonment with hard labour, allowing considerable scope to the discretion of the judges respecting the term for which either punishment is to endure. 1.-31 Eliz. c. 9. Taking away. any maid, widow, or wife, &c.

2.-21 Jac. I, c. 26. Acknowledging or procuring any fine, recovery, &c.

3.-4 Geo. I, c. 2, s. 4. Helping to the recovery of stolen goods.

4.-9 Geo. I, c. 22. Maliciously killing or wounding cattle.

5.-9 Geo. I, c. 22. Cutting down or destroying trees growing, &c.

6.-5 Geo. II, c. 30.

not surrendering, &c.

Bankrupts

7.-5 Geo. II, c. 30. Concealing or embezzling.

8.-6 Geo. II, c. 37. Cutting down the bank of any river.

9.-8 Geo. II, c. 20. Destroying any fence, lock, sluice, &c.

10.-26 Geo. II, c. 23. Making a false entry in a marriage register, &c. five felonies.

11.-27 Geo. II, c. 15. Sending threatening letters.

12.-27 Geo. II, c. 19. Destroying bank, &c. Bedford level. 13.-3 Geo. III, c. 16. Personating out-pensioners of Greenwich hospital.

14.-22 Geo. III, c. 40. Maliciously cutting serges.

15.-24 Geo. III, c. 47. Harbouring offenders against that (revenue) act, when returned from transportation.

It does not seem necessary to make any observations in this place on the punishments of transportation and imprisonment, which the Committee have proposed to substitute for that of death in the second of the two classes above mentioned. In their present imperfect state they are sufficient for such offences; and in the more improved condition in which the Committee trust that all the prisons of the kingdom will soon be placed, imprisonment may be hoped to be of such a nature as to answer every purpose of terror and reformation.

On the three capital felonies of, privately stealing in a shop to the amount of five shillings-of, privately stealing in a dwelling-house to the amount of forty shillings-and of, privately stealing from vessels in a navigable river to the amount of forty shillings,the House of Commons have pronounced their opinion, by passing Bills for reducing the punishment to transportation or imprisonment.

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