Regent's Chancellor also attended, to represent his Royal Highness, who was pleased to transmit, by means of this highly respected officer, another message, and to add largely to his former contributions to its funds. If any thing could compensate the melancholy tution are at present by no means adequate to defray the charges of Board, Lodging, and Clothing, of a sufficient number of Youths, (expenses which, in the training of them to the period of their fitness to take the charge of schools, are unavoidable), the friends to this cause are solicited to become Annual Subscribers, of sums from One to Ten Guineas. On the motion of his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, and seconded by his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, • Resolved, 15th, That from a Report presented to this Meeting, it appears, that the Donations and Subscriptions received by Mr Lancaster, prior to the year 1808, had fallen short of the actual charges for the erection of suitable buildings, and the maintenance of intended Schoolmasters, and that a considerable debt had been incurred, for which the Gentlemen, since appointed Mr Lancaster's Trustees, actuated by an earnest desire to prevent the failure of so important a work, and relying on the future support of a liberal and beneficent Public, not only rendered themselves responsible, but took measures for enlarging the operation of the System. On the motion of the Duke of Kent, and seconded by the Duke of Sussex, Resolved, 16th, That from a consideration of the great utility of the object, and the facility with which the benefits of the Institution may be extended, not only to all parts of the British Empire, but to the whole civilized world, the donations of the Public are solicit ed to relieve it from the burthen of a debt which amounts to about 50007,—a sum which it is hoped will not be considered as large, when set against the gratuitous education of near 7000 children in the Metropolis; the board, clothing, and training near 100 qualifi ed Teachers, and the many thousands now educating through Mr Lancaster's exertions in the country; to which also must be added, the full establishment of a system which may be made effective to the instruction of hundreds of thousands, and thereby contribute to the national prosperity. On the motion of the Duke of Sussex, and seconded by the Resolved, 17th, That the thanks of this Meeting be given to those Noblemen and Gentlemen who have undertaken to act as a Committee in aid of the Finances of this Institution. Resolved, That these Resolutions be published. - (Signed) BEDFORD. His Grace the Duke of Bedford having left the Chair, it was kea by his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. VOL. XIX. NO. 37. B On melancholy loss which it had sustained of the Sovereign's steady, warm, and unceasing patronage, this exemplary conduct of his Successor was well calculated to serve the purpose. Thus supported, the success of the establishment was no longer a matter of doubt: every day added largely to its numbers; nor have we any fear that, before the next Report is presented to the public, the funds required for supplying teachers to all parts of the country will be provided; and the numbers of provincial schools increased by the removal of the only material obstacle which has hitherto stood in their way. The documents now before us do not contain all the particulars which the reader who interests himself in this important subject will naturally be anxious to learn. Perhaps a copy of the Rules of the Institution, which are few and simple, as its objects are plain and well defined, might with advantage have been inserted in the Report, or subjoined to the Resolutions. We should also have liked to see a more full list of the donations and annual subscriptions, as nothing more directly tends to facilitate contributions, than the sceing what others in the like circumstances with ourselves have given. The annual subscriptions are, by one of the resolutions, limited to ten guineas, and not less than one; but it is convenient for each individual to know who pays one, who five, and who ten, yearly. For the same reason, we should like to see by whom the different donations have been given. The Report only mentions some of the donors of large sums. We cannot resist the temptation of adorning our pages with some of these names:-Mr Maitland, member for Chippenham; Mr Henry Sterry; and Messrs Richard, Joseph, and Hudson Gurney (we believe of Norwich), have each subscribed one hundred pounds. Mr Rogers, the celebrated poet, (but still more esteemed, by those who know him, for his general benevolence, and his steady attachment to liberty and all the best interests of mankind), offered either a gift of one hundred, or a loan On the motion of his Royal Higness the Duke of Sussex, Resolved, That the thanks of this Meeting be most respectfully presented to his Grace the Duke of Bedford, and to the Right Hon. Lord Somervilie, for the generous manner in which they have patronized the Lancasterian System of Education, from its first invention to the present time. Resolved, That the thanks of this Meeting be given to his Grace the Duke of Bedford, for his kindness in taking the Chair on the present occasion, and for the able manner in which he has perform ed the duties of the office. (Signed) EDWARD, D. of K. Chairman. loan of two; and the latter was accepted. Mr John Walker, of Southgate, did the same; and about thirty other individuals lent one hundred pounds each. In this number we meet with the names of Mr Henry Thornton, Sir George Mackenzie, Mr Astley Cooper, and many others well known to their country. It would gratify us extremely, if we could add the names of two generous benefactors, who transmitted, anonymously, the suns of two hundred pounds and five hundred guineas. This last munificent donation, like one to the same amount which we had occasion to record in our History of the African Institution, was stated to come from a Member of the Society of Friends. In all likelihood, it proceeded from the same quarter. It is, however, of more moderate sums that the bulk of the contributions must be composed; and respecting, as we do, the mite which falls from the hand of generous poverty, and even the pittance which is wrung from avarice by the force of high principle, or the temporary ascendancy of kinder feelings, we would have a column of units, as well as of hundreds, in this honourable and interesting account. It is also material that places should be indicated, in the country, as well as in London, where subscriptions may be received; for, although the proper way to promote this system, is to form committees, and carry en schools in each neighbourhood (receiving from the Institution the proper plans and teachers), and consequently persons residing at a distance will for the most part bestow their contributions in this way to the several local funds, yet a few may every where be found, disposed to remain unconnected with any such funds, while some may be desirous of contributing in both ways.† We cannot dismiss this very pleasing part of our task, without noticing some other facts, illustrative of the progress of the system, which the papers now before us narrate. The following circumstances are highly honourable to the illustrious person, of whom they are related; and we anxiously hope that his example. may find imitators among the other commanders of our forces. The Commander-in-chief has certainly done his utmost to encourage it, in the orders to which we had the satisfaction of referring in our last Number. † * See our Review of the three first Reports, in the 30th Number. As far as relates to this part of the country, we beg leave to offer the medium of the very respectable Publishers of the Edinburgh Review, who will receive subscriptions for the Institution. In London, the bankers are, Messrs Kensington, Lombard-street Coutts, Strand; and Hoares, Fleet-street. + See Review of Fifth African Report, No. XXXVI. His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent has set a most important example, by introducing the Lancasterian system into the army; having attached a school to his own regiment. The school consists of the children of the privates, and amounts to 220. A young man, a serjeant in the regiment, was trained for the schoolmaster, at the Borough Road; and the school was instituted at Malden, in Essex, where the regiment was then quartered. Great credit is due to Lieutenant-colonel M'Leod and the other officers, who cooperated with their Royal Commander in his benevolent design. The regi ment lately removed its quarters to Dunbar, where the establishment. 'was carried on. Mr Lancaster, on his journey to Scotland, found it in an excellent state of order. By permission of the Duke, a num ber of these boys went to Edinburgh, to illustrate the system in the lecture delivered there by Mr Lancaster. The regiment is now quartered at Stirling; and the school, at the request of the Magistrates, is kept in the Guildhall of Stirling Castle; many of the town's children participating in its benefits. The Committee have great pleasure in adding, that the commanders of several military depots, and also of militia regiments, have applied to Mr L. for assistance in forming schools. In last March, Mr L. opened a school at Windsor, established by Lieutenant-colonel Newdigate, for the children of the privates of the King's own regiment of Staffordshire militia; and it is hoped that these examples will speedily be followed by all commanders. On joining the Duke of Kent's regiment, if a recruit is found incapable of reading, he is sent to the school; and, as a powerful stimulus to exertion, those who make a good proficieney in learning are put down as duplicate non-commissioned officers. > Report, p. 19, 20. Steps have been taken for diffusing the inestimable benefits of this system in foreign countries. The Americans have eagerly adopted it; and schools have been established upon its principles in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and other places. A respectable society, formed at George-Town, Maryland, for promoting the education of the poor, has recently applied to Mr Lancaster for a suitable schoolmaster. General Miranda, before leaving England, visited the Borough School, accompanied by the deputies from the Caraccas; and they formed the resolution of sending over, upon their arrival, two young men, who might be instruct ed in the principles of the system. In the island of Antigua, a benevolent individual, whose name we regret to find suppressed, has founded schools upon this plan, for the education of above nine hundred persons. The Committee of the Institution has very properly assisted him with all the requisite lessons, and other apparatus for the complete outfit of two schools. The leading members of the Institution are, as we have already mentioned, among the most active abolitionists and friends to the improvement of the great African continent. It was clear, therefore, that they they would attempt the introduction of the system into those dark and oppressed regions. With this view, when a young African, who had been brought from the West Indies to England, and had consequently acquired his liberty, was presented to them, and found to possess good abilities and dispositions, he was admitted into the establishment in the Borough, and trained for a schoolmaster. His talents and perseverance raised the most sanguine expectations of the success of this humane and well-devised experiment: but unhappily the poor young man died in August, 1810, of a pulmonary complaint, Not discouraged by this melancholy event, the Committee have adopted further measures, with the same benevolent views. They have taken care that the missionaries Wilhelm and Klein, who are about to visit Africa under the patronage of the very praiseworthy Society for Missionaries to Africa and the East, should receive ample instructions, by a daily attendance at the Borough School, for nearly two months. They have also made a proposal to the African Institution (as we formerly mentioned), to educate and qualify as schoolmasters, two African youths, of good promise, to be selected by the directors of that admirable society. The offer was gratefully accepted; and the Committee express their hopes that much good will be done to the children of the natives of Africa; who, it is understood, are exceedingly desirous to be instructed in what they term, the white man's book.' Nescia mens hominum! Little do the poor Africans know the perilous gift they are wishing for; and little do their friends consider how baneful a service they are about to render those helpless objects of their solicitude! Professor Marsh, Mr Wordsworth, and some dozens of political churchmen, have discovered-or have restored the lost invention of the Romish priesthood-that the white man's book' is not to be entrusted with safety to any but the already enlightened few; and that it were better for nations to remain in outer darkness, than be illuminated with the dangerous and uncertain lights which beam from the very sources of Inspiration! 6 We have now related whatever appeared to us most important in the history of this important system; and we have performed the grateful task of detailing, not indeed the whole of its triumphs, but such passages as may serve for samples of the great and increasing success which has every where attended Those who recollect the ferment which it at first excited among certain classes of feeble bigots and clerical jobbers, will easily believe that the events we have been dwelling upon could jt. B 3 See Review of the Fifth Report, No. XXXVI. not |