1. The nature and amount of their respective income, annual or contingent, and arising from fines or otherwise, for five years last past.

2. The average number of children educated in each of the said schools during the five last years; specifying the number of those children which have been clothed, and those which have been not only clothed but boarded.

3. The dates of the respective foundations of such schools; and by whom, or in what manner, they were established.

4. The will, deed, or other regulation, by

--We find by those returns, comprising very nearly the whole of England and Wales, that the number of children (out of the workhouse) between five years and fourteen years of age, who have been the subject of parish relief, is 188,794; whereas the number of those, who have had the benefit of schools of industry and receiving education, have amounted only to 20,336; being not so much as one-ninth of the number receiving parish relief.-The poor's rate actually returned for one year, ending Easter 1803, considerably exceeds FIVE MILLIONS STERLING. Of this it appears by the returns, that only the sum of 10,9271. 6s. 6d. has been expended in materials for employing the poor out of the workhouse; and 38,760l. 18s. 2d. in materials for employing them in the workhouse or house of industry; two sums, which do not together amount to ONE HUNDREDTH PART of the money actually raised. The earnings of all the poor, in and out of the workhouse, amount to 87,272l. 10s.; or about one-sixtieth of the money raised for them.-4 June, 1804.

which they are governed, and where deposited, proved, or registered.

5. Whether any, or what, practicable improvement, or extension, can be safely and properly adopted, as to the beneficial effects of their respetive schools.

This return may be made to the Clerk of the House of Commons: but it is conceived, that it would be better that it should be made to the Privy Council; and that the arrangement and application of the evidence to be obtained, and the report upon it, should be prepared by, or under the direction of a Special Committee of the Privy Council. The object of the report would be to point out any measures proper to be adopted for extending, either by the exist ing means, or by additional establishments, a proper and useful system of education for the benefit of all the lower classes.

The education of all the children of the poor may, it is conceived, be provided for ;

1. By opening the charity schools, or those established on charitable foundation, to all the original objects of the founder.

2. By engrafting on them day schools for the admission of all the other poor children of

the vicinage, on limited terms; such as those adopted in West-street, Seven Dials, of threepence per week, or in Chester.

3. By opening parochial schools (where wanted) for admission of the children of the poor, on terms of similar limitation.

4. By official application to the Lord Chancellor, where uncorrected abuses of charity schools are continued.

5. By enabling the magistrate (in certain cases and ages, when the parent is not able to pay the three-pence a week for his child's schooling) to order the payment of it, as an act of parish relief.

The whole system of education in this coun try may be thus completed with a trifling alteration of the mode, and with very little if any increase in the parochial charges.

10th Jan. 1804.

No. XXVIII.

The History of Betty Thomson, and her Family and Neighbours; being the First Part of a practical Commentary on the Reports of the Society for bettering the Condition of the Poor.

CHAPTER I.

The Death of SQUIRE GOOD ENOUGH.-Some Account of Him.-His grand Monument.Who Mrs. Jones was.

SQUIRE

QUIRE GOODENOUGH's death * last winter was regretted by every one; but by none more, than by his tenants and neighbours at Monk Appleton, where his estate was situated, and where he had spent the last ten years of his life. The Squire, in his youth, had been called to the bar, and had had some share of business; being a man of a sound understanding, and unsullied character, though not gifted

This little narrative will not be found in the Reports, but is now first published. It is also printed separately for Distribution, in the hope of its inducing the Cottager to benefit by some of the improvements recommended by the Society.

with those peculiar talents, which are essential to an elevated situation in that profession. His age was between forty and fifty, when he came into possession of his uncle's estate, on the death of his cousin, without issue.

He determined to quit the law, to which he had never been much attached; to put the family seat in repair, and fixing himself in the midst of his estate, to try how far the property which had devolved to him upon his cousin's death, could be made the source of comfort and advantage to himself, and to those about him. The greater part of his law library he sold: and purchased all the Tracts he could meet with, respecting the economy of the Poor, and the improvement of their domestic habits and comforts. He soon became capable of distinguishing between the different classes of authors; between those who formed books from the day-dreams of their waking hours, and those who gave the result of what had been fairly tried, and the observations which had occurred during the trial.

Mr. Goodenough began by serving in rotation the different parish offices. He then took out his dedimus, as a magistate. In his new line of the profession, he found it much easier