18l6.} Education Committee of 



tity of space we consider neeessnry for 

 a child is six square feet ; some people 

 say seven, but we think six siifKcieiit, 

 allowing for absentees ; so that a room 

 30 feet by 20 will hold 100 ciiildrcn. 



According to the plan of the National 

 Society, what is the expense of books 

 for fifty boys? — The total expense of 

 Looks for fifty children is 1/. 3*. lid. 

 amounting to less than sixpence for each 

 child ; but as, under good management, 

 each of the tracts compreliendcd in this 

 calculation, will serve six children in 

 succession, the real expense for books, 

 for suitable instruction in reading, and 

 in the first rudiments of religion, cannot 

 be calculated at more than one penny 

 for eacli child. 



What is the expense of slates and 

 pencils for the same number' — Not 

 more than two-pence halfpenny a child. 



Can you give the Committee an esti- 

 mate of the expense of teaching 500 

 children? — ^The room being given, I 

 conceive four siiillings and two-pence a 

 head abundantly sufficient. 



What is the longest time that you 

 take a boy for education ? — We admit 

 fiiem at seven years old, and they may 

 remain till they are fourteen; I should 

 conceive two years abundantly sufficient 

 for any boy. 



What is the time it takes to educate a 

 master?^ — If a man is clever and active, 

 about six weeks or two months. 



How many, masters have you sent out 

 during the last twelvemonth? — Masters 

 sent out to arrange schools, 49; boys 

 ditto, 18; mistresses, 33; girls, IG ; mas- 

 tors received from the country for in- 

 struction, 50 ; mistresses, 41. 

 5Tr. IViomas Biggs. 



Are you secretary to the West Lou- 

 don Lancasterian Association? — \'es. 



When was that established? — In July 

 1813. 



Uneducated Children, 



the House of Commons. 3 13 



How did you proceed? — From lious* 

 to house, and in many instances from 

 room to room, for the purpose of ascer- 

 taining the number of those children that 

 were educated, and those that were not; 

 and we found a great number of the chil- 

 dren in that place in extreme wretch^ 

 edness, without iiistruclion, or the means 

 of procuiing it ; and tlie result of the in- 

 vestigation, which continued for several 

 days from nine o'clock in tiie morning 

 until dark in the evening, was, that w* 

 obtained this information, that there was 

 a great proportion of children unedu- 

 cated, as in the above table. Wretch- 

 edness and filth were in the extreme ; iit 

 many places, they had nothiiig to li* 

 upon; and a great number of them sub- 

 sisted by making clothes for the soldiers { 

 many, who after they had been em- 

 ployed a whole day about a coat, got 

 fivepence for it; their husbands were 

 gone for soldiers, and that was the only 

 employ they had to subsist themselves 

 and family upon. They were all ex- 

 ceedingly anxious to have their children 

 instructed, and seemed to be highly gra- 

 tified in being informed that it was likely 

 tlielr wishes would be complied with. 



Were they closely packed? — Exceed- 

 ingly so ; in every room of the house wa? 

 a different tenant, from the ground-floor 

 up to the garret. 



To what streets or courts do you refer 

 as the worst part of the district you sur- 

 veyed? — Short's-gardens and the courts 

 and alleys adjoining, and the courts 

 united with Kroad-strect, St. Giles's, 

 particularly one filled with Irish, whlcli 

 were packed together iu the most mi- 

 serable state. 



Were they in a state of great filth ? — 

 Extreme filth indeed; we were almost 

 fearful of entering some of the apart- 

 ments, but we received the greateyt 

 civility and kindness, and no doubt 

 should have received subscriptions from 

 them if they had been able, but tli^y 

 were totally unable to coiitiibute any 

 thing; tiie amount of subscriptions wa 

 received from the decent inhabitants 

 was fil. 6s. 



Were the children whom you saw in 

 this miserable place, so deficient in 

 clothing that Ihcy could not have at- 

 toniied any school, if there had hctni 

 one? — They could not without beinj 

 tlioroughly cleaned, many nearly wWU- 

 out covering, and mostly williout shoes. 

 (I'o he remmed in our next Number.) 



BRITISH 



