PROCEEDINGS OF PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 



IMPORTANT EVIDENCE given befme a 



COMMITTEE of the HOUSE o/" COMMONS 

 on EDUCATION. 



Mr. Win. Freeman Lloijd. 



ARC you acquainted witli the state 

 of the childien of the poor in the 

 metropolis ? — Yes ; ciiicdy from my ac- 

 quaint:iiice with Sunday schools, and 

 with those who conduct them, and from 

 having visited tiie poor at their own ha- 

 bitations. 



Arc >ou ahle to form an opinion of 

 the number of children educated in Sun- 

 day schools in the metropolis? — I have 

 drawn out a statement a^ nearly as 

 lean. 



Sunday Schools. Scholars, 



East London District . . y ^91 

 Ditto . . . Adults . . '580 

 West London District . . 8,708 

 .Sontliwavk ditto . . . 7,361 

 North and Central ditto . . 9.5t>o 



35,160 

 I tinnk tlicrc are several Sunday schools 

 either not known or not rcpoilcd iij the 

 above : 1 think the number of Sunday 

 scholars in the metropolis is about 

 40,000. 



How many teachers are employed in 

 those schools?— About 4000. 



What difference is there between a 

 Sunday school and a day scliool ? — Sun- 

 day schools instinct those poor children 

 whose time is fnlly employed in labour 

 during the week days, and to them this 

 is the only opportunity of gaiin'ng in- 

 struction ; the cliildren also learn their 

 lessons during the week, to repeat to 

 their teachers on Sunday; and the 

 teachers visit their children "at their own 

 habitations, and procure the co-operation 

 of f'eir parents, and watch over their 

 conduct as much as they can. 



If chi'dven were not "clothed in paro- 

 cliial schools, but that expense saved, 

 might not a much greater number of 

 children be educated than are now, in 

 the respective parishes of London'.'— 

 Certainly, the expense of clothing one 

 cliild would educate several ; a n-reat 

 many more might have instructio'n ; I 

 suppose nearly the uliolc uneducated 

 penr of the metropolis. 



Do you think it is better to give edu- 

 cation to a great number, than instruc- 

 tion and clothing only to a few ?— Cer- 

 tainly, much better. 



Would not occasional clothing, by 

 way of reward, have a belter effect tlian 



regular clothing at certain periods'— I 

 conceive so, because it would be unex- 

 pectedly and conditional. 



Would children bo more likely to 

 meet with employment, in your opinion 

 if they were better educated ?— It is one 

 ot the first enquii ies we make, when we- 

 want servants in trade, how they have 

 been educated ; and they are very fre- 

 quently incapacitated from filling many 

 situations, because they have not been 

 taught when young. 



Do you know whether shopkeepers 

 and wholesale houses, in the city prefer 

 youths from the country, to those born 

 and educated in London? — Very fre- 

 quently so. 



Do they prefer youths in the various 

 capacities of porters, warehousemen 

 and clerks, and, in short, in all the de- 

 partments of trade ?— In most cases they 

 certainly do prefer lads from Uic 

 country. 



Are they also preferred as domestic 

 servants?— In general, so far as my ex- 

 perience extends. 



For what reason are tlicy preferred .'— 

 Because their character is better known 

 their morals more frequently unconta- 

 mmated ; and I tliink the education of 

 those who arc sent oft' to town has been 

 much better attended to than those per- 

 sons born in London. 



Jfave you any idea how many yountf 

 men come up to London annuajly to 

 .seek for situations, both domestic and in 

 trade?— It is impossible to speak with 

 any accuracy; but I have heard many 

 intelligent men, who have had long ex- 

 perience on the subject, calculate that 

 nearly 10,000 come up annually. 



Includingfootmen, jiorters, and clerks? 

 — All descriptions of ser^ ants. 



Are you acquainted w ilh any of tU© 

 principals of the trading and commercial 

 houses of the cifv of London?— Yes 

 many of them. ' ' 



Do you know whether they originally 

 came from the country, or were born ii| 

 London ?— I should think the majority 

 came from the country. 



Is it not a remarkable fact, and well 

 known, that the large proportion of the 

 liousekeepers in the city of London 

 came from the country ?— Yes, I con- 

 ceive so. 



And generally without property?— 

 Most of them, I think, *^ ^ ■> 



They have generally risen by their 

 own merit ?— Yes, from cluks, or even 



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