826 Objections to Mr. Brougham's Education Bill. [May I, 



have well profited by the lessons they 

 have received in Mr. M'Adam's publi- 

 cations, particularly as to the use of hard 

 and small broken stones, to the exclusion 

 of smooth and round ones, except in 

 small and clean-sifted gravel (wherein 

 unavoidably, smooth and round stones, 

 when small, must be admitted to a place 

 on the road) and to preserving a proper 

 but moderate rounding of the road. 



An old Road Surveyor. 



all the other fifteen trusts held a meet- 

 ing at the Crown and Anchor on the 

 16(h inst. at which they passed a set of 

 resolutions, highly condemnatory of 

 the changes contemplated by this bill. 



Another set of men-, who often are, 

 although sometimes secretly, amongst 

 •the most influential persons in a road 

 trust, viz. the attornies or solicitors 

 acting as clerks, or as treasurers to 

 such trusts; these the present bill 

 takes care of, by proposing to enact, 

 that no attorney or solicitor, but those 

 now in possession of the good things 

 attached to these offices, in one or other 

 of these sixteen trusts, shall be eligible 

 to either of these offices under the new 

 trusts. 



The bill does not stop here, but con- 

 tains a blank foi certain names, which 

 its framers have probably ere this sup- 

 plied, as " general Trustees of the 

 London districts;" whose chief office 

 it seems intended to be, to mix and 

 act with the division trustees, on all 

 occasions when patronage is available ; 

 as for instance in the appointment of a 

 principal clerk, and principal treasurer, 

 and more especially of a general sur- 

 veyor, and his three assistants, &c. 



To the general surveyor so to be ap- 

 pointed, most unusual poweis are in- 

 tended to be given, viz. that he should, 

 apparently, without power to the dis- 

 trict trustees for interfering, appoint 

 all sub-surveyors, inspectors, labourers 

 or other persons, (meaning, apparently, 

 the tradesmen of every description) to 

 be employed throughout all the three 

 divisions; and to dismiss, discharge, 

 or change any such, A\'henever, and as 

 to him shall seem meet. 



Such are the features of a bill, which, 

 it is to be hoped, may never pass into 

 a law, because of the public and pri- 

 vate injury which it would occasion, 

 particularly to the present road-sur- 

 veyors in the several trusts; who are 

 noways noticed in this bill, except, as 

 an unjust censure on them is implied in 

 its preamble ; and a continuation of 

 their services, generally, is understood 

 not to be in the contemplation of a 

 certain would-be " general surveyor, 

 of the London district of road," by, and 

 for whom, in a principal degree, all the 

 late and present novel attempts in road 

 legislation are understood to have been 

 made. 



It is a fact apparent to eyery one, that 

 the roads round London are now in a 

 good state, &nA that such of the survey- 

 ors upon them, as stood in need thereof, 



To the Editor of the Montjtlt^ Magazine . 



SIR, 



IT is distressing to the friends of 

 civil and religious liberty to be 

 obliged to ditfer in opinion from such 

 a man as Mr, Brougham; his Education 

 Bill hasdisappointed men of all parties, 

 and both Churchmen and Dissenters 

 find just cause of complaint in several 

 of its clauses. However, I think the 

 strongest objection lies against the 

 compulsoiy principle of this bill, and 

 its connection with the poor-rates. 

 Thus the country is already groaning 

 under the burden of these wretched 

 laws ; it seems madness to bring for- 

 wiard any system of national ctlncation 

 composed of such materials. If the 

 knowledge of reading and writing is to 

 produce any benefit to the common 

 people, it must consist in raising then;» 

 up from that state of deiKsndence into 

 which tliey have been thrown by the 

 parish-rates. But how is this to be 

 accomplished if they are taught to re- 

 verence these friends from their in- 

 fancy, and if the benefits of educatioa 

 are to be conveyed to them through 

 these channels ? 



1 do not like the principle of taxing 

 any man for purposes of this kind, it 

 seems to me a positive infringement on 

 the liberty of conscience to oblige a 

 man to pay for a system of instruction 

 of which perhaps he cannot approve. 

 And in this country it is legislating 

 quite on new ground, which, if it be 

 once admitted, may hereafter reach to 

 all our other charitable institutions. 

 Indeed, I think there would be greater 

 justice in assessing me towards a county 

 hospital, than towards a village-school, 

 because no man can doubt whether the 

 mending of legs and arms is not a 

 pTiblic benefit, but many people have 

 serious scruples, whether we are doing 

 good or harm by our plans of national 

 education. And it is nothing to say, 

 that these people are mistaken. If 

 they are honest in their scruples, they 

 ought to be treated with tenderness and 

 finbearance 



