1822.] 
followed the no less beneficial system of na- 
tional schools, which afford to the poor of 
every class education suitable to their state 
and condition in life. In addition to those 
means of improvement, another has been 
opened, not less advantageous to the poor 
—I allude to the great facilities which at 
present exist, of getting the most valuable 
works at a rate so very cheap as to bring 
them within the compass ofall. Some time 
ago an establishment was commenced bya 
number of individuals, with a capital of not 
less than 1,000,900/., for the purpose of 
printing standard works at a cheap rate. 
By that establishment the history of 
Hume, the works of Butfon, the Encyclo- 
pedia, and other valuable productions, were 
sold in small numbers at sixpence each, 
and by this means sources of the highest 
and most useful instruction were placed 
within the poor man’s reach. I regret 
much to add, that this valuable establish- 
- ment was very much checked inits opera- 
tion, by the effect of one of those acts for 
the suppression of knowledge which were 
passed in the year 1819. . I regret this the 
more, as one of the rules of that establish- 
ment has been, not to allow the venders of 
their works to sell any book on the politi- 
cal controversies of the day. 
In noticing the means which have con- 
tributed so mach to the mental improve- 
ment of the great body of the people, I 
ought not to omit noticing the very good 
effects which have resulted from the exer- 
tions of the Bible Society, the Religious 
Tract Society, the Society for the Dissemi- 
nation of Christian Knowledge, and other 
valuable associations of similar character. 
Since the commencement of the Bible 
Society, it has applied the immense sum of 
900,0001, to the laudable purpose of disse- 
minating the knowledge of the Scriptures. 
From the Religious Tract Society not fewer 
‘than five millions of tracts are distributed 
annually, and the Society for Christian 
Knowledge distributes one million. These 
» facts will show thé rapid strides which have 
been made by the public in the improve- 
ment of general knowledge. 
I will now come to the state of political 
‘knowledge in the country. This has been 
greatly augmented by the extraordinary in- 
crease in the circulation of newspapers. 
Some time ago I moved for a return of the 
number and circulation ot the several news- 
papers printed in London and in the coun- 
try. That return has not been made in the 
manner in which I had intended ; but from 
the account I was enabled to procure, it 
appears, that there were not less than 
‘23,600,000 newspapers sold in the country 
in the last year. Of these the daily Lon- 
don papers sold. above 11,000,000, the 
country papers above 7,000,000, and the 
weekly papers above 2,000,000. From 
another source I have been enabled to pro- 
Literary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
59 
cure more particular information as to the 
increase in the number of papers within 
the last thirty or forty years, the substance 
of which I will read to the House, 
Years 1782. 1790. 
In England. -50 ..++s.++ G0---++- 2° 135 
In Scotland++ 8 «+++ ++++ 27 .... ee Sl 
In Ireland +. 3 es0--eee OF L. wee e ee 
London, daily .9 «++-+++++ 14.2... 205% 
Twice a-week 9 .-cc.+es JFrsceseee 8 
Weekly --.- O-+-. L1.. J fie ve 59 
BritishIslands 0 «+ssse.+ Qeeesseee 6 
146 284 
making in the whole the increase in the 
number since 1790, from 146 to 284, which 
is very nearly double in the space of thirty 
years,” 
An agent of a Missionary Society 
has published a statement, that an 
American captain has brought to the 
Cape, from the north-east coast of 
China, the dead body of a real mer- 
maid. Though the story, like all im- 
postures, comes from afar, it may be 
true; and, if so, we shall avail our- 
selves of the earliest opportunity of 
laying any authenticated details before 
our readers. 
Some of the finest pictures in every 
respect, as well in design as in execu- 
tion, have been produced by Mr. 
Martin, and are now to be viewed in 
Piccadilly. We mightas wellattempt 
to describe the sublimities of Shake- 
speare and Milton in a paragraph as 
to convey any adequate idea of the 
soaring genius of Mr. Martin. His 
pictures are poems of the highest 
order, in an unexceptionable style of 
painting. Nor are they like those of 
any previous master or school, but are 
as original as they are superior. His 
Fall of Babylon, his Destruction of 
Herculaneum, Sadak in search of the 
Waters of Oblivion, and the Expul- 
sion of Adam and Eve, will always be 
among the first pictures of the British 
school, and of all schools. ; 
In an adjoining room of the Egyp- 
tian Gallery, Mr. Day, a connoisseur, 
whose fine taste is shown by its re- 
sults, exhibits some originals of the 
Italian masters, by which we are 
brought into contact, almost for the 
first time, with the genius of Titian, 
Raphael, and some other gods of their 
art. These specimens transcend all 
others which have been exhibited in 
England, where mere manufactured 
pictares are usually found; and they 
convey to the mind of the English ob- 
server his first impressions of the actual 
superiority 
