148] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



steps ought to be taben, or how 

 the trustees of any charitable in- 

 stitution were to be brought to 

 justice. His lordship did not 

 intend to resist the commitment 

 of the bill, but he despaired of 

 rendering it unobjectionable. 



Lord Holland said, that this 

 was not a bUl empowering com- 

 missioners to judge, but only to 

 inquire — to ascertain the nature 

 and extent of existing abuses. 

 It was not an inquiry directed 

 against trustees or visitors, but in 

 their favour; and if they dis- 

 charged their duty faithfully, it 

 would only redound to their 

 honour, and to the satisfaction of 

 the House. The result of the 

 investigation might be the proof 

 that no abuse existed, and then 

 parliament must proceed with 

 the work of education with such 

 means as it could furnish ; but if 

 it were found that the funds had 

 been misapplied, or that the insti- 

 tutions had fallen into neglect, 

 then it would be able to judge 

 what steps ought to be taken to 

 advance the improvement of the 

 lower orders with the means thus 

 discovered. Upon the whole he 

 should support the bill, because 

 it instituted an inquiry which the 

 legislature had a right to make, 

 which it ought to make, and 

 which it frequently had made. 



Lord Redesdale said, he was 

 convinced the bill could do no 

 good, and might occasion infinite 

 mischief. He pursued this strain 

 of speaking in a manner similar 

 to that of the lord Chancellor; 

 and concluded with saying, that 

 if such a bill passed, trustees 

 would consist only of persons of 

 great zeal and of little discretion. 



The Earl of Carnarvon asserted, 



that if the House was' prepared 

 to resist all preliminary inquiry 

 because they did not then know 

 what might be the results of that 

 inquiry, and to say that they 

 would receive only specific bills 

 for every abuse which could 

 somehow be proved to them, this 

 bill must of course be rejected. 

 But unless they were prepared to 

 go so far, he could conceive no 

 reason why the bill should not be 

 committed. It might come out 

 of the committee much improved, 

 and be a bill calculated to do 

 infinite good. 



The House divided ; Contents, 

 10; Not-contents, 8. The bill 

 was accordingly committed. 



On the motion of the Earl of 

 Rossi yn, their lordships proceeded 

 on June 1st to take into consi- 

 deration the report of the com- 

 mittee on this bill, when several 

 amendments were made. On the 

 question being put, that the bill 

 be read a third time, the Lord 

 Chancellor rose, and said that in 

 his opinion the bill was very much 

 improved since it had come from 

 the Commons, though some per- 

 sons, without duly considering 

 the subject, appeared to think 

 otherwise. He then said, that 

 something had occurred on the 

 matter in another place, on which 

 he wished to speak a few words. 

 Addressing their lordships, he 

 said, that his conduct had not 

 been treated with that justice and 

 propriety which he conceived it 

 deserved. The attack, however, 

 should not diminish the respect 

 and civility which he had always 

 shown to every member of par- 

 liament, or to every gentleman, 

 especially to those of his own 

 profession. 



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