ISLE of MAN, 451 
ssefifes of religious education, commenced a daily and Sun¬ 
day fchool in the town of Douglas, in the year 1809, 
upon Mr. Lancafter’s plan; and, having witneiled the ra¬ 
pid improvement made, and the habits of virtue and or¬ 
der acquired by the fcboiars, they have begun to build a 
fchool capable of containing 700 children, the expence of 
which, although -condufted on the molt Ample and eco¬ 
nomical plan, mull necelfarily be great. The committee 
are therefore at this moment (Sept. 1811) advertifmg for 
fubfcriptions to enable them to complete their defign. 
The Ifle of Man is a place of confiderable refort for 
ftrangers, and is become fo chiefly or altogether upon two 
accounts. The firft is, that it is a place privileged by 
law from all debts not contracted here ; and from debts 
contracted here, if not with the inhabitants, as far as re*- 
Jpefts the perfon and money of the debtor, but not his 
goods. The fecond reafon is, that a family may live, es¬ 
pecially in the country, and more particularly at the 
northern part, at a very Small expence. To elucidate this 
fubjeft, it may be proper to mention a few examples of 
expenditure. At Douglas, where the price of articles, 
owing to the influx of flu-angers, has doubled within the 
la ft ten years, veal or mutton is fold at 6d. or 7d. per pound, 
beef at 6d. and pork, by the fide, at 3gd. frefli butter from 
9d. to is. eggs from 41!. to 8d. per dozen, being ac¬ 
counted dear when exceeding 6d. and fowls from is. 6d. 
to 2s. per couple ; port wine, very good, at 21s. per do¬ 
zen ; brandy at ns. 6d. per gallon ; hollands at 11s. 6d. 
rum from 6s. to 8s. 6d. tea from 4s. to 6s. per pound j 
refined fugar from 9d. upwards, and fait at 3s. per cvvt. 
In the northern part of the ifland, and about Ramfey, 
meat is generally from id. to 2d. per pound lower; eggs 
are frequently fold as low as four, and till within thefe 
few years as fix or eight, for id., butter at 6d. per pound, 
which, on account of the little demand for it, is ufually 
i'alted, put into earthenware pans called crocks, and, at 
convenient times, fent to Douglas. It is generally ac¬ 
knowledged that the price of houfe-reirt, of land, and of 
provifions, has doubled within the laft fourteen years. It 
Is affirmed, that, half a century ago, a gentleman might 
keep his carriage and live fumptuoufly for iool. per 
annum. 
The country has many extenfive and feme romantic 
views to boaft of, but is altogether without fuch gentle¬ 
men’s feats as, in England, would claim the traveller’s 
attention. There are few which deferve a higher epithet 
than that of pretty; and the owner would be gfeatly fur- 
prifed, if afked by the ftranger to fliow the interior of his 
manfion. Plantations and flirubberies are fometimes feen 
to flourifh with great luxuriance ; but no park-feenery is 
yet vifible. 
The relics of antiquity are not numerous. They are 
chiefly mounds of earth and detached mafles of the fup- 
pofed temples or altars of the Druids, moftof which would 
be palled almoft unnoticed on Salifbury Plain, or in many 
parts of North Wales ; and ftones or crofies, with Runic 
chara6ters on the edge, to be read from the bottom up¬ 
wards, fuppofed to be erefted by the Danes during their 
refidence in the Ifle of Man, and after their converfion to 
the Chriftian faith in the tenth or eleventh century. In 
the Calf of Man have been found, buried, ancient brafs 
daggers, and other weapons, in a few inftances partly of 
pure gold. 
The powers and limitations of the different parts of the 
government in the Ifle of Man feem never to have been 
well defined ; and, in the legiflative funftions, to have 
been fubjeft to confiderable variations. The fovereign 
was formerly a feudal lord, and poflefled much power over 
his fubjefts, claiming their fervices at all times. How 
much power was velted in him, when the conftitution 
came to be more fettled, was not agreed upon by our 
greateft Englifh lawyers; fome, and amongff them lord 
Coke, giving to him not only judicial but legiflative au¬ 
thority ; and others allowing to him, in the latter capa¬ 
city, no more than a negative upon proDofed laws- Cha- 
Vol. ZI. Wo. 764. * r * 
loner feems to have imbibed the former opinion ; for he 
fays, in the'dedication of his work to lord Fairfax, 
“ There is put into your hands the exercifing of a legis¬ 
lative as well as minifterial authority in an eminent de¬ 
gree.” Such as embrace this opinion maintain that the 
authority of the houfe of keys was formerly only judi¬ 
cial. The report of his majefty’s commiffioners, appointed 
in 1792, without throwing much light upon the fubjeft, 
ferves only to confirm our doubts ; for there we are told 
that “the laws enacted in the fifteenth and fifteenth cen¬ 
turies appear to have been preferibed by fuch different 
powers, or combinations of power, that, as precedents for 
the exercife of legiflative authority, they can have little 
weight.” It is however certain, t’hat, fince the aft of 
Settlement of 1703, and probably for a long time before, 
the exertion of his lordfhip’s or of his lieutenant’s legifla¬ 
tive authority extended no farther than a veto. Subfe- 
quently to this period, there has been no other change 
than the file of the regalities and certain revenues to the 
king of England, confequently lord of the ifland; and the 
interference of the Englifh legiflature relative to the cuf- 
tom-houfe department. 
The king of England has the appointment of all the 
military and ail the chief civil officers. He alone has the 
power of pardoning criminals; and may in council hear, 
and finally determine, all appeals from the decifion of the 
governor or of the keys. His confent is neceffary to 
the pafling of all laws. Since the rejeftion of the bill for 
triennial parliaments by king William, no Englifh king 
has refufed his a (Tent to any bill which had pafled the 
lords and commons. With refpeft to the Manks legifla¬ 
ture, the fame fcrupulofity is not obferved. In the year 
1798 feveral bills were returned altered to the keys, one 
of which, in its new form, they rejefted. 
The governor holds his office by his majefty’s appoint¬ 
ment. He is chancellor, ex officio, and, by himfelf or de¬ 
puty, hears appeals, not relative to land, from the deci- 
lion of inferior courts, reverfing or confirming them ac¬ 
cording to his judgment. The confent of himfelf or of 
his lieutenant is neceffary to the making of a law ; but 
not that of the lord-proprietor, at prelent the duke of 
Athol, unlefs he holds one of thefe fituations. The lat¬ 
ter may, however, enter caveats againlt the king’s confent, 
and have his petition heard; and in or about the year 1789 
he aftually did fo. 
The lieutenant-governor, or governor, as he was ufually 
called, poflefled whatever power his lord or fovereign 
thought proper to confer, and this was ufually the whole. 
He was termed the representative of majefty. The Scotch 
and Englifh lord-proprietors meddled little with internal 
affairs, and rarely vifited this dominion : the chief care of 
government devolved therefore upon him. When the 
appointment came to be made by the king of England, 
the plan was fomewhat changed ; and the nature of the 
office made certain. He has now all the powers of the 
governor during his abfence ; and none during his pre¬ 
fence, except what the governor does not think proper to 
relume. 
The council confifts of five perfons, holding their feats 
ex officio , viz. the bifliop, the water-bailiff, the attorney- 
general, the clerk of the rolls, and the archdeacon. The 
confent of a majority of thefe, previoufly to that of the 
king, is neceffary to the pafling of a law. Refpecting the 
right of a feat in this body, various opinions have been 
held ; and much controversy has arifen. In the year 
1776, the governor excluded from the council the bifhop 
and the vicar-general, alleging thatf’their feats, were held 
only through courtefy. The fpiritual officers, however, 
maintained a right to their feats, and claimed admiffion. 
The claim, though protefted againft by the attorney-ge¬ 
neral, was allowed by the lieutenant-governor. The fol¬ 
lowing is a lift of perfons who had either a certain or 
doubtful right of admiffion -. the receiver-general, the 
comptroller, the clerk of the rolls, the water-bailiff, the 
attorney-general, the two deemfters, the archdeacon and 
5 P official. 
