1311,1 Inadequcde Pay of SchdoUmaslersi 427 
tikies which It sanctions. It may indeed 
be true, and I believe it is, that the ap- 
pftintinenr, or election, or assumption, 
be which it will, against which I am pro¬ 
testing, arises, ex necessitate fei, from 
there being no competitors. It is against 
this very evil I wish to suggest a pro¬ 
vision; arid I hope that my doing so, 
through your medium, may lead to the 
adoption of some measure of the kind 
I am about to recommend. 
I would propose that a barrister, of 
some given number of years standing, 
should he tr.e chairman or president of 
the quarter-sessions of every county 
throughout the kingdom. 
In order to make this ap-pointment 
palatable to th.e gentlemen in the com¬ 
mission of the peace, the election migfit 
be given to th.em, subject to confirmation 
bv the lord chancellor. An adequate 
salary, not large enough to be any serious 
liurthen, and yet sulhciently ample to 
ensure tlie acceptance of the ofnce by a 
respectable person, might be raised out 
of tlie ‘county rates, and paid by the 
Ireasm er of the same, immediately after 
every (piarter-sessiouS. I'his method of 
providing the remuneration, at the same 
time that it came immediately from the 
pockets of those who were to be bene¬ 
fited by the appoiistnsent, would com- 
plereiy prevent all suspicion of de¬ 
pendence on any individual, or associa¬ 
tion of individuals, in place i;r power. 
I re;d!y, Sir, flatter myseif, tliac no 
unprejudiced person can make an objec¬ 
tion to a plan of ibis description, who 
will turn his attention to the important 
subjects under the cognizance of a quar¬ 
ter-sessions, and many of them not ad¬ 
mitting of any appeal. Two of the most 
common oft’ences tried in these courts, 
are .the receiving of stolen goods, and 
embezzlements by servants; to both of 
wiiich ihe...punishnient annexed is trans¬ 
portation for a period of fourteen years. 
Now, when the heaviness of the punish- 
nmnt, and the numerous legal niceties, to 
whicii both these species of prosecution 
are subject, are properly appreciated ; I 
think no man will say I insist on loo 
much deference being paid to the liberty 
of the subject, when I assert, that no 
man but a barrister, and lie too of some 
experience, is qualified to preside at -ilie 
trial of them. 
IMany more instances might be ad¬ 
duced in support of iny suggestion, for 
an improvement in the constitution of 
the court of quarter-sessions ; but I have 
Mo.v, INIact, Dec, 1, 1811, 
probably given a sufficient bint to indues 
some person better qualified to take the 
matter into consideration. 
Viator, 
To the EcUlor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
NE is struck with the inadequate 
remuneration assigned to persons 
engaged in the arduous task of educating 
youth. No duty is so ill rewarded—“yet 
no labour is so irksome—and none more 
useful. 
My attention has been drawn to this 
subject by a late advertisement in ^ 
Canteibury Paper, in which Twenty 
Founds per annum is spoken of as the 
salary of some wretched being who is 
invited to educate the children. of the 
Parish Poor ! That is, rather better than 
a shilling per day, or one-third of tha 
pay of a day-labourer !—Miserable man ! 
and will poverty and despair produce a 
candidate Jor such a pittance .?-^A can¬ 
didate wh.o is to labour diligently at the 
important task of drilling some hun-^ 
dreds of the rising generation into a due 
sense of their social duties I—And is such 
to be his high reward? 
I am told, fiowever, that this offer at 
Canterbury is an act of munificence 
compared with the terms proposed by 
many parishes; and that ten, and even 
five, pounds per annum, is not a.n un¬ 
common salary in some nortlitrn couri.^ 
tie-s. If it be so—let those bljsh who 
pay it-—ih ise must pine — weep—and 
stay^te, who are to receive it ! 
It IS high time that these things were 
better understood and properly felt, and 
that more liberal sentiments prevailed 
respecting them. Salaries of this nature 
should be spontaneously increased by 
those who apportion tiiem, so as to keep 
pace with the price of commodities; 
and, when the value of the object is 
considered, the prevailing sentiment 
should be on the libera! side. Surely, 
a man of educatir)n and moral habits 
qualifying him to become the master of 
a school, ought to he paid at least as 
well as an ordinary mechanic; and these 
vve know get at present from 801. to 
1201. per annum ! I bludi fur the honoui' 
of learning to place my expectations 
even thus low; but I am arguing by 
comparison, and contending against tlie 
51. 101. and 201. salaries, which still exist 
in all parts of the empire. 
d'hio class of schoohnasteVs generajly 
are provided with a house, worth 12). 
3 I 
