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    the commencement of the RoyalJubi-Iee School , —all of you are aware , that when our late venerable monarch attained the 50 th year of his reign , the whole nation was desirous of

    congratulating him upon the event , by showing every mark of respect and loyalty in their power . Among the rest , it was proposed that the inhabitants of this town should testify their affection by a general illumination . It was at that time I was met in the

    street by Mr . Hadwin Bragg , a most respectable member of the Society of Friends , who said , ' Is there no way to put a stop to this ? During other illuminations , for victories , and such like , our known detestation for war has procured us some degree of respect , and we have never been subject to

    annoyance for not illuminating on such grounds . But though we are equally desirous with any other class to evince our loyalty and reverence to the king , we shall be particularly liable to attack if , through principle , we decline lighting our houses on such anoccasion / He then proposed , that as his

    Majesty had lately granted an interview to Joseph Lancaster , and expressed his wish that every poor child in the kingdom might be able to read the Bible , I should endeavour to make this the occasion of doing something towards effecting that object . Soon after , a very worthy friend , who was

    then engaged in the Russian trade , said to me , concerning the proposed illumination , that in this time of war , tallow being extremely dear , it would be a pity to see it wasted in that way . It immediately struck me , that by putting the commercial and the religious

    consideration together , I might draw out a petition to the corporation which would have some effect , ( Great app lause . ) I then waited upon my friend Mr . Smith , the late Vicar , and we set to work and drew up a petition , which we got engrossed , and presented it in due form . The members of the

    corporation were so much pleased with the idea , that they immediately discouraged the illumination , and , re *

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    quested the principal inhabitants to go about from house to house , and solicit subscriptions to the * amount each family intended to lay out in candles—many of them , especially the quakers , " giving much more , and the corporation devoting 300 guineas to the object . Thus , instead-of a

    momentary glare , and a wasteful , troublesome mode , not unattended with risk , of expressing our attachment , we have a noble building , calculated to hear lasting testimony to the excellence of the good old king ' s wish—* May every poor child in the kingdom be able to read the Bible . '

    ( Great applause . ) Not long after this , M . Simond , the French traveller , came through this town with his family , and I tqpk them to see the school . They were much gratified , and earnestly attended to the whole

    routine of discipline ; and when the last boy had left the school , Mad . Simond turned to me , and said , ' But , Sir , these boys will want wives , and they ought to have wives whom they need not be ashamed of . You should

    also establish a school for girls . * ( Laughter and applause . ) I went to the next committee meeting , and related the story , when an excellent friend , always ready to encourage good designs , immediately laid down

    a check for 100 / . and sufficient money was presently raised to . build a girls ' school , by which , with the boys' institution , the town possesses the means of educating from 700 to 800 children . In noticing Infant Schools , I must confess that there is a branch of

    history connected with them , which comes a little nearer home to me . Mr . Owen , the proprietor of the Lanark Mills , whose notions , if sometimes visionary , were at all times benevolent , having accompanied myself and

    another , who , whilst health and strength permitted , was very constant in her attendance , to the sch 6 ols , and after he had expressed his pleasure , was there addressed by my female friend to this effect : — ' But , Sir , these children bftng bad habits with them ,

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    6 tmiTAilTAN CHRONICLE . ¦ '•' ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ . .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 1, 1832, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1805/page/6/