REPORT of the GENERAL COMMITTEE. THE SOCIETY having been formed according to the constitution and rules approved of by the General Meeting, October 21st, 1811, and having afterwards received the approbation of His Royal Highness the PRINCE REGENT, who graciously condescended to become their Patron, the proceedings of the Society have been since conducted by the Committee, to whom the management of its affairs was by the constitution intrusted, who have held weekly meetings for that purpose; the Committee consisting of The ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY, PRESIDENT. VICE-PRESIDENTS. The ARCHBISHOP of YORK, The BISHOP of LONDON, and other BISHOPS of both PROVINCES, The Lord High CHANCELLOR, The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, The Earl of HARDWICKE, The Earl of LIVERPOOL, Lord GRENVILLE, Lord KENYON, Lord REDESDALE, The Right Honourable the SPEAKER of the HOUSE of COMMONS, The Right Hon. RICHARD RYDER, Secretary of State, The Right Honourable Sir WILLIAM SCOTT, Knt. Judg of the High Court of Admiralty. ELECTED MEMBERS. Lord RADSTOCK, The Right Honourable Sir JOHN NICHOLL, Dean of the Arches, Sir VICARY GIBBS, Attorney-General, The Reverend the DEAN of CANTERBURY, The very Reverend the DEAN of WESTMINSTER, The Reverend Dr. WORDSWORTH, Dean of Bocking, F. BURTON, Esq. M. P. The Rev. ARCHDEACON CAMBRIDGE, G. W. MARRIOTT, Esq. JAS. TRIMMER, Esq. The Committee at its first meeting elected the Rev. T. T. WALMSLEY, Secretary, and J. WATSON, Esq. Treasurer, (for the regular management of which offices Rules and Regulations were afterwards made *,) and appointed a Sub-Committee, to take measures for establishing a Central School in the Metropolis. At the next meeting it was resolved that the Central School should be large enough for the education of 1,000 children, and until such school could be provided, that the schools at Lambeth, Mary-le-bone, and Gower's Walk, Whitechapel, should be made use of for training Masters. The Sub-Committee at the same time was renewed and instructed to find out a proper situation for the Central School, with power to treat for the purchase of proper premises, and give orders for the repair ●r erection of a convenient building; which business was entered * See App. No. 8. upon and brought to a conclusion without delay, as will be seen in the report of their proceedings, under the sanction of the general Committee, printed in the App. No. 1. In the mean time as the fitting up such school necessarily required some time, a temporary school was provided, No. 45, Holborn Hill, for the reception of 100 children, and the better to forward these measures, Dr. BELL's assistance, (whose very long experience, and zealous exertions, in this System, as originally practised at Madras, are well known), was requested. At the same meeting they took measures for spreading the be nefits of their Institution through the Kingdom, by a recommendation to form Societies in the several Dioceses upon the same general plan, which should communicate with the National Society, in order to preserve, as far as circumstances would admit, an uniformity in their regulations and proceedings. With this view a Sub-Committee of Correspondence was soon after appointed, and an address to the publick was published to further the plan, which will be found App. No. 2. Upon the report of this SubCommittee (which held frequent meetings as occasion called for them, and continues to hold them), the general Committee took into their consideration a plan of Union with the Societies in the Country, the terms of which are stated in their resolutions contained in App. No. 3. The effect of these proceedings has been that Societies have been formed in several Dioceses and Districts, and others, which had been before formed on the same principles, have desired to be united to this Society, a list of which is subjoined in App. No. 4. and the Rules and Regulations of the Societies at Exeter and Winchester, being among the earliest so founded, are added by way of example, They have also authority to say that there are other Societies formed or forming throughout the Kingdom, according to the principles of this Society, but which are not yet sufficiently ripened, or arranged, to desire the same union. |