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THE

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

No. 265.]

FEBRUARY 1, 1815.

[1 of Vol.29.

When the Monthly Magazine was first planned, two leading ideas occupied the minds of those who undertook to con duct it. The first was, that of laying before the Public various objects of information and discussion, both amusing and instructive; the second was that of lending aid to the propagation of those liberal principies respecting some of the most important concerns of mankind, which have been either deserted or virulently opposed by other Periodical Miscellanies; and upon the manly and rational support of which the Fame and Fate of the age must ultimately depend.-Preface to Monthly Mag. Vol. Ι.

As long as those who write are ambitious of making Converts, and of giving their Opinions a Maximum of Influence and Celebrity, the most extensively circulated Miscellany will repay with the greatest Effect the Curiosity of those who read, whether it be for Amusement or for Instruction. -JOHNSON.

CONTINUATION of the ACCOUNT of the recent ERECTION of PUBLIC STRUCTURES in various PARTS of the BRITISH EMPIRE.

T

THE INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT AT WESTMINSTER.

HIS building, which contains the busiest and most efficient court in England, was built a few years since for the Sessions' House of the city of Westminster, which are still held here. The Insolvent Debtors' Court is held in a large room at the east end, and is simply provided with a table for the commissioner and his clerk, with a side-table for the council. Mr. SERJEANT PALMER is indefatigable in his attendance, and hu

his duties, sitting every day, Saturdays manely assiduous in the discharge of excepted, from nine till four. The chief council are-Messrs. J. Prince Smith, Andrews, &c.

policy of the law, constituting this court, In a subsequent page, the justice and are defended; and some practical improvements suggested to obviate the objections of creditors who think they have been aggrieved.

THIS

THE WESTMINSTER NATIONAL FREE-SCHOOL.

HIS establishment is a branch of the National Society to which it is united, and was, until lately, known as the Orchard-street School, where premises were appropriated for the purpose; but, the school getting into repure, they soon became too small for the number of children applying for ad. MONTHLY MAG. No. 265.

mission; and, being very inconvenient of management determined to present a access to the visitors, the committee of memorial to the Lords of his Majesty's Treasury, for the grant of a vacant piece garet's church-yard, near the sessionsof ground on the west side of St. Marhouse, where a school might be erected, B capable

2

capable of receiving one thousand children of the poor. Their lordships, taking into consideration the public benefit likely to arise therefrom, were of opinion, that the institution had a claim upon the support and protection of the crown, and accordingly granted a lease of the piece of ground in question, for the term of ninety-nine years, at a pepper-corn rent, which they were enabled to do by an Act of the last session of parliament, (cap. 154,) whereby the patron, president, and vice-presidents, for the time being, were constituted a corporation, by the name of "The Patron, President, and Vice-presidents of the Westminster National Free-School," and have a common seal.

By the activity of the committee of management, and the very liberal do. nations of the distinguished inhabitants in and about the neighbourhood, they were encouraged to proceed with the building: the architect, William Inwood, esq. having volunteered his gratuitous services, and the several arti. ficers offering to forego their usual profits on the occasion. Accordingly, on the 21st day of July last, the first stone was laid by his Royal Highness the Duke of York, in the presence of his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of Salisbury and Peterborough, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Lord High Steward of Westminster, the Treasurer of the Navy, the Rev. Dr. Carey (late head master of Westminster school), and many other noble and distinguished personages. On the 30th of November following, the building having been reported fit for the reception of the children, they went in procession from the old school, in Orchard-street, and took possession; on which occasion they were entertained with roast-beef and plum-pudding, in the presence of the subscribers and friends to the institution. The relations and friends of the children were also allowed, upon this interesting occasion, to walk round the room, and, by witnessing, to partake of the happiness which was evident in the countenances of their offspring.

The schools for the boys and girls are upon the same floor, separated by a wall, with a communication by means of double-folding doors, so as to exhibit them, at one view, upon public exami nations, which take place half-yearly, when rewards, principally consisting of clothing, are distributed to the most deserving. The dimensions of the boy's

school are, 58 feet by 57 feet; the girl's
school, 54 feet by 41 feet; the first cal-
culated to hold six hundred, the latter
four hundred; the height is about twenty-
eight feet, with nine ventilators in the
ceiling of each school, communicating
with the open air through the roof.

The building also embraces the ne-
cessary accommodation of committee.
room, secretary-room, &c. and a house
for the residence of the master and mis-
tress, communicating with the school, is
nearly compleated. It is computed,
that the expences of the building, house
and furniture, will be about 5000l.; to-
wards which, the National Society have
liberally contributed 500l., and the re-
mainder will be defrayed by voluntary
contributions, and the surplus of the
subscriptions in hand. The number of
children at present admitted into the
school, are-boys, 306-girls, 250; and
the applications for admitting children
upon the committee days, are so nu-
merous, that no doubt is entertained
that the whole number, which the build-
ing is capable of receiving, will very
shortly be compleated. The master and
mistress, (Mr. James Wilmont, and
Mrs. N. Graham,) were selected by the
Rev. Dr. Bell; and to their indefatigable
exertions the institution is much in-
debted, evinced by the rapid
the children have made in the several
branches of their education, the boys
being taught reading, writing, and arith-
metic; the girls the same, with the addi.
tion of useful needle-work and knitting.
The liturgy and catechism of the church
of England have been constantly taught
to all the children; a separate service at
the parish church of St. Margaret is
appointed for them, where the chaplain
to the establishment (the Rev. William
Graves,) delivers a lecture adapted to
their capacity; but no children are
refused on account of their parents being
dissenters from the church of England.
Regulations of the School.

That thi

pid progress

school, united to, and aided by, the National Society for pro. moting the Education of the Poor, in the principles of the church of England, and supported by voluntary contributions, be adapted to the admission of one thousand children, all of them to be taught free of expence : and that orphan children, and the children of soldiers, sailors, and marines, who are, or have been, in his Majesty's service, be admitted in preserence to other children.

That all children received into this catechism school be instructed in the liturgy and

Westminster National Free-School.