Lord Brougham,in pursuance of the notice which he had given a few evenings since, presented to their Lordships a Bill founded on the Resolutions relative to Education, which he had on that occasion been induced to withdraw. The first part of the Bill had reference to the diffusion of Education generally. It provided also for the just and conscientious distribution or application of the funds granted by Parliament for the purposes of education. That the funds so granted should be properly administered, it was absolutely necessary that persons responsible to the Crown and to Parliament should have the supervision of them; and provision was made to that end. There was another class of persons named in the Bill as supervisors of charitable trusts, whose functions would be inquisitorial and quasi judicial, as the details of the Bill would show. These individuals were to be appointed by the Crown (the fountain of all such authority), and were to be empowered to take cognizance of estates held in trust for the purposes of education. It was proposed that this Board should consist of three persons—the President of the Council, the Lord Privy Seal, and the Secretary of State for the Home Department. To these he would add, if it were deemed necessary, the Speaker of 223 the House of Commons. The power with which they would he invested, the authority which they would be permitted to exercise, and the duties which they would have to perform, were clearly specified in the Bill. The Bill provided that those individuals should have a constant, and, as he hoped, a perfectly effectual control over estates held in trust for charities, so as to prevent their mismanagement or abuse; and it would enable them to do every thing, as far as it possibly could be done to promote sound principles of education; at first, by empowering them to consult with persons connected with those charitable trusts, for the purpose of advising them as to the course which they ought to pursue, and not to adopt any compulsory proceeding, unless it was found that this Clause, enabling them to counsel and advise, was utterly ineffectual. In that case, compulsory powers would be given, in order that their instructions might be carried fully into effect.
§ Bill read a first time.