Lord Broughamsaid, he had the honour to lay before their Lordships a Bill which he had introduced the Session before the last, but which was not pressed through the House —he meant a Bill for promoting education and for regulating charities. It was not his intention, on the present occasion, to trouble their Lordships with a detail of the Bill; it was similar to the one to which he had referred, but it contained two material additions. The object of the Bill was to establish a board for the purpose of superintending the application of the funds which from time to time Parliament voted; also, to regulate the administration of charity funds generally, and to prevent abuses therein. Of this board the President of the Council, the Lord Privy Seal, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, would be members. The material changes in the present Bill were, in relation to certain powers, given for the regulation of education, and in the next place for the regulation of charities. Their Lordships were aware that objections had been made to the previous Bill on account of its being supposed to have a mischievous effect on voluntary contributions for educational purposes; now the present Bill obviated that; and, indeed, there was no intention in the former measure, to supersede voluntary contributions. These alterations effected a considerable improvement in the Bill, and he was very sanguine in his belief that it would be of great benefit to education. There were other alterations which he did not think it necessary to advert to; and he would move that the Bill be now read a first time.
§ Read a first time.