The payment of donations is, like the principle of the plan, a volun tary measure, suggested in compliance with the wishes of Officers; and those who may not contribute them, will receive the benefits of the general fund after the ten years, as regulated in the Plan.

The average of donations from subscribers to a military fund at Madras is fifty-six pounds for unmarried Officers, and seventy-five pounds for married. The subscription thereto is equal to one day's pay in each month, from which are derived pensions for widows and children. The subscription to the Fund now suggested, is a trifle in comparison to the above, and benefit is proposed to Officers disabled from wounds, disease, age, and from length of service, also to widows, and children of Officers.

The average of donations, as will be seen by the annexed table, is as follows.

The great difference between the donations from married and unmarried Officers, arises from the numerous widows who will become Claimants annually, whereas the amount of pensions from Officers being disabled cannot be very great.

The following Copy of a Letter from Mr. MORGAN, will show that the donations are fixed at the lowest, and the pensions at the highest possible rate.

Equitable Assurance Office, 30th November, 1811.

Dear Sir, I have examined the inclosed table with attention, and comparing it with the observations I made to you when I had the pleasure of conversing with Major ROBERTS and yourself on the subject, I think it may very safely be adopted. I am afraid the donations cannot be well

reduced, nor the pensions increased with safety. It will be best to err by requiring too much, and promising too little, than the contrary.

Although the difference between the married and unmarried officers appears to be very considerable, yet, I am convinced that it is not too great, for as you justly observe, the number of disabled officers is very small, when compared with those who may leave widows on the fund. With every wish for the success of your plan, and with my best respects to Major ROBERTS,

J. PHILIPPART, Esq.

I remain, Dear Sir,
Yours very faithfully,
WILLIAM MORGAN.

Donations to be paid by Officers at the commencement of the Benefit Fund, if desirous that they should be entitled to pensions from becoming disabled during the first ten years, or in case of their death within that period, to their Widows and Children. Also a statement of the different pensions which will be allowed.

Account

OF THE

REPORT

OF THE

NATIONAL SOCIETY,

For the Education of the Poor;

AT A

MEETING

HELD 2nd JUNE, 1813.

THE FUTURE REPORTS WILL BE PRINTED EXCLUSIVELY

IN THIS WORK.

ACCOUNT, &c.

On Wednesday last, the Anniversary meeting of the National Society was held in the Hall of Sion College. His Grace the Archbishop of CANTERBURY, whose attention to the business of the Society has been unremitting, took the chair on the occasion. There were present the Archbishop of YORK, the Earls of SHAFTESBURY, Nelson, Lord KENYON, Lord RADSTOCK, the BISHOPS of LONDON, CHICHESTER, CHESTER, EXETER, HEREFORD, ST. DAVID'S, WORCESTER, ELY, SALISBURY, the SPEAKER of the House of Commons, together with a very numerous, and highly respectable list of Subscribers and Friends to the Institution. The annual report of the proceedings of the Society was read by the Secretary, and some remarks were made on the prominent and leading features of it by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The report proved in the highest degree gratifying and satisfactory to the Company assembled. It appeared that the beneficial purposes of the Institution had been carried into effect, in the course of the last year, in various parts of the kingdom, on a very extended scale: the number of Schools formed in connexion with the National Society were five times greater than they were

at the time of the preceding annual report, and, of course, the number of children educated in different parts of the kingdom, on the Madras system, had increased in about the same proportion. Besides this, a number of Schools had been formed precisely on the same plan, in various places, which had not yet established a connexion with the National Society; so that the extension of this important system of education has been considerably greater even than that above stated from the annual report. It appeared also, that, in the metropolis, not only had the Central School, in Baldwin's Garden, been carried on with distinguished energy and effect, but other schools had been instituted, so numerous and on so extended a scale as to constitute, on the whole, no inadequate system of education for the lower classes of this large mass of population. One particular instance of the perfection to which this plan of education has been brought, was mentioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and drew the very marked attention of the meeting: this was, that, in the Deanery of Tendring, near Colchester, the number of children reported as proper objects of the Madras system of education, amounted to about 2000; and that, of these, more than 1,700 were now actually receiving this education in the schools formed under the National Society.

On the whole, the report of the advancement of national education, made during the last year, was such as fully to satisfy the highest expectations of the friends and supporters of the system. It showed that the exertions of the National Society for the furtherance of its great and beneficial objects have been and are unremitted: it showed that the spirit, by which those exertions are prompted and supported, has increased, and is still increasing, in the country at large and it encouraged the gratifying hope, that, by the continuance of those exertions and of that spirit, the great and beneficial