the first of these two exclusionary acts, which in Part II. of this Introduction, it was found necessary to present to view.

By whom sanctioned? at what meeting? who concurring? who present? held at what time, or what place?—all these particulars remain buried in darkness. But the system of imposition, of which this darkness is one of the proofs, belongs not to the present, but to the next succeeding head.

With this first Report stops for some time, the torrent of exclusionary eloquence. The system, in the support of which it was employed, had passed unquestioned :-it had produced its fruits: those fruits had, as we see, been ripened into acts.

In Report II. nothing at all in this strain, or nothing worth noticing, has been found. But in Report II. that same exclusionary rule may be seen reprinted:-reprinted, with no other amendment than the addition of a fragment of a date, which, ere long, there will be occasion to bring to view: reprinted in that same Report II. in which the design of it may be seen consummated by that other act (the one regarding Masters,) which in Part II. of this Introduction follows it.

In Report III. however, three additional masses of exclusionary doctrine may be seen presenting themselves.-Results prosperous, hopes realized ;in the fulness of the heart, the mouth and the pen now speak.

The acts by which the doctrine is applied to

practice are also of course persevered in. Witness those same two exclusionary acts, reprinted from Report II. word for word.

National Society's Third Annual Report for 1815, p. 19. "The schools now conducted under the Society's auspices, "and according to the doctrine and discipline of the "Established Church, which were stated in the last Re<< port to be 230, now amount to 360; and the number of "Children comprised in them, which was last year com"puted at upwards of 40,000, is now 60,000."

P. 21.

"Sheffield, Leicester, Halifax....Scarcely any "of our large manufacturing towns can be named, in which "the objects of gratuitous education are more numerous "than the three above specified, or more beyond the means "of that part of the Inhabitants who take a lively interest "in the education of the poor, and who feel it their duty "to combine Religious Instruction with useful learning, "and to dispense the former according to the Liturgy and "Catechism of the Church of England."

P. 29. Of the debt of gratitude due to Dr. Bell, "for devising and bringing to maturity a method of gene"ral education, which has enabled the Governors of the "Church to execute what our Reformers projected-the "giving to the whole population of the Realm, a com"petent measure of useful learning, seasoned with reli"gious instruction in the principles of our National "Faith-the Committee feel that it is quite out of date "for them to offer any computation."

A good fat Bishoprick ;-or,-if the elements of Church-of-England Episcopal decency, such as nobility of descent, relationship to nobility, &c. are

judged deficient in Dr. Bell,-a snug Deanery ;would be better worth than any such " computation" or any other such barren panegyric. But, to attach to merit in any shape any such privileged rewards, would be setting a dangerous precedent, and encouraging that spirit of innovation, of which Atheism and Jacobinism are the sure ultimate results.

§ II. Proofs of the System of imposition-2. General Committee, Meetings none.

Misrepresentation-deception-purposed misre

presentation-studied misrepresentation-imposition-imposture-by whichsoever of all

these

names on this or that occasion it may happen to be called, the nature of it will not be varied-the system will be still the same.

1. Meetings of the General Committee-their existence. 2. Sub-Committees their existence and meetings. Acts represented as acts of the General Committee, or of a Sub-Committee-their genuineness. Such are the distinguishable subjects, of the examination, from which the suspicion of imposition has received its confirmation.

I. As to the Meetings of the General Committeetheir existence.-Matter of fact as represented in the Reports,-Meetings of their body held on such and such particular days, and such and such

business done by it. Real matter of fact as suspected and inferred,-no such Meetings held.

II. Existence and Meetings of Sub-Committees. -Matter of fact as represented in these same Reports, these Sub-Committees severally formed, and, on such and such days,-Meetings of the Members in competent number duly held, and such and such business done by them. Real matter of fact as suspected and inferred,-no such Sub-Committees formed; or, if formed, no such Meetings held by them.

III. Sanctionment given to acts represented as being acts of the General Committee, or acts of this or that Sub-Committee, or of both.-Matter of fact, as represented in these Reports, appropriate sanctionment given to each of these sorts of acts respectively real matter of fact as suspected and inferred, in the instance of these several acts, with few or no exceptions, no such sanctionment ever given.

I. First then as to the existence of Meetings on the part of the General Committee.

Of the birth of this public body, in and by Report I. p. 13, and the account antecedently given (as hath been seen) of the preparatory proceedings,-October 21, 1811, is stated as the day. To the first meeting, held by the body so constituted, certain acts are (Report I. p. 14,) ascribed: but, to the meeting itself, neither will place, nor day, nor month, on that or any other occasion,

be found assigned. On that same occasion, viz. in p. 13 of that same first Report, and in the very first paragraph, in speaking of the General Committee, after saying to whom the management of its (the Society's) affairs was "by the Constitution intrusted," (it has already been seen what constitution) what is said of it is in these words"who have held weekly meetings for that purpose : the Committee consisting of"-and thereupon come the names or descriptions of the Members.

Now, of this statement what can have been the object, unless it be the producing of this conception-viz. that, in general at least, and bating special exceptions, meetings of the Members of this Committee had place from first to last once a week, and that at those weekly meetings it was that every thing, which thereafter comes to be stated as having been done, was ultimately done. Such is the conception, which, to all appearance, it was the intention to produce. Now, to judge from the Report itself, how stands the fact? Answer-No such weekly meetings were ever held. From whence this inference? Answer-From these circumstances. To the supposed meeting thus spoken of, neither of place, nor of time, nor of members concurring, nor of members present, is any assignment to be found: whereas of such meetings mentioned in this Report as appear to have been really held, both time and place have been mentioned :—mentioned, and with that degree of particularity, which is suf

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