TENTH REPORT. HIBERNIAN MARINE SCHOOL. To His Grace CHARLES Duke of RICHMOND and LENOX, Lord Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland. The TENTH REPORT of the Commissioners for enquiring into the MAY IT PLEASE YOUR GRACE, WE Marine Society. E the undersigned Commissioners, appointed for enquiring into the several Hibernian Funds and Revenues granted for the purposes of Education, and into the State and Condition of all Schools upon Public or Charitable Foundations, in Ireland, in pursuance of the powers vested in us; beg leave to lay before your Grace, our Report upon the HIBERNIAN MARINE SCHOOL in Dublin, for maintaining, educating, and apprenticing the Orphans and Children of decayed Seamen in the Royal Navy and Merchants' Service. The Hibernian Marine Society was incorporated by a Charter of His present Institution, Majesty, in the year 1775, on the petition of the Lord Mayor, Archbishop of Dublin, and other Noblemen and Gentlemen of the City of Dublin, Members of a Marine Society associated for the support, education, and fitting for sea the Orphanst and Children of Seafaring Men only-setting forth, that the said Society had, by voluntary subscriptions and benefactions, been enabled to establish a Nursery and School for the maintenance and instruction of the Children of Seamen who had perished or been disabled in His Majesty's or the Merchant's Service; and that they had been further enabled by the bounty of Parliament to build a House in the City of Dublin, near the sea, capable of receiving two hundred Children and upwards, when their Funds should admit of it. The Charter of the Society (a copy of which, with the Bye-laws, is herewith Charter. submitted to your Grace*) directs that the Corporation shall be intituled, "The Hibernian Marine Society in Dublin, for maintaining, educating, and apprenticing the Orphans and Children of decayed Seamen in the Royal Navy and Merchants' Service;" and that the Lord Lieutenant, the Lord Primate, the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of Dublin, and other Officers of Church and State for the time being, and certain Noblemen and Gentlemen by name, with others to be elected from time to time, shall be Members of the said Society, which it empowers to purchase and hold lands to the value of two thousand pounds per annum, and to erect Nurseries and Schools in other parts of Ireland.—It directs four General Quarterly Meetings to be held yearly, at one of which a President, seven Vice Presidents, two Secretaries, a Treasurer, Register, and other necessary Officers, shall be annually elected from the Members of the Society, and sworn into office by the President, one of the Vice Presidents, or two other Members; and also a Connnittee of fifteen for carrying into execution the Rules and Orders of the Corporation, who shall meet on the Society. Hibernian the first Monday in every month, or oftener if necessary. It further directs, that none Marine but Children of deceased, reduced or decayed Seamen in the Royal or Merchants' Service, or that had been so, shall be received into any Nursery or School of the Bye-laws Corporation. By the Bye-laws of the Society (which they are empowered to make by the Charter) none of the Members of the Corporation (or Governors, as they are otherwise called) whether by Charter or election, can accept of any office under the Society with a salary, except that of Register. The present Surgeon to the Society is also excepted; having been a Governor when elected to that office, before the Bye-law was enacted. Funds. The Funds of this Society consist in, first, a Capital amounting on the last return to ten thousand five hundred and nineteen pounds nine shillings and three halfpence, of which seven thousand one hundred and sixty-six pounds thirteen shillings and four-pence is in Bank Stock, eight hundred pounds in the Three and a Half per Cents, and sixteen hundred and seven pounds eight shillings and sevenpence on personal security. The Dividend on their Bank Stock last year was On Sool in the 3 per Cents. Interest on 1,6071. 8s. 7 d. at six per Cent. 2ndly. in Rents of Lands and Houses 3rdly. in annual Subscriptions, about £.537 10 28 96 9 175 16 100 £.937 15 P And 4thly. in Parliamentary Grants. These have varied according to the exigencies of the Society from seven hundred and fifty to two thousand pounds, till the last year, when, in consequence of alterations and improvements then executing in the House, the sum of two thousand eight hundred and ninety-six pounds was granted, and this year the Grant has been enlarged to three thousand five hundred and twenty-three pounds. nett. According to the return of the Register, the expenditure last year was five thousand eight hundred and thirty-two pounds nine shillings and eleven pence halfpenny. The total Income stated by the Register was three thousand nine hundred and eighty-one pounds fifteen shillings and seven-pence halfpenny; and the excess of Expenditure, one thousand eight hundred and fifty pounds fourteen shillings and four-pence. This was partly provided for by the sale of Government Securities to the amount of four thousand three hundred and fifty pounds (on which there is stated to have been a loss of thirty-nine pounds sixteen shillings and five-pence) and to which the Governors were induced for the purpose of increasing their Bank Stock, which, on the Grant of a new Charter to the Bank, they were allowed as original Subscribers to purchase at one hundred and twenty-five per cent. The last instalment of their additional Subscription, was due on the 24th June last, and has been paid out of the Parliamentary Grant of this year. The Funds are in some years assisted by a benefaction from the Ousel Galley of twenty guineas, and by a bonus on Bank Stock, which in the year 1807 amounted to one hundred and seven pounds ten shillings. In future however the latter is not expected, but in lieu of it an increase of the annual Dividend. The House is situated on Rogerson's Quay, and is separated from the street by a court-yard, with a wall and iron gate. It is a plain substantial building, seventy-two feet by forty-six, with two wings, each thirty feet in front by sixty feet in depth, whose fronts range with the rear wall of the house, and which include therefore an area to the rear of seventy feet by sixty. The part of this area next the house is on the level of the street, and forms a handsome Terrace, from which there is a descent by a flight of steps to the other part, which is on the level of the basement story and Play Ground. The House contains apartments for the Chaplain (who is allowed the use of the Board Room), the Master, Usher, and House-keeper, two Dormitories of about forty-eight fect by eighteen, two of about twenty-five by twenty-two, and one of twenty-five by seven and a half, with an Infirmary twenty-five by twenty-two. It is stated in the Petition for the Charter, to be capable of accommodating two hundred Boys. In that statement, probably the Infirmary, and perhaps one or two rooms now occupied by the Officers were considered as Dormitories. Those used as such at present, would not contain more than about one hundred and sixty, and for this purpose the beds must be (as in fact they are) quite close to each Buildings. Marine Society. each other. But many at present are unoccupied, as there are only one hundred Hibernian and ten Boys in the house. The Infirmary is inconveniently situated, in the very center of the house, though there is an access to it by a staircase, which does not communicate with the Dormitories, but being confined on three sides it cannot be aired or ventilated as it ought, particularly for convalescents, for whom therefore the Governors have lately taken a small house in the country, near two miles distant, to which the Boys are removed from the Infirmary, as soon as they are sufficiently recovered to be capable of it. The situation of the house itself, near the river on low ground, and (in winter at least) in a damp and foggy atmosphere, rendered this measure still more necessary. It has been some time in the contemplation of the Governors to erect an Infirmary at the east end of the house in front of the east wing; and a building corresponding to it at the other end, for an apartment for the Usher, which would enlarge the accommodations of the house to the full Establishment of two hundred Boys; this, though a very desirable measure, and for which there can be little doubt of Parliamentary aid being obtained, we are sorry to observe is not likely to be carried into execution, partly from a disagreement among the acting Governors, and partly from the want of sufficient energy and activity. The wings of the building contain the Chapel and Schoolroom, each fifty-one feet by twenty-six. The Chapel is neatly fitted up, and has a large fire-place at one end; under it are the Laundry and other Offices, and under the School-room is the ordinary Mess-room, of the same dimensions with it. The whole of the buildings are in good repair, and the Dormitories and other rooms in the house appear to be kept clean and well aired. The Play Ground is an area behind the house of about seventy yards square. It appears to be insufficiently inclosed, the wall on the south side being too low; and there is reason to believe that many of the elopements which have taken place, were effected by the Boys escaping over it. Elopements. By a Bye-law of the Governors no Boys are to be admitted under the age Admissions of nine years, unless from their size or strength they are deemed proper at eight; they are previously examined and certified by the Surgeon to be of sound health and constitution. Security of ten pounds is given by some friend of each Boy before admission for his conduct and demeanour, and of late the condition of not eloping has been introduced into it. This was occasioned by the great number of elopements in the last ten or twelve years; the average for that period has been twelve in a year, and in one year they amounted to thirty; in the two last years above forty have eloped; the practice is facilitated partly by the circumstance just mentioned of the insufficient inclosure of the Play Ground, and partly by one of the Boys being stationed at the Gate as Porter, who has therefore the opportunity either of eloping himself or permitting and assisting others. If detected in the latter, he is severely punished, but this is not found sufficient to deter them, and it is still less to be expected that, even where there is no disposition to it, a Boy eleven or twelve years old will be so vigilant in attending to his post, as not to afford occasions to others to escape. On this subject, we cannot help saying, there appears to have been great want of attention in the Governors, who might, we think, and ought long since to have adopted effectual measures for putting a stop to this most injurious and disgraceful practice.-It was stated to us by the Chaplain, that twenty eloped at one time, in consequence of a Lieutenant of the Navy having come to the School the day before to inspect the Boys and select such as were fit to serve on board a Man of War; other occasions of elopements are stated to be the intercourse allowed between the Boys and their friends, and their being frequently sent out with summonses and on other messages. We have thought it our duty to make a representation to the Governors on this and another subject, which will be noticed hereafter in this Report. Applications for Admission are made by printed Certificates, signed by Masters of Ships and Housekeepers of the Parish in which the Boys reside, one of whom attends to swear, if required, that they are the sons of Seamen. They are clothed on their admission in a new dress, resembling that of the profession to which they are destined; the course of instruction is reading, writing, arithmetic, and navigation; at a proper age they are apprenticed usually to Masters of Merchants' Vessels, who take them without any fee; some are occasionally sent on board the Navy; in the last ten years only forty-six have been thus disposed of; in the same period one hundred and fifty-eight have been apprenticed, and the Admissions 47. Society. Master and Hibernian Admissions in that time have been four hundred and twenty-eight. There are at Marine present, as we have stated, one hundred and ten Boys in the School, a smaller number than has been for the last three or four years; and in the present state of the School, with respect to Instruction, it is not desirable that more should be admitted. There is no Master at present, nor has been since January last, when the late Master was dismissed, as was stated to us by the Chaplain, for misconduct in suffering Roys to be sent on board the Navy before they were properly qualified; his son, who was the Usher, was dismissed at the same time on the same account. A person was appointed to succeed the latter in the following month, under whose single care the instruction of the Boys in reading, writing, and cyphering has since continued; he is stated by the Chaplain to be a wellbehaved man, but not to understand navigation; on our further and personal examination it appears that he had never been employed in teaching before. He pays, however, the closest attention to his duty, which he discharges to the best of his ability, and is in many respects a most useful officer; he keeps the Boys in the greatest order, and of late the number of clopements has decreased, in consequence, as we believe, of his extreme vigilance and attention; but in the article of Instruction the School is in a most deplorable state. If the Usher were ever so well qualified he could not singly teach so great a number, even in reading alone, especially as the practice of employing Monitors has not been introduced, nor indeed are any of the Boys, as far as we can learn, capable of acting in that capacity. The delay in the appointment of a Master seems very inexcusable; after some time, indeed, an advertisement was inserted in the papers announcing the vacancy and inviting applications, and a day was at last fixed for holding the election, viz. Saturday the 26th August; a number of candidates accordingly appeared on that day, and seventeen Governors attended the Board, but it was then discovered, that in consequence of some omission in point of form the election could not take place, and was therefore adjourned 'till the first Monday in November; the School will then have been ten months without a Master. It had been resolved it seems at a former meeting, that the appointments of the Master should henceforth be increased in the article of salary to one hundred pounds per annum from thirty-five pounds, and to withdraw certain allowances he had formerly enjoyed, and this resolution was required by the Bye-laws to be proposed at one Quarterly Meeting previously to its being finally adopted at a subsequent one; this had been omitted before the last Quarterly Meeting in August, and the measure could not therefore take place 'till the next in November; but it seems obvious that the election might have been made notwithstanding, and the Master given to understand that his appointment, though not then regularly sanctioned would be so at the next meeting, and should commence from the day of his election. Several candidates have come to Dublin from different quarters, and it is much to be apprehended that from disgust at their disappointment they may not offer themselves a second time, and thus the advantage of selection may be in a great measure forfeited: we have reason to believe that much difference of opinion among the Governors prevailed on this as on other occasions, and we are sorry to be obliged to state, that partly from this circumstance, and partly from the small number of acting Governors who had usually attended to the concerns of the Institution, and who, though men of unimpeached integrity and sincerely attached to its interests, appear not to have possessed sufficient energy or vigour for its proper management and direction. The government of the Society appears for some time to have been in many instances defective and inefficient: it has been stated to us that on some occasions of late the Monthly Meetings of the Committee of fifteen have been adjourned for want of a sufficient number to make a Board, though the state of the School during the vacancy of the Mastership required a closer attention and more frequent inspection than ordinary; it does not appear that in that period the Chaplain has been called on to give any assistance to the Usher in the instruction of the Boys, or any other attendance in the School than his general duty required at other times. Indeed the dutics of another kind imposed on the Chaplain appear to be wholly incompatible with the due discharge of those which properly belong to his office, and this we consider as another instance of injudicions management in the Governors; exclusive of his care of the Chapel and the performance of Divine Service on Sundays, he is very properly required to give attendance at the opening of the School in the morning, to instruct the Boys in reading the Morning Prayers, Psalms, and Lessons of the Chaplain. day, day, to cause them to perform alternately the Evening Service, and to attend the School occasionally at other times, to note the attendance of the Master and Usher, and to catechise the children, which includes their instruction in the principles of Morality and Religion; in addition to these duties he is also required to superintend the conduct of the Housekeeper and other Servants of the House, and report their failure or neglect of duty to the Governors; to attend to the diet bedding, cleanliness, and clothing of the Boys, to take charge and keep an inventory of their clothing, and deliver it out as wanted; to superintend the whole internal management of the Institution, to disburse the sums necessary for its incidental expenses, and those of the Sick List, and account for the same at Quarterly Meetings; to attend the shambles thrice a week, and examine the meat intended for the House; to attend the potatoe market, and purchase and see weighed the potatoes for the use of the Boys; and finally to examine and certify all bills sent in to the Board for payment. He is, therefore, not only Chaplain, but Providore, Paymaster, Steward, and Inspector of the Institution; and it is obvious to remark, that if the duties of these latter Offices are properly executed (and they are those to which the attention of the Governors will be chiefly directed), that of giving the Boys proper religious and other Instruction, must unavoidably be discharged under great disadvantage, and with many interruptions, and is in danger of being even neglected as of inferior importance, or at least of less pressing necessity. The salary of the Chaplain is one hundred pounds per annum, with an allowance of coals and candles, as he resides in the house. We are of opinion that these appointments would be no more than reasonable, if he were only to discharge the proper functions of that office, provided he was duly qualified for it, and performed his duty faithfully and effectually, to which we consider that of inspecting the conduct of all the other resident Officers and Servants to be a very suitable and not unreasonable addition. But we entirely disapprove of his being occupied with those employments which belong to another and very different description of person, and should be exercised by an Officer on the Establishment, appointed and paid for the purpose, under the usual denomination of Steward or Providore. Hibernian Marine Society The other Officers of the Society who receive salaries, are the Register, Phy- Officers. sician, Surgeon, Master, Usher, Housekeeper, and five Under-servants. The duty Register. of the Register is to attend all Meetings of the Governors, to take minutes of the proceedings, and enter them in books provided for the purpose; to preserve in his custody all books, papers, writings, &c. belonging to the Society; to issue summonses for Meetings; to receive subscriptions and pay them into the hands of the Treasurer; to discharge such bills as he shall be directed to pay; to prepare and keep the accounts of the Society, and present them annually at the first Meeting of the Governors in November. His salary is one hundred pounds per annum, with an allowance of five per cent. for collecting the annual subscriptions. The Physician and Surgeon also receive salaries of one hundred pounds per Physician annum. Neither of them resides; but it is stated to us that they usually visit the and Surgeon. School once a week, and at other times when their attendance is necessary. The Surgeon examines the Boys previous to their admission. The duty of the Master is now confined to the instruction of the Boys, and super- Master intending their conduct. Till lately he was required to perform most of those Duties which have been imposed on the Chaplain since he became a resident Officer. The salary of the Master has hitherto been thirty-five guineas a year, with an allowance that made his appointment near one hundred pounds, exclusive of coals and candles; but it is now intended to augment his salary to one hundred pounds, and to withhold the former allowances. The salary of the Usher is twenty pounds, with allowances that may be valued at near fifty pounds. His duty is also confined to the instruction and care of the Boys. Both Master and Usher reside in the house. The Housekeeper has twelve pounds per annum, and allowances worth near forty pounds per annum ; and the Under-servants' wages are five pounds ten shillings each, with diet and lodging, -The Officers who receive no salaries are, the President, Vice-President, Trea- Housesurer, and two Secretaries. The duty of the Secretaries is to superintend the conduct keeper. of the Register in the execution of his office, and to approve of the apprenticing of the Boys, and accept their Indentures. This last, therefore, is the only employment of the Secretaries, if the Register does his duty, which includes in it (as deseribed in the Bye-laws) most of what usually belongs to the Office of Secretary in other Institutions. We |