The Press. — London, England, 1854-05-27 00:00:00

MAY 27, 1854. railway travelling, is of itself a fact of serious interest and significance to every class in the community. The thanks of the public are, therefore, justly due to Lord DEBBY for his effective interference in this important matter. Some surprise may be felt that it entirely escaped the attention of the Lower House, and some doubt may be entertained whether the omis sion is to be attributed to design, or to an oversight on the part of those who framed the Railway Reform Bill. Was it because the railway interest is strong in the Commons, or because practical wisdom is strong in the Lords ? We believe we must look to both circumstances for a true solution of these questions. CHURCH RATES. THE division in the Commons on Sir W. Ctsv's motion to bring in a bill for the abolition of church rates cannot be regarded as a fair test of the feeling of the House. or as imme diately decisive of the question at issue. The introduction of a measure is usually a formal proceeding, and when a division, as in this cue, is taken, the numbers depend very much on accident, or on the zeal employed to collect together as many members as possible favourable to the bill. Sir W. CLAY will pro bably be content for this session with the success he has achieved, but, should he at tempt to push it further, his victory may be turned into a defeat. Still, the fact that the first stage of the bill should be carried by a considerable majority, and that Lord STANLEY, with his unprejudiced intellect and sagacious views, should have declared himself decidedly favourable to the principle of abolition, warn us that the question of church rates cannot remain much longer in its present unsettled state. Since the decision on the Braiiitree case, church rates do not rest on legal right, and still less can they be viewed as a volun tary offering. If the assessment be disputed, the vote of a majority of the parishioners is required to make it valid, and such a contest can never be carried on without embittering religious feeling, nor without bringing the Church and dissenting bodies into painful antagonism. We think, therefore, that the Church and its best friends would do well to consider in what way those funds for the repair of churches, and for the decent performance of divine service, which have heretofore been raised from church rates, can be otherwise obtained. On this one point we are entirely at issue with those members who voted for entire and immediate abolition. We think it most unwise and unjust that church rates should be abolished before some substitute is provided. Whether that substitute should come from the surplus funds of the Church, or from voluntary subscription, or from any other source, is fair subject for consideration. We earnestly hope that nothing in the shape of a tLx on regular attendance at a parish church will ever be sanctioned. That practice of pew rants with which the inhabitants of great towns are familiar will never, we trust, prevail in our rural districts. But, however the neces sary funds may be raised, we do think it incumbent on the Legislature to prescribe some plan before it entirely abolishes the existing system. And there is such a breath ing time between this and the threatened a )olition as would suffice for the preparation of a just and satisfactory measure. The ques Ufa as it mainly concerns the Church itself should meet with the immediate attention of Churchmen. SCHOOLS AND SCHOLARS. WE stated, in a former article, to what extent, according to the census report, the educational wants of England are supplied by existing schools. We showed that the result, though not indicative of the highest attainable degree of educational excellence, was yet on the whole far more creditable to the public than ardent THE PRESS. advocates of universal knowledge are willing to allow. An attendance of two million scholars gives an average of four years' schooling for every child born in England or Wales ; an amount not indeed sufficient, but still enough, if the wish be there, to lay a foundation for future self-instruction. So far the question is one of numbers, and the result attained is certain; but when we push the inquiry a step farther, and ask as to the quality as well as quantity of the teaching given, we are met by conjectures, inferences, suppositions —every thing except demonstration and fact. In truth, the investigation is one which can only be pursued by indirect and doubtful means. There is no gauge of a schoolmaster's intellec tual ability ; still less of his teaching power, of which intellect forms only a part, and that not even the most important. All we can do is to ascertain what is professedly taught in the school, and what is the value, as measured by his salary, of the master's services. On the first of these heads we have the following statement, based on returns which include six sevenths of the whole number of students : Out of every hundred children 88 are taught to read. 59 learn to write. 61 It 50 learn arithmetic. 41 28 learn geography. 14 25 learn English grammar. Other subjects of instruction, such as lan guages, mathematics, drawing, music, and in dustrial occupations, are studied only by a few, and can scarcely be said to form part of the general system of tuition. The calculation includes girls as well as boys, and is only ap proximately accurate, fractions being omitted for the sake of simplicity. It is, however, sufficient for our purpose, since it shows that a large proportion of English schools hardly deserve the name. We lay no stress on the absence of mathematical, lingual, or artistic studies, holding it better that a few things should be thoroughly taught than that many should be taught superficially ; but surely every parent who pays a school fee has a right to expect that his child shall be able to read, write, and cipher correctly. And what is the fact ? Of the two million pupils only seven eighths learn to read ; only three-fifths, or rather less, to write ; only one-half are brought to understand the use of figures ! One asks in wonder, what are the children doing ? What are the master's about? How is it pos sible to devise a mode of teaching so clumsy that in three or four years' attendance not even the first elements of instruction are ac quired ? Questions more easily put than answered, for the report, stating only a fact, leaves the cause to conjecture. Yet something may be discovered when we come to consider the emoluments and education of the teachers. They are, as a general rule, miserably under paid ; indeed, not less than 26,000 are returned as " unpaid "—possibly because they unite other duties with that of instruction. A new generation, however, is rising up; training colleges have begun to do their work ; Govern ment does what it can in bearing a part of the expense, and encouraging merit by rewards ; and the rest will soon follow. Superior intel lect will command higher pay; with these will come an improved social position ; and the quality, as well as quantity, of popular educa tion will gain proportionately. The following general conclusions may safely be drawn from Mr. HORACE MANN 'S work : I. It is not school accommodation that is mainly or very urgently wanted. Were it much increased, in all likelihood no advantage would be taken of the opportunities thus given. 2. Indifference of parents—irregular at tendance—ill-paid masters—and too early cessation of teaching—are the most operative causes of popular ignorance at the present day. 3. The instruction given in schools being at best only elementary, and usually very imperfect even of its kind, some means are re quired of carrying it on in later life. Here all governmental interposition fails, and we are left to the agency of mechanics' institutes, literary societies, free libraries, and the like. The consideration of these—their number, working, and results—we postpone for the present. 483 Intelligence brought from the Sebastopol station by the Descartes informs us that on the 11th the com bined fleets were still cruising off that port. There was then so intense a fog that the tlag-s hips were continually firing guns to inform the rest of the fleet of their position from time to time. The Duke of Cambridge had taken up his quarters at the palace of Seria Feri Jails in Constantinople. He waited on the Sultan on the 10th, and had an audience which lasted for half an hour. The Sultan was to return the call as soon as he had recovered from indisposition. The state of the Sultan's health has been delicate for some time past. Generals d'Hautpoul, Baraguay d'Hillicrs, and Ornano are to be elevated to the rank of marshals of France. The English airs, "God save the Queen" and " Rule Britannia," and the march of the " Grand Sultan Abdul Medjid Khan," are ordered in future to form part of the repertory of all the bands of the French army. The screw-steamer Australian has been wrecked in Table Bay, on her way home to England. The passengers, mails, and gold (300,00010 or board are saved. The ship is entirely lost. The new gold discoveries in the Ben Lomond dis trict of Van Diemen's Landwers attracting considera ble attention. The value of land was greatly increas ing, and in some large sales lately made unprecedented prices had been realised. The King of Portugal, accompanied by his brother, Dom Luis de Braganza, will, according to present ar rangements, arrive in this country on Friday or Saturday next, on a visit to the Queen. His Mkjesty will land at Southampton, and is expectaul to remain in this country until after Ascot races. The ex-Queen of the French left Seville, with the Duke and Duchess of Moutpensier, on the 15th, for Puerto Real, where she was to embark for England. DEPARTURE OF CHEVALIER BUNSEN.—We ara sorry to see that the departure of this diplomatist, who has been so much respected during his stay in England, and who has fallen a victim to the machi nations of the Russian party at Berlin, must now be be considered final. His excellency only awaits the arrival of Count Bernstorff from Naples to leave England for Germany, and on Monday and Tuesday next the valuable collection of objects of art col lected by Chevalier Bunsen at Rome and other cities in which his diplomatic life has been spent will be disposed of by private sale at the Prussian Legation. No foreign Minister has more endeared himself to a large circle of English friends than Chevalier Bunsen ; and this fact, coupled with the peculiar circumstances attendant on his recal, has caused his departure to be regarded with general regret.—Times. VICE-ADMIRAL THE HON. WILLIAM GORDON, brother of the Premier, M.P. for Aberdeenshire, has been ap pointed commander-in-chief at Sheerness, vice the Hon.Josceline Percy, C. 8., whose term of service has expired. Vice-Admiral Gordon has served afloat eighteen years, and has seen some gallant cutting-out service. A DRAWING-ROOM was held in Holyrood Palace by Lady Belhaven on Wednesday to celebrate the Queen's birthday. About thirteen hundred Wise and gentlemen were presented. THE late chief commissioner of the Insolvent Court, Henry Revell Reynolds, Esq., died yesterday week, at his residence in Wimpole-street. He re tired last August, on a pension, atter a service of more than thirty years in the court. THE grant for public education in Great Britain and Ireland, which was 80,000/. in 1835, has steadily risen to 442,0731. in 1853. The vote for the depart ment of practical art under the superintendence of the Board of Trade, which first appeared in the esti mates in 1836, and was then only 1,3001., had last year increased to 44,4761. A RUPTIAN NAMED PAItRY assaulted and newly murdered his wife in the open street on Thursday. Many persons were passing the spot, near Farring don-street, at the time, but the man's brutality was so well known that none ventured to interfere. The police happily arrivzd in time to capture him. The poor woman was carried to the hospital in a dying state. PERSONS PAYING INCOME TAX may deduct from their income two-thirds of the rates and taxes of business premises, the expense of boarding unpre miumed trade assistants, the expense of material„ for wrapping and tying goods, and the amount paid for life assurance. SIR GEOROE CAMPBELL, elder brother of the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench, died at his seat, Edenwood, Fifeshire, on the 20th instant. Sir George, who was created a Knight Bachelor in 1833, was eldest son of the Rev. George Campbell, D.D., miniAer of Cupar, Fifeshire, by the only daugh ter of Mr. John Hallyburton. He was born in 177 8, and married in 1823 the daughter of Mr. A. Christ i e of Forrybank. 15111