The Press. — London, England, 1857-04-25 00:00:00

APRIL 25, 1857. tinually increasing numbers, the " Church Education Society " has brought its claims forward, and our readers cannot have for gotten the admirable speech of Mr. WALPOLE on the whole question last session, when the Right Honourable Gentleman obtained a majority in favour of his motion (113 to 103) for an humble address to her Majesty, " that " such modifications may be made in the " rules of the National Education system, as " will extend the advantages now enjoyed "by non-vested schools to any other than " vested schools now existing." The whole question in its present aspect will require explanation. When in 1832 the Irish National Education system was founded, there was !great political excitement between various classes of the community, but the Roman Catholic Church was not then making the great exertions which have distinguished her course in recent years. The National system was introduced by Lord DERBY (then Mr. STANLEY), not as the best that could be suggested in theory, but as one most suitable to the condition of Ireland at that time. Since then the Roman Catholic Church has been active and incessant to ob tain increased power. The Whigs and Liberals have, for the most part, ruled Ireland in recent years, and, departing from the original construction of the Board, some new provi sions have been introduced, which led to the secession from the Board of its earliest sup porters and most vigorous champions, the Archbishop of DUBLIN, and, Lord Justice BLACEBURNE. By an enormous preponderance in their body, the Established clergy in Ireland de cline, on conscientious grounds, to take part in the National system as it is at present con ducte,l. They do not wish to overthrow the system, or to prevent the Roman Catholics from having the aid of the educational grant. They only desire that some consideration should be shown of their conscientious feelings and of their recognised status as the clergy of the Established Church of Great Britain and Ireland. The Times has thought proper to scout their claims, and to ridicule the pre tensions of the Church Education Society as those of " a little man." But "the little man" has not yet done growing, and he is likely to prove a far more formidable opponent to laisser faire indifferentism than is supposed in official quarters. When first the claims of the Society were brought forward, there was a minority of fifteen in its favour, but year after year the number has increased under the able advocacy of Mr HAMILTON and Mr. NAPIER, until an ex-member of Lord DERBY'S Cabinet, who had held the post of Home Secretary, stated the whole case, and convinced a Par liamentary audience of the thorough justice of the Society's claims. On Friday, the 17th, the Church Education Society held its annual meeting at Dublin, and it is admitted that the attendance was " larger and more influential than on former " occasions." The Venerable Lord Chief Justice of Ireland was present, and an immense number of the Established clergy were at the meeting. " The little man " was stronger than ever, and his Parliamentary friends spoke with more than usual vigour. The Earl of CLANCARTY presided, and observed that— The new representation of the country in the Parliament about to assemble is one in which a new spirit will be manifest—a spirit favourable to liberty, to progress, and to truth. And Mr. G. A. HAMILTON said : I agree with those who think that this Parliament will be, upon the whole, more Protestant in its constitution than the last. There are many cool and impartial observers in England who concur with that opinion. The problem for Parliamentary solution is by no means difficult. At present it is ad mitted on all hands that the " National System " is, to a very great extent, in the hands of the Roman Catholics. Tho Imperial Ex chequer is drawn on for a theoretically " National," but practically pro-Catholic, sys tem of education. We fully admit the claims of the Roman Catholics to receiving an education which shall not hurt their conscien tious convictions, and we should be sorry that the National system was overthrown. But we should like to see it more genial, expansive, THE PRESS. and comprehensive ; and we believe that capacious wings may be added to the main edifice so as that its advantages could be enjoyed by aIL At present the Protestants are virtually shut out of the " National System ;" and it seems strange enough that there are some parties who are indignant at the grant to " Maynooth," while they tolerate with most inconsistent equanimity the dis bursement of vast sums of money for a system which, as it is at present conducted, works chiefly for the advantage of the Roman Catholics. We shall have again to return to this most important subject, which has recently acquired new and interesting aspects. MILITARY EDUCATION. NEARLY everything in this country is effected by compromise. Almost all our institutions exist, more or less, by virtue of this omnipotent arbitress. Some good things are apparently, though not really, sacrificed, in order to produce the one great result—" the English system " ; and half the schemes of grumblers and revolu tionisers are based upon decrying this pro• cess, and asserting how much better the particular ingredients would be if taken by themselves. Still, however, the process con tinues, and as we infinitely prefer the compo site result to the separate constituents, we trust that it may long remain unchanged. We have previously in the columns of THE PRESS expressed our opinion upon the subject of the present article. We would have no young man educated for a soldier without keeping in mind the part he has to play as an element of English society. We believe, indeed, that by so doing a double end is gained—that a more efficient style of officer is produced, and one at the same time far less offensive to civilians than the exclusive system could turn out. By giving precedence to those qualities which fit a man to command others, we have insured a body of officers whom the men will follow with enthusiasm. By taking them from the upper classes we entirely destroy all danger of parvenu pride, all risk of the army attempting to set itself up as an isolated and superior class. And these are decidedly two advantages which we would not barter for any other which have yet been set before us. But then the question very naturally arises, cannot these qualities exist in our officers alongside of others ? Does every approach to scientific knowledge of his profession remove a young man so much the further from man liness and good birth? Decidedly we trust not. Sir CHARLES NAPIER tells us what clever fellows his cavalry officers were in the northern districts, though woefully ignorant of their pro fession ? Are we to suppose that an able man who makes the army his profession would not he rather glad than sorry to be enabled to study systematically ? We cannot give a direct answer to this ques tion. Officers in the army may be said to be composed of two classes—rich men who never mean to work, and poor men who either see no good in working or have been placed in the army because of their inability to work. Very few first-rate young men, with their for tunes to make, at present enter the army. Now, it is obvious that the first-mentioned class, having come into the army merely as an amusement, though too highspirited to shun fighting, can never be expected to make it a business; and the latter are not calculated to make much progress even if they did. Before, therefore, so much is said on the subject of military education, we ought to consider how far the military profession can be made wor thy of an educated man. It is perfectly idle to expect that a man of ability and industry combined, who has the Church, the bar, medi cine, and literature open to his aspirations, should read hard for a profession in which 1,000/. a year is a splendid prize, and in which without great interest he can never hope to attain even half that sum. _ _ Two necessary concomitants, therefore, of military education are, in our opinion, a much higher rate of pay, and some system of pro- 399 motion by merit. Rich men will not work at any profession, nor poor men at a poor one. We do not see our way to the entire abolition of the system of purchase. But we believe it might be much modified, and rendered not incompatible with the system of examinations. But, granting the necessity of education, what is to be the nature of it ? Here doctors disagree. But, true to the idea with which we started, we are, on the whole, quite inclined to agree with the Head Master of Harrow. Give your young soldier as good a professional education as possible, but do not de prive him of that previous general culture which clergy-men, barristers, and doctors alike enjoy. Make the officer, but do not unmake the citizen. The moment such a result began to show itself, such a storm of unpopularity would rise against the army as would compel an alteration of the system. The efficacy of our regimental offi cers depends in great measure on the posses sion of those manners and habits which the private has all his life been accustomed to reverence in the parson and the squire. In the higher grades of the army we need not say how indispensably necessary is the absence of a pedantic tone, and the manners of the man of the world. To rave about the irrelevancy of classics to the military profes sion, is absolute nonsense. They are relevant to the character of a gentleman, and nothing which bears upon that should be alien to the character of an officer. TESTIMONIAL TO JOHN MASTERMAN, ESQ. IT having been determined, on the retirement of Mr. Masterman from the representation of the city of London, to present him with a testimonial ex pressive of the appreciation by his constituents of the services he had rendered to the commercial community during his parliamentary ca reer of nearly sixteen years, and his ready and courteous attention to individual grievances, irrespective of political considerations, a committee has been formed to carry this object into effect, comprising bankers and merchants of various political opinions. Mr. Thomas Baring has consented to act as chairman, and Mr. Russell Ellice as deputy chair man. The first meeting of the committee has been held this week at the London Tavern, when it was resolved that the subscriptions should not exceed the sum of five guineas each, with a view to secure a general expression of feeling ; and that the form of testimonial should be determined hereafter at a general meeting of the subscribers. The Liberal members of Hereford were enter tained on Thursday at a public dinner in the town. The Right Hon. Sir George Cornewall Lewis pre sided. In the course of the evening Colonel Mid dleton Biddulph proposed the health of Lord Palmerston as " the representative of a progressive system of political reform in Church and State." The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer replied. The right hon. gentleman first attempted to show by his usual logical process that the " sceptre of power" had fallen from the hands of the Conservative into those of the Liberal party. The right hon. gentleman then pointed out that as Lord Palmerston's Administration was composed of only one portion of the Liberal party, as soon as they failed to command the confidence of the country the other portion would be prepared to offer their ser. vices. Sir George Lewis then vindicated the Govern. ment from the charge of a turbulent foreign policy, or of reckless expenditure at home, and, coming to the question of reform, Sir George Lewis said that her Majesty's Government, Founding their actions upon the principle of progressive reform, they would seek to introduce all practical ameliorations in our domestic institutions, without disturbing the foundations of our national prosperity. He pewit to say, that, eschewing organic changes, the Govern merit of Lord Palmerston would endeavour to meet the necessities of existing circumstances without disturbing the fundamental principles of order and society. THE LIFEBOATS OF THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION have, during the last three months, rescued the crews of eleven vessels, numbering iu all seventy-seven persons—a most satisfactory result, and affording a striking proof of what may be accom plished in this work of humanity by co-operation, by exertion, and by the skilful and courageous conduct of our boatmen in the use of lifeboats on our coasts. The total number of persons saved from shipwreck by the lifeboats of this society and other means, since its first establishment in 1824, and for rescuing whom the committee have granted honorary and pecuniary rewards, is 10,101. ~'~ i \