Star. — London, England, 1821-03-02 00:00:00

fri ; XAelit - •~„~• EDUCATION IN IRELAND. F \ PA _ WA41E4117441Y rIiOCEEDINus. lobsz-Z.N , HOUSE OP LORDS, MARCH 1. This sterling the Loan CaaNCSLLOR did not sit for Appeals, but cam( down to the House at a quarter before four o'clock. Soon after their Lordships went to attend a Committee in the Robing-room. Private Bills were fonearded in their respective stages. The Earl of SHA FTLSBURY then moved - their Lordships to go into a Committee on the Atplual Indemnity Bill, which was reported without amendments, and the Report agreed to. The Marquis of LA NSDOW NE presented two Petitions from certain o.vners and Occupiers of Land in the Ceuta) , of Somerset, who complained of the distressed state of Agriculture, and hoped for relief from some alteration in the Corn Laws. IFts Lordship, in presenting these Petitions said, that they were numerously and respectably signed, and entitled to the most in dulgent attention of the House. While stating this, however, he felt it his duty to add, that be could not concur in the idea that relief was to be obtained to the Agricultural Interest by any alteration in the Corn Laws. At half after five o'clock their Lordships adjourned, till to morrow (this day) at ten. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The &MAXIS took the Chair at the usual hour. Leave was given to bring in a Bill for Lighting with Gas the Town of Newport, in the Isle of Wight. A Petition was presented by Mr. HOLM SUMINTIL, from cer tain of the inhabitants of Chipping Norton, complaining of their distress. Leave was given to bring in a Bill for the better Lighting, Paving, and Improving the City of Chichester. Mr. IIULME SUMNER moved, " That there be laid be fore the House the Accounts of tke Orphans' Fend, and the purptises to which the surpluses have been appropriated." Sir WILLIAM CURTIS seconded tire motion. A Petition was presented from a Mr. Seymour, against the return for the Borough of Camelford. Ordered tube taken into consideration on Tuesday, March 13. it Petition was presented from certain Inhabitants of Corn. wall, complaining of Agricultural Distress. Sir HUSSEY VIVI AN presented a Petition from the In habitants of Truro, in Cornwall, complaining of their distressed situation, and praying for relief from Taxation. Read, ordered to lie upon the table, and be printed. Mr. CU RTEIS presented a Petition from the Occupiers of Laid at CuckfieM, in the County of Susses, complaining of Agricultural Distress. Read, ordered to lie upon the table, and be printed. Sir EDWARD WO DEHOUSE presented a Petition to the same effect from the Proprietors and Occupiers of Land in the County of Norfolk. Read, ordered to lie upon the table, and be printed. Similar Petitions were presented from Lynn, Woodham, and several other places in the County of Norfolk. Read, and or dered to be printed. Lord ALTHORPE presented ten Petitions front different places in the County of Northampton. The Noble Lord hoped that a Committee would be appointed to examine into the causes of distress, and that would be the first step to remedying them. Read, ordered to lie upon the table, and be printed. Lord SOMERSET presented a Petition from Tewkesbury, in the County of Gloucester, complaining of Agricultural Dis tress.—Read, and ordered to be printed. Three other Petitions of a similar nature 'WIN directed to be read and printed. Dr. PHI LLI MORE gave notice, that on the 14th of Mar* ie would apply fot leave to bring in a BM to amend the Me& riage Act. Mr. LOCKHART presented a Petition front the District of Richmond, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, complaining of Agricultural Distress.—Read, ordered to lie upon the table, and be printed. Mr. A S HURST presented a similar Petition from Henley.— Read, and ordered to be printed. On the motion of Mr. ROBINSON, the Bill for • mg certain Acts for taking the average price of Corn, yeas a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow. Mr. CURWEN inquired if there was any clause in the Bill to prevent fraudulent sales / Mr. ROBINSON replied that there was. bir. BENNETT moved for a Return of the number of Troops employed at Ceylon, Deuterara, Van Dieinah's Laid, fa. up to the latest period when melt could be obtained. On the motion of Mr. LUSHINGTON, the Order of the Day was read for entering into a Committee on the Indigo and Cochineal Acts. The House resolved itself into a Committee on the Salvage Act.—Report read, and ordered to be received to-morrow. The House resolved itself into a Committee on the Buck Wheat Act.—Report ordered to be received to-morrow. The Order of the Day for entering into a Committee on Silk Manufactures was read and postponed. Mr. CUR WEN rose to submit a motion, to which he be lieved no objection would be made. It was for an Account of all Stock transferred in the Bank of England during the last two years, excepting that transferred to the Commissioners of the National Debt, specifying the particular Stock and the meant transferred each year. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER expressed a hope that the Hon. Gentleman would postpone his motion to a future day. Mr. CU RIVEN, after some remarks upon the importance of the subject, consented to postpone the motion until Monday. PROTECTING DUTIES. Lord STANLEY, seeing a Right Hon. Gentle man opposite in his place, took that opportunity of presenting a Petition which had been forwarded from Manchester, an.l which might remove the delusion under which the Hon. Gentleman laboured respecting the feelings of the community in general upon the system of Protecting Duties. The House would re collect, that at the Union of England and Ireland it had been deemed prudent, for the sake of the trade of both countries, to impose certain Protecting Du ties, which were to last only twenty years. The Pe titioners had remained quiet during that period, un der the hope that at its , expiration. the Duties would expire also. That hope had been disappointed by the Bill, which had been passed last Session. He was aware that the Hon. Gentleman might say that the Petitioners had then an opportunity of expressing their disapprobation of the Act. But it would be recollected that the Act had been passed through the House with great rapidity, scarcely allowing an op portunity for petitioning. He now held a P e titi o n, signed, he might say, by the whole of the Manufac turing Interest of Manchester and Salford, expressing an earnest wish that the Duties might be discontinued. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had no objection to the Petition being received. Mr. PARNELL thought it right to notice, that the Manufacturers of this country in general were jealous of the Manufacturers of another. The present Peti tion was therefore the more gratifying from the libe. rality it displayed in that respect. EARLY RESUMPTION OF CASH PAYMENTS. • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave, notice that, in a few days, he should submit to the House a proposition for enabling the Bank of Eng land to make payments in cash at an earlier period than at present required by law—( Hear). Sir H. PARNELL, in consequence of the notice now given by the Right Hon. Gentleman, withdrew the notice - of motion which he had given for that night respecting the refusal of the Bank of Ireland to accept sovereigns in payment, and expressed his hope that the case of Ireland in this respect would be considered by the Right Hon. Gentleman when he brought forward the measure now announced to the House. Mr. M. FITZGERALD rose, to move for informa. aiou respecting the Education of the Lower Classes of 'lreland. He need not comment upon the importance el the subject, since every one would be aware of the vest advantage which a regular system of education would produce. The general subject of education bad been so ably treated upon by. a Right Honour able Friend then absent, that little remained for him but to state the particular grounds of the present mo tion. The affairs of Ireland were so little known, that it was impossible for English Representatives to judge of the low state of education in that country. It was not generally known, that two Commissions for in vestigating the subject bad been already sitting in Ire land. From the first of those Commissions, he believed no less than fourteen Reports had been presented Vi the House; and it would shew the necessity of his present motion, when he said that no measures had been adopted in consequence of those Reports.— By the 53d Act of the last reign, another Commis sion had been formed which had presented seven Re- . pits, so that in the whole no less than twenty-one Reports had been presented, and yet no measures had in consequence been adopted. The Reports of these Commissions had all agreed in stating the necessity of introducing into Ireland some general system for the education of the labouring classes. The Members of the House would be surprised when he informed I them that there were no fewer than seventy Schools, on Royal foundations, and the income of which, aris ing from land alone, amounted to £5,000 per arm& In addition to these, the Grammar Schools upon the foundation of Mr. Erasmus Smith were nearly equally numerous, and were possessed of revenues nearly equally extensive. Besides the Schools which he h mentioned, there were othere,called Diocesan Schools, at which he calculated about 400 persons %vete edu cated. A singular fact, which be would mention to the House, would demonstrate the necessity of making some inquiry into the manner in which those &boors were conducted:—there were two Schools alone, the revenue of which amounted to upwards of £5OO, and of those Schools one contained only five scholars, and the other but fifty! There were also other Schools, on private foundations, intended for disseminating the English language,the funds of which were most enormous, and the number of scholars most disproportionate. The Schools which he had hitherto mentioned were intended chiefly for the edu cation of the richer class of the inhabitants ; but there were also other Schools, the original endowment of which contemplated'the education of the poorer class. The number of scholars educated in these sthools amounted to upwards of 29,000 ; and their funds, arising from land alone, might be calculated at £39,000 per annum. If the whole of the revenue was calculated, it might amount to more than £40,000 per annum. He did not wish to make any invidious remarks, but he'thought that the House would agree that this could not be better guided than by attending to the recommendation of the Commissioners, not to suffer the system of education to be fettered by reli gious prejudice. The Protestant schools proceed on a principle of proselytism, and discourage as much as possible the education of the lower class.— Because they said, " We will not educate you, the child of a Catholic, unless you first change your reli gion." Now, there was no doubt that funds amount ing to upwards of £40,000 per annum would, upon a fair and liberal principle, be sufficient for the edu cation of nearly the whole of the population of Ire land. In addition to the schools which he had enu- Merated, there were several others, and amongst the rest, one, the Hibernian School, was entitled to great respect, as it educated Upwards of six hundred per sons, and was in every particular conducted in a manner calculated to produce the best results. He would avoid troubling the House further by entering into a particular description, but he would state ge nerally,• that in Ireland there were in the whole no less than 3736 schools, at which upwards of 250,000 persons were educated. He stated that circumstance for the purpose of shewiug that there existed a desire in that country to afford education to the lower orders, and that they received the instruction with avidity. He did not wish to speak with disrespect of the former Commissions which had been formed by Act of Parliament, but, from whatever cause it had proceeded, it was certain that those Commissions had confined themselves to one or two schools, and that little general advantage had resulted from their la bours. He should, therefore, suggest that the Reports of those Commissions should be referred to a Com miuee. The total of the funds of the Irish Schools, arising from landed property alone, amounted to up wards of £170,000 per annum; a sum so enormous,' that it was evident that, by a judicious application, it would be fully adequate to the education of the lower orders generally. But even in case that reve nue. should prove deficient, the Commissioners had recommended that the Clergy of the Established Church of Ireland should each be rated two per cent. upon the revenue which their benefices afforded them, and that the Lay Impropriator should subscribe a similar rate from the amount of his tithes. He - did not mean to offer any opinion upon the plan which had thus been recommended, but he would say, that if it were voluntarily adopted, it would reflect the highest honour upon the Clergy of Ireland. The great obstacle to education in Ireland was the diffe rence of the religion of the great mass of the people and that of the Established Church ; it was, there fore, absolutely necessary that some plan should be resorted to which would as completely as possible remove that difficulty, and insure the co-opera tion of the Clergy of the Establishment. He had thought it his duty to bring forward the. subje..t upon the grounds which he had mentioned, viz.. that notwithstanding two former Commissions had' been issued, nor general advantage had yetresulted. That there was a disposition amongst the permits now under education to read the Scriptures be firmly I believed, and that was all that should be sought to be enforced, as far as religion was concerned. He had thought it right to explain his intention with re gard to the next Session, because he hoped in the in terval that the augntion of the House would be dniento the subject. For the present be would move, " That there be laid upon the table an Account of all the Funds and Revenues arising from all Schools, either on public or private foundations, in Ireland, as far as they have been reported ; aad that a Commit tee be appointed to inquire into the state of those Schools, distinguishing the sources from whence the funds were derived, and the number of Scholars edu cated at each School respectively." Mr. C. GRANT felt as little disposition to pppose the proper application of all public monies granted for the purposes of education, as therHoninirable Gentleman opposite, although he was not prepared to live his immediate sanction to a comprehensive national system of education. He could assure the Hour!', that many of the lihggestiens made by the Committee, had been carried into effect ; many ob :tacks had, however, been thrown in the way, by the existing difference oireligion. He had a Bill in pre paration, which he should shortly int reduce, by which those impediments would be removed. Many of the chartered Schools had private funds over which Go vernment had no controul, and with which they could not interfere. The funds of others were re quired to be applied in a particular manner, by the conditions of their Charters. Where public monies had been granted, Government ought to exercise a controul,'but it could not interfere with their pri- I rate funds. Sir H. PARNELL denied that the Catholics threw any obstacles in the *ay of education, unless where the schools were for the express purpose of making proselytes to the Protestant Religion. The efforts of the Catholics had been exerted to promote the exten sion of education with considerable success. He did not think public aid was required for the furtherance of education'in Ireland beyond a very limited extent. Mr. RICE hoped it was not necessary to offer any arguments at the present day to shew that the ad vantages to be derived from the principles of general education more than counterbalanced the disadvan tages. Should any one, however, doubt it, it would .. )e satisfactory to its advocates to find, on reference to the S t atute Books, that our forefathers had recog nised the principle. By an Act passed in the reign of Henry VIII. every Clergyman, on being inducted to a living, was bound to take an oath, by which he engaged to keep a school and give instruction to the children of the parish ; that oath was taken by all of them. There were 1,125 benefices in Ireland, out of which 796 only had made returns to the orders of the Committee in 1810, and of which 549 only had scholars in conformity with the regulations of the Statute. Now was it a fair presumption that those who had not made a return bad no school ? and ac cording to that presumption, there were 576 Clergy men who had neglected to do that which, by the oath they had taken, they were bound to do. He hoped the motion of his Hon. Friend would have the effect of bringing 'before the House such infor mation as would ultimately be the means of obtain ing a satisfactory result. The 12th of Elizabeth con tained the enactments of Henry VIII. in favour of edu cation, and would it now be forgotten that education produced learning, learning truth,and troth happiness? He considered the subject of education to be of the utmost importance to Ireland ; and he trusted, under the conciliatory auspices of the Right Hon. Gentle man, some comprehensive system of moral instruc tion for the poor of Ireland, would be brought into action. The Catholics of Ireland were not inimical to the extension of education ; on the contrary, they were among its beat friends. That they felt jealous when attempts were made to obtain proselytes was true; and so would the Protestants, if schools were set up for the purpose of converting their families to the Catholic Religion. When the established Clergy were advised, under the sanction of an individual who had recently been advanced to the highest dignities in the Church, that they were to teach the people that they were not only to believe in the Religion of CHRIST but they must also accept it as received and understood by the Church, was it to be wondered that the jealousy of the Catholics should be awakened? Mr. C. GRANT remarked, that he had no abso lute objection to make against a comprehensive sys tem of education; and he could assure the Honour able Gentleman, he should come to the consideration of the question with as little bias as any one. Mr. WILLIAM CODRTENAY thought if the education of the Catholics was conducted in a conci liatory manner, they would find that class of the people some of its most useful adherents. Mr. M. FITZGERALD replied, he observed that he had not suggested any general system of educa tion ; he bad merely stated his hope that the recom mendation of the Committee would render it unne cessary for the House to seek for any other system than the Committee might propose for its adoption. The motion was then agreed to. On the motion of Sir 11. Puma, a statement was ordered to be laid before the House of the measures that had been taken for carrying into effect the improvements recommended by the ':.onunittee. IIISCELLANIP-9. Mr. R. MARTIN brought in a Bill for allowing penoos in dicted for capital offences to be defended by Counsel, the same as in cases of High Treason, to be assigned by the Court ; which was read the first and second time, and ordered to be com mitted on Monday ee'nnight. The Chancery Compensation (Ireland) Bill, was read a semis& time, and ordered to be committed to-morrow. The House went into a Committee upon the Acts for regu lating the building of Jails, when several Resolutions were agreed to. The House went into a Committee on the Prison Acts. _ _ __ ___ In the Committee, on the motion yd Mr. H. CLIVE, after a few obeerritions from Mr. Ilsaaosa and Mr. Lammas:, a Resolution was agreed to for consolidating and amending the several Acts respecting Prisons. The Resolution was agreed to by the House, and leave was given to bring in a Bill pursuant to the said Resolution. _ - The Lunatics Stoat Transfer 13111 was rea4 a second tins', and ordered to be committed to-toorrow. On the motion of Mr. ATWOOD, several Returns were ordered of Malt made daring the last four years, in the United Kingdom, distinguishing Irish and Scotch Malts. Also, Returns for a similar period, of the quantities of Spirit distilled, with similar distinctions. Mr. C. OfiIANT brought in all for regulating the Fees of Cliche of Nisi Prius in Ireland, and the Registrar of the Court of Chancery in Ireland; which was read a first time, and ordered' to be read a second time on Thursdaf neat.—Adjourned. TOWN AND PORT OF RTN. The Petition presented on Tuesday last, by Lord GEORGE CAVENDISH, complaining of Commercial and Agricultural Distrait, the heavy burthen of Taxa tion, and praying for a reduction in the Public Ex penditure, the restoration of her MaJmxyvs name to the Liturgy, and for a Constitutional Reform in Par liament, was from the Freeholders, Merchants, Tra ders, and Inhabitants of . the Ancient Town and Port of Rye, in Susses, and the Occupiers of Land in the said Parisi). , Thames Proms was tried on Monday before the High Court of Jusdeiary. kdinburgh. for uttering two forged XS Notes, purporting to be of the Paisley Bank, and oat ES Note, pur porting wise of the Bank of Scotland. The Jury retailed a verdict of Net preens. The prisoner stands cosnellitte4 under another indictment; the trial of which is appointed to take place • so AloudAy the ith of March. THE EVENING STAB. LONDON. '7 l FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1821. - . THE FUND& PRICI Of STOCKS THIS DAY AT OMR o . cf.na t , . Bank Stock 226 225 1 / 2 226-3 per CL Redu. 73 K 14 3 per Ct. Cons. 725/8 38-31 per Cent. 82% 4 per Ct. 91% % %-5 per Ct. Navy 106% % Long Ann!. 18 15=16 19 1-16—Imp. S per Ct. 72K India Bonds 425. 435. pr.—Ezche. Bilk 4s, 6 s . 3 ‘ it. Consols for Acct. 73% 1 / 8 3 / 8 % % 14. The followin Stocks abut and open: 1111 MIT. Maki 2 April It 2 Mara 2 is, 3 Is . 2 19, Bank Stock - Reduced - 4 per Cent. - Long Annuities 411 per Cent. - The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave ae t i ce last night, in the House of Commons, of his inte e d e d motion for anticipating, to a certain extent, the p er i a d at which the Bank of England shall be called ap t tar issue Cash instead of Notes. The object of t h e row sure, as we apprised our Readers the other day, in t oblige the Directors of the Bank to lessee them e% issue of one and two pound notes, to which sea r * all the forgeries are confined ; since, after and* professions, they have not been able to discovers*, mode of engraving which can be followed, wi t h * presenting a degree of temptation to crim e , l e, volting to humanity to contemplate; or rather, et should say, because they do not chuse to avail them. selves of any one of several plans which have been offered to them by men of genius, and almost my one of which would make the crime of forgery d oe . dyed times more impracticable than it is at preset& Every day brings some accession to one inform tion respecting the proceedings of the late Cair o of Sovereigns, and the state of the pending comet ia Italy. A private letter from Florence, which we sob. join, gives some interesting particulars of the super cilious sort of communication which took place be. tween the Duke de GALLO, the Envoy from de existing Government of Naples, and the State Put t assembled at Laybach. The old King FIRDINAID appears in it WA so touch to his advantage as is the letter to his son, which we gave yesterday; be mut have been either woefully under the awe of the Po. tentates and Princes around him, or he is a sand character for which even the plea of dotage scarcely furnishes an apology. The Time: says, that it has learnt, from respectable authority, that the King of SARDINIA, like his Sicilian MAJESTY, received a summons to appear before the High Court of Deg* tism assembled at Laybach. VICTOR EMANUEL, how• ever, knew how to answer as became a King. He replied to the summons, that it was his various duties to be absent from home, his dignity, as an independent Sovereign, to the commands of any foreign Princes. Through a private' channel we are informed, on the afternoon of the 11th -ult. the vernment addressed a Note to from this country, requesting him to tendons of Great Britain, in the event of a tween Naples and certain Powers ; which don Sir. Wicctam A'Counr promptly declaring that his Sovereign was to the hostile designs of the Congress but that he would maintain a Sir WILLIAM A'COURT is said , sirous that such a demand should upon him by the Neapolitan Ministers, prepared beforehand with the means whatever anxiety they might respecting the views and policy of An assurance of this nature from must, we should think, have had ' raging, in some degree, both the . venunent, on the point of entering ous and unequal conflict. Explanations have been given at the same time 'fish squadron in the Bay of Naples, GaNaRAL considered as sufficient that nothing was intended, by its T tent with the professions of peace numicated by the Minister of his To the letter from Florence we relative notices as we have been the French, Dutcb, and German to-day. FLORENCE. FERRI). The following are some further details skins at Laybach :—The Duke de GAD, remain at Gorlitz, sent a courier to King log permission to join him, with his replied, that he must remain at Gorily., Three days afterwards Gallo, not receiving any teed to Laybach, sent another courier to the !" request, to which the same answer was returned. , sent a third courier, to say, that as he was else his functions near the person of his AlajetrY, to be permitted to resign, and to be authorised to Naples. Whilit the last courier was on his way to (Wets came from the King for the Duke de (A* to thither. When he arrived at Laybach, Gallo the residence of Metternicb, who saki to him, " Sylmar are %Watkins of the Congress; an did to tell you is In the name of the Powers, and the .King of Naples." gi But." said Galiss I make some observations." " You were not summoned make observation; but only to kart) the dychiun of r was inconsistent wits ion: home; and aid Sovereign, to mai 'rinses. e are informed, that II , I . the Neapolitan Go. the resident Minims ° tun to explain the is. e event of a war he ii wets ; which swim • romptly satirmli Ii A 'as no party ongress at LaYaleb a strict neutrality P d to have bees • uld have bees Ministers, as ht means of - A . • tit tt hive - . • ec y of Great ran our A id the effect of • .! he People and the • al ring on such a planation: are oil w ar ne respecting the • is plea, which the Vla :lent and • its presence, ce and good.wiH ' • is Britannic ' a we subjoin ma en able to k man Pipers .c. WARY 10. taus respeetisa dle a Lailo, who wassails I King Ferdinaa4 is Secretaries. 1k !ha, and wait his ceiving any ordecsts to the King, apes* was returned.. GA' e was not allowed • s his MajeerY, he authorised 10 set l it is on his to j Nike de Gallo to eh, Gallo was coolo si ,hevisierorrsten:o.n,shotad:onyiniasmalagratinunaiga:thato:gooki.:lBlo:7,..ir