The Sun. — London, England, 1862-03-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING,* MARCEI .28,- .7VIPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS-YESTERDAY. THE REVISED CODE-ADJOURNED DEBATE. Mr. WHITESIDE, in resuming the adjourned debate, contended that the tests on which the Privy Council proceeded in arriving at the conclusion as to the inefficiency of the existing system were most unsound, for they entirely excluded m igratory children, an i mportant element in the consideration of the subject. He also alluded to the con flicting statements between the schoolmasters and the in spectors, and argued that the vice-president of the Board of Education htd entirely failed to make out a case. The commissioners had entered into the question respecting the masters, and had reported as to their manners, conduct, and what was called conceit, with which they had been charged and had affirmed that they found nothing • against the schoolmasters as a class to justify the allegations which had been made to their prejudice, and testified to their intellec tual qualification and good moral character. The right hon. gentleman alleged that the masters were dissatisfied with their position ; but had it not often been the case in higher conditions of life, that when a man got one good place he grumbled until he got a letter—(laughter) —but that did not affect his moral character, (Hear, and a laugt.) The right hon. gentleman said that the masters had not a very favourable olr.tinion of him, and told the house why be should have ne very favourable opinion of them. He (i'lr. White side) never read a speech that gave him more pain than that delivered by the right hon. gentleman. In that speech the rigbl hon. gentleman said that the masters were dissatisfied b: cause they only received on an average £122 a year, and because the work was spoiled by the interference of the clergy. (Hear.) Mr. LOWE.—It is in the summary of evidence. Mr. WHITESIDE understood it perfectly, as he would presently show. The right hon. gentleman proceeds from the national schools to the British schools, and speaks of the satisfied state of the masters of these schools, because they were free from "priestly tyranny." (Hear, from Conserva tive benches.) The right hon, gentleman had two objects in view in quoting what he called a " summary" of the evi dence, but which was not so. His first object was to insult the clergy, and next to cast a slur upon the whole body of masters connected with his own depart ment. This was shown by the fact that he fixed upon the only point in the evidence which was offensive to the Clergy. - Would the right hon. gentleman, the Chancellor of the. Exchequer, who was looked upon as a great friend of the Church—who admired the clergy, and who was ad ired by them—agree in this language of his colleague in -which he had held the clergy up to contempt ? (Hear, hear.) The right hon. 'gentleman (Mr. Lowe) shook his head and disclaimed this imputation, but he (Mr. White side) repeated that the right hon. gentleman designedly culled out the passage, and not fairly, from the appendix to the evidence collected by Mr. Wilkinson. That gentle man himself had reported most favourably of the education work of the clergy, and 26 out of the 27 witnesses who were examined concurred in this opinion. These were all Church men ; but the 27th, Mr. a Dissenter, alone expressed the opinion that had been quoted by the right hon. gentle man against the interference of the clergy. That dissenting witness had a right, if he pleased, to speak for himself and for the master of the British school, but he had no right to speak for the National schoolmasters or the Church. (Cheers.) Mr. Wilkinson, in his report, declared that edu cation was progressing in the metropolis, both in quantity and quality, and that the people recognised the necessity of religion being a material ingredient of Melt was his opinion that the grant for education should be ihcreased. Now, eeith respect to the resolutions proposed by his right hon. 'friend (Mr. Walpole), the two last were highly important, because they raised the Constitutional question, which the house should not hesitate to give an opinion upon. The re ports of the commissioners having been laid upon the table of the house, the right hon. gentleman, in reply to a question from his right hon. friend (Mr. Walpole), said that any change in the system of education would still be regulated by the opinion of those whose hands had maintained it. A few days afterwards, on the 29th July, the new code was published, and on the 12th August the Privy Council issued the order commanding obedience to that code. He asked if that was consistent with the answers which the right hon gentleman had given to the questions put to him upon the subject en the 12th July ? Did he mean to say that his 'scheme was approved of by all who were interested in edu cation, when that statement was directly contradicted by ail who took any practical part in the work of education in either England or Scotland, and especially in Scotland P Ho had heard of drum-head court-martials, and Austria being called a despotism, but what could be more despotic than 'for a department of the Government suddenly to announce that great changes were to be made—to call for submission on the part of those affected by such changes without in quiry or remonstrance? (Hear, hear.) He thought that Parliament was bound to teach the Government to treat it with that respect to which it was entitled, and to ensure for the future that such sweeping changes in the administra tion of a public grant for great national purposes, should in futare be fully and properly brought under the considera tion of the Legislature. (Hear, hoar.) The right hon. gen tleman said the system was expensive and ought to be re duced in cost ; but the fact was, we had too long neglected the education of our poorer classes. (Hear, hear.) There had been endowments, foundations, and provisions for the education of the middle and upper classes, who in this way had been stimulated and incited to emulation in knowledge, but we had done nothing for the education of the poor. The Scottish Parliament had done much, and with the happiest results. He trusted that when the house came to discuss the question, they would recollect how small was the amount spent upon the education of the poorer classes when compared with the sums expended in iron-plated ships, of instruments of human destruction, and in guilty wars that filled the world with widows and orphans. (Hear, hear.) He trustee that they would remember that there were vic tories be be gained over ignorance, vice, and crime; and if they persevered in that great conflict—there were battles to bee won, triumphs to gain —we should come safely out of the contest, and the results would add to the glory of Queen Victoria's reign. (Long-continued cheers.) Mr. B. OSBORNE said he could not help suspecting, from the tone of the right hon. gentleman's observations, that he rather differed from the right hon. gentleman who introduced this subject, in a desire to make this somewhat of a party question. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Osborne) would endeavour to steer clear of anything of the sort, be cause the solution of so great a social problem ought not to be reduced to the level of a party conflict. (Hear.) The right hon, gentleman had told them of the difference be tween the ingenuity of a witness and the fairness of a judge. His speech appeared to him to show more of the ingenuity than the fairness. (Hear, 871,1 a laugh) He had spoken very highly of education and its results in Scotland, and of what Buller called the profound principle of truth which it diffused ; but though the right hon. gentleman might have read Lord Macaulay, he did not appear to have read the evidence of Mr. Briscoe before the committee, or he would have found that the morals of some of the ladies of that country were not of the most brilliant character. (A laugh.) He could not conceive why so much condemnation should be thrown on the vice-president of die education committee. He for ono thought that great credit was due to him for the moral courage—(hear)—and tho industry he had ex hibited in grappling with, unravelling, and simplifying a system which by successive orders of successive committees had become so unwieldy and complicated that it was puzzl ing to the few, and absolutely unintelligible to the many. (Hear.) As to the opposition the new system had had to encounter, it was natural in the course of events that when the Government endeavoured to check the growth of an artificial system which had created an army of managers, teachers, pupil teachers, and others, all participating in a public grant, the most determined opposition should be exhibited by those so interested. The right hon. gentle- man had spoken of the opposition of the clergy of all de nominations. He (Mr. Osborne) was not at all surprised that those who hated each other for the love of God in all other cases should yet agree when their object was to drain the public Exchequer non olet. When they did agree their unanimity was wonderful. (Hear, and a laugh.) No doubt the changes involved individual hardship, but that was no question for that house. The real and only ques tion it had to decide was, whether these changes were for the public benefit. (Hear, hear.) Now, divested of all 1 t eehuica.liiy and details, they had simply to consider, in the first place, that this system which had been in existence some twenty years was always spoken of as provisional a , nd . tel aPerary. (Hear, hear.) What had been its cost uurins• 41. e the twenty years? Four millions and a half sterling. it had risen from an annual grant in 1839 of the modest sure of .£32,000, to the stun of .C 315,000 la :t le r, a wa avid th th e `")Cry we,still e Gi ve, g i ve, " " More, mote. " hat s eepeet if was nt checked ? Dr. Temple in his evi( Imi mee (and this he was a go o od authority) said that to carry out the %thorn_ cost t.),uou a nd even the most re,,Ruirie e gn mit woul d ,ouu, ppor y ters of the old scheme estimated its cost at two and a half millions annually. And .eLtla_cr for this large past or pro what had we got in retur n' pro spectively lamer outlay li e ra ' epective • , answer was to be found in the report of t ie toy,l C°Tuul laalea, which, after two years' careful examination of the whole subject, was fatal iinyorteetly, readin-, to tho whole system a iwhopz,rsruentaeieted. They stated that the junior dasSes, "in majority of the scholars, do not learn, or learn very e writing, and arithmetic. (clear.) 'Phis ho tended, to give up the whole case. In the n un , °a but to men sense, what were children sent arithmetic? school fu r `' r ema (Ches, learn reading, writing, and Could But any iselpliao d' ) then the discipline was spoken of. h e o a r e acq uirement of these be better than that involved in t q inetriletien? (R e .. elementary and essential brsnehes newel cheering.) He w, old net ii rr_ r te . y but public document. He hail tried to IT, 31 but he pamphlet, referred to 17 , the right hen. gentleman, tta4,, 1 C h a a ri f se candidly confessed it had borne him down. WI I was, whether these maners, teachers, pupil-te achers, an l allowed not on./ this army of supernumeraries, were to be tO frighten the Government into compliance with their de mands, but to present an election blunderbuss to the herd` ' of memb ers o f th a t h ouse , an d th rea ten them with t h e loss et , their seats at the next, election if they did not vote for th..; continuance of the grants in their present shape. (Hear,) For his own tart ho only complained that the new code d;rl not et' -° far 44 °I , Ch. It had been urged that this was a reli gious question. The right hon. gentleman opposite, who was peculiarly the friend of the clergy had said:much on that point, and insinuated that the right hon. vice-president (Mr. Lowe) was not the friend of the clergy or of religion. Now he (Mr. Osborne) utterly denied t .at the question had anything to do,with religion. Dr. Hook, the estimable Dean of Chichester, had shown in his evidence that in a re ligious point of view the system was a complete failure, and observed that it was a mockery to suppose that because children were allowed to dogs'-ear their Bibles in school they learned anything of religion. (Hear.) The Rev. Mr. Brookfield, one of the most eminent inspectors, reported that out of 6,000 scholars he examined, 3,344 were unable to answer even ono of the simplest quostions in the catechism, with the exception of 142 out of the whole number. Mr. Fraser and Mr. Fester said that the religious instruction was learned merely by rote ; and Mr. Jelinger Symons said that he found the children could tell the weight of Goliah's spear, the length of Noah's ark, and the dimen sions of Solomon's temple, while they were utterly ignorant of all the first principles of Christian life. (Hear, hear.) The truth was that it was not a religious but a breeches'- pocket question (hear, hear) whether the country should go on paying, and the schoolmasters receiving, as at present. Everybody agreed that something must be done, except one, and that was the hon. member for Hert fordshire, who told them that he had practised in the Court of Chancery, and seemed to want to get the house into Chancery, too. (A laugh.) Mr. PULLER—I did not say that nothing ought to be done. Mr. OSBORNE—The hon. gentleman at all events called the revised code an " immoral act," and ho was very much surprised to see the hon. gentleman at that moment in con versation with the author of an "immoral act." (Great laughter.) Was it not notorious how petitions were got up? The Rev. Mr Scott details the plan how hon. members were to be worked up, as appeared by a letter ho (Mr. Osborne) held in his hand, dated March 12, from Westminster, in the neighbourhood of the house. He was writing to all persons belonging to the Wesleyan connexion, a body that received from the grant nearly £300,000 a year,ell whatand very naturally had more to fear than others. W did he say ? "All legitimate influence," he writes, " should be used with our representatives in Parliament. Few of them understand the subject of the Revised Code— (laughter)—so well as to have any opinion about it." (Laughter.) He (Mr. Osborne) did not know if that were parliamentary language ; but - Mr. Scott proceeds, "They are, therefore, the more likely to act for their consti tuents if they plainly and honestly expressed their opi nions." Hon. members ought to know what that meant. (Hear, hear.) It was a threat " looming in the future," and was evidently written for the purpose of getting u p 1 petitions in the schools against the proposed code. (Hear, hear.) Who, in point of fact, was to petition in its favour, when no organisation was set on foot, and when it was well known that nothing could be more unpopular than to stop grants of public money which had been given for years. He believed the right hon. gentleman the Vice-President of the Council was one of tho best friends the country ever had, not only on economical grounds, but from his attempt to save the country the con sequences of the lavish expenditure to which it was annually subjected. As to what was said about " vested hiterests," that he believed to be what was called "a pocket pistol," to induce the hon. gentleman to continue the present system. The hon. member for Hertfordshire said the faith of the country was pledged to continue tho teachers. How did that occur ? Did ho mean to say that the system of educa tion now carried on was not for the benefit of the children of the poor of this country, but for that of the schoolmasters, who received their education at the public expense and now turned round on the Executive because it presumes to alter the system ? He was surprised that, with the experience which the hon. gentleman said he had in the Court of Chan cery, ho should make such a statement. What did the re port of the Royal Commission say on the subject?"—" It may be said that the State did excite expectations, and gave teachers a moral right to think the system would be continued; but that was not the case, as the sums voted were always annual, and not !permanent. Indeed it was notorious that it has grown up by degrees, and that the propriety of altering it was always considered as cer tain." Ho could hardly believe that the experience and knowledge acquired by the hon. gentleman in the Court of Chancery could have permitted him to assert that the country was pledged to continue these certificated teachers. The hon. member for Bradford—his hon. friend, if he would allow him to call him so; for after his powerful speech the other evening any one ought to be proud to call him so—but his hon, friend forgot himself at the and of it, and called it " a pedantic and bureaucratic scheme." It certainly was not " bureaucratic," because it decentralised the present system, and gave away the whole patronage from the possession of the Government. If it were worth anything, its best argument was, that it simplified that which previously !existed. (Hear, hear.) What business he (Mr. Osborne) wished to know, had the Government to interfere with the question of education ? It was never contemplated that the Privy Council should do so. The right hon. gentleman the member for the University of Cambridge endeavoured 1 to enlist the feelings and sympathies of the old Whiga in that house, who generally went to sleep on those benches at eleven o'clock—(a laugh)—by insinuating that what he proposed was the scheme of Lord Lansdowne and another noble lord (Earl Russell) who had now gone to another and happier place. (A laugh.) But he denied that either ever contemplated the continuance of the system under the Privy Council. In 1839 Lord Lansdowne stated in the House of Lords that a permanent settlement of it at that time was out of the question, that the arrangements were merely temporary, liable to be modified or enlarged ; and Lord John, now Earl Russell, said in this house it was not intended to apply it to the whola of the country. The fact was, the machinery had so enlarged as to require more clerks than were employed in the office of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and it appeared in evidence before the Royal Commission that, notwithstanding its enormous staff, it was at the present moment totally inadequate to perform its duties. That was the testimony of Mr. Lincoln, the secretary of the Education Committee, who had been 14 years in the office, and whose opinion was, that if the system were fully carried out it must break down unless they procured a much larger establishment than Parliament would grant, and that if the whole grant were withdrawn education would not fall back in any great degree. The same evidence was given by Mr. Carster, the assistant secretary, who stated in addi tion that the Committee of Privy Council was so over whelmed with details that there was no time to ascertain the practical working of the whole scheme. The Royal Commission recammended that the payments to be made should be entrusted to the managers altogether, so as to do away with the idea that the schoolmasters were stipendiaries of the State. Those people threatened the Government, and the house should take care that they did not oven go farther. The right lion. gentleman who last addressed the house said the system was a national one ; but how did that appear ? Ho found by referring to the report, that while there v ere 6,897 assisted schools, there were ne less than 15,925 who received no grant at all. In the county of Cornwall there were 71 parishes having GOO children at school, but in not one of those places, except the borough of Liskeard, which ho had the honour to represent, was any of them connected with the present system. Then, let the house see what the nature of the teaching was. If any lion. gen tlemen looked into the whole matter, and read, as ho had , done, five large volumes of evidence, which gave him a terrible vertigo, ho would ace that it was too high for the children of the poor, too ambitious, and too much cramming of children, instead of imparting to them the essential rudi ments of education. Mr. Farzer stated that the failure to obtain local aid in support of these schools, was the opinion entertained by landlords and others that it was vicious in this respect. Ile then gives an instance where he found a I young schoolmistress employed very earnestly and sedu lously in the discharge of her duties, but engaged in teach ing children a sum in long division, although they were not oven able to read the figures. Then came what were termed training colleges, which he believed had also failed, although they cost the country £2,544,000. There were 34 of them in England and Wales, containing 2,065 stu dents, male and female. They were founded mainly on the self-supporting system, yet the college at Cheltenham cost the Government 99 per cent for its expenses, and the others 90 percent. The result was that they had more school masters than they could employ, and those now educated at the public expense were allowed to compete with the sons of those who paid for them in obtaining situations in the public service. (Hear, hear.) The Rev. Mr. Glass, the principal of the Battersea training school, stated in his evi dence that the supply was greater than the demand, and that the local subscriptions had fallen from £1,500 to £3OO. He would suggest to his right hon. ft lend that it would be n good plan to appoint a select committee to inquire into the whole system. He thought the question of principle of na tional education had been lost sight of. The effect of Go vernment interference with education in this country had been to cripple all efforts to promote voluntary education. But they had also evidence of a most conclusive character upon the point—the evidence of two men who, from their public, situations, must have had peculiar information, and were well qualified to give an opinion on the subject. Dr. Temple, the master of Rugby School, said the system of education had done great good, and he thought that it might be productive of great harm if dependent upon Go vernment aid. He also thought that although the good was increasing, the harm was increasing in a still greater ratio, and no doubt, if the matter went on as it had been doing, the grant would soon become enormous. Dr. Vaughan, late master of Harrow School, said that nothing, not even the defence of our shores, was so important as education,t' rightly conducted. Put yet in the teeth of all t ,,,,,, ,, 1_ 1 ( . 1 °Ttee they wore shout to conFoliihte this p.ys iTTelly without t• inquiringGovernment e d u w e j a m t i t o n NV as should the principleproceed. N ow h o collie had any discussion on that question. period, se h ic i h lic ! , t v cenceive how this was at the present question at lea s t aa Tl : ° spirit, albeit they had There favourable for settling this they were free from any party little infusion of it to-night— a tincture from the ttni vor a : i n " Reform." " Its e e i s c i e t i l sk 7 wev u e b r lin h . eal T .d h_er o e ur the i r ps W a e re re loath to speak that once fara the war panic was gone by, and eh,,, t d ''' (Laughter.) Even j er niem. The Conservative lion sy nt hsl :,, 4, l7 n a ob p le ol l i o ti rd eal atth il e - Liberal lamb. (Laughter.) A n d i f t ,_'Ying down head of the Government could only got an Irish Lord of the Treasury everything would be smooth. Tho calm had almost reached a state of stagnation—the " chickweed" was on the face of their debate. (Laughter.) Why, then, could not the Government come down to the house and propound a scheme of unfettered national education in this country, free from the trammels of Government assistance, by gradually diminishing the Government allowance? Since looking into the subject he had come to the con clusion that if they wished the country to be educated on right principle—if they wished to improve the community, they would not continue this lavish system of Government grants, or of conducting the education of the country under a Government office. The political views of parties should have nothing to do with the education of the people. When he heard the opinion of the majority of the Council of Education was in favour of tho Government scheme of education, ho might refer to the opinions of two gentlemen of the minority, viz., Mr. Miall and Mr. Tculmiu Smith, who was one of the rising lights of the present generation. They desired that the system of education should be free and that the Govern ment should gradually abstain from the lavish expenditure upon it, and that they should not make further money grants except for the purposes of building. He could not help thinking that the report of the minority was well worthy the attention of the house. They had never yet dis cussed on what principles proper education should be con ducted, and so long as they were content to lavish those sums without inquiry he felt confident that it was not by this revised code they would bo able to deal with it fully ; but that they would be obliged eventually to say once for all, you should put a stop to this lavish outlay from the public expenditure. (Hear, hear.) Mr. ADDERLEY observed it was agreed on both sides that some revision of the code of 1860 was necessary; the only question was as to the time and mode of the revision. The proposed revision had been unjustly characterised as intended to rerolutienise the present system ; its apparent object was to limit the interference of the Government, and to revive the action of voluntary agency, which had been overlaid by Government aid. So far the proposition was wise, but the mode of carrying it out was a more difficult question. After referring to certain points which had been misunderstood by the opponents of the Revised Code, he observed that there were two difficulties which he could not at present see his way through. One was the proposal for the individual examination of every scholar, not having heard by what machinery it was to bo carried out. Tho other was the effect which the various causes, diminishing attendance during examination, might have the income of schools. One great object of the code ought to be to spread the Government grant, and extend the use of it throughout the country, the poorer districts keeping aloof from the Privy Councilithrough terror of Government inspection—an objection which the Revised Code would remove. He de precated the discussion of this question in relation to parti cular interest ; the primary consideration to be kept in view was the good of the labouring classes, and how far Govern ment should come in aid of voluntary action. If that had broken down, then let the Government take the manage ment into its own hands; but, if the voluntary principle was still alive, lot means be taken to check Government in terference. _ Mr. GOWER noticed and obviated various misappre hensions of the scheme of the Government, explaining and defending the alterations it proposed. Ho considered the fears entertained as to the financial prospects of the schools exaggerated. Under the present system the pupil teachers were paid at the same rate all over the country, though wages differed in different parts ; whereas by the Revised Code the managers could adapt the payment according to circumstances. .........._____ Mr. LIDDELL said, if the existing system of education was cumbrous and costly, the Privy Council had made it so, from two motives—to save themselves trouble, and the Exchequer expense. He regarded the revision of the Code as one of a series of financial reforms —one, however, which the people least required. He admitted the utility of such reforms, but there wore two modes of reforming—the right and the wrong ; and, in his opinion, the Revised Code was, in many of its details, a wrong method. Ho explained the objections he entertained to some of the proposed changes, and the evils and dangers he anticipated from them, esp e _ daily the grouping of children by ago. He complained of some statements contained in the report of an Assistant Commissioner, the charges in which, though groundless, formed a part of the evidence upon which the revision of the Code was founded. Mr. BAINES considered that it was a great fault in both the old Code and thenow that the public money was in a very large degree wasted upon schools which needed it the least, or not at all, while those that required most had little, or none, of the Government grant. He referred to instances of large sums given to schools in wealthy districts, where parents were able to pay for the education of the children, and the managers did not know what to do with the capitation grant. This was a gross abuse of the public charity, which had a demoralising effect and other injurious consequences. He appealed to strong testimony in support of this assertion, and contended that, in a very moderate percentage upon the wages of the working classes, there existed a large fund untouched for the education of the poor. and that if the people were left to themselves it would make greater progress, their ability and their willingness to make prevision having been demonstrated. Sir J. PAKINGTON felt himself bound to support the resolutions of his right hon. friend the member for the University of Cambridge, in opposition to the scheme of the Government ; but he was very glad to find that the views he had himself put forward on different occasions on the subject had been sanctioned both by the report of the Royal Commission and by the speech of the right hon. gen tleman the Vice-President of the Council. No one could doubt that the present system was too centralised and too costly, and failed in reaching those districts where educa tion was most wanted. He always considered that the quantity of education was immaterial, unless the quality was good; and certainly there could be no doubt that it had materially increased, for he found that while in 1845, out of every 100 persons married 41 per cent. could not write their names, in 1860 it was diminished down to 30 per cent. His complaints against the right hon. gentleman was, that he was borne out in saying he did not meet the difficulty. He submitted that, as far as the 920,000 chil dren were concerned, the right hon. gentleman's plan might answer ; but he did not enable them to extend the system to the 1,250,000 children. They all remembered the evidence of Mr. Lynden, that so great was the increase in the amount of business in the Education-office, that the whole system must break down if some change in it were not made. The right hon. gentleman told them that one of his objects was to correct the evil of " centralisation ;" but he apprehended the right hon. gentleman would never succeed in that object. In his opinion there was but one mode of correcting this centralisation system, and that was by the establishment of local boards, with power of control. The right hon. gentleman complained of the great expense which was incurred in carrying out the existing system ; Lut that arose from the extravagant payments made to par ticular schools. The right hon. gentleman told them that, on looking at the list of schools, he found one in which there were 200 children, for whom £4 per head was paid, others for whom £1 9s. per head was paid, others .£1 75., and others for whom only 19s. per head was paid. Now he (Sir John Pakington) maintained that by the establish ment of local agencies and of local boards the amount might be greatly reduced, and by that system there would be no further extravagance in the distribution of the money given to schools. Ho found, according to the statement of the hon. member for Leeds (Mr. Baines), that a large amount of Government aid had been given tc some schools. Now what was the character of those schools ? They were schools to which it was questionable whether any relief at all ought to be given. He quite agreed with the right hon. gentleman in that opinion, and he must say I that the evil of endeavouring to carry out the education of the country by a system of centralisation was a system of extravagance they could not keep up. The right hon. gentleman said Government wore determined to adopt the system of paying by results. He would tell the sight hon. gentleman that that system would not succeed. He was anxious to know what was the principle upon which the Government were prepared to proceed. Was it the inten tion of the Government to maintain the grant hitherto given, and to make it spread over a wider area, or was it their intention to reduce the grants altogeter ? In his opi nion, the right hon. gentleman's plan was intended not merely to benefit and promote the welfare of schools, but more especially so to promote the welfare of tho right hon. gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The right hon. gentleman stated in ono of his speeches that great extrava gance had resulted from the system of management. (Hear, hear.) The Government, he said, were willing to give £500,000 in ono year, and they were not unwilling to pro pose £600,000 in the next year. That was a serious charge. In 1557 the right hon. gentleman charged the officers of the Government with deluding the country. Did the right hon. gentleman make that charge at present ? Now ho (Sir J. Pakington) must say if ever the charge was sub stantiable the ground for A would be found in the speech of the right hon. gentleman. He did not want to recommend any extravagance in the grants, but the question of extra vagance did not turn upon the amount, but unoa the manner in which they expended the money ; and if they found assistance granted to schools that were not entitled to it, and withheld it from other schools that stood in need of it, he must say that that was a sys tem of extravagance on the ono hand, and of injustice on the other, that could not fail to give dissatisfaction. Now the establishment of local boards would correct that system of abuse, and the leading principles of the present system were, according to the report of the Royal Com missioners, simply to combine the representative with the local system, and thus enable the children of the country with the all c l ases where necessary; t o par ti c i pate i n the advanta ges o f national education. He did no t agree gentleman that a system of rates would be unfair because it would throw the burden upon a smaller fund. If it did so, at all events the burden would be borne by those who derived the benefit. Was there no defect in a system which permitted such a state of things as this —that in the three counties of llereford, Devon and Somerset there were 605 parishes with under GOO inhabitants each, and only eight of them had schools in connexion with the The P r ivy Council, of th yet o they. bore 'their share in the tax a ti on . scheme was apparent in the extent to which it drew revenue from a portion of the country which derived no:benefit, The right hon, gentian= next referred t ~. to the recommendation of the commissioners, that the Charity Commission should be united to the Committee of Council, and that a largo number of small endowments, in most cases useless, and in some cases mischievous, should be appropriated to the education of the poor of the district. In an anonymous pamphlet which had that day been placed in his hands he found a tabulated statement, from which it appeared that in various parts of England there were 647 endowed grammar schools, and 2,405 other endowed schools, and of the latter it might be said, that they wore doing no good whatever. There were several of them in Worcester, and they were the very worst schools he knew. By follow ing the advice of the commissioners a considerable sum would be made available. If the right hon. gentleman had framed a statesmanlike measure, which combined the re commendations of the commissioners with the best parts of the present system, ho might have settled this question, not for ever, perhaps, but for a long time to come. But the right hon. gentleman had not the courage to grapple with the question in this spirit, and the result ho.o been that they had committed a most serious mistake, giving us ali thQ evils of change without the advantages of improvement. This was not a question of principle but of detail. It might be said, perhaps, there was the principle of payment by re sults, but that principle was as old as the Privy Council system, and this was only a question of detail as to how it should be carried out. He contended therefore that the question raised by the Revised Code was a question not of principle but of detail, and that all its details were objec tionable. He was not at all insensible to the defects of the present system, but he should not be prepared to abandon it till he was sure of something bettor. The right hon. baro net quoted from a letter published by the Archdeacon of Worcester, several statements setting forth the objection able features of the Revised Code,and showing how it would press with peculiar severity on that district. He then asked, what was the answer to be given to that statement ? How would the difficulties connected with the uncertain attend ance of children at the schools be met? They had heard it stated the other evening, by an hon. gentleman on that side of the house, that in his district not more than 50 per cent. of the children of the labouring classes gave 100 attendances in the course of the year. What would it be in remote dis tricts, and in the crowded suburbs of towns ? Then again, who were those managers of schools ? In the immense ma jority of eases they were the clergy of this country. (Hear.) Their conduct had been beyond all praise, and it would be a most unwise and unjust return to tell them that they must incur risks which it would be impossible for them to afford. According to Mr. Fraser's report the average subscription of the clergy to the schools was at the rate of 10 guineas per annum, while the landowners gave £5 each on an average, and landoccupiers considerably below that amount. In the district alluded to by Mr. Fraser the burthen fell on the clergy. Would it be wise to expose those men to the chance of incurring unknown risks, or the certainty of increased payments ? Against the want of wisdom in such an ar rangement he must protest, because ho believed the result must be to undermine the best portions of the present system. From the report of Mr. Watkins they learned that in the northern district not ono half of the children remained in the schools for one year. Many of them re mained for eight or nine months, and went away before the day fixed for the examination. How was the manager to be remunerated for the labour, care, and anxiety be stowed on their elementary education P Evidently the proposed plan would in this respect be a direct inducement to the masters of rural schools to neglect the education of those children—those who were most dull requiring the greatest attention. Moreover, there was the chance of the clever children deserting him at the last moment. That portion of the scheme, where the right hon. gentleman pro posed fourth-class certificates, was one which ho approved, because he believed it would benefit the humbler and lower classes; but he could not find words to express his feelings of regret at the intended withdrawal of all Go vernment aid from those schools which were attended by the most destitute and pitiable of all classes—he meant the ragged and industrial schools. (Hear, hear.) Now, from that decision of the Government he dissented, and he certainly must confess he had hoped that when an plthee op portunity was presented to the Government of revising the educational code, they would not have withheld the b ene fit ;could not an noble of d uk of State assistance from that class of schools which stood more in need of it than any othe r class in the country. G (H ov ea e r rn , mheeanrt with whol e .)H f e ee r l e in gar gs d o e f d r th g eret;that and an b of ht t e h re frain from expressing his s urprisee now a member of the Cabinet, who had so ably discharged the duties of chairman of the Royal Commission, should have consented, as he supposed he had consented, to the introduction of a system which, really and practically, ignored and repudiated the laborious results of that com mission. (Hear, hear.) For a far different result, indeed, he had looked. They had heard a great deal of the un willingness of hon. members to give a party character or complexion to the consideration of this most important question. If any man in that house had a right to say that he was free from party bias in connection with the subject, he (Sir J. Pakington) thought ho was that man. (Hear.) On more than one occasion he had risked his connection with that party, with whom he acted during the whole of his political life, because he refused, to abandon his strong convictions on this subject. (Hear, hear.) When Earl Russell introduced his resolutions in 1856 he stood almost alone on that side of the house in giving his best support to the plan of tho noble earl. He did so because he believed the principles on which the plan was based were sound,and he believed so still, and in the same spirit had he been able h to gentleman concur in o a t h r e . plan a a d e o r f ie t y h 3 e w r i a g s h t a complete p letgentleman, answer to party the considerations would have deterred him from giving it his warmest support. (Hear, hear.) He regretted the propo sal of the right hon. gentleman and of the Government. Ho regarded it as absurd, and he should meet it with a de cided negative. (Hear, hear.) Mr. LO WE said the right hon. gentleman had told them he would show why he opposed the proposition of the Govern ment, and why he supported the plan brought forward in opposition by the right hon. gentleman (Mr. 'Walpole). He regretted, he said, that Government had not taken advan tage of the report of the commission,and thrown the expense upon the county rates. He (Mr. Lowe) thought he had a right to complain of the course which the right hon.gentle man had pursued, but ho could not at that time of night trouble the house with any remarks till they should go into committee. On the 27th of February, he understood they lead come to an agreement that they would go into com mittee, and that being so, he did not think he would be justified harping into matters which must be gone into in com mittee. His right hon.friend the member for North Stafford shire had stated certain difficulties which lay in the way of the proposed plan, and had asked for answers. The first difficulty his right hon. friend sail would be to get the children to attend the examination. As ho (Mr. Lowe) had stated he could not go into details now, but he might be permitted to observe that the attendance of the children at the school when it was being inspected was 7 per cent. larger than during the year; and as to the second point started ho (Mr. Lowe) did not think there would be any practical difficulty in examining the children. Mr. CooLaa and Mr. Norris both bore testimony to the fact that there would be no practical difficulty ( n that point. The right hon. gentleman then referred to the personal charges which ho said had been made against him by the right hon. and learned member for the University o f D u bli n (M r . White side), and contended that th e f ac t s o f th e case wou ld no t warrant the right hon. gentlema n i n ma ki ng suc h c h arges . He thought that the state men t ma d e b y th e r i g ht h on. charge brought against him on this point by the right hon. gentleman the member for the University of Dublin. Ile was therefore right in saying that it was upon the report of the inspectors that the grants were made to the schools. Why was he the only man, then, that could entertain such an opinion ? Ho now came to the third charge brought against him by the right hon. gentleman. He alluded to the fact that the right hon. gentleman charged him (Mr. Lowe) with making use of the report of the inspector refer red to to justify the allegation that " priestly tyranny" had been exercised by the clergy over the master. Now, what was the fact ? Why, that he referred to the repot t for the purpose of denouncing it, but at the same time to show that the masters were a discontented class. It was not likely that ho who knew the iaterest which the clergy took in the suc cess of the schools which were placed under their control, and of the improvement of the pupils, would over allow himself to use words towards them as calculated to show that they exercised a "priestly tyranny" over the mus ters. But the right honourahle gentleman Was not content with making this charge against him, but he used the very report to which he referred for the purpose of show ing that he (Mr. Lowe) adopted it in order to libel the masters. The right hon. gentleman seemed to him to deal with this great and important question for the purpose of introducing into it some miserable petty squabble more suited to the politics of an Irish parish than to the conside ration of so great a subject as that now before the house. But the right bon. gentleman, with all his ingenuity, had not thought it right to make himself acquainted with the details of the question, as now shown by the way in which he dealt with the subject of the examination of children. Why, the deliberate opinion of the inspector was, that exa mination was the test by which the system was to be regu lated. Passing, then, from the right hon. gentleman—which he did with groat pleasure—(a hugh)—the first question related to the deficiency of the education of the children. He based aliment on this subject on the report of Mr. Norris, h he i i s a ns r pector, who had said that three-fourths of the children had left the schools without being properly educated. That error had, however, been very properly pointed out by Mr. Birke, whose letter had been quoted in the course of the debate, and from which it appeared that the report of the commissioners said that three-fourths of the children left school without entering the first class. He admitted his error. There really was no means of knowing what number of children were improp-rly educated, and he had been mislead in following the authority of Mr. Norris in reference to that point. The right hon. gentleman then re ferred to the evide nce o f M r. C ooke, one o f the inspectors,Govern for the purpose of showing that the g, and ciphering of the children ill h such as could be desired. The slnc conclusion rea ding,eno to Ischools N VW:sitin not to which the commissioners came was, that the present system was little a t too o t oo great ambitious a in eo s i t t . s alma, To hon. member for Bradford seeme d t o thi n k that because , a nd that it effected too in comparison with other nation we we stood highest in the list excep t Prussia, as to the amount of attendance at schwls, that therefore our e d uca ti on i s goo d. But the 1862. test IVO not attendance but what was really learned. Take the regiment of Staffordshire militia, for instance. It consisted of 846 men; out of this number 316 could read, 281 could read imperfectly, and 250 could , ee+ read at all. On the contrary, take a regiment in South Holland; where the attendance was worse, out of 688, 526 could read per fectly. Again, in the Birmingham House of Correction it was found that out of 407 persons whe had been at school I from two to five years, 70 were unable to write, 178 unable to read, 32 only were able to work a rule in compound arithmetic. These facts showed the necessity of pressure being applied in the only proper quarter ; namely, to the managers of the schools, through the medium of examina tion. It was not merely a question of comparative education and comparative cost with which they had to deal. In Eng land we did not pretend to do more than supplement private and voluntary effort, and to do that we paid £825,000 yearly. But in Franco, where the State defrayed the whole cost, there were 5,000 schools, educating 3,500,000 children, at a cost of £1,700,000. In Ireland, where we took upon ourselves a similar responkibility, the cost was £285,000, or 10s. a-head; while 41 this country, for less efficient education, it was 11s 6d. a-head ; and in Scotland something of the some kind might be seen. He had been asked what the cost under the new system would be. How could he tell what education would be given under the new system until it had been tested by examination. The right hon. gentleman (Mr. Wal pole) had said it was doubtful whether it would be either effi cient or economical. If the house adopted his resolutions there would be no doubt the education would neither be effi cient nor cheap, The fact of the matter was that no one could foresee what efficient examination as a constant stimulus would effect. Tho work of a school was never done. It might be described as a luminous circle surrounded by a large dark belt of ignorance. Every successive generation that came into the world added to that black belt, and it was the mis sion of the school to illuminate it to the greatest possible extent. The cases of individual hardship had been pointed out. But how could a central department of Govern ment deal with such eases ? Was it intended that there should be some 20 or 30 different sets of rules, under any one of which the Minister for the time being might place applicants according to his pleasure. If so, it would im mensely increase Government patronage, and make the de partment itself a den of iniquity. He therefore sati no way to administer the grant except under a general code. If the system had been other than it was the administration might have been different, but ho took the system as he found it, sanctioned by Parliament and successive Govern ments. He did not impugn either the decision of Parlia ment or the commission; all he wanted was that it should, as far as possible, be administered a honEstly, efficiently, and economically. The real difference between himself and the right hon. gentleman the member for Droitwich was the system of examination, but how could they test the effi ciency of the teaching in the schools unless it was adopted ? The right hon. gentleman the member for Cambridge com plained that, in regard to religious teaching, there was no safeguard whatever ; but how did that appear ? In the first instance, religious instruction was absolutely insisted on, or the grant would be entirely withdrawn, and surely that did not look as if such instruction were discouraged. Again, if the children in any school could not read, write, or cipher, one-third of the grant given to each child not being able to do so was withdrawn—and when it had been said religion was entirely neglected, he could only say that the penalty for neglect on that head was the heaviest; and for a proficiency in reading, writing, and arithmetic, the very lightest. With respect to what had been said respect ing inspectors, ho could only say that they would be in the same rank of life as the managers of schools ; and as to the pupil teachers, instead of being subjected, as under the old system, to the caprice and very often tyranny of the mas ters who employed them, they would now be engaged directly by the Government for five years, with liberty on each side to give six months' notice. The noble lord the member for Stafford made an attack upon him the other night for having, as ho alleged, ex posed the pupil teachers because their agreements were not stamped. Now, so far from that, his object was to protect the pupil teachers against the injustice to which they were exposed by the mere quibble by which they had done in justice to them, and the object of the Government was to see that they should be properly paid. (Hear.) The system of pupil teaching had worked admirably, and the pupil teachers had shown themselves very clever and very able instructors. He was greatly gratified at the manner in which this debate had been carried on. It was most satis factory. It was quite certain that the existing system could not go on, and that it required great alteration in relation to the application of the grants. He hoped, in conclusion, in order to place this question on a proper and sound foot ing, every gentleman in the house would give him such assistance on the way, and application of grants, as would secure to the children of the poor of the country a sound education. (Hear, and cheers.) Mr. WALPOLE admitted that his right hon, friend had, in many instances, made a very able reply, but he, in some points, was not satisfactory. For instance, in the case of the pupil teachers, the right hon. gentleman said they had been treated with injustice. Mr. LOWE—Most improperly so. Mr. WALPOLE—WeII, then, when the Government, who paid for their instruction, saw that they wore treated with injusticee, bcause their deeds of apprenticeship wore not stamped, why did they not take steps to remedy that defect, and protect the teachers against the injustice com plained of. The right hon. gentleman concluded by saying he would persist in his motion. The house then went into committee pro forma, and it having been arranged by Sir 0. GREY that the Revised Code would stand as the first order to-morrow (this day), The CHAIRMAN then reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again. The house resumed. COPYRIGHT (WORKS OF ART) BILL. . . The amendments on this bill were considered and agreed to. MARINE MUTINY BILL. This bill passed through committee. OFFICERS COMMISSIONS BILL. Tho Lords' amendments on this bill were considered and agreed to. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS ACT (1861). This bill was read a third time and passed. REGISTER OF VOTERS BILL. On the motion for the third reading of this bill, the house divided, when there appeared— For the third reading Against it Majority in favour .. —47 Tho bill was then road a third time. STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATES. Mr. H. B. SHERIDAN moved for leave to bring in a bill to facilitate the appointment of stipendiary magistrates in cities, towns, and boroughs, of 25,000 inhabitants and upwards. It was subsequently read a first time. The house adjourned at 1.20. DEPRESSION OF THE SHIPPING iN2'EREST. (From the Liverpool Telegraph.) A few days ago we called attention to the depressing in fluence of the American struggle on the shipping interest, as evidenced by the fact of a decrease of 338 vessels in our port in March, 1862, as compared with the corresponding month of 1861. From our own sources we have compiled tho following statement of the decrease of registered ton nage comprised in this " falling-off" of vessels, the docks being arranged as they are placed in our Dock Directory - MARCH 21, 1861. Tons. Birkenhead .. .. 11,240 Canada .. 41,035 Huskisson 27,153 Sandon .. 18,032 Wellington .. 13,338 Bramley-Mooro 35,044 Nelson .. .. 10,144 Stanley .. 22,770 Salisbury .. 4,319 Collingwood 2,808 Clarence Half-tide.. 1,050 Victoria .. 13,404 Waterloo .. 17.753 Prince's 33,060 George's 10,487 Canning .. .. 4,996 Salthouse .. • . 15,218 Albert .. .. 20,611 W app i ng .. 10,910 Do. Basin .. 2,765 King's.. 17,806 Queen's .. 30,705 Do. Half-tido .. 3,915 Coburg .. .. 21,902 Brunswick • • .. 41,711 Textetb. •• .. 2,083 Harrington 1,285 Graving Docks.. .. 32,445 MARCH 21, 1862. Tons. Birkenhead 29,327 Canada .. .. 33,237 Huskii son .. 20,359 Sandon .. 11,313 Wellington ~ 8,725 Bramley-Moore .. 19,369 Nelson .. 7,100 Stanley .. .. .. 9,275 Salisbury 6,761 Collingwood 711 Trafalgar .. 299 Victoria .. .. 9,922 Waterloo .. 8,947 Prince's .. .. 28,383 George's 8,775 Canning .. .. 1,805 Balthouse .. 7,425 Albert .. 7,037 Wapping 3,506 Do. Basin .. .. 569 King's.. .. 8,423 Qiiecn'S 19,592 Do. Half-tido .. 759 Coburg .. 12,711 Brunswick .. 24,118 Toxtoth 767 Harrington .. 964 Graving Docks.. 12,921 Total .. . • ..467,997 Decrease in 1862 .. .. Total.. .. ..313,100 .. 154,897 Tons. As compared with March 21, 1861, there is thus a decrease of tonnage in our docks in this corresponding month (March 21, 1862) of 154,897 tons, or moro than one-third —a convincing fact of how deeply we are interested in the termination of the American contest, and pregnant with thoughts of loss of business, straitened means, and destitu tion in Liverpool and the 'manufacturing towns. That this lamentable decrease may be attributed to the contest raging on the other side of the Atlantic, few at all acquainted with commercial matters will deny, for, with freights to the East Indies, China, and elsewhere good, awl shipping generally well employed to most parts, no other sound con clusion can be arrived at, and we can only wish the end of the struggle was as equally clear. With the exception of Birkenhead, all the docks show a decrease in March of this year, and a word of explanation is perhaps here necessary. The more than doubling of the tonnage at Birkenhead arises from tho fact that most vessels lying up go there from considerations of economy, so that the increase is more apparent than real, and must not be set down as an excep tional instance of increase, or as a fact denoting increased local prosperity. That we shall have a revival of commer cial prosperity there is little question, but it will be a work of time to restore things to the equilibrium of 12 months or two years ago ; and when this does come to pass, many now struggling on in hope, from day to day, of a better state of things, will then perhaps be indifferent about, the matter, and regard the change merely as disinterested Spec tators. = I ASSIZE INTELLIGEACE. HOME CIRCUIT,---LE ES, Much 9 7. CITIY, SIDE. (Before Mr. Justice Wig'ntruen and Special Juries.) WILLIAMSON Y. THE LONDON AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY COMPANY.-THE CLAYTON TUNNEL ACCIDENT. • , The circumstances under which this action was brought were given in yesterday's paper. Serjeant Shee and Mr. B. Rigby appeared for the plaintiff. The plaintiff was 23 years of age, and obtained his livelihood as a pianoforte tuner, earning, accord ing to his own statement, between £2 and £3 a week. The company paid £4OO into court, consider ing that this was a sufficient amount of compensa tion for the injuries that the plaintiff had received. During the progress of the trial it appeared that an offer was made by Mr. Bovill to give the plain tiff £lOO in addition to the sum paid into court, and, eventually, this offer was increased to £l5O. The counsel for the plaintiff, however, refused to accept the offer ; and the cause, consequently pro ceeded. Bovill, in his addreme to the jiry for the company, repeated what he had stated in reference to the other cases that had been disposed of, that the directors were most desirous to give ample ,f3om pensation to every person who had received injury by this unfortunate calamity, but they were deter mined to resist imposition, and considered that in the present case the sum of £4OO paid into court was an ample amount to be paid to the plaintiff for the injuries ho had sustained. He then called the attention of the jury to the facts, and observed that the plaintiff was a very young man, who could not earn more than between £2 and £3 a week, and that the injuries he had sustained were really not of a serious character, and that there was very little doubt that with a few months rest, which the sum mentioned would afford him an ample opportunity for enjoying, he would be perfectly recovered. The learned Judge having summed up, the jury, after a very brief deliberation, expressed their opi nion that the sum paid into court was sufficient com pensation for the injury the plaintiff had received. This verdict was tantamount to a verdict for the defendant, and the whole of the costs of the action will consequently have to be borne by the plaintiff. WHEELER, ADMINISTRATRIX, V. THE LONDON AND RRIGIITON RAILWAY COMPANY. - _ This was another action of the same description. Sergeant Shee and Mr. Garth were counsel for :the plaintiff; Mr. Bevil], Q.C., the Hon. G. Denman, Q.C., and Mr. Hannen represented the company, who paid £l,OOO into court. Sergeant Shee, in addressing the jury, said that, among the numerous calamities that occurred in the Clayton-tunnel on August 25th, none was more melancholy than that which they were about to in quire into. The plaintiff was a young woman in a humble condition of life, a domestic servant, and she brought the present action to recover compen sation for the loss of her father and mother, both of whom, with an infant, were kilted upon the spot when the dreadful collision took place, leaving the plaintiff and eight other children orphans. He felt it was right that ho should state to them that it ap peared to him that the company had acted with the utmost consideration for these poor children, and had done everything that could reasonably be ex pected of them to alleviate the misery and distress into which they had been plunged by this unhappy calamity. They had paid £lOOO into court, and they had since agreed to pay a further sum of £5O ; and he considered it his duty also to state that imme diately after the accident the company offered to provide a home and education suitable to the condi tion in life of the younger children until they should be of sufficient age to earn their own livelihood, and also when that period arrived to obtain a respect able mode of livelihood for them. It was not consi dered advisable to accept this offer, and the com pany then consented to give the family £l,OOO, and they now agreed to give £5O in addition, and would also pay the whole of the plaintiff's costs. The learned sergeant then explained that although it would not be necessary to go into the case, a duty was cast upon the jury to apportion the amounts that should be given to each of the children, and he said he should put them in possession of the neces sary information to enable them to do so. Jane Wheeler, the plaintiff, having been exa mined, and Mr. Bovill having addressed the jury, they after a short deliberation apportioned the amount among the children as follows :—To plaintiff, £250 ; to Joseph, £3O ; to Lydia, £7O ; Charles, £l5O ; Wil liam, £150; Elizabeth, £200; and Charlotte, £2OO. No portion of the money was allotted to John or Mary Anne, as they appeared to be in a condition to earn their own living. PARKER, ADMINISTRATRIX, AND PARKER V. THE BRIGHTON RAILWAY COMPANY. Mr. Lush, Q.C., and Mr. T. Chitty appeared for the plaintiffs in these actions, which also arose out of the same fatal accident. The company had paid £4OO into court, in refer ence to both actions, and they now consented to give a further sum of £lOO, which was accepted by the plaintiffs, and nominal verdicts were consequently taken. BAILEY ♦. THE SAME, This was another action of the like kind, but terms were offered by the defendants and accepted, and the record was withdrawn. LOCKSTONE, ADMINISTRATRIX, V. TILE SAME, The same result took place in this case, and one or two other actions were disposed of in the same manner, and thus these painful inquiries were brought to a conclusion. There are only one or two other causes in connec tion with this sad accident remaining to be disposed of, and it is expected they will be settled without appealing to a jury. MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—WARWICK, March 27. _ THE CASE OF RICHARD GUINNESS HILL. Richard Guinness Hill surrendered to his bail on the following charge, viz., having, at the parish of Rugby, on the 7th of January, 18b9, unlawfully and wilfully made, or caused to be made, to one William Herbert, then registrar of births for the district of Rugby aforesaid, certain false statements required to be made known to the registrar of and concerning a male infant, born of the body of one Amy Georgiana Hill by the said Richard Guinness Hill, her husband, in the district of Rugby aforesaid, on the sth day of January, 1859. The information was laid under the 41st section of the act of Parlia ment 6 and 7 Wm. IV., c. 86, entitled " An Act for Registering Births, Deaths, and Marriages in Eng land." Section 17 of that act of Parliament enacts that the Registrar-General should provide books for registering births ; section 20, that the father or mother of every child born in En gland should within 4 0 days next after the birth give information upon request to the registrar, to the best of their knowledge and belief, of the several particulars Ly the 841 d statute required to be known, and touching the birtii of such child ; and section 41, that every person who wilfully . make or cause to be made, for the purpose of being inserted in any register of births, deaths, or mairiages, any false statement touching any of the particulars required as aforesaid, should be subject to the same pains and penalties as if he were guilty of perjury. Mr. Guinness Hill was discharged on the appli cation of Mr. Field. CIVIL SIDE. (Before the Lord Chief Justice Cockburn.) THE SWYNFEN CASE. The hearing of this case was resumed this morn ing. Previous to the taking of Mr. Kennedy's evi dence his lordship suggested to Mr. Kennedy the desirability of his softening has language, and to speak of Mrs. Swynfen as the defendant, and not as the lady or the woman. Mr. Kennedy then proceeded at some length. In the course of his statement he said the defendant told him that if he took chambers in the Temple she would reimburse him afterwards. He entered at considerable length into the various proceedings connected with the Swynfen trials, with a view to show that he did not officiously interfere to pro- mote the action against Lord Chelmsford. Mr. Kennedy read an extract from a letter, the further hearing of which his lordship stopped on the ground that the letter must be consi dered as confidential, for it was nothing more or less than a request for a tampering with witnesses whom Mr. Kennedy was about to examine after the receipt of the letter which he was then rea din g . Mr. Kennedy replied th a t nothing would hav e induced him to read the letter except that he was charged positively with cr ime. Ho was charged with obtaining by fal se p r etences a deed for the purpos e of raising /20,000. The reason ho disclosed the correspondence was that the letter showed that he was dealing with a pers on of large and crafty mind , and quite his equal i n intellect. In Sept. he was invited to her house, and whilst there he went with her to an island on the estate. He suggested that a name should b e g i ven to the island, and she said " Call it H o p e I s l an d ; remember, Mr. Kennedy, itis hope equally for both." When he returned to the h ouse l ie wro t e some verses in her album in reference to it. She also gave him some rings, placed them on hi s finger, and they have been there ever si nce. Had not up to April, 1859, ever asked her for any written contract. Mr. Kennedy g!ive details of correspondence and conver sations which had passed between himself and his client, in reference to the action against Sir F. The si ger. lie expressed his fears about the risk, and th a t it would be dreadful. She replied that she would make him a rich man, and offered to give him £20,000. He shook his head, and said to her, If you get the estate for life you may do as you have often proposed, leave Swynfen, let the house, and allow me an annuity ; that would do for me. You might then come and live in London, and be near me. I wish you to consider your own interest and feelings, not mine. Isl mulct prefer safety.". I 1 The next day the subject was again referred to, I L -knd she told Mr. Kennedy that she wv.s indisposed t o make terms, for Mrs. Francis Sw infen would pfyison her. He urged her to main.' up her mind, for ho saiLl if he went to trial he would not compro . Sir lc' f el - if he did he would be doing the sa me thing as re ,4lerick Thesiger. After the final judg ment was give. `t the Swinfen cause, defet'dant wr ote to him again , tionking him, and expres sing her ac •,t,s for his services. In Match or April , knowledgme h lB a general re-election, a,nd he tol d u lvised to become a candidate fo r er s9 t , ha th t e h re ;Es : b . ' some 9 . said to her " If you could rais e me fourlace, and h, or five thou • ea. nd pounds by mortgage you ~ ,vice at an important crisis. There was a probabili t y " might confer a great s `•'?'v L of the Government being ' turned out, and with a In\ was a probability of h i s ge nii, g a silk gown. Seve ral letters passed between them a. n this subject, mail of whichwere evasive. In another letter she said , " Remember if anything happens to me, I have left ft you the bulk of my estate." A long corresponden a nd several conversations took pla.ce as t o the terms of remuneration, and he said t 0 her, " You h a ve mentioned several times £20,000, go y ou con sider you owe me that money ?" She sajd, " Cer tainly ; but you know you cannot have it. at pre sent. He said he knew that, but he ought to have some security, and suggested a mortgage, but she said she did not like mortgages. She said she had left him the bulk of the estate, with a chorge of only LlO,OOO for her relations. He told her a wilt was net security. They had some conversed(% ) a ft ervg ords in Loodon, in the Zoological Ga rdens, as to his :emunerai.ion, and he said to her, " Pa tience, listeo ; would you mind giving me by deed what you said you have g iven me b y will P—that will be something." She replied, " Yes, Charles, 1 I will do it cheerfully." 1:40 next day he prepared a draft in accordance with that, and it was not true that he had not shown it to het an alteration in the draft , by .. Aft erw ards made an £lO,OOO was c ovenanted for debts and legacCAl of Mrs. SwYn" fen's. Never asked her not to tell iVir. Simpson or any other person of the circumstanCe. onceal He asked her to make it public. She requested cment. Never heard a word of comp laint abou..t this until she wrote a letter complaining that sl - le did not know what sh© was signing. [Mr. Kennedy was under examination when our )arcel was despatched.] ___ BANK BET PIiNS. The Bankers' Magazine furnishes h 0 returns of the cir culation of the Private and Joint-Stock Danks in England and Wales for the four weeks ending - 1 7 eb. 8. Theme returns, combined with the circulation of Scotch and Irish Banks for the same period, and the aver.Ve circula tion of the Bank of England for the four weeks inding the sth Feb. (the nearest date furnished by their feturne), will give the following results of the circulation of unto in the United Kingdom, when compared with the pvcvielle month : ✓ Jan. 11, Feb. 8, 1862. 1862. 19,881,890 20,713,778 3,246.833 3,299,004 2,837,464 2,902,380 25,966,187 26,915,202 4,293,601 4,053,315 6,171,277 6,081,721 36,431,065 37,050,238 Increase!Decreas & —. Bank of England Private Banks Joint-stock Banks Total In England. Scotland... Ireland 831,888 - 52,211 - 64,916 --• United Kingdom. 949, - 015 1 - 240,28 6 - 89,566 - 610, 1 7 3 And, as compared with the montluending th° 9th Fob. 1861, the above returns show a decrease of £548,971 in the circulation of notes in England, and a decrease of £329,698 in the circulation of the United Kingdom :-- On comparing the above with the fixed issues of the sec. ml banks the following is the state of the circulation The English private banks are below their fixed . L 1,048 ,1 issue The English joint-stock banks are velow their fixed issue Total below fixed issue in England • ... £1,448,8 41 The Scotch banks are above their fixed issue £1,304, 0 4t Tho Irish banks are below th eir fixed issue £272,7' The average stock of bullion held by the Bank of Eng land in both departments during the month ending the sth Feb. was £16,219,959, being an increase of £376,275 a g g com p ar ed with the previous month, anti an increase 01 £4,533,110 when compared with the same poriod last year. The following arc the amounts of specie held by the Sootell and Irish banks during the month ending the b'th Feb. :-- Gold and silver held by the Scotch banks.... 52,592,60 g Gold and silver held by the Irish banks.. 2,418,621 Z 5,0 1 1 9229 Being a decrease of £88,344 as compared with previous return, and a decrease of £211,180 when COll3Pa with the corresponding period of last year. COUN7lir MA.RK.E2 .6)- - ----- LYNN—MAUCH 25. The supply of wheat was limiNcl, and the trade 11 1101 dull, at is decline. Barley scarce , and at extreme prices. Oats, beans, and peas nnaltered. Old white 66 s to 60s I Barley., ..... - 34 s to 36. 4 Red.. s 4s to 558 1 Oats.. . ......... .228 to 2 66 37s to 39$ B ea ns .42sLto 48s 1 Peas ... NEWARK—MARCH 26. There was only a small amount of business done to-de r 9l and very few farmers at market. W heat and cots rathe lower. Barley and other grain also at a reduction. ~,„ White wheat, new, 60s to 63s Barley, grinding.. 29s to °A- Red do. sss to 51s Oats, old, 00s to 3 54 • • 000000 ,-,7,„ Old white 6os to 63s New do .......... 23s to A ' Red do.. 46s to 56s 1 Beans.. 45s to 47's Barley, malting 328 to 398 1 Beans, new ...... 44a to ---0 Peas, ....488 to 548. PLYM OUT H—Mencu 25. Tho market was poorly attended, with an average demand for wheat and flour at a decline on last week's rates. White wheat, 65s to 665; red, 63s to 64$ peterr ; French do., 608 to 62s ; American, 61s to 63s ; 74s to 760 ; Rus sian, 60s to 625. Barley at higher rate 74s to 38s per qr for malting; grinding, 28s to 308; oats, 22s to2Bs ; and beans, —s to —s ; flour, 438 to 46s Od. EDINBURGH GRAIN—MAitaI 26. Wheat on the top 2s 6d up .average h ld doh' Barley on the top is Od up, averag e Os 3d do wn. e Os ld up . Oats on the top is Od down averag Beans on the top is 9d down average is Od 11 1 ). Total Supply and Sales. Wheat ..1090 qrs Sold 814 qrs 8ar1ey........ 913 qrs Sold 618 qrs Oats 2075 qr 5........ Sold 991 qrs Beans 286 qrs Sold ..165 qrs CORK—MARCH 26. The following were the quotations this morning :—Red wheat, 22s 9d to 24s 6(1; white, 31s 6d to --s Od; barley 123 Od to 13s Od ; oats, 58 Od to 16s Od. DERBY SMITHFIELD—MARCH 25. There was a short supply of fat beasts to-day, and the price slightly advanced, with plenty of buyers. The supply of sheep was also short, and higher prices wero asked. Fat and store calves were an unusually large show, and the show of fat pigs was good. Beet 6d to 64d ' Veal Cid t 01 7 ,10 Mutton ... to Std Pork Lamb Od to Od Rough fat, 4s 3d per ,ston o • Hides, 3d to 4id ; calf skins, 5d to 6d. STORAGE OF PETROLEUM AT THE LITERPOOD DocKs.—LivEnroot, Thursday.—A discussion took place at the Mersoy Dock Board to-day, relative to the storage of petroleum, or earth oil, at the Liverpool Docks. Mr. Graves (chairman of the Docks and Quays Committee) r 6 commended that in consequence of the dangerous and ill" flammable character of the oil, some arrangement should bo adopted similar to that pursued at New York, where the oil is placed in magazines lying out in the harbour. It is understood that until some definite regulation is passed petroleum will not be stored in the dock warehouses. BENSON'S WATCHES AND CLOCKS.- —" Perfection of mechanism." —Morning Post. Gold watches, sto ICO guineaS; silver watches, 2 to 50 guineas. Benson's new Illustrated Pamphlet, free for two stamps, descriptive of every construc tion of watch, enables persons in any part of the wo r ld tO select with the greatest certainty the watch best adapted to their use. Watches sent free and safe by post on receipt of a remittance.—J. W. Benson, 33 and 34, Ludgate-hill, 46 and 47, Cornhill, London E.C.—Established 174/ BIRTHS. Bvnox.—On the 25th inst., at Stoke Talmage, Oxford shire, the Hon. Mrs. William Byron, of a son, still born. Bnowys.—On tho 23(1 inst., at 4, Marine-parade, Folke' stone, the wife of Colonel H. R. Browne, late 87th Fug" Hers, of a daughter. WYNDIIAM.—On the 26th inst., at Leo, Kent, the wife of Penruddocke Wyndham, Esq., of a son. ARRIAGES. BAILEY--WINDLE.— M On the 26th inst., at Rushall Church, the Rev. J o h n B a il e y, i ncu mb en t of The Plich, Walsall , to Martha Carew ' only daughter of the late Henry Cli r ' Windle, Esq., of Walsall. INCE—MUGGERIDGE.—On the 25th inst., at North LeLe'" Devon, Henry Bret Ince, Esq., of Lincoln's-inn, barri ter-at-law, to Annie Jane Grace, eldest daughte r of U. J. Muggoridge, Esq. DEATHS. COURTENAY.—On the 25th inst., at the residence of her father, 25, Adelaide-road, Eliza, wife of F. B. Courtenah Esq., of Chandos-street, Cavendish-square. CoLE.—On the 25th inst., at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Afajov General Fennel Cole, late R.E., aged 71. CooKE.—On the 25th inst., George Frederick Cooke, Esq. , late of Trafford View, near Manchester, aged 36. DunnANT.—On the 24th inst., at his residence, 2!3, Groat ' Coram-strect, William Durrant, Esq., late of ILALs Ordnance. MILL.—On the 25th inst., a t Richmond, Lady Mill , r elict of the late Sir Charles Mill, Bart. of Mottisfont, and afterwards of the late lienry 'W. Aahhurst, Esq., of Waterstock, Oxon, aged 83. ROCIIE.—On the 25th inst. , at 26, Doddington-grovo, Ken sington-park, James Dil lon Roche, Esq., late of West meath, Ireland. SAAVELL —On the 24 t h inst., at his residence, Mucking Hall, Essex, John IBM Sawell, Esq., aged 50. LoNtioN : Printed and Published by JOIIN CHAPLIN) of N 0.112, Strand, Printer, at TILE SUN Office, N 0.112, Strand, in the Precinct of tho Savoy, in the Coun t y of kiiddlesese--fridAY) March 28, 1862. N~ Los Tema perrnai doubles force 0 bottle Jigents chemist Q ieets,' , t,_ Im p ' I I% 11 No w 1 ~_ll w , yi) . 'Wit 'tee Lou Offi, Si 1 kJ A PR( the the f 1. Ree o 2. Dire Belk] the 8 Grp for Dinn4 Salon from C I 4 ti f i t ' l l 1 *sul rec inp Ga ?ea 31s