The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-05-11 00:00:00

MR. MACREADY ON 13RITISH SCHOOLS.

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There was • large assemblage on Tuesday evening of
the friends and supporters of British schools at the
Long-street echool-room, Sherborne, on the interesting
occagioa of the children's annual examination, Mr.
Maeready occupying the chair. A hymn by the children
opened the evening's proeeedings, and, after a prayer by
the Rev. F. Beckley, Mr. Jenkins, in the absence of Mr.
Baxter, was called on to test the acquirements of his
pils, who acquitted themselves to the universal satis-
action of the auditors in Scripture History, Reading,
Grammar, Arithmetic, English History, and Geography,
singing at intervals several pieces with excellent effect.
The rewards were then distributed by the Chairman,
who addressed the meeting at none length, congratulat-
ing them on the growth of the school in numbers, and
the highly commendable progress, which, under Mr.
denking's able instruction, the children had made. He
then read some extracts from the secretary's report,
and commenting upon it, observed: Whilst I partici-
pate with you in the gratification experienced in wit-
riming the successful working of this school, I cannot
- sionmd my regret on finding its financial condition so
'disproportioned to its claims and merits, I regard this
with much concern, as an evidence that the importance
of maintaining this exultant school is not acknowledged
as it should be, that it is viewed rather in &factions, than
a patriotic spirit. I shall probably be accused of
merely insisting on a truism in asserting my conviction,
that the stability of our national institutions, indeed of
property itself in this country, must mainly depend on
the incireuing intelligence and enlightenment of the
masses. If this be so, our aim and effort :should be the
advancement, Cot of • portion merely of the labouring
chases, not of a sect, not of a party, but of all. For,
what must eventually be the state of that community,
where the antagonistic principles of good and evil, of
civilization and barbarism, divide the population, where
one half of its children are adequately taught, and the
ether moiety left to the corrupting influences of a debas-
ing ignoranoe ? The public mind is awakening to the
unfairness of our present imperfect scheme of education
—if indeed it can be called a scheme at all. " Educa-
tion is the right of the many, and not the privilege of
the few ;" a maxim which cannot be too often repeated,
and which neither statesman, nor ecclesiastic will now
have the hardihood to deny. Our Legislature, however,
skill hesitates to set upon it, and in the mean time, the
cause of popular education is left to what is termed the
voluntary principle. This might be a safe resource, if
those who meddled with the subject were sincere and
in earnest about it—if the enlightenment, the eleva-
tion of the people, free from the enforcement of
any sectarian formulas, were the single and
devoted purpose of their interference. But how
does this voluntary principle really work? Does
It meet all demands? What in some instances
may be the poor man's case? Where religious prejudice
H strong, and the pecuniary means of the resisting party
weak, the conscientious worshipper must go untaught,
or outwardly conform to doctrines not reooncileable with
his acceptation of Scripture—must gremlin the bondage
of ignorance, or belie his belief of truth. Under such a
state of things every independent and disinterested effort
to impart, without trammel or restriction, with rave-
tenoe for the sincere convictions of all, the blessings of
•'education, must eventually act with profit upon the
well-being of the many, though perhaps at first directly
operating only through the few. It is upon this ground
I would beg to offer a few remarks, in advocacy of the
claims of British Schools upon public sympathy and
support, and in their behalf would venture to appeal to
those, whose sentiments of Christian charity raise them
above the narrow prejudices of sectarianism. The be-
nefit conferred by 13rithili Schools has been widely felt
throughout this town and neighbourhood. It is said by
one of our wittiest authors, " the number of people in
this town who will undergo the trouble of judging for
themselves, Is very small indeed " A try —a cant got
up saves all the trouble of thinking,—of deliberating,
and deciding up‘on our duty,—of golvbig that most difn•
cult problem, ' Who is my neighbour ? " Harkening is
to some persons an irksome process. Affix a name to
anything, and look dissatisfaction as you pronounce it,
—" just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike,"—and with
the unreflecting, the large majority, your purpose is
effected; judgment is passed: party tactics are trium-
phant ; the verdict of heterodox hal gone forth,—the
" taboo " is accomplished. To scone ears the word Dis-
senter,—• far milder one than that of Protestant,—is
actually a term of reproach, I may say almost of obloquy;
—and this, among Episcopalians, who, travelling; for
about ten Ileum by railroad into Roxburgh or Dumfries-
shire, become there what they hold in such aversion
here, Christians differing from the State Church in
their peculiar form of worship —in fact Dissenters
Here then is one clue to the cause of this school's neg-
lected condition. Although • purely catholic insti-
tution, untainted by any sectarian observances, there is
Litendeavour to fasten on it a sectarian character. Now
in the first place, it is not a Dissenter's school. For
—though Nonconformist, send their children here, do
not Episcopalians also? They do. Therefore, call it by
what name you will you cannot disprove the fact, that
it is strictly catholic,—un-sectarian,—Christian,—and
without any qualification, it is,—not merely nominally,
but, in its principle and by its practice—justly entitled
to be considered National. Let us, however, for one
moment suppose that this anhNoolere on the other
hand—really sectarian. Would it be desirable, on that
account, that it should be utterly neglected? Is it a
matter of indifference whether the children of the
larger half of our working classes throughout England
are well or ill brought up—are badly taught, or not
taught at all—simply because they are Dissenters? Ii
not their faith the same, differing only in Its form of
worship To the greatest favourer of ceremonial ob-
servances I put the question—to the five thousand
souls, who make up this town', population, what are the
chorister's surplices, or the church organ, set in value
against the training up of one well-taught, intelligent,
and good citizen? And yet, whilst a tax is wrung out
of the inhabitants' pockets for ceremonious display at
the church, not one church-goer, except Mr. Digby and
membeni of my own family, subscribes one sixpence to the
teaching of their Christian brethren at the British
School! Where the voluntary system fails to
recognise the common claim of all to the sympathy
of all, education, whose light should be as; broad and
general as the light of Heaven, is darkened and
narrowed into a party question. In these remarks
my object is respectfully to draw attention to the wants
and claims of this school (aloof from all party consider-
ations) in its effort to qualify the children of our poorer
neighbour for a reputable course of life. For surely
their enlightenment, their moral and intellectual col.
tura, should be a matter of concern and interest even to
thou who may prefer in then- religion a more ceremo-
nious and costly ritual. The adoption of this catholic
sentiment seems to me oomprehended in the duty im-
posed on us towards our neighbours' nor con its omis-
sion be atoned for by subscribing to a Reformatory
Institution for the reclamation of those offenders, whose
criminality may be the consequence of the neglect of
schools like this, and traceable to their want of tuition
in early years. The Raw. Dr. Booth, whose
every word in sterling, fearlessly, champions "the ease
of the very poor,"—" for whout, ' he says, "the public
is quite as much bound, under • common-sense view of
the cage' to provide common learning, as it is to find
common food and common clothing." The lofty intel-
lect of this good man and excellent divine makes no dis-
tinction on account of sect: he urges the claim for all
his countrymen unconditionally, well knowing; that to
proffer education to Dissenter' under the stipulations of
the National Society would, be • mockery and • delu-
sion. The day is not far distant—though I may not live
to gee it—when, as in other lands and in our own colo-
nies, a local rate or Government-tax, a contribution
compelled from all for all, will be levied to ensure and
equalize the dissemination of sound religious, and
moral instruction through the labouring poor of our
land; till then let us hope we may agree in uphd Iding
these several schools in • spirit of co-operation, not of
opposition. How desirable it would be, for the exten-
sion and quickening of such • spirit, that instead of the
festivals of our various Sunday-wheel children being
held separately year after year, we could gee all the Sun-
day-school children of a town like this assembled
together in one great happy gathering—a blessed sight
of Christianity and harmony. We shall get
nearer to true Christianity by such sentiments and prise-
Sloes, than by permitting the too nice scruples of a par-
Hal religion to obstruct and Intercept our benevolent
Impulses. When all are emulous only to promote the
motor good of all, the words of the Dissenter bard will
be no more a mere outburst of poetical enthusiasm, but
such as we may each address, in sober truth, to the
country of our birth :
" I love thee—wbeis The Sabbath dawns
O'er woods and mountains, dales and lawns,
And streams, that sparkle while they run,
As If their fountain wire the Sun :
When hand in hand Thy tribes repair
Each to their chosen House of Prayer,
And all, in pesos and freedom, call
On Him, who Is the Lord of all!
I love thee—wben my soul can feel
The seraph ardour.' of Thy seal
Thy charities, to comic confined,
Blom, like the sun, the rain, the wind
,
Thy schools the human brute shall raise,
Outdo uning youth Is Wisdom, ways,
And leave when we are turned to dust,
A generation of the just."
In conclusion, I would beg to express my hopes that,
in regard to our schools loped/Ili, the termoorof "tnejl hi;
hour" may be found to mean something h
that in 6b• an"
mere apmximation of our dwellings;
proximation of our feelings them may be mutual I'd'
will and mutual support rendered be instlindenn lib*
sod. bag in which
these, ao conduit* to the
we have all • common interegeriteheers.) Kr. 11":
ready ogled ea Mr. J. 0. Avery, who eloquently and
hopefully alleisiesd the continued support
okit of the sOools.
Es was followed by the Rev. F. . who re'

marked Mt the ihjustioe which had hied to fix the
epPthet of " godless" on these schools, in which the
Bible wits daily read, sod the work of each day opened
and closed with prayer. A collection at the door for the
fniids of the school closed the business of an exciting and
interesting evening.