The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-03-29 00:00:00

ALILZHA.II.

NATIONAL EDOCATIOn.—The Rev. T. Murray. of
the United States, whose address on this subject at
Poole we reported in due course, was at Wareham on
Nnedey evening. advocating the scheme of the Birming-
ham League. There were present at the British school-
room, the Rev. 8. B. Taylor (who is opposed to the
views of the League party), the Rev. C. K. Pant
rector of Sturminster Marshall), the Her J. B.
Lloyd, the Rev. G, Hindi (Swanaae), the Rev. J. D
Davis, Mr. Woodruff' Denied (the Mayor of Wareham
and party, Mr. Freeland Fiiliter (town clerk), Mr)
Henry Filliter, Mr. W. J. Pike and family. Mr. C. J.
eey, Mr. and Mime Pariten, Mr. Gower, Mr. Wilcox,
us., Mr. Squire, Mr. Roe. Mr. Wise, Mrs. and the
Misses 13.eg.,, Mr. Knight, Mr. J. Gillingham, Mr. P.
P Oillogbare, Mr. Trib ett, ke.—The Rev. J. D.
Devi's, Independent minister, presided, and expressed
his strong objection to the religious claws of the
Government Bill as calculated to promote sectarian
.trita The Rev. T. Murray gave his lecture
on the American school system, and cleverly
advocated seeder education. Mr. W. J. Pike
proposed • vote of thanks to the lecturer, and enlarged
on the importance of secular education.—The Rev. J.
Hinds, of gonna's, seconded, supporting the League
scheme—The Rev. Fe B. Taylor (citrate of Wareham),
who bad naked for and obtained leave to speak in
opposition to the League, was applauded for his pluck
on rising, and listened to with attention. He admitted
that the present means of education were insufficient.
and suggested the extension of the Factory Act System
to the agricultural districts, vie. that before a child wan
eligible to be hired for Lamar he should have received
• iertitleate that be was unable to read and write, and
do easy sums. Lit it. he pretecied, be required of
parents to send their children to phool from harvest
time to Lady-day—(bmar, hear). What they wanted,
he said, was the maturities of advantage to the child
with the minimum of inconvenience to the parent. It
was undesirable, he considered, to pat undue premiere
upon the parent; therefore he did not go with the
League in the matter of direct oompulaion. He had
that day met a woman—Mrs. Smith he would call her,
only that was not her name—who bad five children, not
one of whom had ever been to school. When andiron to
on the subject she said, "I know they have not; I
cannot afford." When asked for farther explanation
she stated that her Bill had no boots, and she could not
get them for him. Now, supposing that be (the Rev. S.
B. Taylor) were • philosopher of the League, he Would
say in • ease like this, "Oh! it is nothing to me that
you are not able to provide these thinp ; you must
provide them—you must send your child to school.'
He went on to say that this was • local question, and
that the American lecturer and his friends from
Sturminster Marshall and swami.* were not required
to give their easietance. (This was not nits, because
the promoters of the meeting, who might fairly
enough have objected. te his spearing at all,
very 00,,t,Otaly gave him fall opportunity of saying
whatever he could against the views of the Lessee,
and he was in honour booed to be gentlemanly
towards them.) Then he argued that the Bible
weld not be reed in whoa" without teaching
dogma. He pat to the parents preterit the simple
question whether they would like the Bible to be
secluded from their thildren's studies, and there was
a loud response of "Certainly not." He drew the
attention of the gentlemen on the platform to this
expression of feeling, and expressed bis opinion that,
if the town were canvassed from house to house, •
great majority of the people would be found to be in
layout of religious edumtion—(applruise). In conclusion
he called upon the audience to pause before they
complied with the request which would be made to
them to sign a petition in favour of the principles of
the League. He spoke on the impropriety of forming
• branch of the League In the town, inasmuch as it
would be the meant of setting sect against loot, for
the establishment of • league breech would inevitably
lead to • formation of • branch of the Union. Let
them, he suireested, meet together on one common
ground. and calmly discuss the matter more fully than
they bad yet done—(applanee).—The Rev. C. K. Paul
understood from an observation by the previous speaker
that be was not wanted there ; but he submitted that
he had been invite i to be present by those who had •
perfect right to invite him. He glanced at the pro-
gristurne of the League, whose principles he warmly
advocated, He submitted that if the Government
nisethre were ',used there would be raised as agitation
throughout the country similar to the "miserable
chetah-rate question." With opinioos advanced by the
lecturer he expressed his full concurrence, and, in
conclusion, observed that if the !ruins serried the day,
which he believed it would not do—(laughter and •
voice : "It will")—the leaguers would make the beet
of it, hoping for better times--(applause). The vote
of thanks were carried unanimously. On the motion
of the Rev. J. B. Lloyd a petition in favour of the
League was adopted. The Lecturer having answered
several of the objeetionv which had been raised to his
statements, the proceedings were brought to • alone, •
vote of thanks to the chairman being carried with &eche.
mutton, on the motion of the Rev. T. Murray, seconded
by the Rev. S. B. Taylor—We beer that • meeting on
behalf of the Union will shortly be convened.