The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-30 00:00:00

MR. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN AT
DEAL.

In a speech recently delivered at Dell, Mr. ICnatch-
buldllugerisen referred to the subject of national
education, and said he adhered to views which he had
formerly expressed—that State aid should not be re-
fused to elementary schools because religion was taught
in them. Ile held that where there is any home tenct.
ing and any influence of the winitters of r.l
side the school, no hon could Sr a ....A ha
to religious liberty by the preseut. sysiom. 1.
were the real influences which would load tl, -
child to one denomination or another, and in 99
cases tout of 100. even if he was allowed t 3 attend
religious instruction in the school, his age was too
tender to make it at all likely that be could learn more
than the very rudiment, of religion common to all
Christian denominations. Again, when we were deal-
ing with urge clam of children who never had nay

home teaching at all, had not been accessible to
the ministers of religion; if religious instruction had
never reached them fore, and was to he forbidden
in re 'ional schools, what right or reason had we to
exprx: that ell of a enßen it would reach them
then? It was as If the State was to say to those
children, It t all-important that you Should learn to
read. snit write, and do sums ; it is necessary thee you
should know something of the geotttpay of the
world —but it is a matter ef nif importance, and
therefore it shall be left to chance, whether you ever
know that there im s God who made you and a Saviour
who died for you This, continued the hon. gentleman,
I feel deeply to be a wrong. Speaking of the Estab
Milled Church, he said—We must remember thet we
are not dealing with a new country or am" ihstaution.
If it were to—if we were btriithini'‘ our existence as a
etion. th-e iteition 4-f those who object to an Esteb
liehed Church wohld be stronger, though I not say
teat it wo-liAl even then be impresexeole. But we are
ilsaliug withan old institeti--n in an old conutr) with
somethiug which has rown up amonget us, and has
become inteettiined and interwoven with oar
social efitem, so that it ermot be uprooted
without a violent dialorjetleh ot soCal ties, and an
immenee disturbance of the whole framework of
English life. Surely, we should pause and hest-
tate before we touch such an institution. It it is not
toed for the State to have a Nationel Church, of course
all disendovaed bodies have a grievance. But if
it is good for the State to have a National Church,
established and endowed, it cannot be a grievance
to thoserwho refuse to belong to E. It is no grievance
to me that hey neighbour's property does not belong to
me. It is still lees a grievance if that property for-
merly belonged to a number of us in common, but
that I have lost my share because I voluntarily
refused to comply with the conditions on which it was
Iheld. I may have been perfectly right to prefer to ease
an independent livelihood, but I have no right to make
a grievance of it ufterwards. No one is obliged to be-
long to the National Church—no one suffers legal
wrong by not belonging to it, end the grievance when
analysed is really not a real and tangible nature; it
I may be a matter of sentiment, buteomething more than
I sentiment is required when we are asked to root up an
I institution like the Church of England.

FOURTEEN LIVES LOST AT
PORTHLEVEN.
At dawn on Saturday a barque was observed in the
offing from Porthleven. Evidently those on board were
uncertain of their position, having probably made the
land in the night, and mistaken some of the Western
lights. About eleven o'elock,'when the ship was about
two or three miles from the shore, the crew were seen
making for the shore in a large boat, rowing before the
gale towards the sandy beach at the L icie Pool Bar.
By this time many people from Porthleven and Gun-
walloe had gathered near the spot where the boat was
likely to beach. The sailors rowed manfully, the boat
rode the waves beautifully, and the rudder was well
handled ; but that the sailors had loot their reckoning
Is evident by their running for the bar, which is one
of the most dreadful spots in Mount's Bay, and where
destruction was almost inevitable. From seaward,
however, the opening of the Lone Pool Valley looks like
the entrance to a land-locked harbour, with the cliffs
rising abruptly on either side and on Saturday the sea
was breaking over the bar and streaming across the strip
of sand that divides the lake from the ocean. On came
the boat, breaker after breaker was surmounted, the
features of the poor fellows were plainly seen, and
it was hoped some at least would reach the shore.
But a few seconds dispelled all hope. No sooner
was the last roller passed than he boat fell into
the truck, a huge MBAs of water rose like a wall,
and all were engulphed. The boat was smashed into
splinters, and the seamen were seen struggling fora
short time in the white seething waters, and in sight
of unavailable assistance and pitying friends they
perished. An attempt was made by joining hands to
rescue some, but the sea claimed its victims, and
all were soon lost to eight. Meantime the barque
with canvas set was drifting away to the eastward,
and was seen by the coastguard ottiJers at Mullion
and Gunwalloe.
About the same time as the crew were drowned the
veseel took the rocks near Halzephron, where the
cliffs are most precipitous. It WaS not kn awn at this
period that all hands had left the doomed barque,
though none were discernible on deck. Lines were ac-
cordingly shot from the rocket apparatus,but there was
no one to receive them, and soon the work of destruc-
tion commenced, and in an hour was over. After labour-
ing for a while, the seas began to sweep over the hull,
and a total break-up followed. The Union Jack re-
versed was flying as the ship was traversing the
mountainous sea, and for some time after striking it
still fluttered, and it is thought that hadthe crew stack
to the vessel all would have been saved.
It was ascertained that the unfortunate ship was
the Lochicueds Fluiver, Captain Hallywell, about fie°
tons burden, laden with wheat from Berdianski, in the
Black Sea. It is believed that the crew numbered
fourteen, and that they left the vessel in two boats,
became not more than nine persons were discernible
in the boat whose destruction we have recorded, and
certainly this number would not be sufficient to loan
such a vessel.