The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-06-14 00:00:00

4,ocat anb 15trtct

GREAT MEETING ON TIIE
SCHOOL BOARD
QUESTION.

A large Kul iiillieuthsl meetiug wi3 Lehi in
the .Ceru Exchange, last went, to take into
ceneideration, end to esleet, tile best nem to tie
elected on the hobo.! Beard. Among those
present were—Messrs. J. C. A. Sot, C. Collis,
Peckwood, J. Woulley.J. Aaiun), F. a miss',
r. Hand, W. Moor, W. hate, C. Mundell',
Hughes, r. Butler, O. Hingley,T. Wad, G. W.
Prescott, S. Smite, It. W cod, C. EVera,
Newnam, T. Burgess. E. Stailey, J. Barrett,
ti. Kelly. W. Janies,W. Edwards, J. Emery, O.
e.vreou, J. Adore Lt. Web:nets, H. Penney, 0.
N:eaUtill, H Pooch, J. Brooke, We Riser, C.
Hieklin, It. Barney, O. Doedy,
On the motion of Mr. J. C. A. Scott, seconded
by the Kee. A. Rugera, Mr. H. Hughes was
vutea to the chair. and opeued tee proeeedinge
by reading the notice calling tee meetiug, and
said that he hoped the gentletueu who were
going to speak would say what they hail to say
while on their loge, audio as not to mike severe'
speeches. lie also hoped that the remarks tee:
would be n.ade. would not be persenal—(hears
hear). use Cliaireau tueu peitited out whei, the
me.ting heti to do. Any ratepayer was eligible
to nominate a candieate. and the candidate
must also D.; secoudod by a ratepeyer. Tiut
seven members were required to forte the School
/Ward, and that toe names nomivated by this
meeting would go forib supported eytii meet-
ing. Ihe speaker then called up iu Mr. Scott
to move the first resalutiou, who on rising Wait
louitly cheered.
Mr. Scutt said he had to announce to them
the firet reeolieion because hi the opi wee
the cauirmau it Was one that ouget to•iiike pr.:-
cede:lee id any of the busioess of tAe evening.
The meeting was cal.ed to give the rutepiyers
the oppertueity of nominating seven pereens,
who might go forward with their siithority ile
cundidatee for the lemoureele position of seem-
bets of th t Schoo Berri. Wave they hed beet,
nominated he considered that a commit', e
ought to lie fortnerl who ought to boar their
expeiiei•s in race m f a COlitCsl, end he (t' e
speakei) ghee:4 hive greet plee.euee ia cmi ram-
ti g Ii- share to that 011 !ct—(eileer).
Seo.ts am era reminded that the queetiou of
detreying tee expetises wes fir toe tutor
She I Wend]. Ihe speaker went on to sii,y
teat in order to clear the way fur the eleetien
of cenuidateie ho must call their attention te
sonic =portent features of the ire:stem. H
teought that in couaidcriug a stil.j,ct of this
kind they ought to give some cr,iiit to the clergy-
men and ministers for the education they bad so
freely given hitherto. He ill iught they ought
to express that opinion without examining iiito
their motives. It might be that in teaching
doctrinal theology consisted their peculiar force;
out nevertneless the first port of his resolution
would coiiidst of a recognition of their polbl.
services. The secoud part was meant to tell
what shuttle be the judgment between the clergy
and tee laity as regarded the School Board. He
could not help but think that in some instances
thatjudgment of the clergy had seemed hard to
many of the educated men and working well
who knew that they had been excluded by that
judgment from schools to which they have been
contrintors themselves—(cheers). But they
had always borne this patiently. Still the almost
despotical position which they had always as-
sumed hitherto, in educational welters
thought materially strengthened the hands of
those who wished to oppose them in cese any of
them c sine before the as cendidatee for the
School Board. He (the speaker) should have
had great pleasure in supporting them if it were
not for some difficulties that weighed on his
mind. In the first place it was necessary for
them to notice the position which the clergy
had recently assumee with regard to the editea-
tional question. They might have cotiforrned
to the Educational Act; but in order to du thet
they would have to take-the 14th climes of the
Act which provided that the Church Catechise'
should not be used in the schools. Not likieg
to couform to that they had determined upon
another course. They determined upon wiles.
leg their own future system. In consequence of
doing this they have trebly strengtheeed the
already strong position which they held. They
have consistently opposed the formation of a
School Beard in almost every instance as long
as it was possible effectually to do so by throw.
Big themselves more earnestly into the w irk of
e lucatiou, and in Iking the ordinary National
S -hoole go • great way towards meeting the re-
quirements of the Board Schools. It seemed to
him that there was a large party amongst them
who preferred the late type of National School
to the Board School, and if any voluntary RH
was wanted for that it would be still forth-
coming. l'here Were here frivient interruptions
and cries of" Cut it short.":—The speaker went
on to say that the clergy disapproved the system
of the Education Act, and that was one very
great reason for his opposing their standing on
, School Boards—thud ce ^ere'. The Scripture
had laid it down that u •aalL could serve tw
masters, and no man could follow two systems
of education—the new School Board end the old
fashioned systems—and it would be easy for
those present to foresee which of the two systems
a minister, if elected, would feel inclined to act
hp to. He did not think they were inelined to
throw their hearts into the School Boari system
to the detriment of the Chnrch system. In
point of fact they knew that in the township of
Steurbridee there were already five efficient
cleurch echoole, belles those belonging to the
Noe. onformists. Did they not think that the
us .nagers of ties-., schools would net do all they
could to keep up their prestige, as much as