The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-12 00:00:00

ROYAL FREEMASONS' SCHOOL FOR
FEMALE CHILDREN.

•
Yesterday a quarterly general court of the governors
of this institution was held in the Schoolhouse, St. John's-
hill, Battersea-riee, at noon. Mr. J. BARNES, Vice. Pres-
ident, was in the chair, and there were 13 or 14 other
gentlemen present.
The minutes of the house committee, recommending the
names of eight little girls as candidates to fill up the vacan-
cies which will occur at the next quarterly court in April,
were approved, with the exception of one candidate, whose
case was reserved for consideration, some doubts being sug-
gested as to the medical certificate. There are now 68 girls
inmates of the institution. The report of t'.e audit coma
mitten was also received, and the treasurer was instructed
to pay bills to the amount en 4361. The funds of the insti-
tution are in • very satisfactory state.
Mr. SYMONDS moved that application bo made to the
Clommitto•, oe Pri,7 Common on Mduontion to Love this
school placed under government inspection. Ile explained
the advantages to be attained thereby. lie did not think
an institution like this, with its large funds, should receive
any grant for mops sad books; but the suggew liras and
advice of the inspector would be very serviceable. The
schoolmistress, who already (the present mistress) held a
certificate of the second claw, might receive a grant of 151.
or 171. from governm nt in augmentation of her salary;
and every year one child might be apprenticed to her as a
pupil teacher, to whom a stipend would be paid by the go-
vernment, progressing fr m 101. to 201., for fise years; and
the pupil afterwards might be examined furs Queen's scho-
larship, by means of which, if she deserved it, she might
be educated in a training school, and ultimately, with a
certificate of merit, obtain a good situation as a sehool-
mistress.
Mr. C. Rontesote seconded the motion, saying that be
went, the other day, to the of of r.e Committee of
Council, to ask whether it was likely this school might be
received under inspection, and he found there would be no
difficulty in it, and also that two of the largest institutions
of this kind, the London Orphan Asylum and the Infant
Orphan, had just made similar applications, which he re-
garded as en excellent eaainple.
Mr. Beaurrr opposed the motion, upon the ground that
many subscribers would refuse their support, if the inde-
pendent character of the charity were compromised by go-'
vernment aid. It would be the commencement of the ruin
of this school,whicb had been the pride of the Mascot body;
and he feared that, if government were once let in, they
would by and by take possession of the whole concern.
Mr. PATTSN expressed the same apprehension, which
was shared, he said, by Mr. White, another I.beral su
porter of the school. Ile knew fifteen or twenty sub-
scribers, who would, he was perfectly certain, withdraw
their contributions if the school were placed under govern-
meet inapection. Ile acknowledged, however, teat, for hie'
own part, he was not at all informed upon the question;
aid if the advantages of government inspect:on were shown
to him, in six months or twelve months hence, he would
vote for it.
Mr. G. BONE likewise thought that, if the institution
were Riven into the h .nds of government, the subscribers
would feel deprived of their responsibility, and would lose
their interest in the school.
Mr. Newsom was very desirous of having the school
visited by the government inspector, for it had been going
on too long in the eld fashioned deme-schnol way, and was
not creditable to the intelligence of its manogere. A new
era had now begun, and they should avail theme:vet of all
the advantages offered by the Committee of Privy Council.
A healthy spirit of emulation would be excited among the
children, and the beet Ririe might be rewarded with a mainte-
nance for life, in the profession of a schoolmistress, which
was as high an object of ambition as les (Mr. Newsom)
could wish for a daughter of his awn.
Mr. BLAKE complained that the subscribers had sot been
inefficiently apprised of this motion, which he opposed as a
monstrous innovation that would be repugnant to the feel-
ing of most of them. The Freemasons had always prided
themselves on their independence, and why should they
'sow, for advantages that appeared quite insignificant, put
the control of their school out of their own hands ? The
house committee should examine the children regularly,
and if they wanted inspection, they might request some
educated gentleman to visit the school oecasionalty.
Mr. G. T. Fox and Mr. L. CHANDLER both said they
were unwilling to decide a question of such importance ,in
an small meeting as the present.
Mr. WAname signified his double of the expediency of
acceptinc goverment control. -21;4"..,
Mr. SYMONDS replied, challenging those who disap.
proved of government inspection to find any single instance,
since 1839, where the subscriptions to any school had fallen
off, because ita supporters were dissatisfied with the conduct
of the government inspectors. No one would withdraw his
money on so fallacious and unfair a pretext. A school in
his own neighbourhood had trebled its numbers lately,
bemuse the improvements suggested by the inspector were
serried out. The inspector could never dictate or order
anything, but only advise. They might dispense with the
inspection at any time, if they chat, since they would not
receive any grant fur books and maps ; and as for the
government obtaining any control over the funds or
management of the school, it was utterly impossible.
The motion, on being put to the vote, was, however,
negatived, only three hands being held up in its favour.
The appointment of Miss Garwood u matron, and that of
Kiss Suter as schoolmistress, were then approved. A mo-
ffilllMea which Mr. Robinson had given notice, to provide
Illbnime child of a person who had ceased to subscribe
leffieffide freemasonry for more than seven years (unless it
wen hos circumstances beyond his owa eitiotro:), should be
1e; was deferred until the revision of the rules and
a report from the committee upon which was
omigend to be printed, and to be considered by a special
*Mt I. March.

Ern:NOM EM3P2ELEMENT TN LEEDS.—On Wed-
seamy last, at the Leeds Court-house, James Parnaby, who
for dues years has bees traveller in the employ of Mr.
Haldane, eorn.factor, Swan-street, Leeds. was committed
for trial oa a chirp of embezzling money to the amount of
&hest 2001., whisk he had received at various time from
Mr. Killer, the ..shier of Mears. George Thosopeon and
I Co., contractors, end Mr. Wm. Atkinson, for oats supplied
to limn by Mr. Haldane.

COST OF PLACING A MONUMENT IN
WESTM MIER ABBEY.

(r:332 The Load ee L:re Ih.)
The public, are apprehend, are not aware that our
heroes, our statesmen, oar poets—in abort, our men of
geo:as, by the creations of whose 01114 we are mainly in-
deb'ed for the greatness of these kicgdorar, are not allowed
to repcse is Westminster Abbey without a tax being levied
upon their ashes. They who fight our battles ; they who
frame our laws, vindicate our tights, and preserve our liber-
ties; they who enrich and adorn our literature ; and they
whose Inventive faculty has created that mighty maze of
indur ry, upon which we justly pride ourselves, and which
enat,laii millions to eat their bread in peace, comfort, and
hcnesty, are therefore not exempt from the common lot of
mortals when the rights of the church are in question, and
' when the fees of our cathedral establishments are at stake.
The Dean and Chapter of Westminster, in accordance
with an old law, have received within the last quarter of a
century the following sums for the monuments placed in
the Aobey, and so minute and exact are this body in their
transactions with the disposers of the " mighty dent'," that
the am ;tint cf the sum demanded for a monument depends
upon the number of square feet and of square inches it may
occupy, and not in the least upon the worth and character
of him to whose memory it is erected :
Sista' of tEr gm. Follett (echoes), 3 It. by 1 ft S 2
rtalate of Francis Horner (Mangey), 2 ft. by 3 f:.
butts. eat sir Enke: Cott" 6 It. by 3 ft
Sintusaf Sir S. It.,llles (1 hantrey,, 6 ft. by 21 ft. 2lO
Siatue of S. Wilberforce, 6 ft. by 2 .
B:,: u! of 6.r J. ilatooln (Chancy(, 4 It. by ft.
ti awe • f Geotge Canning (Change)), a tt. by 3 ft 3lO
2..dourner: to Lord Holland (Bally), 2) square ft. 3OO
Koran:eat to tel:ord (Bally) 3 0
A boa-sr:to (Haig), 2 ft. 9 in. by S ft. 6In.
Stratus. to T. Campbell (Ilandiali). 13 Nome ft.
ert-:.l'cr cl Cowper slearehall)
litalna to ths Marquis of Londonderry (Evan Thomas:,
40.by3'•
Xis-relief of Andrew Bell (helms.), 6 ft by 3 ft lO6
bas-re.:e; of It. &soggy, 3 tt, by 6ft
I ilan'elg' of Zachary Maeauley, 3 ft. by 6 ft.
Boa relief of Niajor ticantli. bit. by 6 A. ItO
We ought, however, in justice to remark that the statue
to Campbell is not yet placed in the Abbey; but, if we may
juilge by the engraving of it in the third volume of
"Cany„;bell'a L tters," &a. (3.loxon's edition), it is "about
to be pia-ea" in that sanctuary. This, we presume, is a
facetious Julie of informing the public that the subscription
to the monument has not yet reached that point which will
enable the artist to dispense with se large a surplus beyond
that II tif t if really necessary to defray the original cost of
its ezetuti,:a. The author of the " Pleasures of Hope"
cannot, tLsrefure, be numbered as yet with the tuneful hest
to wt.ca he justly and truly belongs. The tax—the
consecrated tax—is not yet paid for the admission of
Thomtu Campbell's monument in the sacred sanctuary of
genius !

hen:rho, in justice, to be remarked that the sum demanded
fur a statue, fining the ge space of those in the pre-
ceding het, was about 701.; but, like all other property in
the capit..:, the ai les and avenues of Westminster Abhcy
have, we suppose, increased in value. There is, however,
no fee demanded in catholic countries for placing monu-
ments in cathedra :s and churches; but, on the contrary,
these endearing raiquire of departed greatness are earnestly
welcomed, and when placed there are studiously preserved
from injury and decay.
The public, however, are indebted to the present dun for
many improvements in the economical arrangements of the
monuments. A new elsaiiScation of these works of art has
been recently completed, ea regards the sale of payment for
ador.soion to the Abbey, by means of which con-
siderable space has been saved, and the annual to-
oeiyA ci the establishment have been considerakly aug-
mewed. Formerly the dean and chapter were not parti-
cular to a few square feet or an, as they permitted large
monuments to be plated in the Abbey nearly at the same rate
sea simple statue, or a bas-relief on the walls; but the keen
diseriminatien, and the thrifty management of the present
authoritire do not permit a single inch of grouraspace
be lost, for old works have been removed nearly out of sight
to make room for those of the newest stamp and the moat
recent periol. The monument of Sir Godfrey Kneller, for
instance, hos been removed from its original and ap-
propriate site, to afford • Luger space for them which
have been recently placed there. It is also necessary
to state that, in some instances, in the list of charges for
admission, we have simply inferred the amount of the
fee ps:cl by the public. These inferences, however, are
basyd span calculating the price per s ;nate foot of those
monuments, the fees fur which we know precisely, and the
superficiis meet...shied, the sum paid for any given menu •
ment or statue may be readily calculated.

As the space devoted to statuary in the Abbey began
t 3 diannisb, a most ingenious suggestion was made, and
was even pattislly carried out by the " money changers"
conaecte.: wita that sacred establishment. The silo-
gvm 'i was of this nature : That, as the Abbey was
nearly fill of marble statuary, the 13ors and windows
should 1, !arced to account, and that brass ornaments
on the farmer, and stained images ou the latter, would an-
Met the Vnle purpose as sculptured works t f art. Men;
were, however, two grave objections started to this sugges-
tion h:st, that it would be a discouragement to tett, as it
woull tend to diminish the demand for sculpture, and that
it wont.' not possibly be ao productive to the funds of the
Chapter as the present plan. We can fully sympathise with
the authorities on the latter ground, but, oh' shade of
Chatham and Canning ! what would have been your biting
satire, your indignant sarcasm, bad you been told that the
terminat•-in of your aenatorial labours would be rewarded
by a braes mncumentsl inscription on the floor, or by a
&ring emb-ament, like some old saint, on the windows of
Westminster Abbey?

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, JAN. 11.

The suhjt•ct of the religion of deserted children
was again under diecuazion yesterday in the North
Dublin Boatd of Guardians, and Mr. Crawford, the
swaistant-commissioner, having explained the appa •

rent di.screpc.ncies in the opinions of the Attorney-
General and of the Solibitor-General, stated that he
apprehended that the opinion of the latter did not
apply in cased where it was clear that the children
had been baptised without the knowledge or consent
of their parents. After a good deal of discussion,
it was then resolved that some pauper children who
had been previously admitted into the house should
sow be registered as protestants, notwithstanding
the eircuantance of their having been baptised by a
Roman catholic clergyman at the desire of the
names to whose care they had previously been
committed by the police or the parish authori-
ties. This resolution was carried by a majority of
20 to 8.

The King's County Chronicle gives the following
acccunt of an agrarian outrage:
On the night of Thursday last, • party of three men
entered the h me of a comfortable farmer, named Moorcy,
who resides ‘n the est►te of the Rev. F. T. Trench, at
Clon4hlitating, near Borrisokane, and threatened Lim of
the consegu,ntes if he should approach the residence of
Mr..). R. Friar, Modreeny House, telling him that in ease
he did so, they should again visit him and do for him. One
of the ruffians was armed with • pistol and the others with
bludgeons heavily laden with lead ; one of the latter in-
flicted a severe wound on Mooney, bead, and it is probable
that he wouLl bare received other bad usage at their heath,
if a young gill had sot contrived to escape from the house
duricg their visit and alarm souse of the neighbours. The
purpose of these ruffianly confederates it is impossible to
discover, Moore; being an industrious and inoffensive man,
and Mr. Frazer • liberal employer. We regret to perceive
that agrarian outrages are beginning to manliest themselves
in the district, notwithstanding the vigilance of the police.

THE MILITIA.
Last week Colonel !twin, A.Q.M.G., proceeded
from Kilkenny to Maryberough, Wexford end Carlow, to
take houses temporary barracks for such portions of the
=Erten regiments of the Qeeen's County, Wes(urd and Car-
low al cannot lc accommodated in the respective military
barracks. 'lce head-quarters of the Queea's County Militia
were ehangel from Slouttrath te Meryborough, and arrived
at the latter town on &Wedgy, under the comemanetsli-,,
Lietr.-Co:onel Dunne, M.P. a -,
The Louth 111i:itia is to be forthwith embodied, Lord. •
Bellew having made all the appointments tb Sommistr pet
It is to be a ~He regiment, sad commanded Lietiten
Colonel Sir J. S Robinson, Bart., foimerly of the (let
Mites.
A Clonmel letter says : " The South Tippers,* err
is to be quartered here, in the brrrecks. Td room
as, a trutp of toe IGth Lancers left this more or C. 1,4
and it is reporeJ that the head-quarters, .
regiment will take up the quarters here on
Iltb. The order from the War-office bu been ig
the immediatz ecab:ldiment of the corps. Captains
GIME, T 110111:J1 B.itier Stoney, and the other officers of the
south regiment, are espected here at once. Shortly tfter
the formation of the cape you will have a visit from us, as
the venue w be raised for both battalions throughout the
county, incepective of north and south. Had the Earl of
Olengnll (the colonei),or Earl of Donorie more been here,
we would have been embodied ere now • ore or both set
Own, expected, will,b• hero oaths lA.'.