The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-21 00:00:00

ghe ersirefio.

TO CORKIIAPON DENTS.
A."••11 Sabo of "Tr Kapeere." erriMbrae tee aim ..Meth
tve.tre,"Y preeklereei every Trees, me Wiley .104 ia tine
at pi&
arne....esere Weeded ler "The Lamle," rendes Ivesiag ppm,
mew be ea sle dle% ilesverle4treer, )y Tee *Nisei ea the
Sey

MOIL WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
?me Iler—Vmeetag. 416 17.... .. ....Weems% O. tem.
411. its .....—Aftvaisl. M. Sta.

LONDON, MONDAY, JUNE 21.

TO-NIGIIT Lard JOHN liesseLL very properly pro-
poses to call the attention of the House of Commons
to the clandestine and dangerous alterations made
by the Cabinet to the Management Clauses ; and
from the form of the notice he has given, Lord lon's
will do so—it is to be presumed—more for the pur-
pose of securing a practical suspension si tbis
Order in Council until a new itterlinale
shall be assembled, than to procure at re-
sent any formal censure of that Order by the mid-
band hones.
The new Order in Council alters the Manage-
ment Clauses,as originally prepared by the committee
of council in June, lsl% and as slightly modified in
the autumn of 1 A 49. For upwards of five years these
Clauses have been before parliament. On a know-
ledge of their contents five annual votes for educa-
tion have been made by the House of Commons ;
amounting in all to about 786,0001. • and of that
sum upwards of two thirds have been: granted by
the Committee of Privy Council to Church of Eng-
land schools. Of the large proportion thus devoted to
church schools, far more than half has been granted for
building purposes ; allot which was subject to the terms
of these Management Clauses of which the legislature
had thus full and ample knowledge. And though
the clauses in question have in heir original state
been tire, and in their modified form been three
years on the tables of parliament, in all that time carl
attempt has been made to procure any alteration
in them i—no adverse motion ice been brought kr-
ward affecting them no diesamkm hes bees takes
upon them no hostile critleimn las been ventured
on. For five successive sessioos the House of
Commons, in voting large toms to be dis-
tributed by the Committee of Privy Council
on Education, has accepted and re-accepted, con-
firmed and re-confirmed the clauses in principle smi
in details, in substance and in form. Yet now, at
the close of the very parliament in which aft this has
occurred, a ministry, which has not in that parlia-
ment a majority, has suddenly and secretly made a
violent alteration in the Clauses.
A few years ago, a sort of understanding or,
arrangement was come to, that in moving the annual
education vote for Greet Britain, some brief general
statement should be made to the House of Commons
on its last year's administration, and on the general
position and progress of the question. No such
statement was made this year, though, at the time
the vote was moved, the Cabinet had in hand impor-
tant alterations in the conditions of distributing what
they were obtaining without opposition, on the as-
sumption by the house that there was nothing un-
usual to explain.
These are the circumstances under which a great
and sudden alteration has been made in the Manage
ment Clauses, and they exhibit as audacious a disre-
gard of the consistency of the House of Commons,
of its just authority,
. and of the respect due to it by
the responsible advisers of the crown, as wagerer
exhibited by a ministry with a huge majority at its
back; and greater far than any, in an acknowledged
and tested minority, ever before dared to venture on.
To a large, perhaps we may say to the largest,
part of the community, the terms sanctioned by par-
liament on which the Privy Council was to ad-
minister the education grant, had one great) objec-
tion ;—that aid was thereby refused to all schools in
which religion was not, in one form or other,
part of the education. But while insisting on
mixing up religion with education, the Committee of
Privy Council, up to the end of May last at least,
always refused to make the spiritual power
predominant in the schools it aided. It conferred its
authority solely and exclusively to religion; it left
the management of schools it assisted, in all other
particulars, subject to the general body of subscri-
bers, or such committee as they might appoint. This
was the strong point, the fundamental principle.
And its value es a principle was enormous; for when-
ever this Educat'on Grant shall be enlarged to meet
the real necessities of Greet Britain in the matter of
Schools—whenever a really national system of
education shall be adopted by the legislature; here
was a principle on which to found it, if religion. had
to continue to be part of the instruction to be given.
Great, then, as were the worth and value of the prin-
ciple as related to the administration of the miserable
vote of 130,0001. a year for the education of twenty
millions of people; m reference to &larger and better
system of edueatioo, its worth and value were really
inestimable.
But this principle of confining the spiritual power
strictly to religious control has by a few strokes of
the pen been endangered in our system. By the
new Order in Council the laity may be ousted from
all share in the superintendence of morals as well
nu
religion, thoh their money has paid for
the schools; and as all human conduct is
founded on morals, it is difficult to say what
may not be included by the clergy under that com-
prehensive and engulphog and absorbing phrase. This
change is not, therefore, a mere addition or altera-
tion ;it amounts to a complete revolution in the
principles on which the state has hitherto made
building grants.
The altered clause is, we know, put alternatively
in the Order in CounciL The promoters may, either
adopt it for the school deeds or prefer the old clause,
in which the clergy and bishops power is restricted
to religion. But that alternative of choice hit
nothing to do with the principle conceded by the
state. That principle is either sound or unsound.
It is either to be sanctioned on its own merits, or
condemned on ios own demerits. It is an admission
by the state that the church has an inherent autho-
rity over morals as well as over religion. And the
gaieties for the legislature is, whether that is a
priseiple. it can assent to, and vote money on.
Now, mthe IMMO and on behalf of civil amp
we utterly deny that the c as such, are sets
guardians of oar morals. For the state to reser&
soak a pretension is to enlarge the sphere of the "{-
ritual power to an intent quite dangerous. For if
it be the guardian sad protector ci children's morals,
why not of the morale of adults also? If of educa-
tional, wlmo sot of general morality ? If in English
partially aided by the state, why
not Irish colleges wholly supported by
the state? To sot as any each principle is to put
mankind into the leading ,fringe of pnestcraft ; to
encourage the clergy to make still further demands
—to whet their ambition—to bring them into violent
collisions with the state. It is a principle abhorrent
to the British people; and one which, despite the
complicity of the QUEEN'S ministers with traetarian
oak the people never will submit to.
But the alternative given is a mere delusion. For,
practically, the clergy are the promoters of churcl;
schools : they collect the subscriptions, they corre-
spond with the committee of Privy Council, and
they will select the clause to be inserted in the
school deeds. Substantially then the laity have no
security, and little choice in the matter. Their safety
requires the abrogation of this offensive attack on
their rights.

CT WILLUIOTOIT STATUS AT
ED111101111111.013 Fl 413wrpassoffSgrba 1111141110 OM
Dyke of Wale* we is ths sisteelletie of
Medd* by • hdlisst est legages seeseesid. The day
awe spy...daft Ibises es lido els, sseiwevery ef the
deka% onswskai diesey et Wands., The Wed***
teetiomaial wee eetalessel alsid tweiwysree ego toy sped
aweber et the seta. ea edgy ef era Own
10.0001. wee saleedheitter ibe dryset It woe reseheet W
west admit eqesdilms slam is bum ts hie sed
the we* wes eubistedl Is lEs. Saha of
vitae peeritew esiimewasts fully ..lied k 1 le the ems-
Mau of the soleMbere. Tea artist bas after dr byes
et is se earns whieh be bee W le ser-
fsweet neweseee enseeesil will ON esseli in
;Meese of • ems. of we asyslesio, et With Pio'
Mesa • we& WS* all sink willvie with say *meld=
steles Is the hiselses , wbetteez is raped Os dorm
I Nags se gesedei sesedies I'M Ste shoes*/ the doles
frost et the leglawiralisa. whew It hoe bees raked all
podedei fit Memel 12 sea Ig Asa W.*
A Coen Ow Dammam was WM cs ftwist st
aw. Kos bib nogikwiss Liseinsesikessel & o Yes.
iniak Fitmkgene. ev.0.2., wee isms is as asemsels.
Melds! et Ihe Otwipsay's Nees es the sambh.
asst. sea ass* mud* et 618111110110