The Press.
London, England, 1857-06-27 00:00:00

great value to the labour of children, and thus leads (1)
to employers of the parents requiring the labour of the
children; (2) to dissolute parents living upon the wages
of children's labours; (3) to a premature and ruinous
independence of life and action among the very young ;
all of which causes lead to the withdrawal of the children
from the school.
3. That the section cannot express these conclusions
without adding that, in its opinion, while some protection
of children from too early labour may, in certain cases,
become necessary, it is in the improvement of education
by moral and religious influences, rather than by legiala•
tion, that the greatest remedy for these evils must be
found.

The right rev. prelate, in referring to the labours of
his section, said it bad brought out strongly certain
great facts connected with education which could
never be too earnestly repeated. It had shown be-
yond doubt that there was a direct tendency in the
Nice of each generation to reproduce itself in still
woke forms in the vice and ignorance of another.
He th%ught, as far as he could judge from the papers
read befor. Section A, that poverty was the chief or
almost only cause of the non-attendance of children
at the schools. His lordship concluded by pro
posing the following resolution

That it is the opinion of this Conference that the greater
number of the children of the working classes are removed
from school at so early an age as seriously to interfere
With their education. That while this Conference is pre.
eluded from entering on the question of legislative inter-
ference, it would call the attention of the friends of
education to the positive amount of good which may be
effected as to increasing the age to which children continue
at eel: 00l by the improvement of the schools themselves,
and bringing moral and religious influences to bear upon
both the parents and children.

Sir J. PAaniorox seconded the resolution, which
the Marquis of LANSDOWNE supported in a brief
speech. It was carried nem. con.
The Right Hon. W. COWPER, M.P., read the report
from Section B, which was as follows :
That it appears that in Germany and Switzerland the
regulations in force have produced a very general atten•
dance in primary schools on the part of the children of the
labouring classes between the ages of five and fourteen,
and that the proportion of children in daily attendance at
school is one in six of the population of Prussia and some
other States of Germany, and one in five in Switzerland.
In Holland the attendance at school is estimated at one
in eight of the population.
In France one in eight of the population are in primary
elementary schools, exclusive of infant schools, and the age
of leaving school is ordinarily regulated by the age at which
the children are admitted.

Mr. Cowl,En then moved the following resolu-
tion :

That throughout the north of Europe the children of the
working classes are kept for a longer period at school, and
to a riper age, than in this country.
The resolution was then put and carried nnani•
mously.
Sir J. K. SEturrLEworrit, the chairman of Section
C, then read the report from that meeting, which
said :

That in carrying into execution the certificate and prize
schemes, and others brought under the consideraticat of this
section, it is desirable to keep in view the following
principles
That such schemes should be regarded only as subsidiary
to other agencies for acting upon the irregularity and in-
sufficiency of the time of school attendance.
That they should aim at enlisting the co-operation of
employers of labour, of the Government in its administra•
tion of appointments, and of the trustees of apprenticeship
funds. That they should be formed with due regard to
character and conduct, as well as intellectual attainment.
That the section regards with peculiar interest the applica•
tion of prize and certificate schemes to evening schools
which educate young persons from thirteen years of age to
twenty, and which may thus hope to preserve them from
degrading and sensual habits.

After reading this report the hon. baronet begged
to propose the third resolution :
That registration, certificate, and prize schemes have
been shown to have been applied in certain localities with
advantage, and to be worthy of more extensive trial.
Mr. BAINES, of Leeds, seconded and the Rev. Canon
GIRDLESTONE supported the resolution, which was
put and carried nem. con.
The Very Rev. the Dean of SALISBURY submitted
the report of Section D, which said :

That in the opinion of this section the careful examina-
tion of the results of instruction in good half-time schools,
as compared with the results of instruction forthe ordinary
full time in the same or the like schools, is fraught with
important results affecting the whole scheme ftz the
labouring classes. That in large factories or farms the
system of relays is advisable each half-day ; but that, under
circumstances of practical difficulty, the alternate day or
week would be preferable. That it is expedient to en-
courage night schools as places of primary or secondary
instruction, in which subjects having relation to the specific
labour of the locality should be taught by certificated or
other competent masters. The section believes that the
establishment of evening schools of this class will do much
towards remedying the deficient state of education amor.g
both the • and adult members of the workingclasses.
system is to be worked with success
__ first instance, be addressed to em-
preferewco of imitructiou will, by stamping a

both the younger and s
That if the voluntary s
an appeal must, in the
ployers, whose preferel