The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-01 00:00:00

TO TUN 11)1T08 OY 111 DAILY NMI.

Stn,—As the aff.tre of Christ'. Hospital appear to
interest the public, you will perhaps find spsco for a few
remarks frism on. who is neither a pertissa of the almoners
nor of Dr. Jacob.

It is, I think. much to be regretted that the Duke of Cam-
bridge should have allowed himself to take a side in the pre-
sent dilnite, since it was will-known that the governors at
large were much divided in opinion, and as president he will
be milled upon to conduct the proceedings with an impar-
tiality hardly ti ha expected from a partis in. The conduct
of the stamen In soliciting, or even permitting, his integer-
once ammo den ruing of censure.

With regard to the dispute between the almoners and Dr.
Jacob, it is to be regretted that discussion should have
deg ted into personal squabble, and that the interests
of the heep!tal Mould be mined from the want of temper
and conciliation exhibited by each party in turn. Giving'
the almoners and Dr. Jacob lull credit for the best inten-
tions and wishes to promote the efficiency of the school, it
is impossible to deny that the real question between them
was, which should be master.
It must be recollected that at Christ's Hospital the
children are not only educated, but also boarded, fed, and
clothed at the expense of the hospital, and that comsat
qnently mach which in other schools is subject td the es-
pervision and interference of the parents, is in this case
managed by the authorities of the charity. It is needless
almost to icy that the duties involved cannot be safely
delegated to any pia officer, and that masters, stewards,
dames, and whoever has the charge of these children.
must be made toted that though the parents can seldom in•
mkt*, there is come authority which will permit neither
neglect nor tyranny. There will abeam therefore, be au
amount of interference on the part of the governor., or of
the committee appointed by them,:lakely to belittle agreeable
to Dr. Jacob.

Ou the other h nd, the almoners will probably find that
the rest of the governors will iniiat en treating the reaponsi•
bility so much talked of as • reality, and that it will no
longer be possible to obtain the assent of a general court to
resolutions the purport of which cannot Ise understood with-
out an explanation, never volunteered, and only obtained
by dint of questioning. It is probable that • yearly report of
the state of the hoepital in general, and of a variety of parti-
culars now e•.mmonly a mmuoicated by the euanspers of
charities to their eubieribers, will be required. The gover-
nors at large will then be better able to judge of the efficiency
of the systim and of the authorities and officers by whom it
is carried on.

The governors at large would do well to consider whether
they are doing as much fur general education as lice in their
power, and whether by a change in the system they might not
both benefit those who are gratuitously educated, and at
the same time enable persons of limited means to give their
children a good education at a moderate price. No else of
the community, probably, are less able to do this than small
tradesmen, clerk'', ani others, who, though Rime mere
want, are yet struggling for their daily bread. The educa-
tion to be obtained at the national schools is insufficient for
the children of such persons—that of good schools is pro-
bably far too en 'naive ; that which they do obtain is often
indifferent in quality, and, for their rank in life, costly.
Such person', however, might well afford to pay IS much
as It now coats the hospital to bring up a child; and by
adopting the system successfully followed in our public
. . . .

schools—that is, of permitting children not on the founda-
tion to share in its ben.flta by paying for them—great facili-
ties in educating their children might be afforded to a very
numerous elem.

Such • change would involve the necessity of dividing
the present school into several distinct establishments, the
number of which would, of coarse, be regulated by the suc-
cess of the plan, for if the children paid for bore the isms
proportion to those gratuitously educated, u those paid for
do to the foundationers at good public schools, the whole
number would amount to several thousands. But the ex-
periment might be tried on • more limited scale by con-
verting the upper grammar school into a distinct establish-
ment, to which the Mari) promising boys might alone be
sent, and wherein they might be retained longer than is
now usual, provided their progress justified such • favour.
They would be selected for removal to the upper grammar
school at a publ,c examination, and their retention there
would be determin-d by their sue:en at subvilutnt ez311116
ations; and thus would be secured not only the efficiem y of
the upper grommet school itself, but also that of the junior

establishments. Nor can it be doubted that to such a
school, giving a sound education at a moderate ;nice, many
would be re idy to send their children.
Another point worthy of consideration, and on which the
governors at large are as faulty as the almoners, if cot more
so, is the qualification of the children admitted. At pees/ or,
the children of parents whose property does not exceed 300/.
per annum are not refused admittance, and a life income of
even greater amount does not exclude. Tois c- n only be
justified in a charitable insti,ution on the ground that edu-
cation for such persons is anreasonahly dear, and thi,
excuse would be taken away if, by the means suggested,
neap education could be obtained. In truth, a man rising
is the world with 1601 a year, is much better off than one
who is slaking, but has 3001. a year left ; and the money
test is found to be altogether nugatory. Could the governors
be persuaded to adopt orphanage, either of both parents or
the father, though many might be excluded who could be
with propriety received, yet none would be resolved who
ought to be excluded, nor would then be say lack of applt-
cants.-1 am, &c ,
Bedford-hotel, Brighton. ♦ GOVERNOR.