The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-19 00:00:00

have erred. We believe that there is not one ear-
nest liberal who has not long arrived at the con-
viction that the present dead lock of the parties of
proress and re-action in parliament demonstrates
the necessity of a new infusion of the popular ele-
ment into our electoral institutions—an infusion
much greater than could be effected by Mr. Loexr;
KING'S motion. Any declaration, therefore, from
Lord Joao RUSSELL, to the effect that he thinks tho
time has not yet come for any amendment of the
Reform Act of 1832, or any extension of the suffrage,
will inevitably be interpreted to mean that he is
perfectly satisfied with a state of affairs in which
reform can make no sensible progress, and in which
the chapter of accidents may any day throw power
into the hands of the bigoted opponents of pro-
gress.

WHEN recently describing the movement ori-
gbmted in Manchester for the promotion of edu-
cation in that city, by means of local rates and
municipal administrations, the proceedings termi-
nated, it may be recollected, in the appointment of a

sub-committee to consider and retort on the scheme;
and by that body instructions have been prepared
fur the draft of a bill to be introduced to parliament.
The fundamental principle adopted is that, in
Manchester, " the parent or person having the care
and maintenance of any child above four years
of age, may require free education to be pro-
vided for such child"—a principle which in
substance is, of course, the necessary conse-
quence of any educational system supported
by public taxation. But to it was at first proposed
to be made an important addition; that, whilst all
should be provided with free education of an ordi-
nary character, a higher and superior education
should be furnished in the same schools for such as
could and would pay fur it. This addition has now
been abandoned ; lest the poorer classes should be
repelled from sending their children, and lest any
cause of distrust should arise as to the fairness of the
practice pursued in the schools, whether all received
an equal degree of attention; and thus the very ad-
vantages of such a system proved a serious impedi-
ment to the progress and success of the still greeter
principle of free education at the public expense
,to all. - _ _ _

Upon the principle, then, of free education of the
same sort to all, the committee propose to base their
scheme. First, by forming Manchester and Salford
into School Districts, each under the control of School
Committees to be appointed by and out of their re-
spective Municipal Councils. Ily these District Com-
mittees the respective councils are to be moved to
lay on school rates, to be assessed and collected us
the ordinary borough rates now are.
Funds being secured to furnish free education for
all, it is next proposed to rend, r available for that
purpose the amount of existing. school accommoda-
tion. Now in Manchester it is found that there is
already school-room space equal to the education of
all, and with this apparent advantage, the real dif-
ficulties of the scheme commence. For the surplus
accommodation is principally the result of tho
competition or the jealousies of religious sects;
and it exists in what are now denominational schools.
Existing, it is a fact not to be overlooked ; but, on
the contrary, to be used. What is therefore pro-
posed, is, to admit all existing schools of a public
character in the two boroughs into the District
School Unions ; not to interkre with their internal
discipline or management, and to allow them to re-
tain their own distinctive religions teaching. But
when admitted into the union, they are to be open to
all applicants free of charge ; and to receive payment
out of the rates according to the number of scholars
registered.
What, then, are the rates to be exclusively applied
to sectarian religious instruction of all sorts and
kinds? Not so. The existing schools when ad-
mitted into the union and paid out of the rates, will
teach their peculiar tenets to the children of thoso
who desire it ; parents may therefore select such
schools as they prefer and as belong to their own
particular persuasion or church, and so have their
children brought up in their own opinions. But it
is expressly provided " not to compel children attend-
ing such schools to learn any ems' or formulary, or
to attend any Sunday Schools or place of religious
worship to which their parents, or persons having
the care and maintenance of them, shall in writing
object." So far as they are concerned, Scripture
reading excepted, the education will be secular.
Is there, then, sufficient security in this? No
doubt the religious atmosphere of the particular meet
by which the school was established will prevail in
each existing establishment; and fur that parents

sending their children thither must be pinionA ; but
those who are aware of it, and object to tho
distinctive teaching, are exactly the persons who can
and will guard against the consetjuences, by else-
where imparting their own religious opinions to
their children, who at these schools ieceive secular
instruction.
It would be idle to ask denominational schools to
abandon their religious features; it would be absurd,
and costly to a degree, to lay down any scheme of
flee cduention for all without taking these schools
into consideration, and making all the use of their

surplu4 space which is lxissible7
Taking, then, that into consideration, and went-
_

leetingt at the proposed rule will exclude the National
Schools of the church of England from all participa-
tion in the rates unless they accommodate themselves
to the rule by a modification of the fundamental
principle of the National School Society, we must
think that, for all protestant dissenters at least,
there is here as much security against scholastic
proselytism as they ure likely-to secure in any scheme
for the. free education of all.
Ilut, though there may be at present surplus space
in existing schools in Manchester adequate to furnish
accommodation for all its children, those schools may
he inconveniently situated, and the growth of popu-
lation may quickly overflow the surplus space. In-
doubtedly this is so; and it has not been overlooked.
For in districts where either at present or hereafter
there may not be accessible school accommodation,
the district school committees will have power to
erect school houses and provide masters; and therein
lies by far the most agreeable part of the scheme,
the other being at best a compromise and an accom-
modation to existing and adverse circumstances.

Ire necessitous or unoccupied localities these com-
mittees have to report on the facts to the municipal
council, and to set forth the amount of school ac-
commodation required. Time has then to be allowed
for denominational schools to fill in, at their own
cost, the gap; but should that not be done, then the
necessary schools are to be erected by the district
committee out of the public rates. Mlen erected,
theyare to be placed under the immediate control of
a local committee of ratepayers, from which clergy-
men and ministers are to be excluded, to be subject
to the inspectitm of the Committee of Council ; and
therein, though " instruction in the tinily reading of
the Holy Scriptures is always to be provided for, no
distinctive religious creed or formulary is to bo
taught."
Now, no doubt, these are the schools most de-
sirable to prevail in a scheme of free education for
all at the public cost. But it is impossible to over-
look tither existing schools or existing prejudices;
or, if that were possible, to rush into such tui expertise
as the supply of Manchester with these indepcudcut
schools would involve.
Such is the bill about to be introduced to parlia-
ment, and, coming from churchmen, remarkable for
its liberality and fin. its endeavour to meet a great
I want and a great difficulty. We do not disguise
that we gretaly prefer the broad and simple plan
of secular education, as proposed by the Lancashire
Association—a plan to which recent events must
have given great impulse, by persuading all ha-
, partial persons of its ultimate necessity.
The scheme, however, of the Manchester church-
.l men is well worthy of consideration.

THE ROYAL AORICELITRAL SOCIETY'S CATTLE
Snow.—A correspondent says, that considerable objections
having been made to Hyde-park as the site of the society's
cattle show, a committee has been appointed to make In-
quiries and report thereon. The report is due this day,
when it is expected a final decision will be taken. Hang,-
ton-court is spoken of as one of the localities visited by the
committee, and as not unlikely, from its proximity to the
metropolis, and the ready access thither by railway, to ho
selected as the scene of the agricultural exhiLition
- -

AFFRAY Mint POACIIERS.—On Friday night las
Lord Stradhroke's gamekeeper encountered smue poachers
M Ileuisyard Weod, one of whom fired at and woundesi
hint. Four priono are in custody, and air remanded until
Thursday mat, for the offence. We believe the keeps r
ehot a poacher's dog with a horse-pistol, immediately alter
which one of the poachers Bred at him' —lpswich Etpress.