The Express.
London, England, 1847-04-17 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 17, 1847.

educating the people at present; neverthelees, they had con-
sented to concur in a system by which assistance was given
tram the public funds, on equal terms, to dissenters and
churchmen. Hitherto the diwenters also had concurred in
this arrangement; but now they objected, and said—" We
will have none of this, because the church will
get too much!" (Hear, hear.) But why was this?
If the church would get the moat, it was because the gave
the most. (Cheers.) Not only le, but because she showed
the most effective schools ; unless this was done by the
church, it would not be in a position to claim the greater
amount of assistance. (Hear, hear.) Under such circum-
stances the government could not consistently refuse assist-
ance, because a small minority protested against it, and thus
placed themselves in the way of the public instruction. It was
impossible to get rid of the agency of the church— (cheers
and some hisses)—any more than that of the dissenters. In
this argument he put out of sight the important fact that the
church was an establishment of the country, and rested the
case solely on the ground of what was now dote by the
church, and what she bad done in the last 150 years for the
cause of education. (Hear, hear.) Such being the case, he
sou confident the govert.ment would persevere in the course
they were pursuing. One important feature in the new plan
waa,that the evstem of inspection would be improved and ex-
tended. (" Hear, hear," and some interruption, with a cry
of" We want no money.") Who wanted money ? Not the
church, hut the million of poor uneducated children. (Cheers.)
If the diennters did not want money for education, why nod
they taken it for the len thirteen years ? (Cheen.) In
conclusion, be would ask whether the government and the
people of this enristien country would outer the cause
of education to be injured, and the tido of know-
ledge to be rolled back for years, because a small
section of the people objected to this step being taken.
He called the dissenters a small body with all respect ; he
spoke numerically and comparatively; he spoke of them
with reference to the number of the people at large. Stould
' this movement on the part of the government be defeated,
which he did not believe, the church would not be dis-
(*imaged in its efforts; and he believed that their Christian
brethren would afterwards regret having thrown obstacles in
the way of popular education, and retarded its progress,
i instead of being, as they ought to be, its ardent sup-
; porters. (Cheers,)
Mr. S. J. Loll, seconded the resolution. He was con-
; vinced that it was the great and primary duty of the higher
classes to provide for the moral and religious instruction of
those beneath them. He would not hese such an important
duty on grounds of expediency or policy, but on those high
considerations of duty which ought to actuate every one who
was awake to bis position with regard to the present time
and to futurity. No man living in a christian country could
say he had done his duty, if he had omitted any exertion
which tended to promote the education of those below his
own level. (Hear.) Firmly believing that the government
had been actuated by • sincere desire to discharge this great
duty—a duty incumbent on each individually, and still more
on theta., who were bound together as a state—(cheers, and
expressions of dissent)—and that they had sought to do
this in way the least objectionable to the professors of dif-
ferent creeds--(hear, hear)—he felt called on to support
this measure to the utmost of his power, knowing that it was
only by public support the government could hope to suc-
ceed in such a course. (Cheers.)
Mr. A. CAMPBELL said he wished to support the resolu-
tion, as one of the working claws. He contended that the
dissenters had made this a party question, instead of mani-
festing a desire to extend popular education.
The resolution was then put and carried all but unani-
mously, some twenty hands only being held up against it.
The Bishop of LAMDAPP moved

That it is the duty of a wise and paternal government to promote
religious and moral instruction as the beet mean of preventing crime,
and securing a uncommon of good and useful citizens, and that this
meeting, belleviag ignorance to be one of the prolific sources of vice,
condders it a solemn duty to support such public measures WI may
tend to remedy the social evils which are the result of moral and reli-
gions destitution.

He thought it scarcely possible that any opposition could be
raised to this resolution, taking as it did the lowest,—the
merely temporal ground,—on which rested the duty of in.
strutting the people. He had hoped that the dissenters
would have become auxiliaries to the church in supporting
this measure, knowing how much of doctrine they held in
common with the church,—that they would have supported
it, as a common blessing to all bodies of christians. He had
certainly anticipated that the Roman Catholics would have
opposed the measure. He had been all through life, the
consistent advocate of the relaxation and removal of those
disabilities which weighed unnecessarily on the members of
that body ; but this was a wry different thing from actively
supporting errors against which the church and the Ilia-
*enters alike protested. He thought that all wits held the
scriptures to contain the whole counsel of God, and to be the
rule of faith, might safely be entrusted with the education of
the people ; but to those classes who held the scriptures in a
different light, or who denied somefof the more important
doctrines of revelation, he could not eiinscieutiously extend
the same liberty. He was firmly pledged to the support of
the reformed religion of the country; and he trusted the
, government would not give way to the unreasoning clamour
' that had been raised, which would put oe the same footing
those who only differed from the church in some matters of
discipline, and these who differed on the most essential doc-
trines. _ _

Mr. J. LABOUCHBRE seconded the resolution : perfectly
agreeing with the sentiments of the right rev. diocesan, as
to the deficiency of the existing education, be would ask
what was to become of the rising generation of a population
increasing at the rate of a thousand a day ? (Hear, hear.)
Not only were the means of education deficient, but they were
wholly inefficient for the purpose. Mr. Alston's inquiries had
shown that in some schools in the midland districts, 70 or 80
children out of 100 could not read a chapter in the Bible in
, a proper manner. (Hear.) He felt thankful to the govern-
' ment for the step they had taken; sod the poor of Ireland
would also thank them. Not only so, but that neglected
and useful class, the schoolmasters, would also thank go-
vernment for the trifling assistance afforded them to smooth
their declining years. (Cheers.) As to the objection that
had been raised, that the church would derive the greatest
benefit from this measure, he was bold enough to say that it
was more favourable to dissenters; for in those dissenting
schools which received grants from government, it was ex-
pressly stipulated that there should be no religious exsmina-
tion by the government inspectors, such as took plant in the
church schools. (Hear.) It was true that the friends of the
church schools would never shrink from the examination ;
they rather courted it, and thought it an advantage. (Hear.
hear.) The great public demonstration of this day would
strengthen the hands of government, and would at the same
time convince those among them who valued the Bible them-
selves, that any attempt to separate religious and mule:
instruction would be effectively resisted. (Hear.)
Mr. J. R. SCARBROUGH supported the resolution. He
alluded to the proceedings of the meeting at Exeter Hall,
on the preceding night, and said that the object of this
chairman had evidently been to malign the church, and the
same animus had been shown by all the speakers.
The Rev. Dr. RussEtt moved

That the experience of many yes,s has now proved the Inadequacy
of voluntary exertions for rupplytng the educational wants of the
poor and industrial climes of the community ; and this meeting view.
with satishiction the manures which have revicatly been announced
by her Majesty's p erneelt, offering asaistance to voluntary efforts
without euperaedtet them, and at the same time respecting the reli.
gtoui scruples of those who decline to ..knowledge the Eatablislied
Church as the authorised teacher of the people.

If the objections to this =centre previuled, what was to be-
come of the existing schools, the government grata being
withdrawn? The consequence would be that our gaols
would be trebly filled. (Hear.) In such an event the
church would no doubt de its duty; he said this in the name
of his diocesan, and about 500 of his reverend brethren by
whom be was accompanied. Had the voluntary exertions
of the church and dissenters been sufficient, the government
would not have come forward ; and it bail only done so in
obedience to the urgent cry of the nation—of the poor who
were perishing from lack of knowledge. (Hear.) For the
last thirteen years, all parties had agreed in one thing—in
accepting government eel (hear, bear) ; and because a small
party now chose to say they would accept it no longer, were
all the others therefore to be deprived of this assistance ?
(Hear.) Nothing could be more unjust. The present plan
of the government was one of great national benefit; and he
entreated his Christian brethren not to allow petty animosi-
ties and sectarian feelings to rob the country of a boon so
valuable. (Hear.) Let them unite under this motto—
"The support and improvement of the poor; the honour of
our God.' (Cheers.)
Mr. J. D. POWLES seconded the resolution.
A GENTLEMAN, whose name we did net learn, here
wished to propose an amendment, but the Lard Mayor
decided that it could net be entertained—the meeting b; cog
avowedly one of the supporters of the measure. After
considerable interruption, the resolution was put, and
agreed to.
Mr. W. Corroa moved—
That the Menke of this meeting be given to the Lord Mayor, for
his kindness in presiding on the present ecession ; and that kis lord-
ship be requested to transmit to the Pr eat of the Privy Council a
espy of the evolutions that have hem now adopted.
As one who had been engaged fora number of ',earl in
promoting the instruction of the working classes, he hailed
the measures of government with the greatest delight.
There had always been a great want of qualified teachers ;
and this measure would tend to supply the deficiency.
Mr. W. DAVIES seconded the resolution, which was put
amidst considerable disturbsace,—the gentleman who had
wished to propose the amendment, and his friends, loudly
clamouring for the right of " free discussion," and calling
out for " the amendment."
The LORD Mason having suitably acknowledged the
resolution, the meeting separated at a little before five
o'clock.

POPLAR.—A public meeting in favour of the
government plan of education was held last evening at the
Tewn Hall, Poplar. There was • large and respectable
aseentbly, consisting of the moat influential persons in the
district —Mr. C. P. Wairn was voted to the chair.
The Rev. J. A. BAYNES, minister of the Cotton-street
Chapel, Poplar, in moving the first resolution, observed
that it had long been said, as a stigma upon any kind of
minister who attended public meetings, that hewn • political
dissent r ; now he was not afraid of being called a political
dissenter, but he was fearful of having to accuse himself of
cowardice in the people's cause. He therefore came forward
on that occasion to move • resolution with regard to the
government plan of education. He thought it would be
next to an impossibility for government, if they touched the
subject at all, to please all parties ; the problem that the old
man and his ass could not solve, government were not
better able to explain. For his own port, he thought that
the minutes did not go far enough in some places, and went
too far in others ; but to the general principle he gave his
cordial support. Another objection which had been made
was, that the plan was not required, and that the ends could
be worked by private benevolence. Now he knew of
no place where so much benevolence existed as in
Poplar, but he asked them were the wants of people
is that district fully met? (No, no.) And if in this pari
such was the can, what could they say to the wide ex-