The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-09 00:00:00

the neeessity. Much more might have been made
of the movement in the way of good, and of impelling
ministers to meutires, not of intolerance, bet of com-
prehension, education, and reform. But what has
been done is good, and what ministers mast and can
do, cr require, is harmless, though it may be, after all,
of no great import.

Moven the National Public School Association
has not, it seems, to expect any active aid from Sir
Kees Sulrm.sworeto, to whom education in this
country owes so much, friends are nevertheless rising
in support of its great principles: 1. That free pri-
mary instreetion ought to he made a public right;
2. its cost a property burthen; 3. its administraion a
local duty, in quarters whence co-operation was oer-
minty not to have been first expected ; nay, from
gentlemen who commenced their education labours by
defeating in a public meeting the Lancashire Pubis
School S tciety, out of which the National Association
was formed.
For we, yesterday, gave the outlines of some pro-
ceedings of a semi public meeting, held at Man-
chester, on Monday, which promise to yield valuable
fruit, and we have now before us the paper, printed
"for private circulation," on local cducatioe, in
which that meeting originated. This document was
issued to the friends of education in the City of Man-
chester, irrespectiee of their religious opinions, see-
tariin differences, or political diversities, by a work-
ing, not a sinecure, member of its cathedral church—
the Hee. C. Swages, who is, we believe, the clerk
in orders of De LA WARReS noble, but ill-used founda-
tion ; in it Mr. Mance has at least made proposi-
tions and suggestions worthy of the spirit of his
founder; and around his scheme have gathered men
and ministers of all denominations, "sticking to
their principles, bat giving up their prejudices,. as
the representatives of Wesleyaniam happily ex-
it.
The spectacle was encouraging and hopeful; it
wore all the aspect of real work and business, of men
resolute and determined to remove the stigma of
Ignorance from at least their own city, the seat of
their labour, skill, wealth and happiness. Last year,
about this time, a similar batch of men met and de-
termined to reform church abuses in 111micaester ; by
Perseverance and never listening to suggestions of
capitular ccmpromise or of legal and legislative delay
they succeeded. This year a more comprehensive
batch meets and resolves to supply education, as well as
Christianity, to the 370,000 people inhabiting this
great town; and by the like earnestness and zeal
they will also be equally successful. Aristocratic
shams and episcopal prejudices will yield before their
steady march. Let, then, their first rule of conduct
be—not to fear the House of Lords.
The actualities of the busy, laborious, material life
of Manchester so pervade every street, lane, alley,
hole and corner of that great city, that none of its
citizens (except its sinecure clergy) escape from their
influences, and one of the most remarkable of their
results is the practical character of men's minds, plans
and purposes there. The burthen of its cathedral
ditties falls on the two Minor Canons and the Clerk
in Orders; and their weight has, it appears, made
Mr. Rtcusos as practical in his views as any spin-
ner or merchant on the Exlhange. He finds in
Manchester a large extent of unoccupied whool-room ;
very praeically he proposes to use it. He finds in
Manchester an immense amount of youthful igno-
rance consequent on the parental poverty; very
practically he proposes to remove this igno-
rance by furoitbiog the pecuniary means of
education. lie finds in Manchester a combined
movement in favour of general religious educa-
tion impossible from the variety of denomina-
tional and distinctive religious opinions; very prac-
tically he proposes to confine combined efforts to
secular instruction. He finds in Manchester a ge-
sere' opinion that the voluntary principle in educa-
tion does rot contain the elements of a sucli ss com-
mensurate with the emergency to be dealt with ; he
therefore proposes local taxation, not as a substitute
for, but as a supplement to, voluntary conrtibutiona.
He finds in Manchester an eagerness to do something
at once ; he therefore proposes that they should not
wait for a national measure, but set the rest of Eng-
land an example by a local plan of their own. He
finds in Manchester a strong desire for really good
primary schools; he therefore proposes to estab!ish
schools to which all classes of society may be able to
send their children with the certainty of obtaining
the basis of a sound practical education. He finds in
the existing local institutions of Manchester a power
Ito manage local sflairs generally with skill and suc-
ems, and he therefore proposes to throw the manage-
ment of his new school system on its municipalities.
Tee means by which Mr. RICUSON would carry
out these propositions are very simple. He does not
wish to compulsorily alter any existing public
schools; he does not seek to force education on Man-
chester, to disturb existing societies and establish-
ments, or to interfere with systems in operation. His
obji ct is to enable its inhabitants,
_" by means of local
rates, to promote and stimulate education therein, to
render existing schools, if they fall in with his views,
more efficient; to provide for the repair of school
buildings; and to supplement voluntary efforts."
I School room is not, Mr. HICHSON finds, the primary
want of education in Manchester. Out of a popula-
tion of 370,000 Mr. Rtensow calculates that 31,000
children are the minimum number of children who
would probably avail themselves of free education;
and he has ascertained that there is at present re-
dundant school aocomm elation for 47,000 children.
"The effort," he says, " required at prevent is rather
to fill existing schools than to erect new ones." What
is chiefly needed is to remove the indifference of
parents, by furbishing so superior an education that
its attractive advantages shall be irresistible, to re-
move the obstacle of poverty by famishing free edu-
cation, and to remove the temptation of wages to
children by making education a condition of obtain-
ing employment. Mr. Itunizos therefore proposes:
1. That Manchester and Salford be constituted into
school districts; that the municipal councils of each ee these
two boroughs yearly elect out of their own wombs= a
school committee ; that this district committee be mum-
end to lay a school rate on the district, in nn cue exceed/ft
sd. in the pound, and the annual amount beneath that sum
to be regulated by the sums for which two amnion shall
declare the ecesmittin to be liable under the act to be ob.
Wired.
2. That the managers of schools now under govern-
ment inspection, and employing competent teacher., shall be
able to plan such school in union with the district cos-
mitre', may separate therefrom, and be readmitted ; the
committee having, of ecuree, the like power of separation.
3. The district committee not ;to sequins by the union
right of interference with the schools joining it; but, after
the union, the schools to be lies schools ; the parents of chil-
dren upwards of 4 years of age to be able to require free
education therein is their own districts, but not to change
schools without sufficient cause—no school of course receiv-
ing a larger number of free trawlers than its capacity will
allow.
4. School-rooms, =occupied u day schools, may be placed
by their annum' in the union on these condition.
6. Schools in union to be assisted in repairs, enlargement,
and improvement of buildings, on the Imperative condition
Mos no child attending swat schools is to be compelkd to
kern a creed or formulary to which his parent may object.
The district committee to pay such schools 4d. a week for
every free boy, and 3d. for sefront girl ; three fourths of
them payments to to go to the principal teachen, the rest in
the parchsee of books and in incidental expences.
So far, Mr. RICUSON'a suggestions aim at enlarging
the sphere of usefalnees of schools already in exist-
ence ; but having done this, he then goes much fur-
ther—and herein lies the great value of his scheme.
For as to additional school accommodation, he pro-
poems :
The the District Committee and the Government Inspee-
ton shall inquire into and report on the want of mumble
schools la the districts, that their report and recommends.
toe shall be published in the local papers ; and that, if
within sixty days alter such pnblicatio• nodes Wall not be
given to the committee oreousell of an intention to erect the
eekootreem wonted by volantuy efforts, the district com-
mittee, with the sanction of the Conned of Education, shall
than maned to sleet the schools that me wanted.
The schools, so erected, to be placed under the
management of a committee of rate payers, trot one
of whom is to be in holy orders, and are, of course, to
he rubject to government inspectioc. Next comes
this all important condition of their erection and
nmeagement:
Ia esisele sesseed by the district conininew tastes.ea In
the dailyresliss of Smiptaree always SO be provided tor;
hot me Maher,. veliyiem ere. erjarrestery to be amp.
In eimaniou with these schools workshops we to
he provided for isdeserlal instruction, examinations
to to yoszly held, conflates and rewards Is be
publicly given, and class lists, after examination, to
be inserted in local papers.
Such is an outline of Mr. RICIIBOI4I plan, now
under consideration of a committee of some of the
piaci* citizens of Manchester. In the main it is
founded on the Musachussetts educational system;
and though here and there it may show defeats