The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-02 00:00:00

their bdrthens and diminish their resources. It cannot but
emberass, and it will in all probability crush them.
" 2. It wiil strike a heavy blase at the entire system of
voluntary educational contribution since the state is
willing to grant with so lavish a heed, and especially since
• school-rate • looms in the distance,' benevolent contribu-
tions will be exhausted of their proper stimulus, and will
ioiellibly decline.
" 3. It will diseourags end diminish that most healthy and
valuable portion of the school system, the weekly payments
of the parents for the education of their children. At the
present time multitudes pay 2d., 3d., or 4d. per week, Ibut
both the bill and the minute accept and suggest a payment
of one penny, which, required as a minimum, will esen-
tualli become the minimum payment.
" . It will immensely enhance the cost of education
among the working classes generally, and this not by a
natural, bat by en artificial process, not representing any
advance in the appreciation of education itself. A falser
policy seems scarcely conceivable.
" 6. It will be tantamount to a fltril repudiation of the
idea which has been so fondly cherished, that of self-sup-
porting schools. Let schools Icr the working classes gene-
rally be made to cost thirty-two shillings per annum per
child, and twenty shillings of this be paid by state grants,
and self-supporting schools will thenceforth decline and
become extinct.

" In the next place the measure of the government can-
not but be felt as a serion, religious grievance by all parties.
Already churchmen are complaining of a clause of the bill
which, if it could be deemed operative, would be of essen-
tial importance to dissenters ; while dissenters are reiter-
ating their displeasure at seeing an enormous increase in
the public money expended on religious instruction ; and
the government is supporting, under the name of religion,
not only all shades of protestantism, but linmanism acd
Judaism, and if there were a respectable body of Turks in
England, would on the same principle endow 2doslimism
also.

"Th
Italy. The government meatus*, so far es
the bill is concerned, is pregnant with mischief
to incorporated cities and towns. It for the first time
throws tub the handaof municipal bodies a religious clues.
tiun, and thus constitutes a wide departure trom their
normal charact-r as civil corporations, to the inevitable
mischiefs of which (if corporations generally should accept
it) it is impossible to foresee a termination ; while at the
same time it degrades them to a purely ministerial ser-
vice, altogether incompatible with a system of local taxa-
tion.

tt Fourthly. The government measure, while doieg all
this mischief under profeuion of facilitating a benefit cer-
tainly attainable without it, will cost the country a large
sum of money, by • very sensible addition both to the
local and the general taxation. Should the government
permit themselves to be led by Sir J. K. Shuttleworth, an
expenditure for public education of two millions and • half
annually is in prospect, and the put measures of the Com-
mittee of Council have been making rapid strides to-
wards it.

" Fifthly. The measure tends to bring the entire edu-
cation of the working and even of the middle dames in
England under the influence and control of the govern-
and to put into the bands of the minister of the
day a centralised educational power of the most objection-
able nature. It tends also to a vast augmentation of the po.
litical power and patronage of the government, by
placing at the disposal of the minister of the day
(through the system of pecuniary grants) the livelihood
of a very large number of schoolmasters and pupil teachers.
This result is greatly aggravated by the consideration that
public liberty is thus undermined by a method wholly un-
constitutional in a matter which does not pertain to the
prerogative of the crown, and singularly difficult to coun-
teract. The committee of council on education is a body
hitherto not recognised by law, nor is it subject to the cus-
tomary rules by which public bodies are governed. its
measure. are carried into effect with the least possible op-
portunity of parliamentary notice, and without any refer-
ence whatever to express parliamentary sanction.
" Suck are the mischiefs, my lord, which in the judg-
ment of the deputation are likely to be wrought by the
pending educational measure of the government. The de-
putation are confident that in this statement they represent
'no small amount of opinion in the public at large ; and
they submit their views to you in the assurance that you
i will give to them such consideration as they may deserve.
"On behalf of the deputation,
' " I have the honour to be, my lord, your lordship's obe-
dient servant, " J. H. HINTON, Secretary."

THE ELECTION OF CHAMBERLAIN.