The Express.
London, England, 1849-03-19 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL

THE PUBLIC SCHOOL AVIATION.—A public
meeting for the purpose of explamicg the principles of this
association, and for aad tig a petition to the legblsture in
its favour, was held at Heywood on Thursday last ; Mr.
Jacob Bright in the chair. Th-re were about 300 persons
present.
The Chairman, after alluding to the general want of edu-
cation throughout the country, said he thought that every
person who saw what was passing around him in the neigh-
bourhood of Heywood must he ready to sympathise with
any attempt to being about a different state of things. He
afterwards mimed to the failure of the voluntary principle
is supplying ad. quate moans of instruction to the rams of
the people, explained the circumstances which tad led to the
formation of the Lancashire Public School Association, and
replie 1 to many of the objections urged by different parties
against its plan, on the ground of she exclusion of religion
from its system of teaching, the levying of a rate for the
support of the schools, and the constitution of the beard by
whom the expenditure of the funds so raised was to be con-
bulled. _ _ _

Mr, F. Espinaue, secretary of the association, contended
at soma length that it was the right of every child to receive
a good education, because it was impoisible to tell, until it
had been tried,. how far any human being was capable of re-
ceiving and assimilating the knelt dge which bad been accu-
mulated by the great men of past ages ; but when all were
fairly instructed, it was easy for a child of superior capacity
to show himself in his just relation to his fellow-scholars, and
in due time to take that rank in society to which he was
entitled. Thse wee the principle which &stunted our fore-
fathers in establishing the numerous free grammar schools
throughcut the country, and it was upon a somewhat similar
basis that the Lancashire Public School Association rest d
their plan. The voluntary principle, though it had
been a very efficient means of spreading religion,
was not applicable to education ; because, on tho
one band, there was only required a deep convic-
tion, and the power of expressing that conviction,
while, on the ether, there were required extensive means and
appliances. Mr. Endear, afterwards replied to the asser-
tion that education should be left, like soy other commodity,
to the principle of supply and demand ; and read from the
minutes of council on education several extracts frees the
report of the inspector u to the state of the different schools
in Heywood and its vicinity, showing that moat of them
were in a lannealsing condition from want of funds.
Mr. J. S. Smith said that the working claws did not seem
to have any idea of the vast importance to themselves of a
good education, or that withcut a good educational system
no plan for that political or social elevation could have
a firm bgeie in this country. He did not consider that
education consisted is giving a child the mere
ability to write his name or reckon up a few figures;
he would Tether say that it was imparting to his
Wad a sufficient degree of kcowledge to create a desire for
more. "If there was one word in his language dearer
to an Englishman than another, it was " home ; " but
he (sr. Smith) could not understand home in the true sense
of the word unless every member of a family wee educated.
He had been told that men of the chartists were opposed to
the spread acclimation, but he could not believe it. The
answer of government to all demands for univereal suffrage
was that the people were too ignorant to pusses such a
power ; end the best answer the chartists could give to this
assertion would be by raising themselves to such a peti-
tion that they might go to the government and say, " It
is altogether false that we are ignorant." The vo'untaries
had published books and given figures upon figures to
such an extent, that a man onrising from their perusal
might almost be inclined to doubt whether there was
such a thing as an ignorant person in England ; but you I
could not walk about, either in town or country, without
seeing nightie which gave to such nannies a most pad- I
tive coatradietion. The voluntaries seemed to skipper, -
bend one greet point—that religion and education were
not one end the same thing. Many persons obje.ted to the
levying of a compulsory rate, when all closets ware rarer
ling for a reduction of rates already existing; but he (Mr.
Smith) thought there was a great difference between • rate
for the support of useless extravagance, and one for the sup-
plying of that which was the fcod of the spiritual element in
man—education. Mr. Smith then contended that ea edu-
entional rate would ultimately lend to a reduction of the
burdens of ratepners ; and said that the association bad
nothing to do with the question whether or not people
would send their children to the schools when este-
billeted. The people had at present a good ground of
°Deviant against the government, become they did not
fatal their duty with regard to education; but when the
government haa given power for levying a rate—when in
every parish there was placed a school accessible to all—
it the working dame were so blind to their own interests
as not to send their children, the fault would rest with them-
selves. In conclusion, Mr. Smith referred to the state of
education in America, and urged that this wee a good
guarantee for the success of the Lancashire plan, which was
a very similar nature to that followed in the United States.
g kThe Bev. Mr. Parry moved the adoption of a petition to
ton legislature in favour of the plan pf the association. He
maid he rejoiced in the rise and progress of this society,
since he saw In it a foreboding of the coming downfal of
political quackery, and the coming of that time when nut
would no longer labour under the delusion which led them
to suppose that external polit'cul reform was a universal
panacea for all their ills. He believed that the progress of
education could clone stop the. come of ell that crime,
intemperance, and misery, which were the greatest curses
of humanity. Mr. Parry then described the results of the
different attempts which had been made for the promotion
of education, and said that the plan now proposedwas one
man from the people—ft was to be worked the people,
and there could not, consequently, be any danger of undue
government influence.
The Rev. J. Simon ascended the resolutioa.
The Rev. Mr. Ontteridge supported the adoption of the
petition, observing that he was fa principle a thorough volun-
tary ; but if he had to choose between the spreading out of
the power of the church as by law established, oy means of
salaried schoolmasters, ingsisteachers, end se.booliteputors,
and such a plea as that geres4W by the Lancashire Public
School Association, he stash Mihaly prefer the latter.
The Chairman them Mead if any person had a qua
dice to put, or way ehleelisms le the plan proposed ; the
association eon* iithenehme end he should therefore
be glad to . hem any semerits.-4. lliralthow, i chartist, in
a nabliag speak *Mail that the plea would force upon
the people a pea velem of eiatralisation ; that they were
not prepared to mama to the levying of a compulsory rata,
nor to pay to the paileman who might be sppointed se
marmary of the asseeladm, a=cataf not less than 5001. or
seen thee Mi. a pm nes explained that nom
of the. elPostioas IMO valid, ea the several togas would be
popnleely elested—the Om leo* net be obtained idthout
the people of the ormairy Inalosely asked foe it—and se
there would be ea banseina emeniA el labeler tee the seem-
' toy, the propped gamy would he by ae maim le=
A working man, named illeolt. andemeled that the
ought not to be sent as the-p tition of thepepleof Heywood.,
lumen they were net ammainted with the _
plan and it had
, not that evening bees properly explained. He deo objected
to the revision with regard to the normal schools, the
rewards to seheiere, and at he said would be the great
1 (apnea of the school build.ngs, The Chairman and Mr.
Smith replied te the pinta mimed by Scott, who afterwards
moved ea easmdment to the street that a requisition should
be preensied M the churehmedem requestang them to call
a public ter the sessidemelisa and discussion of the
question...LAE HeO, a dentist, aim el jeered to the manner in
which it was peopmed to miss the leads for the support of
the schools, although hems not opposed to the plan itself.—
The amendment was then put and agreed to almost mini-
lamely ; a committee was appointed to draw up the requisl
den to the churchwardens; and the gamin terminated,.
PROPOSED NEW LAW RELATIVE TO COUNTY .EX-
YENDITtria.—The proceedings of a deputation from boards
of guardians who visited London, with a view to obtain the
pomp of a leghiative measure, giving the moppet some
control over the county expenditure, have already been re-
ported. It Is now stated that a OW will be inooced into
the House of Common. as aeon as the draft can be settled.
Mr. Hume is to take charge of it, as he brought in a measure
of a 'Miler nature in 1888 and again in 1837 ; and, it is said,
that bred John Rumen has in private =primed his 00011‘k-
ranee in the principle of the measure. The main fatten et
the bill will, of course, be the constitution of the meaty
board, which it is proposed should omelet of one helaz
diens elected by the based of guardians of the
Wens, and the other half megistrates, elected by the Ju-
dges weembled at queeteresedom A. Muse will also bo in-
serted in the bill to reader aughtrates, as espo,fficio guar-
dians iselligible, either to be sleeted as there presentative*

of any beard of gnardiam, or to vote in the election or each
preesatatives.
CHARTER OF INCORPORATION FOR OLDHAM.—
This charter has been (granted, and a copy was received by
Mr. Kay Clegg, on Tuesday, the 13th inst., by which the
=
oa
terrst obtained what they sought, namely, the
ion of the whole of the township, which is
divided into eight wards, via Warmth, Mumps, Westwood..
Claukaileld, Bt. Mary's, St. James's, St. Peter's, and Water;
had Mill wards. • A meeting of the promoters took place at
the King's Arms Inn, on Wednesday night, when the min-
mitts. appointed to obtain the shatter was dissolved, wad
another was appointed, with power to add to their .amber.
to sof it carded into oLseraticn.
BREACH OF THE FACTORY ACT.--Into Matsitheefer.
Bransinet mites that Mr. Graham, suh-leserttee of het,'
dee, attended at the liettough Otte of that any cm Friday,
to sentala a summons agebtit Mr. S. Gibbons, cotton spinner,
Laveorpetroit, for sott
man of oempliam with the 2let maim of
the Factory Act. nth the met made it baperative
upon the owners or teinanle of mills, In which machinery
was so *goosed as to be dongemos to the workpeople, to box
it off, and the defendant hitting an upright shah in mut cif
his rooms so upesMi, had neglected this- realism of the act
of parliament. 116. O. iblions said the shah had been covered
by a easing, bat that soon after Obsidian it had been reo
Inmost to male **shaft, and had net been f•Plectd• The
mart harmed a penalty of 51.
FORESHOW.
Voaicsinaz AORICULTURAL 80411:TY.—A meeting
of the council of this society wee held York last week,
when sinagemenb wee. made for merging the meeting of
-the Leeds association, forth. imprivement of the breed If2ll.it
and poultry, in the meeting of the Yorkshire Society at
This will improve the competition in the former due
gulls, for which Leeds hes long been famous. The council
also decided on instituting an experiment on the value of
Ms dissolved coprolites, or animal superphosphate of lame, as
a manure for turnips, and approved of the report of the
Leeds deputation, recommending the large MCI of the new
Stoce Exchange for the great dinner, and the vacant spots
in Wellington street, intended for the Leeds central station,
as the site for the show ground.
CHESHIRE.

RAILWAY ACCIDENT -An accident happened to
the train which laves Manchester, by the London and
North Western Railway, at 11.40 a.s., on Saturday,
through the wheel of one of the second-clars carriages giving
way, when the train wss nest to Chelford. Our repealer
had not heard the full particulars ; bat he was informed
that a patlearan's leg was broken, and that a lady received
a fracture of the wllaubase. Several woe/Igen sustained
severe contusions, but_ o lit. was last.

RATE.—On the 12th instant, a special
magistrates' meeting was held to examine the mem of a con-
siderable number of persons, several of whom were members
of the satiety of friends, who had been summoned to show
cause why they refused to pay the sums with which they
had been charged, under a rating for the repairs of the
church. Mr. Richardson, solicitor, of Leeds, attended on
behalf of the defendants. Several objections to the validity
of the rate were raised. The bench, alter deliberation,
stated that the objections being of a character upon which it
seldom happened they were•required to adjudicate, they did
not feel themselves ec mpetent to do so on the present ocea-
Mon ; and t reposed that the question should be referred to
higher legal authority, and that the opinion obtained shall be
demise. On the point of the proposal Mr. Richardson con-
sulted his clients, which having done, he aoceded, on condi-
tion that the ieferencb be made to civil end not ecclesiastical
authority. Some little debate then took place as to the par-
ticular person in wh, as opinion both parties would confide.
It was determined that the reference should be to the attor-
ney-general, and in the event of his declining to give an
opinion. the solicitor-general shall then be referred to ; the
costa to be paid between the contending peeks. It was also
understood that the announcement of the decision shad be
made the 13th of April.
KENT.

NORTHFLEEr DOCYKARD,—Great preparations are
being mede in this newly enlarged dockyard (the property
of Mr. Pitcher). for, as et is said, the laying down of three
steamers of 1,655 tons, and six other steamers of smaller
dimensions ; three of them, as we learn, for the Wilt India
Packet Company's service. Mr. Pitcher has built several of
that company's steam ships, and has a general contract for
their repair'.
A RAGGED Scnow. is about to be established in
Chatham. It is understood that a building will be erected
for the purpose, the project being liberally supported, and a
lady of wealth baying munificently promised to supply what-
ever money may be wanting. The site of the building will
probably be near the turnpike op the new road,