The Express.
London, England, 1849-03-29 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 29, 1849.

to their uniting together he political objects, for Ee was
sat'sfied thae meet of the workiag dames think that
whilst they eta deprived of the franchise, they
are denied the liberty which, as rational and intelligent
men, they ought to erjoy. But besides political, there
were other objects which it was desirable the work-
ing man should discuss sad consider, amongst which
was education. None, ha ma pomaded, would deny that
working men were peibieg, thrusting, sad endeavouring by
0111 possible means to gain a better and more advantageous
prodders than they now ponies,. If they had superior io-
telligenee, width was only got by a superior education,
he was convinced that the political rights which they
were now seeking would not be denied thug, se they would
exhibit that superior intelligence in the same manner as
the middle elem. themselves It might be said that
the plan of the Leneashire School Assodation would in-
creme the lazes. lie thought it was better to do so
for educating the people, than to increase the taxes for
buying swords. guns, and bullet moulds for the purpose of
modules our brethren. For be contended that intelligent
men, rather than fight, would Nestle their differences
I 1••• • kind of arbitration, instead of tiesing "If emu
Zon't agree to Wlai i propose, 1.11 1e..74
any
"41
out." An educated man would never use any sock kind
of argument u this. The elite= of education which the
meeting was met to consider proposed, by means of a local
tax, to give to every individual and every child consulted
with the working classes u good en education as could be
given by competent teachers. At present the working
claim have not the opportunity, from the want of means, to
give their children such an education as they could with
—(bear)—but give them the chance of improving their
condition mentally, and he was satisfied that they would
take advantage of it, and the remit would be that we should
poem a poi-Wariest superior to the one we now posies..
(Applause ) The tax proposed would be laid on persons
who could afford to pay it, which was nothing but
proper and ju-t. Every man hat his value in gr.ciety, and
the labourer, perhaps, a great deal more than meat men. The
lahouring classes had long been despised, but they were now
calling the attention of government, and the Lancashire
Public School Ass relation was enter; to them, in language
not to be misunderstood, that the working classes theologise. I
were desirous of obtaining such en education as would enable
them, under ell circionstacts g, to reap these advancers
which, in &commercial town like Manchester, were always
open to them. The Lancashire Public School Association
do not purpose to tax singly the Roman catholic, the church
of England, or the unitarian, but ask to educate the whole;
and er will not be agitated ante'sthe whole are to be
educated. They ask for no less • they will sosept:no
Their plan would be WOWS Wass it included the whole.
Mr. Heywood coneladed by observing that whim this mea-
sure had been explained to the working chum—a remora
in which their Interest was iameeistely concerned, and
where no sectarian influence would be allowed to interfere—
they would cordially embrace it, and ert old as readily ask
for its adepti. a. (Applause.)

Mr. J. 8, SMITH ties briefly, but very clearly, explained
to the seating the details of the association's plan, but es
they have already frequently appeared in this paper, It la
needless stain to repeat thew.

Mr. JOHN WATTS then remarked that he had been in-
terested in education dem he was fourteen years of age. He
had viewed it in every possible light, and he never could
find, in any view of the question, that an extension of edu-
cation to the whole of the people, either to the middle or
working clean, could do theta any harm. It used to be a
doctrine that if pene people were educated, the rich would
no longer be able to get servants. (Lairelittr ) That, how.
ever, was now believed to he a very foolish notion, and many
wealthy pawns at t' is time were actively tressed in pro-
moting Visedoctation of the working classes • bat they were
doing it by sectarian meant. Those, however, who were
tenanted with the Lancashire Public School kneciation,
thought that they could never get the whole of the people
educated, if they rested solely on sectarian means. They did
not recognise what was celled the' voluntary system—that
* persons giving money how they please, and when they
plum. It was not a just mode of doing bulkiest It was
laving all the work to be done by the willing horse. Rich
benevolent mos kept schools of their own—belonging to
thee own meet —or gave to thou who begged of them. But
what was the consequence ? Why, the money was used in
their awn immediate circles. In some cues half a-dozen of
these schools could he found within a stone's throw, contain-
ing more room than could be occupied by the children of the
district in which the schools were 'Hutted. But is such
a district as that in which he was then standing, there was
plenty of room for schools ; and if they were multiplied
twenty-fold they would not suffice for the children who
ought to be under the schoolmaster. That was unjust.
Education was wanted amongst the people. Who, he
asked, would produce most in his respective departnient,
the well-eduested mw, or the grossly ignorant man 1 Did
medullae improvements emanate from well-educated or
ignorant men ? He would leave those questions to be
answered by those present. By scientific .mprovements
a greater amount of wealth would be produced, and,
consequently, the cheaper it would be in the market. Thus
both the capitalist and the working man would be benefited.
That which was for the benefit of the whole of society,
should be paid for by the whole of society. Oc looking at the
lists of crime, he found that nearly the whole of the prisoners
were greedy ignorant At the last Liverpool easiest, only
one of the prisoners was described as having received a supe-
rior education. That one he happened to know, and be
thought that he ought not to have been there, as he bad
committed no gross outrage, and might have been better
employed than in prison. If working men bad a better
education than they have at present, could not they do more
or do better than they do ? On Sunda night, they had a
splendid specimen of a working man—Mr Thomas Cooper,
of London. (Applause.) After deseanting upon the merits
of that individual, he instanced to the meeting another
talented working man—Mr.W. J. Pox. What had raised this
weaver to his present position ? It might be said, genius.
lie, however, was of opinion that genius would have had
hard work if it had lad no other advaatages. What had
contributed to the rapid progress of their American
brethren ? It might be replied they had a greater breadth of
hod, and that food was cheaper amocgst them; but there was
also something else which was cheap amongst them—good
schooling. (Applause.) Oaiout of every 44 of the whole
population in the New England States was under the school-
master. What was the portion under the schoolmaster is
Manchether ? Captain Willis, from a return which he had
banished to the Lancashire Public School Associatios,
proved that the whole of the children under instruction in
ifiesborough of Manchester—and it contained a population of
shoat 300,000—including every dens of schools, public, pri-
ests and infant schools, was only about 21,000, which was
i ems s 14i, instead of one in 414. Was it then surprising,
from this feet slows, that the American people should be
getting on more rapidly than we are ? If we are to retain
our present position amongst natiese—if we are to set an
example to the European sad American continents, we
must at mum commence the work of (dui:anon, and it must
be spread to all meow. A well-educated man was like a
good-looking nut, with a very good kernel in it ; a man with
a sectarian education wee something like a very good-look-
ing nut, with a grub at the kernel, something which spoiled
the man, and which made him look narrowly on human
kind ; and aan without education was like a nutshell
without any kind in it. The tea lotelketnal working
men get, the mew easy they would pa what they call their
rltiale, and the ism taabioneamo melee they would make. In
oullerne make the lon abide the lonesaire School Asa&
dim intended .6 preps* emelt jest, he wished to abeam
that all laws wen made for the pulsation of property, or
the ornservation at scodety. Laws wine obliged to interfere
with pawns who molested the property of others—to teach
them to imp their hands in their own pockets, instead of
inizeiledegMisea into the pockets of others. The Lima.
shire lied plea wanted to teach the people this by means
alto mbeelmeater. It wanted to change the policemen for
the silissloastsr. With regard to the question of taxation,
awarding to the ealcialation he had made, taking it to the
Rama eleollek a rate of le. 3d. would provide a
c d alnealisa gar the whole of the children in
et Manchester, between the ages of
fineotillisten. Thus, a man rated at 101. would have
dren honed and
stad
iiiiig to annual jul3s. 4d., which would go to make his or his
of
them um and criminal. Wide-epusii l
ediscatigo,
by pauperism and ariminals, would produce a
pestave weft to the borough of Manchester of 26,0001. ;
ma Kis mealy by a rat* of le. 3d. in the pound. The
wale, men would have a right to this education. It would
not be as a charity. Having solicited the attendance
of at the Town-hall on Thursday (this day),
wham he sail there would be • general town's meeting, con-
yard by ihe , Mr. Watts casoluded by prepudog the
thileseleg
Mot this assessndsesvMhsard tha plan of the Lancashire Politic
Semi ainellildell of the principles, and autho-
rises a TIM" I/7 th• to both bosses or =meth,
toe tts art eat; si the same time pledging itself y to
swat the mesa
Ns. I. K. FORREST seconded the motion. He de-
moted Ipso the merits of the Swiss mode of education, by
width be himself was instructed and expressed it se his
spiels& that, as that system was highly satisfactory, he had
no dalbt that the plan of the Lancashire Public School As.
seaelem, which was similar to it, would answer the most
=upectations of its founders, and the ple of Lan.
generally. He bad that day attended apeomeet of
She Church Education Society, presided over by the bishop
el this dieess•—• mesa who, by his enlarged views, was try-
ing le de a=dlK olistiCL ilie education society aye
Kat the should be studied bv every
MY wake their table% tat the bishop, beiag meriliberel-
ableil dam his bream, thought that the catechism should
ass be a testkeek sad that the mohair of the society
should he
to same who do net think that the cats-
*bin be to every MK, but at the same time
it at the of mein' of the church of Eag-
les' chiliken- skink& learn it or not. His
=e t& that ewe
istiareaswoalmeetingbe
thoughtobain ealz
humelly,
_and
meizt him. The opinion of the
=XL peens, was a step towards the &deo-
the Laaleekke embed plan, which says that no Wo-
ollen &all
be bealli, Wanes dm meat get the people to
epee rehab is Sallest.
The CHAIRKAN was about to submit the resolution of
Mr. Watts limas approval of the meeting, when
Mr. CORKS, esheeknester at the Animate Lyceum, came
forward on the Pedals to capon its adoption. The public
Waal plea, be esnidwaL won based upon fake assumptions.
It require' the tatiellarease et the state ; proposed to pay a
large elef K glom ; Ithiendld& to lays tax, which, like all
taxa, wadi be wrung hem Ihe working man ; and would
ultimately Injare sateelmmlere, who, Le said, like bakers,
ought to be allowed Is sat up their deep in any street they
like. He also argued that the American public whoa plan
was in a state of dew ; and that if the hods of our groa-
ner sohools were properly applied, there weield be no occasion
for a genaul rate, as proposed by the Lanembire School As-
sociatio
Me. WATTS very ably refitted the eiwwasenis of Mr.
Corns, proving to demonstration (from She words of Mr.