The Express.
London, England, 1849-04-24 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL

Luicusiaz.
SECULAR EDUCATIOIC—At Holing, on Fr7day, a
meeting was held to consider the Lenetehire Public Schools,
plan, Mr. 8. Pickering, a working men, in the chair. Mr.
Waugh, on behalf of the aseociation, pointed out the ieef-
ardency of the voluntary system at present pursued in educ 4.
tion; and explained the provisions of the Lancashire plan,
and the operation of the schools proposed to be erablished
under its pm Woes. It was sometimes said that this would
be a government plan, but such an assertion was a men.
drone calumny, for government would have nothing
further to do with it than to sanction its establishment.
It was also objected that the Lancashire ..plan was an
irreligious one, but this was not the case; and he believed
that by the syrem now pursued in Sunday schools, the ioju
&clone manner in which it was attempted to teach children
the high doctrines of christianity did much Injury by dis-
gusting the minds of those whom it was thus sought to in-
struct. Mr. Waugh announced that weekly meetings for
the advocacy of the school system would be held in the
room in which they were then met, and concluded by
moving • resolution adopting the petition to the Huuss
of
Commons in favour of the plan.—A factory operative, named
Schofield, seconded the resolution, expreanng his b:lief that
if the people were properly educated, a great deal of
the misrule now sabring in this country would be
removed. It was asserted at the recent meeting
in the Town-hall, that the education question was
settled, and very possibly if the. Hey. Rauh
Stowell or the Rey. George Osborne could govern the
working classes it was so. The Hey. Mr. Stowell said that
the church had twice se much school accommodation as was
now used by the people ; but if this were so, aid Mr. Stowell
would ask himself why it was, he must be convinced that
there was something in these schools which the people did
not like, and he (the speaker) believed that that something
was, that they heard too many precepts and saw too few
examples. Blucation could not but be a benefit to the
working classes, and it could not fail of creating a better feel-
ing between master and their workmen, and give to the
lower classes the rover to look upon and enjoy the beauties
of nature, which were now wholly closed to them. The
motion was unanimously agreed to, and the meeting then
Numinated. wessewaninV

• .IJOO/241.••••••
Tag EMBEZZLEMENT OF NEARLY 5,0001. AT LEEDS.
—Yesterday Mr. Fetes Mean, chief clerk of the Leeds
Waterwrorks Company, was farther examined before the
sitting magistrates at the Court-house, Leeds, on a charge of
having esibenled • sum of nearly 6,0001., the property of his
employers, the wet:worn company. The investgation,
which was taken before Mr. Carbutt, Mr. Mathias/1, and
other justices, occupied • considerable time, is eentequenos
of the necessary retinues to the hocks in which the accounts
of the company kept by the prisoner were entered.
—Mr. Robert Bird, who had been • collector of the
company sines February, 1846, states that his duty
was to go to the office of the company every eight, and there
to enter the water rents be bad collected daring
the day in •
book called the collector's water rent book. When be had
so entered them in detail, he had to ma
k.. out an acetone on
a piece of paper sped/leg ea portion of the year to which
the accounts received related, as sometimes there were
arrears reesived. The accounts of water rents were formerly
presented half-yearly, but now quarterly. Mr Mean
listed a receipt ut the book is red ink for the
sums the collectors paid him, and it wee his duty to
enter those sums in the " rent cash back."
AU the entries made by Mr. Mann in his presence were cor-
rectly made is the collector's water-rent book; but 11311111-
tint s it happened that Mr. Mann was not at the office in the
evening, and then he left the money with another clerk,whe
locked it spin a cuhbox and gave it to Mr. Mann when he
came, and witness frequently found when be went to the
office next morning that Mr. Mann had correctly entered
the money he bad left overnight Wore his arrival. All the
payments he made to Mr. Mann were in that manner ear-
reedy entered.—Mr. Rickard Newton, another collector,
gave similar evidence as to the course of bushier, and said
that the prisoner bad always correctly receipted at the fatal of
the daily accounts the moneys he paid him or left fur hiss.—
Mr. J. R. Bywater said that he had been employed
during the whole of lust week in investioting the
accounts of the LTeds Waterworks Company. Hs
had looked into the rent cash books per ial p. hat
more particularly into those from February 28. 1847,
to Dee. 31, 1847, and those from Jan. 1 to, Dee. $l,
1848, and from the latter period to March 31, 1849. WANES
produced an account which be had drawn out of the sums
receied by Mr. Mane from the sr llectors, as shown b the
rent v
cash books, and also the amounts paid byy him
to Messrs. Beckett and Co., during the ten months
from Feb. 28, 1847, to Dec. 31, 1847, which showed
• Wanes against him during that period of 1,3101. Ile. fd.
The rent cash books ft .m which this amount was made up,
do not appear on the face of them to have bzcn before the