The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-17 00:00:00

NATIONAL SECULAR EDUCATION.

A public discussion on the scheme proposed by
the National Public School Association took place in the
Odd Fellows' Hall, Halifax, on Wednesday evening last,
between Dr. Watts, of Manchester, and Mr. J. Millington,
carver and gilder, of Halifax. A few months ago Dr. Watts
delivered a lecture at Halifax in favour of the plan pro-
posed by the Public School Association, on which occasion
Mr. Millington evinced a disposition to enter into a discus-
sion on the su_liject, but as the time did not then admit
of it. Dr. Wale undertook to meet blot an a Sub-
sequent occasion, if he would state some proposition
on which the matter could be fairly debated. In the cor-
respondence which afterwards took place, Mr. Millington
undertook to prove that the system of education propounded
by the National Public School Association will be unjust,
expensive, and inefficient. On this proposition, Dr. Watts
to meet him, and Wednesday was the day appointed
Zitet Meeting of the combatants. James Stansfeld, Esq.,
lap a the County Court at Halifax, presided on the
occasion, and the spacious hall, which holds 1,300 or 1,400
people, was crowded. A charge of 3d. for the best seats,
and of 15. to the body of the hall and gallery was made,
the proceeds, after paying expenses, being applied to the
funds of the Mechanics Institution. As agreed, the dis-
putauts spoke for half an hour each, and then for a quarter
of an Lour each, Mr. Millington speaking both first and
last.
Mr. MILLINGTON, in his opening speech, argued that the
scheme of the Public School Association would inflict injus-
tice by extinguishing existing schools, and compelling
teachers either to starve or toseccpt situations inthe secular
schools, where they could not teach religion. The scheme
would also be unjust to the working classes; as a rate
for education laid upon the principlo of the poor ur borough
rate would fall heavier upon them than it would upon the
middle and higher classes. As to the expense of the sys-
tem, he calculated that in Halifax township they
would require twenty schools, in which to educate
the 5,230 children, that being the number of children in
lialibee of from sto 15 years of age. The cost of these
wheels he estimated at 2661. 4s. each per annum, or 5,8041.
per annum for the whole. Tho rateable property iu the
township, he said, was 52,0161., and a rate of 2s. 41. in the
pound w ould realise a net amount, after deducting leakage,
ax., of only 5,6001., or 2011. less than the sum required.
Lastly, he argued that the system would be inefficient, as
many parents could not dispense with the labour of their
children in order to allow them to attend day schools, and
these children would not attend the evening schools. As a
general rule the working classes who could do so sent their
children to school now, and those who had not the means
of doing so would not be helped by the new system, which
would cost them more than they could educate their chil-
dren for at present.
Dr. WATT 4, who was received with loud cheers, in his
reply said—ln order to make education universal, they
must have more teachers and more schools, and money
would enable them to get both. This would be attended
with expense, but on the other hand, by educating the
people, crime and pauperism would be diminished, and the
prescut heavy expenditure on this head would be materially
reduced. They could not lay a rate to teach doctrinal reli-
gion, because to do so would be to tax the catholics in order
to teach protestantism, churchmen to teach dissent, and die-
scoters to teach Anglicanism, and therefore doctrinal subjects
were excluded, but the teaching of the moral precepts of the
New Testament, about which all were agreed, was to be
allowed. A rate therefore would be laid, and he contended
that to lay such a rate on the same principle as the existing bo-
rough or poor rates, was the most just method that could be
adopted. Mr. Millington said it would cost 2s. 4d. in the
proud. Now he (Dr. Watts) found that the population of.
the borough (not the township) of Halifax was 35,000, and
the rateable value 61,0001., and a rate of one shilling in the
pound would give about 10s. each for the education of the
whole of the children of school age. But this would be on
the principle that they had to provide for tho whole popula-
tion, whereas the class feeling of parents would,
for a time at least, prevent them sending their children to
national schools, and therefore they would have a less num-
ber to provide for. Now, supposing they had not one in
six, or one in eight, but one in every ten, in day-schools at
present, they would have only 1,438 to provide for in Hali-
fax, (or which a rate of 4d. in the pound would be sufficient.
But if the present schools were destroyed, which they
could only be by the preference of the population for the
new schools, then the amount paid by parents at present to
these schools would not be required, and therefore they
would not have to paj double, as Mr. Millington had con-
tended. He then pointed out that in King's Somborne, in
thunpehire,one in six of the population—a purely agricultural
one—were at school, and this bad been accomplished by
the very means proposed to be adopted by the school mite
elation ; and if these means had been proved by experi-
ence to be successful in one case, though no prophet, he
did not see why they should not be equally successful in
others.
At the close of the discussion, the meeting determined to
vote upon the question ; and by a majority of 4 to 1, de-
clared that Mr. Millington had failed to prove his proposi-
tion. The announcement of this decision by the chairman
was received with loud cheers. The meeting, after a vote
of thanks to the chairman, broke up.
to

PORTRMOI7III, O. 18. —The Ranger, 8, Com-
mander Theme Mawr, arrived from the coast of Africa
to-day, combs to amber at Spithead about 1 o'clock p.m. I
She informs us that the slave trade was very slack, nothing I
being doing in it at all. The squadron on the earn
were generally health? The Commander-in-Chief, Com-
modore Bruce, in the Penelope, Captain Lyster, with the
Gladiator steam frigate, Captain Adams, was at St. Paul do
Loendo, which place the Ranger left August 17. At
Ascension, which she left September 4, was the Fire-
fly, 3, steam viand, Commander G. A. Seymour ;
and the Sealark, 8, Commander Latheby, had left,
Sept. 3, for the South Coast. The l'hilomel, 8, Comman-
der Forbes, and the Hound, 8, Commander Hall, were off
Labeta. The Flying Fish, 8, Commander Patel-, was off the
Congo ; the other vessels of the Squadron being distributed
over the station. The Ranger was commissioned June,
1849, and during her service on the coast has wily taken
two prizes, and these contained no slaves; one bad about 28
tons of palm oil on board. Her crew has enjoyed good
health, having only lost Mr. Lamb, midshipman, Mr.
Legg, carpenter, and • seaman named John Pratt, who,
four or five days since, falling from the rigging into the sea,
was drowned. She brings home Lieut. Lambert from the
Gladiator, and ten or a dozen other invalids. She will be
paid off at Devonport. The Victoria and Albert, royal
yacht, was towed up the harbour to-day by the steam tug.
The Bellerophon, 78, Captain Lord George Poulet, hauled
off from the yard to the hulk last night, and this afternoon
proceeded out of harbour, saluting the flag of the com-
mander-in-chief with 17 guns, which was returned frith
seven guns by the Victory, flag ship. The Rattler, steam
sloop, Commander A. Mellersh, remains in the stream wait-
ing to embark Lord Frederick Fitzclarence and family for
Madeira. We are informed that she is detained for the
arrival of the mail from the Cape of Good Hope in order to
take out any despatches the news by that mail may necessi-
tate. The Rattler will call at the Cape on her voyage to
the East Indies.
CONSUMPTION OP COALS BY RAILWAYS.—The
following provision appears in the new Ceal Duties Act
respecting the consumption of coals by railways: "That
in lieu of a return of duty upon any quantity of
used coals not
exceeding 500 tons, which has been bona Aim by the
engines of any railway company within the London dis-
trict in any one year, any railway company or other person
using their railway who shall bring to any point of the same
nearer in London than the aforesaid distance of 20 miles
from the General Post-office any coals for the bona ilds use
of the eines of the said company upon which coal duties
shall be pad, may, upon a certificate from the accredited
officer of any such railway, that the quantity of such coals
stated in such certificate has, after payment of the duties
thereon, been sent beyond the said distance, and has been
wholly and bona fide consumed by the engine of suck rail-
way company beyond the London district in the month pre-
mdWg the date of such certificate, be allowed a drawback
or return of the duties actually paid upon sorb quantity,
but no railway company or other person shall be allowed •
drawback of or exemption from duty both upon coals con-
sumed beyond the London district and also upon coals con-
sumed within the London district."
THE LATE MURDER IN AEMAOH.--JAMPS Magrath,
tbe penes charged on thecoroner's warrant with the murder
of Patrick Owens, was seen on Thursday last in Belfast by a
gentleman from Armagh, who observed to the seemed that
it was 'image he should be walking about there after what
had omitted in Armagh. Magrath then decamped. The
constabulary of Belfast were soon informed of the cirenm-
' stance, and ever since have been instituting a most active
search.