The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-13 00:00:00

Er. A. C. STEWART celled attention to the objects of
the emaciation geaendly, and the changes which it would be
the means of producing, Sit only received the support of the
Tomtits having been given to the Chairman, and Mr. H.
T. Atkinson, the mooting broke up at a quarter to ton
o'clock.

ANTI-CHURCH AND STATE MOVEMENT
IN YORKSHIRE.
Lanni, Deo. 12.
Last night, at the Music Hall, Leeds, a meeting of
p- roue friendly to the objects of the National Anti-Church
and State Association was held. The audience assembled
was very large, completely filling the spacious silo= of the
ball. Those present were, of course, chiefly dissenters,
many of the heads of whom occupied the platform.
Amongst them were EDWLRD BAINIII, Esq., who occupied
the chair ; Mr. Edward Milli, of the Nonconformist; and
the Rev. James Murrell, of Leioester, who attended as a de-
putation from the National Association ; Alderman Luocock,
Alderman John Wilson, Councillor Ereshaw, Councillor
Morgan, Councillor Town, John Pelts Clapham, Esq., and
several Independent and Baptist ministers of the locality.
The proceedings were remarkably enthusiastic and the
meeting was unanimous in its decisions of approval of the
movement for the promotion of which it was convened.
It was but the first meeting of • series about to be held
in the north of England and Yorkshire.
The CHAIRMAN, who spoke at some length, n-
etted chiefly the religions aspect of the question,
contending that the union of the state with the
church was derogatory to religion, destructive of its
purity, and imagist.. nt with its freedom.
The Rey. G. W. CORDER (successor to the late Rev. Dr.
Hamilton) moved the first resolution, denouncing the con-
nexion of church end state as wrong in principle and evil in
practice, and predicting the eventual success of the agitation
for their seps•ation.
The Rev. J. PURCELL seconded the resolution, de-
claring that the principles of the Anti-State Society were in
unison with tie principles of his whole life, and he con-
sidered the system against which it directs its energies was
in direct opposition to the claims, progress, and honour of
the kingdom of Christ As regards the bishops of the
church, be unhesitatingly declared that he would eject them
from the House of Lords ; but as to the revenues of the
church, he denied that tee friends of separation of the
church and state coveted any of the wealth of the former
or the patronage of the latter.
Mr. MI ALL followed as the proposer of a resolution declar-
ing the separation of the church and state as one of the means
of removing the peculiar evils which arise from the estab
lished church in Ireland. He reviewed the origin and pro-
gress of the association, the temper and spirit of its friends,
and the objects sought to be accomplished. He welcomed
to frit ndly discussion every opponent, expressing the ut-
most confidence in the truth and justice of his cause. He
then referred at great length to Ireland, towards whose
people he expressed high admiration and sympathy, and laid
bare, in impressive language, that incubus—the state
church—wnica, notwithstanding the great natural resource
of the land, had for centuries absorbed Ireland's every
element of happiness, right, and prosperity. He expressed
his gratification that this question would, as early as pas-
sible, be brought before the House of Commons in the next
session, by Mr. Roebuck, member for Sheffield, who had
determined on the first day of mating to place on the
notice book a moieties to the effect, " that this house re-
solve itself into a committee, to consider the state of the
Protestant Established Church in Ireland, witk a view to
appropriate its revenues to a more beneficial 'purpose."
The Rev. R. H. Reynolds, the Rev. W. H. Morgan, and
the Rev. Thomas Scales, also adder ased the meeting, which
did not terminate until about half-pest ten o'clock.

LANCASHIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ASSOCIA•
TION.-CONFERENCE AT MANCHESTER.

A conference of the friends and promoters of the
Lancashire Public Selmals Association was held yesterday
morning at the Mechanics' Institution, Manchester, to take
into cenaideration the best means of making known and carry-
ing out the objects of the association. ALEXANDER HENMT,
Esq., M.P., presided, and in opening the proceedings said the
meeting wee intended to be a conference of friends to a
system of national unsectarian education, supported by local
rates, and administered by local authorities, popularly
elected, as set forth in the plan of the Lancashire Public
Schools Association. The importance of unsectarian educe
tion appeared to be admitted by men of every religious
permission ; but unhappily the greatest diverbity of opinion
prevailed as to the means by which it was to be accom-
plished. The bishops aad other clergy of the established
church objected to any system of which they were not the
head, and which had not a tendency to perpetuate the
alliance between church and state, while many among the
catholic and dissenting clergy deemed their own peculiar '
and theological opinions so essential, as to refuse their sup-
port to any spate= by which they were nat inculcated. The
seal for nuking proselytes to sectarian dogmas and faith had
been paraminnt to the enlightenment of the nation by
means of instruction. (Hear, hear.) He believed that
the plan advocated by the Lancashire Public Schools Awe-
elation was one by which the reasonable conscientious ob-
jections of all denominations might be obviated, and that it
was well adapted to effect the objects which they pr we
to have so much at heart ; and that if the people, foe ,ae
, benefit it was especially designed, would unite cordially with
them in demanding the recognition by the legislature of the
. principles and the justice on which it wet founded, it would
not be long before there would be a fair and unbiained edu-
cation advanced to ell glasses of the community. (Loud ap-

plain.)
Mr. LUCAS said that any system of education which is
proposed for the country should be national and =secta-
rian, and that it should be established on a local basis end
supported by local rates. (" Rear, hear," and applause.)
It would, there fore, be unnecessary to discuss those princi-
ple.. The object of this conference was first of all as to the
state of education throughout the country; secoadly, to
bring to bear the opinions of those passant on the three
principles he had enumerated ; and, thirdly, to bring to-
gether a large number of the opinions of their friends
as to the best means of makin4 those principles
known. (near, hear.) They proposed that a school
committee should be appointed in every township in the
county ; that every school committee should have the power
to levy rates for the maintenance of the schools ; that these
should be elected by the rate-payers at large ; and that there
should be such en amount of elective centralisation an would
ensure the efficiency of schools, an elimination of teachers
to secure their efficiency, and a governing body over all,
calied the county board, elected by the other committees, in
order to superintend and put in motion, and get the ma-
chinery to work in proper order. Teat wu the outline of
their plan; they began in 1847, and Bind then they hie oc-
cupied themselves is making it known throughout the
country. They had only proposed it for the county
of Lancaster, because they believed they were unable
to undertake a national agitation. True, what was good for
one county might be good for another, and he had no
doubt tf it were brought into operation in Lancashire, it
would be found to work well, end other counties would
then be desirous of adopting it. (Rear.) There win one
object to which he wished to refer before he eat down—it
was their justification of this movement. In Manchester,
he was enabled to state, that 16 years ago the number el,
children in day schools was nearly as large as now—with-
in 1,000 or 1,600. In that time the population had in•
creased from i. 00,000 in 1824, to 300.000 in 1848; and in
1824 the number in schools was 20,000; in 1848 under
22,000. In 1824 the proportion of scholars to the popola-
ties was linlo ; Decemnr, 1848, it was lis 141.
Mr. BIGGS, Mayor of Leicester, said it wee to him a sad
and serious thing, that this country, at the bead of the civi
'nation of the world in many respects, was so far behind
some of the despotic countries of Europe on the score of
education—that we should have an long and fatally neg-
lected this subject. In the New England States, he could
speak from experience, the people were as tenacious of their '
Political and religious principles as they were in this country,
yet there, nearly every child was educated on a system anon.
gous to the one now proposed. Education there win the
rule, and *perinea the exception. Io Primate the average
of uneducated persons was one in four and a half of the po-
pulation. Taking that as our data, we might conceive the
state of education where that standard was not reached. In
England only 1 in 81 of the population were educated.
Mr. Ii'LELLAND, of Glasgow, said some of the schools
in Scotland were in the hands of the clergy, paid for by a
rate, bat there were now two parties, one of whom wished
the schools to be what was called " opened." They wished
that the master should not necessarily be a churchman, and
that it should be left open to the ratepayers to choirs the
eseher. The Free Church party were likely to join the
dissenters oa this point. Ile had no doubt in time the
would have schools on a plan something like that which
this association were seeking to establish. By the present sys-
tem there were 3,000 catholic children coming into the world
every ;mu quite =provided for by their schools in Glasgow,
and without some such system as was now sought for there
could be no remedy. Ragged schools were most benevolent
and expellent institutions, Led were doing much good. But,
resting on the benevolence of the richer cla•ses, their means
of good was of course hunted. The secular system it was
attempted to establish here was sanctioned by high authori-
ties in Scotland, and he mentioned the names of the late Dr.
Chalmers and Dr. Duff.
Mr. BRAY, of Coventry, said, that in his neighbourhood
education was not sufficiently appreciated, hut he believed
the priscipsl reason was, that the quality of the education
was not such as to induce the people to send their children
to the schools, in preference to finding them en ployment.
He believed it was the duty of government to provide meant
of instruction for the penple' and in his opinion the plan pro-
posed
was the only one likely to be sufficient fur the purpose.
S viral other gentlemen having addressed the meetieg,
The Rev. W. biIIi.ERRON moved a resolution in favour
of an extension of the scheme to a national confederation.
Mr. P. RYLANDS, of Warrington, seconded the motion,
which was carried.
The proceedings were to be brought to a close by a great
meeting yesterday evening, at the Free Trade Hell.

•
REDUCTION IN RAILWAY FARES.-CHEAP TRANSIT,
—A contractor with the railway company for excursion
trains has announced his intention of taking paserngtrs,
" first class travelling at less than a halfpenny a mile, and
second clue for abhut a farthing !" From Leeds aid
Birmingham, 230 miles, the fare is to be, Ant class, As. 6d.,
and second clan Os. 6c1., allowing six hours in Birmingham,
or the privilege of returning on the following day for an
extra Is. At the ordinary rates of travelling the journey
salad not be accomplished for less than between 9/. and 4i.,
and at ld. a mile would amount to a few pence short of 14