The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-18 00:00:00

THURSDAY

THE MANCHESTER EDUCATION.
Manchester, which to the world at large is the repro-
senta:ive of one simple ides, has at least its share of in-
terred dissensions. Indeed, that activity and vigour
which have recently given it so prominent a place in the
politics of this country and the intercourse of nations
seem to hate a like effect in organizing its various
schools of Opinion, and arranging them against one
another with an energy and on a scale nowhere else to
be found. Though the existing means of education in the
group of communities pepularly comprehended in the
name of Manchester produced no less than 80,000 school
children to welcome her Majesty on her return from the
north, yet the ambitious philanthropists of that city are
as little satisfied with the amount as they are with the
quality of the education there provider'. Accordingly,
two rival parties are there asking the assistance of Par-
liament for their respective schemes, equally intended
to provide at the public expense the opportunity at
oSrchoaoslsistAsssocchioaotlios
least of good education for all classes. One of
these schemes is that which wa bare several times
discussed under the title of the National Public
leaving•religious instruction to the ministers of the se.
n'foranpdurcwlyhich" seperuolpaors::s
se-
veral religious comma • • The principle,if such it
ntties.
may be cullededucation,
dto
ue fa et
iuound,
, of education unaccompanied with dog-
matic or even scriptural instruction, is exemplified in the
whole class of day schools designed for the middle ranks
of life. But that example, large as it is, will not be re-
lied on as a model for the education of those who, if they
are not taught religion at school, are not likely to learn
it elsewhere. The second scheme of Manchester origin
is that which came before the Heuse of Commons Yes'
terday morning, and which led to an important discus-
sion. Nothing can be simpler than this scheme, which
is merely the proposition of a rate to be divided among
existing schools and new scow:6, when necessary, in
proportion to the number of their scholars, with enough'
superintendence to secure a tolerable degree of efficiency,
and with the condition that the Scriptures shall be read.
To these two great schemes must be added another not
of so definite a character, or so local an, application,
being the voluntary principle applied to education,
and differing in no considerable degree from the system
now conducted by means
of a Parliamentary grant
by the Education Committee of the Privy Council.
The second of these schemes is evidently the
favourite at Manchester, if we
are to judge from the
suffrages of tbose who would be charged with its sup-
port. As Mr. Brotherton observed—" The petition
presented in its favour was ;
Eognen ny 40,000 persons, a
large majority of the ratepayers in the two boroughs,
viz,, by upwards of 31,000 in Manchester, and in Sal-
ford by about 8,500." From other sources we learn
that there never was so general a concurrence of mi•
nisters of different communions in favour of any public
measure. Indeed, it is quite an agreeable surprise to
find so much unity in so benevolent a purpose, and for
so respectable and costly a scheme. For our own part,
we feel the greatest reluctance to say a word against it.
But, unfortunately, the popularity of the plan is easily
accounted for. It removes some great practical inconve-
niences, without really accomplishing any great end. It
would extinguish, or at least much alleviate, all the pe-
cuniary troubles and anxieties connected with the foun-
dation and maintenance of schools for the poor—
all the difficulties of getting sites, all the canvass-
ing for subscriptions, all the debts and arrears, the
ill-paying subscribers, the non-paying scholars,
and the poorly-paid teachers. It would diminish
that burden which now crushes the more generous mem-
bers of society, by throwing it rateably over all rate-
payers, and by making property observe its " duties"
as
well as its rights." These considerations too
easily explain the acceptance of this measure by large
ratepayers, as well as by small ones,
The Home Secretary pointed out with great clearness
several new and important principles involved in this
measure, all of them demanding the serious attention of
Parliament before it could be permitted to pass into law.
A public rate for education, though it might be justified
by a general unanimity in its favour, and to some extent
by the present system of grants from the Exchequer, is
at least a novelty, and a novelty on a very large scale,
when applied to a population of nearly half a million.
The principle of offering that education entirely
free is a not less serious matter, as, besides its
natural effect in cheapening what ought to be highly
appreciated, it would hardly fail to destroy many
schools and ruin many teachers not embraced in
the scheme, without being always certain to supply
better teachers or schools. At all events,itis a point that
demands consideration. Several provisions of the Bill
are at least singular, and likely to prove very difficult to
work, particularly that for giving each ratepayer a right
to demand a special appropriation of his particular rate,
at least till the purpose of the appropriation should be
answered. But the most questionable feature of the
Bill, and that which has caused its rejection by the town
council of Manchester, since it first came under our no-
tice, is its singular combination of the voluntary and the
compulsory principle in the matter of religion. It pro-
vides that any parent or guardian may object to any
distinctive religious creed, catechism, or formu-
lary, but absoltstely. insists on the reading
of the Scriptures in the authorised version
This rule would admit any fanatic—even a Mormonite,
as some one observed yesterday—but would exclude
Roman Catholics, at least all under the influence of their
clergy. As it happens, the poor Roman Catholics of
Manchester and Salford are the very class most in want
of education, and, though they may pay but a small
share of the rates, yet, ae they contribute more than
their share to the ignorance, the misery, the crime, and
perhaps, we should add, to the honest industry of Man-
chester, they cannot be put aside in a scheme of educa-
tion. As far as we understand, the case for this Bill is
the failure of the voluntary principle; and the proof
of that failure is the immense number of
children running about the streets and courts
of Manchester without any one toy take them by the
hand. But a very large part of Viet° children are Ro-
man Catholics, if they ere anything. and would therefore
be excluded from the benefits of this measure. This at
least requires the gravest consideration, for of all things
nothing is to be more avoided than an injustice or an
insult under the disguise of philanthropy. The House
of Commons, on the motion of Mr. Milner Gibson, and
with the acquiescence of Government, very wisely re-
ferred the question to a Select Committee. The truth
is, there is no such hurry as some good people imagine.
The Education Committee is ready to offer very large
assistance
• ,on the most liberal conditions, towards the
foundation, the maintenance, and the management of
schools, and, if it does not effect more. it is simply be-
cause there are not more applicants.— Times.

THE ARMY.
EXPERIMENTS WITH RIFLE CANNON.
Woo',wins, MARCH 17.—Colonel H. W. Gordon,
Colonel Dundas,C.B.lolonel J. A. Chalmer, Colonel
Brereton, C. 8.,
;Colonel Blanchard, C. 8., Royal
Engineers; Lieutenant-Colonel Bell, Royal Horse Ar-
tillery; Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson, Royal Artillery;
Brigade Major
Walpole, Royal Engineers; and Captain
Riddell, deputy-assistant quarter-master general of Ar-
tillery, with a number of officers of the Royal Artillery
and Royal Engineers, assembled in the marshes yester-
day to witness experiments with a 9-pounder field bat-
tery gun, rifled with four grooves, for firing conical shot
or shells of galvanized iron. The 9 pounder was sta-
tioned at 1,000 yards from the target, and the shot, al-
though nearly twice the weight, owing to its elongated
shape, of the common 9.pounder shot, was placed in the
gun, previously supplied with only two pounds of
powder, the previously reduced service charge of guns
of that calibre being two pounds eight ounces.
After waiting it considerable time to obtain a
clear range, there being a great number of
vessels passing,
11.11 oPportunity of firing was obtained,
and the conical snot entered the butt a little on the east
side of the target, having
been carried the entire dis-
tance with the small charge of powder, and an elevation
of the gun of one and three-fourth degrees. The gun
was again loaded with a similar charge of powder and
shot, but it was nearly an hour before it could be fired,
as so many vessels continued passing
up and down the
river. The 9-pounder having been elevated to two de-
grees, on being fired, the shot was carried over the butt,
and the long distance between it and the river, and over
the river into the Essex marshes. The range continuing
to be interrupted by the vessels passing on the river, the
9-pounder was turned round, and the third round with
which it had been loaded fired into the bank of one of
the ditches in the marshes, from which it was extracted
this morning, having entered fourteen feet into the solid
earth, and to a depth of nine feet from the surface. The
gun did not appear to be in the least injured by the
firing, and consequently further experiments will be
made with the plan of 'nuking rifle cannon and shot and
shells to fit, by Colonel Dundas, Inspector of Artillery.
A number of gentlemen connected with metropolitan
rifle clubs attended in the Marshes to-day, to try several
descriptions of rifles, previous to deciding on the descrip-
tion of arm they will adopt in their corps.

FURTHER PRACTICE WITH- THE MINIE
RIFLES.
The authorities having decided on supplying the new
pattern rifle musket to several other line regiments in
addition to those that previously sent parties to Wool-
wich for the purpose of being instructed by Major
Brownrigg, of the Grenadier Guards, 25 officers and 50
non-commissioned officers have received orders at the
head-quarters or depots of the regiments to which they
belong to proceed to Woolwich for the purpose of being
instructed by Major Brownrigg in the use of the new
arm. The following is nearly a complete list of the corps
ordered to send parties to Woolwich for practice next
week at the Royal Arsenal, and in the Marshes:-
Ist Foot, 2d battalion, from head-quarters at Cork.
4th Foot, from head-quarters at Ashton.
12th Foot, from head•qaarters at Chatham,
14th Foot, from head-quarters at Dublin.
21st Foot, from bead-quarters at Hull.
26th Foot, from the depot at Newport.
the depot at the Isle of Wight.
28'h Foot, from head quarters at Newcastle.
27 th Foot, from
headquarters
-quarters
at
tt
Glasgow.Du b l ir
at Aberdeen.
Canterbury.llrist°i
at Dublin.
33343962:11 Foot,lF.oooo tt from
ffrroomm
depot)e,adfr-oqmuatrhteors
Roysi Marino, from the Chatham Division.
from head quarters at Preston.
62d Foot, from head-quarters at Dublin.
(Highlanderhs
from the depot at Canterbury.
65th Foot,
69th Foot, from the depot at Chatham,
555084ihhh IF;Foottt,,
fromf r o m
theth the
depot depot
tta
tt
79th (Cameron Highlanders), from the head-quarters
at Edinburgh Castle. t
•
81st Foot, from head-par ere at Dublin.
90th Foot, from bead-quarters at Cork.
93d (Highiundera), from head-quarters at Weedon.
officers from each of the above regiments.
There will be ono officer and two non-commissioned

Dispateh©s were 14150 received ye—r—sterdayirom the Go-
vernor of Labuan.