The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-08 00:00:00

PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES.

Mr. HEYWOOD moved for a select committee to in-
quire into the best means of affording to the nation a
full and equal participation in all the advantages, which
are not necessarily of an ecclesiastical or spiritual cha-
racter, in the public schools and universities of Eng-
land and Ireland, and of improving the educational
system in those great seats of learning, with a view
to enlarge their . course of instruction in confor-
mity with the requirements of the public service.
The hon. member reminded the house of what was done
in this question last session, when a vote was passed
which allowed dissenters to study in private halls ; but
in his opinion Protestant dissenters were entitled to
er.joy the same privilege as the members of the
Church of England. For that purpose he thought the
form of religious worship used by the house might be
very properly introduced into the Universities, and then
their gates would be open to students of almost every de-
nomination. It might be said that this question would be
taken up by the Oxford Commissioners under the new
act; but he did not think it would while there were
many oaths enforced in the universities which ought to be
repealed, but which the Ministers themselves would nut
repeal, and therefore they might be well made a subject for
inquiry before this committee. The fact was, the edu-
cation given at the universities had an eye too much to
religion, whereas, it it were made more practical and
' scientific it would be more advantageous for the country.
Indeed, he believed many of the disasters which had
overtaken our army at Alma, Inkerman, and Be-
laklava would have been avoided, if the young men who
officered it had received a more practical university
education. Modern languages and modern science
had become quite of as much importance ai an-
cient languages and aecient science, and it was
essential for the interests of the country that the
young men of the higher classes should be made
more acquainted with those two branches of education.
Now, tins motion would facilitate the attainment of
that object ; it was couched in precisely the same terms
which the late Sir R. Peel had used when speaking upon
the subject of opening the universities, and whilst it
' proposed ta do an act of tardy justice to a large portion
of the community, there could be no doubt that it would
greatly promote education amongstan important class of
the community.
Mr. EWART seconded the motion, as one who had
been educated at Et is and C imbralge, and knowing
from experience the great room there was fir
improvement in those great institution,. The GA-

lege of Eton might be safely thrown open to Di-.-
seaters, while the system of education which prevailed
in our public schools might be vastly extended and im-
proved. !The best authorities of the day were of
that opinion, and the time bad arrived when it was the
duty of the Ligislature, as it would be the interest of
the country, to make the change shalowed forth in the
present motion.
Lord PALMERSTON said this was a most interest-
ing question, an:l ought deeply to entertain the attention
of every member of-the house. No one could ,iispute
the justice of abolishing as much as possible religious
distinctions in the universities, but he was afraid this
motion was not calculated to accomplish the object,
nor was it likely to lead to those modern impreire-
ments in education which the mover and seconder of the
motion supyosed. The commission acting under the Ox-
ford University Act had full power to make; many of the
alterations suggested;- while, with regard to Cambridge,
a bill would be brought in this session extending
to that university, mutatis mutartdi, the same provisions
to be found in the expired act, and therefore it appeared
to him that a select committee would be a waste of
time. There was no necessity for a committee to dis-
cover the evils which prevailed at the universities, they
were already known to the hon. member who had made
this motion, and if the commissioners acting under
the new measures did not attempt to apply arennedy,

then it would be open to the honourable
mem-
ber t' deal with the subject in a future bill. With regard
to schools, there was no denying that there was great
room for improvement in •the system of education
taught in them, but he should be sorry to see
the dead or classical languages sacrificed to a study
of a more practical character—while he doubted
whether boys could be ma le good Latin and Greek
scholars, besides becoming well versed in French,
Italian, German, and matheMatics, within the brief
spaee of siX yearn, (Hear, hear.) -That would be
attempting too =rich ; but, nevertheless, he knew
of his own knowledge, that at HArrow the modern
languages had been introduced into the studies, and
he shouldb' hope that example would be followed by other
schools to advantage.
Mr. PACKE was surprised to find this motion
seconded by a gentleman of Eton. Our pui)lic schools
had produced some of the most distinguished men who
had been in Parliament, and that fact, he thought, was
a sufficient answer to this motion.
Mr, MIALL reminded the house that when the present
Government was formed, the noble lord at the head of
it told Parliament that its various members were re-
markable for " sufficient liberality." !(Hear,, hear.)
Now, the noble lord had not displayed that sufficient
liberality which ought to satisfy the house or the
country. Now, this question lay in a nut shell.
Either the Universities were national institutions,
or they were not ; if they were, they ought to
be opened to all parties in the State, and made
of national advantage. It was upon that ground that
he should give his vote in favour of the motion.
The motion was then withdrawn.
HOSIERY TRADE.

Sir H. HALFORD rose to move for leave to bring in
a bill to restrain stoppages from wages in the hosiery
manufacture, and was

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL COM-

MITTEE.-(TITIS DAY. )

(Continued from our first edition.)

Mr. Layard was next examined. He stated that he
had been to the Crimea, and saw the landing of the
army.
cavalry
artillery
wTehe
were
re
landed infantrylandedand a
bn y Emnegalpinsoshr portion o
boats.
ova
trsef t. n
e hi e
laaerrght artillery
lies
are yts
flat-bot-
tomed onn
tdd.
totned boats. Our transports were, without any excep-
tion that he saw, vessels of largo tonnage, and
were far more numerous than the French. The
French brought with them means of carrying the sick
and other appliances, but their transports were extremely
ssuali.tAt Varna the French had constructed large flat-
bottomed boats, admirably adapted for landing cavalry
and artillery. We had but few, and bad to make up
the deficiency by paddle steamers. At Eupatoria lie
heard there were stores of flour, but that; they were di-
vided between the French and the English. The
Kangaroo was there at the time, and was laden with
sick under sailing orders for Constantinople, but in con-
sequence of the delay of the medical man coming on
board, a number of the unfortunate fellows died. Ho
saw the condition of almost every regiment on its land-
ing. The troops were without their tents the first night.
The weather was rather rough, and the wind blew
strongly. There was some sickness then amongst them,
but not to any very great extent. The French army
were transpoe.ed by the navy, and that was the
reason why he presumed they were able to
bring baggage animals and other means of
land transport in their chartered transports. We
brought no baggage animals, and only a portion of our
troops were on board naval vessels. He was on board
the Agamemnon when Balaklava was taken possession
of. The houses were taken by various individuals, and
he saw the names of the occupiers rudely chalked up
over the doors, such as " Lord Raglan, " Lord Lucan,"
and so on. At first there appeared to be no per-
son in charge of the town, or of the landing
of troops or provisions, but afterwards a kind
of town major was appointed. He thought Captain
Keith was harbour master. There was a wharf erected
for the landing of the siege artillery—but that was the
only one. The harbour was in a very filthy condition.
He left the Crimea on the 17th of November, after the
battle of Inkerman ; the bad weather had not set
in at that time. During the storm which
arose, the hospital marquees were blown down,
and the sick were exposed to the weather.
A number of the tents were scattered to the winds,
and the camp was very much damaged. He could not
say the troops were in a very bad condition when he
left, The sanitary condition of the camp was very un-
satisfactory, and deal horses were lying about in all
directions. He thought the camp, altogether, was very
badly massaged in this respect, and the medical
officers admitted that some person was required whore
especial duty it was to look after the sanitary condition
of the camp. He had frequent opportunities of inspect-
ing the French camp ; and Katniesh Bay was well
conducted. Wharves were erected and depots of stores
and provisions were formed ; and every house was
turned to some useful purpose. He had often spoken to
different authorities at Balaklava as to the pro-
priety of forming similar depots there. He was
not aware of the formalities required for the
issue of provisions. He was on board the Har-
binger, and he found her in a very disgraceful state.
The harbour also was in a very confused and irregular
state, vessels lying about in all directions. Before the
storm he had often beard remarks from Admiral Lyons
on board the Agamemnon that the anchorage in the
harbour was very insecure. At the time he left there
was no very great cause cf complaint as to the
condition of the men beyond perhaps the want of fuel
and the supply of unroasted coffee. He heard com-
plaints about the inferiority of engineering tools sent
out, and also that the fusees of the shells were very bad,
and rendered the latter quite useless. His impression
was that a large number of the tents were very bad in-
deed—in fact, they looked quits old and worn out. We
bad no carts brought over from Varna ; the French had.
It struck me that a number of houses in Balaklava might
have been advantageously made use of for depots of dif-
fer.ent kinds. Captain Christie had the entire direction
of the transport service, and it rested with hitn, he pre ,
sumed, whether a vessel WAS allowed to remain in