The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-21 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION.

ROPOLITAN POLITICAL

SUMMARY.

The Times of this morning speaks the Ministerial educa-
tion project in the following reckless and intolerant manner:—
" The scheme of " national" education, as they term it, is one
expressly, and we acknowledge dexterously, designed for the
disparagement of the " national" religion, represented by the
Established Church. It is a scheme of palpable encroachment
upon that Church, by taking away its existing and long-recog-
nized privileges. It is one for authorizing alien bodies to meddle
with, and thwart and frustrate the efforts of the Established
Clergy, to imbue the minds of the infant poor with those doc-
trines wherein the Church of England pronounces that the real
principles of Christit.nity consist. It is a stratagem for mixing
up truth and falsehood in the same minds, for breaking through
the boundaries between them, for sweeping away those cl:s.inc-
tions on which hangs the question of revealed religion, or natu-
ral religion, or downright scepticism, whether philosophical or
stolid, which amounts, in fact, to no religion at all."
The Morning Chronicle thus alludes to last night's division
on the National Education Scheme, and exhorts Ministers,
despite the smallness of their majority, to persevere in the mea-
sure :—" The debate was protracted to a late hour in the morn-
ing, and Ministers obtained in favour of their scheme a majority
of five. We did not expect a greater, after the industry em-
ployed to excite against the scheme all manner of prejudices.
We trust that Ministers will so far despise factious opposition as
to persevere, trusting to time and the advantages conferred on
the people for the refutation of their opponents."
The Morning Advertiser observes, in the course of a leading
article commenting on the Tory opposition to the Government
plan of national education :—" Because education is not to be
placed solely under the control of the Established Church, be-
cause the population generally, without exception or distinction
of sect, are to be admitted to drink at the fount of knowledge,
but above all, because education is the first auxiliary in the pro-
motion of rational freedom, the Tories meet the project with
their most inveterate opposition. it is the inseparable curse of
a factious and oppressive policy, that whatever is found to be
beneficial to the country at large will almost always be found at
variance with its immediate objects, and consequently that the
more judicious any course may appear for factious purposes, the
more opposed must it be to common justice and the general
good. The whole secret of Tory opposition, in the present in-
stance, is to be found in the simple fact that an educated people
will never consent to be an enslaved people."
The Morning Herald expresses itself in the following swag-
gering style on the subject of last night's division in the Com-
mons, on the national education scheme :—" Ministers again
rest on a majority of five ! On the previous night their ma-
jority was ten. They resigned but a short month ago, expressly
on the ground that a majority of five proved them to have not
the confidence of Parliament. Will they resign now ? Not
they ! They would be content to crawl on with a majority of
one, or even by the aid of the Speaker's casting vote. Self-
abasement has no terror in their eyes. The members of the
Melbourne Cabinet will, in their own persons, endure any con-
ceivable amount of disgrace, so long as the country shall endure
them in office. Their tenure of office, however, is not likely
be lengthened by their clumsy attempt to make an open ques-
tion of religious education."
The Morning Post remarks, in reference to last night's ma-
jority of five in favour of Ministers, on the education measure,
that it is a victory, not achieved by Government, but by the
Opposition, who should therefore be in extacy on the occa-
sion : We have gained a victory—for a majority in favour of
the Ministerial plan of only five Members in a House of 559 is
a victory to the opponents of the measure. The country will
now see that it is not to the temporary holders of office, but to
the great Conservative party, that it must look for aid. What
the consequences of last night's vote may be, in respect of the
Ministry, it would be premature to foretell. There cannot
assuredly be much increase of confidence on the part of the
House of Commons in this second majority of five ; yet on the
last occasion on which the Government had the same number
in their favour, they admitted that they had lost the confidence
of Parliament."