The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1839.

NATION AL EDUCATION.

Five more letters on the subject of the Privy Coun-
cil Board of Education, and the grant it is to distri-
bute, four of them from Dr. Kay to the several Secre-
taries of the National Society, and one from Lord John
Russell to the Moderator of the General Assembly,
have been published. National education is not a
very inviting subject for the great public at any time,
and if it were there is such a thing as writing a subject
to death, which seems very likely to be the case with
this. Dr. Kay may be a very clever man, but he is,
we are afraid, too fond of authorship. It lowers
authority also to be perpetually explaining what it
means, and refining about its intentions. Business,
particularly the business of command, is done, as far as
our experience goes, after a different fashion. Let the
Privy Council make known the rules on which it will
administer the grant, and abide by them, caring no more
for tho chatter of the parsons than so many magpies,
and being no more moved from its purpose by the
querulous objections of Rev. Secretaries and Right
Rev. Bishops than a General is moved to alter his in-
structions by the growling of his subalterns. If such
letters pass between the Secretary of the Privy Coun-
cil and the Secretary of the National Society, who seem
all at once to have become great functionaries—of
more importance than the Secretary of State—if they
choose to keep up a war of paper pellets, do not pub-
lish them, unless it be intended to make the whole ques-
tion of National Education ridiculous. We cannot fill
our columns with Dr. Kay's letters.
Lord J. Russell's letter refers to the assertion by the
Commission of the General Assembly that" the powers of
the Privy Council Board are undefined in their exercise,
and seemingly arbitrary and irresponsible ;"and asserts that
" these powers are strictly defined by the Order in Coun-
cil, are limited to the distribution of funds voted by
Parliament, and are exercised under the same control
and responsibility as any other powers exercised by her
Majesty's councillors and advisers."
The Commission state that, "according to a promi-
nent feature of the plan, the Ministers of the Established
Church, and indeed all Ministers of the Gospel, are in- ,
terdicted from any share in the superintendence of the
National Schools. "

The letter says there is no such prominent feature in
;he plan.

The Commission state, " that according to another
feature of the plan, a separation is drawn and ordered to
be kept up between religious and secular instruction ; so
that the peculiar truths of the Gospel shall be excluded
from the course of education in the National Schools."
This, the letter says, evidently alludes to a plan at
one time in contemplation, not for a system of National
Schools, but for one Normal School ; and to the plan
now proposed the application is totally inapplicable.
I can assure the Commission," says Lord John, " that
under the authority of the Committee of Privy Council
no change will be effected in the Parochial and Bible
School system, SJ long the boast of Scotland, and that
the Committee have neither the wish, nor the power, to
promote any scheme for separating religion from the
knowledge and business of youth."
In conclusion, let us observe that as long as Dr. Kay,
Lord John Russell, and the Ministers generally, out of
deference to the priesthood, adopt their slang about the
deadly errors of Popery and Socinianisrn, and similar
matters, they will only encourage the arrogance and
cant of the most arrogant and canting set of men now
in the empire. If the Ministers are to promote educa-
tion, let it not be, as we regret to say they appear to
wish it to be—education in subserviency to the Prelates
and Presbyters. For such an education we would
rather curtail than augment the funds ; and if the Privy
Council is to be wrangled out of its discretion by
Bishops, Secretaries, and Commissions, the sooner it
lays down its functions the better.

FUNERAL OF THE LATE DUKE
OF ARGYLL.

INVERARY CASTLE, SATURDAY.—The body of the
deceased Duke lay in state at Inverary Castle, on Tues-
day last, and on the following day was conveyed by a
steamer to Rosneath Castle. where it lay in state as ma the
preceding day, in the principal saloon, which was hung
with black and illumined with wax flambeaux. The
coffin was superbly emblazoned with armorial bea rings
of the Campbell family, and richly ornamented wit h sil-
ver gilt furniture. On Thursday morning the tx ortal
remains of his Grace were placed on board a
steamer, to be conveyed to the place of interm !nt at
Kilmunn. Two steamers followed, having on board
a party of Highlanders, about fifty in number,, from
Islay, and the family tenantry in the neighbourh, )od of
Inverary. The weather was very tenapastuous. The
steamers entered Holy Loch shortly before three fin the
afternoon, the corpse being landed at the quay.
During the landing the men in the preventive. ser-
vice, at short intervals, fired small cannon. Tb e fu-
neral procession was then formed, the coffinrincipbaleit73Ciapnrets-
ceded by nearly one hundred of the p
of Argyllshire, and a domestic carrying the coronet
of the late Duke on a velvet cushion. The coffin im-
mediately followed, carried by twelve fine Highlanders
in their elegant national garb, the pall being borne by the
Marquis of Lorn, Marquis Breadalbanc, Earl of Char-
leville, Mr. Campbell, M.P., Lord Tullamore, Lord
Arthur Lennox, Mr. Campbell, jun., Sir William
Cumming, Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, and two other
gentlemen. About 30 Highlanders guarded the coffin
on each side. The Duke and Duchess of Argyll, with
their son and daughter, Lord and Lady Campbell, were
the mourners, the funeral procession being closed by a
long line of the gentry and tenantry fo: many miles
around. The Duke of Argyll appeared throughout
the solemn ceremony to be deeply affected. The re-
mains of the late Duke were deposited beside those of
the late Duchess of Argyll, in the ancestral vault at
Kilmunn.

Letters from Parma state that the Archduchess
Maria Louisa (Napoleon's widow) is dangerously ill.
Bills have been affixed on several houses in
Abingdon-street, including the renowned Chequers
public-house, by the House of Lords, announcing that
they are to be sold preparatory to their being pulled
down, to make way for the new Houses of Parliament.
Dr. Jerrard, Classical Examiner of the Univer-
sity of London, has been appointed an Examiner for
the Classical Tripos at Cambridge for the year 1840.
This we arc glad to observe, as a proof of right feeling
on the part of Cambridge towards the new University.
NATIONAL EDUCATION.--The members of
the Committee of the Privy Council on Education are,.
the Lord President, the Lord Privy
the Chan--
cellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Labouchere, Lord Mont—
eagle, and Sir George Grey.