The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-26 00:00:00

NATIONAL EDUCATION.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE BISHOP
OF EXETER AND LORD J. RUSSELL.
[The following documents are so important, and
will excite so deep an interest in the present state
of the public mind with relation to the great work
of National Education, that we cannot persuade
ourselves to omit or abridge any part of them.
They will be prefixed to the Tenth Edition of the
pamphlet entitled Recent Measures for the Pro-
motion of Education in England, published under
the authority of the Committee of Privy Council
for Education ; and the " Correspondence" will
also appear as an Appendix to the Charge recently
delivered by the Bishop of Exeter to his Clergy.
The " Preface" contains some explanatory matter
respecting certain passages in the Pamphlet, to
which the Right Rev. Prelate had taken some ex-
ceptions, and which have therefore been altered or
expunged.]
In preceding editions of this pamphlet the fol-
lowing passage occurred immediately after the
words " by constant superintendence," p. 55 :
I " In the. House of Lords the Marquis of Lans-
downe
observed, ' I said the State should pro-
vide for the education ; I did not say for the
I spiritual and religious education, but for the
secular education of the people.' The Bishop
of Exeter ' was glad the Noble Marquis had
given that explanation.—(Hear, hear.) He
assented to the principle.' All that remains,
therefore, is, in providing for the secular educa-
tion of the people, to render the provision such
that they shall not be excluded from its benefits by
religious tests. For this purpose it may be ne-
cessary, in particular cases,
National Society and
British and Foreign School Society. Upon the
principle thus elucidated by the discussions in Par-
liament, we trust that ail parties are now agreed."
This passage, together with the words, " which
has been more fully illustrated in the debates,"
which occurred in page 55, after the words " one
principle,' are now omitted, in consequence of the
cocrespondence between Lord John Russell and
the Bishop of Exeter, published in these pages.
The passage quoted from the debate is confir-
med by the report in the Times of July 6th, and in
1
the Mirror of Parliament, July 27th, with the
exception of one word, " instruction" for " edu-
cation."

But in the speech of the Bishop of Exeter sub
sequently published for circulation, as corrected by
his Lordship, and which had not been examined
until attention was drawn to it by the Right Rev.
Prelate, the conversation assumes a different form.
In the speech thus published, the conversation is
thus reported :—" The Marquis of Lansdowne—l
said the State should provide foi the education of
those who dissent from the Church ; I did not say
for their spiritual and religious education, but for
their secular. The Bishop of Exeter—l rejoice to
hear this ; I rejoice to have given the Noble Mar-
quis an opportunity of making this important expla-
nation ; the more important, because it is explana-
tion. My Lords, the Noble Marquis disclaims the
pernicious principle, that the State may lawfully
assist in teaching religious doctrines which it be-
lieves to be false."
This Parliamentary conversation being now omit-
ted in the pages of this pamphlet, and the context
brought together without any other alteration than
those stated above, the sense in which the passage
omitted was understood, and the reason why it was
quoted, may be more apparent. We request the
reader's attention to the following exposition of what
was intended to be conveyed.
The Committee of Council proposed by their re-
port of the 3d of June, to apportion the Parlia-
mentary grant, chiefly-
1. In aid of schools connected with the National
Society ; in which, besides biblical instruction, the
doctrines of the Church of England are taught from
the catechism and formularies, and in which the
ritual of the Church is used.
2. In aid of schools of the British and Foreign
School Society, in which religious instruction is
confined to biblical reading.
S. To admit certain exceptional cases of schools
not belonging either to the National Society, or to
the British and Foreign School Society.
The whole passage was intended to relate only
to these exceptional cases ; and was quoted as elu-
cidating the view supposed to be taken by the
Marquis of Lansdowne and the Bishop of Exeter
in relation to such exceptional cases.
The fact that the Committee of Council in-
vended a large portion of the Parliamentary grant
to be appropriated to schools in connection with
the National Society, is evidence that the Com-
mittee recognised the paramount importance of
providing for the direct inculcation of the doctrine,
and use of the ritual of the Established Church,
as respects children of Churchmen. The question
under discussion in this particular passage, how-
ever, was not the duty of the State to those within
the pale of the Church, nor to the entire body of
those without the pale of the Church, but to a frac-
tional part of those without the pale of the Church.
Exeter, Oct. 10, 1839.
MT LORD,—On my return to Exeter, I have
the honour of receiving your Lordship's letter of
the 7th instant, and I thank you for the early an-
swer which you have given to the questions I felt
it my duty to propose.
I assent to your Lordship's suggestion, that this
question would be more properly addressed to the
President of the Council. But the notoriety of his
absence from England made it necessary that I
should address it to your Lordship, whose name
stands in the list of the " Committee on Educa-
tion" next to that of the Lord President.
Your Lordship having now informed me that you
believe the Committee gave a general direction for
the circulation of the pamphlet entitled " Recent
Measures for the Promotion of Education in Eng-
land," and the cover of a copy of it now before me
bearing on its margin a printed notice of its having
been sent from the " Committee of Council on
, Education," as well as being superscribed " On
her Majesty's service," and sealed with the impress
of " Privy Council," I cannot but regard the Com-
mittee as adopting, and therefore responsible for the
contents of the pamphlet. In consequence, I re-
quest your Lordship's attention to a most extraordi-
nary misrepresentation made in it of words spoken
by ale in the House of Lords on the sth of July
last.