The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-30 00:00:00

support of their influence to this class of entertain-
ments, without first instituting minute inquiries as
to the character of the proceedings. Doubtless, for
the future morecare and caution will be adopted, and

it will, be most advisable if such should become the
case. At any rate this sad transaction was one of too
much moment to be passed by as an accident; it

concerned too deeply a grave and solemn subjeci

Human life must not be wantonly trifled with in
this flippant and frivolous style. Death through in
such sports is too awful an event for it to be totally
ignored, and almost more important still to guard
against is the effect of such conduct on the minds
and morals of the people. Now that the affair has
been so properly and promptly noticed by the
QUEEN, it is not a fallacious hope that inspires
well-wishers to believe that its recurrence will

never again disgrace the exhibitions of this country
and defeat the projects of those who seek to benefit

;he lower orders by the encouragement of pastimes
,hat rightly employed would prove a blessing, but

signalised by such proceedings as those at Aston

Park on a late occasion would result in nothing

good, but rather conduce to evil impressions and
the spread of a heartless indifference and demo-

ralised taste.

It is no doubt a responsible and difficult task to
legislate on matters effecting the national educa-
tion. There is so much to be considered, so much
that is perplexing and complicated, and so many
contradictory interests to be considered, that it is
not surprising if the Committee of Council have
failed to give entire satisfaction. The endeavour to
reconcile the desire to afford every member of the
State facilities for acquiring at least the plain rudi-
ments of knowledge, whatever his means or posi-
tion, with the wish to retain that sturdy indepen-
dence which is so valuable in itself and so much
more conducive to the purposes of education, is no
easy matter. There is no question that the work-
ing classes, particularly those of the better sort,
think much more of the " schooling.' which their
children receive if it is paid for out of their hard won
weekly earnings than if it is a matter of free gift.
The mother is not so likely to keep the child at
home to help her in her household work if she re-a
lines the fact that by so doing she is wasting the
time they pay for, and the father is not likely to
tolerate a truant. Stijl as there are great numbers
of parents who either can not or will not pay for
their children's learning, it will not do to trust this
feeling too far. Again, in matters of religion it is
unquestionably very difficult to combine that tolera-
tion which befits establishments of a national cha-
racter with due regard to the religious instruction
of the children. The difficulties which have been
lately more under discussion, however, are on
matters of trivial detail, and do not affect the prin-
ciples on which the grants are founded. At one of
the last meetings of the Upper House Lord
REDESDALE called the attention of their lordships
to a recent minute of the Committee of Council on
Education, which he said would have the effect of
reducing the grant made to endcwed schools, The
number of those schools was, in 1847, 4,678,
and consequently the change would affect a
large area. These schools must either make
up the difference by increased subscriptions or else
suffer their efficiency to be diminished. They
might pass the examinations most satisfactorily, and
yet the amount of public aid which they received
would be reduced in proportion to the endowment.
Lord REDESDALE deprecated the alteration, which
was, he said, in fact, an attempt to apply the chari
ties of the country to the aid of the public revenue,
and remarked that it was strange such a prospect
should be made in a year when the endeavour to
imposeobjections
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t o Lord
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osuch g utnhie-
REDESDALE, gave as an instance
su
of the hardship caused by the new minute,
the case
of some schools built by himself which had an
endowment of £4B a year in land. He had recently
heard that the maximum amount which this school
would receive under the Government grant
Was £42,
or six pounds less than the endowment, so that in
no case could the schools benefit by Parliamentary
actrejudicially by withdrawing
P
aid, which would
the stirr ulus now received. The Earl of powis

observed that although the Commissioners of Cha,

rities had enabled trustees to change the manner in

which tlley employed such funds, and to devote
them to educational purposes, they would probably

be very slow to avail themselves of that permission
if any amount so contributed were to diminish the
grant. In fact it is scarcely fair to call upon
private charity for a matter which, if it be

right. On the other hand, the Duke of SOMERSET
given tree at all, should be granted as a national
Said that the cost of education was on the average
30s, for each scholar, and that the Committee
Simply Proposed that when the school already re-
ceived that amount from endowments the State
subsidies should not be given, as it was intended to
apply them to distrio's where there were no such
facilities for education already existing•
This
sounds fair enough ; but a little help might. enable

well-timed than this letter of our Gracious SOVE-
REIGN. The QUEEN has always shown a care and
consideration for the welfare of her subjects, that
has attracted their admiration, and gained their
affections more effectually than anything else could
have done. No grandeur of a monarch's surround.
ings, no great qualities exercised in camp or council,
can influence the mind so much as the humane
feeling manifested in the sympathy for the sor-
rows, and concern for the sufferings of others.
At seasonable times just indignation ezpressed for
acts that all right-minded persons must condemn
and abhor manifests the interest taken in her
people by their QUEEN. She is unwilling that they
should deteriorate in taste, or be wanting in pro.
priety in the season of festive enjoyment, and
well has sh., performed her duty as monitor of
their actions and guardian of their welfare, by
her quiet, yet forcible, admonition on this dis-
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so melancholy an occurrence has afforded to them.
Mr. STITRGE wrote a very proper reply to Sir
C. PHIPPS. He states that no one
more deeply deplores the casualty than
himself, but the depraved taste referred to
has become everywhere prevalent. Recently he
prevented an exhibition of the class taking place
within the borough, and in this case his name ap-
peared in conjunction with those of the Lord Lieute•
nant and members of Parliament and magistrates
as patrons of the fete, which was for a aharitabie
purpose ; but he did not believe that any of these
gentlemen had a notion that a dangerous exhibition
would be attempted. Ho hoped that for the future
the influence of the authorities at Birmingham
would, in conjunction with their fellow-townsmen,
prevent the recurrence of such performances, so that
the gracious intentions of her MAJESTY and revered
Consort might be realised and not frustrated; and in
the meantime, he trusted that exhibitions of so dan-
gerous and demoralising a character might be inter-
dicted by parliamentary (abutment. Nothing
could be more satisfactory than this letter, and the
concluding passage is a very judicious piece of
advice, which cannot be two speedily followed with
respect to individual safety and general credit. I
would be well if gentlemen in high position did no
so readily lend the sanction of their wants and