The Sun.
London, England, 1837-10-31 00:00:00

Vin attn.

LONDON :
TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 31, 1837.

In our columns of this day will be found, abridged
frcnn the Manchester Times, a highly interesting report
of the proceedings at a public meeting held at the
Vanehester Theatre on Thursday evening last, on the
important subject of National Education. Lord
BItOUGHAM and the Bishop of Noilwrcir were in-
vited to attend, but both were prevented from being
present ; the former on account of the illness of some
of g ()Ni
of his family, the latter in consequence of
bed to give preference to the discharge
certain episcopal duties. The letters of the
rate Lord Chancellor and the venerable Prelate were
ead to the meeting ; and as they are of national im-
Porta
-rice, we have given them without curtailment,
t""lnced that, by the bulk of our readers, they will
tie
as highly appreciated as by the intelligent inhabi-
tants of Manchester. The chair was ably filled by
Mr'
MARK PHILIPS, M.P., and the meeting ad-
are
sse
dd at great length by Mr. WYsE, M.P., for Wa-
trfar) Dr. JERRARD, of the London University, Mr.
..ij• STANLEY, M.P., Mr. BROTIIERTON, M.P.,
an
several other gentlemen, whose names are mentioned
t the repon. In the midst of a luminous speech, in
NIIPPart of the establishment of a general system of
ational Education, Mr. WYSE read some extracts
°4l Reports of the State of Education in Man-
chester and its vicinity, which quite electrified the
to
(siseetiag• The first had reference to the state of the
'W°ls, and is as follows :
dirt 4enEsysti.—" These schools are generally found in very
Ittpi3dr;unwholesome rooms, frequently in damp cellars, or di .
hitt,terted,garrets—attributable to the extreme poverty of the
SAL,
'Ark „140—" The poorer schools of this class are kept in
liteajliu confined rooms, ill-furbished, and some are found in
vieet.sll3 exposed to noxious effluNia. The benefits of suffi-
/etc Toooi, good light, and cleanliness, are remarkable. In the
Nerseb°ols, possessed of these advantages, quietness and
bu:vere found to prevail in a great degree."
Li
tvt--" In somewhat neater order, but still bad."
4ivc "RPOI
en. An universal want of school-rooms to re.
b he child"
do ere we have the first requisite to a decent eduea-
thi, wanting—school-rooms for the children. And
dott want, too, in a land of palaces ! The country is
tir eu with spires—emblems of the pride and power
.lational priesthood ; but when we ask to see the
tetteashinents for the education of youth, we are di-
tir ladnta a crazy garret or a damp cellar, in some alley
th it" %erving as the common sewer of all the streets
di:l:4=4l4y I Now for the books :
enE,TER......." In by far the greater number of these
Nirnb there are only two or three books among the whole
kked cr Of scholar In others there is not en- • the children de-
ed for tl • one them
s instruction on the chance of some”
..ti.t.°o hook, or part of one, from home.
°Taw 8t)-----" Very few of the schools were found by your
tiltin "tee t
tht Y 0 possess more than fragments of books, and in
1,4 teeans no books were nation, seen, the mistress not havin,,
tent% is ,had she the incl to procure them, and the
yid oR -egtecting so to do."
:"--" ' The poorer schools of this class are very ill pro-
gneiss.
oixluion,obt:ook
.--.: Dame schools are almost universally ill sup -
The -poverty of the mistress renders it
feel`-"teat her power, and the parents neglect to furnish Lheir
1111 them, either from the same cause or from indif-
V' the b / xt!iriy of those schools which arc not n holly desti-
°()lks nrc of such a mixed character as to defy enu.
-`eoris.' consisting of old magazines, of parts of novels, or
Can' and sometimes even of political pamphlets."
bf oe any thing be more scandalous than this want
thous-le4tarY books in a country where hundreds of
11dy 1
14°at (4, ar e annually squandered for the enlighten-
°re d; African savan.es ? Yes, there is one thing
to
.ser.
uttstr, waceful still--the social wretchedness, and
m laently
-ANek J moral degradation of the teachers :-
14r4° tii,,sTER.--" They (the teachers) arc hardly able to
4140,0; commonest necessaries."
tet,Zql sehoo-r" The 1 ayments made by the parents. (in the
debt income 8) as may be deduced from table 3, yield adtb,ten-
Nhit'Port ill' and in some instance:; the teachers are
tee lb_ e Poor-rate to eke out the means of subsis,elnce.
innt,
2:_t.eaeliers follow another occupation, such as Sapp-
sel,teats,,7lrX, washing, &c."
dilet°„,!:l ind uhe remuneration to the teachers of these
Itleti;: on Et rrie„edi_tto iesignificant to admit of their being con;
Ne,,so %ere :Len better system, as the whole receipts do n.o
tlni Part • ""an 19/• per annum, and even of this scanty in-
isltg rer,„,lB general!
b 4,,v y lost, owing to
”difficultias of pro-
4trae Mtpeo,payments from the. ,scholatrhse.
J_ll "--Not less than ten of the mistresses of the
1.44 the teel'? the parish of Liverpool acknowledged to be-
Pc4virt;:t of assistance from the poor-rates ; and web
Tizi destitution of some of these sehoolmis-