The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-01 00:00:00

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BRINBUnaII PHIL 080P1170 'R If
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Sir John Pakington delivered the openivaa S
r
of the Edinburgh Philosophical Institution last
night. His subject was the general instruction of
the people. He said the Scotch parish and burgh
schools, founded at the Reformation, constituted
with the Universities a system of popular education
which was an example to the civilised world. It
was mainly owing to its educational system that
Scotland had triumphed over its physical disadvan-
tages, and acquired respect throughout the ceorld.
He turned to England with humiliation. The ex-
ample of Scotland had been followed by North
America, Canada, by many continental States, and
recently even by Italy, but it had not been followed
by England. There was no great nation in which
the education of the people had been more benevo-
lently and effectively provided for than it had been
in America. Whatever they might think of the
political institutions of that country, no one could
deny the sagacity with which the founders of the
Republic resolved that a democratic form of Govern-
ment could be safe only with an educated and en•
lightened people, and therefore established a sys-
tem of national education which was the greatest
blessing in that country. As in America the na-
tionalsystem of education dated from the commence-
-1 ment of democratic independence, so in France the
first great and systematic improvement dated from
the Revolution. The system was
ce remodelled
and improved by Guizot, andhad sin
under-
gone further revision. France had nowln thletaalydvtahne-
tage of a well-devised scheme.
policy had been accepted and avowed—that poli-
tical freedom ought to be associated with popular
intelligence. It was some years since a liberal and
well-arranged plan was adopted by Piedmont, and,
though the plan was not yet fully matured for the
whole Italian kingdom, it was being cared for with
a spirit and intelligence most honourable to the
Italian people, While such had been the progress
of other countries, England had remained compa-
ratively stationary. It was not till the beginning
of this century that a few enlightened and eminent
men drew attention to the deficiencies which
threatened the national character and prosperity.
Foremost among these had been Lord Brougham,
the president of this institution ; but neither he nor
his fellow workers had succeeded in giving Eng-
land anything that deserved the name of national
education. The Privy Council system did not de-
serve to be so called. It was an accident, a pro-
visional arrangement, a temporary expedient,
which, while Parliament had been unable to agree
upon anything better, had grown and extended
till it stood in the way of real amendment, and
afforded a handle to those who desired to impede
principles which had been successful in other
countries. If the Privy Council system was to be
seriously regarded as permanent, it was, in his
opinion, the most costly and least efficient yet de-
vised. He believed the statement by one of our
leading public men to be true—that the English
were the least instructed of any Protestant com-
munity in the world. No doubt, progress
had been made, the profuse expenditure of the
Parliamentary grant had done good, the public
mind had been awakened, and much had been ac-
complished by individual benevolence; but, never-
theless, the humiliating statement remained essen-
tially true. In 1858, weary of struggles and conflicts
which had impeded every attempt to carry any
measure through Parliament, he obtained a Royal
commission to inquire into the whole subject, and
the commissioners had presented their report. That
report was able, elaborate, and conclusive, and he
knew of no objection against the Privy Council
system which it had not confirmed. It showed it to
be extravagant, unequal, unjust, and defective.,
Whatever improved system was adopted, it ought
to be based on the principle of local action and self-
government. To education alone had Parliament
refused to apply this popular principle, and it was
in England alone that this had not been adopted.
It was with deep regret that the friends of education
had heard Government did not intend to act on this,
valuable and comprehensive report, and that for the
present we must rest contented with the Revised
Code, which touched only the outskirts of the ques- ,
tion, and left the evils and deficiencies of the present
system uncured. He regretted that Scotland had.
allowed her excellent system to remain stationary,
and had failed to adapt it to the requirements of the
times. England had not adopted a national system,
Scotland had not adequately carried out hers. Both
had been unable to agree upon a remedy, and what was
the cause ? Was it not sectarianism ? Was this a cause
of which their consciences approved? They had in
their common Christianity, at least one bond of
union. Might we not hope to see the day when all
should yield sectarian differences on points on which
they need not interfere, and should bear in mind
the first Christian duty of charity ? Sir John pro-
ceeded to point out the moral effect of education.
Ignorance was the common enemy. While we dif-
fered and delayed that enemyadvaneed. He trusted
the statesmen of the country would before long face
the question with a determination to overcome all
difficulties which sectarianism interposed. He then
dwelt on the advantages of the Scottish system in
respect of middle-class education as bridging over
the distance between the University and the com-
mon school. It could not be denied that Parliament,
was mainly influenced by the great English middle-
classes, and it was therefore essentially necessary
to provide for these classes a sound education. Sir
John then dwelt on the necessity of ineluedningas
tory and the modern languages, as
w
olass theemicsr,inarkson the educational
higher courseotstuday. He
ce inhthis;
pliana. def
some P
Edinburgh, and on the objects of the Philosophs philosophical
institutions. He concluded by
adverting to the
common interest Scotland and England had in the
question of education, and by expressing a hope that
they would act together to effect an object which
had hitherto baffled the power of Parliament, but
which would, when obtained, confer an invaluable
boon on an intelligent and grateful people.
Sir John was very warmly applauded throughout.

~'G---

The uncle of the unfortunate Mr. Dillon, who
was killed in the lath duel, writes :—My poor lost nephew
was an Englishman, born in England, and never in his life
in America, or in any way connected with that country, or
with Ireland either, as some of the papers have wrongly.
stated. His late father was an English Protestant clergy-
man, of the Established Church, and nearly allied to an
English peer yet living. From his early youth he has
almost always lived on the Continent, and completed his
education (which was of the first order) in Belgium. I may
add that I have every hope and confidence in the measures adopted by the French authorities for bringing
the offend-
ing parties strictly to account, and that justice will
be fully
satlistfloedught never to be Wonderful to ns that epi-
demics of social passion should recurt,iwoilliasile wite do. nothing
to improve the reason of each genera
talk of education—and we enjoy talking of art, eand its
pleasures. Mr. Roebuck enjoyed talking of it on behalf of
the
peasant last yam.; and Lord Palmerston enjoyed talk-
en behalf of the young last week. We are all so sen-
sible of the pleasures and advantages of intellectual acqui-
sition and entertainment, that we are delighted to open
institutes for the working-classes, and schools for children.
But, amidst all the spread of education, and all the mul-
tiplying of schools and colleges, how much is done towards
curing the unreason which is the great evil of human
life and character to all but the very few who are gifted
with a judgment which seems scarcely to need cultivating
but only employment on varied material ? The
children of educated parents are brought up in and
with their parents' opinions ; if they quit those
opinions, it is usually to betake themselves to views pre-
cisely opposite, and under the influence of prejudices as
strong as those of their education. The children of unedu-
cated parents, who are sent to school by the State, under one
form or another, are actually excluded, by the very condi-
tions of education, from any effective use or cultivation of
their reason. It is the one thing never proposed, never con-
ceived of by anybody but a very small sprinkling of parents!,
who, reasonable themselves, endeavour to put their children
In the way of being so. The events of this autumn may
show us some of the consequences. Far and wide, abroad
and at home, this year seems to be the jubilee of unreason.
—Once a Week.

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