The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-24 00:00:00

COPPER COIN.

Sir DE L. EVANS wished to ask the Secretary of
the Treasury, in reference to the inconvenient deficiency
of copper money felt in the trade of this metropolis,
what steps were being taken to remedy this defidiency?
Mr. WILSON reminded the house that last year
he announced that a contract had been entered into
with a Birmingham house for the supply of 500,000
tons of copper coinage ; owing to the scarcity of iron,
some difficulty had been felt in carrying out the con-
tract, but that scarcity no longer existed, and the con-
tract was now in the course of execution. (Hear, hear.)
This, it was hoped, would be sufficient to remove the
inconvenience that was now felt. (Hear, hear.)
GREECE.

Sir J. WALSH wished to ask the noble lord the
member for the city of London, if her Majesty's Govern-
ment had received any intelligence of a remonstrance hav-
ing been addressed by the Emperor of France to the Go-
vernment of the King of Greece on the subject of their
interference with the Ottoman empire, and if so, whether
the remonstrance was accompanied by a threat of ag-
gresive measures against Greece, and whether such a
step had been taken with ;the consent of her Majesty's
Government? (Hear.)
Lord J. RUSSELL said the hon. baronet having
given him notice of his question, he had endeavoured
to see his noble friend at the head of the Foreign De-
partment about it. He had not succeeded in meeting
with his noble friend, but he believed he might state
that no such intelligence had been received. (Hear.)
CHOBHAM BRIGADIERS.

Col. NORTH wished to ask the Secretary-at-War,
whether those officers who performed the duties of
brigade majors to the different brigades in camp at Chob-
hatn,:were to receive the pay and allowances usually
granted to officers holding that appointment ?
Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT said, when the camp at
Claobharu was agreed to, the Horse Guard authorities
were anxious that the public should be put to as little
expense as possible in carrying it out, and therefore
they at first determined to select officers from the diffe-
rent regiments to perform the duties of brigade-generals,
but they received several applications from officers for
permission to undertake the duties without any increase
of pay, as they were anxious to obtain experience
in the discharge of such duties. (Hear, hear.) Ac-
cordingly, the officers who were appointed as brigade-
majors only received field pay and forage for their
horse for the time being, without obtaining any claim to
a continuance of the increase in their pay. (Hear.)
DUBLIN HOSPITALS.
Mr. GROGAN called attention, pursuant to notice,
to the small amount of the Parliamentary grants to the
Dublin hospitals. He reminded the house that all those
hospitals were endowed liberally by the Irish Parliament
previous to the Union, but since the Union a system of
centralisation had impoverished Dublin, and, therefore,
these hospitals were gradually dwindling away for want
of adequate support. He now asked the house to re-
store the full amount, not the diminished amount of the
grants which those institutions enjoyed before the union.
In three years upwards of 46,000 patients had been re-
lieved in those hospitals, and on the score of suffering
humanity alone those inst tutions ought to be supported.
Ina.nother point of view, they were invaluable—that was in
the large share of practice they afforded to the faculty
in forming the Dublin School of Medicine, as to the
excellence of which school he need not say one word.
It appeared, from the Parliamentary papers, that large
numbers of soldiers of the Dublin garrison were every
year received into those hospitals, averaging from
five hundred to six hundred a year. (Hear, hear.)
He thought, then, in many points of view, he was jus-
tified in urging on her Majesty's Government the abso-
lute justice of liberally endowing those institutions. He
therefore asked the house to appoint a select committee
to investigate the claims of those hospitals to an in-
creased amount of grants.
The motion having been seconded,
Mr. WILSON said if menibera would look to the
paper they would find the lion. member had put a notice
of motion for " Dublin Hospitals," without giving any
notice of the specific nature ofthe motion. But while find-
ing fault with the notice, hedid not find fault with the rea-
sonable proposition of the hon. member, and he could
state the Government would offer no opposition to the com-
mittee which the hon. member asked for. But while
saying this, he felt bound to say that unless Dub-
lin could show some special claim for exemption, he
feared the Government could not consent to the Dublin
hospitals being put on a different footing from the hos-
pitals of other large towns.
Mr. COWAN could not see any ground for the com-
mittee which the hon. member for Dublin asked for,
because he thought increased grants of money
to those institutions would have the effect of doing away
in a great measure with private benevolence and charity.
He thought moreover that the hospitals of Edinburgh
had an equal claim to those of Dublin, and he thought it
unwise to make such institutions depend upon State
support.
Mr. VAI‘.TCE differed from the last hon. member (Myr.
Cowan) in his view of those institutions, and conceived
that the system of centralisation to which both Dublin
and Edinburgh have been subjected, and to the evils of
which the eyes of both Ireland and Scotland were now
at last opened, had taken away from those cities
those classes of inhabitants—the nobility and corn-
moners-7--who were to a large extent the means of'
supporting their public institutions, though even now
there was no city in the empire which contributed more
to charitable institutions than Dublin did.
Mr. V. SMITH, as one of the committee who inquired
into this subject in 1846-7, denied the accuracy of the
hon. gentleman (Mr. Grogan) as to the course adopted
by that committee. But the question he conceived was
one of principle, and he agreed with the hon. member
for Edinburgh (Mr. Cowan) that public grants to those
institutions was a bad principle, for in every other
country they were supported by voluntary contribu-
tions.

Mr. P. O'BRIEN referred to a statement that had been
put forward, that the 12 London hospitals had a reveille
of 142,9061., and of that only 31,0001. was contributed
by private subscriptions.
Sir J. YOUNG said it was most important that the
peculiar claims of Dublin should at once be investigated,
and if it could be shown that there was no ground for
the exemption of those hospitals, then let the recom-
mendation of the committee be proceeded with. There
were 14 of the charitable institutions of Dublin sup-
ported partly by public grants, but a large number of
others were entirely maintained by voluntary contribu-
tions. It might be well to ascertain whether there were
not too many of those institutions, and whether, by a
judicious amalgamation, the same amount of good might
not he effected at a reduced expenditure for rent, medical
officers, &c. If they were properly econotnised and
amalgamated, the people of Dublin might obtain the
same amount of relief for the sick and the infirm with-
out so large an expense being entailed on them, and that
would properly form a part of the inquiry of the com-
mittee.

Mr. J. O'CONNELL thought ft a wise thing of the
Government to make some concession to the strong
feeling that existed in Dublin in reference to this subject.
The motion was then agreed to.
METROPOLITAN BRIDGES.
Mr. OLIVEIRA moved for a select committee to in-
quire into the state and condition of the bridges over
the Thames in the metropolis ; to report whether they
are adequate to the present vastly increasing traffic ;
whether it be desirable to construct one or more bridges
over the river ; and if so, at what point or points ; whe-
ther it would be desirable to provide, out of local funds,
the means of throwing open to the public the present
toll-paying bridges, and if so, upon what terms such
bridges could be thrown open. The Government having
assented to the appointment of this committee, he would
reserve his facts and details for the committee up stairs.
(Hear, hear.)
Sir B. HALL hoped it was not the intention of the
Government to inflict any local taxation upon the people
on account of those bridges. He could not ascertain
that there had been any movement with regard to them
except on the part of the shareholders of the different
bridges. As it was the intention of his right hon. friend
the Chief Commissioner of Works to grant the com-
mittee, he hoped he would take these two points into
consideration, first, whether it would be advisable,
under any circumstances, to grant public money to buy
up bridges which the shareholders had found to be a
bad speculation ; and next, whether any of the ex-
pense should be put upon the local funds without the
inhabitants having any voice in the matter. A rumour
was abroad that it was intended to raise a sum of money
in these different localities to buy up the shareholders
who had found these speculations failures, and he hoped
that would not be sanctioned.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH did not see any objection to
the appointment of this committee to inquire whether
the existing bridges were adequate to the traffic, whe-
ther any new bridges ought to be built, and if so where?
All these were important questions for the consideration
of Parliament and a committee of that house. As re- 1
g,tarded the buying up
he must say that of the tons of some a these bridges
he objocted to haying them bought up

by public money out of the Consolidated Fund. He
thought means ought to be provided out of the local
funds of the metropolis for that purpose. It would be
foi• the committee, however, to investigate all these points,
and report to the house.
Sir J. SHELLEY said it was well worthy of consid-
eration whether by opening all the bridges free of toll it
would not be possible to relieve the streets of London of
the enormous amount of traffic which uow encumbered
them. (Hear.) If he were appointed on the commit-
tee, he certainly should not agree to throw the ex-
pense on the local rates, especially so long as the
coal tax was continued. (Hear.) He hoped before
long the report of the City Commission would be made,
and that the tax would be got rid of altogether. (Hears
hear.) But if it were to be retained, and if the
inhabitants of the district 20 miles round London were
to be taxed for the benefit of the metropolis, he thought
that there could not be a better application of the pro-
duce of the tax than to the purpose of relieving the
crowded state of the streets. (Hear.)
Mr. GOULBURN suggested that with a view to this
object the Thames Tunnel should be included in the
inquiry. (A laugh.)
Lord J. MANNERS made an observation which was
not audible in the gallery.
Mr. LAING said the present position of the bridges
was attended with great inconvenience to the metropolis.
Those which were free, London-bridge particularly—
(hear), had an enormous traffic, which was attended
with absolute danger, and which must be increased by
the approaching opening of the Crystal Palace Railway.
Undoubtedly the necessity for some remedy was most
urgent.
Mr. OLIVEIRA. said the observations of the hon.
baronet (Sir B. Hall) were inopportune and uncalled
for. The committee was proposed not at all with the
view the hon. baronet suggested, but upon purely public
grounds.
The motion was agreed to.
THE INNS OF COURT.
Mr. NA'PIER had given notice of an address for a
commission to inquiry into the arrangements in the inns
of court for promoting the study of law and jurispru-
dence, the revenues properly applicable, and the means
most likely to secure a systematic and sound education
for students of law, and provide satisfactory tests of fit-
ness for admission to the bar. The hon. and learned
gentleman, however, when called upon, said that, in
consequence of a communication from the Lord Chan-
oellor, he desired to postpone it, as the subject was
under consideration.
EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND.

The LORD-ADVOCATE, in rising to move for leave
to bring in a bill to make further provision for the edu-
cation of the people of Scotland, and to amend the laws
relating thereto, said there was no doubt of the import-
ance of the subject, nor, unfortunately, was there any
doubt of its difficulty, and although the other evening
there had been a very interesting debate on English edu-
cation, it had not tended at all to diminish the difficulty.
For his own part, however, he felt that difficulties on
theoretical or abstract points ought to give way before
an energetic and earnest attempt to remove them. With
the means at hand, and a hearty goodwill for the object,
the education of the people ought to be one of the easiest
and most simple of national duties. Even looked at as
a matter of philanthropy or duty, men should be willing
to waive difference of opinion in order to rescue the rising
generation from an ignorance too often as bad as the
worst of creeds and fatal as the worst of crimes. But it
was not a mere question of duty or philanthropy—for
owing to the neglect of other generations and our own
it was now a question of self-defence. The plain fact
was, that amidst all our prosperity there was growing
up in the centre of all our great towns, at the root of our
social system, a barbarous race—tied to us by none of
the sympathies which ought to hind together citizens of
the same state—inheriting with the blood the passions
not less than the thewes and sinews of the race from
which they sprang, but with their energies untamed and
untutored by any humanising influence, and their pas-
sions unrestrained by any sense of duty to their God or
to their fellowmen. Any One conversant as he was with
the statistics of crime knew that there was no exaggera-
tion in this, but that it was merely the statement of a
simple fact. Unless this huge evil were grappled with,
not in mere patronising sympathy, but in the conviction
of the most urgent necessity, we should too late find out
our fatal error. We must deal with the question on the
conviction that there was at the very base of society a
deep-rooted, foul, pestilential element, which in some
upheaving of the social system would sweep everything
away. The measure he had to propose was far from
being adequate to the evil; the remedy must necessarily
be the work of time ; and the great difficulty was, that
while the evil pressed, delay was necessary to apply
an effective remedy. For twenty years we had been con-
tending about schemes of education, and during that
time three generations of schoolboys had grown up int*
men, and these were the men with whom during the
lives of those now living we should have to deal. Let
the battle of opinion rage as it might out of doors, but
let Parliament seek to apply the best practical remedy
in its power, He cared not whether his bill would meet
any abstract views ; we might wait long enough before ,
any measure did so ; but the great thing was to do as
much as possible to wards attaining the object which all
had at heart. (Hear, hear.) There was one great diffi-
culty which lay at the base of the question, fortunately
of a simple practical nature—the want of information as
to the amount of educational destitution. The first ob-
ject must be to meet this difficulty. In Scotland there
had existed for 300 years a system founded on the prin-
ciple that education ought not to be left to mere volun-
tary efforts, but established if not maintained by the
State. In every parish there was a school supported by
the landowners. Now this was a system that only re-
quired extension. It was the duty of the Govern-
meat to provide for every member of the commu-
nity the means of education. (Hear, hear.) The
question, however, at the outset was, how far there
was a deficiency. The Government' did not propose
to appoint a committee or commission for the purpose
of inquiry, but to establish under a general board a
system ot school inspection on a scale larger than had
yet existed either in England or in Scotland. The object
being to effect a complete educational survey of the whole
of Scotland, and to furnish materials from which in 1856
there should be laid before Parliament a perfect account
of the educational condition of the country ; not merely
showing what schools existed, what were required, and
how many scholars attended, but going into details even
more minute, enabling Parliament to see what was
wanting in every town or parish, in every part of it, and
in every way. These returns, he proposed, should be con-
tinued year after year. The ultimate result, he hoped,
might be, among other improvements, the establishment
of reformatory schools on an adequate scale. He also
hoped to see one day established the principle of compul-
sory attendance upon schools to this extent—that as it
was the duty of a parent to maintain his children, and the
law enforced that duty upon him, and punished him if
he neglected it, being able to discharge it; or, if he were
unable to discharge it, performed it for him—so it was
the duty of a parent not to permit his children to grow
up as savages in the midst of civilisation, and that the
law should compel him to the duty of educating them so
far as it was practicable, and if he were unable to per-
perform it, to see that it was done. (Hear.) It would
be impossible, of course, to carry out these objects, or
meet all the exigencies of the case, until the returns,
werf. presented ; but there were certain alterations
which the Government proposed at once to introduce
in the system of parochial schools to which Scotland
had owed so much. The first improvement intended
was as to the remuneration of the schoolmasters. The
salaries were fixed every twenty-five years on the ave-
rage of the price ot corn ; the last average was taken in
1828, and 'the maximum was 341. a-year, the minimum
25/. The twenty-five years expired this year, and the
new average would give us the maximum 281., and the
minimum 191. a-year. It was impossible to allow such
a state of things to continue. (Hear.) It was proposed
to increase the salary of the schoolmaster to the uniform
rate of 501. a-year—the landowners (or heritors) still
paying 341. a-year, the present maximum ithe rest being
paid by the Privy Council out of a parliamentary grant.
Moreover, it was proposed to establish a retiring al-
lowance of not less than 251. a-year, the want of
which was most deeply felt at present—(hear, hear)—
and further, to allow the schoolmaster three rooms in-
stead of two. Next, it was intended to abolish the
religious test as to schoolmasters, which at present
was the same as with regard to professors in the
universities—a test of subscription to the formularies of
the Established Church of Scotland. The clause framed
for this purpose would provide, "That it shall not be
necessary for the parochial schoolmasters to subscribe
any test, confession of faith, or creed." It was not in-
tended by this to diminish the safeguards of religious
belief. The religious differences in Scotland were almost -
entirely confined to questions of Church govenrnent and
discipline ; and in regard to religious belief the people
were substantially agreed. Although no longer a mem-
ber of the Established Church of that country he was
friendly to her, and would give her advocates this advice
that they would do well to get rid of a test-which only
excited rivalries and dissentious. Let the children of
Scotland be taught out of the same books, in the same
schools, and it would be time enough when they grew up
to acquaint them with differences as to Church government.
With regard to the election of schoolmasters, it was in-
tended to leave it as-at present, in the hands of the "heri-
tors" and ministers. But the present system of superin-
tendence under the presbyteries was most inefficient,
and, indeed, merely nominal, so that the schools had,
in too many instances, become debased and degraded be;
yond imagination. Still it was not designed to do away
with it at once, and it would be left to the heritors and
ministers, with the addition of inspection under the
central board, while it would be provided that if the
heritors desired to relieve themselves from the burden of
supporting the schools they might do so at once, re-
signing them to the superintending care of the board,
which would be similar to that established for new
schools. He now came to the vexctta questio of religious
education. He did not think the abolition of the tee

would weaken the guarantees for religious education,
and in fact, although stimulated by recent controversies,
the Church was rather vigilant now in regard to it, yet
in times of lethargy it must be, as it had been, only
nominal and nugatory. The fact was, that in Scotland
the religious difficulty was no difficulty at all. In a
country where the mass of the people were of one re.
ligion, the difficulty could scaecely exist, and only re-
quired to be grappled with to disappear. On a former
occasion an hon. member (Mr. Adderley) had quoted a
supposed declaration of his, published by a Rev. Dr.
Bryce as made in some speech at Leith—a declara-
tion that he (the Lord Advocate) would desire rather
that mathematics should not be taught in the schools
than Christianity should cease to be taught there.
He was certain that in no reported speech of his had
any such opinion been expressed ; and he could only
ascribe the statement to the delusion and imagination of
the rev. writer, or rather to his drawing inferences
and conclusions as to his (the Lord Advocate's) pro•..
Domed opinions. lie.. had always contended for the