The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-24 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1847.

The education grant, proposed by the Government,
was last night acceded to by the House of Commons
with but very little opposition. The whole debate
upon that subject has been most interesting, and its
result most satizfactory. And it has been in-
teresting, not because great men were numbered
among its speakers, or because their discourses were
animated with eloquence, but because its theme was
most important and consequently a most interesting
one, namely, the education of the great body of the
leople. Beyond this, the result of that debate has

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been most satisfactory, not again because :a large
majority demonstrated the power of the Govern-
ment, but because during that debate principles were
laid down and affirmed as forcibly and as effec-
tively as if carried by the most overwhelming ma-
jority. And these principles—principles which
we might have supposed would hardly have needed
affirmation at the present day—were, in the first
place, that the education of the lower classes is a
matter of the most urgent necessity ; secondly, that

it is advisable, in such an all-important affair, for the
Government to interfere ; and, lastly, that the assis-
tance consequent upon such interference should be ex-
tended to all the different sects into which Christianity
is unhappily divided. These great principles, of which

the last, though technically negatived, was virtually

affirmed,—these great principles were the topics of

the debate incident to the Government measure—a

measure which was introduced by the straightforward
explanation of Lord J. RUSSELL, and enforced by the
emphatic approval of Sir ROBERT PEEL; which ob-
tained the strenuous advocacy of the present Secre-
tary of State, and the hearty concurrence of
his predecessor; which, moreover, elicited the earnest

eloquence of Mr. iiACAULAT, and the mag-

nanimons co - operation of

Lord ARUNDEL•

But, after all, what is this Government measure,
from which so much is expected, and to which,

strangely enough, so much opposition has been
raised ? It is, in reality, very simple, very little in
itself, so little indeed that Lord J. RUSSELL antici-
pates the general exclamation, "Is this all ? are you
doing nothing more ?" It is for this very character-
istic, however, that we are chiefly inclined to welcome
it. By attempting little, the Government are likely
to do much. " This is not a final measure," ob-

served Sir GEORGE GREY, "In the meantime we

ask you for these means," said Lord JOHN Rus- I
SELL, adverting to greater things which may 1
take place hereafter. It is precisely in this light, as=
incipient reform, as a progressive benefit—that we
regard and that we value these new education minutes.
Few as are the reforms contained in them, they are
nevertheless very important ones. The money voted
for educational purposes has for the most part hitherto
been employed in the construction of schools, the
Lords of the Council have therefore now thought
fit to turn their attention from the number
to the nature of these schools, and instead of
erecting new ones to endeavour to ameliorate the
condition of the old. For this purpose, in the first
place, more inspectors will be required ; and secondly

(impressed with the conviction that, in order to im-
prove both school and scholars, it is absolutely neces-
sary to improve the schoolmaster), they have framed
a series of resolutions likely to be of great and last-
ing benefit. Beautifully and truthfully has Lord
JOHN RUSSELL expatiated upon the value of the
teaching of a good master, as contrasted with
the lessons of an inefficient or indifferent
master : and in order to procure the inestimable
advantage of good instructors, the Government have
determined not only to reward the meritorious
during the discharge of their laborious duties, and to
pension them when unfit for further service, but also
by a system of apprenticeship to prepare them in their
youth for the duties hereafter to devolve upon them.
Were it only for this one portion, upon the de-
tails of which it is not necessary now to
enter, the proposed scheme would be most
valuable ; but when united with similar, though
perhaps minor reformations, and above all, when
coupled with the assurance that this is but a begin-
ning, and that better things are in prospect, the Go-
vernment measure elicits our hearty and almost entire
approbation. We have said almost, for surely it is
not necessary for us to state that we cannot concur
with the one exclusive clause of this otherwise very
liberal measure. In dispensing Government assist-
ance to the various schools scattered over the country,
Churchmeis and Dissenters will alike be cared for,
even the Wesleyans will now be admitted, while an
equally loyal portion of their fellow-countrymen will
still be neglected and overlooked. Half-a-million of
money, Lord JOHN RUSSELL tells us, has already
been expended for educational purposes, but of that
sum not one shilling, he tells us, has been devoted
to these religionists ; and so it is still to continue I
So it is to continue, although, the Prime Minister
himself, although Sir GEORGE GREY, Sir ROBERT
PEEL, Sir JAMES GRAHAM, and almost every
speaker, whether in favour of, or opposed
to the Government, strongly and strenuously
declared their opinion to the contrary! Why
this should be we leave it to the impartiality of
unbigotted multitudes to determine ? Why this
should be we have not sufficient indifference to the
cause of religious toleration to pause and deliberate
with calmness ?
Turning to a less embarrassing consideration :
The Dissenters have very properly objected to a
Church monopoly in education ; their rights are now
to a certain extent admitted ; let them join with the
Church in showing similar liberality elsewhere. Let
them remember that however strong may be our
belief in the religious error of any sect, that that
is no reason for keeping them in ignorance.
The principal objection to the new measure, the one,
indeed, upon which all depended, namely, whether
the Government had a right to interfere in state edu-
cation, was handled in the most masterly manner by
Mr. MACAULAY. Not satisfied with his own impres-
sive eloquence, he enforced his arguments with the
most unanswerable logic. It is the clear duty of a
Government (he tells us) to protect life and property ;
ignorance endangers life and property ;—consequently
it becomes the duty of Government to employ educa-
tion as a preventive. Otherwise, nothing is left but force
a:KI punishment, which latter mode is unfortunately
too much preferred. " More than half of those now
in our penal colonies might have been honourably
and usefully employed on their native soil, if the
State had expended, in forming them into honest
men, but a small part of what has been expended in
inflicting misery on rogues." Further on, he tells us
that Government appears to he regarded as " the
great hangman of the age ; the business of Govern-
ment is to do nothing for the repression of crime
among its subjects, except by harsh and degrading
means; from the employment of all means towards
that end which operate by elevating the intellectual and
moral nature of man, Government is excluded." It is
unnecessary, however, to pursue the argument, suffice it
that the principle of Government interference has
been admitted, and is being acted upon. Men have
recognised the advisability, nay more, the paramount
necessity (to refer to an observation quoted by Lord
J. RUSSELL) "of placing a guide-post at the begin-
ning of a man's life rather than a gibbet at the end
of it." In order to do this, however, it is necessary
that• unanimity should prevail. " While we are fight-
ing and squabbling about points of difference," said
Sir R. PEEL, "we are neglecting that which, in all
Christian lands, ought to be a subject of deep
consideration, namely, the enlightenment of the
people in Christian principles—the improvement of
their intellectual culture and their instruction in
secular knowledge, I believe that true charity, true
policy, and true regard for religious truth ought to
encourage us to lay aside our differences—to con-
template the magnitude of the present evil, and to
teach the children of all sects the great truths of
Christianity." Upon these beautiful and truly
liberal words all comment were superfluous.
Again, referring to the constant disputes between
Churchmen and Dissenters, he exclaims—" While
this is going on, what is becoming of the 800 children
born every day, of the 300,000 added yearly to our
population ?" Such a demand is, indeed, unanswer-
able ; such a figure is, indeed, appalling, At the
very lowest computation, according to a calculation
referred to by Lord J. RUSSELL, it appears that in
every ten years nearly 1,250,000 individuals are
twenty thrown upon society, " who have never had a place
in a dtzusscahnodoly::arllllyr
ithan
not
the
ee
sum h hundred l i
nagn d?
And yet, perhaps, we
wholesale
such things are so habituated to view
full magnitude of their that
we hardly comprehend the
trning. In the same way
in which we read his proceed unmoved
ndand:caenraieis,f " so many
through records of battles and
?deal upon
5 1 theminil
thousand prisoners, so many thous
the field ;" they are mere words, and wet
as such ; they affect us no more than aa
memorandum of so many pieces of cannon
taken. But, as it has been remarked, and
doubtless often experienced, let us but enter into
details ; let us but select one individual from the
ghastly group—view him in his death agony—listen
to his tortured shrieks—Witness his filial struggles!