The Sun.
London, England, 1823-06-17 00:00:00

NEW LANARK SCHOOLS.

(Front t. 4! Ziilab4rgli Star, Julie 10, )

TO TIIeEOLTOrt or iut ETUN.IIIIROLL STAR,

Sin—The statement in your paper of Tuesday
last (purporting to be a Report of the PrOccetlings,of the Gene-
ral Assembly), relative to the Lanark Schools, is calculated to
lead the public to suppose, lo.the first place, that these Matsui-
tions are parochial schools, supported .by the Parish funds ;
then, that the Presbyters of Lanark haVe a rijfrt to dictate
what school books the proprietors ,of the schools shall use;
again, that the Bible i not regularly read in these Schools ;
and, that my father is an enenmy to the practiml, ruoralisy
of the. Seriptusm, . . - -

NO one who has had the means of ascertaining the, truth of
these suppthzitions, 1,;•111 require to be told that they are taaliy
without foundation. But there are many who have had no
opportunity of ascertaining their truth or falsehood. To these
1 would state--

That these schools were built, and are supported entirely by*
the New Lanark Company:

That the Committee of 'the Presbytery of Lanark, when
visiting them, founded their right of interference art the princi
ple, that they !ere authorised to dietatein the same. manner in
the case of every pritate seminary, even in tint of a fetrUlY
tutor,'a power which few, 1 believe, !unitl be inclined to per-
mit them to exercise:.

That my father is not hostile to the literality ortire Scrip.
tures, but that his chief attention has been directed for many
years Jo promote the practical principles of genuine Chris-
tianity : and that, while his private opinion is, that the Shorter
Catechism, and many portions of the Bible, particularly of the
Old Testament, are unsuitable as lessons for children under
ten years of age • (in which opinion he is far from being sin-
gular for it is one entettained by many very excellent Chris-
tians) he has yet cheerfully given way to the wishes of others,
who were of a different opinion. The Scriptures have alwayi
been, and WV. nOT4I, rekidarity read twice a :trek, exclusive f!l'
Sun dap, fly. an hour eacl: time, and the Colecli:m regularly
taught en Sandal's in our Schools ; anti the Committee of
the Presbytery are quite aware of this too. I told them
so. They then complained, that we Lad at one time
'given up reading the Scriptures'.ibr a week yr On dap,
I explainedto them, that this originated entirely in the head
masters understanding that what my father had ordct%d regard.
ing the Catechism, viz. that it should be taught only on Sun-
days, applied likewise to the Seripture, which misundert,tand-
ing was corrected as soon as toy 'father was aware it existed.
They ea:pressed theurtrlyee quite s4lierti on this head, but coin-
planted that the same attcmion *as not paid in regard to the
Shorter Catechism as to the Scriptures.'
I appeal for the truth of this statement to the teachers of these
schools, and to the committee themselves. These gentlemen
can best explain how such facts tally with the report there)).
pear to have presented to the General Assembly.
This report is the More extraordinary, considering, that on
the day subsequent to their visit, I celled, accompanied by
Mr. Clegg, one of the superintendents of our works, on Ow
Reverend Mr. Menzies, clergyman of Old Lanark, who was
one of the ( min;ttee, and repeated to hiM that the Scrip-
tuxes acre regui•.rly read in the schools, ;that they had never
bevii prollibikcl, that the Catechism W4l taught to the
children on Sundays—requesting of hint, to' state the 140,1
fully in the report, Wilidi I understood he intended to imike to
•• the C(Teral Ast4inhly. Mr. Mtnzies said, that the. Commit,
tee diet not collie to exunthie the Sunday school, anti that there.
fore in the report to. tht: Gencial 4-.4etubly, Mr ebeto9utortm
Vibe C,..1.,1,t,tnt's 'wing laNpler ou S6niftrio ;Could .71(4 it z1ie,,1,.
floilel • and in this he persisted, althotigh we represented to
him that, in that case, the General Assembly, as well as the
Vtl-tir'itilete. it't'cue'utrz7l::reutt llt'ir::wchllt'e wr
re:tl'enri'c'titi tirpTiehg.,
and to Mr. IllenOes himself.

I nits prepared, after this conversation to see the matter
stated to my father's disadvantage; but dint the whole report
should be so' completely opposed to facts, I confess I did net
expect.
myself have, for sortie time past, in my father's alisence.,hed
the charge of our schools, and therefore every thing, lave,
stated came immediately under my own eye.
1 consider this statement necessary ; not by any means as
recognising the right of the General Asserohlv to call for Such
an explanation, but as being *unwilling that 111 r, inpsito and
his colleagues should represent to the public ,that any just
cause exists Why " the proper /authorities should interfere to
protect the Scriptures from being treated with contempt."
Illy father is at present in London, and it becothes my duty
to lay the real state of the case before the public.
In conclusion, I would state, that these remarks on the report
in question hold good Only in so* far as that report may have
been correctly Kivu in the newspapers.
I 4111 Sir, your obedient servant,
ROBERT OWEN, Junior.
EastilehLPlaCe, June 1823.
The children generally leave our day scbc.ols at thatnge,