The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-19 00:00:00

i•..J.M.LY ~,•41.14.-Sl. -
THE MEANS OF NATIONAL EDU

CATION.

TO LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
My Lord Russell,—Of the results, moral, scientifica
and useful, which must necessarily emanate from insti
tutions of an educational character, we need only appeal
to the experience of the past to discover some of the
good fruits which have arisen ; of the greater amount
of gold which they have produced we can form no esti-
mate. To accelerate the progress of society in its best
phases is indeed a work worthy of the highest ambition
of the wise and the good ; posterity will do justice to
those exertions in a manner suited to the appreciation
which they will then have of their value. I cannot,
however, consent that the advantages so manifestly de-
sirable should be obtainable upon terms of injustice to
the country at large, when it is clearly discoverable that
by a proper insight into the resources provided by the
bequests of charitable individuals, an immense sum
remains unappropriated to the purposes for which, by
the benevolent donors, it was originally intended. I
place myself thus prominently before your Lordship
from the knowledge I have of th 3 facts, however re-
markable may be the sources of information to which I .
have access, that if the information contained
in the report of the Select Committee upon the
subject, made thirty years since, were allowed to
become public there is a sum of one million of pounds
sterling per annum, to which we have a national cicim
for the purposes of national education, and which only
wants to be well looked after to be got hold of, and
which the serious consequences of an untimely inter-
ference with certain vested interests is perhaps the prin-
cipal reason for concealment.
Perhaps the First Minister of the Crown will conde
scend to inform the country why the evidence which
would comprise the contents of fifty volumes was not
allowed to be printed.
You aro not a young statesman, my Lord ; but my
Lord B--m, who is an old stager, and is indebted to
his present elevation partly in consequence of his sub-
serviency to the selfish principles of the Whigs, can in-
form the world (if he chooses) of all the particulars of
this infamous transaction, which stamps the authors of
it with a character of the most scandalous political dis-
honesty, and is a virtual robbery of one million per
annum for thirty years of the people of the-e realms.
Now that the pretended necessity has been put forward
by the Whigs for the appropriation of the money out of
the public purse, it is, I conceive, the opportunity which
gives us a right to demand the restitution of these stolen
properties. _

. .
If the industry of man' in 14, past state of physical and
scientific development, bath given to the world so large
au earnest of its capabilities to promote the highest hap-
piness of the species, by the surprising surplus of means
which it has placed at the disposal of the rich for the
general interests of humanity, how consistent
with the strictest justice is the circumstance, that
the reflux of this high tide of wealth and pros
perity should return to fertilise and rejoice,
by a thousand tributary streams, the fountains
of universal knowledge, peace, love, and happiness.
Without perhaps intending so palpable a demonstration
of the political power of the middle classes, the
League thus became the pioneers of the expression
of popular opinion, and the unconscious promoters
of the democratic principle. That the progress of poli-
tical freedom should have been so remarkably accelerated
by the opulent portion of the community, is only one of
those strange anomalies that have so often been found preg-
nant with the most important consequences, thus carry-
ing on the process of restitution on a liberal and ex-
tended scale. -The British nation is the only one, in the
great political drama, that can confidently appeal to history
in support of those claims to the best uses of freedom,
which by other European powers have been so desecrated.
She bath in herself eminently and essentially the ele-
ments of true nobility and moral greatness But as the
highest qualities are of the slowest growth, so has
there never yet been given to the people of this
great country, a Government in every respect honest
enough to forward her highest interests, and fully to
dcvelope its magnificent resources. She has been, is,
and will continue to be, the harbinger of peace to the
world, in the equal distribution of the balance of power
—why should she not be happy in herself ? And what
may not be anticipated of the improved destinies of man-
kind, when, at perfect harmony within herself, her ener-
gies are directed externally to the conservation of all
that is vvorth living for in the constitution of society,
and internally to the establishment of those high and
holy principles which must one day make truth their
only empire, and universal happiness their sole aim.

My Lord, a truly high and noble destiny is mapped
out for you, the history of nations affords but ignoble
comparisons with the power which you can sway, for
good or evil, in this remarkable era of the world's his-
tory; may you live to accomplish all that is desirable in
the difficult task which Providence has designed for you,
and, treading with the security of a nation's friendship in
the path only of dignity and true honour, realise our best
and happiest aspirations.
Your Lordship's obedient servant,
DURHAM.

MARYLEBONE VESTRY.
HEALTH OF TOWN'S BILL.
On Saturday the Rev. Dr. Spry took the chair, and
the gen, ral parochial business having been disposei of,
Mr. GARRETT, at the head of a numerous depu-
tation, entered the vestry-room with an address from
the parochial committee, which, after complimenting
the veatry upon their opposition to the Health of Towns'
Bill, called upon them to persevere in that opposition, as
the bill contemplated the subversion of local self-govern-
ment, and the introduction of the baneful principles of
centralisation. The addressed recommended a deputa-
tion to government, a conference of the Metropolitan
parochial Boards, and interviews with the Members of
Parliament in order to secure the defeat of the most ob-
jectionable and unjustifiable measure that had ever been
proposed.
Mr. G. DANIEL moved the adoption of the
address, and having statistically proved that those
portions of the parish under the government of the
vestry were better regulated in a sanatory point of view,
and at a cheaper rate, titan those under the control of the
Woods and Forests, denounced the exemption of the
City from the effects of the Bill as a cowardly act, and
denounced the Bill itself as the substitution of nomina-
tion, patronage, and plural voting, for the representa-
tive and elective principles.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir PETER Lemur: seconded the motion, and said that
the Government would make the Bill a medium for ob-
taining appointments and pensions for their relatives
and friends.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. WILSON analysed and severely criticised the Bill.
Mr. LAURIE, the City Pleader, recommended the
vestry not to let the erroneous opinion of their being
opposed to the objects of th o measure go abroad, for
they only found fault with its machinery.
Sir B. HALL, Bart., M.P., promised to give the Bill
his most determined opposition, and although not
authorised to say so, he might, with confidence, state
that the Bill would not be persevered in during the
present session.— (Hear, hear) And he was fully satis-
fied that in its present shape it never would pass into
law.—(Hear, hear.) He assured the vestry that since
the introduction of the measure so numerous were the
applications to him for his interest to obtain situations
under it, that he had to employ a person to open and
read his letters.—(A laugh.)
Sir CHARLES NAPIER, M.P., also promised to join his
honourable colleague in opposing the Bill. He was con-
vinced that the City of London was exempted from its
provisions lest offence might be given to the electors, and
Lord John Russell should thereby be turned out of the
representation.---(frenr, hear.)
Several other gentlemen having expressed their dis-
approval of the Bill, the motion was carried.
The meeting adjourned at a late hour.

BRITISH MUSEUM-NEW HALL.
This splendid addition to the national establishment,
it is stated, will be opened for the first time to the public
to-day. The facade is now nearly completed; the inte-
rior, however, is entirely finished, and embellished in
the Etruscan order. The colouring throughout is rich,
chaste, and in perfect keeping with the ancient examples
of that order handed down to us from antiquity. The
hall is spacious, nearly square; on the right hand as the
visitors enter is the commodious room in which is placed
the Granville Library, which was bequeathed to the
country a short time ago. On the left is another spa-
cious room, containing a portion of the celebrated
Townley Collection; this part of the new edifice is in
future to be distinguished as the Townley Gallery, and
when entirely finished will form the means of com-
munication with theNvhole building. The hall is lofty,
with a pannelled roof, in the centre of which is a large
gold star on a blue ground, which has a remarkably
pleasing appearance. On the right of tho entrance door
is Roubilliac's well known and exquisite statue of
Shakspere ; on the left of the entrauca is another statue
by Chantrey ; both are placed on white marble pedestals.
The floor of the hall is laid out in very large squares of
Portland stone, with small grey marble diamonds. At
the back of tho hall is a magnificent flight of steps,
with a ballustrade of polished stone, so highly worked
up that it resembles porcelain. The ballustrade rests on
a wall cf red granite; at the lower termination of the
ballustrade on either side is a white alabaster Etruscan vase.
At the top of the flight is a landing-place the width of the
hall, to the right and left of which are corresponding
staircases leading to two natural history rooms, which
open into the old mineral gallery. The entrance to these
is by three doors finely painted after the Etruscan. The
tout ensemble, as viewed from below, is imposing. The
room in which the Lycian marbles are to be deposited is
built, and the specimens are now being placed in their
positions. This part of the building, however will not
be properly arranged for a year or two, as it is calcu-
lated it will occupy as long a period in putting the frag-
ment: of the sculpture together—a delicate process, re-
quiring the utmost taste, care, and skill. In connexion
with ancient art, it is not generally known that in
the museum have been placed some marbles brought
over by Sir Charles Fellowes from a temple dedicated to
llarpagus, general of Cyrus, 546 years before Christ--
I the earliest of examples of Greek art in our possession,
showing that the same principle of building and working
the marble was used then as now.

The O'Conor Don and Mr. French, M.P., had an in-
terview with Sir George Grey on Saturday, at the
110Ine-offtec