The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-16 00:00:00

THE IRISH LAND BILL IN THE LORDS.

The Post hopes that before the bill has passed through
Committee, the Marquis of Salisbury will be able to
realise its true character, and to divide its provisions into
somewhat less invidious categories than those of "white,
grey, and black." Of those provisions which he charac-
terises as " white" he approves ; and we doubt not that
upon further consideration he will find its " grey " and
" black" provisions neither so grey nor so black as he is
at present disposed to paint them. We are con-
fident that before the Land Bill is returned to the
House of Commons many of the disparaging comments
which were made upon it on Tuesday will either be re-
called or will not be repeated; and looking both to the
arguments which were advanced by the Opposition in re-
spect of this bill, and to the spirit by which they were
animated, we have the fullest confidence that in a few
weeks, at the outside, it will not 'only be incorporated in
the Statute book, but will carry a message of peace to the
homes of the Irish people.

The New Independent College at Taunton, Somer-
Betshire was opened on Tuesday.

VALUE OF PROPERTY IN IRELAND.—A. number
of properties have just been sold in the Landed Estates
Court, Dublin. They brought high prices. Several con-
siderable lots were sold at twenty-four years' purchase.
EDUCATIONAL CONGRESS IN VIENNA.—The 19th
German Educational Congress was closed on the TOth
inst. It was attended by 5,000 - schoolmasters and
schoolmistresses. Many able Addresses on the subject of
education were delivered, and liberal resolutions passed.
As regards the important question of religious education,
the prevalent feeling was that religion, as such, should be
taught in national schools, but that there should be no
dogmatic teaching—that the principles of religion in
general, and not some particular religion, should be taught,

WORKING INI EN AND EDUCATION.

The education meetings come thick and fast. On Tues-
day the land resounded with talk on this great topic. At
Manchester the Nonconformist ministers met to protest
against the inadequate character of the Government amend-
ments, and the Nonconformist Sunday-school teachers of
Lancaster, Chester, and Derby, held a conference which
resulted in favour of the unsectarian education being
given in rate-supported schools. At Liverpool the United
Presbyterian Presbytery also declared against " sectarian
formularies "in rate-supported schools. At Stafford the
Government Bill and its amendments were condemned.
At Nottingham, the branch of the League met, and it is
needless to say what conclusions it came to. At Romsey
the Nonconformists met, and repeated the performances
of their brethren at Manchester and Liverpool. Then
there was the meeting of three Nonconformist denomina-
tions in London, with their declarations against leaving
the decision of religious teaching to the school boards,
and against permitting any denominational teaching in
the rate schools.

But most noticeable of all was the working men's
gathering at Exeter Hall. Several members of Parlia-
ment, and most of the well-known speakers amongst the
working classes, took part. The Rev. C. H. Spurgeon
presided. He expressed his preference for every child being
compelled to go to school, for he did not believe a national
system would be of much use unless it were compulsory ;
and he was happy to find that the working men them-
selves were in favour of that compulsion. A national bill
was required for the rural districts as well as the large
towns. Nothing but the Day of Judgment would reveal
the extent of the oppression of the peasantry of England.
If they had had one tithe of the spirit of the working
men in large towns, they would never have submitted
—as they had submitted for years—to a condition little
better, after all, than that of the Russian serfs. The
fact that they could be bought, as it were, to any
religion, was a proof of this. He would like them to
read the newspapers, and to learn that wages were higher
in the neighbouring towns or in more distant places, so
that they need not bow and cringe before the squire and
priest in order to earn the pitiful dole with which they
try hard to keep body and soul together. National edu-
cation, then, was wanted, and it must be made compul-
sory. Granting this, he thought there could not have
been a much worse national bill than that before the
House of Commons. If it passed, a society would be
needed for emancipating education from State patronage
and control. He prayed they might not have to fight
over again the battles they had fought and won for con-
science sake. If he could persuade the Government to pass
a bill for teaching the doctrines which he preached, or
even for teaching infallible truth, he would earnestly pray
that he might not be led into the snare. What right had
he to compel his fellow-countrymen to pay for the sup-
port of his religion? He wished no man to do that, nor
would he wish to be forced to do it himself. He believed
the Government intended to do their best, but he could
not agree with them in trusting the Bumbledom of a dis-
trict to legislate on this question. The House of Com-
mons had said it was a difficult one, and had therefore
left it to the vestries. What were members sent to
the House of Commons for ? To decide difficult questions.
The House must face the difficulty, and not leave
the people to fight for days and nights with vestries.
The question could not be left to Bumbledom ; that would
not do. Nor could it be left to sects. There was another
point of great difficulty. There were many persons, and
he was one of them, who believed it to be the proper
thing that those children whose parents wished to have
the Bible read should be permitted to read the Bible in
schools. He would have a conscience clause, not by
which persons might apply to be exempted, but might
apply to be permitted to read the Bible. It would
not be a penalty, but a privilege, and he did not see
how any man's conscience could raise an objection.—
Then the working men had their turn. Mr. Cremer
(carpenter) moved a resolution, regretting that the
Government bill did not exclude denominational teaching
from the rate schools, and make attendance absolutely
compulsory, but expressing no opposition to the reading
of the Bible, with a conscience clause. He said that
Mr. Gladstone owed place and power and position
and influence to the people, and of this he might
be assured, that they would never allow him to hand over
the education of their children to the clergy of the Esta-
blished Church, or any other denomination.—The other
speakers were mostly moderate. Mr. Guile, ironfounder,
in seconding the resolution, bore testimony to the many
obligations working men were under to the voluntary
system, and hoped this bill would not dry up that source
of educational means.—Mr. Mottershead, silk weaver,
declared that working men, if they could, would not
exclude the Bible from their schools. They not only
loved it too much for that, but believed it was the grandest
school-book that could possibly be put into the hands of
a child.—An amendment absolutely excluding the
Bible, was proposed. but it met with little favour.—Mr.
Savage, die-sinker, contended that the Bible was the basis
of all our freedom, and working men would never give it
up.—The show of hands was then taken, but scarcely half
a dozen were held up for the amendment, and the original
resolution was carried amidst loud cheers.—Other speakers
were heard, and resolutions put, the proceedings passing
off most harmoniously.

COMIC PAPERS.
(From Punch.)

FENTANS' TELEGRAM TO THEIR FRIENDS—VeniMus,
vidimus, victi sumus.

NEW BOOK FOR THE SEASON.—Shortly will be pub-
lished, as a companion to "Juventus Mundi," "Juventus
Wednesday, or How We Went to the Derby in 1870. By
the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone. Correct Cards for
Goodwood, with Portraits. The Gladstone Hamper, the
Gladstone Dustcoat (reversible), in preparation for the
Brighton and Goodwood. Early application necessary.
VARIATION ON MACBETH.—The Home Secretary talks
of bringing a measure, to check the adulteration practised
by fraudulent tradesmen, forward next session. Ah !
Next session, and next session, and next session,
Creeps in this petty pace from month to month,
To the last syllable of late August's time ;
And all our Ministries have promised bills,
And wasted gusty breath.

SONGBIRDS OF BEAUTY.—A young lady has, by the ex-
cellence of her singing, acquired the title of " The Nor-
wegian Nightingale." This may be considered an honour
to the nightingale, but why should that warbler (S. Phi-
lomela luscinia) engross all such honour ? Norway is too
far north for nightingales, and a celebrated vocalist of
that country had better be styled the Norwegian Redwing,
whilst we might term a popular songstress of our own the
British Blackbird, or the English Bullfinch.

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, J UNE 161 1870 L

LORD BUTE'S REVERSION.

COMPULSORY PILOTAGE.

Monsignor Capel writes to .the Times, under date 14th
June :—The contemplated return of the Marquis of
Bute to the Anglican communion, which you have
reported from the John Bull, appeared in the
columns of a French journal so long ago as th e
middle of April. It was shown to Lord Bute.. He
deemed it unworthy of formal contradiction, and
trusted that its best refutation would be that he 'had
but a few days previously spoken publicly in favour
of the Pontifical Zona-yes, that he was about to send a
large donation to the Pope, and that it was well known he
was a regular communicant in the Church to which he
hadsubmitted after long and deep consideration. Your
contemporary is pleased to ignore these facts, and spread
a report which has not the smallest foundation. This is
the more ungenerous, as it must know that Lord Bute is
travelling in Spain, and cannot, therefore, promptly
defend himself. Had the John Bull remembered the
young Marquis was never a member of the Established
Church, it might have perceived its " reliable authority"
was leading it astray in announcing the return of Lord
Bute to the Anglican communion.

The select committee of the House of Commons ap-
pointed to inquire into the merits of the Government bill
to abolish compulsory pilotage, was engaged on Wednes-
day in the examination of witnesses from Fahnouth and
Grimsby in favour of the bill. Mr. Shaw Lefevre occupied
the chair, and the cross examination of the witnesses. was
as usual led by Mr. Greaves-.'ori the part of Liverpool,
which town was opposed to the bill.
Mr. Henry Fox, a gentleman who is connected with an
emiueut .mercantile and shipping firm of the . port of
Fahnouth, mid who is a -prominent member
of . the Chamber of Commerce in that town,
stated in reply to questions from Mr. Lefevre, that
in the course of the year probably three thousand foreign
vessels touched at the port of Falmouth and entered the
harbour, where they either lay for orders or for shelter,
Falmouth being one of the safest harbours in the world.
The consequence was thatin the fine weather the pilots
under the compulsory. system made so much money
that they absolutely refused- to go out to sea
(luring the winter months, and he had known of
cases in which vessels had been known in dark and stormy
weather to enter the harbour with the flag flying for a
pilot, while all the time the pilot boats were lying
idly at anchor in the harbour, the men positively
refusing to go to her assistance. He also
read a letter from Lloyd's agent in that town,
shewing the amount of inconvenience occasioned to
the shipping by the delay in getting pilots, and expressing
a conviction that the work would be far better done if the
compulsory system were abolished, and the men thrown
on the voluntary system.. He added that the Chamber of
Commerce of Falmouth fully supported that view of the
case. Evidence wad then given from the port
of Grimsby to the effect that the shipping
and mercantile interests of that port were seriously
damaged by the compulsory system, and one witness, M.
Henri Wos6, shipowner, said that he repaid £l,OOO for
pilotage, and he estimated that at least one-half of it
would be saved if the compulsory system were abolished.
He complained that it was a great injury, not only to
the coasting, but the foreign shipping, and that if it were
abolished, although there might be fewer pilots, the
men themselves would be benefited and the shipping in-
terest better cared for, and this evidence was confirmed
by Mr. Oates, a merchant of Grimsby, after which some
evidence in favour of the bill was given by Captain John-
son, of the coastguard service, who had a great general
experience and a particular knowledge of the Bristol
Channel. He was against any exemptions..
The committee then adjourned.