The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-17 00:00:00

THE EDUCATION BILL.

Extra Parliamentary operations in connection with the
Education Bill proceed with undiminished vigour. After
the conference of the League's council and delegates on
Wednesday morning, a large public meeting was held at
Exeter Hall in the evening. Mr. George Dixon presided,
and was supported by several M.P.'s The Hon. Auberon
Herbert, M.P., spoke in favour of absolute, as opposed
to permissive, compulsion. He also demanded that the
new national schools should be free. He considered that
when the householder had paid his rates his children
should be allowed to attend school without further
charge. He knew that poverty in this country was
a great crime against society, perhaps one of the
greatest crimes, unless it were to hold heretical opinions
about the land question. That was a greater crime,
but he thought they would allow that, at all events, they
might ask that whatever might be the difficulties a man
might have to struggle through in life his children may be
ensured that good education which shall fit them for the
struggle of life in their turn. Then arose the question—
Are you to have religious teaching in your national
schools ? He ventured to say that the State was the
great organisation of the land to attend to our material
wants; and the churches of this country were organisa-
tions to attend to our spiritual wants. When he
found the State anxious to take upon its shoulders
business which did not belong to it, he could not
help remarking that the State had not fulfilled so
very well its own business as to entitle it to take this new
work upon itself. If it would turn its hand towards
making our army a national institution, our universities.
national institutions, and our public schools steps by
which a man might climb, he thought it would be better
occupied. The conscience of one man was as good as that
of another, and if any man could rise and say you were
making him subscribe to an education in which he
did not believe, so long as one man could do
that he said they had an unjust law upon their
statute book, and he called upon the State to remedy it.
—Mr. Walter Morrison, M.P., felt sure that the money
raised from rates could not justly be expended in teaching
dogmatic theology.—Mr. Winterbotham, M.P., spoke in
favour of postponing the Government Bill to another
session unless further amendments were introduced. The
bill, as it stood, would give nothing but denominational
schools. Opponents were to be found who ob-
jected to religion being taught by the State,
but did not object to its being taught by
the parish. They objected to religion being taught
by grants, but they did not object to its being
taught by rates. The difference was all on the
wrong side. It was said that Parliament was unable
to !decide these questions, but the local vestry was able
to 'decide. The parish should sit it out and fight it anew
every twelve months. He believed that would be the
effect of the bill. The majority of the vestry could
say whether Mahometanism, Judaism, or any form of
Christianity should be taught in the school. The League
objected to that scheme. The only conclusion that seemed
to meet with general acceptance was that a certain num-
be of sects should agree together and dictate to the rest.
T ey sought to form a new State religion out of these
se ts, and to make that the religion of the whole. He
di not think that this was fair, and he was sorry to see
th t some of the Nonconformists held to it. He
sh uld object to having his religion toned and
watered down to whatever the State would pay for. The
conclusion they must ultimately come to was that secular
teaching must be given by the State, and that voluntary
zeal, which has never been wanting, and which was burn-
ing as brightly in England now as it ever was, would
supply the rest.—Mr. Beales spoke in favour of the
League, as did others, the Rev. J. Barham Zincke, chap-
lain to the Queen, protesting against making the minority
pay for the religion of the majority.—Mr. Fawcett, M.P.
declared that the State Church should shortly be assailed
by those who loved religious equality. Although he
was an unworthy person to raise such a question, he
would give this pledge, that the question of State esta-
blishments shall, before the end of another session, be
raised on the broadest possible issue. No measure of
education could be satisfactory, or worthy of the accep-
tance of the country, which does not guarantee the
education of every child. We had not yet, in this
country, felt the influence of democracy—that was to
diminish, as far as possible, the advantages of birth and
of wealth, so that every man should feel he has a chance
off developing his abilities, and that, if he has intellectual
pciwer, there is no position in this country to which he
may not aspire. He warned the Government, that
although they might, by the assistance of Tory votes,
triumph over those who represent the people, that would
be a dearly-bought victory.

Other meetings were held in different places. In the
TOwer Hamlets there was a strong gathering in support
of the religious clauses of the Government Bill. Mr.
Octavius E. Coope presided, and said that the
religious difficulty had been much exaggerated. He
hd never found in it the East-end schools with
which he was connected, because he had respected the
religious convictions of parents. He was now ready to
adopt the conscience clause, and, although he might make
a wry face at it, to swallow the time-table clause.—Other
speakers followed, but ultimately some members of the
Ihternational Workmen's Society interrupted the pro-
ceedings, and violently broke up the gathering.—At
Cilmbridge the Nonconformists met and passed a resolu-
tiOn, declaring that no system of education ought to be
established in which religion was to be taught at the
expense of the ratepayers.
!The Wesleyan sub-committee appointed to consider the
Government amendments has maintained the objections
fdrmulated by the General Education Committee ap-
pOinted by the Wesleyan body. The General Committee,
a short time ago, reported divers defects in the bill, and
the sub-committee declare that these amendments do not
rnmove those defects. The following are some of the points
on which the Wesleyans are determined to oppose Mr.
Forster's Bill :-1. They desiderate the formation of
sdhool boards in every district immediately on the Act
cdming into force. 2. They ask for the exclusion of all de-
nominational formulas, such as creeds and catechisms,
from rate-aided schools. 3. That no person except the
sdhool teacher shall give instruction in religion in
the School Board schools. 4. That in any inquiry
a to educational deficiency to be made under the Bill,
nO school shall be considered to give efficient
imtruction which does not offer education on con-
ditions fair and equal to all, and accept the
Conscience Clause prescribed by the Bill. 5. That Go-
v4rnment grants for the building of denominational
schools shall be discontinued. 6. That no clergyman
pfiest, member of any . religious order, or minister of
any religious denomination should be appointed
school teacher in any public elementary school
within the meaning of the Act. 7. The wording of
Mr. Forster's amendment, discontinuing denominational
inspection, was not considered satisfactory, as it
Would permit the inspectors, in their private capacity, to
inspect the schools in their peculiar department of deno-
minational religion. 8. That no by-law of any School
Board affecting religious instruction shall have force
unless it receive the sanction of the Education Depart-
ment. 9. That no by-law of the School Boards should
prohibit the reading of the Scriptures or instruction out
of the Scriptures by the school teachers.

Sir Hercules G. R. Robinson, Governor of Cey-
lon, will probably succeed Lord Napier as Governor of
Madras. •

LONDON PAIIPERISM.—In the first week of June
there were 134,096 persons in receipt of parochial relief in
the metropolis, of over 33,212 were in the workhouses,
and 100,884 were out-door paupers. This was an increase
of 4,379 on the numbers in the corresponding period of
last year, but a decrease of 47,000 on the figures at the end
of February.
DESTRUCTION OF A WORSTED MILL.—On Wed-
nesday morning a fire broke out in Messrs. Fallow and
Shaw's worsted mills, Wakefield, and in about two hours
the whole of the contents were destroyed. The damage
is estimated at £lO,OOO. Several persons narrowly escaped
with their lives, and the adjoining buildings, including
the West Riding prison, were only preserved by great
exertions.

ONE BOY DROWNED BY ANOTHER.—An inquest
has been held at Pleasington, near Garstang, on the body
of a lad named John Pairing. It appeared that the lad
had been an inmate of Pleasington Reformatory, and had
soiled his trousers. The governor instructed an elder lad
to " duck " him in the pond, and during the " process"
the deceased got out of his depth, and was drowned. The
jury returned a verdict of "Death from misadventure."

THE WESLEYANS IN IRELAND. The annual
religious conference of the Wesleyans in Dublin is ex-
pected to have more than usual interest. It is believed
that one of the subjects discussed will be the position of
the Wesleyan Methodists with reference to Irish national
education. Some years ago the body, which previously
had been opposed to the mixed system of education on
Eretty nearly the same grounds as the Episcopal Church
ducation Society, placed its schools under the National
Board, and is now as strenuous in supporting the existing
system as are the Presbyterians of Ulster.
THE Loss OF THE EARL OF ELGIN.—The Court
of Inquiry, investigating the circumstances under which
the Earl of Elgin was lost in a collision with another
vessel—the Jesmond, in May last, off Staithes, have
decided that although the greater weight of evidence is in
favour of the Jesmond, neither of the ships were entirely
free from blame. The Court is further of opinion that
the masters of neither ship can be held responsible for the
collision, as, in both instances, duly certificated officers
were left in charge of their respective vessels. The Court
further find that everything was done that could be, on
the part of the Jesmond, assisted by a portion of the
crew of the Elgin, to save life after the disaster. —Northern
Daily Express.

THE ST. GOTHARD RAILWAY. - The Berlin
papers refer to the interpellation of M. Mony with respect
to the St. Gothard Railway, and those who ordinarily
incline to Count Bismarck's policy are eager to shew
that the affair has no political signification whatever. The
North German Gazette, in order to prove that French
susceptibilities need not be aroused in regard to
the projected railway, points to the terms of
the Berne Protocol, which requires that the Swiss Federal
Government should give its consent to any transfer of the
St. Gothard Railway, and also states that Count Bis-
marck's speech on this subject in the Reichstag of the
25th of May, has been misrepresented in certain quar-
ters. His exact meaning was that the Confede-
rated Governments were convinced of the necessity of creat-
ing a communication between Germany and Italy, which
would depend entirely on the intermediate neutral country
of Switzerland, and would not be interfered with by any
of the great European Powers. France is anxious that
the great international communication should depend
entirely on the neutral State through which it passes, and
as Prussia is equally desirous to secure the neutrality the
North German Gazette does not think the good understand-
ing between the two countries will be compromised.

E GOVERNMENT AND THE EDUCATION

BILL.

The Leeds Mercury publishes the following telegram
from its London correspondent :—" Mr. Gladstone will, I
hear on the highest authority, make considerable conces-
sions to the Nonconformists upon the education question.
Mr. Richard's amendment has been placed on the paper
at the suggestion of Government, in order to give them
an excuse to yield.

GENERAL BANKS ON SPANISH
OUTRAGES.

The New York Herald publishes the full text of ,the re-
port from the Committee of Foreign Affairs on Cuba,
drawn up by General Banks. It is a very lengthy docu-
ment, and points strongly against the Spaniards, setting
forth a long list of outrages inflicted on the Americans
Cuba by them, and condemning the timidity and hesita-
tion of the policy pursued at Washington. The general
feeling at New York is strongly against the Spaniards.

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 17, 1870.

LAW AND POLICE.

AN EARTHQUAKE.—A case, originating in an earth-
quake, has been heard in the Court of Queen's Bench.
The plaintiffs had contracted for a cargo of nitrate of
soda to be shipped at Valparaiso and to arrive by a cer-
tain ship. The cargo was destroyed by an earthquake,
but another cargo was obtained by the defendants, and
this the plaintiffs claimed under the contract The court,
however, gave judgment for the defendants, holding that
the contract didnot apply to the second cargo.

THE NEW DEBTORS' ACT.— IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.—
'Mr. Justice Willes has made an order upon a debtor who
came before him for the payment of £5 per month. The
debtor was examined on oath, and stated that he had
been in the army, but was now without means. The
plaintiff's attorney asked that a term of imprisonment
might be expressed in default of payment, as had been
done by other learned judges. Mr. Justice Willes de-
clined to make such order, being of opinion that he had
no power to do so under the Act. In default, an applica-
tion could then be made for commitment.

ESSEX WAGGONERS.—Another Essex waggoner has
been charged at the Thames Police-court with sleeping
in his waggon. When stopped and roused he said the
horses knew the way home. In the court he said he had
only had six hours' sleep this week, and could not keep
awake in this hot weather. The magistrate said he must
not allow his pity for the men to prevent his fulfilling his
duty to the public, as accidents frequently happened. He
fined hitri Bs., but subsequently reduced the fine to 55.,
on hearing the man would have to pay the costs of the
greenyard.

CHARGE OF EMBEZZLEMENT.—Henry Armytage Picker-
den has been committed for trial at the Richmond Petty
Sessions, for embezzling several sums of money the pro-
perty of his employer. It was proved the prisoner had
received several sums which he had not accounted for,
and his employer, having the greatest confidence in him,
did not suspect that anything was wrong. A professional
accountant, however, who examined the books, found
there were several false entries. The amount embezzled
was not known.

CONTEMPT OF COURT.—An application has been made in
the Court of Exchequer to commit Lord Lismore for con-
tempt of court. An action had been brought against him for
the recovery of a debt, and the plaintiffs obtained a
judge's order requiring him to file an answer
to certain questions, which he had neglected to do
The counsel for the plaintiffs, therefore, moved to commit
him for contempt of Court, the judge's order having been
personally served, and a peer being no less liable to pro-
cess for contempt of Court than any other person. The
Court granted a rule to shew cause.

ALLEGED INFRINGEMENT OF A " CHIGNON" PATENT.—
Vice-Chancellor Sir R. Malins has given judgment in a
case in which a dispute had arisen respecting the manu-
facture of chignons of a particular description. A chignon
and frizette maker, of Manchester, named Rushton,
brought an action to restrain Messrs. Crawley, Cheapside,
shirt collar; ladies' chignon, and hair pad manufacturers,
from infringing his patented process for making artificial
hair in imitation of human hdir. His Honour held that
the invention must be new if a patent were obtained. The
plaintiff's was not in reality a new invention, but a new
process for arriving at a result which the defendants had
previously made peculiarly their own. The bill was dis-
missed with costs.
A " POETICAL " DISPUTE.—Mr. Frederick Locker com-
posed a set of poems, which were published by the Messrs.
Moxon. The poems ran through two editions, when the
composer issued a new book, under the title of
" Locker's London Lyrics," containing sixty-one
poems, fifty-six of which were in the previous
volume. The publishers now applied for an interlocutory
injunction to restrain Mr. Locker from proceeding with
the sale of the second work, on the ground that it was a
colourable imitation of the former, and that the defen-
dant had been guilty of violation of agreement, the agree-
ment giving him liberty to republish on a particular
event, which had not happened. The defence was that
the agreement had been repudiated by the plaintiffs, but
Vice-Chancellor James, before whom the application was
made, thought otherwise, and granted the injunction.

THE FIRE AT THE WESTMINSTER RAILWAY STATION.—
At Bow-street a ragged ill-looking urchin, named Henry
Weatherley, was charged with having set fire to the
Westminster Station of the Metropolitan District Railway
Company on Monday night. George White, inspector on
duty at the station, stated the damage done was
not very great, but the fire might have been a very
disastrous one if it had not been so speedily discovered.
The police superintendent said it might have endangered
the Houses of Parliament if the flames had blown over
the road. A person in court suggested that it might have
set the Thames on fire, for the river was even nearer than
the Senate House. (Laughter.) Mr. Flowers remanded
the prisoner for a week.
ROUGHS AND THE POLICE.—Wm. Jones, a rough-look-
ing fellow, was charged at Marlborough-street by W.
Newton, with assaulting the police. Police-constable
Joseph Bull, 189 E, said that on the previous night he was
called to Cumberland-street, and saw the prisoner and
others fighting, and also some women. He took a woman
into custody, when he was immediately surrounded by a
crowd of about 200 roughs, and the prisoner caught
hold of the woman and rescued her, and struck him
a blow on the temple, and as well as others in the crowd,
while he was on the ground, most shamefully illused him.
He took the prisoner into a public-house so as to secure
him till other constables came, who then took him to the
tation, having to draw their truncheons to protect them-
selves from the roughs. The evidence having been cor-
roborated, the prisoner was committed for 21 days'
imprisonment with hard labour.
CRUEL CASE OF DETENTION.—WiIIam Harris, a man of
about thiry years of age, was brought to the Westminster
Police-court by detective Shaw, on a warrant for disobe-
dience of a summons charging him with detaining a chest
of drawers, table, chairs, looking-glass, pictures, bed and
bedding, and other articles, the property of his father- in-
law, George Hughes. The complainant said he sent the
goods to the defendant to take care of, and when he sent
for them he refused to give them up. Defendant admitted
the possession of the drawers, the bedstead, bed and two
pillows, but declared that complainant gave everything
else to a girl who moved the things. He did not want to
keep anything, and the fact was his father-in-law was a
nasty " dispositious " old man, who got drunk and would
not keep a home. Mr. Arnold said it was odd that if
defendant did not want the things he did not give them
up. He had no right to keep them, awl he should adjourn
the case for a week to give him that opportunity.
A HAPPY MARRIED LIFE.—A very singular and sensa-
tional case has been brought before the Cheltenham
Police Court. Application was made by a Mr. Field,
a large draper in the town, for the discharge of an order
granted to his wife last November by two Cheltenham
justices for the protection of her goods. The Court was
crowded, and the bench was unusually full, great interest
being excited by the proceedings. The story told by the
applicant was a most extraordinary one. He said
that in December, 1857, being then quite
sane, he was taken from his house at the
instigation of his wife, and put in the Gloucestershire
Lunatic Asylum as a pauper lunatic, though he had left
his wife in possession of his business and stock-in trade,
on which she and her family had since lived. He escaped
twice from the asylum, but was re-captured and sent back,
though persons he spoke to acknowledged him to be
rational. He obtained by some means a copy of Charles
Reade's " Hard Cash," in which he learned that the
power of the asylum authorities to recapture a patient
ends after fourteen days. He, therefore, on escap-
ing a third time remained hidden till that
time was past. Afterwards he called on the author,
of " Hard Cash," who assisted him, and last November
he returned to Cheltenham to claim his business, but
found that his wife had a few days before obtained the
protection order complained of on the ground of desertion
by her husband on the 13th of February, 1869, the day
after his escape from the asylum. The defence main-
tained that there had been a legal desertion, and that the
applicant, who was admitted to be now sane, had accused
his wife of horrible crimes without the slightest ground.
Mrs. Field gave evidence to this effect, and after some
discussion on the legal point the Bench refused to dis-
charge the order, and the applicant's counsel intimated
that further proceedings would be taken.