The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-18 00:00:00

ELECTION OF SCHOOL BOARDS.

Miss Becker has issued the following address to " the
citizens of Manchester ":—" Under the provisions of the
Elementary Education Act for the election of School
Boards women are eligible equally with men, and the
Government, as represented by Mr. Forster, has taken
pains to make known its desire that women should
find a place upon them. Experience has proved
that the education of girls cannot be properly
regulated, and that it has never been adequately cared for
,by corporate bodies consisting only of men. The legislative
and administrative functions exercised by these Boards
will affect the domestic economy of every household ; and
their rules, when once enacted, will have to be put in prac-
tice almost entirely by women who have charge of the
children subject to them. Under these circumstances, the
combined experience of men and women is more likely to
suggest satifactory regulathins for putting the act
in force than that of either men or women alone. I
desire to see the attendance of children at school made
compulsory and universal. But the application of this
rule is beset with enormous practical difficulties, owing to
the miserable condition of vast numbers of children. I
consider that it would be cruel to compel the attendance
at school of a child that hail not had its breakfast ; and
that it will be the duty of any Board which makes
such attendance compulsory to see that the children are
sent to school properly washed, dressed, and fed.
Electors of Manchester,—You are now about to choose
a body to whose care will be given the interests of the
most utterly weak and destitute section of the community.
The children of Manchester are the true constituency in
trust for whom you are to choose Guardians. Should you
think fit to confide a share of this sacred charge to my
hands, I should accept it in a spirit of deep responsibility,
and earnestly endeavour so to discharge it that the little
boys, and the still more helpless little girls, of this great
city might not in after years have cause to regret the
choice you had made."
The Bishop of Manchester, speaking at a meeting at
Bolton, said that the Elementary Education Act, like the
Workshops Regulation Act, would be a dead letter unless
the spirit of the country corresponded with it. Speaking-
of the compulsory principle, he said if people were content
to recognise the power of the policeman over the school
attendance of their children, then in the future English-
men would be as well educated as soldiers in the Prussian
and Saxon armies. But if they were not prepared 'to
submit to that he looked forward with considerable
anxiety and very imperfect faith to what might be done.
in the direction of compulsion.

GRATEFUL OFFERINGS.—The seamen who have
visited the Well-street Sailors Home, Sha.dwell, have
dropped into a contribution box £l3 18s. in aid of the
funds of the National Life-boat Institution. Amongst
the money were found three sovereigns and two half
sovereigns.

PROTEST AGAINST THE OCCUPATION OF 11.03iE.--
The Catholics of Great Britain have joined, to the num-
ber of two thousand and some three or four hundred
names, in signing a protest against the invasion of the
States of the Church, and the assault and capture of
Rome by King Victor Emmanuel. The Duke of Nor-
folk, the Marquis of Bute, the Earl of Denbigh, the Earl
of Gainsborough, Lord Arundellof Wardour, Lord Howard
of Glossop, and Sir George Bowyer, Bart., are among
those English Catholics who condemn the act of the King
of Italy as a great crime against the law of nations, as an
injury to public order, morality, and religion, and as a
blow to those first instincts of honour and justice without
which security and freedom are impossible, whether for
States or individuals.