The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-26 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL EDUCATION LEAGUE.

The annual meeting of the National Education League
was held yesterday at Birmingham. The adoption of
the report was moved by Mr. Dixon, M.P., and seconded
by Mr. Vernon Harcourt, M.P. The latter announced
his conversion to the free schools principle, and advocated
moderation on the part of the League in endeavouring to
accomplish the objects they had in view. He agreed
with Mr. Fawcett, M.P., who wrote urging that the
League should sink religion, and vote for compulsion. The
Rev.• Mr. Syme, of Southampton, moved as an amend-
ment that the word "secular" should be substituted for
" unsectarian" in the League's programme. A long and
animated discussion ensued, but eventually the amend-
ment was withdrawn, and the resolution approving the
adoption of the report was carried.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND THE EDUCATION
Q UESTION.

Yesterday afternoon an important meeting of the uni-
versity town and county of Cambridge, was held at the
Guildhall, to consider the question of education.
There was a large and influential attendance.
The Earl of Hardwicke, the Lord Lieutenant of the
county, occupied the chair, and in his opening remarks
referred to the changed state of the law as regarded edu-
cation, and proceeded to delate upon what in his
opinion education for the masses should consist of. He
congratulated them upon the fact that this act was framed
in a spirit of moderation and justice, and he trusted they
would act towards it in a similar spirit now that
it was the law of the land. He believed that Noncon-
formists, of which there were many in Cambridge,
felt, as did also Churchmen, that religion must
be taught when a child was educated. He
earnestly deprecated school boards, and the sys-
tem of rates, saying that the burden would ultimately
fall upon the farmers and landlords, and would amount to
at least 7d. in the pound upon the rating. There
were, he said, only. eighteen parishes in Cambridge-
shire requiring aid to make them independent
of the Act, and he urged on all the importance of assist-
ing them. The following resolutions were then passed :
—That the passing of the Elementary •Education
Act (1870) marks an epoch in the education of this
country, and appears to this meeting to demand from
all Churchmen a strong and united effort to secure, as
generally as possible in public elementary schools, an
efficient religious education. That the Board of
Education for ,the county and town of Cambridge, and
the Isle of Ely requires and deserves enlarged support to
enable it effectively to aid local efforts, to promote and
maintain religious and Church educations in all the
parishes within the boundaries of its operation, and, if
possible, to aid the establishment of diocesan inspec-
tion and the maintenance of training colleges. That
inasmuch as increased accommodation must be, in many
places, provided under the new Act, this meeting urges
that in aid of local efforts, and in addition to the
assistance which may be otherwise obtained, appli-
cation be made for building grants before the 31st of
December to the Education Department of her Majesty's
Government, and that donations and subscriptions be
commenced to enable the Cambridge Board to tender aid
in future years. The Bishop of Ely, Lord Royston, the
masters of Trinity and Christ's, and the High Sheriff were
among the speakers.